O Timothy April 2011 - Way of Life Literature
O Timothy April 2011 - Way of Life Literature O Timothy April 2011 - Way of Life Literature
W A Y O F L I F E L I T E R A T U R E Pensacola, Fla., March 1, 1998, pp. 1, 6E). Sonny of P.O.D. says, “We believe that Jesus was the first rebel; the first punk rocker” (http://www.shoutweb.com/interviews/ pod0700.phtml). This is absolute blasphemy. The Bible says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). A rebel is a lawbreaker, but Christ was the lawgiver who He came to earth to fulfill the requirements of His own law (Matt. 5:17-19). Christ was not crucified for rebellion; He was crucified for testifying that He is God (John 10:33). Many of the CCM artists worship A ROCK & ROLL PARTY CHRIST. In his Live ... Radically Saved video Carman says, “Jesus is always cool; He’s got his thing together.” In Resurrection Rap Carman portrays Jesus as a street hippie; in The Standard he calls Jesus “J.C.”; and in Addicted to Jesus he speaks of “Jammin’ with the Lamb.” Petra claims that “God gave rock and roll to you/ Put it in the soul of every one.” In “Party in Heaven” the Daniel Band sang, “The Lamb and I are drinkin’ new wine.” Phil Driscoll says, “God is the King of Soul; He’s the King of all rhythm” (quoted by Tim Fisher, Battle for Christian Music, p. 82). Messiah Prophet Band says, “Jesus is the Master of Metal,” and Barren Cross says, “Better than pot, Jesus rocks.” John Fischer described God as puffing on a cigar and swaying to rock music (CCM Magazine, July 1984, p. 20), while J. Lee Grady says Jesus enjoys dancing with the angels and “grooving to the sound of Christian R&B pumped out of a boom box” (Charisma, July 2000). CONCLUSION The fact that the CCM crowd typically worships a different kind of God than the “old-fashioned” Biblicist, is why they are perfectly comfortable using music that has been identified as sexy by the secular world. “... that is what rock is all about--sex with a 100-megaton bomb, the beat” (Gene Simmons of KISS, Entertainment Tonight, ABC, Dec. 10, 1987). Note that Simmons was not referring to the words of rock music; he was referring only to its backbeat rhythm. Music researchers Daniel and Bernadette Skubik, in their study on the neurophysiology of rock music, warned: “Whether the words are evil, innocuous, or based in Holy Scripture, the overall neurophysiological effects generated by rock music remain the same. There is simply no such thing as Christian rock that is substantively different in its impact” (“The Neurophysiology of Rock,” an Appendix to Ken Blanchard’s Pop Goes the Gospel, pp. 187ff). The reason that statement doesn’t bother a CCM defender is because he sees Jesus as a rock & roll party Dude who loves a good time. “Those who envision God as a special friend, a kind of lover, with whom they can have fun, see no problem in worshipping him by means of physically stimulating music. On the other hand, those who perceive God as a majestic, holy, and almighty Being to be approached with awe and reverence will only use the music that elevates them spiritually” (Samuele Bacchiocchi, The Christian and Rock Music). 14 1 Timothy 6:20,21
W A Y O F L I F E L I T E R A T U R E D IGGING IN THE W ALLS God commanded the prophet Ezekiel to dig in the walls of Israel's temple and observe the evils being done in secret by apostate religious leaders of that day. "Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall ... And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw. ..." (Ezek. 8:7-10). Ezekiel was then instructed to preach against the errors of the leaders and to tell the people the things he had witnessed. "Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man. ... Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me" (Ezek. 11:4,25). The hour in which we live is very similar to that of Ezekiel's day. Many of those who profess to be the people of God are apostate. It was prophesied in the New Testament Scriptures that such would be the case in the closing hours of our age. This will culminate in the brief worldwide rule of an utterly apostate Harlot "church" (2 Tim. 3-4; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Pet. 2-3; Jude; Rev. 17). As in Ezekiel's day much of the apostasy of our hour is hidden from the view of the average Christian. We intend by God's grace to "dig in the walls" of modern ecumenism and to expose and cry out against the things we find. In this section we also report on secular events which are relevant to Christians. May God give us ears to hear, minds to understand, and hearts to obey. Is the truth of God not worthy of defense DESPERATE TIMES FOR I N D E P E N D E N T B A P T I S T CHURCHES (Friday Church News N o t e s , M a r c h 4 , 2 0 1 1 , www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Over the past 15 years we have seen dramatic changes within Independent Baptist churches. Large numbers of them have moved from “old fashioned” conservative to contemporary. Everywhere I travel these days for Bible conferences the pastors tell me about churches in their areas that have capitulated to the contemporary philosophy and are now enemies of what they used to stand for. For example, Akron Baptist Temple in Akron, Ohio, was taken in the contemporary direction by the founder’s grandson, Dallas R. Billington, (shown above) who became the pastor in 1996. Today, the Akron Baptist Temple is an emerging church with a “traditional service” called The Temple and a raunchy contemporary service called The Bridge. The church offers a smorgasbord of worship “experiences.” It’s all me and my tastes and my choices. How 21st century! How 2 Timothy 3:3-4! In The Bridge a loud rock & roll band plays 7/11 (seven words sung 11 times) contemporary worship music in a darkened auditorium. The service is advertised as “creating an environment where people who are seeking God, can do so in a nonthreatening, comfortable way.” It is all about “experiencing God.” (For more examples, see “Contemporary Music Brings Great Changes to Churches,” FBIS, September 28, 2010). If something isn’t done, something drastic and dramatic and truly direction changing, the