Welcome to battles of faith.
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I'm Atonte Myers
and I'm Ivor Myers.
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Today's program we are
going to be discussing music.
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But not just any kind of
music, were going to be talking
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about Christian rock, Christian
rap, Christian hip hop,
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and Christian music overall.
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We know that this is a very
touchy situation and so we are
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going to have open minds and
we pray that you will have open
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minds and we want you to know
from the very beginning that
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we love you, God loves you
and we know you will love us.
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We are just going to go
through the Word of God.
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That's right Atonte, this
is definitely a subject that is
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on the minds of a lot of people.
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There are people that are
wondering whether it is wrong
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to take the styles of Rock
and Rap and Reggae and other
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types of music like that and
to put Christian words to it.
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There really is a lot of
debate, not just in this church,
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but I believe in churches
all across the board with this
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issue, so it is definitely
a subject that we felt indeed
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needed to be
included this 13 part series.
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And you have personal
experience with this because as
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some of our viewing
audience may know that you were
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a Rap Artist and you were
signed with a EMI records and
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had an $800,000 contract.
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Then you found the
Lord. Ivor: Correct!
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Then after you found the
Lord you were still doing your
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music so you decided to talk
about God within your rap music.
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That's right and we became
Christians and were so excited
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about it that we decided
to take the gospel message and
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to put it into our music.
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I can tell you upfront that
we were very, very, absolutely
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sincere, we were on fire.
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As we deal with this
subject we are definitely not
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attacking or bringing into
question anyone's sincerity
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because again, firsthand
experience when in those clubs
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talking about Jesus.
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I was doing it sincerely,
but the Lord began to do some
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things in my life that
brought me to a crossroads where
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I had to decide whether I
was going to do what I believe
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the word of God was
calling me to do or to continue.
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From that point on actually
pretend to be serving Christ
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when I knew that God
had showed me otherwise.
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So what would happen when
you were rapping these songs
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about God that had the
hip-hop beat behind it when you
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would go out on stage.
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What would happen? What
was the people's reaction?
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We were being touted as one
of the first hip-hop groups to
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actually be mixing successfully
Christianity with hip-hop.
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So one of the things about
music Atonte, especially with
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rap music and rock music
and reggae music is that you
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have things that
come and go as fads.
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I can just think of so many
different fads that came with
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our hip-hop,
also with rock music.
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Once it became old, you talk
about those things, it became
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old all across the board,
no one talked about it anymore.
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I think if for no other reason,
this is one of the reasons
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why God does not want to
mix His pure message with these
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styles of music
because they bring in a fad.
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Before you know it everybody
is on this fad, but then 4-5-6
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years passes and
now, oh, that is old.
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We don't talk
about that anymore.
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This is one of the things
that I believe the Lord brought
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conviction to me about was
taking something that was going
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to end up becoming a fad,
and I believe that is one of the
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reasons Atonte why He actually
drew us out of this industry
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because when we talk about
the Word of God and the urgency
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of the gospel message I don't
think we can take a vehicle
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that makes things cliquish
and put the gospel into that
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kind of vehicle because
what ends up happening is the
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gospel becomes cliquish and
after while, oh, that is old.
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We're off to something new now.
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Now I wasn't married to
you when you did the rap music,
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but I have seen some of
your album covers and one of
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the songs that was on there
was, The Mark of the Beast.
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So you were up there rapping
about the Mark of the beast
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and people were dancing,
were they putting down their
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marijuana cigarettes
or their beer bottles?
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That is a very serious message.
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Right, I always remember
being in the club's and the four
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of us would be performing
and talking about Jesus.
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We would be warning the people,
come out of the clubs and
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all these different things
and yet we didn't see people
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putting down those
things we knew weren't good.
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We didn't see them putting
down alcohol or changing their
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vocabulary or
different things like that.
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It was just, yeah this
music is really cool man.
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This music is just, you guys
are famous, or whatever it was
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but we didn't see
any actual changes.
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That is not to say
there were no changes.
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I believe that God used us,
and I will say He used us in
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our ignorance, I believe while
we were ignorant in what we
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were doing, God used us
because we were sincere.
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But when the time came for
more light to be brought to us,
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we had to either follow
that light or turn away from it.
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So you felt you could no
longer try to help people get
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out of Babylon and
still be in Babylon yourself?
