IS CHRISTIAN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC REALLY CHRISTIAN?

Out with the old and in with the new seems to be the cry loudest heard in modern Christendom. The old standards and convictions of the past are quickly being replaced by an anything goes mentality. We have witnessed this

change in many areas of modern conversation. Styles of dress, entertainment, and music have all been adversely affected by this new wave of loose living and moral relativism. While much attention has been given to the question of dress and entertainment within many conservative circles, the topic of music has largely been ignored and for some has become a hotbed of controversy. Light must be shed on the valid questions that are inevitably raised as a result of the shift from the traditional to the contemporary, especially with regards to music and worship. While the change towards the contemporary has been slow among conservatives, it is not transitioning without noticeable perception. Many are

aware of the trend and are desperate to turn the tide. An attempt should be made to explore the purpose of music as it regards worship and the question should be raised, Is God truly glorified by any style or beat of this current age? Ultimately, the type of worship we choose will have a significant impact on the character and nature of our spiritual being.

As we enter this paradigm shift in our worship, we must first ask ourselves, What is the objective of music and singing as it regards worship? If one understands the aim they can better hone their discernment of that which is acceptable in contrast to the forbidden. Psalm 100:1 commands us to Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. The directive is distinct and universal in that a joyful noise is to be made in all ye lands. This mandate is given to all regardless of culture, race, or nationality. Psalm 95:2 and 98:4-8 also charge the earth in its entirety to make a joyful and loud noise with singing and various instruments. The reason for such joyful commands are two-fold. First, this

joyful praise exalts the Lord our God (Psalm 99:9). Secondly, it lifts lowly humanity into the presence of a holy God. Psalm 100:2 unveils the vehicle which man may utilize to enter this realm; Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. If used properly, singing will become one of the greatest tools of praise used by individuals singularly and the church collectively to open the windows of heaven. Sadly, this means has been abused and greatly misunderstood.

The scriptures give clear instruction as to the type of music and singing that is best suited for the momentous task of entering into his gates. Psalm 135:3 gives the directive to Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. Psalm 147:1 also commands the people to Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. From these verses we find the secret to acceptable praise. Clearly, the psalmist indicates songs of praise are good, pleasant, and beautiful. Since these sounds of worship and song were joyful and pleasant and the mandate universal, the writer never envisioned such music to become distasteful and repulsive to certain individuals. However, in modern times many churches have reformatted to accommodate the taste of certain groups. What is acceptable to the young is often found objectionable to the elderly. The contemporary sounds of rock, pop, and hip hop have been given center stage in many churches at the expense of offense to the older saints. This has given rise to numerous churches offering a mixed bag of religious worship services. Within these churches one can find a worship service that will suit their whim. Those who are partial to thrashing to a heavy beat while dressed in a seductive casual garb will find the contemporary service just what they are looking for, while the same church sedates the more mature saint with a traditional observance at a different time. With this arrangement the church has become disassembled to the point that the youth are no longer privy to the rich heritage of wisdom and understanding that the elder generation can impart unto them. A wicked force, whose goal is the

ruination of the modern church by dismantling its effectiveness in this generation and in times to come, could only have accomplished this sinister plot.

Spiritual songs of praise are pleasant to all who are spiritual. If joyful pleasant worship is not appealing to an individual, it is apparent that they are not enjoying the life and liberty of the new man. I Corinthians 2:14 is quite clear in its assertion that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritual people love Spiritual singing and Spiritual music. A carnal worldly man will naturally enjoy and adore the sounds and beats of the secular. This seems to be the point where many have failed to discern the difference between the two. At this juncture a closer look at the scriptures will help us make the distinction clear.

Ephesians 5:18-19 gives the child of God a poignant charge to be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. The apostle Paul also admonished the Colossians in chapter three verse sixteen to Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. In both texts we find a key ingredient that is found in all Spiritual music and singing, and that element is melody. A pleasant joyful song used to glorify our Creator will always be melodious. The Websters Dictionary defines melody as simply a pleasing succession of sounds or toneful. Spiritual songs are driven first and foremost by the melody which must have preeminence over any other quality of the song including the beat. Psalm 150 gives us an exuberant charge to Praise ye the Lord. Verse three through six gives a list of eight types of instruments to be used in fulfillment of this command. Five of the eight instruments are related to the melody and three are associated with the rhythm. While percussion instruments such as the timbrel, loud cymbals, and the high sounding cymbals are commanded to be

used in worship, they obviously should be used for the accompaniment of the melodious instruments and not the overpowering of them.

