CHRISTIAN ROCK AND - ROLL

Just as there is no such thing as a Christian porno shop, (though I have heard

some claim such), there is no such thing as Christian Rock-N-Roll. The two

words cannot mix. No more than God can have any fellowship with darkness.

There is such a thing as Holy music unto the Lord! And though it may have

drums and guitars in the music, it's style and spiritual quality will not

resemble the world. You will not find the smoke, lights, dress and loudness of

the music to be anything like the world. For Christians are a holy separate

people unto the Lord.

    AMY GRANT    

But we go even deeper than that in our judgement of Christian rock music. For

the music can be mellow and sweet to the ears, but come straight from the pit

of hell. One example is the music of Any Grant. She has sold her royal

birthright for the pleasures and praise of this world. And we have told her

and her pastor so.

As most will know that Any Grant's stage symbol is a leopard jacket. This is

prophetic! God is showing to all discerning Christians what her true nature

is.

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin

or

the leopard its spot?

Neither can you do good who are accustomed

to doing evil." -Jeremiah 13:23

What must be judged here is not just the music's style but the heart that

sings it. Noting also, that if the heart is right, the style will be also. For

if a tree is good, so is it's fruit.

   ATTRACTING THE WORLD   

So many of you clamor that they are attracting people to Jesus by using the

world's music. By becoming a Roman to the Romans. What wicked reasoning that

is! What mis-use of scripture! Shall our church sell Coors on the church

parking lot to attract the non-believers? Shall our Christian sisters dress

like the world in order to pull in the worldly?

It is of the highest darkness to use such reasoning. Jesus said, "be careful

that the light within you is not darkness"! Peter says that Christians who use

worldliness to attract people to Jesus are of the highest caliber of false

prophets!

"...Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

For they mouth empty, boastful words and,

by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful

human nature they entice people who are just

escaping from those who live in error. They

promise them freedom..." -2 Peter 2:17-19

    CHOICE    

You have a choice. To hunger and thirst after righteousness. To avoid all

music that is unholy. To refuse to buy records of those who have sold out to

the world. To call others not to go their concerts. Or to compromise.

It is our prayer that you will choose to listen to those who are faithful in

the land. To those that show they love the Lord. And if there be not much

music you can buy or listen to, then so be it. Make "music in your heart" to

the Lord instead! He will be more pleased with that, then the supporting of

those who copy the world in dress, hair and music. God does not support

hypocrisy, and neither should you.

"My eyes will be on the faithful in the

land, that they may dwell with me; he

whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit will dwell in

my house..." -Psalm 101:6-7

Only as we stand and speak up for what is holy in the Lord will the steady

downward trend toward the pit of hellish activity be stopped. Write KLTT and

other stations that support such utterly wicked groups as STRYPER. Call your

brothers and sisters to avoid such concerts as Steve Camp, Mylon LaFevor and

Steve Taylor etc. etc.. Put away the Any Grant albums. "Touch no unclean

thing" and God will receive you. Let the faithful be the only ones who

minister to you - FORGET HOW GOOD THEIR WORDS ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's

what makes them so very wicked in God's sight.

-Sysops

Sound Doctrine BBS

-end part 1-

 

-part 2-

DRIVEN TO DARKNESS!

BY

DAVID WILKERSON

(8-3-1987)

         

"'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 offendd.

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 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 the 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 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.

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 Jesus who winks at

deception? How blatantly they are mislearning Jesus Christ! WHAT JESUS ARE

THEY PREACHING?'

 

'But Ye Have Not So Learned Christ'

[Ephesians 4:20]

 

Thatis 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 UNTO 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 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'.

 

Sin-Soft Preachers Are Driving

This Generation Into Darkness

 

'...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.

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 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, has 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}

 

Reprove Them!

 

'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 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 and 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 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.

 

But There Is a Shout Which is

Shallow and Meaningless!

 

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 from 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 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 heart 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 the 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]

          

For your information;

David Wilkerson's messages are mailed free of charge.