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That was a very distinct
message the Lord gave me after
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I was very concerned
because I didn't see any changes
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happening and I was wondering
Lord how come these people
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aren't having this
dramatic change in their lives.
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What is going on?
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The Lord said to me, my
son you cannot call people out
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of Babylon if you are
still a Babylon yourself.
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Atonte I know so many young
people who are attempting to
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use the methods of
Babylon, the things of Babylon
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to reach the world.
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It is a principle that God
makes clear in His word that
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He does not use the
things of Satan to His glory.
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God calls us out, He
said you are in Babylon.
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Again I said there are many
people who are still dressing
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and acting and talking according
to this world, but trying
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to use the gospel message
in that setting to bring other
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people into the church.
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It is very interesting because
the Bible tells us that we
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should have a humble
meek spirit about us.
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You have told me, and I
have seen for myself, that it's
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impossible to rap or sing
hip-hop music or R & B music
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or rock music and have a
humble spirit about yourself.
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People aren't coming to
see a humble meek spirit just
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calmly walk across the
stage and say nice words.
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You have to have that
prideful spirit about yourself.
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That is why it is
difficult to mix the two.
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That is right and a lot
of these so-called Christian
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hip-hop lyrics you will
have artists saying things like,
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I smash the devil and I do
this and I do that to the devil.
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Again, myself being one of
those artists, those words were
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words that were full of
pride and self exaltation.
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I had the power to do this,
and I had the power to do that.
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It is impossible to have a
spirit of humility while you
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are on the stage and
moving a certain way.
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You have to be bouncing
a certain way and the whole
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thing just reeks of pride.
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The audience doesn't want
you up there in front of them...
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they want to see that you
think that you have got it.
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They want to see you
strut across the stage.
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They want to see
you act like you are it.
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Atonte: All of that
the young people would say.
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The spirit of humility is
totally absent, and totally
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contradictory to the
rock and rap industry.
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We see the example of Jesus
went He came to this earth.
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He was so humble and so
meek and just had a Spirit about
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Him that didn't draw attention
to Himself because of a
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prideful spirit, but because
He had the Holy Spirit and
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the love of the Father
that people were drawn to Him.
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You know Atonte, one of
the things that concerns me the
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most, as I came out of the
hip-hop industry and was fully
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drawn out, even in
the Christian so-called.
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When I came out of the group
that we were in, I thought to
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myself I am now fully out
of this and I began to look
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at what was
happening in churches,
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I'm talking about
all denominations.
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I would say to myself this
is amazing, here I am I just
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gave over $800,000 contract
to get out of this entire realm
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and here it is
coming into the church.
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I read somewhere that just
before Jesus comes again, one of
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the issues that the devil will
actually use to deceive a lot
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of people, especially in
churches, would be the issue of
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music, of so-called Christian
rap, or Christian rock.
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Christian versions of
worldly styles of music.
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It is a very
big issue right now.
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Many people are dealing
with it because they say, hey we
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don't listen, we only listen
to the words it's not about
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the music or the beat,
it's only about the words.
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We are going to touch on
the issue, but let me say this.
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I think of Daniel
Chapter three as well.
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Daniel 3 is a story of
three Hebrew boys who were
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brought to a confrontation
that has a prophetic scenario
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behind it, in other words
there was the actual and literal
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story of these three Hebrews,
who were brought before this
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image that King Nebuchadnezzar,
that Babylon had built.
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He commanded all the people
to bow down at the time when
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the music was
played to this image.
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Well this has a greater
fulfillment in the last days
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because we read about
another image that is going to
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be built and I believe
that music is going to play a
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very important part of
bringing all the people
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together to bow down.
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Atonte it's been said that music
is a universal language and we
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have seen that hip hop and
rock music, especially hip-hop,
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it has broken all
cultural barriers.
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That's right, I didn't watch
the program myself but a friend
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e- mailed me about
it, it was on Nightline.
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They were interviewing
some Iranian Muslim young men.
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Iran is the most conservative
Muslim country in the world.
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It is stated to be one
of the most conservative.
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These young people were at a
college there in Iran and they
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were being interviewed
about their lifestyle.
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The reporter asked them,
what is your favorite kind of
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music, what do you
enjoy listening to?
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The response was Snoop
Doggy Dog, which is a rapper who
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is from the Los Angeles
area and who is very big.
