Post by pitbull on Dec 14, 2005 8:49:38 GMT -5
TEN SCRIPTURAL REASONS WHY THE ROCK BEAT IS EVIL IN ANY FORM
[Distributed by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. These articles cannot be stored on BBS or Internet sites without express permission from the author. The articles cannot be sold or placed by themselves or with other material in any electronic format for sale, but may be distributed for free by e-mail or by print. They must be left intact and nothing removed or changed, including these informational headers. This is a listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Our goal is not devotional. OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. If you desire to receive this type of material on a regular basis, e-mail us, tell us who you are and where you are located, and request to be placed on the list. Also include your postal address and the name of the church of which you are a member. Please note that this is not a free service. We take up a quarterly offering to fund this ministry, and each subscriber is expected to participate. To unsubscribe or to submit a change of address, send your name and the request to fbns@wayoflife.org. This is not an automated list. Changes in the database often require two to four days. Some of these articles are from O Timothy magazine. David W. Cloud, Editor. O Timothy is a monthly magazine in its 17th year of publication. Subscription is $20/yr. Way of Life Literature, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277. The Way of Life web site is wayoflife.org/~dcloud. The End Times Apostasy Online Database is located at this web site. (360) 675-8311 (voice), 240-8347 (fax). fbns@wayoflife.org (e-mail)]
February 16, 2000 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277) -
[The following is a publication of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, Box One, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3001. Copyright 1990. Revised July 1992. The report is published with the following notice: "You are encouraged to share this report with others. You may reproduce it without charge, or order additional copies as follows: 1-10 copies: $3.00 per copy; 11-50 copies: $2.00 per copy; 51-100 copies: $1.50 per copy." While we do not recommend the Institute in Basic Life Principles in all points, this article on music is very important and timely, and we are thankful that they have made it available to God's people.]
DEFINITION OF "ROCK BEAT"
The "rock beat" is a dominant and repetitious offbeat which competes with the melody and distracts from the words of a song. The contradictory messages in the beat, the words, the melody, the style of the presentation, and the appearance of the musicians all create a subtle confusion in the minds, wills, and emotions of the listeners, which leads them to question the absolute moral standards of God.
I. THE "ROCK BEAT" DECEIVES YOUTH INTO VIOLATING THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
The fifth Commandment is "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). The New Testament reaffirms this commandment: "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:2-3). There is no question that many parents are strongly opposed to the "rock beat." Therefore, those who promote the "rock beat" are causing young people to dishonor their fathers and mothers.
HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" CAUSED A SON TO DISHONOR HIS PARENTS
"About four years ago, our church got a new youth pastor. He began playing ‘Christian rock’ before meetings and during activities. He encouraged me to get a copy of a certain tape, which I did, even though my parents forbade me from doing so.
"Because I was being home educated, the church youth group was the only significant outside influence in my life, but that influence was enough to cause me to rebel and wreck my life for the next four years.
"I then started listening to secular soft rock music, thinking, ‘What’s wrong with this? It has less beat than Christian music.’ If only I had known what a deceiver Satan is, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.
"About seven months ago at a Christian radio station’s New Year’s Eve party, I was introduced to ‘Christian rap’ music. Before that time, I did not listen to rap, but after hearing it there, I began justifying to myself that the beat couldn’t be all bad because Christians listened to it and it didn’t seem to harm them.
"What it did to me was cause a complete breakdown in morals, which led directly to my becoming involved in immoral habits and illegal activities. I was also constantly plagued with violent and unclean thoughts.
"Since then, I have taken steps to regain the ‘ground’ given to Satan, and for the first time in years, I have a feeling of complete freedom from the influence of this music."
--Tim Love, age 18, Washington
A SECOND WITNESS ON HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" LEADS YOUTH TO BREAK THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
"I’ve never been into rock music or even light rock, but lately I believe my standards in music have been going down. Our family was given two music tapes a while back.
"They aren’t extremely ‘rocky,’ but the beat in the music is a little off. I have enjoyed those tapes, and when my mother said she really didn’t like them, I immediately became defensive.
"I realize now that even if those tapes were perfectly fine as far as the beat, if my mother didn’t like them it would be wrong for me to listen to them."
