Faith in Action

27 Responses to “ What do ya’ll think about “slapping Jesus” on R&B Love Songs? ”

1. # 1 Tanae' A. Says:
   August 6th, 2008 at 9:50 am

   Maybe we should start doing things like this more. Of course, those stuck in the same ol same ol would more than likely disagree but the message is still there. Cause reality is that without HIM we dont have anything. God is still being glorified, thats all that should matter.

2. # 2 Pastor Bruce Says:
   August 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am

   LOVED IT!!!
   We are still at the same dance (life), but THANK GOD, we’ve changed partners.

3. # 3 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
   August 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

   What this brother did, and the methods that he empoloyed are symptomatic of the problem that we are experiencing in the church all over America today, and what is scary is that the church rools are increasing, not diminishing. Paul talked about the source of the problem, when dealing with a problem that he dealt with, under similar similar circumstances, when he wrote to the Church at Corinth, see 1 Corinthians Chapter 3.

   He explained to the Corinthian carnal converts, a church that claimed to be full of spirituality, that he could not speak to them as spiritual, because in fact they were still carnal.

   This minister used tactics that worked with a carnal group of believers. The minister and all of those who are involved ought to review Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians, and John’s letters to the Angels of the Churches as noted in the book of Revelations Chapters 2 and 3. Try going to a club, and singing akk church songs, or getting the club goers to praise God this long! Truly there is a time and place for everything!

   Even Kurt Franklin, admitted recently, that he brought the world into the church through music. Satan’s number one device is deception, and clearly the American churches and ministers are being deceived!

4. # 4 Rev. Nadine Drayton-Keen Says:
   August 6th, 2008 at 9:25 pm

   Using R&B, Rock, Rap, Hip-Hop, or other worldly styles of music as a “possible” evangelistic tool probably would be effective in the hands of genuine sold out for Jesus the Christ apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and so forth, who are out in the mission fields, but I really fail to see how this kind of soul-reaching method is needed in the House of the Lord during a worship service. Of course, not every one sitting on churches’ pews is born again and saved. However, since the objective of worship services is to worship Father God in Spirit and in Truth through the faith that comes by hearing the “preached” Word of God (and not necessarily from hearing “sung” hymns, spirituals, gospels, or Christian hip-hop), then the pastor in this video needs to focus on promoting prayers, meditations, testimonials, and so forth, that prepare hearers’ spirits (hearts) for the unadulterated Word of God, and give a little less emphasis on preparing hearers’ ears for a Word from the Lord by making worshipers “feel good” through music and lyrics!

   Although the pastor in this video occasionally mentions God or Jesus’ name in passing, he does so ONLY to prove that the love songs he is singing are about the Lord. Indeed, for nearly six minutes, he merely is providing ONLY worldly “entertainment” instead of spiritual revelation, because he primarily is just wooing his more secular-minded congregants with a medley R&B love songs instead of turning his attention to Scriptures or his sermon’s focus. This last statement is made evident when this pastor, seeing that he was losing some of his older more spiritually minded believers, then begins to sing an old traditional church hymn (“Near the Cross”). He sings this song, sad to say, more so to appease those members whom he may have been offended by his R&B renditions instead of for the purpose of making a joyful noise unto the Lord.

5. # 5 Pastor Samuel Britten Says:
   August 7th, 2008 at 1:12 am

   I believe this is alright. The bible tells us God IS Love!!! He is the ESSENCE. It started with him and is returning back to him. These religious persepctives that seem to “cloud” moves of God continue to interest me. God is invading every sector of society…some will go and be ready as he arrives. Others will stay put and miss him.

6. # 6 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
   August 7th, 2008 at 1:18 am

   What we use to bring them, is what we will have to use in order to keep them there. We are cleansed through the word, not by music. How can one hear (the word) without the preacher?

   You can enchant a serpent with music! We have been told to test the Spirit, to see whether it is of God.

   Jesus was wise in terms of dispensing with the giving of signs and wonders, for during his time that is what the people wanted. Oddly enough, in the beginning of his ministry when he gave the people what they wanted he was thronged by the crowds, but by the time he hung on the cross (if not before) the crowds were gone.

