Contemporary Christian Music

I used to listen to ccm. The first message I heard about it put me in tears because I liked my music, and didn't want to give it up.

 

I haven't had your experience, as far as that goes.

I am well grounded in my walk with Christ, and in the word of God. I know what the bible says about music, about abstaining, about glorifying God. And if I thought that i was violating that, I'd drop it like a hot potato.

I've heard a lot about 'Christian standards'. I live by them. Most people look at the way that I have chosen to live my life and wonder why. I chose to live in a way that brings glory to my Father. I don't drive a fancy car, or have a really big house, or dress in the latest fashions. But I am very near to being totally debt-free, I have a clear conscience, and I am able to spend time with my Lord.

Now, your 'standards' are probably different from mine. Doesn't make you right or wrong, so long as neither of us are violating what God set forth in His word. My standards are probably looser in some areas than yours are, but probably tighter in others (the areas that I am tempted in, or struggle with).

I do appologize for the declaration of 'legalism' without sufficient evidence. I do not know your stance well enough to be able to back it up. But, because of past experiance, I tend to be quick in that regard, as I have been on the receiving end of many a 'hellfire and damnation' tirade for my choices (almost all of these were before I became a Christian...which is one reason I wanted nothing to do with it!).

I have yet to have anyone present BIBLICAL evidence against CCM. All I ever get are the same things that were shouted about rock-and-roll back in the 50's, which were nothing more than ignorant people trying to impose their personal opinions on everyone else.

And that don't sit well with me.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

BIBLICAL evidence. But just a min. b/c I need to get my mom something to drink.

 

I don't really know (other than my own personal convictions) what the Bible says about CCM. What I do know is that the Bible says to be separate from the world, because what is of the world is not of God. Therefore, I don't listen to Christian rock/rap/etc. Another one of the main reasons is that when I did listen to that, my little brother (7 years old) asked me why I wasn't listening to "bad music." That was such a reality check to me-that my Christian music sounded like "bad music" to my little brother. I wanted to be an example, and I realized that without actually getting the lyrics to the songs, they sound just like everything the world listens to. I want my little brother to grow up knowing that his big sister loves God and God's music. But at the same time, I don't only listen to hymns. I like Point of Grace, 4-Him, etc. I just have to be careful of what the music I listen to sounds like to my kid brother-and to my Lord!

 

Becca,

I, too, am careful what I listen to. Very careful, in fact.

Our daughter listens to CCM, but she also listens to some of the secular stuff her friends listen to (she is a junior, and most of her friends at school are not Christians). So we (my wife and I) try to be very involved in what she listens to. Several CD's that her friends lent her have been checked at the door, and a couple of her own have gone AWOL.

Does that make us 'bad' parents, because our daughter does not listen to Christian music exclsively? Or, that the vast majority of what Christian music she does listen to is CCM? Not hardly. But we are concerned parents, that are looking out for her best interests.

I do not listen to the likes of Skillet, Petra, and Stryper (those are the only names of those type groups I know), because that type of music is too close to the stuff I used to listen to. Mainstream CCM, on th eother hand, does not.

I understnd the stance of paulsfocus and Alice. But it is not my stance.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

I like my CCM also and i hear the "what if someone pulls up next to you and hears the loud beat they would think that you are listening to bad music." but this is so... silly. That is the same thing as saying dont use words with harsh syllables because people might think you are cursing!
i believe all music should be listened to with spiritual discernment. you cant say this one genre is wrong and that is that. or this genre is right and that is that.
I have some songs in my hymn book that i am sure aren't honoring God. Just take a listen to the song "Gloryland Way" and tell me God is pleased!

 

Amazinglove92 (like the song, "Amazing Love"? I love that one),

Exactly. But if someone pulls up beside my car and can hear the radio, then my car has been stolen! I don't do the blaring thing.

And you are very much correct about some hymns that we stand and sing every time we gather for church. This has been a topic of discussion at our home, though. My wife thinks I'm taking it too serious, but most people learn their thaology through the hymns that they sing, and not the man who stands to deliver the message (and many of them learned theirs the same way).