— Lael Auble, age 24, Florida
A THIRD WITNESS ON HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" CAUSES YOUTH TO REBEL AGAINST THEIR PARENTS
Fourteen-year-old Sari Ann Mitchell of California received a booklet entitled, Notice of Complaint Against the Unrecognized Enemy in the Church. This booklet contains testimonies from young people about how "Christian rock" has damaged their walk with the Lord and their relationships with others. After reading the booklet, she sent it along with the following letter of appeal to her pastor:
Dear Pastor,
January 19, 1990
"I have been praying for a way to express how I feel about ‘Christian contemporary’ music to my friends and others. I was so happy to receive this booklet in the mail that I wanted to share it with you. I want to add my own personal testimony to the many in this booklet.
"I started listening to ‘Christian contemporary’ (rock) music when I was twelve. At this time I was attending a private Christian school, and there my friends all listened to it. The pressure was great, so I started to listen to some of their tapes once in a while.
"I became hooked. It may be hard to believe, but that music made me think sensuous thoughts, and the beat made me want to sway and dance like the world. After this I started to listen to ‘Christian contemporary’ music all the time, and even though my parents didn’t like it, I got some tapes of my own to listen to.
"One day, I went to my friend’s house, and she had her radio on. It was on a secular soft rock station. When I got home I turned my radio to that same station. I listened to it just once in a while, and it sounded just like the ‘Christian contemporary’ music, except the words were a little different. (Actually, I didn’t even listen to the words!)
"When I started to make these compromises, I started to make other compromises too, like stopping my daily devotions and listening to music instead of studying. When I did do my homework, I listened to music, and I cheated on some of my homework so I could have time after school to listen to music. I shut myself up in my room and became secluded so I could listen to it.
"At this time, I also began to rebel against my parents, spreading from rebellion in music to rebellion in clothes. Then my Dad and Mom took me to a Basic Youth Seminar. There I heard stuff I had never heard before about music, dating, marriage, disloyalty, bitterness, genuine love, and much more.
"After that Seminar, I started to think about where my life was going. It wasn’t going how I wanted it to go, no matter how hard I tried! I knew something was very wrong. Then I went to the Advanced Seminar. This cleared it up. I was going downhill, and only God could pull me up, so I gave it all up to Him, and every day He pulls me up a little higher.
"I have to tell you this because I want you to know I’m not just saying that I think ‘Christian contemporary’ music is bad and is compromising—I know it is. There’s only one way to get out of its addictive clutch, and that’s to give it up to God. So please don’t let this wolf sneak into the church and kill people unaware."
— Sari Ann Mitchell, age 14, California
Even if parents are "too strict" in rejecting the "rock beat," God expects their children to obey them.
"... We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. . . . For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure…" (Hebrews 12:9—10).
HOW A TRUSTED MAGAZINE IS URGING TEENS TO DISHONOR THEIR PARENTS
On the cover of the January 1990 edition of a respected and trusted Christian youth magazine, there appeared the title: "Sing Your Freedom." On page 32 is the following article, entitled, "Shake Down at Home."
"It’s easy to avoid talking to your parents about music, because it tends to be a touchy subject. But before conflicts arise, communicate with your parents about the music you like. This will help them understand why your music is important to you.
"Here are some suggestions for developing communication with your parents about music. These ideas come from discussions with three teenagers. [vs. Scripture]
• "Don’t play your music so loud that ‘the whole house is shaking. . .‘ If you’re considerate about the volume, you will show your parents that you’re mature enough to be thoughtful of others. [vs. obedient to parents]
• "Share your enthusiasm with your parents. . . . This is a way to show your parents how important your music is to you.
• "Choose carefully the songs to play for them. Chances are that your parents like a different style of music. For your parents, listening to your music may be a bit like trying to understand a foreign language. So choose a song that has clear words and an understandable message. [What an indictment to much of the music!]
• "After you listen to a song together, talk about it.... [One of the three teenagers] explains to his parents what the writer is trying to say. . . . Talking to your parents about the words shows your parents that you’ve listened to the lyrics and have thought about what they mean.
• "Be willing to listen to your parents’ music. If they are willing to listen to your music, it’s nice to meet them halfway.
• "Don’t expect too much; you may not convert them to your style of music. Different generations tend to like different types of music. Your goal is to communicate to your parents why your music is important to you." [Emphasis added]
What a shocking article!!
