A Glimpse into Gospel Rock
also-
Contemporary
Christian music (CCM) is taking Christian young people by storm. For every
ten country music albums sold in America, seven Christian CDs are sold.
Sales for a recent year totaled $747 million. It is now 7 percent of the
overall sales in the US. music industry. For every US. Latin music CD sold
last year, two CCM CDs were sold. It topped the combined numbers of jazz,
classical and New age music sales.
What
is it like to attend a gospel rock concert? I can assure you, it is not a
place you would want to be. And you would not want your children or
grandchildren there either.
These
traveling singer/bands tour all over the nation, including locations near
our colleges—so our students can flock to them. (A few years back. one
held close to Walla Walla College was so wild police had to be called in.)
Audio
Adrenaline, one of those I have seen advertised in Adventist college
student newspapers, hauls in huge speakers, band equipment, synthesizers,
and smoke devices.
When
the show starts, everyone goes wild. While a singer (if that is the proper
word) is screaming into mike, other mikes are picking up the noise of the
band. All of it is piped through the huge speakers. The mesmerized
audience hears decibels so loud it damages their eardrums, and sound waves
literally beat on their chest. All the while (if it is an outdoor event)
four smoke machines, evenly spaced across the stage, are sending billowing
clouds of white smoke into the air, where floodlights illuminate them.
In
the past I have often warned you about what was taking place. But here is
a vivid write-up on what it is like to actually attend one of them. The
following is an excerpt from an article which appeared in the July 16.
2001, issue of Newsweek. It will help you better grasp the insane madness
of the experience:
"
'Are you ready to rip the face off this place?' screams the lead singer of
Pillar. A hyped-up crowd of teens—6,000 strong—goes nuts. The
aggressive rap-rock band launches into a pummeling kickoff number, the
surly singer pounding the stage with his steel-toed boot, sweating right
through his baggy Army fatigues and black bandanna. He gestures like a
member of some vicious street gang as he screams and roars into the mike,
his arms swinging low . . The singer's hand slaps down hard on his thigh—and
stays there. Gripping his pants leg with conviction, he screams, 'Jesus
Christ!' Pause, 'ls he in your heart?'
"It’s
time to wreak havoc and give praise at Festival Con Dios, a Christian
alternative-rock tour . . On the tour, which will span more than 30 US.
cities throughout the summer and early fall, the ska [whatever that
means] band, the OC Supertones. dedicates its music to God while goofing
around the stage in giant Afro wigs. Thuggish rapper T-Bone busts gansta-style
rhymes about the Lord. Newsboys, the festival creators, and
platinum-selling Christian-rock veterans warn of Judgment Day in an upbeat
song as their drummer defies gravity on a vertical, rotating riser. And
it's all in the name of Jesus.
"Alternative
rock is just one pillar in the gigantic cathedral of Christian
entertainment. It spans from the popular "Left Behind" novels,
which sold 28.8 million copies, to the Grammy-winning singer Steven Curtis
Chapman, who helped pack in 50.000 at the Freedom Live festival in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, last week. Then there's the 22 million video sales of the
children's cartoon 'VeggieTales.' This gospel fueled fun is now a
booming business and a cornerstone of American culture . .
"The
number of evangelicals, or born-agains, has increased sharply over the
past 20 years; some studies suggest they're the fastest-growing segment
of American's religious population. The heavenly ring of cash registers
has finally grown so loud that major publishers (including Warner Books)
have started Christian-book divisions, and independent gospel based labels
are being snapped up by such corporate giants as Sony and
Universal."
Where
are your teens tonight? Better check. Better yet, start making
Christianity real to them. Take time to do things with them. including mission
projects in your area. If they see you think religion is worth living
for, they will want to copy your example.
Here
are more statistics:
Since
1980, Christian book sales have quadrupled to $1 billion a year. That
number does not include the sale of Bibles.
One
of the biggest sellers is the "rapture thriller," Left Behind
series, about Christians who try to save the planet from a madman who is
the Antichrist. The best-seller is The Veritas Project, another end-time
crisis thriller. It is obvious that people are ready for you to hand them
a copy of Great Controversy!
Dr.
Juanita McElwain
“And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their
place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that
old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him." Revelation 12:7-10.
The devil
and his angels have been present in the earth ever since that time.
