Contemporary Music and the Antichrist

 Revelation 18

²¹ And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

²² And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Nothing has altered the lifestyle of the American church, especially the Pentecostal church, as the idea called “Religious Rock.” Everything from styles of worship, doctrine, lifestyle and all aspects of religious demeanor have been changed beyond recognition.  Most Pentecostal churches are now controlled by this new religious view that is distinctly different from the past.

We should not condemn something just because it is new to us. Our only basis for true analysis is the Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  First, we must consider the objective basis of the Holy Word.  Does a doctrine, practice, or tradition have clear support in the Word of God or is it an abstraction of human ideas?  Let’s look at rock music form that perspective.  Remember the Holy Spirit says or does nothing, but in harmony with the Word of God.

Second, we should look at the subjective implications of rock music and the spirit that this music creates. The Holy Spirit Himself is not subjective, but the influence of spirits as a whole are clearly so.  What kind of spirit and emotion does rock music create?  Is it Christ honoring or fleshly?  Does it create an atmosphere that fits the Biblical precedence of true worship?  Does God’s holiness on our part find reflection and support in rock music?  These questions are overwhelming and demand an answer.

A Look at the Music and Its Supporters

One of America’s premier pastors is apparently a fan of the religious rock music industry. His name is Paul Walker and he has helped give the church world, Mylon LeFevre and his band, “Broken Heart.”  Mylon was raised in an old-time Church of God family and almost everyone remembers, “The LeFevre’s Trio.”  Rev. Walker and Mylon call it evangelism.  Is it evangelism for Christ or evangelism against Christ?  Listen as best selling author, Texe Marrs, tells about a visit by David Wilkerson to a “Broken Heart” Concert.

“The concert hall was filled with excited teenagers and young people, anxiously milling about and cracking jokes. Then the hall lights went dim and laser lights began to flash on stage.  A bizarrely dressed group of rock musicians went into action, heavy metal guitars blasting out a vicious beat.  Eerie green smoke was released and quickly enveloped the stage.

“The audience went wild. Young girls screamed and tore at their hair, while the boys rocked their hips rapidly to and fro moving to the staccato-like sounds of the band.  Suddenly, an older and wiser man, who had come to observe, bolted out of his seat and commenced to shout, ‘Ichabod, Ichabod (the glory is gone)!  Look, there are demons coming up from the smoke!’  The man’s name: David Wilkerson, highly respected Christian evangelist and author of the bestselling book, THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE.

“The crowd didn’t seem to notice. They were partying and no ‘stodgy old fundamentalist Christian evangelist’ was going to spoil their good time.  Their favorite Christian rock group, ‘Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart,’ was on stage pounding away and they were ecstasy.

“David Wilkerson, shocked and dismayed, left the concert hall, tears in his eyes and a burden on his heart. God had revealed to him the awful truth about “Christian” rock.  But how would this truth get out, because, through rock music, Satan has already conquered many churches which were once thought to be bastions of Christian example.  Many pastors, youth leaders and other church officials are too frightened to oppose the rock invasion, too afraid to make waves.  Some are so delighted to see young people “involved” in “Christianity” through rock music they haven’t stopped to analyze just what is actually going on.”  (The Dragon’s Hot Breath, a booklet written by Texe Marrs and published by Living Truth Ministries.)

A new video, “What’s Wrong With Christian Rock?” by Jeff Godwin shares an excerpt from a “Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart” concert. The setting is under a full moon and the music is clearly the beat of voodoo.  The video itself is titled, “Trains Up In The Sky” and here is a description by Mr. Godwin, “The true message is that rock and roll has always been about the worship of devils.”  To call this Christian Evangelism is to reduce evangelism to seduction.

Amy Grant

 It appears that many Christians are finally learning the truth about Amy Grant. She has suddenly changed from even a similitude of Christianity to full time service for evil.  On December 2, 1985, “The Christian News” (page 8) reported the following.

“Amy’s way of surviving the lions (to the dismay of some of her fans), was to joke about being caught at nude sunbathing, casually toss in vulgar references to men’s genitals, and admit that her album covers and posters deliberately made her look sexy in order to sell records. For many, the real gaffe came when she implied that the name of Jesus is an offense to some in the secular market she is now after, so it will be heard less or not at all on some future albums.

“What is amazing is not just that Amy seems eager to scrape out her niche among hot, rock music divas like Madonna and Cindy Lauper, but that Christian fans should be so shocked. Where have we been?”

Amy has now added the dimension of choreographed dance to her show. Her choice for a dancer was certainly not from a Holiness church.  Here are quotes from Scripps Howard News Service.

