Music

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David Crowder’s crowded theology.

The latest pockmark to appear on the already scarred face of CCM comes from one of evangelicalism’s favorite “worship leaders,” David Crowder of the David Crowder Band.

Crowder, who is the

author of the contemplative-promoting book, Praise Habit (referring to the habits worn by Catholic nuns),

also participated in a contemplative/emergent conference with the likes of

Leonard Sweet, Chuck Fromm (founder of the event and of Worship Leader magazine), emerging leader Sally Morgenthaler, Brennan Manning proponent Michael W. Smith . . . contemplative/emerging Marva Dawn, Alpha Course leader and contemplative proponent Todd Hunter, and others.

(See more about this from the source Lighthouse Trails.)

But Crowder’s lack of discernment doesn’t end here. He recently granted an interview to the Roman Catholic “movement” known as Life Teen (whose promo video was previously featured on DefCon here) in which they state on their website:

Because of our deep Eucharistic devotion, Life Teen has developed a spirituality that is

  • 100% Catholic
  • Obedient to the Magisterium
  • Centered on the Eucharist
  • Scriptural
  • Liturgical
  • Catechetical
  • Sacramental
  • Focused on social justice

And:

On December 9, 2007, [at] the Feast of St. Juan Diego, we consecrated the Life Teen movement to the Blessed Virgin Mary and will renew our consecration annually by prayerfully participating in the St. Louis Marie de Montfort Total Consecration. [Emphasis theirs]

And:

Our entire ministry is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary so that we may be led to the feet of her son with the obedience she exemplified.

If you’re wondering why Crowder (or any evangelical for that matter) would grant an interview with the idolatrous Romanists whose teachings and beliefs are antithetical to biblical Christianity, wonder no more. Crowder–whose music may very well be in your car stereo or on your teenager’s ipod right now–concedes in this interview a rather interesting source of influence in the “formation of [his] faith.”

Here’s the question from the interviewer Matt Smith:

You are not Catholic, but on your Illuminate album, you sing a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. What’s your connection?

Here’s the evangelical “worship leader’s” answer:

Much of the Catholic traditions and writings have been influential in my formation of faith and to be quite contradictory of what was stated earlier, I’ve found much inspiration there. St. Francis is a figure I’m equally attracted to and repelled by. I long for his powers of disassociation from the trappings of “stuff.” I’m beset with consumption and materialism, and he is a compelling symbol of contentment. His contentment and way of suffering terrify me.

You can read the whole interview here.

Let this be a warning fellow pilgrims, not all that glitters is gold, and not everything labeled “Christian,” that’s sold in “Christian” bookstores, and that’s played on “Christian” pop-music stations is what it’s purported to be.

Be cautious that you are not influenced by those who’ve been influenced by Rome. Be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears what you hear; and always be sure to choose your entertainment wisely.

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Sacred or secular?

Can you identify which of the following three lyric excerpts come from Christian musical artists and which are from secular musical artists? I admit it won’t be easy, but differentiating between Christian lyrics and worldly lyrics shouldn’t be that difficult, right?

For more, be sure to check out DefCon’s other Christian music lyrics quiz.

1.

Lack of understanding lack of communication
Lack of a desire for expanding education
Lack of inspiration lack of innovation
The fact you can’t respect another mans creation
Lack of motivation lack of restoration
The fact we lack unity and enjoy separation
Lack of destination because you know what I feel
I feel that humans lack the ability to be real

Do not tell me what I can and cannot do when I rock

2.

Welcome to the world of a girl named Susie
Susie’s only crime was that she was born a cutie
Physically abused by her uncle and his friends
Alcohol let ’em all leave the house with grins
But Susie couldn’t shake off the memories
Forced to find her own kind of remedy
A man-eater for the rest of her days
Three kids, three men, no daddies by eleventh grade

3.