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He is so big that he has gone
all the way to Iran, which is
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one of the most
conservative Muslim countries.
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He is one of the most
vulgar rappers if you will.
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Because he raps about
women and sex and uses a lot of
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filthy words, so it's
amazing how this has penetrated
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every single culture.
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We get letters from people
in New Zealand, South Africa,
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Australia, all around the
world who are saying hip-hop is
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here, and I was reading an
article on the way here to film
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these programs,
that France is huge,
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the whole hip-hop
music is very huge.
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It is all around the world,
it doesn't matter if you are
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black, white, Korean,
Chinese, it doesn't matter.
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It's there.
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Right, we have discussed on
the prior program the issues
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a secular rock, secular
rap, and on this program we want
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to get into what we have
been talking about, so-called
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Christian rock
and Christian rap.
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We are going to go back
to a Bible verse that we have
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been using throughout this
program so you can get this
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firmly established in your mind.
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Revelation 18:23 and again
the Bible says in the latter
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part of that verse,
"for by thy sorceries were"
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"all nations deceived. "
00:13:40.55\00:13:43.09
Again Atonte when you
think about all nations being
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deceived by sorcery, we
know that this is not saying
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that all nations are going
to end up watching Harry Potter.
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In most people's mind sorcery
stops at Harry Potter or it
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stop at the Ouija board
or astrology and different
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things like that but the
Bible says here that all nations
00:14:00.05\00:14:01.99
were deceived by sorcery.
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When we understand the
definition, as we stated before,
00:14:03.59\00:14:06.58
this word sorcery,
Greek word Pharmakeia.
00:14:06.62\00:14:09.96
It is anything that medicates
the mind, in particular,
00:14:09.99\00:14:12.97
so that it will not
follow the will or law of God.
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Atonte:
Anything? Ivor: anything!
00:14:15.98\00:14:17.48
So when we think about rock
music and rap music which are
00:14:17.51\00:14:22.70
full of rebellion, we can
rightly and biblically state
00:14:22.74\00:14:27.81
that these styles of music
are a form of sorcery or magic.
00:14:27.85\00:14:32.74
Now Atonte we would call
these black magic, overtly evil.
00:14:32.77\00:14:38.24
No one has a question who
reads the Bible that the words
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of these styles of music and
the different fruits that these
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styles of music
produced are evil.
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.97
The Bible calls these,
in fact and 1 Samuel 15:23,
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the Bible says witchcraft
is as, rather rebellion is the
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sin of witchcraft.
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Or rather
rebellion is witchcraft.
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The fact that these styles
of music encourage rebellion,
00:15:05.49\00:15:10.65
in particular against
God, we can biblically say that
00:15:10.69\00:15:15.81
these are a form of magic.
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Are black magic.
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We would call that black magic.
00:15:20.23\00:15:22.51
So things like the Ouija
board, that would be classified
00:15:22.54\00:15:25.65
under black magic?
Ivor: that's right!
00:15:25.68\00:15:27.39
The books and movies of
Harry Potter, that is openly
00:15:27.42\00:15:30.94
black magic and we can see
that those things are evil.
00:15:30.97\00:15:34.46
Most people consider
Harry Potter black magic.
00:15:34.49\00:15:37.58
They'll consider the
Ouija board, I'm talking about
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Christians now, they will
consider the Ouija board black
00:15:41.29\00:15:44.09
magic but they won't stop
to consider that rock music and
00:15:44.13\00:15:47.18
rap music and these different
styles of music that pull
00:15:47.21\00:15:50.22
people away from God
by medicating the mind so
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they will not follow the
will, or law of God is also a
00:15:53.19\00:15:56.87
form of magic, black magic.
00:15:56.90\00:15:59.50
We're not talking about
black magic today, but there is
00:15:59.53\00:16:02.71
another part to that,
Wicca witches will often say,
00:16:02.75\00:16:05.86
we do not practice black
magic, we practice white magic.
00:16:05.90\00:16:09.52
I've been on the Internet and
seeing Atonte, where there are
00:16:09.56\00:16:13.14
some Christian Wiccans.
00:16:13.18\00:16:15.51
People who profess to be
both Christian and Wiccan
00:16:15.55\00:16:18.98
at the same time.
00:16:19.01\00:16:20.27
Because they use that
power to do good things.
