Contemporary Christian Music

[Trotter]

We are commanded in the Bible to worship in spirit and in truth.

Exactly. And, through the use of music, our spirits can be lifted up toward God.

Music is not made for worship. It is emotional.

Gee, that's funny. Were not some of the Levites commanded to play various instruments and sing as part of the worship of the Lord? Didn't David play and sing to the Lord? Didn't Miriam lift up her voice in song, praising God for His mighty works?

Yes, it is emotional. Some intonations are pleasant, some are not. Some music rhythyms are pleasant, some are not.

But, then, encountering the Almighty God should be emotional, don't you think? Coming together to praise His name and give Him thanks should be emotional, yes?

Expressing those emotions in song is but one way that God has enabled us to glorify Him.

I praise God by getting others to praise God through the saving of souls.

Praise the Lord, and keep up the good work!!!

I try to do the same...but I worship through song as well.

In Christ,
Trotte

 

[Blazin4Christ]

#1. If CCM's aporach is okay, show me in the Bible where the Bible says "be unholy to witness", it simply says be holy in all ways, CCM has not been doing that, and it says in the Bible you can know them by their fruits, and their fruits are fleshly music, not spiritual, if they are trying to witness liek that, only the flesh will be accepted because they are witnessing through the flesh, not the spirit

 

[Blazin4Christ]

Originally posted by Trotter:
Blazin,

You are entitled to your own opinion and your own taste in music. But so am I, and many, many others. Don't be quick to pass judgement on someone else just because you have decided that their music is not as "spiritual" as yours, or it sounds too much like what some unsaved heathen listen to.

I will be the first to say that not everything that is paraded forth as "Contempory Christian Music" is Christian at all. There are some who have decided that hitting the Christian music market would be easier than hitting the mainstream market. So, yes, there are "wolves in sheep's clothing" in the mix. But not all CCM is like that. In fact, very few artists in the CCM field are like that.

Of course, what you define as CCM is probably very different from what I would define CCM as. For me, DCTalk, The Newsboys, Audio Adrenalin would be pretty much the limit to be considered "contempory". Well, a few songs by certain other groups that would be considered 'hard rock' or 'heavy metal', but those individual songs are exceptions to the rule.

I may be wrong, but I think that you probably consider anything outside of hymns and Southern Gospel to be CCM, with visions of skin-tight latex, smashing guitars, screaming, smoke and laser lights, and such being prominent. Am I close?

The bottom line: "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; (Luke 6:37 ESV) There is a lot of glorifying contempory Christian music out there...not all of it, but the vast majority. Don't be too quick to condemn what you personally do not like.

In Christ,
Trotter

I have listened to CCM artists before, u think I would post this without reason?

 

[Trotter]

#1. If CCM's aporach is okay, show me in the Bible where the Bible says "be unholy to witness", it simply says be holy in all ways, CCM has not been doing that, and it says in the Bible you can know them by their fruits, and their fruits are fleshly music, not spiritual, if they are trying to witness liek that, only the flesh will be accepted because they are witnessing through the flesh, not the spirit

Since when did God set you up as judge?

You think CCM is fleshly and wrong. I do not. Get over it.

I know several people who came to the Lord because they first began listening to CCM. CCM did not save them, but it was a tool God used to lead them to Himself.

By the way, I don't need you to choose what I may, or may not, listen to. That, my friend, is between God and myself.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[Blazin4Christ]

Originally posted by Trotter:


You think CCM is fleshly and wrong. I do not. Get over it.

I know several people who came to the Lord because they first began listening to CCM. CCM did not save them, but it was a tool God used to lead them to Himself.

By the way, I don't need you to choose what I may, or may not, listen to. That, my friend, is between God and myself.

In Christ,
Trotter

#1. CCM is unholy regardless whether you think it is or not,

#2. So the 7th day-adventist churches say they are saving people through their messege, which is true in some cases, but does that excuse their beliefs and their wicked ways?

#3. Not choosing for you, simply pointing out the truth that CCM is wicked and wrong.

 

[Debby in Philly]

My mother told me that back in the late 30's and 40's, some church folk thought singing "choruses" was evil. That was because you could actually tap your foot to them while you sang. Most of those songs are in our hymnals now, and nobody thinks anything bad of them.

I am really tired of people having heated discussions over something that is simply a matter of "I like vanilla but you like chocolate." Praise God with whatever music you like. He appreciates all sincere praise.

 

[amazinglove92]

Debby thank you for that I am feeling the same way!
Matt

 

[Comrade]

Well, what about this? I have reason to believe that the US will be the Babylon mentioned because of several Biblical reasons that can all be linked to the US. One reason why God will destroy Babylon is because in Ezekiel 22: 26 it says Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. (emphasis added) With God there is no middle ground. It is right or wrong. Light or dark.