The secret side of me, I never let you see
I keep it caged but I can’t control it
So stay away from me, the beast is ugly
I feel the rage and I just can’t hold it

It’s scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls
It comes awake and I can’t control it
Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head
Why won’t somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it’s just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
I hate what I’ve become, the nightmare’s just begun
I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster
I, I feel like a monster

Answers . . .

Continue reading →

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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

I suppose I’ll be the first to start this season’s music off with my all-time favorite Christmas song. This is a beautiful rendition by Christina Sonnemann.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

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Quotes (661)

Far too much of today’s evangelical world has been swept up in the powerful magnetic field of the secular popular culture. Thinking they’re doing God’s work behind enemy lines of the atheistic popular culture, they’ve gradually and inadvertently taken on many more characteristics and attitudes of the enemy than they realize. That’s why, when I drive my car and turn on the radio, it sometimes takes several minutes before I can figure out whether I’m listening to a regular, secular rock song or a Christian rock song. They often sound uncannily the same–the Christian song being a virtual clone of the secular. In turn, the powerful popular culture ridicules evangelicals for their lame imitation of the real thing.

– David Kupelian

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Gaithers enter “The Shack”

 

Sadly, Bill and Gloria Gaither–names almost synonymous with Southern Gospel music–have joined the apostasy that is “The Outhouse” “The Shack.” A couple weeks ago, they held a “Family Fest” (hat tip: Apprising Ministries) in Gatlinburg, TN (pop: 3800. pop during tourist season: 2,500,000), right near my back yard. And who were two of their guest speakers? None other than Paul Young, author of the blasphemy that is “The Outhouse” “The Shack” and Steve Brown of Key Life Ministries (why should you avoid Steve Brown answered here).

Gloria Gaither gave a copy to Mark Lowry, who then gave a personal endorsement of “The Outhouse” “The Shack” (via Slaughtering the Sheep):

I am only on page 149 but, already, I want there to be a sequel. Part 2, please!

Gloria Gaither handed this book, The Shack, to me while I was staying in their home. I read up to the murder of the little girl and couldn’t read any more. I put the book down, lost it and, a few weeks later, felt compelled to go to Lifeway in Nashville and buy another copy.

Now, I can’t put it down. (Source: Scroll down and read the post from May 1, 2008.)

[…]

Well, I finally finished The Shack by William P. Young. The first five chapters are very hard to read. Very painful. But somewhere around chapter 6, Dorothy lands in Oz and everything becomes technicolor. I really love this book. It confirmed for me a lot of things I’ve been learning about God. (emphasis mine) Source.

So, unfortunately, if asked, I can no longer endorse The Gaithers’ music in any way, having embraced the heresy that is “The Outhouse” “The Shack.”

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Quotes (535)

Puritans In the ordinance of singing, we must not make noise, but music; and the heart must make melody to the Lord. Augustine complained of some in his time, that “they minded more the tune than the truth; more the manner than the matter; more the governing of the voice than the uplifting of the mind;” and this was a great offense to him. Singing of Psalms should be joyous breathing of an elevated soul; and here the cleanness of the heart is more important than the clearness of the voice. In this service we must study more to act the Christian than the musician. Many in their singing of Psalms are like organs, whose pipes are filled only with wind.

– John Wells

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Music lyrics quiz: Christian or secular?


kelly-clarkson

Are you ready to take a fun little quiz to see if Christian music is distinguishable from the music of the world? Let’s see if you can tell the difference between the lyrics of songs performed by Christian musicians and that of songs performed by secular musicians.

Grab a pen and a piece of paper and number the paper 1 through 25. Then read the following 25 lyrics and see if you can distinguish between the sacred and the secular. Put a “C” next to the number if you believe the lyrics are from a Christian song, or an “S” next to the number if you believe the lyrics come from a secular song. The answers are at the bottom of this post (so don’t cheat). Each correct answer is worth 4 points (possible total of 100 points). I’d love to hear how you did. And when you’re done, don’t forget to take the three-question pop-quiz on music lyrics found here.

If you intend on taking the quiz, don’t read the comments beforehand because there are some spoilers in the comments.