One may ask, What about the loud cymbals or the drums? Certainly, God has a place for them as long as they are used appropriately to accommodate and accentuate the melody and not override it. The Star Spangled Banner is a beautiful melody in which every line is punctuated by the loud sounding cymbal. If all one heard was the cymbal crashing rapidly through the song, the human ear would soon be offended. Likewise, if one plays the drums or bass overbearingly and the melody is not easily discerned, the song ceases to be spiritual and looses its pleasant characteristic. Simply stated, the music people use and play will either be beat driven or melody driven. This is where the Holy Spirit begins to separate the light from the darkness.

In Isaiah 51:1-3 we read a prophetic promise given to Israel concerning a time when the nation would be restored following the judgment of God, which would lead the state into captivity. The prophet affirms in verse three, the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. It is clear from this passage something had happened to the joy and gladness once enjoyed by this holy people. Something terrible had befallen their thankful hearts, and their voice of melody had been lost. One does not have to wander far into Israels past to find the answer to this disturbing dilemma. The shift begins to unfold during the prosperous reign of Solomon.

From the apex of his rule, the dedication of the temple, Solomons affections begin to be turned away from the God of his father David. His insatiable desire for strange women, especially the daughter of Pharaoh, had captivated his conscience and changed the course of his religious devotion. 1 Kings 11:1-6 divulges the episode and explains in verse four, his wives turned away his heart

after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. The scripture then give us a list of those gods in verse five and concludes with the summation in verse six, Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. It is in this setting that we find a major change unfolding in the history of Israels worship. Verse seven relates Solomon secured a piece of property just outside of Jerusalem and begins to build high places for the worship of these foreign deities. Later kings such as Ahaz and Manasseh would identify this place as the valley of the son of Hinnom. It was here that Ahaz was described in 2 Chronicles 28:3 as having burnt incense and having burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. Likewise, II Chronicles 33:2 reveals Manasseh indulged in these insane practices. Verse six states, he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom and also indicates he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

When examining this barbarism, one ultimately asks the question, Why would these people commit such hideous acts and burn their children alive in ritual worship to these gods? One important clue to this mystery is found in the identity of a specific place within the valley of the son of Hinnom. In Jeremiah 7:31 we find the prophet chiding the nation by pointing out they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Then in chapter nineteen verse six he warns, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter. What was so significant about the name Tophet that the Holy Ghost would specifically call for the vanquishing of it from this valley? A quick look into most Bible dictionaries and a concordance will reveal the answer. The root word Toph simply means to

smite, hit, or to drum. According to the Ungers Bible Dictionary and other commentaries, Tophet was known as the place or garden of the drum. The loud pulsating beat could be heard throughout the valley and was used to manipulate the emotion of the people and drown out the screams of burning children. While the people were whipped into an uncontrolled frenzy, all inhibitions were quickly laid aside in order to fully satisfy the brutal demands of this false worship. With such demonically inspired music it would be much easier for a parent to sacrifice their children while they enjoyed the lustful indulgences that pagan worship had to offer. Lewdness, fornication, prostitution and homosexuality were made the order of the day in and around the temples and high places of the valley. Phallus worship had literally possessed the minds of those reveling in their devotion.

Now the sweet melodies of their father David and the old songs of Zion are exchanged for a new beat driven and ecumenical style of music. While Solomon seems to keep this heathenism confined to the outskirts of the city, it would not be long until the effects would be felt deep within the core of Jerusalem. As with all forms of demonic activity, the enemy starts without and slowly advances to the inside. Within a few generations the worship of Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, and Molech, would find refuge in the most unlikely place, the very temple of Jehovah. What could easily be discerned as pagan outside of the city would soon become nearly imperceptible by the people of God as it slowly worked its way into the mainstream. Finally, Manasseh is found merging these abominable practices into Judaism in 2 Chronicles 33:4-5 Also he built altars in the house of the Lord, whereof the Lord has said, in Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. In addition, verse seven reveals, he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever.