   When we consider the fact that Cain was cursed, and yet he built cities while his offspring created musical instruments, we should always be cautious about the art forms that we introduce or allow into the church - the chuch is supposed to be ’set apart’. Many of the musicians and singers who perform on Saturday nights in our culture, are the same ones who perform in the church on Sunday morning!

   I wonder why Bishop Jakes had cursing and salacious Steve Harvey to perform on his Christian cruise last year, instead of having someone like Sinbad (never heard him curse during a routine) or a Christian comic to perform? Hmm!! Truly, like the Church at Pergamos, we have settled into the world! We are no longer a peculiar people…, a royal priesthood…! More and more there is no difference in us and them!

7. # 7 MinPam Says:
   August 7th, 2008 at 1:29 am

   Wouldn’t this be in direct violation of the “first fruits” principle? As far as I know these songs were originally lifted up in the secular music industry for entertainment purposes and not as a sacrifice unto the LORD. Why offer up a spotted calf to the LORD during a worship service, when we have so many wonderful worship songs available to us? This preacher’s approach was inventive but it seems inappropriate for a corporate worship experience — unless his goal was to stimulate the “audience.”

8. # 8 Min. Bon Says:
   August 7th, 2008 at 10:44 am

   My question to everyone in agreement with this is; where is the limit? This is sending a mixed message to our young people. It is saying that it is ok to sing any and every song as long as “Jesus” or “God” is mentioned somewhere within the song. So today it’s ok to sing songs from the 1960s and 1970s. Granted those songs had more of a positive message in it and it didn’t have TOO much of a sexual connotation within it. But if a young person is in the congregation of something like this then they might grow up thinking that its ok to sing 50 Cent, and Kanye West in the church as long as I “slap Jesus” somewhere on the end of the song. Yeah it might be ok to sing those oldies today, but will it be ok to sing Lil Kim, Lil Mama, Lil Wayne, Snoop, Souljah Boy, in the church 20, 30 years from now? If we begin a fusion of secular and sacred then where does it end? Where is the line draw, and who determines that limit? Why not sing songs where the original intended purpose was to worship God. Why sing songs where the purpose was something other than worshipping God and than trying to make it fit just because it’s familiar. I’m in total disagreement with his philosophy that it’s all about WHO your singing to. No, I believe its all about what was the original PURPOSE of the song. Was it uplift God? Was it to help set a romantic atmosphere? Was it to promote premarital sex? What is the PURPOSE behind the song? Because the fact of the matter is I don’t want to be thinking about the church or church service when I’m trying to set a romantic mood for me and my wife. There are many GREAT songs out there where the original purpose was to worship and uplift God and they are not all hymns and anthems. There is a time and a place for everything, so lets leave the romantic songs where they belong; in the bedrooms of those that are MARRIED.

9. # 9 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
   August 7th, 2008 at 11:16 am

   Akin to this topic are the number of singers who grew up in the church and conversely took the syncopated musical style from the church (Sam Cooke, Aretha, Ray…) to where their hearts truly were, and used it to became famous in the world. How many of those have there been? And the Reverend Al Green for example, is he in or out? And how about Jay Moss, is he in or out of the church? This crossing back and forth is not healthy for the church.

   The individuals who are guilty have simply found a way of having their cake and eating it too. Why will some of us stand by and watch the church being exploited. If we judge this matter from the point of view of the canon, what this minister and others are doing and what those who are standing by accepting it are doing is to simply ignorie the leaven of the modern-day Pharisees!

   Jeremiah 51:51 ’strangers are come into the sanctuary of the Lord’s house’!
   Or while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. And more and more the wheat is being by the tares! The Pastor in Florida who had the modern day Azusa Street marathon revival, lost control of the church for awhile to all of the baby Christians who joined the church. The latter group came to outnumber those ‘who knew the way’! Watch and Pray!