00:16:20.30\00:16:23.64
That's right and the definition
of white magic, we would
00:16:23.67\00:16:28.10
say white magic is that
which is used for good purposes.
00:16:28.14\00:16:32.53
That's what a Wiccan would
say, white magic is used for
00:16:32.56\00:16:36.45
good purposes, but as a
Christian we know that all magic
00:16:36.49\00:16:40.30
comes from one source and that
source is the devil it is Satan.
00:16:40.34\00:16:44.27
He appears, the Bible
says, in 2 Corinthians 11:14, in
00:16:44.31\00:16:48.71
no marvel for Satan himself
appears as an angel of light.
00:16:48.74\00:16:53.11
So here's the principal Atonte.
00:16:53.15\00:16:55.00
Satan realizes that for
every genuine thing he has to
00:16:55.03\00:17:00.03
produce two counterfeits.
00:17:00.07\00:17:01.69
One for the world, black magic.
00:17:01.72\00:17:04.67
Then the church is not going to
fall for that, the church is not
00:17:04.71\00:17:08.08
going to say, hey
let's go out to do a séance.
00:17:08.11\00:17:12.50
They are not going to do
that, so he has to provide
00:17:12.54\00:17:17.10
another face, another
deception and we will call that
00:17:17.13\00:17:21.65
deception, white magic.
00:17:21.69\00:17:23.93
That which appears as light.
00:17:23.96\00:17:26.06
I was reading in one
book Atonte where it likened,
00:17:26.10\00:17:29.57
it described white magic
as happening in many so-called
00:17:29.61\00:17:33.65
Christian circles, using the
name of God, even using Bible
00:17:33.69\00:17:37.98
terms and terminology,
calling itself light because it
00:17:38.01\00:17:42.27
appears as righteous
instead of overtly evil.
00:17:42.31\00:17:46.08
So this concept of white
magic, or the beautiful side of
00:17:46.12\00:17:51.94
evil, is what it is
called in some places, is a very
00:17:51.97\00:17:57.07
pertinent point when we
come to the issue of Christian
00:17:57.10\00:18:02.16
rock and Christian rap.
00:18:02.20\00:18:05.35
You know Atonte, real quick,
we look at the history of how
00:18:05.39\00:18:08.36
Satan has worked.
00:18:08.39\00:18:09.66
You look at paganism, very
powerful tool that Satan was
00:18:09.69\00:18:14.38
using for thousands of years,
but once he saw the church
00:18:14.41\00:18:19.06
beginning to move
forward in Christ.
00:18:19.10\00:18:21.13
He was realizing he was losing
his grip what he said was,
00:18:21.17\00:18:25.82
okay, we will take
this overtly evil and we
00:18:25.86\00:18:31.48
will make it look good.
00:18:31.52\00:18:33.78
It's almost like you
can't beat him, so join him.
00:18:33.82\00:18:36.04
So join him.
00:18:36.07\00:18:37.53
So he brought in his deceptions
a lot of his sorcery as it were,
00:18:37.56\00:18:42.64
into being favorable
with Christians because it now
00:18:42.68\00:18:47.44
appeared with the
name Christian before it.
00:18:47.48\00:18:51.17
So we get to the issue
Atonte, of music again, we see
00:18:51.21\00:18:54.81
for every genuine
there are two counterfeits.
00:18:54.84\00:18:56.95
You have got holy music.
00:18:56.99\00:18:59.94
As we said the Angels in heaven
00:18:59.97\00:19:02.50
are singing holy
music all the time.
00:19:02.53\00:19:04.35
Then we've got the obviously
evil, when Christians look
00:19:04.38\00:19:08.22
at rock and rap they are
obviously seeing this is not
00:19:08.25\00:19:12.05
a good thing, look
at what it's doing.
00:19:12.08\00:19:13.80
But then the devil says if
we can't beat them, join them.
00:19:13.83\00:19:18.93
Join them with the world.
00:19:18.96\00:19:20.50
Here you have the
concept now of Christian rap,
00:19:20.53\00:19:23.00
Christian rock which the
devil is using as a form of
00:19:23.03\00:19:27.69
white magic to deceive many.
00:19:27.73\00:19:29.22
Let's clarify that, we
are not saying that people are
00:19:29.26\00:19:32.36
practicing white magic.