All lyrics are taken from the internet–as is–grammar and spelling not corrected

Have fun!

1.

He knows just what to do
When it comes to the girls
He writes them poetry
And he picks them flowers
He knows just what to say when it come to the ladies,
Knows how to make a girl smile
How to drive a girl crazy

2.

. . . Can’t you see that He spread love for you
Shed blood for you, cry for and die for you . . .

. . . I surrender all to thee
I want the whole world to see
That you’ve always been, you’ll always be
My best friend
I love you Jesus
Thank you, forgive me for my trespasses
As I forgive those who trespass against me Thank you

3.

Cause I know that there’s a better place
Than this place I’m livin, how far is heaven
and I just got to have some faith
and just keep on living, how far is heaven
Lord can you tell me, how far is heaven
cause I just gotta know, how far is heaven
yeah Lord, can You tell me, how far is heaven
I just gotta know how far, yeah I just gotta know how far

4.

At times the woman deep inside me
Wanders far from home,
And in my mind I live a life
That chills me to the bone.
A heart, running for arms out of reach,
But who is the stranger my longing seeks?
I don’t know.
But it scares me through and through,
cause I’ve a man at home
Who needs me to be true.

5.

It’s hard to stand
On shifting sand
It’s hard to shine
In the shadows of the night
You can’t be free
If you don’t reach for help
And you can’t love
If you don’t love yourself

6.

On my way down
I’m not ready to lay, I’m not ready to fade
I’m not ready to die
Not ready to lay, I’m not ready to fade
I’m not ready to die

I’m taken home – and you’re still here
Just clear your mind – and dry your tears
We’ll take our voices – with our hands
We’ll Make like knives – we’ll make demands

7.

Oh, wherever you are and wherever you’ve been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
Even when you don’t think that you can
‘Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
‘Cause in the end, there’s nobody else

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
‘Cause you won’t regret it
Looking back from where you have been
‘Cause it’s not who you knew
And it’s not what you did
It’s how you live

8.

You can all call me crazy
For the things that I might say
You can laugh all you want to
I know there will come a day
When we all will come together
And learn to set aside our hate
And we can learn to love our neighbor
Just like we would love ourselves

We’ve got to come together
‘Cause in the end we can make it — alright
We’ve got to brave the weather
Through all of the storms
We’ve got to come together
‘Cause in the end we can make it — alright
We’ve got to learn to love
We’ve got to learn to love

9.

Who’s to blame for the life that tragedies claim no matter what you say it won’t
take away the pain, that I feel inside I’m tired of all the lies don’t nobody know
why it’s the blind leadin’ the blind.
Guess that’s the way that the story goes, will it ever make sense somebody’s
gotta know, there’s gotta be more to life than this, there’s got to be more to everything
I thought exists

10.

Every time I try to find you
Every road comes back around
Just another hoop to jump through
Another mile of covered ground . . . .

So lay down the sword
And put away the doctrine
Love a little more
Love a little more
Cuz everybody’s broken

11.

For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We’d never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We’d ever die for these sins
We were merely freshman

12.

I see you holding your grudges
I see you gunning them down
I see you silencing your sisters
And I love you still
And I love you (still)

13.

One, Two, Three, Four.
Without Jah, Gonna Say, What
you sayin up here.
Without Jah, But know it sucks
boy. So something’s here.
Now. Jump. Nothing to nothing.
Who say you know you say.
What you say is without jah.
Jah. A lift off, a lift off.
Jah. Jah. You know you love it
when you say Jah. Jah.
Without Jah, Without Jah.
You know it’s time for
lift off.

14.

The Son of God is in our face
Offering us eternal grace
If you want it you’ve got to believe
‘Cause being free is a state of mind
We’ll one day leave this all behind
Just put your faith in God and one day you’ll see it

15.