10. # 10 Common Sense Says:
    August 7th, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    @ Rev. Solomon,

    I don’t know if this paradox in the black church will ever be solved. Sacred vs. Secular. Gospel vs. Rhythm and Blues. We seem to be no closer to a definitive answer on this issue after all these years. Some of our greatest praise/gospel artists have been torn by this:

    Thomas A. Dorsey, who is widely recognized as “The Father of Gospel Music”, who was a big time juke joint pianist whose hybrid of jukejoint blues, fused with a sacred message, was the birth of gospel. He had many, many detractors back then that called him out but he is credited as being the architect of Gospel. One of his most famous quotes was ” I’ve been thrown out of some of the best chuches in America”.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe who was a guitar vituoso who playing was akin to watching Bo Diddley or Jimi Hendrix. Many times during her perfomances, some would say that the spirit was in the air as she seemed to be as one with her guitar and often playing behind her back, over her head and showing a true mastery of her instrument. Unlike Protestant churches who forbade any kind of rhythmic movement at their sevices, the COGIC/Pentecostal church at that time encouraged the congregants to “shout” their faith with tambourines, drums, trumpets and guitars. Radical praise back then. The emergence of Mahalia Jackson slowed down the popularity of Ms. Tharpe. Check her out on You Tube as well as:

    The Dixie Hummingbirds. Any R&B quartet or quintet owes everything to the highly charged showmanship of this pioneer gospel group. There would be no Temptations without the model of two lead vocalist singing off each other.

    As many of you know or even saw in the movie “Ray”, Ray Charles took gospel and made it wordly way, way, way, before Kirk Franklin. Aretha Franklin’s father was a prominent preacher, the Rev. C. L. Franklin, who toured the black churches in this country with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
    Aretha’s gospel classic album “Amazing Grace” has to be considered one of the greatest gospel albums of all time. But on the other hand, she did make Dr. Feelgood and I Could Never Love A Man, The Way That I Love You. Truly a paradox.

    Sam Cooke probably from all accounts was the biggest gospel star that ever was. Totally sold out concerts everywhere The Soul Stirrers performed. And make no mistake about it, the majority of the women who came to the shows, were coming to get saved…by Sam Cooke. Gospel groupies is what was going on back then. Two excellent books are out on Sam Cooke. And when he left gospel, no other recording act caused so much controversy.

    The Staple Singers were huge gospel stars but some of their biggest hits were achieved in the secular realm. They had message songs such as “Respect Yourself”, “If You’re Ready, Come Go With Me”, “The Weight” and “I’ll Take You There”. Strong positive songs. But they also had “Let’s Do It Again”. A great song to me but they caught flak behind that.

    The question posed by Mr. Brown concerning this pastor’s choice of music is one that has not been answered for many, many years. But I can say that I do agree with Min. Bon on where do you draw the line?? Good topic.

11. # 11 Keith Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 9:41 am

    I actually enjoyed the piece. Though some may see it as the world, yet again, invading the church, I see it as the church invading the world. Appropriation is a two way street. How many secular stars have grown up in the church? As long as Jesus is at the center of it, I don’t mind.

    BTW, I agree with Common Sense; the alleged sacred/secular divide needs to be understood in its proper historical context. Quite often, today’s “edgy” gospel music is tomorrow’s “traditional” hymn.

12. # 12 Tanae' A. Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am

    Min. Bon,

    I am twenty years old and have been in church ALL my life. Unfortunately, I have to disagree with that statement that you made in reference to ‘mixed messages’. I think that things like this keep our young people engaged. The problem that most youth have is that there is nothing that keeps them engaged. Sometimes you have to meet people where they are. If the old time church is stuck where they are and if the youth of the church are refusing to compromise, there ultimately will be a gap in the church that is beginning to grow even now. My opinion is that some ’saints’ chose to draw the ‘line’ a little too soon.

13. # 13 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 11:27 am

    Your conclusions certainly have merit. What I’ve learned to do over the years is to base my conclusions on the constitution, in this context the canon. You made an excellent point in another thread about the situation at Reid Temple out in Maryland. Ironically, I met a brother 48 hours ago in Palo Alto California no less, who was disheartened over what took place at that church when he lived in Maryland and attended Reid.

    If we will consider what is going on in most of our churches today, in addition to the secular music being brought into the church, we are suing one another, there is debauchery in the churches to include molestations, rapes, pedophilia, greed, divorces, …, that accompany the current secularization of the church. If we believe the canon, there is supposed to be a difference between the world and the church, believers were warned to come out from among them and to be separate.

