Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats

Kenneth Sublett, Piney.com, Hohenwald, Tennessee

Donnie Cruz Letter to the Elders 

"An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments.

The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

"From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders.

Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

"In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence.

They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

"After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, "Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are." If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the only difference!

Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.

"Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify.

"Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of the conversion, stand up!

"There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire. Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834-1892

Scholars note that the musical praise movement is spiritually sterile: it leaves no offspring and therefore dies of its own shame but not without taking many with them.

See the connection between Charismatic terms and homosexuality in the pagan religions. Worship as Threskia was invented by Orpheus in the Greek world and it is practiced any time and place people engage in WORSHIP ACTS OR RITUALS intending to influence God or the "audience."

The heavy burden laded on the poor used like pack animals was "spiritual anxiety created by religious ritual." When the body moves and the hands fly one is being "afflicted" emotionally and the only motive is to steal the worship due to God. Jesus came to give us rest from these afflicting ceremonies.

Giving Heed to the Word was the principle "act" of worship in the Christian Synagogue. "Preaching" Narrative Theology of cut-N-paste sermons was never an act of worship. Thomas Campbell and most older scholars define how the Word is the "Truth" of worship "in spirit" or in the mind which is the only kind and place God even bothers to look for. Outrageious Biblical illiteracy "among the scholars" is explained by Paul's teaching that "fools love to be fooled." Read how two people had to abandon churches built around pagan entertainment in order to discover the Word. Click and go down to where The Devil is Laughing to see how he and the watching world is not laughing WITH the new for-hire Bible Repudiators but laughing AT them and their followers just as the Israelites became a LAUGHINGSTOCK with their musical idolatry at Mount Sinai (Now the SCHOLAR'S pattern for worship and community.)

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"Wherefore the blessed apostle says : "I testify in the Lord, that ye walk no longer as the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind; having their understanding darkened,

being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart: who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness and concupiscence. [Eph. iv. 17-19. ]

"Let no one then despise the Word, lest he unwittingly despise himself. Clement

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Our comments on the first part of the letter to Concerned Members Forum at Madison church of Christ, Nashville, Tennessee.

New Notes Added On the Vineyard Pattern. Violating Paul's Direct Command is Having Sex with God!

Rough notes reviewing the AUTHORITY for the practices at Madison Church of Christ of hand clapping (body drumming) and other charismatic practices induced by a "new style of worship" which a class leader promotes as "holy theater" which must be induced by infiltrating and diverting.

These practices have caused a majority of the founding and funding members to leave the congregation as it is taken over by a community church movement.

The notes in the box are some of the defenses made by members for their practices. We can understand what they want to do by what they defend

Jimmy Sites said the conflict was fueled by tradition-bound individuals who lack tolerance for opinions about worship styles other than their own. However, the conflict is always caused by those who add practices which have no Scriptural basis or which are not necessary for the operation of the church. Since, the church prospered before Jimmy and the intrusion of charismatic worship styles, we might suggest that those who ADDED the fuel caused the conflict. However, then Jubilee and Navigating the Winds of Change scheme is that if we want to add something to YOUR worship and YOU resist us then YOU are the hostile forces. Abraham Lincoln following Adam knew the guilt clause:

"There were those saying that they could "not abide the election of a Republican President." In which event they would destroy the Union. "And then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! That is cool.

A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, "Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer." Abraham Lincoln, Frost, Vol. 1, p. 274

Conflicts always begin by innovators and improvisers who are stripped bare of Biblical knowledge. Those resisting are always falsely accused of being tradition bound. The real reason is exemplified by this present article and the push for converting the church into a venue for "holy entertainment." That has never been a "worship style" except among superstitious pagans. Hand clapping during the Lord's Supper is more serious than the false claim of "just raising hands during prayer."

Next, the news article points out further proof that it is trying to shift the blame to faithful believers:

"Over the past year, Madison's conflict has unfolded without a senior minister in place. The last one, Jimmy Sites, left last year. Contemporary worship gestures started surfacing during his tenure, reportedly originating in a Sunday school class for young parents.

Next, look at the statement:

However, when it comes to the worship practices of the early church, there is very little actually taught in the scriptures and historical documents.

Then by what authority would one singing, clapping, dancing, waving their hands and falling on their face on the floor be IMPROVIZED when the inventors know that they are offending those who understand that church does not DO WORSHIP with the body. Rather, the primary worship word in bot the Old and New Testaments is to SEEK or GIVE HEED to the Word of God.