The same goes for the music that we listen to. My generation grew up listening to Van Halen, Madonna, Prince, Air Supply, Loverboy, Robert Palmer, Frnkie Goes To Hollywood, The Eurhythmics, the Bangals, Cyndi Lauper, all kinds of great tunes that carried bad messages. And now we can see the harvest that was planted by the messages that we listened to. (Yes, I am not a teen. You are just two months older than my daughter)

Spiritual discernment. Very aptly put.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

I do agree that spiritual discernment should be the deciding factor in what we listen to. I just discern my music a little different than others do. That's not to say I don't like a catchy beat- even some hymns have those. I just take extra precaution not to listen to the kind of Christian music that imitates secular music. That is the main problem- that some CCM imitates the world's music. How is that being separate from the world? Remember "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world?" How is imitating the world (trying to be just like it) honoring God???

 

Not trying to argue Trotter but just thought I would post a song of Skillet's.

Imperfection~Skillet

V1. Your worth so much it'll never be enough to see what you have to give how beautiful you are yet seem so far from everything you're wanting to be tears falling down again

Chorus- you fall to your knees you beg you plead can I be somebody else for all the times I hate myself your failures devour your hear in every hour your drowning in your imperfection.

V2. YOU MEAN SO MUCH THAT HEAVEN WOULD TOUCH THE FACE OF HUMANKIND FOR YOU.

There is more to verse 2 but just posted that. I really relate to Skillet's songs I just wanted to make sure you knew some of their lyrics and weren't judging them solely of genre of music.
Of course everybody doesn't like that style I understand.

1cross+3nails=4given

 

For the most part, it isn't the lyrics that we're discussing (arguing is more like it ! It's the fact that it sounds just like the popular music of the world-it's beats, its styles, etc. When you can't tell it from worldly music unless you have the lyrics sitting in front of you, then you are not being much of a testimony for Christ. Not to mention God says that light has no business being with darkness (Words praising God have no business being with music that the world had/has first). Just look at Exodus 22 (I think) with the golden calf. The people of Israel were praising God!!! But they were using the world's means to do it and it was Wicked! Same with the people in Daniel. They were using all kinds of music (that God allows/mentions in His Word), yet were praising Nebuchadnezzar. You can't mix the two- God just doesn't allow it!

 

I understand your point, Becca, but just think on this:

Many hymns were written to the tunes of barroom tunes and drinking songs of their day. I have read that every song that Fanny Crosby wrote was written to the tune of "Yellow Rose of Texas".

Does that mean that we should thrash them, and never sing them again? Absolutely not!!! But it is something to think about.

We are called to be seperate. That I know, and that I preach (yes, I am a preacher). But, if you exclude everything that has a resemblence to something in the world, you have nothing.

There was a song on one of the WOW compilations (don't remember the year, though) that was titled, "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?" And that is exactly what the song was about. I loved it. On another (or was it the same one), there was a song titled, "The Devil Is Bad", which used old band 'swing' music.

The point is this: one can carry seperation to its extreme and have nothing. I don't. But I do practice seperation, in that I do not practice listening to secular music (that is not all, but that is included in the discussion). Not that I never do listen to secular music, but it is not my first (or second) choice.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

I understand your point as well, I just feeled called to be a bit more separated than you obviously do. We are in agreement that secular music is wrong (right???). I have heard the song "The Devil is Bad," and I thought it was a catchy, fun song. But like you said it is big band music in beat and style. I just don't like the pop/rock/rap styles that many contemporary christian musicians use. They sound just too much like everything that is popular in every nonChristian teenager's house. I think that the CCM that sounds JUST like the rest of the world's music is not separated from the world enough. (Notice, I didn't say all CCM, cuz I know that a lot of it is good, godly, and not just like secular rock & rap). I know that we cannot take away everything that is 'world-like' because we live in the world!!! I just think that we were called to be different (Titus 2:14 uses the term 'peculiar'). How different are we being if the average teenager can't tell the difference between their music and ours???

In Christ,
Becca

 

First off, there is a difference between pop and rock, and then there is a world of difference between both of them and rap. It pays to know the distinction, as rap is out-and-out vulgar in the secular world, and offensive to me period. But that is my preference.

Yes, I choose to be less seperated from you, in that I rejoice in my CCM, and praise God through it. It is my chioce.

Do I worry what someone thinks if they stick their head in my car and hear CCM that sounds like the world's music? No. Actually, I have been able to get some people who listen to secular music only to start listening to some CCM. Is this an improvement? You betcha!