You got something I like about you
You seem to be a lot like me
I’ve got ticket to adventure for two
Could be your golden opportunity.
The travel agent, she set up the itinerary,
First class, you can see the moon from a window seat
An agent guided tour of the galaxy,
Tips included, if you want them come with me
Chorus: I wanna know, is there life on Pluto?
Wanna go with me?
We can go in a UFO!
I wanna know, is there life on Pluto?
Wanna go with me?
We can go in a UFO!

16.

I met a girl named Tara
And she lived in the heart of America
She like black caddies
Listened to puff daddy
Danced until her legs were sore

She worked around the corner
At a diner with the grouchy owner
And her boyfriend Shady, dates another girl named Katie
He loves her definitely maybe . . .

. . . And she’s staring at his picture hanging in her locker
She’s telling all the girls about all the things that he bought her
I saw what really happened all those times he went for water
When we were at the movie theater watching Harry Potter
He had his hands on
Every single girl he laid his eyes on
Hate to break it to you, he’s a pylon
And even when he kissed her
He was looking over, staring at her sister

17.

Thinking how it might have been
If you had never
Walked into my life
I would have been nothing
Without you where would I be

Every moment used to feel
Like living through a
Cold and starless night
But everything’s changing
Everything is feeling right . . .

. . . How could I have been so blind
When you were always here
So near to me
And there is no other
Who knows me the way
I feel you do

And you were waiting all the time
For me to come around
And finally see
All the love I was missing
There you were right beside me
Always beside me . . .

. . . You made it so easy
Your love brought out
The best in me

18.

I’ve got it all, but I feel so deprived
I go up, I come down and I’m emptier inside
Tell me what is this thing that I feel like I’m missing
And why can’t I let it go

There’s gotta be more to life…
Than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me
Cause the more that I’m…
Trippin’ out thinkin’ there must be more to life
Well it’s life, but I’m sure… There’s gotta be more

(Than wanting more)

I’ve got the time and I’m wasting it slowly
Here in this moment I’m half-way out the door
Onto the next thing, I’m searching for something that’s missing

I’m wanting more

I’m always waiting on something other than this
Why am I feelin’ like there’s something I missed….
Always… Always…

More to life
There’s gotta be more to life (more to life)
There’s gotta be more to life (more)
More to my life

19.

Throw up your rawkfist if you´re feelin it when I
drop this. Show ’em how we blow the spot, Let’s
make it hot, Let’s shock ’em with the bodyrock
’til the party stops. it´s time to take it up a
notch, and keep it locked, for all the headbangers
in the parking lot. Here we come, if you´re ready
or not. No time to talk. Cause we on the clock
bringin that Uhh, Uhh, to your block. Let me show
ya where we’re comin from, it don´t stop, from
L.A. to New York. Show me what you got now!

Throw up your rawkfist if you´re feelin it when I
drop this. Uhh, Uhh, that´s the sound when the
rock hits. Oh, you never know, I might let go.
Just roll, roll. Get ready, Get set. Throw up your
rawkfist if you´re feelin it when I drop this.
Uhh, Uhh, that´s the sound when the rock hits. Oh,
you never know, I might let go. Just roll, roll.
Get ready, Get set.

20.

Hey DJ won’t ya play that song
And we’ll keep dancing till the break of dawn
Keep it live like the way it should
Ain’t nobody gett’n crazy so you know it’s all good
B-boys, fly-girls one time
Friend of yours is a friend of mine
Don’t bother stopping till this jam is through
If you been here before then you know how we do

We came to rock the party all night long
So party people won’t ya sing that song
We came to rock the party all night long
And keep it live till the break of dawn

We gotz to play what we feel
Then I can say I am real
Don’t wanna be caught mess’n around
Cuz a party ain’t a party when it gets shut down
Off the hook, with the cutz, that’s right
Feel’n loose cuz it sounds so tight
Rock da spot till the very end
Make sure that you’re there when we do it again

We came to rock the party all night long
So party people won’t ya sing that song
We came to rock the party all night long
And keep it live till the break of dawn

21.

hands up
holler back now
we don’t claim any know-how
we givin’ God all that
wherever we go, that’s
where the party’s at

wherever we go, the dumb get wise
and the crime rates drop
and the markets rise
it’s a curious thing
but it’s just our thing

22.

