DRIVEN TO DARKNESS!

BY

DAVID WILKERSON

(8-3-1987)

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"'To the law and to the testimony; if they speak

not according to this word, it is because there

is no light in them...And they shall look unto

the earth; and behold trouble and darkness; and

they shall be driven to darkness.' -Isaiah 8:20-

22

Last night I attended a Christian music

festival. I will never forget what I saw, and

can truly say was a heartbreaking experience.

Since leaving the concert I have been weeping for

hours, groaning in the Spirit, feeling the wrath

of a holy God burning against what I saw.

I went to the festival because the 'star

performer' featured last night had been in my

office just hours before, crying, telling me how

much he loved Jesus, how sincere he was, how he

wanted to learn more about holiness. He told me

my written messages convicted him. His words

sounded right-his attitude seemed humble. At his

request I went to hear him and his group because

he assured me I would not be offended.

My heart is now so set on the massive human

need in New York City, and my great concerns now

have to do with rescuing lost souls from drugs,

alcohol and demon possession. I DID NOT WANT TO

GET INVOLVED ANYMORE IN THE MATTER OF ROCK AND

ROLL, HEAVY METAL, AND PUNK MUSIC IN THE CHURCH.

I felt I had said enough on the subject and I

told the musician so when he sat in my office.

We have prayed together and I hugged him when he

left my office.

I went last night with an open heart, full of

love and compassions - for him, for all Christian

musicians, and especially for the 3,000 or so

young people attending the festival. I sat

through two devotional-type songs, then I sat

attentively listening as the musician testified

about what he said Christ had done in his life.

No preacher anywhere could have spoken with more

conviction and sincerity-the words were right.

He spoke of separation, of being obedient to

Jesus, of winning souls, of prayer, of holy

matrimony [he was married], of living a holy Üj�Ü�life. I prayed as he spoke, 'Dear Lord, maybe I

misjudged this musician and his hard rock group.

Maybe you ARE doing something new in using the

music the ungodly prefer, to win them-to get

their attention, to attract them so they can be

ministered to. Lord, I am willing to rejoice in

hearing You preached, in any manner, from any

group-if You are present in it-if your Holy

Spirit is blessing it.

I was honestly questioning if my writings

about the MUSIC OF DEVILS in God's house were

just old-fashioned prejudices or simply my

distaste for rock music. Was it just so much

fuss about nothing? Yet something was not quite

right. There was an inner tug at my heart making

me ill at ease. I reasoned, 'If Satan is

camouflaged in this somehow, if there is leaven

of evil-it will be revealed. Satan always

reveals himself in one way or another.'

Suddenly the singer yelled in the microphone,

'JESUS IS COMING - HE IS GOING TO CRACK THE SKIES

- GET READY!' The song was entitled, 'CRACK THE

SKIES'. Suddenly smoke was billowing out of

smoke machines, the pounding beat was turned up

to a frenzied pitch, eerie lights began flashing,

the musicians stood like phantoms rising from a

murky swamp. It was ghostly, weird, strange-and

the crowd went wild-they seemed to love it. At

the same festival, a wild spiked hair group had

entertained-with painted faces, prancing about

like homosexual peacocks.

At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing

on stage. I said out loud, 'This can't be

happening at a Christian festival-they can't do

this to my Jesus! These people can't be this

blind-the leaders of this youth ministry can't be

so undiscerning! Oh God-what has happened to

your church that its leaders, it people, can't

see the evil of this abomination?

Suddenly I was on the ground, on my back,

weeping and sobbing, and groaning in t he Spirit.

I sat up and took another look at the stage. I

WAS HORRIFIED BY WHAT I SAY IN THE SPIRIT. I SAW

DEMONIC IMAGES RISING FROM THE THAT STAGE! I

HEARD SATAN LAUGHING! Laughing at all the blind

parents-the blind shepherds-the blind youth-the

backslidden church! It was an overt

manifestation of Satan-worse than anything I've

ever seen on the streets of New York.