Music is right or wrong. There must be a clear distinction between the world and us. We are told in the Bible that we are in the world not of the world. In Corinthians we are asked "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" I was shown once a video of U2 which is a secular, wicked group. They turned down the music from U2 and placed instead the top ten CCM groups. They looked like it belonged and that U2 could have easily sung the same song (It was matched completly) They then showed the number one CCM group. It looked almost exactly like a Metallica or U2 concert. God said to come out from amoung them. If our music sounds and looks like theirs then don't you think something is wrong?

 

[Debby in Philly]

Comrade, name one Christian Artist or band whose music you think is not evil. Surely you can find one. Any genre.

 

[Comrade]

The Crown College Choir

 

[Jim Ward]

Comrade,

You think these people will argue that God was wrong when He judges Israel for using the pagan high places and rituals to worship Him?

You would think they could read this in their Bible and the light would go on... but alas, it hasn't.


USA as Babylon? That's interesting, and a good posability when one considers the compromise mainstream "christianity" is involved in.


Jim

 

[Comrade]

of course that isn't a band or artist. It's a group

 

[Comrade]

You are right, God judged Israel for worshipping Him in the pagan places and the pagan rituals. If you can find the DVD of America, America with Dr. Jack Schaap preaching It is really interesting at how everything lines up with the scriptures.

 

[Debby in Philly]

Never heard of them. What sort of music do they do? Hymn arrangements, or other traditional choir music?

If that's so, then they are doing the same kind of musical STYLE that would be done by a WORLDLY group like a choral society that sings opera music.

So since there's a musical counterpart in the WORLD, then what they do must be evil.

Now if that sounds ridiculous, then I must point out that it's the same logic that leads to the conclusions about CCM stated earlier in this thread.

 

[Comrade]

The point is that they are different. If you hear someone listening to that it you can tell that it is Christian. With CCM and CHR you must be told or at least myself and my friends that it is Christian. Jesus called us to be different when you get saved you get sanctified. One command that all Christians should follow is that we should be separate.

 

[Debby in Philly]

You can't tell that Third Day singing "King of Glory" is Christian?

 

[Blazin4Christ]

#1. Debby, we are talking about CCM of today not then,

#2. If Third Day are so Christian than why do they not have Christ as their influence but have Toad The Wet Sprock as an influence?

#3. The types u are speaking of debbie in my opinion are people today that sing all songs with no instrument, people like that are too defensive I must admit.

#4. If CCM is holy than what is unholy? Now that we have "Christian" rock , rap, regGAE, and jazz, can "Christian" Budweiser be far behind? And now that we have "Christian" heavy metal, acid and (get this) Christian New Age, can "Christian" Marlboros wrapped in New Testament parchment be far behind? It is no surprise to me that CCM is unholy, lets look at the king of CCM, Michael W. SMith, who, "at the same time he was penning gospel songs, he was also using marijuana, LSD and cocaine." (Wall Street Journal, 9/11/91, p.A-11)
And then Amy Grant. "I'm a singer, not a preacher, I'm not looking to convert anybody" says Christian rock diva Amy Grant. (Los Angeles Times, 5/4/84, pg. 2-c) Grant goes on to demonstrate her spirituality by saying, "I'm not going to say too often that I like a cold beer while watching a football game. That might bother some of my fans." (Greensville News, 5/4/94)

There has been no difference in holy and unholy anymore,

 

[Trotter]

My mother told me that back in the late 30's and 40's, some church folk thought singing "choruses" was evil. That was because you could actually tap your foot to them while you sang. Most of those songs are in our hymnals now, and nobody thinks anything bad of them.

I am really tired of people having heated discussions over something that is simply a matter of "I like vanilla but you like chocolate." Praise God with whatever music you like. He appreciates all sincere praise.

Exactly, Debby.

Blazin and Comrade represent the extreme edge of the spectrum. While they have made a few good points, their personal tastes are the driving force (that, and it is what they hear preached week after week after week after...).

I am sure that they (and others here) doubt my salvation for my choice of CCM. But that doesn't matter to me, as my Lord loves me and adopted me September 30, 1990.

But you really hit the nail on the head, Debby. "Praise God with whatever music you like. He appreciates all sincere praise."

Amen!

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[Aaron]

Keep up the good fight, Comrade.

Most of your opponents here have plied their trade in the Music Ministry Forum to no avail.

 

[Aaron]

Originally posted by Debby in Philly:
My mother told me that back in the late 30's and 40's, some church folk thought singing "choruses" was evil. That was because you could actually tap your foot to them while you sang. Most of those songs are in our hymnals now, and nobody thinks anything bad of them.

I am really tired of people having heated discussions over something that is simply a matter of "I like vanilla but you like chocolate."

Me too, but you need to realize that music is nothing like cake or ice cream. It is not food. You can't pluck it from a tree or cultivate it in your garden. As, Comrade stated in his first post, "Remember Music is the universal language."

He is exactly right. Music is an action—a work, and we will be judged for all our works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Music is a fundamental form of human interaction, and the Scriptures are replete with admoninitions concerning the manner and character (or style) of our interaction. Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners.

Praise God with whatever music you like. He appreciates all sincere praise.

I'm afraid I need to press you for the Scripture on that.