    When Kirk Franklin gets music like ‘Stomp’ from George Clinton instead of being inspired from on high by God, something has gone wrong. He admitted that he brought Revolution in from the world, and at the same time he was hooked on Porn himself. As Jesus said to Peter who appeared to be following him, you don’t know what Spirit you are of, and to get behind me Satan. The church is supposed to be inspired strictly by Heaven, it has its own music.

    Paul warned the Elders at Miletus [Acts 20] that from among [the overseers] certain ones would rise up… and speak perverse things just so they could draw away disciples after them. And like the Pied Piper, many individuals who are coming into churches today come to Party, to Network…!

    And the driving force behind what we are witnessing today in America has to do with ministers who are trying ‘to draw’ people, and to establish huge fiefdoms where they are empowered. When I compare what happened with 6 of the 7 churches at Asia, with what is happening in our churches today, I am greatly concerned, and what is so sad is that the carnal ministers are leading the followers into the ditch together, just as Paul and Christ predicted.

    A young woman shared with me how saddened she was to attend a dance at the club, where her pastor was the best dancer on the floor. Another asked what I shall do, my pastor doesn’t teach the bible, and in fact he skips around those parts that he is uncomfortable with…?

    The spirit of compromise has left the church devoid of any real power. If we are the light and the salt, based on what we see going on around us in our communities and in the country at large, consider Ted Haggard and other, we are not being very effective. And, and I suspect that it is because the sprit of compromise has taken over and we as a collective church are settled in the world, both protestants and Catholics!

    Will the pendulum eventually swing the other way when the spirit of revival breaks out again? I’m sure that it will happen, but for the time being the churches will continue to take take the bikini-wearing saints on cruises; pursue liquor licenses for their family life centers; host secular music and groups in the churches; continue the high rate of divorce and remarriage’, deal with problems of pedophilia and all other salacious behaviors that are taking places in church buildings!

    I sound like old meanie, and I’ve been told that I am a know it all blowhard, but to my critics I remind them I am supposed to be a watchman. I understand that many of our young people in the church, not referring to you, do not understand yet. But just as they matured in a secular sense and put away their toys, someday they will mature into the things of the Sovereign (when I was a child I thought as a child – or there is a way that seems rights), they will look back one day and say, now I get it!

    We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against deceptive spirits, and the spirit of deception holds sway over our churches and ministers today! I’ve been in the backroom with some of these guys – beware, many of them will do whatever they have to do in order to garner a following! Saving souls is not their primary motivation!

14. # 14 Common Sense Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

    @ Rev. Solomon,

    Forgive me Rev., but right now I can’t help smiling from your last post about Kirk Franklin getting “Stomp” from George Clinton. Evidently you are not that old as you claim because you are 100 percent correct!!! “Stomp” for all intent and purposes is Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under A Groove”. I know a lot about music and funny that you should mention George Clinton.

    When they were very popular in the 70’s and early 80’s, one of the signature points of their live performances was the landing of the “Mothership”. Basically they re-packaged the Second Coming with an elaborate stage show which had the drug influenced audience(myself included) anticipating the landing of the Mothership after which Dr. Funkenstein(George Clinton) would emerge amid rabid screams from the 15,000 plus that their shows used to draw. And to top it off, they had a song that was the prelude to the mothership landing called “Swing Down, Sweet Chariot”!! The guy who used to sing it, Glen Goins, did so in one of the most haunting, soulful, gospel-tinged voices that you ever have heard. (Also on You Tube) Not promoting You Tube but it is better to see more evidence of your dead-on anaysis for yourself.

    I can’t argue with one point you made and you made me realize another. The unfortunate situation in Baltimore with the music director and the child is an example of the power of music!! For good and bad. Music moves people in ways that nothing other than God can move them. It is a powerful tool that has been used for praise and blessings, but also for much darker things. Parents, please, please, please(as J.B. used to say) monitor what music comes into your childs minds. It can move them one way or another.