Üj�Ü� I stood to my feet, literally shaking with the

fear of God-consumed with a sense of His holy

wrath against such wickedness. I rushed into the

crowd crying at the top of my voice-ICHABOD! {The

glory of the Lord has departed!} ICHABOD! I ran

through the crowd, pushing aside chairs, weeping,

shouting at the top of my voice, 'Ichabod-this is

satanic! Stop! God is grieved!' I was mostly

ignored and I think most thought I was a crazy

lunatic. I doubt anybody knew who I was-the

musicians could not hear me, and the crowd was

too tight to allow me near the stage. I wanted

to get to a microphone and cry like an Elijah-

'THIS IS VOMIT ON THE TABLE OF THE LORD! WHO ARE

YOUR TEACHERS, THAT YOU COULD BE SO BLIND, SO

WORLDLY, SO DECEIVED!? WHAT KIND OF BLASPHEMY IS

THIS?'

I will not shut up this matter! I will not be

silent while multitudes of our Christian youth

are being deceived by smooth-talking wolves in

sheep's clothing! True love demands that the

truth be told.

What hurt my spirit the most, and what is so

hard for me to understand, is that this

particular group, and many others, attend

Pentecostal churches. The musician I refer to

told me he gave up drugs, drinking, evil sex and

rock and roll performing when he got saved. He

cut his long, feminine hair, he quit dressing

like an exhibitionist and began to change all his

ways. It was a pastor who encouraged him to

'quit looking so square and use rock and roll to

reach the kids'. A teacher, in his sixties,

travels on occasion with them, teaching them and

encouraging them in their evil methods.

According to their teacher, rock and roll is

going to be the 'normal music in all Pentecostal

and evangelical churches'.

It's now the middle of the night and I can't

sleep! I can't stop weeping inside. I am shut

in with God in my study diligently asking Him to

show me what is happening, because hours ago I

saw a few thousand young Christians, with

uplifted hands, thinking it was Jesus, when it

was most assuredly the devil. HAS THE CHURCH-OR

WHAT MAN CALLS THE CHURCH-SO BACKSLIDDEN THAT

THERE IS NO MORE DISCERNMENT WHATSOEVER? Has God

given up on some who are set on bringing devilish

practices into the realm of worship?

NOW I WONDER-'WHO DARES TEACH SUCH JESUS-a Üj�Ü�Jesus who winks at deception? How blatantly they

are mislearning Jesus Christ! WHAT JESUS ARE

THEY PREACHING?'

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'But Ye Have Not So Learned Christ'

[Ephesians 4:20]

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That is what Paul said in his letter to the

Ephesians. He was warning them not to walk as

some do 'in the vanity [pride] of their mind'

(Ephesians 4:17). He warned of those learned

Christ in a perverted way, because their

understanding was darkened. They were 'cut off

from the life of God through the ignorance that

is in them, because of the blindness of their

heart' (Ephesians 4:18).

Some teacher, some shepherd, had MISTAUGHT

JESUS CHRIST to them. The Christ they learned

was not the Christ of God, the Lord of holiness,

the master of purity. While they speak so

sweetly of Jesus, and weep when they mention the

name, and tell of a hunger to walk in the ways of

Christ-Paul said of them, they 'ARE PAST FEELING

AND HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER UTNO

LASCIVIOUSNESS [lustfulness], TO WORK ALL

UNCLEANNESS WITH GREEDINESS' [Ephesians 4:19].

That is what I saw last night at the music

festival-a group of musicians who were pied

pipers, leading many young people right into the

arms of Satan with their smooth words about

Jesus, about celebrating forgiveness-then with an

energy of flesh and carnal greediness hard to

fathom-they put their stamp of approval on

paganism right out of the devil's treasury. They

were saying, by their music and their worldly,

ghastly performance-that Jesus and the garbage of

this world are compatible. They wore two masks-

one of sincere followers of Christ, the other of

performing clowns. With their faces lifted up to

God, they cursed Him by their blasphemous

mockery. Isaiah prophesied of such, '...they

shall curse their king and their God, and look

upward' [Isaiah 8:21]. What they preach and

practice are two different gospels.