Observations about this article:
• The reference to "the whole house shaking" leaves no doubt that we are talking about "rock music."
• The writer is very aware that many parents of teenagers are not in favor of the music which their sons and daughters are playing.
• Rather than encouraging the young people to honor and obey their parents’ wishes, the writer instructs them to stand up for the rights to "their music."
• What appalling counsel to say, "Be willing to listen to your parents’ music. If your parents are willing to listen to your music, it’s nice to meet them halfway."
• Deception is encouraged by urging the young people to "choose carefully the songs to play for them.. . . Choose a song that has clear words and an understandable message."
• To say that "different generations tend to like different types of music" is to totally disregard the destructive nature of the "rock beat." This statement also disregards the true meaning of deference.
• Deference is limiting my freedom in order not to offend the tastes of those God has called me to serve.
• The conclusion of the article is a blatant defiance of parental authority: "Don’t expect too much; you may not convert them to your style of music. . . . Your goal is to communicate to your parents why your music is important to you."
The goal of God’s instruction in Ephesians 6 is not for the parents to capitulate to the will of their children, but for sons and daughters to obey and honor their parents. Any teenager who disregards the instruction to honor his father and mother will experience the consequences of which God warns in Proverbs 30:17:
"The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."
II. THE "ROCK BEAT" VIOLATES GOD’S COMMAND TO "GIVE NO PLACE TO THE DEVIL."
When sons and daughters disregard the instruction of their parents by listening to the "rock beat," they are guilty of the kind of rebellion which is described in 1 Samuel 15:23:
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…"
Rebellion is simply reserving for myself the right to make final decisions. It is deciding to have an equal voice with those whom God has placed in authority over me. This was the type of rebellion which Satan demonstrated when he said, ". . . I will be like the most High [God]" (Isaiah 14:14).
Witchcraft involves exposing oneself to the realm and the power of Satan’s control. Whoever gives Satan such "ground" violates the command of Ephesians 4:27. "Neither give place [ground] to the devil." The Greek word for "place" in this verse refers to a sphere of jurisdiction. When Satan is given authority, he uses it to control and destroy the one who gave it to him.
HOW SATAN GAINED "GROUND" WHEN A TEENAGER LISTENED TO THE "ROCK BEAT"
"I started listening to ‘contemporary Christian’ music about four years ago. I thought that the music was OK, and
I enjoyed it, but one day I was listening to a Christian radio station and a song came on that I have never heard. I liked the song even though it was questionable.
"When the group who played that song came to town, I went to their concert with some friends. I knew, however, that my parents would not have approved had they known what type of music was played.
"After the concert, I borrowed money from a friend to buy their tape. I brought it home, but my parents did not want me to keep it. I did anyway.
"I listened to it all the time and finally bought some other ‘Christian rock’ tapes even though my parents did not want me to. I listened to them for a while but soon got bored with them.
"I then started listening to secular rock on a light rock station without my parents’ knowledge.
"I began to want to listen to rock music more and more, and I began to enjoy the harder stuff. I soon changed stations to a hard rock station so I could listen to the harder stuff.
"After listening to that station for about a year (all without my parents’ knowledge), I found that the stuff I liked the station could play only at night. So I got the tapes of some of the groups I liked, and I found that I loved heavy metal. I just couldn’t get enough.
"When I finally faced the reality of how wrong I was, I made commitments to give it up. However, I still struggle with it daily, and every time I hear it I am tempted to get back into it."
-- David Brown, age 16, Arizona
THE TESTIMONY OF A FORMER SATANIST HIGH PRIEST THAT THE "ROCK BEAT" GIVES "GROUND"
"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 Christlike. 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 world--not a part of it. It also says be a friend with the world is to be an 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 the occult rituals is the same that I now 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.’
"Think of the struggle that these young Christians have when they try to separate the things of the world from the things of God. When they hear what is called ‘Christian’ music that sounds just like the world, these vulnerable young Christians become confused and the music becomes a stumbling block in their lives.
"Normally a Christian will take only what is good and leave the bad. This discernment does not always work with music, however, because if the music is bad and the words are good, many Christians are not able to separate them and both are swallowed together.
"Satan tried a mixed-message tactic on Jesus in the desert when he misquoted Scripture by mixing it with half-truths. Jesus rebuked Satan for this tactic and quoted the whole truth back to him."