Singing as such is not a direct command: rather, the command is to TEACH THAT WHICH HAS BEEN WRITTEN and the singing is a spiritual activity as the RESULT of hearing the Words of Christ.

Teaching the Word one to another is really the only thing clearly defined by a worship word. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word is:

Hebrew: Darash (h1875) daw-rash'; a prim. root; prop. to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship: - ask, * at all, care for, * diligently, inquire, make inquisition...

Greek: Zeto (h2212) dzay-teh'-o; of uncert. affin.; to seek (lit. or fig.); spec. (by Heb.) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life): - be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (* will) seek (after, for, means). Comp. 4441.

Strange that we find so much material in the Bible and in church history. Most of it has to do with "what not to do" and music was the universal sign of worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.

This is the mantra: God didn't see fit to speak or was unable to instruct us but I can do it for you! God called the devil a liar because "he spoke on his own."

It is not necessary to interpret the universal Old Testament's association of music and listening to a "beautful song" as telling God: "We will not listen to you." God saw to it that this statement was made over and over.

Wherefore do

the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Job 21:7

Their seed is established in their sight with them,

and their offspring before their eyes. Job 21: 8

Their houses are safe from fear,

neither is the rod of God upon them. Job 21: 9

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not;

their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. Job 21: 10

 

They send forth their little ones like a flock,

and their children dance. Job 21: 11

They take the timbrel and harp,

and rejoice at the sound of the organ. Job 21: 12

They spend their days in wealth,

and in a moment go down to the grave. Job 21: 13

 

Therefore they say unto God,

Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Job 21: 14

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?

and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Job 21: 15

You don't have to interpret all of the "music" passages: the operative word read in linear progression from left to right commands teaching or preaching the Inspired Word or Spirit one to another with the melody (always externally destructive) left in the heart or mind.

Therefore, there is no connection between music or dance (body motion or clapping) and the worship of a Spirit God in the entire Bible. No! blowing 120 trumpets in unison and strumming harps and shouting is NOT worship. Rather, the word SERVICE under the bondage of the Law literally meant HARD BONDAGE.

The common people met in assemblies (rarely translated synagogue) to hear the Word and give heed to it: this is both the Old and New Testament meaning of worship. Worship is not related to DOING rituals.

Therefore, "actually," the Bible both Old and New defines Worship as "giving heed" to God by giving heed to His Word. Sure, David played his harp and made himself vile (the meaning of praise) but that was not "worship." When David worshiped he meditated or made melody in his heart as he "spoke to himself" in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. He even sang psalms in his bed.

Looking backward, because of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai, God turned Israel over to "worship the starry host." They worshiped the creature rather than the Creator. Therefore, at the temple where they had turned David's animal-burning instrumental "sounders" into daily "worship teams" God warned them to:

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name: Amos 5:8

Seek is: Darash (h1875) daw-rash'; a prim. root; prop. to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by impl. to seek or ask; spec. to worship: - ask, * at all, care for, * diligently, inquire, make inquisition...

Therefore, God said:

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs;

for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. Amos 5:23

Why? Why because this was the mark of the prostitute both male and female who, in many ancient traditions, were representatives of Lucifer using theatrical performance to seduce people out of their money:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as Isaiah an harlot. Isaiah 23:15

Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. Isaiah 23:16 [Lucifer was bisexual wanting to be remembered as male]

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years (Just as with Judah), that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms (ecumenical!) of the world upon the face of the earth. Isaiah 23:17

And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. Isaiah 23:18

Even though the turned over theatrical performers are made to "stand in the holy place" which in church architecture is the "area of the liturgy" they violated the Law of God Who said:

Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God. Deut 23:18

Keleb (h3611) keh'leb; from an unused root mean. to yelp, or else to attack; a dog; hence by euphemism a male prostitute: - dog.

These were the very people who would try to "triumph over" Lord Jesus with "musical instruments and making a joyful noise before the Lord" which was the Army'' battle cry

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly (FAMILY) of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. Ps.22:16

I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me Psalm 22:17

They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. Psalm 22:18

But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Psalm 22:19

Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power (open hand) of the dog. Psalm 22:20

They were murderous because Jesus and John were not of their "type.."

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings houses (family). Mt.11:8

Malakos (g3120) mal-ak-os'; of uncert. affin.; soft, i.e. fine (clothing); fig. a catamite: - effeminate, soft.

However, they are rejected along with sorcerers who used musical devices to "speak for the demons" and idolaters who did likewise.