Satans goal had ultimately been achieved as the kings of both Israel and Judah incrementally tolerated the mixture of the profane with the holy. Manesseh had replaced the image of the invisible God with a degenerate image fabricated by the evil imaginations of his heart. Carelessly, he participated in the ceremonies of Judaism in comfort knowing that his god is ever lenient to his arrogance and wickedness. The old-fashioned standards were abandoned, the old altars were thrown aside, and the old-time joyful sound was no longer to be heard as the king brought the Jewish church up-to-date with the culture of Tophet. God steps up to the plate in verse ten and speaks to the king and to the people but they would not hearken. In his affliction, the king would finally humble himself greatly before the Lord and acknowledged in verse thirteen, the Lord he was God, and in verses fifteen and sixteen he would at last rid the temple of the strange idol and altars that he had erected. Yet the people could not seem to shake their addiction to the new form of worship and in verse seventeen we read Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the Lord their God only.

This ultimately leads one to the most important question with regards to their new approach towards worship. Can these primitive forms of rock-n-roll and mosh pit behavior be used to the glory of God? Will a holy God be honored by their barbaric practices and child sacrifices while being The Lord profoundly and

mesmerized in the garden of the drum?

unequivocally answers these uncertainties after the assassination of Manesseh and the short wicked reign of his son Amon.

In the midst of the ruthless power struggles that had developed in Judah, God allowed the people to rise up against the servants of Amon which had conspired against him and slew him. The people slew all them that had conspired against the king and installed Amons young son Josiah to be their next ruler. It was in this confused context that the eight year old boy is handed the seat of power in Judah. With the help of divine providence the kingdom is subdued and order is restored during the first ten years of his rule.

At the age of eighteen Josiah becomes interested in repairing the breaches and damages to the house of the Lord which stemmed from the years of neglect and misuse of former administrations. During this restoration a book of the law is found by the high priest and given to the scribe Shaphan, and after exploring its pages he quickly informs the king of its discovery and reads it before his majesty. After the law of God had been revealed, Josiah was smitten with such conviction that he rent his garment and called for the high priest and scribes of Judah to inquire of the Lord for him and for the people, and for all of Judah, concerning the words of the book that had been found. He recognized that the wrath of God had been kindled against them because of their fathers who had failed to hearken to the words of this law and perform the requirements that it demanded of them.

The word of the Lord is then proclaimed from the lone prophetess Huldah to Hilkiah the priest and the men with him concerning the future desolation of Judah and Jerusalem and the blessing of peace upon Josiahs kingdom and its subsequent end. Once word of this inquiry is brought to the kings ears, the fires of revival begin to fall. Soon the elders and inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah are brought together by the king to be read the old book of the law that had laid dormant in the dust for many years. After reading, the king made a covenant with God to perform the words of this book. With great zeal the people stood with the king and the old flames of holiness were rekindled. Judah begins to be restored to her former glory because the new mantra is out with the new and in with the old long forgotten ways of their father David.

It is in this revival that the nagging question of acceptable praise and worship is forever settled. The sounds of rock, pop, and hip hop within Tophet are to be forever silenced under the commands of this godly king. As the zeal for righteousness spread over the landscape of Jerusalem, Josiah orders the vessels made for Baal ,the grove, and all the host of heaven to be taken out of Jerusalem and burned and the ashes carried to Bethel. The idolatrous priests

were then removed from their positions of prominence and later executed while the grove within the house of the Lord was taken out, burned, and stamped into powder at the brook Kidron. Later the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord were broken down. Finally, in 2 Kings 23:10 we read And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

Solomon is once again revealed as the culprit behind this abominable place in 2 Kings 23:13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. Josiah then makes the desecration of this valley and the garden of the drum complete in verse fourteen And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. The spreading of human remains in and around Topheth and the valley of the son of Hinnom insured the Jewish people would never again enter this valley to enjoy the sensual rites of idolatry. In fact, according to the Ungers Bible Dictionary, this valley was so polluted with the bones of the dead that it was considered only fit for the human refuse of Jerusalem. The basin soon became the cesspool of the city, and the brook Kidron carried off the sewage. Later Jews would use the name of the valley Ge Hinnom to denote the place of eternal torment Gehenna or Hell.