— David Pratt, Chattanooga, Tennessee
[Distributed by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. These articles cannot be stored on BBS or Internet sites without express permission from the author. The articles cannot be sold or placed by themselves or with other material in any electronic format for sale, but may be distributed for free by e-mail or by print. They must be left intact and nothing removed or changed, including these informational headers. This is a listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Our goal is not devotional. OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. If you desire to receive this type of material on a regular basis, e-mail us, tell us who you are and where you are located, and request to be placed on the list. Also include your postal address and the name of the church of which you are a member. Please note that this is not a free service. We take up a quarterly offering to fund this ministry, and each subscriber is expected to participate. To unsubscribe or to submit a change of address, send your name and the request to fbns@wayoflife.org. This is not an automated list. Changes in the database often require two to four days. Some of these articles are from O Timothy magazine. David W. Cloud, Editor. O Timothy is a monthly magazine in its 17th year of publication. Subscription is $20/yr. Way of Life Literature, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277. The Way of Life web site is wayoflife.org/~dcloud. The End Times Apostasy Online Database is located at this web site. (360) 675-8311 (voice), 240-8347 (fax). fbns@wayoflife.org (e-mail)]
February 16, 2000 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277) -
[The following is a publication of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, Box One, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3001. Copyright 1990. Revised July 1992. The report is published with the following notice: "You are encouraged to share this report with others. You may reproduce it without charge, or order additional copies as follows: 1-10 copies: $3.00 per copy; 11-50 copies: $2.00 per copy; 51-100 copies: $1.50 per copy." While we do not recommend the Institute in Basic Life Principles in all points, this article on music is very important and timely, and we are thankful that they have made it available to God's people.]
DEFINITION OF "ROCK BEAT"
The "rock beat" is a dominant and repetitious offbeat which competes with the melody and distracts from the words of a song. The contradictory messages in the beat, the words, the melody, the style of the presentation, and the appearance of the musicians all create a subtle confusion in the minds, wills, and emotions of the listeners, which leads them to question the absolute moral standards of God.
I. THE "ROCK BEAT" DECEIVES YOUTH INTO VIOLATING THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.
The fifth Commandment is "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). The New Testament reaffirms this commandment: "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:2-3). There is no question that many parents are strongly opposed to the "rock beat." Therefore, those who promote the "rock beat" are causing young people to dishonor their fathers and mothers.
HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" CAUSED A SON TO DISHONOR HIS PARENTS
"About four years ago, our church got a new youth pastor. He began playing ‘Christian rock’ before meetings and during activities. He encouraged me to get a copy of a certain tape, which I did, even though my parents forbade me from doing so.
"Because I was being home educated, the church youth group was the only significant outside influence in my life, but that influence was enough to cause me to rebel and wreck my life for the next four years.
"I then started listening to secular soft rock music, thinking, ‘What’s wrong with this? It has less beat than Christian music.’ If only I had known what a deceiver Satan is, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.
"About seven months ago at a Christian radio station’s New Year’s Eve party, I was introduced to ‘Christian rap’ music. Before that time, I did not listen to rap, but after hearing it there, I began justifying to myself that the beat couldn’t be all bad because Christians listened to it and it didn’t seem to harm them.
"What it did to me was cause a complete breakdown in morals, which led directly to my becoming involved in immoral habits and illegal activities. I was also constantly plagued with violent and unclean thoughts.
"Since then, I have taken steps to regain the ‘ground’ given to Satan, and for the first time in years, I have a feeling of complete freedom from the influence of this music."
--Tim Love, age 18, Washington
A SECOND WITNESS ON HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" LEADS YOUTH TO BREAK THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
"I’ve never been into rock music or even light rock, but lately I believe my standards in music have been going down. Our family was given two music tapes a while back.
"They aren’t extremely ‘rocky,’ but the beat in the music is a little off. I have enjoyed those tapes, and when my mother said she really didn’t like them, I immediately became defensive.
"I realize now that even if those tapes were perfectly fine as far as the beat, if my mother didn’t like them it would be wrong for me to listen to them."