They are deceived, and consequently they are

deceivers themselves. They have MISLEARNED

CHRIST! They have been duped, manipulated and

cheated! They should have had a pastor or Üj�Ü�teacher with enough Holy Ghost discernment, with

enough devotion to the true and holy Lord-to WARN

THEM TO SHOW THEM that God does not put up with

holding on to the old man and the old carnal

ways. Why didn't their shepherds discern that

these boys were walking in ignorance and

spiritual blindness, not understanding the true

demands of Christ? Why wasn't their greed dealt

with-not so much for money and fame, but a greed

that would not let go of the very thing that once

led them into drugs and emptiness. It's all

coming out now-that these groups are falling on

all sides, going back to the secular crowd, back

to cocaine, back to groupies-playing the part of

hypocrites and gospel phonies. Their shepherds

are so easily conned, because they are blind in

every way. Paul said it right, 'For it is a

shame even to speak of those things which are

done of them in secret.' [Ephesians 5:12]. They

very music they perform drives them back to

darkness.

Now-it's probably too late! They have

rejected the reproof of prophets and watchmen who

really preach the truth! They are like those

Paul warns about, who have become so lost in

spiritual ignorance and blindness, they are

confirmed in their worldly ways! They are so

blind they believe they are honoring Christ and

blessing multitudes of youth the church 'can't

reach'.

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Sin-Soft Preachers Are Driving

This Generation Into Darkness

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'...they shall be driven to darkness...'

[Isaiah 8:22]

I blame their smooth talking, sin-soft

shepherds. Those same shepherds must one day

stand before Christ's judgement seat and answer-

not only for the musicians under their care-but

for all the Christian young people they in turn

have hurt and destroyed. Without flinching, I

declare that cowardly ministers, those who want

to be loved and honored rather than rejected for

preaching truth, are driving this generation into

deep spiritual darkness.

Üj�Ü� We would not be facing a generation of

backslidden, pleasure-loving, worldly minded

youth in our churches-youth who do not even know

the commandments of a holy Christ-IF WE HAD MORE

HOLY BOLD PREACHERS AND EVANGELISTS WHO COULD

TEACH AND PREACH THE TRUTH OF CHRIST WITH PURITY

AND AUTHORITY.

I am not accusing all preachers and teachers-

thank God for the few who still do not cower to

the crowd or compromise for the sake of numbers

and success. Maybe the youth won't listen to

those who cry out against their lusting after the

world-but when the judgements accelerate-they

will turn to the preachers of holiness for a sure

word from God.

There is filth in Zion, and strangers have

been exalted in the house of God-by blind,

compromised, undiscerning Christian leaders.

They are calling evil good, and the counsel of a

righteous God is lightly esteemed. Hearts are

hardening, ears are closing, eyes are being shut-

because pride and flesh and ungodly entertainment

is grieving the Holy Spirit right out of His

temple.

Isaiah warned, '...their root shall be

rottenness,...because they have cast away the law

of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of

the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger

of the Lord kindled against his people...'

[Isaiah 5:24-25].

Hell must be ecstatic at the spectacle of

ministers not just abdicating to the immoral

music standards of the young-but actually

promoting. Who brings these worldly bent groups

into the church for concerts? Who encourages the

youth to embrace the music of devils? Who

ridicules evangelists and prophets and watchmen

who cry out against it? Who puts it on radio,

TV. and who promotes the concerts and festivals

that are now degenerating into SATANIC SHOWCASES?

It is the pastors, youth ministers, Christian

radio and TV. station owners and managers. They

will all live to see the wicked harvest of their

soft gospel and compromise-as their very own

children fall away to the spirit of this age.