Certainly, Josiah makes us aware of the fact that God is not glorified in any fashion by the worship of Tophet. Although the majority in his day could not see the danger and harm in the new religious blend, the light of Gods word dispelled their ignorance and sharpened their judgment. Some would no doubt consider Josiahs actions extreme and berate his zeal for the truth, but a thrice holy God was pleased and his wrath spared for another generation. While many modernday worshippers believe the admixture, which allows the beat to drown out the melodious songs of praise and admonition is acceptable, the Lord is raising up

modern Josiahs to utterly detest and destroy the work of the modern Tophet of Christian contemporary and rock music.

Much care should be taken by godly singers and musicians to steer clear of the line of demarcation that separates the clean from the unclean. Modern gospel groups such as the Crabb Family have been busy Blurring the Lines while the discernment and separation of our youth are being sacrificed at the altar of compromise. Some artists may even have good intentions but in many cases have unwittingly ushered their hearers into an atmosphere which is antagonistic to the holiness of God and fit only for the habitation of devils. It is certain many will sneer and criticize the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs of our fathers and desire to lead us to a new sound, a sound prevalent throughout the history of time in all forms of heathenish worship. As with those who still worshipped in the high places, many will not heed the warnings and be desensitized and lose their taste for sanctified worship.

When rock music in its variety of styles was without the church, many easily detected its evil and abhorred its culture. Since it has become entrenched and established its idols and altars within the sanctuary, most are unaware of the serpent that is manifesting in their midst. From the adulterous affairs of Sandi Patty to the infidelity of Michael English, it is obvious that the contemporary has not produced a Christian or Christ-like effect. The contemporary Christian music culture seems more reminiscent to that of the groves than the worship of the early church. The Satanic symbols clearly visible on the CD covers of Third Day and the albums of Michael W. Smith are staring the church in the face, while the preachers of our day offer the unfounded promise that love and grace will cover it all. The sensual sounds of modern praise and worship choruses offer the church little more than the stimulating of dark passions. The divorce and re-marriage rate of this neo-Christian culture tells the story of the destructive impact this paradigm shift has wrought. Surrounding the current Christianized

Tophet are the tattoo parlors and body piercing shops which are a testimony of the destructive nature found in the sadistic urges of those possessed by its beat. As in Josiahs time, the sodomites also find comfort and refuge in and around the contemporary beat driven church. The feminization of the men and leadership of the current Christian culture stands in direct contrast to the God-fearing men of the apostolic church age.

The physiological effects of an unnatural musical rhythm are well documented by medical science to produce incredible bursts of adrenaline within the hearer. Normally, this rush of hormone would be brought on by the acceleration of ones heart rate. God has given every man a natural bodily rhythm of 60-90 beats per minute. When these boundaries are exceeded due to sickness, exercise, or fright, the body produces excessive amounts of adrenaline. The rush provided by the adrenaline is very addictive, and the modern-day prophets of destruction have learned from the idolatrous priests of the pagan it can be produced by subjecting the body to an unpleasant, excessive, external beat. The listener temporarily enjoys this euphoria and all the while the body is simply screaming out a warning of danger. If only one could realize the body desires relief from this abnormally loud fast beat and is only trying to release the energy necessary to enable the hearer to cast it off. Instead, many indulge in the very rhythm that is fighting against the natural beat of the body and are allowing the sounds of death to captivate their soul. While spiritual worship is oftentimes emotional and can be accompanied by great shouting and rejoicing, many have mistaken a beat induced adrenaline rush for a true move of the Spirit of God. This is one of the enemys greatest deceptive tools in modern Christian worship.

Surely the Holy Ghost is calling the Laodicean church of this age to fall on its face and renounce the unpleasant sound of mixed religion. God will restore the glory of his presence and the pleasant voice of melody will ring again. Let the revival fires of Josiah burn out the carnal man and defile his nature with the ashes of his past until the new man arises and proclaims with the psalmist He

hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord (Psalm 40:3).

Written by evangelist and former pastor:

Troy Cunningham