Evidence of their presence and activity may be found throughout the
entire history of the Bible, particularly during the time when Christ was
on earth, where we find numerous accounts of Christ casting demons out of
people. Their activity has not only continued to our day but has
intensified. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for
the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:12.
"Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8.
Which
Spirit Possesses You?
The
devil did not invent spirit possession. Jesus offers us oneness with Him.
This is the kind of possession God has planned for fulfillment and
happiness in our lives. Satan always counterfeits every good thing, and in
this case, he uses the very mechanisms to take control of man that God has
provided for us to have complete possession by Him.
What
is involved is the influence of some supernatural being in the lives of
people. In order for this to take place, some form of communication must
occur in the form of the transfer of thoughts and feelings. Consider the
following statement: "The brain nerves that connect with the whole
system are the medium through which heaven communicates with man and
affects the inmost life." Education, 209. God created in us a
mechanism whereby the Holy Spirit can communicate directly with each of
us. This is a Biblical concept: "Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Corinthians
3:16.
Spirit
Possession and the Mind
However,
if one submits to the suggestions of an evil spirit, possession by that
evil spirit will take place. It is reasonable to think that the mechanism,
designed by God for communication with the Holy Spirit, may be taken over
by evil spirits. William Sargant, a British psychiatrist, studied
extensively the work of witch doctors, voodoo priests, and faith healers.
He compared their methods with hypnotic trances and rock music festivals.
Specifically, attention is diverted and fatigue sets in. Eager
anticipation and high expectation of ecstasy also playa role. Individual
will power is weakened. (See William Sargent, The Mind Possessed: a
Physiology of Possession, Mysticism and Faith Healing, Harper & Row,
NY, 1974.)
T.
E. Wade examines transcendental meditation, hypnosis, glossolalia, and
spiritism in connection with possession. He concludes: "It is my
personal conviction that the normal human brain is capable of experiencing
the functional relation to the Holy Spirit by a mechanism which is misused
to achieve hypnotic trance. . . . This mechanism may be surrendered to
the control of an evil spirit as occurs in voodoo spirit possession; or a
human hypnotist may intrude into the relationship when he casts a spell
over his subject." T. E. Wade, Spirit Possession, Gazelle
Publications, Auburn, CA, 1991, 47.
Ellen
White strongly opposed the use of hypnotism: "The theory of mind
controlling mind was originated by Satan. . .. It opens a door through
which Satan will enter to take possession both of the mind that is given
up to be controlled. . . and of the mind that controls." The Ministry
of Healing, 243.
Spirit
Possession and Music
Having
established that spirit possession does take place, the possibility of the
role of music in possession may be examined. Satan has always been highly
involved with music, beginning in heaven. "Satan had led the heavenly
choir." The Story of Redemption, 25. This suggests that Satan is the
most intelligent being regarding music in our world. He knows how to make
the best use of it to achieve his ends. He does things with music that
seem strange and even impossible.
The
search for the use of music in devil possession resulted in finding two
main avenues. One is the use of beats in music to call the spirits or
gods. The other is the altered state of consciousness.
Music
Beats
Much
has been said and written by many people about the harmfulness of the
beats in rock music. One of the most important reasons it is harmful is
because it calls the demons. This use of music goes way back in African
history. It is also found in Indian history. The author has, in her
possession, tapes of songs to the oldest known, original gods of India.
These come from Tamil in the southern part of India and go back to the
early time of Indian history. From these countries, and particularly
from Africa, the music and religion spread in the world because of the
dispersion of people in slavery. Even though slaves, people preserved
their loyalty to their religion through whatever means they could. There
are three main religions which are still extant which grew out of this
dispersion. In Haiti, it is called Voodoo. In Cuba, it is called Santeria,
and in Brazil, it is called Condomble. In each of these religions, as in
African and Indian religions specific rhythms are used to call specific
gods. This is the purpose of the rituals performed. Drums are played,
there is dancing. A certain rhythm is played, depending on which god is
desired, and that god comes and possesses individuals. The same exact
rhythms are used in each of the three religions named above, in African
and Indian music, in rock music and in music used in meetings of faith
healers. It seems as though the god is willing to come whenever called by
anyone. Does the god come to celebration churches when the god's rhythm is
played in Christian rock music, even though the people present do not
realize that they are calling a god? There is quite a strong consensus
that the god does come.