Time and time was spent
finding out the truth.
We believed in our undying youth.
Nothing ever more modeled after you.

Now everybody knows,
And anyone can see,
The way the story goes,
And what you did to me.
Tasted once before.
Unlock sacred doors.
Shut to our requests.
Say you did your best.
You said you were our friend.
The lies were common place.
What happened to forgiveness?
I’ll never see your face again.

Feel the burn.
Watch us burn.

23.

Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m Your friend

You are my desire
No one else will do
‘Cause nothing else could take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find the way
Bring me back to You

You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near

24.

You told me not to worry About what lies ahead
So I am gonna focus on today instead
Making every moment count and counting
Every single blessing
I’m gonna set my mind on the
Here and now
This is what I want my life to be about

And this is how…

I’m gonna live for today
I’m gonna follow in Your way
I’m gonna let my little light shine
Like there’s no tomorrow
I won’t worry about the past
I know my future is intact
So I’ll choose to live my life one way
I’m gonna live for today

My oh so crazy life
It’s got me spinnin’ round & round
Hanging upside down
Takin’ one step at a time
Holding your hand all the way
And it’ll be okay

25.

I raise my hands, bow my head
I’m finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there’s more to life than just what i can see

I can’t quote the book
The chapter or the verse
You can’t tell me it all ends
In a slow ride in a hearse
You know I’m more and more convinced
The longer that I live
Yeah, this can’t be
No, this can’t be
No, this can’t be all there is

Continue reading →

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Quiz for 1/26/2009

OK, here is another quiz for you.

The question this time is, what kind of worship is the following quote describing? And, as usual, no fair Googling.

“The emphasis [is on] psychophysical relatedness and subjective experience…The transcendence of the deity is overcome in the ecstasy of feeling. Sensory participation  is featured. Images are necessary-the bolder, the more colorful, the more sensational, the better. Music and dance become the means for drawing persons out of their private diversities and merging them into a mass response…worship [is] reduced to the spiritual stature of the worshipper. Its canons are that it should be interesting, relevant, and exciting.”

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Guitar Praise: Another attempt at mimicking the fleeting fads of the world.

Only in an environment of prolonged comfort, safety, security, and prosperity could this be possible. I wonder if our Christian brothers and sisters being tortured in prisons around the world are secretly coveting this latest installment from the Den of Robbers. I also wonder if this is being marketed to the underground Church in Communist countries.

Warning: At just under 1 minute into the three minute video, they advertise the nomanclature of the product using a well endowed woman wearing a tight V-neck shirt. I’m sure it was not intentional; no one selling a cheap toy exploiting Christianity would ever use worldly marketing tactics . . . no, never.

Those viewers who seek modesty and purity may want to SKIP past that part.

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Another church sanctuary turned into a stage for a worldly dance exhibition.

You’ve seen the two young girls performing a Spice Girls song in church in this post, and the youth dancing to Michael Jackson in church in this post. Now here’s more teen girls dancing to N’Sync beneath an illuminated cross in yet another church.

Ichabod!

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1 Sabbath, 3 wolves in sheep’s clothing, and 4 golden calves.

I was not entirely surprised to see Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, and Rick Warren in support of a ecumenical movement but I was a little surprised to see such CCM golden calves as Natalia Grant, Michael W. Smith, Switchfoot’s lead singer Jon Foreman, and Third Day’s lead singer Mac Powell also lending their support toward this. It seems that every time I turn around another CCM artist reveals how little they believe in the exclusivity of the Gospel.

The One Campaign with the backing of these influential professing Christians has teamed up with three other religions that deny that Jesus is Lord and deny that Jesus is the only way to the Father. Whether you’re a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or Hindu, or of no faith at all, you too can put eternal truths aside to participate in making this world a “better place.”