“Nicole Bruce doesn’t think it’s enough just to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. You should also throw in some funky dance moves.  ‘I believe that we as Christians, of all people, have a reason to celebrate and be joyous, the singer-choreographer said by phone. ‘And I think that in expressing joy and expressing our heart, dancing should be a part.’  Ms. Bruce has been putting her beliefs into action on the road with Amy Grant.  In addition to singing backup, she choreographed Ms. Grant’s “Every Heartbeat” tour.  A solo artist as well, her new album, “Don’t Let Me Go” has the Christian music industry calling her the queen of Christian dance pop, the newest genre in the growing gospel business.”

Ms. Bruce made it plain that her desire was to set new standards for today’s church and religious music. “I believe it’s time for us to set new standards and say, ‘Hey, you don’t have to bump somebody in order to dance.  You don’t have to grab your crotch in order to dance.  You can still celebrate and have a great time and still be dancing.”

The video, “What’s Wrong With Christian Rock,” by Jeff Godwin shares an excerpt from one of Amy Grant’s video releases. She is dressed in a red cap like a witch and begins the song at the entrance of a cave.  As she sings she lifts her palms to reveal pentagrams.  The whole excerpt is clearly antichristian conduct, yet her rock fans are incensed when someone dares call Amy anything, but a great Christian entertainer.

Daniel 3

⁴ Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

⁵ That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

⁶ And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

A Noted Author’s Description of Religious Rock Performers

Texe Marrs is fast becoming a household name in Christian circles. He is a hard hitting author and gives ample documented details.  Here is his description of Religious Rock groups.

“Such groups as Stryper, whose leader arrogantly brags that his group emits ‘positive energy,’ and Petra, are just two gospel rock bands being sold as ‘Christian’ to our youth. There’s also Mercy Seat, whose lead gospel singer wears a revealing leather miniskirt and projects carnal sensuality; Rez, which features a mother goddess type woman with serpent-like stringy hair standing on a Satanic circle on one of their albums; and Daniel Band, whose logo is a Luciferic bolt of lightening inside a Satanic circle.  There’s also the offensive thrasher group, Vengeance, whose lead song is ‘Human Sacrifice;’ and Tempest, whose newest album pictures a Satanic 6-pointed star (the hexagram) and lightning bolt on its jacket cover and features such unholy lyrics as these: ‘When you hear our music being played/Do you like the sound of my scream?”

“I could go on and on about the horrors of ‘Christian’ rock. For example, how about the group, Seriah, which screeches out the words, ‘I wanna be known in hell/feared, hated, respected…’  Consider White Cross, which admittedly uses back masking in its productions:  Allies, whose album entitled ‘Virtues’ favorably depicts on its cover a red Soviet-type flag composed of a Satanic triangle within a circle; and Saint, whose producer, Morada, is a New Age oriented recording company with a pyramid logo.  Saint offers our young people such tunes as ‘Legions of the Dead.’ ‘Abyss’ and ‘Vicars of Fate.’

“Bloodgood aggressively belts out such amplified tunes as ‘Eat the Flesh,’ ‘Vagrant People,’ ‘Alone in Suicide,’ and ‘Self Destruction.’ Its record company, Frontline, uses for its logo two Satanic triangles colored aqua, the color of the Age of Aquarius, the astrological water bearer.  The cover of Bloodgood’s ‘Detonation’ album depicts a monstrous, fiery sphinx-like image with a volcano-like eruption spewing from its head and a guitar in its distorted hands.”  (The Dragon’s Hot Breath, a booklet written by Texe Marrs and published by Living Truth Ministries.)

Analyzing Religious Music

 First, let’s listen to a former “Satanic high priest” and other witnesses to the music of Satan:

“My background is not a good one, but I give thanks and praise to God for saving me from it. I was a Satanist high priest for nine years.

“I am writing in regard to ‘Christian music’ or what is called ‘power tracts,’ ‘Christian rock and roll,’ and ‘contemporary Christian’ music, and their counterparts, rock and roll, heavy metal, black metal, country music, rap, and punk.

“I understand that I cannot judge groups as to whether or not they are genuine believers. But the Bible does say that we are to judge their fruit.

“The Bible says that we are to be Christ like. Some groups who play this kind of ‘Christian’ music say that they do so because it’s the only way they can reach the young people of today.  They claim that we must look like the world and use the world’s music in order to reach young people with the Word of God.

“How long will Christians allow themselves to be deceived and lied to by Satan (the father of lies)?”

“The Bible says we are to be in the world—not part of it. It also says that to be a friend with the world is to be an enemy of God.

“As ambassadors for Christ, we should represent Him the best we can. Christ never changed His appearance, whether He talked with kings or the poor.

“When I first became involved in the occult, music had a big influence on my life. It was not just the words but the music itself.  Its affect on me spiritually was to bring me into another state of consciousness.