Webster's Twentieth Century Dictionary defines

whoredom as 'the desertion of the worship of God

for the worship of idolatry'. A whoremonger is

ONE WHO PROCURES OR PROMOTES IT. Any spiritual Üj�Ü�leader who procures or promotes this idolatrous

desertion of true worship is truly a WHOREMONGER.

And Paul state emphatically, 'No whoremonger, nor

unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an

idolater, hat any inheritance in he kingdom of

Christ of God.' [Ephesians 5:5]

Young people-don't listen to the whoremongers-

listen instead to the apostle Paul-who warned,

'Let no man [even preachers] deceive you with

vain [empty] words; for because of these things

cometh the wrath of God upon the children of

disobedience. BE YE NOT THEREFORE PARTAKERS WITH

THEM' {Ephesians 5:6-6}

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Reprove Them!

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'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works

of darkness, but rather REPROVE THEM' [Eph. 5:11]

All spiritual work that is tainted with the

least bit of darkness, God calls UNFRUITFUL

WORKS! This refutes the big lie of the devil

being promoted by the pushers of the 'new wave'

music, which argues, 'But it can't be of the

devil. Look at all the kids getting saved!

Listen to their wonderful testimonies. They

really reach the youth-many are getting saved.

They speak in a way the kids understand-they

glorify Christ in their speech.'

God never has judged a work by the results.

No one is more successful in holding converts

than the Muslims. No church is richer than the

Vatican. The Jehovah Witnesses claim to be

winning multitudes to Christ.

God judges everything by LIGHT! That means,

by how godly, how Christ-like-by how clear, how

pure, how transparent it is. He repudiates and

spits out of His mouth all that has even been

part dark. John saw the Holy City descending out

of the heaven from God, having the glory of God.

That is a holy people, a bride adorned and

prepared for the Bridegroom. Its main

characteristic is this: 'Her light was like unto

a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone,

clear as crystal' [Revelation 21:11].

Whatever is of God is CLEAR AS CRYSTAL! It is Üj�Ü�holiness so pure, it is translucent as pure

jasper stone. Those who are numbered in this

holy Zion, this New Jerusalem coming down from

God-have all STEPPED OUT INTO THE LIGHT! There

is no darkness in them at all-they have been

translated into His light! They walk in the

light-they hate darkness-they reprove it wherever

it appears. The enemy has come into religious

circles to destroy what is pure and clear by

introducing a pagan element that creates a shadow

or film. If Satan can inject the slightest

degree of error, or evil leaven, he knows the

Holy Spirit will draw back because of a grieving.

That is why no mixture-no shadow of dark paganism

must be permitted in Christ's church.

Also, the Bible speaks of EVERY SEED YIELDING

AFTER ITS OWN KIND [Genesis 1:12]. An evil seed

produces evil fruit, often not recognized until

maturity. The rock and roll "prophets" of this

generation are yielding a seed after their own

kind-a seed that will one day bring forth a fruit

that will wither and die. Jude makes that very

clear, '...these feed themselves without fear:

clouds they are without water, carried about of

winds; trees WHOSE FRUIT WITHERETH, without

fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots."

[Jude 12].

What of the good sounding testimonies, the

sincere and convincing sermonettes? Paul has the

answer. 'Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye

on those who cause dissensions and HINDRANCES

contrary to the teaching which you learned, and

TURN AWAY FROM THEM...For such men are slaves,

not of our Lord Jesus Christ but of THEIR OWN

APPETITES; and BY THEIR SMOOTH AND FLATTERING

SPEECH THEY DECEIVE THE HEARTS OF THE

UNSUSPECTING." [Romans 16:17-18 NAS]

Oh how God's people need discernment. Great

deceptions about every where, not only regarding

the rock and punk music of the young, but also in

regard to new forms of worship and praise being

promoted. Some of it is born of the Holy Spirit,

but much is born of the flesh-and only those who

walk in the light know the difference.