— Lael Auble, age 24, Florida
A THIRD WITNESS ON HOW THE "ROCK BEAT" CAUSES YOUTH TO REBEL AGAINST THEIR PARENTS
Fourteen-year-old Sari Ann Mitchell of California received a booklet entitled, Notice of Complaint Against the Unrecognized Enemy in the Church. This booklet contains testimonies from young people about how "Christian rock" has damaged their walk with the Lord and their relationships with others. After reading the booklet, she sent it along with the following letter of appeal to her pastor:
Dear Pastor,
January 19, 1990
"I have been praying for a way to express how I feel about ‘Christian contemporary’ music to my friends and others. I was so happy to receive this booklet in the mail that I wanted to share it with you. I want to add my own personal testimony to the many in this booklet.
"I started listening to ‘Christian contemporary’ (rock) music when I was twelve. At this time I was attending a private Christian school, and there my friends all listened to it. The pressure was great, so I started to listen to some of their tapes once in a while.
"I became hooked. It may be hard to believe, but that music made me think sensuous thoughts, and the beat made me want to sway and dance like the world. After this I started to listen to ‘Christian contemporary’ music all the time, and even though my parents didn’t like it, I got some tapes of my own to listen to.
"One day, I went to my friend’s house, and she had her radio on. It was on a secular soft rock station. When I got home I turned my radio to that same station. I listened to it just once in a while, and it sounded just like the ‘Christian contemporary’ music, except the words were a little different. (Actually, I didn’t even listen to the words!)
"When I started to make these compromises, I started to make other compromises too, like stopping my daily devotions and listening to music instead of studying. When I did do my homework, I listened to music, and I cheated on some of my homework so I could have time after school to listen to music. I shut myself up in my room and became secluded so I could listen to it.
"At this time, I also began to rebel against my parents, spreading from rebellion in music to rebellion in clothes. Then my Dad and Mom took me to a Basic Youth Seminar. There I heard stuff I had never heard before about music, dating, marriage, disloyalty, bitterness, genuine love, and much more.
"After that Seminar, I started to think about where my life was going. It wasn’t going how I wanted it to go, no matter how hard I tried! I knew something was very wrong. Then I went to the Advanced Seminar. This cleared it up. I was going downhill, and only God could pull me up, so I gave it all up to Him, and every day He pulls me up a little higher.
"I have to tell you this because I want you to know I’m not just saying that I think ‘Christian contemporary’ music is bad and is compromising—I know it is. There’s only one way to get out of its addictive clutch, and that’s to give it up to God. So please don’t let this wolf sneak into the church and kill people unaware."
— Sari Ann Mitchell, age 14, California
Even if parents are "too strict" in rejecting the "rock beat," God expects their children to obey them.
"... We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. . . . For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure…" (Hebrews 12:9—10).
HOW A TRUSTED MAGAZINE IS URGING TEENS TO DISHONOR THEIR PARENTS
On the cover of the January 1990 edition of a respected and trusted Christian youth magazine, there appeared the title: "Sing Your Freedom." On page 32 is the following article, entitled, "Shake Down at Home."
"It’s easy to avoid talking to your parents about music, because it tends to be a touchy subject. But before conflicts arise, communicate with your parents about the music you like. This will help them understand why your music is important to you.
"Here are some suggestions for developing communication with your parents about music. These ideas come from discussions with three teenagers. [vs. Scripture]
• "Don’t play your music so loud that ‘the whole house is shaking. . .‘ If you’re considerate about the volume, you will show your parents that you’re mature enough to be thoughtful of others. [vs. obedient to parents]
• "Share your enthusiasm with your parents. . . . This is a way to show your parents how important your music is to you.
• "Choose carefully the songs to play for them. Chances are that your parents like a different style of music. For your parents, listening to your music may be a bit like trying to understand a foreign language. So choose a song that has clear words and an understandable message. [What an indictment to much of the music!]
• "After you listen to a song together, talk about it.... [One of the three teenagers] explains to his parents what the writer is trying to say. . . . Talking to your parents about the words shows your parents that you’ve listened to the lyrics and have thought about what they mean.
• "Be willing to listen to your parents’ music. If they are willing to listen to your music, it’s nice to meet them halfway.
• "Don’t expect too much; you may not convert them to your style of music. Different generations tend to like different types of music. Your goal is to communicate to your parents why your music is important to you." [Emphasis added]
What a shocking article!!
Observations about this article:
• The reference to "the whole house shaking" leaves no doubt that we are talking about "rock music."
