GRAMMYS ILLUSTRATE THE ROOT OF AMERICA’S PROBLEM (Friday Church News Notes, February 7, 2014, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The Grammys last week illustrate the root of America’s problem, which is the apostasy and spiritual compromise in the churches. Hollywood is filthy, but Hollywood is not the root problem. The Democratic and Republican political parties aren’t the root problem. Nashville isn’t the root problem. The White House isn’t the root problem. The self-serving officers on the Joint Chiefs of Staff aren’t the root problem. America no longer fears God and is mute before the vilest sin because the vast majority of churches no longer preach the fear of God. Every preacher and every Christian in the country with even a flicker of Bible-believing faith should have denounced this filth from the pulpit and by every means at his or her disposal, and in this day and time the means are significant. The Bible says that if we hear cursing and do not condemn it we hate our own souls (Proverbs 29:24). There are a few voices, but overall the silence is deafening. In fact, multitudes of “Christians” watched the filth on television and the web and others were present for the blasphemous performances. Some even accepted awards from that sorry outfit and expressed gratitude. What folly! Does it please and glorify God for His people to accept rewards from those who hate Him? The film/music industry has represented a godless crowd going back even to the silent movie days. In those days there were enough churches pushing against them that they had to watch their mouths, keep their clothes on, and hide their ungodliness in a closet. The churches in general were more salty then, and that salt was a preservative for society at large. As churches have lost their spiritual power, the society has gotten progressively more wicked. Many smart, conservative people have identified the multitude of problems that exist today at every strata of American government, industry, and society, but they can’t fix the problems. We have brave soldiers with amazing training and equipment, but they can’t even fix the military itself. We have some wise people in politics and in high levels of business and industry, but they can’t fix the problems. We have well informed, passionate people in Tea Parties and conservative news outlets. But it’s as if their hands are tied. It’s as if they can only rail against the night. It is as if America is under a curse. Bingo! This is not a problem that can be solved by anyone or anything other than the churches. Are you praying for America every day, my Christian friend, or is it business as usual even as the enemy as it the gate? “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
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MANDISA
GRAMMY WINNER CONFUSED ABOUT BIBLICAL SEPARATION (Friday Church News Notes, February 7, 2014, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Contemporary music singer Mandisa did not attend the Grammy awards ceremony last week (though she won the award for best contemporary Christian music album) because of the negative impact such places have had on her spiritual life. On her Facebook page she admitted that she has been harmed by her involvement with the world. “Both times I have gone to the Grammys I have witnessed performances I wish I could erase from my memory, and yes, I fast forwarded through several performances this year; but my reason is not because of them, it’s because of me. ... I have fallen prey to the alluring pull of flesh, pride, and selfish desires quite a bit recently” (“Mandisa Wary of Grammys’ ‘Allure of Pleasure,’” Baptist Press, Jan. 29, 2014). She stayed home to try to renew her mind rather than place herself in an environment that celebrates things that she considers “risky.” She identified these as “the allure of pleasure, the passion to have things and the pompous sense of superiority.” In addition to its normal overflowing quota of moral filth, this year’s Grammys featured a mass homosexual “wedding” and an occultic rock performance (“Dark Horse” by Katy Perry). Risky, indeed! Having made a wise decision to stay away from this filth on this particular occasion, it is obvious that Mandisa doesn’t understand Biblical separation. She is an unrepentant lover of the world’s music and immodest clothing; she remains open to the possibility of attending future Grammy awards; and she wrongly cites Jesus as the example of being a friend of sinners in such contexts. The Lord Jesus is most definitely a friend of sinners. He laid down His life for sinners. But Jesus didn’t party with sinners. He loved sinners, but He was always “undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). Unlike the typical CCM artist, Jesus warned about God’s judgment on sinners, demanded repentance, and preached eternal hellfire, which will put a stop to any worldly party, as well as getting the preacher disinvited to all future parties! After I was saved at age 23 from a rock & roll lifestyle, I spent a lot of time witnessing to my former hippy buddies. I went to their houses and met them in restaurants and talked with them privately, but I had enough sense even as a young believer to stay away from their parties. Being a friend of sinners doesn’t mean attending a rock concert, a bar, or a Hollywood orgy. Don’t be deceived. Contemporary Christian rockers, no matter how sincere, aren’t following in the footsteps of Christ and Paul. They are following in the footsteps of Lot and Demas. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprovethem” (Ephesians 5:11). “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
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NATALIE GRANT
CCM ARTIST SAYS SHE WILL NOT JUDGE (Friday Church News Notes, February 7, 2014, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - CCM singer Natalie Grant, who was nominated for two Grammy awards last week, refused to reprove the wickedness of the awards ceremony. Though she left the Grammys early, she refused to say that this was a protest against the immodest dress, the immoral dance, the cursing, the homosexual “weddings,” and the openly occultic rock performance. Grant told the press, “I’ve judged no one. I hate no one. And I believe that every person has been created in the image of God. I will never stand on a street corner and wave a sign, I won’t use my platform to engage in political arguments that will only divide and not unite. I will continue to pray that my life will be my message. I do have my own personal convictions that I live by, and I will continue to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord” (“Mandisa Wary of Grammys’ ‘Allure of Pleasure,’” Baptist Press, Jan. 29, 2014). I quote this in whole, because it is such a clear statement of the Christian rock philosophy. We don’t judge; we don’t warn; we don’t preach; we don’t divide; we just live our Christian lives as a witness. This philosophy is rank heresy. It is apostasy. It is spiritually destructive. It is a fundamental building stone of the one-world church. It is the fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 of a lustful Christianity. The CCM lifestyle and philosophy is not following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who warned frequently about the danger of hell fire--eight times in the Gospel of Matthew alone (Mat. 5:22; 7:19; 13:40, 42, 50; 18:8, 9; 25:41). Jesus preached against sin in the strongest terms, even in the Sermon on the Mount. Consider these words from Christ, which are most emphatically judgmental and most highly offensive to the reprobate: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Mat. 5:27-29). As for divisiveness, Christ said emphatically that He came to divide. “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51). In this age, the gospel is to be preached to every nation and each individual must take his stand for or against the One who claims to be ONLY way, truth, and life. Nothing could be more divisive. Christian rockers have an ongoing audience with the filthy world of entertainment for the very reason that they aren’t Christ-like.
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