They are sent out every three weeks - about 17 issues per year. If you are not

receiving them on a regular basis but wish to be added to our list, send your

request to:

World Challenge

P.O. Box 260

Lindale, TX 75771

For quicker response call:

214-963-8626

-end part 2-

 

-start part 3-

The following is a text file that is being posted on many Christian BBS

systems. Please contrast this article with God's Word in the prayer closet and

you will see clearly these perverts are not of God. -Sysop Sound Doctrine BBS

 

-part 3-

THE PERVERSION

 

HOLY ROCK 'N' ROLLERS

They call it demon rock 'n' roll. Many preachers have said it is Satan's

tool for catching teens off guard with a beat that drives them into a sexual

frenzy. Some have led crusades, burned albums and picketed concerts.

They are faced with one of the hottest trends in music: Christian heavy-

metal and hard-rock bands, whose voices and guitars screech and wail for Jesus

Christ. "All we heard for years from the pulpit was how bad rock 'n' roll

was," said Robert Sweet, 25, the long-haired drummer for Stryper, a Christian

band from Los Angeles, whose members dress in skintight black and yellow body

suits and thick metal chains. "Well, how many people are going to eat their

words this year? God created rock 'n' roll. Satan cannot create - he can only

twist and distort it and make it junk. The first time you catch Stryper with a

beer in their hands or their faces in cocaine, then you'll have a case. But

until then, we're innocent until proven guilty."

Despite a nonstop wave of protest from ministers and parents, Sweet's

group is one of more than 100 Christian rock bands that have sprung up, Taking

names like the Resurrection Band, Barnabas, Jerusalem and Servant. For the

uninitiated, retailers like Dickson's Bible and Book Store in Royal Oak post a

chart that lists each group and compares its sound to a secular group such as

the Kinks, Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. But lyrically - and in concert

- the Christian and secular groups are worlds apart. "Feeling so distressed

tonight, Jesus are you there, could we talk a little while, I heard you really

care," sings the Resurrection Band from Chicago, which ends its live Bootleg

album by urging fans to give their lives to Jesus. Other groups have an altar

call, or station counselors near exits to talk to troubled teens. Stryper

members sing about their wild appearance - "No matter how we look, we always

praise His name. And if you you believe, you got to do the same" - and throw

100 to 200 New Testament Bibles out to the crowd. "One guy was so anxious to

get one," said Sweet, "that he broke his arm."

Sue Weldon, a 15-year-old from Troy, said she recently brought her NON-

CHRISTIAN friend to Pine Knob to hear Petra, the best selling Christian rock

group. "She became a Christian at the end of the concert," said Sue, twisting

a strand of her permed brown hair. "She went up to one of the counselors and

has joined a church now. She really thought it was great." Stephen Wyss of

Royal Oak, a 22-year-old senior at Lawrence Institute of Technology, said he

owns 72 Christian music albums. "The main difference is what they sing about

and their lifestyle," he said. "When Michael Jackson was really popular,

everyone wanted to be like him. Well, with these groups getting more popular,

kids can see how good it is to be a Christian, and they will have a model to

follow." "You're not going to reach heavy metal people with pop music. You

have different types of evangelists because you have different types of

people."

Though they have been around for about 10 years, most Christian rock

groups have just begun to take off, riding on the powerful wings of Christian

contemporary artists like Amy Grant, the first Christian singer to appear on

"mainstream" music charts. Ms. Grant recently became the best selling artist

in Christian music history when her last two albums went gold ($1 million in

sales) and platinum (one million albums sold). Her success in the secular

market has been followed by Petra - which is the Greek word for rock - whose

seven albums have outsold all other Christian rock groups combined with total

sales of more than $1 million.