The
story is told of a family where the husband liked very much to listen to
Christian music radio stations (country gospel and contemporary
Christian). His wife, however, did not appreciate this music, so she
banned her husband with the music to a bedroom with a closed door. As time
went on, strange things occurred in their house. There were odd noises,
and things moved unexpectedly. When she learned that the beat in rock
music calls the demons, she said, "That is the answer. My husband's
music is calling the spirits into our house."
So
they determined to stop the music, and immediately the strange occurrences
also stopped. They did not know that they were calling gods into their
house.
Ritual
Songs
Music
is a necessary part of the rituals, a primary purpose of which is to
accomplish a state of possession by one or more of the gods.
The
role of the drums is to call the gods and thus bring on spirit possession,
which is the ultimate purpose of most rituals. Drums are usually played in
a battery of three. The largest drum is played by the master drummer and
is the most important, because it is specific in spirit possession.
Specific rhythms correspond to specific gods.
It
is the rhythm identified with each god that is a primary instrument in
summoning him and no worship of the gods is possible without the rhythms
that call and speak for the god. (See Harold Courlander, A Treasury of
Afro-American Folklore, Crown Publishers, Inc., NY, 1976.)
The
drums have the primary religious function of calling the gods, and thus of
bringing on spirit possession. (See G. Behague, "Patterns of
Candomble Music Performance: an Afro- Brazilian Religious Setting,"
Performance Practice Ethno-musicological Perspectives, Greenwood Press,
CT, 1984, 231.)
In
all of these religions we find a spirit possession, which is echoed,
primarily through the beat of the music, in rock music, in faith healing,
and in churches of all persuasions through Christian rock music,
contemporary Christian music, and country gospel. The devil has done a
good job of infiltrating our culture, including our Christian culture,
with spirit possession, which may be very real, even though people do not
realize that it is happening to them.
Altered
State of Consciousness
The
other main stream technique, in which the devil uses music to bring about
spirit possession, is that of the altered state of consciousness.
"Thoughts naturally flit across the mind, and considering an idea
generally brings up related thoughts.
Occultists
teach that, by visualization and concentration, this natural flow of
thoughts can be interrupted. As this occurs, subjects slip into an altered
state of consciousness which we have identified as the corridor of the
mind." Wade, op. cit., 74,75. This is called by various names such as
illumination, enlightenment, trance, tuning in, and hypnotism. Wade
further states: "Any type of concentration on sensual stimulation may
alter consciousness. Music with a strong rhythm, or concentration on the
relaxation of different parts of the body, can induce it. The apparently
innocent concentration on a mental image of Jesus standing in your
favorite spot can bring the same effect." Ibid.
Before
proceeding, it is important to understand the ways in which music
facilitates an altered state of consciousness. One important element of
the process is called entrainment. In 1665, the Dutch scientist Huygens
noticed that if two clocks were placed next to each other, they would soon
begin ticking synchronously and so was discovered the Law of Entrainment.
Rhythms in close proximity will entrain. Because of entrainment, music is
often used beneficially to control heart rate and other rhythms in the
body. Since this is true, it is also possible to use the rhythm of sound
to control the rhythm of brainwaves. Neuro-chemical cortical brain
activity may be measured. A set of descriptors has been developed and
identified as Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta.
Beta
is predominantly present when the individual is attending to a task,
particularly such a task as mathematics. This is also the state of the
brain during critical thinking. When Alpha is predominant, the individual
is in a relaxed state. There are some claims that hypnotism takes place
in higher levels of Alpha. One description is alert relaxation. The Theta
condition is extremely relaxed. Meditation conditions could take place
here. Lower levels might include approaching sleep. Delta is the sleep
condition. It is an extremely low level of brain activity.
Neurons
are constantly firing at various rates all over the brain, but one of
these levels may be predominant at any given time under given
circumstances. Brain waves are vibrations measured in Hertz (Hz), or
cycles per second.
Vibrations
Music
is also vibration, which is measured in cycles per second or Hertz, which
determines frequency or pitch.
Another
element, which the devil employs in his arsenal, is that of difference
tones. This is a phenomena commonly explained in psychology of music
texts whereby a phantom tone is heard. Under certain conditions, when
two tones are sounded simultaneously, a tone equal to the difference in Hz
(cycles per seconds) between the two tones may be heard even though it is
not being played. If tones of 100 Hz and 106 Hz were sounded, a phantom
tone of 6 Hz might be heard. Or if a C and a G above it were played
simultaneously, the C an octave lower might be heard.