There is a revival of worship and praise in he

land today, and much focus on prayer,

intercession nd new revelation. There is no

question about there being more and more

Christians standing for an hour or two-with great

congregations singing and praising loudly. There Üj�Ü�are smiles, laugher, joy, hand clapping, upraised

hands, dancing-never in modern times has there

been a GREATER SHOUT IN THE CAMP.

Thank God for those in the camp who worship in

Spirit and truth-who can lift clean hands and who

have pure hearts-who come before His holiness

with broken heart and contrite spirit. If they

are walking in holiness , trembling at God's

Word, repentant and free from the bondage of sin-

it is a glorious and acceptable offering unto the

Lord. God does inhabit the praises of His people-

but only if those people are walking in practical

righteousness.

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But There Is a Shout Which is

Shallow and Meaningless!

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There is the shout of the overcomer and the

shout of the idolater-and we had better know the

difference. The Lord commanded Moses to 'Go, get

thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest

out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted

themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of

the way which I commanded them: they have made

them a molten calf, and have worshipped it'

[Exodus 32:7-8].

As Moses and Joshua approached the camp of

Israel, Joshua 'heard the noise of the people as

they shouted...' [v 17]. But it was not the

shout of those who had overcome the enemy. The

true shepherd Moses, having come fresh from the

very presence of God's holiness-could easily

discern that the GREAT SHOUT coming from the

Lord's chosen people was not pure. Something as

terribly wrong-it did not ring of the holiness of

God.

Moses said, 'It is not the voice of them that

shout form mastery, neither is it the voice of

them that cry for being overcome: but the noise

of them that sing do I hear' [Exodus 32:18]

That's all it was, MEANINGLESS, SHALLOW NOISE-

but an abomination in the ears of a holy God.

They had no right to sing; their hearts were

lusting after an idol. Their hearts were given

to pleasure and fun. They stood before a golden Üj�Ü�calf-and it the name of the Lord offered burnt

offerings. The people 'sat down to eat and drink

and rose up to play..' [Exodus 32:6]

I received many letters from Christians whom I

know have come through the school of Christ.

They have come through much suffering and

spiritual warfare to a place in God where nothing

else matters but knowing Him in fullness. They

were driven by such deep hunger for God, they

began to thirst for Christ as 'the hart that

panteth after water'. They tell me how out of

place they feel in these great assemblies where

the shout in the camp goes forth. It all looks

good, and on the surface sounds good. But they

can't enter in, because they discern something is

basically wrong. They can't even explain it-the

Spirit of God within them will not let them

partake of it. They discern some kind of

unspeakable darkness-something subtle, yet

ominous about all the flesh that accompanies the

singing, shouting, and dancing. It is almost too

professional, too put on, too carnal. They

leave, thinking to themselves, 'Is it me-is there

something wrong with me? Am I too judgmental?

Why am I not comfortable amidst all this singing

and dancing?

Those who have STEPPED OUT INTO THE LIGHT can

easily discern the shadow of darkness. They will

not be fooled by false shouting, false dancing,

false worship, or false praying.

True Zion saints REJOICE WITH TREMBLING!

{Psalm 2:11} They know that gladness belongs

only to the 'upright in heart' [Psalm 97:11].

They can sing and dance when t he Spirit moves

them, but with David they can say, 'Zion heard,

and was glad; and the daughters of Judah REJOICED

BECAUSE OF THY JUDGEMENTS, O LORD' [Psalm 97:8].

Zion saints, 'GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD AT THE

REMEMBRANCE OF HIS HOLINESS' [Psalm 97:12]

No punk or rock or phony shouting and praise

for those walking in the light. They praise Him

for both His goodness and because they tremble at

His great and terrible name.

'The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high

about all the people...Let the people

tremble...LET THEM PRAISE THEY GREAT AND TERRIBLE

NAME; FOR IT IS HOLY' [Psalm 99:1-3]

* * * * * * * * * * * Üj�Ü�

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