00:19:32.39\00:19:34.63
I did not know that I
was, I wasn't out there saying
00:19:34.66\00:19:37.68
I'm going to take holy and
profane and mix them together.
00:19:37.71\00:19:40.67
But in my ignorance I was doing
what I thought was God's will.
00:19:40.71\00:19:45.22
Until God opened my eyes
and showed me what fellowship
00:19:45.25\00:19:48.45
does light have with darkness,
or Belial, which is another
00:19:48.48\00:19:53.16
name of Satan, with Christ.
00:19:53.20\00:19:54.54
I think a perfect example is
going back to your testimony.
00:19:54.57\00:19:58.46
You at first you were doing
what we quote, unquote say,
00:19:58.49\00:20:02.80
black magic, you were
doing open obviously evil music.
00:20:02.84\00:20:07.12
Talking about
things of the world and
00:20:07.15\00:20:08.70
nothing was about God.
00:20:08.73\00:20:10.02
Then actually you got, became
converted during the second
00:20:10.06\00:20:13.74
album, and the second half
of the album talked about God.
00:20:13.77\00:20:16.46
Because that is what you
wanted to talk about, but you
00:20:16.49\00:20:19.14
kept the same
beat, the same rhythm,
00:20:19.17\00:20:21.20
everything was the same.
00:20:21.23\00:20:22.68
Ivor: and the same spirit.
00:20:22.71\00:20:24.09
The same spirit, did
you lose any followers?
00:20:24.12\00:20:26.78
Did your fans, or the people
that bought your music say,
00:20:26.81\00:20:29.33
no way, you are saying things
about God, or did they keep
00:20:29.37\00:20:31.85
dancing on side B
like they did side A?
00:20:31.89\00:20:35.13
Yep, I think that just
shows again, light and darkness
00:20:35.17\00:20:40.82
cannot dwell together.
00:20:40.85\00:20:42.07
Wherever you see light and
darkness dwelling together in
00:20:42.11\00:20:47.90
so-called harmony,
something is not right there.
00:20:47.94\00:20:50.81
When we're going to those
clubs and be speaking words of
00:20:50.84\00:20:56.39
light, but our music was in
darkness people were grooving
00:20:56.43\00:21:01.90
to our music, they were dancing
to this life and death message.
00:21:01.94\00:21:04.65
We thought, there is something
wrong with this definitely.
00:21:04.69\00:21:08.63
Not to say that all we should
listen to is hymns, that is
00:21:08.67\00:21:12.30
not so because there is a lot
of contemporary music out there
00:21:12.34\00:21:15.94
that I believe is very
reverent and glorifying God.
00:21:15.97\00:21:21.37
There are different cultures
that listen to different
00:21:21.40\00:21:26.72
music, or play different music
according to their culture.
00:21:26.76\00:21:30.15
No one is telling anyone,
this is the exact music that
00:21:30.18\00:21:33.54
you have to play or listen to.
00:21:33.58\00:21:35.89
I call it there is good
music with inside a box but then
00:21:35.92\00:21:39.98
there is also other music
outside of the box that is not
00:21:40.02\00:21:43.53
good and we are just finding
that many times and churches
00:21:43.57\00:21:47.05
were going outside that box.
00:21:47.09\00:21:49.39
We are going outside
of biblical guidelines.
00:21:49.43\00:21:52.95
Atonte, I've heard the
argument a lot of times,
00:21:52.98\00:21:56.62
what if the words are
good and we're using it to
00:21:56.66\00:22:00.26
this style of music?
00:22:00.30\00:22:01.73
There is a powerful example
Atonte in Chapter 16 of this
00:22:01.76\00:22:05.45
very argument, it
says here in Acts 16:16.
00:22:05.49\00:22:09.78
"And it came to pass that
as we went to prayer a certain"
00:22:09.82\00:22:14.00
"damsel possessed with a spirit
of divination met us, which"
00:22:14.03\00:22:18.18
"brought her masters
much gain by soothsaying. "
00:22:18.22\00:22:20.78
So it's obvious here Atonte,
that this woman is possessed
00:22:20.82\00:22:24.06
with a demonic spirit.
00:22:24.09\00:22:26.12
But it goes on
to say in verse 17,
00:22:26.15\00:22:28.11
"the same followed Paul and
us, and cried saying, these"
00:22:28.15\00:22:32.90
"men are the servants of
the most high God, which show"
00:22:32.93\00:22:37.65
"unto us the way of salvation. "
00:22:37.68\00:22:39.89
Now the question is,
is sorcery at work here?