To
combine these three (entrainment, difference tones and brainwaves),
consider the following: notes producing difference tones of very low or
small frequency could be played and embedded just below the audible sound
of the music. When the listener hears the music the embedded difference
tones (although inaudible to him) will entrain with the listener's
brainwaves, thus controlling them or causing them to match the difference
tones. Without realizing what is happening to him, the listener's brain
waves may be led to an Alpha, Theta, or Delta state according to the whim
of the controller. Some believe that the devil has been using techniques
such as these since the beginning of the world and is still using them.
It
has been suggested that control by the use of musical effects was used by
the Sumerians: "The Sumerians ruled that land [Babylon] from about
3500 BC to 2000 BC when hegemony [leadership] then passed to the Semitic
Babylonians who took over their culture. . . . That culture included
cuneiform writing, a sexagesimal system of mathematics (based on 60
instead of 10), a pantheon of deities, a considerable literature, and a
fund of musical instruments important enough to be classed among the
divine principles. . . . And it is the Babylonian development of the
greatest system of musical ritual in any ancient religion which makes it
imperative that we not neglect possible associations between her
mathematics, her music, and her religion." Ernest McClain, The Myth
of lnvariance, the Origin if the Gods, Mathematics and Music From the Rg
Veda to Plata, Nicholas-Hays, Inc., York Beach, MA, 1984, 130, 131.
Music
and Babylon
In
ancient Babylon, there is the example of instruments used to signal the
people to worship the golden image. "That at what time ye hear the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all
kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up." Daniel 3:5. It seems reasonable
to think that the instruments served more of a purpose than just a signal.
Mrs. White says, "The appointed day came, and at the sound of
entrancing music the vast company 'fell down and worshiped the golden
image.'" Christ Triumphant, 177- Speaking further of this, she
says, "Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it
tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward
show." "Ellen G. White Comments," Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary, vol. 7,976.
"The
ancients knew how to use music to elicit a mystical experience. . ..
Everything remains on the level of the emotions and the nervous system.
Even today, thanks to the media, we can witness the effect of music on the
masses. Singers and musicians exercise tremendous power over crowds of
adoring fans. We no longer need lyrics or a coherent message to convince
others. The phenomenon has even invaded religious communities. In
reaction to the cerebral frigidity of traditional services, certain
denominations have fallen into the other extreme. They spoon-feed and wash
down the message by the continuous purring of background music. Believers,
transported by the spirit, shout and cry out in delirious enthusiasm.
Such
an approach considers reflection unnecessary and outdated. It only
smiles at absolute judgments. This episode in the book of Daniel warns us
against a strictly emotional religion. Emotions can be a part of the
religious experience only when united with reflection and thought.
Adoration must involve the whole being, and to neglect one aspect could
lead to bowing before an idol. Likewise, in the plain of Dura, the
preachers of Babel do not waste time in dry demonstrations or arguments.
Music suffices to trigger adoration, and its adherents live strictly in
the present. Several times the passage explicitly stresses the dimension
of the present." Jaccques B. Doukhan, Secrets of Daniel, Review and
Herald Publishing, Hagerstown, MD, 2000, 48, 49.
Goddess
Worship
A
large part of goddess worship was the use of the hand drum to call the
spirits. Tibetan bells, or Tin-Ssha's, have been used in Buddhist
meditation practice for many centuries. The two bells, which are rung
together, are slightly out of tune with each other. The difference tones
between them lie somewhere between four and eight cycles per second.
This is exactly in the range of the brain waves created during meditation
and helps shift the brain to these frequencies. Tibetan bells are
experiencing popularity in western culture at the present time. (See Don
Campbell, Music Physician for Times to Come, Quest Books, Wheaton, IL,
1991, 228, 229.)
All
this leads to the present. Twentieth-century people discovered an ancient
usage of difference tones and entrainment and successfully used them to
produce an altered state of consciousness.
