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C H R I S T I A N R O C K - N - R O L L
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.
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
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 offended.
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 t he 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 THE 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]
- *************************************************
That is 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 UTNO
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, hat 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 nd 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 form 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 hart 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 t he 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."
-end-
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