The station that I listen to have many testimonials on file from people who just happened to find the station while scanning the spectrum. They liked what they heard, and through the medium of contemporary Christian music and the lyrics, became convicted and accepted Jesus Christ through faith in His life, His death, and His resurrection.

Not one or two, but files of them.

You don't like CCM. That is cool. I like CCM. Doesn't matter if it is cool or not, as it is between me and the Lord. But I'm pretty sure that He knows and understnds.

How do you prasie the Lord? Does everyone praise Him in the exact same way that you do? I have had to pull my car over because I couldn't see the road for the tears of joy that a CCM song brought about, praising my Lord. Was I still praising the Lord?

We can differ, and as long as we don't condemn one another, we're cool. Kapish?

In Christ,
Trotter

 

Here are the lyrics to why should the devil have all the good music.

I don't know about you, but this guy sounds realy rebelious to me. Also he's admiting that he's not listening for the glory of God, but because he likes the beat and the stuff that moves his feet.

Luke 6:45 - KJV
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

 

Trotter~
Okay, okay. You praise God your way, and I'll praise God my way. (By the way, I do know that there are distinctions between pop, rock, and rap. I just choose not to listen to any of the three, which is why I classified them together.) It seems like your point is that we can praise God in different ways, and CCM is one of your ways. I just think that CCM can be too much like the world's music. I would rather not listen to it at all than listen to it and like it, then find out someday that God does not appreciate how unseparated it is. I would rather get 'as far from the line as possible' than ask myself 'how close to the line can I get without it being sinful?' That's my point.

Becca

*Yeah, we're cool

 

I thought us old folks couldn't post in the Youth Forum, but since I see Trotter here, da granny just wanted to drop by to tell you young'uns that I thank God y'all are standing firm on your convictions. You are definitely on the right track and I will pray that you will never be led astray.

It's wonderful to see young people do the things y'all speak of. I know a group from Indiana that plays the fiddle/violin, mandolin, guitar, and sing like angels. They street preach too! It's awesome to see/hear them and they really do bless my old soul.

Be faithful, so much the more, as you see the day approaching!

 

Becca,

Glad we be cool. we be sorta chillin', K?

That was my whole point. We can each praise God in our own way, through the means that brings our hearts closer to the Lord.

I'm sorry if I came across as rude or on the attack, but I do not, and will not, let anyone judge me on the basis of their personal preferences of dress, music, company, whatever. I have had my fill off the "holy roller" syndrome, and that is that.

I understand your stance of staying as far back from the line as possible. In ways, I do the same. But your line is not my line, and for you to compromise your line to suit me would be sin to you, just as if I compromised my line to suit someone else's to suit them.

I am glad to see that we can agree, even if it is to agree to disagree.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

paulsfocus,

Where do you get that he's not listenign for the glory of God. You have to read something into it to get that. He says,

I ain't knockin' the hyms,just give me a song that has a beat,
I ain't knockin' the hyms,just give me a song that moves my feet,
I don't like any of them funeral marches, I ain't dead yet.

Sounds like some things I have said.

paulsfocus, just as Becca and I have come to an agreement (sort of...I realize that she does not agree with me, but is willing to let me answer for my own), I would like to come to something similar with you.

Oh, I won't lose sleep if we don't, but I do want you to realize that you cannot judge me by your personal preferences. That's all. If you don't want anything to do with CCM, that is between you and God. But it is between myself and God if I do, and has nothing to do with you. You will find that when yu try to paint with abroad brush, you end up going outside of the lines.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

Granny,

I hang out in here sometimes because I just might grow up to be a youth pastor one day, or a pastor who needs to be able to relate with the youth.

That, and the fact that I am still 15 way down deep inside.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

Trotter,
I didn't even read the lyrics to that song you posted, and I don't know the beat or anything about it- but I can already tell I don't like it! I just think that the song is causing strife (that doesn't need to be there) among Christian people. Rather than just express the need to be different, that song starts knockin' hymns. "I don't like any of them funeral marches, I ain't dead yet..." Well, excuse me! I'm not dead either, but I don't consider hymns funeral marches!! THEY glorify GOD, so the author of the song shouldn't immediately judge them on their beat. It's like reverse discrimination with that one cuz they're judging us for being too 'boring, dull, funeral march???' How is that being a good testimony (or even being a good Christian song)??? Keep in mind, I'm just talking about this one song.

In Christ,
Becca

~We're still cool, right