00:22:39.92\00:22:43.12
Obviously so, the text says it.
00:22:43.15\00:22:45.57
It tells us this woman was
possessed with an evil spirit.
00:22:45.61\00:22:49.17
But the question again is,
what kind of sorcery, or what
00:22:49.21\00:22:52.74
kind of magic is she using?
00:22:52.77\00:22:55.03
Overtly evil, or she using
something that appears to be
00:22:55.06\00:22:58.79
good, or is she doing something
that appears to be good
00:22:58.83\00:23:02.52
and holy and righteous?
00:23:02.56\00:23:04.43
It appears to be good because
she is saying that these are
00:23:04.47\00:23:06.63
men of God, which
they were men of God.
00:23:06.67\00:23:08.90
She was not lying, but
the spirit that she had
00:23:08.93\00:23:11.66
in her was a demon.
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.43
Now listen what it says.
00:23:13.46\00:23:14.74
"And this she did many
days. But Paul being grieved,"
00:23:14.78\00:23:18.80
"turned and said to the spirit,
I command thee in the name"
00:23:18.83\00:23:22.55
"of Jesus Christ
to come out of her. "
00:23:22.58\00:23:24.70
"And he came
out the same hour. "
00:23:24.74\00:23:28.36
Atonte I think here is a
clear example in the Bible where
00:23:28.40\00:23:32.52
this woman is possessed by
an evil, wicked spirit, but the
00:23:32.56\00:23:36.97
spirit is hiding under the
guise of light, or whiteness.
00:23:37.01\00:23:41.39
White magic, white sorcery.
00:23:41.42\00:23:43.68
The words that she is using
are good words, but the devil
00:23:43.72\00:23:48.52
knew, and Paul knew as
well, that if you could get this
00:23:48.56\00:23:53.27
woman who was steeped in
the culture of witchcraft and
00:23:53.30\00:23:57.23
sorcery, which she was, if
he can get this woman to go out
00:23:57.27\00:24:01.48
and start to proclaim the
message, what he would be doing
00:24:01.52\00:24:05.70
he would be successfully
mocking the work of God.
00:24:05.73\00:24:10.26
That is what a lot of
Christian rock and Christian rap
00:24:10.30\00:24:14.92
does, it mocks the word of God.
00:24:14.95\00:24:17.26
God says I want you to be
humble, I want you to be meek.
00:24:17.30\00:24:20.63
It is the very opposite,
the words are good, the music
00:24:20.66\00:24:23.92
inspires rebellion as we
looked at in our previous show.
00:24:23.95\00:24:28.05
The culture is a rebellious
culture, so to use something
00:24:28.08\00:24:32.14
that is rebellious and
stick Christ's name to it,
00:24:32.18\00:24:34.54
to say this is good.
00:24:34.58\00:24:36.36
I think if Paul were in our
time he would turn and rebuke
00:24:36.39\00:24:39.02
that spirit as well.
00:24:39.05\00:24:40.45
Why else would Satan do that?
00:24:40.49\00:24:42.99
Demons are able to speak truth,
because he did it with Eve.
00:24:43.03\00:24:47.91
Satan said a little bit of truth
and mixed it with some lies and
00:24:47.94\00:24:51.42
that was the way he was able to
beguile her, or to deceive her.
00:24:51.45\00:24:54.89
That is the only
reason why he would do that.
00:24:54.93\00:24:57.74
The Bible tells us, by their
fruits you shall know them.
00:24:57.77\00:25:01.77
I think anytime we
test something we ought to
00:25:01.81\00:25:04.11
look at the fruit.
00:25:04.14\00:25:05.11
I believe gospel rock, rap and
ragging all reveal the fruit of
00:25:05.12\00:25:08.69
rebellion which is, as
the Bible says, witchcraft,
00:25:08.73\00:25:13.29
a form of sorcery.
00:25:13.33\00:25:14.91
Why do we say that?
00:25:14.95\00:25:16.47
Well first of all I believe
that rap and rock music causes
00:25:16.50\00:25:20.04
division, out in the
world it caused division.
00:25:20.07\00:25:23.09
It is not family oriented.