15. # 15 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    Thank you Common Sense, and isn’t it ironic that the same parents that are having problems monitoring what their kids are listening to on their MP3 players at home, fail to see why we should be as zealous with regard to what titillates our ears at God’s house? The canon reads that a ‘little leaven will leaven the whole lump’! Parents know that certain music will corrupt their children and help lead them off into the wrong culture!

    When we were kids (now I will date myself) the instruments in the church that I grew up in consisted of a turned over tin wash pan that was normally used for bathing and washing (the drum), a scrub board that was also used to wash clothes that was scraped in time with a clothes hanger, tambourines. a harmonica and an old out-of-tune piano and guitar. The wooden floor, er herm, was also used to kick the beat, Stomp the Yard Style! Perhaps that is where George also came up with the idea to stomp!

    When our church ventured into modernity, the church purchased a small Hammond Organ to go along with the out-house in the back of the church. We eventually upgraded to 2-outhouses, one for the ladies and one for the men. Oh for the good old days when you killed snakes on the way to the out house, and hoped that they wouldn’t gang up and attack you on the way back to the one room church house.

    If you played the wrong chord on an instrument or uttered the wrong sound back then, church would be immediately halted and the minister or some pillar in the church would go to the microphone and instruct the inchoate musicians and vocalists that we are not going to have that boogey-woogey in the church. It was boogey-woogey then.

    While visiting in the East and doing some work in the nation’s capitol, I visited the Bridgeway Church in Columbia MD. A brother and his wife were leaving and going to New Jersey to start ‘The Hip-Hop Church’. We discussed Hip Hop Church at a Congressional Caucus Meeting in DC around the same time

    You seem to know a lot about music, I really don’t, even though at one time in my life I was a decent church organist who played by ear they called it. And having been around many in the music culture, let’s call them the ones with the artistic temperament, I know firsthand that many singers and musicians at the church will slip a worldly chord or sound and mix it in with the church liturgy in a heartbeat. An accomplishment church organ told me a year ago, that she listens to jazz stations, co-opts the chords from Jazz musicians, creates a kind of fusion and plays the chords at church to the delight of the parishioners.

    All preachers preach about the choir in Heaven, and why Satan was tossed out. Whether the latter is true or not, we have to guard against what we permit to come into the church and into our spirits. If someone wants to listen to jazz or whatever, do it on your own time.

    Today’s post-modern Christian is very tolerant. Isn’t it interesting that when 9/11 hit America, it even slipped up on the church because most ministers and their congregants were consumed with the ‘I want to blow up Prayer of Jabezz books & ministry’, Abundant Life for me while people are starving around the war, Just Wars for them and Mega (musical & entertainment ) ministry industry for us.

    I love Patti Labelle’s voice, and I got in trouble with a group of friends for saying that she had more range than Aretha, and how about what was going on Aretha’s life when she recorded that famous album that you referred to, or what about R Kelly, the young man who recorded “I Believe I Can Fly”, based upon a spiritual experience that he had, but around the same time was engaging in indecent behavior.

    I read that when Patty visited Jericho City of Praise that she got a cool reception. Kudos for Jericho for there is a time and place for everything, and I like Patty. When Satan, and I am not calling Patty Satan, quoted scriptures to Jesus, he did not turn around and say Amen to Satan!

    Satan is using music to lull the church at large into all kind of tolerance and depravity. Musicians today are going back between worldly and religious venues. I visited a friend’s church a decade ago, and there was Smokey Robison sitting in the pulpit. At least to Smokey’s credit he confessed that he was not a minister. Ironically, the thrust of his talk was that he wanted to help lead all of those back to God that he previously led away via music!

    Even Smokey realized that he used music to lead people from God, and not the other way around! Oo oo oo baby baby!

16. # 16 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

    ‘The Arrogance of a Self-Devised Faith’. I prached this sermon over and over years ago, it had to do with Cain and Abel or as one preacher preached about ‘Cain and Cable’. The thrust of the message was that Cain also offered a sacrifice to God, just as his brother Abel did. And we all know how the story ends. We ought to be careful, and judge things by the standard of God, for God determines what is and what is not acceptble. What might be acceptable to us, may not be acceptable to God!

    Now I hush, for I know that I am verbose = but the fire is shut up in my bones!