VAST majority of IB churches will be well down the emerging path within 10 years,. It’s not time to beat around the bush. It’s not time to play footsie with the good old boy IB network. It’s not time to be afraid of being blacklisted, slandered, and mocked by the “majority.” It’s not time to sit on the sidelines and enjoy the fight. It’s not time to worry about some leader’s feelings. This is real spiritual warfare, friends. “When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and h a s t b e e n p a r t a k e r w i t h adulterers” (Psalm 50:18). “The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity” (Micah 7:4). THE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST HYPOCRISY ABOUT WARNINGS (Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2011, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - This brouhaha about my warning about West Coast’s music has reminded me that there is a lot of hypocrisy on this issue. The vast majority of IB preachers give themselves the liberty to warn about men and ministries outside of the IB movement (without first contacting them), but they draw the line at issuing the same type of warning about the errors of IB leaders and ministries, regardless of the fact that these ministries have a large PUBLIC influence, an influence that reaches into multitudes of IB churches beyond their own borders. We’re allowed to warn about Rick Warren and his music but not about Paul Chappell’s; about Bill Bright and Campus Crusade’s unscriptural soul-winning but not Bob Gray’s of Texas; about John Piper and his Christian hedonism but not Matt Olson of Northland who teaches a similar philosophy; about Mark Driscoll and his cultural liberalism but not Tom Messer of Trinity Baptist in Jacksonville; about the SBC’s unity in diversity philosophy but not Clarence Sexton’s similar error in Independent Baptist Friends International; about the SDA and their cultic traits but not some IB preacher and his cultic “unquestioning loyalty.” It seems to me that any preacher who has ever warned about men and ministries without first contacting them and who has turned around and condemned me for not first contacting Pastor Chappell is simply a hypocrite. A pastor friend who read a 1 Timothy 6:20,21 15
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W A Y O F L I F E L I T E R A T U R E<br />
Pensacola, Fla., March 1, 1998, pp. 1, 6E). Sonny <strong>of</strong><br />
P.O.D. says, “We believe that Jesus was the first rebel; the<br />
first punk rocker” (http://www.shoutweb.com/interviews/<br />
pod0700.phtml). This is absolute blasphemy. The Bible<br />
says rebellion is as the sin <strong>of</strong> witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23).<br />
A rebel is a lawbreaker, but Christ was the lawgiver who<br />
He came to earth to fulfill the requirements <strong>of</strong> His own<br />
law (Matt. 5:17-19). Christ was not crucified for<br />
rebellion; He was crucified for testifying that He is God<br />
(John 10:33).<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> the CCM artists worship A ROCK & ROLL<br />
PARTY CHRIST. In his Live ... Radically Saved video<br />
Carman says, “Jesus is always cool; He’s got his thing<br />
together.” In Resurrection Rap Carman portrays Jesus as<br />
a street hippie; in The Standard he calls Jesus “J.C.”; and<br />
in Addicted to Jesus he speaks <strong>of</strong> “Jammin’ with the<br />
Lamb.” Petra claims that “God gave rock and roll to you/<br />
Put it in the soul <strong>of</strong> every one.” In “Party in Heaven” the<br />
Daniel Band sang, “The Lamb and I are drinkin’ new<br />
wine.” Phil Driscoll says, “God is the King <strong>of</strong> Soul; He’s<br />
the King <strong>of</strong> all rhythm” (quoted by Tim Fisher, Battle for<br />
Christian Music, p. 82). Messiah Prophet Band says,<br />
“Jesus is the Master <strong>of</strong> Metal,” and Barren Cross says,<br />
“Better than pot, Jesus rocks.” John Fischer described<br />
God as puffing on a cigar and swaying to rock music<br />
(CCM Magazine, July 1984, p. 20), while J. Lee Grady<br />
says Jesus enjoys dancing with the angels and “grooving<br />
to the sound <strong>of</strong> Christian R&B pumped out <strong>of</strong> a boom<br />
box” (Charisma, July 2000).<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The fact that the CCM crowd typically worships a<br />
different kind <strong>of</strong> God than the “old-fashioned” Biblicist,<br />
is why they are perfectly comfortable using music that<br />
has been identified as sexy by the secular world.<br />
“... that is what rock is all about--sex with a 100-megaton<br />
bomb, the beat” (Gene Simmons <strong>of</strong> KISS, Entertainment<br />
Tonight, ABC, Dec. 10, 1987).<br />
Note that Simmons was not referring to the words <strong>of</strong> rock<br />
music; he was referring only to its backbeat rhythm.<br />
Music researchers Daniel and Bernadette Skubik, in their<br />
study on the neurophysiology <strong>of</strong> rock music, warned:<br />
“Whether the words are evil, innocuous, or based in Holy<br />
Scripture, the overall neurophysiological effects<br />
generated by rock music remain the same. There is<br />
simply no such thing as Christian rock that is<br />
substantively different in its impact” (“The<br />
Neurophysiology <strong>of</strong> Rock,” an Appendix to Ken<br />
Blanchard’s Pop Goes the Gospel, pp. 187ff).<br />
The reason that statement doesn’t bother a CCM defender<br />
is because he sees Jesus as a rock & roll party Dude who<br />
loves a good time.<br />
“Those who envision God as a special friend, a kind <strong>of</strong><br />
lover, with whom they can have fun, see no problem in<br />
worshipping him by means <strong>of</strong> physically stimulating<br />
music. On the other hand, those who perceive God as a<br />
majestic, holy, and almighty Being to be approached with<br />
awe and reverence will only use the music that elevates<br />
them spiritually” (Samuele Bacchiocchi, The Christian<br />
and Rock Music).<br />
14 1 <strong>Timothy</strong> 6:20,21
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