For more information and examination of this surge toward the blending of all faiths, see A Little Leaven’s post on One Sabbath here, and Slice of Laodicea’s post on it here.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
“Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;   And I will welcome you.
“And I will be a father to you,  And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

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The lighter side of Reformation Day

When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter’s profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints’ Bull’tin board:
“You cannot purchase merits, for we’re justified by grace!
Here’s 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!” Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
“Are these your books? Do you recant?” King Charles did demand,
“I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!” Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting “George” as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin’s model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Let’s raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that ‘catholic’ is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh…

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation –
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

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The Biblical Perspective on Ray Boltz

HT: Mark Moring – Christianity Today liveblog

“Ray Boltz, who sold about 4.5 million records before retiring from Christian music a few years ago, came out of the closet Friday to announce that he’s gay.

“I’d denied it ever since I was a kid,” Boltz, 55, told the magazine. “I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’”

Boltz will perform in September at (two Bible mocking, Christ-dishonouring, wicked acceptance of that which is abomination before God) congregations that are part of a growing network of churches that are not biblical in any aspect.

Boltz is known for his songs “Thank You”, “Watch the Lamb,” “The Anchor Holds,” and “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.”

Boltz also told (a homosexual newspaper) that he doesn’t want to get into debates about Scripture and has no plans to “go into First Baptist or an Assembly of God church and run in there and say, ‘I’m gay and you need to love me anyway.’”

For him, the decision to come out is much more personal.

“This is what it really comes down to,” he says. “If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”

******************** – Emphasis in the above is mine.

Our hearts break for the misery that this man is putting his family through.  What is sad is that many will simply reject the man out of hand without any prayer for repentance.  This is not what we are doing or advocating to our readers.  If it was not for the grace of God, it could be any one of us struggling with such sins.  However, to be biblical, ALL of our sins are just as heinous as each others.

I am thankful that God is a forgiving God, and a merciful God.  He can forgive Ray Boltz just as He does with us when we sin against His holiness.  Sadly, there is nothing in anything that I have read that would indicate ANY remorse for sin.  This goes beyond the recognition that Ray’s sins are no worse than ours.  The situation here is that a man who claims the name of Christ is deliberately, willfully and consistently breaking the commands of Scripture with nothing but excuses for his wicked, perverted, immoral behavior and lifestyle.

Ray states that he “became a Christian” because he thought it was the way to deal with the perversions of his mind.  Wrong answer!  I became a true believer (a Christian) because the Lord Jesus Christ convicted me of my sins and I realized that I was headed for a Christ-less eternity unless I came by grace through faith alone and accepted the finished work of Calvary!  I didn’t come to Christ (and neither does any other true believer) as a way to deal with trying to overcome sins or to better myself.

His statement about not wanting to get into debates about Scripture marks Ray as one who delights in his sin.  In doing so, he seeks to make a mockery of the Word of God in many different areas.

He concludes that “It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be.”  Mr. Boltz, I am afraid that you are VERY WRONG!  God did not make you or anyone else to live a perverted lifestyle that demeans His creation of man, and the institution of marriage which God ordained to be between 1 man and one woman.  And, yes, if there is NO REPENTANCE, God will send you and many others to hell – but the reason will be because you reject the truth of Scripture and remain in unbelief.

One last note, what Scripture verse tells us that we draw closer or feel closer to God because we don’t hate ourselves anymore.  What a load of new-age nonsense!  The ONLY way we will ever draw close to God is by cleansing our hands, we who are sinners.  Cleansing our hands does not take place when we choose to live in habitual sin which is condemned by God.

Our decision is that we cannot condone Ray in any aspect of his life or his music.  We have made the decision that this man who has been living a lie for all of these years is one who from whom we are to separate.  I can no more permit his music to remain a part of my selection than I could Elton John or Kirk Talley (for the Southern Gospel music afficionados).  I believe to do so would be an affront to the holiness of God.  Others may choose differently, but they only have to answer to God.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – Joshua 24:15

Praying for godly sorrow and repentance,

The Desert Pastor