“The beat and style of the music used in occult rituals is the same that I know hear in ‘Christian power tracts,’ ‘Christian rock and roll,’ ‘Christian rap,’ and in much of what is called ‘Christian contemporary’ music today.

“People who were saved from the youth culture of today say, ‘I cannot listen to this new Christian music, because when I hear it, it takes me back to my past when I was lost. It brings all that back to me – lustful desires, love of money, sex, suicide, and rebellion against authority.’ ( Testimony by David Pratt, Chattanooga, Tennessee. What the Bible has to say about “Contemporary Christian” Music, a special publication of Institute in Basic Life Principles, pages 7-8.)

Ephesians 5

¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

¹⁹ Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Here is the testimony of a Christian from Zimbabwe, Africa: “I am very sensitive to the beat in the music, because when I was a boy, I played the drums in our village worship rituals. The beat that I played on the drum was to get the demon spirits into the people.

“When I became a Christian, I rejected this kind of beat because I realized how damaging it was.

“When I turned on a Christian radio station in the United States, I was shocked. The same beat that I used to play to call up the evils spirits is in the music I heard on the Christian station.”  (Testimony by Stephen Maphosah, Zimbabwe, Africa.  , a special publication of Institute in Basic life Principles, page 8.)

These words are from an American minister traveling in Africa. “In 1981, I was driving down a jungle road in the Ivory Coast with several African pastors in the car with me.  I had recently received a couple of cassette tapes from our denominational headquarters that were intended for our teenaged daughter.

“These were the recordings of various ‘Christian Rock’ artists. In listening to the tapes, I was very disturbed in my own spirit that such material was being sent to our missionary kids.

“But not trusting my own reaction alone and realizing that these pastors with whom I was traveling were very sensitive to the spirit world (both good and evil), I decided to play the tapes for them. The reaction I got was immediate and verbally violent!

“One of the pastors asked me this question, ‘Do you mean to tell us that this kind of music is played in your churches in America?’

“I answered in the affirmative. His response was filled with disgust and anger as he replied with another question.  ‘What are you doing allowing your church people in America to call up the evil spirits with their music?’” (Testimony by Rev. Joe Meyers, Tacoma, Washington. What the Bible has to say about “Contemporary Christian” Music, a special publication of Institute in Basic Life Principles, page 8.)

1 Timothy 6

⁹ But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Biblical Perspectives of Rock Music

God the Father never deals with a soul through their sinful emotions. Everything about our human flesh is carnal and deceiving.  It is Satan who uses all possible  titillation to get you in his camp.  He doesn’t care how much you use Jesus’ name as long as you don’t follow His Words.

Holy Scripture in Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).  The witness of God to the individual is in their spirit, not in their flesh.  Listen carefully; yes, the whole person (body, soul, and spirit) is affected, but it is from the human spirit that God changes the entire personality.  There is great joy, but it is much deeper than sheer emotions.

It is abundantly clear that the cords of Rock Music (also, most contemporary) is off-beat. The sounds are contrary to the natural music of the soul.  The soul of man is from the breath of God. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

When any input (music, conversation, psychology, arts, drama, etc.) has a discordant sound or ring in its conflicts with the desired peace of God that is normal for a genuine Christian. From this emotion comes rebellion, jealousy, anger, etc., and Biblical question marks.  No wonder we have a generation that questions everything God says.  Holiness to the new religious crowd is the most hated idea alive.

What are the subjective ideas in Religious Rock Music? All music has a spiritual basis.  Music has been rightly said to be the language of the soul, not the language of the spirit.  That’s why God chose preaching the Gospel, not singing, to convert man to God. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).  Preaching appeals to the spirit for a heart decision, while the music is the language of worship and was created as an avenue to praise the Heavenly Father.  When anyone purposes to use music to evangelize, they are confronting God Himself and His creation.

We must end the idea of using music as a tool to reach our generation. The subculture of rock music will be religious or demonic, either or both at the same time if they can still have the intoxication of their addiction.  Satan has sold a lie to the religious leaders in America.  Music is God’s creation and it is the language of the soul in worship.  To use it otherwise is a distortion.

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalms 150:1-6).

You can worship the devil with music as well as God. Satan is a master imitator, so he has his own music to induce worship to himself.  He hides behind the flesh and the wild emotions of rock fans, but nevertheless, he is there and he is being worshipped.  You cannot sing without worshipping someone or something.

Satan is preparing this generation to worship himself as God. This music is a lie and the very presence of its sounds are filled with a lying deception.  You cannot listen to rock music over a reasonable span without addiction.  When you become addicted, any suggestion from someone that it is wrong will make you furious.  The spirit of rock music is rebellion against authority or lawlessness.  Jesus said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).  Religious Rock music is the music of the Antichrist!!