00:25:23.12\00:25:24.97
You never hear a rap about
how much you love your family,
00:25:25.01\00:25:28.89
or how much you love your
wife, it's about division.
00:25:28.92\00:25:31.48
It divides even
out in the world.
00:25:31.52\00:25:34.05
Isn't there a promise the
Bible that God says in the last
00:25:34.09\00:25:37.85
days He is going to draw
the hearts of the fathers to the
00:25:37.89\00:25:40.87
children, and the hearts of
the children to the fathers.
00:25:40.91\00:25:43.85
And not separate them.
00:25:43.89\00:25:45.29
As we bring gospel
rap into the church,
00:25:45.32\00:25:47.45
what do we see happening?
00:25:47.49\00:25:48.56
We are seeing that we can't
even worship together anymore.
00:25:48.59\00:25:51.27
You have to have a youth
service that has this type of
00:25:51.30\00:25:54.64
music and have another service
for the older generation.
00:25:54.67\00:25:57.97
And it is causing division.
00:25:58.00\00:25:59.39
Another thing Atonte, we talked
about this in a previous show
00:25:59.42\00:26:02.60
Cowley's law, do as thy will
shall be the whole of the law.
00:26:02.64\00:26:06.17
I find that a lot of
people have this attitude that I
00:26:06.20\00:26:09.77
don't care what you
think, I'm going to listen to
00:26:09.80\00:26:13.33
this music anyway.
00:26:13.36\00:26:14.48
I'm going to just rebel
against the standards that
00:26:14.51\00:26:20.02
we believe are
just church standards.
00:26:20.05\00:26:21.95
We are going to
do we want to do.
00:26:21.98\00:26:23.81
So that is another
fruit, the fruit of rebellion.
00:26:23.84\00:26:25.99
The fruit of I'm going
to do what I want to do.
00:26:26.02\00:26:28.09
There's a third fruit Atonte
and that is, as we watch what
00:26:28.13\00:26:32.17
this is doing as it comes
into churches, all across the
00:26:32.21\00:26:36.53
board, the culture of
rock and rap are being dragged
00:26:36.56\00:26:40.85
right in behind the music.
00:26:40.88\00:26:42.70
You can't separate the
music from the culture.
00:26:42.74\00:26:44.46
So as the music comes in
weeks, or months, or years later
00:26:44.49\00:26:47.66
now you find kids coming
to church dress with their hat
00:26:47.70\00:26:50.83
turned backward, pants
sagging, and the culture is
00:26:50.87\00:26:53.80
following right on the heels.
00:26:53.84\00:26:55.43
The last point Atonte is that
when we look at the issue of
00:26:55.46\00:26:59.78
biblical literacy among our
youth, it is interesting that
00:26:59.82\00:27:03.96
the more this music takes
the place of solid Bible study,
00:27:04.00\00:27:07.58
of solid worship, we are finding
that more and more of these
00:27:07.61\00:27:11.16
kids are less and
less biblically literate.
00:27:11.19\00:27:14.10
I believe that is one of the
devil's plans because he wants
00:27:14.14\00:27:17.14
to pull us totally, just wipe
out the young people so that
00:27:17.18\00:27:20.15
they have no Bible knowledge
and everything is about
00:27:20.19\00:27:22.50
feelings and in doing
that, what else does the
00:27:22.53\00:27:28.20
devil have to do?
00:27:28.23\00:27:29.20
He has wiped out a
complete generation.
00:27:29.21\00:27:30.72
Christ has come to say, I want
you to stand and rise to the
00:27:30.76\00:27:35.86
occasion, to be firm in knowing
what is right and what is
00:27:35.89\00:27:40.03
wrong and to depend on the
word of God to draw people.
00:27:40.07\00:27:44.17
Not these other means
which the devil offers us.
00:27:44.21\00:27:47.58
That's right, you know just
to encourage those out there
00:27:47.62\00:27:51.48
that may be frustrated and
be thinking what music can I
00:27:51.51\00:27:55.24
listen to, there is good
holy music that will draw you
00:27:55.28\00:27:58.97
closer to the Lord.
00:27:59.01\00:28:00.96
He desires that for you.
00:28:00.99\00:28:03.17
So it is our prayer that
you will seek by your searching.
00:28:03.21\00:28:06.62
We are out of time.
00:28:06.66\00:28:08.25
So until next time, God bless.
00:28:08.28\00:28:10.11