• The writer is very aware that many parents of teenagers are not in favor of the music which their sons and daughters are playing.
• Rather than encouraging the young people to honor and obey their parents’ wishes, the writer instructs them to stand up for the rights to "their music."
• What appalling counsel to say, "Be willing to listen to your parents’ music. If your parents are willing to listen to your music, it’s nice to meet them halfway."
• Deception is encouraged by urging the young people to "choose carefully the songs to play for them.. . . Choose a song that has clear words and an understandable message."
• To say that "different generations tend to like different types of music" is to totally disregard the destructive nature of the "rock beat." This statement also disregards the true meaning of deference.
• Deference is limiting my freedom in order not to offend the tastes of those God has called me to serve.
• The conclusion of the article is a blatant defiance of parental authority: "Don’t expect too much; you may not convert them to your style of music. . . . Your goal is to communicate to your parents why your music is important to you."
The goal of God’s instruction in Ephesians 6 is not for the parents to capitulate to the will of their children, but for sons and daughters to obey and honor their parents. Any teenager who disregards the instruction to honor his father and mother will experience the consequences of which God warns in Proverbs 30:17:
"The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."
II. THE "ROCK BEAT" VIOLATES GOD’S COMMAND TO "GIVE NO PLACE TO THE DEVIL."
When sons and daughters disregard the instruction of their parents by listening to the "rock beat," they are guilty of the kind of rebellion which is described in 1 Samuel 15:23:
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…"
Rebellion is simply reserving for myself the right to make final decisions. It is deciding to have an equal voice with those whom God has placed in authority over me. This was the type of rebellion which Satan demonstrated when he said, ". . . I will be like the most High [God]" (Isaiah 14:14).
Witchcraft involves exposing oneself to the realm and the power of Satan’s control. Whoever gives Satan such "ground" violates the command of Ephesians 4:27. "Neither give place [ground] to the devil." The Greek word for "place" in this verse refers to a sphere of jurisdiction. When Satan is given authority, he uses it to control and destroy the one who gave it to him.
HOW SATAN GAINED "GROUND" WHEN A TEENAGER LISTENED TO THE "ROCK BEAT"
"I started listening to ‘contemporary Christian’ music about four years ago. I thought that the music was OK, and
I enjoyed it, but one day I was listening to a Christian radio station and a song came on that I have never heard. I liked the song even though it was questionable.
"When the group who played that song came to town, I went to their concert with some friends. I knew, however, that my parents would not have approved had they known what type of music was played.
"After the concert, I borrowed money from a friend to buy their tape. I brought it home, but my parents did not want me to keep it. I did anyway.
"I listened to it all the time and finally bought some other ‘Christian rock’ tapes even though my parents did not want me to. I listened to them for a while but soon got bored with them.
"I then started listening to secular rock on a light rock station without my parents’ knowledge.
"I began to want to listen to rock music more and more, and I began to enjoy the harder stuff. I soon changed stations to a hard rock station so I could listen to the harder stuff.
"After listening to that station for about a year (all without my parents’ knowledge), I found that the stuff I liked the station could play only at night. So I got the tapes of some of the groups I liked, and I found that I loved heavy metal. I just couldn’t get enough.
"When I finally faced the reality of how wrong I was, I made commitments to give it up. However, I still struggle with it daily, and every time I hear it I am tempted to get back into it."
-- David Brown, age 16, Arizona
THE TESTIMONY OF A FORMER SATANIST HIGH PRIEST THAT THE "ROCK BEAT" GIVES "GROUND"
"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 Christlike. 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 world--not a part of it. It also says be a friend with the world is to be an 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 the occult rituals is the same that I now 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.’
"Think of the struggle that these young Christians have when they try to separate the things of the world from the things of God. When they hear what is called ‘Christian’ music that sounds just like the world, these vulnerable young Christians become confused and the music becomes a stumbling block in their lives.
"Normally a Christian will take only what is good and leave the bad. This discernment does not always work with music, however, because if the music is bad and the words are good, many Christians are not able to separate them and both are swallowed together.
"Satan tried a mixed-message tactic on Jesus in the desert when he misquoted Scripture by mixing it with half-truths. Jesus rebuked Satan for this tactic and quoted the whole truth back to him."
— David Pratt, Chattanooga, Tennessee