Posted on 12/07/2004 12:06:09 PM PST by LouAvul
The growing clout of America's 100-million evangelical Christians is being heard loud and clear. Just turn on your radio, and you'll notice that a seismic shift in American culture is taking place.
Before, you could tune into different stations, which offered different music and different messages.
But now, as Correspondent Bob Simon reports on 60 Minutes Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT,, evangelical Christian music is flowing into mainstream media -- and changing it. In fact, Christian entertainment now brings in $4 billion a year.
Rappers and rockers are making hits and making money while spreading the gospel to national audiences. Christian groups can be heard on secular radio and seen on "The Tonight Show." Earlier this year, the group Third Day even played at the Republican National Convention.
"The fact that there are Christian themes now emerging in rock and that Christians are in rock is just representative of a spiritual desire or a spiritual hunger in our culture," says Cameron Strang, publisher of Relevant Magazine, a religious publication.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Mine, which I believe to be Biblical, is that we must search for what God tells us to do and not go invent our own forms of worship.
Those who are criticizing Leviticus and myself seem to believe that instead of looking for what God wants us to do, we can just do anything we merrily choose as long as it is not expressely forbidden.
It is a bit disturbing that so many modern Christias have an attitude that "what can I do in worship that tickles my flesh that I can get away with?"
Ponder this...
"Leviticus 8 & 9 Aaron and his sons are consecrated for the priesthood. Garments were made and sacrifices offered to enable the priest to stand before God. One sign of God’s pleasure with Israel’s faithfulness is the reaction of God when Aaron made a sin offering. “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9.23-24).
Such a display by God showed His pleasure. The time span between Chapters 9 & 10 is not given; yet, one would think everyone present understood they should do exactly what God said. However, Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s sons, offered “strange fire before the Lord’ (Leviticus 10.1). God punished them by consuming them with the fire.
There are some important lessons we can learn from this passage. First, God did not care who sinned or how faithful they had been. Second, to do that which is not authorized is sin. God told them where to get the fire but Nadab and Abihu got their fire from a different source.
God did not have to say where to not get the fire He simply specified where they could get the fire. That made every other fire wrong. Third, there was nothing that Aaron or Moses could do for these two priests. In fact, Aaron and his other two sons were told to stay in the tabernacle lest they die also. They were set apart to serve God and that is what God intended for them to do. Finally, God intends for man to treat Him as Holy. Those who think of God as a man or He will approve of changes in His Law will be sorely disappointed on the Day of Judgment. The next time you hear “The Bible doesn’t say not to,” or, “I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Remember that Nadab and Abihu thought the same thing."
Trying to discuss together and come to an understanding of just how vital it is to worship God properly (and who knows, pehaps my understanding is incorrect.....that is what discussion is for) is not ludicrous.
I do confess to liking that song. In fact, I am going to have to put in my Wow CD....
>>But , beware,Luther was kind of stuffy according to today's pentecostals.<<
He was from a different generation. I suspect the apostles may have found him a bit stuffy as well... It's hard to clean out a lifetime of Catholicism. I know - my wife was Catholic for over 40 years. They have a lot of rules the apostles and Paul could not even imagine. 8^>
Such a broad statement without examples is not helpful.
Here are some lyrics from a song done by Third Day, one of the groups mentioned in the article. Please tell me what you consider to be "unsound" in these lyrics.
Holy, Holy, Holy, are you, Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb; Worthy is the Lamb; Worthy is the Lamb. You are Holy, Holy, Holy, Amen.
The Reformation restored a proper respect for Scripturally endorsed worship by causing a resurgence of Psalmody etc.
And I've seen what stuffy organ backed hymns from another generation have done to the attitude of young believers. It aint pretty, especially if they are intelligent to knoe that music style is ALL culture. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity.
It is the words as they mix with the culture to which the participant can relate.
got any E. Power Biggs records at home?
Are you into mind-reading?
>> I have seen what this Christian rock has done to crowd out congregational worship and flatter egos<<
It can happen. Making 12 people His disciples turned out to be a similar problem for one of them, Judas.
That does not mean it was wrong for Jesus to choose the 12.
It works fine in mine.
Have a tuning fork to begin and a leader up front to aid in the key.
Ultimately, God doesn't care if we are off key anyway (of which I often am). But, it isn't like a piano would help me much either.
True. However, even in the NT dispensation, the early church kept the day and set it apart, indicating that though Scripture does not really say much on the subject, it was still intended to be a special day.
However, you are exactly correct that every day is now set as a day of rest in the Lord due to the glorious work of Christ on the Cross.
We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, not to hold concerts.
Where I worship there are no instruments at all. The singing is beautiful. If the congregation tries a new or somewhat unfamilair song it might not sond very good at first but we always have the option of stopping and starting over again with some direction from the song leader.
The NT says to "making melody in our hearts to God..."
No mention of instruments in this instruction.
Is it wrong to use instruments? Can't say for certain but I would not be comfortable in a church that did.
A cappella is beautiful
They are the foot in the door... I have seen it.
"So they might as well stand around and do nothing."
I don't know where I said that.
After all, there is a little something called the Great Commission, and that is how God's elect will be saved.
So it is kind of important.
Indeed.
You seem to like Christmas music. How do you feel about Easter music?
BTW, I should mention that "properly" worshipping doesn't mean we we are better than anybody else either.
If our hearts are not in the worship, it is just as bad as if I were taking part in a skit or some performance like that.
(most) modern songs. Third Day is good stuff.
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