the purpose driven music paradigm - Escape Babylon's Demons

1990’s I bought the records of many of the popular Christian recording stars
including Amy Grant, Phil Keaggy, B. J. Thomas, Mylon Lefevre, Russ Taff, Keith
Green, Roby Duke, and Maranantha Praise. I also purchased releases from secular
turned Christian recording artists like Dan Peek (America), Johnny Rivers, Randy Travis,
James Vincent, Kerry Livgren (Kansas), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Leon Patillo
(Earth, Wind & Fire) and others. If the music sounded like the world I thought I had left
behind, I loved it. My only personal hands-on musical experience is a few months of
guitar lessons during the mid-1980’s.
During the 1980’s I observed independent evangelical churches in suburban
northeast split into two music camps. The first camp wanted to sing traditional
hymns. The second camp wanted to incorporate the original Maranantha Music style
praise and worship songs with or without traditional hymns. At that time I appreciated
both music camps. I desired to see a mixture of traditional and contemporary music
in the church. As a fairly new Christian at that time I couldn’t understand why music
was dividing churches. I thought the traditional crowd was being legalistic in not
being willing to adapt to contemporary music.
In 2001, however, I began to study the music issue after watching Sky Angel‘s TVU
and the INSP’s Steel Roots heavy metal, hard edge “christian” music programming.
When my wife and I asked our Pastor at that time how he felt about harder edge
“christian” music, he told us he believed that all instrumental music was morally
neutral and acceptable to be used in worship as long as the words were “christian“.
After seeing my wife in tears over Sky Angel’s TVU music; and sensing in my spirit
that this music was antichrist, not christian, I began to seek God‘s wisdom. I
prayerfully studied what the scriptures taught about music and researched the realm
of the occult in order to understand and identify it’s imprint upon music before
beginning this book. As a result of this prayerful pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, I
now understand why a growing christian’s musical convictions must be firmly fixed
upon the solid ground of biblical commands and principles rather than the shifting
sands of emotional feelings. I praise the Lord Jesus Christ for answering my heart’s
cry for wisdom and understanding. He has given me peace in the midst of a sea of
contemporary musical confusion. Before reading further, I invite you to ask the Lord
to give you wisdom and discernment concerning the issue of music in his church.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline
thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after kno wledge,
and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for
hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For
the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up
sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He kee peth the paths of
judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and
judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. (Proverbs 2:1-9)