A
man named Monroe first discovered the use of specific frequencies to
entrain the brain. He discovered that certain frequencies, which were in
the same spectrum as brain waves, could produce entrainment of brain
waves. These are too low for the human ear to hear, but by using higher
sounds he could produce difference tones. "If the frequencies of two
sound sources are applied separately, one to each ear, an Abinaural beat
frequency is created. As explained above this is not an actual sound, but
only a frequency difference between two actual sounds. The sound is heard
within the brain itself, the binaural beat frequency is created by both
brain hemispheres working simultaneously. The entrainment or frequency
following response did not take place only in the area of the brain
responsible for hearing, or only in the left or right hemispheres: the
entire brain resonated, the waveforms of both hemispheres becoming
identical in frequency, . . ." thus achieving an altered state of consciousness.
Campbell, op. cit.
Subliminal
Programming
There
is a phenomenon in meditation techniques. The music on meditation tapes
use two technologies: sound phasing and subliminal programming.
The
subliminals use such messages as: I am one. I am love. I am peace. I am
the source of my experience. I am existence. . . consciousness. . .
ecstasy. . . peace. These are mantras that have come down through the
centuries, which make up a very holistic program of non -dual, I
-Consciousness.
Sound
phasing is defined as "a vibrate sound, a tone that contains two
tones, the top and bottom of the vibration. Phasing is the interval
between the tones. The sound we call the interval is heard only in the
brain. Your brain creates that sound from the two tones." Patrick
Harbula, Sounds of Transformation: A talk with Brother Charles,
Meditation, 2(4),1987,20-29. This, of course, is difference tones.
Guarding
the Mind
Tone
wave generators have been built which can insert any difference tones in
desired musical carriers. They are called binaural tone generators. They
are available for anybody to purchase and are very easy to use. This means
that this technique which can open the mind to demon possession is readily
available to any that choose to use it. It is to be found in videotapes,
cassette tapes, etc., which are being used.
The
only protection available to counteract these wiles of Satan is found in
Isaiah 26:20, which speaks about the present days: "Come, my people,
enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide
thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast."
"The
darkest hour of the church's struggle with the powers of evil is that
which immediately precedes the day of her final deliverance. But none who
trust in God need fear. . . ." Prophets and Kings, 725.
Worship, music and
counterfeits. A definition of terms may prove useful to assure that all
readers understand these words in the same way.
For purposes of this
article, music is a gift of God. It is a wonderful gift, because He has
given us a part of Himself. Everybody knows that God is love. And God
gives us that love. What about music? In Exodus 15:2 and Isaiah 12:2 it
says, "The Lord is my strength and song." God Himself is my
song, and He gives me music.
Everybody has their
own ideas concerning worship, but a definition can be helpful. R. C.
Leonard provides one: "Worship is the central focus of a vital
Christian faith, and the most distinctive activity of the church of Jesus
Christ. The biblical words translated ‘worship’ (Hebrew shachah,
Greek proskuneo) mean, literally, to bow down or bend the knee.
Such was the ancient gesture of honor to a sovereign and superior
authority. To worship is to offer the oath of covenant loyalty to the
Great King, and to affirm our faithfulness as His servants. For this
reason, the worship of God, through Jesus Christ, lies at the heart of all
Christian expression." R. C. Leonard, Worship in the Church,
January 1997, http://members.aol.com./laudemont/witec.hum. (April 15,
2001).
Now, consider
counterfeits. One popular definition is that a counterfeit is a cheap
imitation of the real thing. It is cheap, and it is an imitation. Whenever
there is something important that comes from God, Satan has to counterfeit
it. So if you notice a counterfeit, it is a good idea to look at the real
thing, because it must be very important for Satan to bother
counterfeiting it. Do counterfeits look nice? Do they sound nice?
Certainly! They are glittery and beautiful and meant to attract.
Counterfeits are not good things to have, because they are not worth much
and can even be dangerous. You do not want to be found using counterfeit
money, do you?
True
Worship
All through history,
worship has been conducted in different ways, true worship and
counterfeit, pagan worship. Even true worship has varied at different
times and in different cultural settings. This article does not have time
or space to examine historical worships. Presently, we are concerned with
worship in the last days, in our own time. God gives us information
concerning the worship He requires in the final days. We find it in
Revelation 14, in the Three Angels’ Messages. In fact, that is one of
the basic things they are all about. God does not leave any significant
chance of our misunderstanding what He wants.