17. # 17 Min. Bon Says:
    August 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm

    Tanae A.

    I understand what you are saying about keeping the young people engaged, but at what cost? I believe that one of the biggest problems in the church is we are continually compromising on God’s standard under the ruse of “reaching the young people”. Conforming to God’s standard of living is not compromise. What we are doing to, so-called, “reach” the youth in most cases is compromise. This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest tricks of the enemy especially in this day and age. As the enemy throws out more and more attacks on the church and people of God; the devil is also tricking us into believing that we have to compromise to reach more people, which leave us even more vulnerable to his attacks. I’m 29 years old, but I didn’t answer the call on my life until I was 26. The bulk of my ministry is ministering to the youth. And I believe that God is raising up young preachers who are bringing a call to holiness back to our young people. We have gone out there too far, and it’s time to come back. It is very fortunate that you were born and raised in the church, but for someone who has not been born and raised in the church and who may still be a (literal) babe in Christ then this can be a mixed message. Quite frankly most young people around our age group and younger don’t even know those songs like that. He just looked like a man that was reminiscing about what used to. Reminiscing about what he used to listen to in the club, and he was LEADING those people toward those thoughts and memories.

    The preacher pretty much said that it doesn’t matter what you sing as long you sing it to the right person, and add Jesus or God somewhere in the song. Let me ask you a question, would it be alright for me to stand in the pulpit and sing:

    You’ve got the love that I want
    You’ve got the love that I need
    [God] it’s so smooth and so creamy
    You’ve got that butta love [oh Jesus].

    Now that song used to be my joint!! And that was one of the songs for my generation. But when I hear that song I don’t think about God or Jesus at all. I think about a creamy skinned black woman. The original intent of the author is usually what you’re always going to get no matter what you add to the song. What is the SPIRIT behind the song? Most of those people in that congregation were not thinking about God or Jesus when singing those songs for their generation UNTIL the preacher said something about God or Jesus. Then it’s “oh oh yeah we’re suppose to be singing this to God”. You did notice that he had to remind them a few times that this was suppose to be for Jesus. The fact is that if the preacher’s principle holds true then it holds true for EVERY song that ever exists and will exist, or it doesn’t hold true at all. If not then he is contradicting his own teaching. And I’m sure that he feels that there are some songs out there that should NEVER be mentioned in the church. If so he has already contradicted himself, and his teaching does not hold true. But if he does not feel like that there are some songs that should not be mentioned in the church then I have to question his spirituality. And he is someone we should not be following.

    I just want to make this clear that the biggest trick of the enemy is to make us believe that we have to compromise to the world’s standard to reach the young people, and this is FAR from true. There are many “fun” things that we as young people can do that does not have to compromise a Godly standard. The line has already been drawn, and it was not drawn by me, the church, or any other “saint”. It was drawn 2000 years ago by Jesus himself when He called for Holy Living. Not only that if I were God I wouldn’t want that second-hand praise. Would you want a gift that was intended for one person or intended for one thing, but then someone turned around and decided to give it to you after the fact. Wouldn’t you think that it was more special if someone gave or created a gift specially made just for you. Luther was not thinking about God when he was singing and writing those songs. So why should we offer something like that up to God?

18. # 18 Min. Bon Says:
    August 9th, 2008 at 10:14 pm

    There is a way that SEEMS right!

19. # 19 Rev. C. Solomon Says:
    August 9th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

    Right on Minister Bon! Last night I attended an affair where I found it necessary to provide my Vita. I thought; let me review it before I hand it over. I forgot what was written in one of its paragraphs, i.e., Reverend Solomon… is concerned about post-modern theology, doctrine, behavior and music in today’s mainstream American churches, also the secularization, politization and capitalization of churches in America today!

    God reminded me of something that I wrote a long time ago, and it is still a passion of mine!

20. # 20 Ernest Says:
    August 10th, 2008 at 10:57 pm

    Hello Everyone,

    I am not a minister but have been a christian all of my life. I find this issue coming up at an interesting timeas I was just having this conversation on Saturday.

    I to as many of you think this is going to far. The Church is suppose to change the world not the World changing the church. Many people will say we have to do something new to attract the young people of our community. I truly don’t believe that in its entirely. Yes, we can do new things use many of the new technolgies available but no lose our souls at the same time.