Stryper, a Los Angeles group which will soon tour the nation, recently

sold 40,000 of its newly released singles in one day. It has already received

advance orders for nearly 100,000 copies of its newest album, which has not

even been released. Such figures do not compare with those of secular artists

like Michael Jackson and Prince. But they are considered phenomenal by

industry observers, because major secular radio stations still refuse to play

Christian music, citing the songs' emphasis on evangelism. "It's only been in

the last few years that Christian hard rock has made any inroads into the

mainstream market," said Bob Darden, who writes about Christian music for

Billboard magazine. "That's because it's only been in the last few years that

the caliber of the music has caught up with mainstream music. There's no

reason kids should see a bad Christian group if they can see a good secular

group. So the Christians have gotten better." But Darden is critical of the

"bad, trite" lyrics by many of the groups who, for instance, try to cram the

story of the resurrection into a three minute song. And John Styll, editor-in-

chief of Contemporary Christian magazine, said many of the artists have been

content to copy the music style of mainstream artists and just add religious

lyrics, instead of forging new ground. He also predicted that they will never

have the success enjoyed by the mainstream counter parts. "It's not in the

cards," Styll said. "To most people, contemporary Christian music is about as

appealing as contemporary Bahai music. They'll just think, 'Oh, that's for

them.' The gospel is offensive to people. It will never achieve the popularity

that sin does." To Ministers who spend a lot of time preaching about the

dangers of sin, the subject of rock music still draws a lot of fire. "It is a

device of the devil," said the Rev. Samuel Peterson, pastor of Faith Temple

Church of God in Madison Heights. "In my church, I don't allow it. Unless the

ear is educated to it, you can't hear the lyrics. What good is the message if

you can't hear it? And it grates on my nerves, whether it's Christian or not.

It's like having someone scream in my ear. The beat is very physical, driving

and compelling. It compels your nervous system until it drowns out your brain.

I can't find a better word than 'torment.'" But the Rev. Paul Patton,

assistant pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Livonia, encourages young people

to listen to Christian rock music. "If anyone has an ear for that type of

music," he said, "I'd prefer they hear lyrical content that wasn't sexist or

has that macho mentality that is so much a part of the heavy metal scene.

They're reaching an audience that most of their critics know nothing about.

They are touching lives and challenging values that people in mainstream music

aren't."

Stryper's Robert Sweet said the group's success (its fan club has 10,000

members) indicates it can stand on its own from secular groups. But, he said,

it has not been easy. "It takes a lot of guts to be in rock 'n' roll and

stand up for Jesus," he said. "What field of work are you more tempted in?

Here I am, a single guy who has professed to TV stations and newspapers that

I'm saving myself for the right woman. And every time I play, I'm confronted

by 10 to 20 beautiful women. It's real tempting. And we can get all the free

drugs and alcohol we want." "But the more you do God's work, the more the

devil tempts you. So we just pray harder. Stryper wants to walk into the most

heavy-metal, hard rock, drug abusing, blinded-eyes kind of situation and say,

'Look, this is a dark room and the light is walking in.'"

Among the 500 to 600 fans who write Stryper each week are those who thank

the group for helping them overcome struggles with alcohol, homosexuality or

depression. "We tell them don't thank us, thank Jesus," said Sweet, whose

mother manages the band and whose brother, Michael, is the lead singer. "I

remember one night, a guy called me at 10 p.m. crying. He was a stranger, but

I felt like I should go visit him. He was a 24-year-old guy dying of cerebral

palsy. He had Stryper stickers all over his wheelchair." "I prayed with him

and he asked me if he could buy a Stryper jacket. I had mine on and gave it to

him. When he got my jacket, tears were streaming down his face and he told his

mom, 'When I die, I want to be buried in this. When I stand in front of God, I

want him to see me wearing something that's good, that's right.'" "When those

things happen, it lets us know that we're more than just a rock band."

By Kate DeSmet from Detroit News, August 4, 1985

-end part 3-

 

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

Arise now and put away your idols!! Call your brothers and sisters to

repentance. And if they will not repent than do as scripture says and "have

nothing to do with them".

Any BBS system that would post this article without a refuting it for the

whitewash it is, has much to learn about what it means to follow Jesus. Call

them to repentance!

Let there be a holy division that takes place in the church. Let Proverbs

29:27 be true.

"The righteous detest the dishonest;

the wicked detest the upright."

 

 SOUND DOCTRINE BBS 

 (303) 680-7209 

 8/N/1 24HRS 

 

 "For the time will come when men will not 

 put up with sound doctrine." 

 -2 Timothy 4:3 

 

 

---

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