Look at the Three
Angels’ Messages in Revelation 14:6–12, and read them through. In the
first message, verse 7, the angel says, "Fear God, and give glory to
Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." There
is that word—worship. We are commanded to worship, and who is to be the
object of our worship? The Creator God. That is very plain. We are
commanded to worship the One and only true God, the One Who, down through
history, has repeated His covenant with us to be our God and to claim us
as His people. This is the first big message for us.
The second and third
messages tell us that there is someone we are commanded not to
worship—the beast. The scope of this article does not include
identifying the beast, but the angels’ messages tell us the consequences
of worshiping the beast—nothing but bad things, horrifying things. The
end of that message gives the identifying marks of those who worship the
true God—they keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.
It is reasonable to
say that all of these identifying marks and commands lead to the
conclusion that the worship of God is the true worship and the only
true worship. Also, the worship of the beast is the false, or counterfeit,
worship. Everything that goes with the worship of the beast is false or
counterfeit worship. Some of the things this involves include the false
sabbath and the false music. Although many other things could be included,
the emphasis of this article is music, true God-based music and false,
counterfeit music.
Where
Does Music Come In?
Some may ask, Can you
prove that music is a part of worship? There have been many people,
throughout history, who have said that instrumental music should not be
used. John Calvin, for example, claimed that the instrumental music used
in the Old Testament times was meant for people who were tender and like
children. "But in New Testament times Christ has come and the church
has reached full age, it would only bury the light of the gospel should we
introduce the shadows of a departed dispensation." John L. Girardeau,
Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church, New
Covenant Publication Society, Havertown, PA., 1983, 63, 64.
What about music in
worship in the last days, in the setting of the Three Angels’ Messages?
Consider the following statements:
"As a part of
religious service, singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer.
Indeed, many a song is prayer." Education, 168. Many other
quotations could be cited which include instrumental music.
"Singing is just
as much the worship of God in a religious meeting as speaking. . . ."
Selected Messages, Book 3, 333.
According to Mrs.
White, music in worship includes speaking, prayer, and singing. Each of
these aspects of music may be true worship or counterfeit worship. So
music is an important part of worship, making it an important part of the
Third Angel’s Message and what God wants from us in these last days. It
does matter what our music is like. It shows our allegiance to God and our
acceptance of His covenant, or it shows our allegiance to the beast. God
does not accept any counterfeit in His worship.
The
Roles of Music in Worship
Let us examine exactly
what music accomplishes in the worship service. Actually it plays many
roles:
1. Music sets the
mood. The thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the people are controlled by
the music. Alertness or sleepiness may be caused by the music. Music
creates a proper frame of mind for the rest of the service. If a minister
wants to introduce strange ideas of theology, he can use what we call
celebration music to put the people into a hypnotic state, and they accept
and retain in their minds whatever he wishes—without even knowing it is
happening.
2. Music creates unity
and harmony. People feel and think together because of the music. It is a
kind of group entrainment. (That word is not entertainment.) What is
entrainment? Scientists have discovered that when two rhythms are placed
adjacent to each other they lock into each other and become the same
rhythm. They first discovered this with pendulum clocks—back in the
1600s. If the clocks were close together, the pendulums would start
swinging the same. Since then we have learned that we can control all
kinds of body rhythms with music. Just play the music with the speed or
vibration you want, and you can slow down or accelerate the heart rate, or
any of the other rhythms in the body, including brain waves.
If you play fast,
jazzy rhythms at the beginning of church, your whole body gears up to the
same thing. Scientists have found ways to eject rhythms of whatever tempo
they want, add certain tones into musical recordings, and nobody knows
they are there, but their brains accept them and respond accordingly,
maybe even slowing them down enough to become like zombies. One danger of
this is that Satan can use his counterfeit in accompaniment tapes that
vocalists buy, and nobody ever knows the difference. Recent research shows
that group entrainment may take place. One study showed that, in a
university class, the brain waves of the students entrained with those of
the professor. This has serious implications for those who are using NLP (Neuro-Linguistic
Programming) to control others. "While preaching, praying, or
conversing, some professed Adventists who had rejected present truth used
mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in this
influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost." Early Writings,
44. Now the scientists are showing us it can really happen. Do not think
it is foolish imagination. Satan is using his false, counterfeit worship
and the music in it to control people’s minds. This fact makes it
extremely important that we do not use Satan’s music in worship, and
certainly not anywhere else either.