    The church has to continue to be the beacon of hope and standard for our community. With the family not what it used to be, with our school system not being what it used to be, the church has to continue to be the one institution that is not comprimised or changed.

    Who will train our young men to be men, who will train our young women to be women, who will set the standards for our community…the Church. We cannot let the world come in our doors and force us to change what we know is right and we need Pastors, Bishops etc to be stead fast in what they know is right and not popular.

    This is too far in my opinion and maybe I am a dying breed at a young age but I see the bigger picture and its fading fast if we keep going down this slippery slope.

21. # 21 Min. Bon Says:
    August 11th, 2008 at 2:40 am

    This will be my last post I promise, but I just wanted to write one more thing. Another reason why this is happening is because many feel like the Church or the Christian community does not have anything good enough to offer lay-members and the youth to keep them engaged. The Church is not good enough so we have to turn to the World, and take what they have and try to make it fit in the Church. The Bible tells us “be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. The Church should not be conforming to this world, but the world should be conforming to the Church. Listen to me people it’s a TRICK OF THE ENEMY. First we start compromising in our music, and that’s because music is the devil’s SPECIALTY. Don’t you remember he used to be the minister of music in Heaven. So usually any time the devil is tries to push an agenda most times he does it through music. And that is because the devil fully understands the power of music. When God kicked him out of Heaven Lucifer did not, all of a sudden, forget his musical ability. In fact he has had thousands (maybe even millions) of years to study and harness that power. Why do you think that one of the first places that the enemy attacks in the church is the music department? Because he understands that music is one of the most powerful ingredients in worship. Why do you think there is more homosexuality, adultery, fornication, back-biting, gossip in the choir and music department than anywhere else in the church? And trust me I’m a minister music, so I’ve either seen or had to deal with most of these attacks. And as we compromise in our music it could then it move to other areas. And pretty soon those same things I listed earlier will be acceptable in the Church. All because we compromised on the small (but vital) things. Where will the compromise end?

    One more thing….The World doesn’t offer anything better, it’s just familiar. We were “born in sin shaped in inequity”, and so sin, carnality, and the World is very familiar to us. So in essence what we are saying is to win souls for Christ we should offer them the same thing the world is offering them; something familiar. Crack is very familiar to a crackhead, but would you offer them crack to lead them AWAY from crack. NO! That’s crazy! You would offer them something different, an answer, a way out, a better way, anything except more crack. But that’s how the post-modern Church has been operating. We are offering the World to those who we are trying to lead AWAY from the World. But because it’s FAMILIAR to all of us we think its ok. Plus we’re seeing results because now the churches are overflowing with people. How can we offer the lost a better way if we are offering the same thing the world is offering them? It is time for us to stand up and stand out!!!

22. # 22 Tanae' A. Says:
    August 11th, 2008 at 9:25 am

    good point, Min Bon. good point.

23. # 23 Angie B Says:
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:13 pm

    Pastor, I’m mixed on this subject, much like the songs are. **smile**

24. # 24 Angie B Says:
    August 12th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

    Where is this church? Is this a Baltimore pastor?

25. # 25 jdarcel Says:
    August 12th, 2008 at 8:59 pm

    I too like all genres of music; however, there’s a time and place for everything. I’m sure everyone in that congregation is not on the same spiritual level and couldn’t handle the intent of the ministers’ message. Those who are not spiritually mature will believe it’s okay to simply put the name of Jesus in what ever they’re doing to make it right; nonetheless, those who are mature, may be able to listen and feel love songs in a new and different way to worship God.

    One song, maybe two, but going on and on was a bit much for me.

26. # 26 Heber Brown, III Says:
    August 12th, 2008 at 9:22 pm

    Hey Angie - Bishop Lester Love is actually the pastor of Greater Antioch Church in New Orleans. He’s the Bishop of Protocol of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.

    http://greaterantioch.com/

27. # 27 Kit (Keep It Trill) Says:
    August 22nd, 2008 at 11:35 am

    If the message in the music touches the souls of the people more than the non-musical word, then the Lord has been served.

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