3. Music creates a
kind of people. You are what you eat; you are what you see; you are what
you hear. You are the kind of music to which you listen.
4. Music invokes the
Holy Spirit and invites the presence of angels. "When the singing is
such that angels can unite with the singers, an impression is made on
minds that singing from unsanctified lips cannot make. . . . The songs in
which every word is uttered clearly, in a musical tone, are the songs that
they [angels] join us in singing. They take up the refrain that is sung
from the heart with the spirit and the understanding." Evangelism,
509, 510.
5. Most important of
all, music is an act of worship. This places it as a significant part of
true worship, which then makes it an important part of the Three Angels’
Messages.
Praise
Ye the Lord
What difference does
it make what music we have in our worship services? If music is basically
entertainment, why do we have music in worship at all? Many people have
said that music is just a matter of preference. In other words, just
choose what you like. The problem is there is a big difference. And it all
goes back to God’s music for God’s worship and Satan’s music
(counterfeit) for Satan’s worship.
A search of the Bible
will reveal not only what God wants us to sing about but also how He wants
us to sing. If music is an important part of the worship of God, He must
have given us some instruction about it.
The thing mentioned
more often than anything else is praise. "Praise ye the Lord. . . .
Let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp." Psalm
149:1, 3. "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto
our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." Psalm 147:1.
Offer
Thanksgiving for His Goodness
The thing mentioned
most frequently after praise is thanksgiving. "It is a good thing to
give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most
High." Psalm 92:1. Does God get tired of hearing us thank Him? No, He
does not.
We should use joyful
songs. "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the
honour of His name: make His praise glorious." Psalm 66:1, 2. "O
let the nations be glad and sing for joy." Psalm 67:4.
What
Should Our Music Include?
Majesty—"They
shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. .
. ." Isaiah 24:14.
God’s
Righteousness—"They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great
goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness." Psalm 145:7.
God’s
Power—"Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thine own strength: so will we
sing and praise Thy power." Psalm 21:13.
God’s Mercy and
Judgment—"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto Thee, O Lord,
will I sing." Psalm 101:1.
To God’s
Name—"So will I sing praise unto Thy name for ever, that I may
daily perform my vows." Psalm 61:8.
Other verses give us
the following: To the glory of God, God’s goodness, Ways of the Lord,
Science of Salvation, Psalms, Holy songs, Words of the Law, Prophecy,
Songs of Triumph and Victory, Faith and Holy Cheer, Hope and Trust. And
the final song for the future: the Song of Deliverance.
Music of
the Word
It seems that God has
given us plenty to sing about without resorting to the devil’s
counterfeit songs about our own selves and our own feelings. It would be a
good idea if we would try to practice now for the music of heaven.
I have a dream that
some might like to share with me. Imagine a few Seventh-day Adventist
churches here and there who keep the commandments of God and have the
faith of Jesus and are doing all they can to avoid the devil’s
counterfeit music, becoming serious about their music being God’s music.
Even a church or two could start it. What if these churches started making
the music of their church Seventh-day Adventist music? How, you ask, could
you do that? Well, there is the previous list that God gave us. With that,
suppose we sing songs about the Three Angels’ Messages, about Christ’s
Second Coming, about the Sabbath, about the state of the dead, about the
sanctuary, about the Spirit of Prophecy—the pillars of our faith. That
is just a start. There are plenty of songs in our hymnal that we already
know and more good songs that we could learn. For example, do you know the
song about the judgment, "Christ the Lord, All Power
Possessing," found on page 415 in the new hymnal? The first verse is
about Christ ascending to heaven; the second verse pictures the judgment;
the third verse is about Christ coming back. The tune is an exciting,
vigorous tune, and the song is well worth some effort to learn. After
searching out all of the wonderful songs that truly tell of our own
Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, we need to think about the words as we sing
them and breathe new life into them. Our whole church will become
invigorated!
Words
with Meaning
Where Mrs. White wrote
that song is an act of worship and song is prayer, she continues as
follows: "If the child is taught to realize this, he will think more
of the meaning of the words he sings and will be more susceptible to their
power." Education, 168. The older ones among us are not too
old to learn the same lesson.
Are you and your
church singing God’s music in your worship services, or is the devil’s
counterfeit music sneaking in among you? Is your music preparing you for
heaven?
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