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev 22:15

A liar repudiates Christ's Words and makes up his own:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Jn.8:44

For this reason, people are deliberatelly scattered abroad when they violate God's will:

BEHOLD, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. Isaiah 24:1

We know that the earliest history shows that singing Biblical material was the only "musical" practice. And since harmony as we know it did not exist, this would have been "speaking one to another." Church was still synagogue or school so we will not find any satisfying "liturgy" but we still have the Biblical text. We also have the universal condemnation of music by the church fathers. If you can believe that the Bible and history is silent then I have a vertical lot I would like to sell you: tree covered, waterfall and all.

The word for worship used int he Old Testament in the legal sense means to "be a bondservant." The "musicians" were straw bosses to force your face into the ground during animal burning time. Or, as God predicted, they would take your flocks, tithes, sons and daughters and force them into slave labor using the "musicians" as slave drivers to build the temple.

The reformation movement which John Calvin called a restoration movement always sought to define the work and worship of the Church by the commands and examples of the New Testament.

The Restoration Movement did not EVOLVE anything. Rather, they sought to conform the church to the New Testament examples. Since the New Testament said nothing about music, neither Calvin nor Campbell had to remove music from the church.

Jesus said that a Spirit God only LOOKS for worship in the spirit which is our mind (nous). Our mind in the new holy place (naos). The spirit as PLACE replaced Gerezim or Jerusalem or Nashville as PLACE. That worship consists only of giving heed to God by giving heed to His words. We prove ourselves children of Satan, according to Jesus, when we give heed to the singer-clappers and to their words.

It is clear that worship defined in the pagan, ritualistic sense always "evolves." However, the primary "WORSHIP" word in both the Old and New Testament related to the direct command from Paul to Timothy: "Give attendance to the public reading of the Word, to doctrine to exhortation." Worship is in the PLACE of "spirit" or mind (nous) which is the only holy place (naos) Jesus said that the Father will even look for us. When we observe the Lord's Supper we "give heed" to the historical event and show it forth as a teaching-reminding effort. When we read the word we give heed to God's words and not ours. We worship whom or what we "give attendance." If we are giving attendance to the musical worship team and their songs then we are worshiping the performers and not God. Like the synagogue, the church was school and not "pagan worship center."

We have Paul stating many times how the church assembly or synagogue (school) was to edify or educate. The "singing" passages are not related to "music" but define the synagogue method of teaching the Bible. Paul's use of the Greek excludes external melody which is related to the SOP Jesus fed Judas and to "grinding the enemy into fine powder." If "melody" universally speaks of a pagan or destructive practice we need no law which says: "Thou shalt not attack they brethren with they singing arrow from thy twanging bowstring." Nor, do we have to be told: "Thou shalt not make a musical instrument out of thy sister by plucking out her hair and making it 'sing.'"

Not fair to group all things and again "music" is one of the clearest taught practice in the entire Bible. It never had anything to do with spiritual worship and everything to do with pagan worship, prostitution or the "like the nations" worship Israel's ELDERS demanded and which God granted to send them on their way to captivity and death they had earned by their musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.

How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have? Ecclesiasticus 48:4.

You who raised a corpse from death and from Hades, by the word of the Most High; Ecclesiasticus 48: 5.

who brought kings down to destruction, and famous men from their beds; Ecclesiasticus 48: 6.

who heard rebuke at Sinai and judgments of vengeance at Horeb; Ecclesiasticus 48: 7.

who anointed kings to inflict retribution,

and prophets to succeed you. Ecclesiasticus 48: 8.

The word "afflict" is associated with antiphonal singing with instruments. The war chant afflicted the enemy into cowardice because you boasted that "my god can defeat your god." The Livitical instrumentalists (not musicians) were always under the king and commanders of the army: they were warrior musicial afflicters:

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. Hosea 13:9

I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? Hosea 13:10

I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath. Hosea 13:11

The preacher-educational push in Nashville is that the Bible has evolved so radically that there are only seven facts about Jesus which has not "evolved" itself out of existance except as a resource for constructing our own "narrative" and among a growing number "be our own Christ."

The "evolution" of worship truly got its emotional dissociation during the witchcraft craze. Then, and now, this was and is the product of preachers protecting their ill-gotten turf.

The First Great American Awakening was pushed over the edge by George Whitefield. George, like our own performers, had been trained in the theater. He blasted the theater but used theatrical preaching to manipulate people into temporary schizeophrenis. Not even then would old George go beyond the pale and use instruments or secular songs.

The Second Great American Awakening came into full possession of the methodology and voodoo-based black oppression music. By blending it with "christian" hymns with a hillbilly twang they discovered that you could manipulate people into a charismatic fit: swaying, hand clapping etc. This could be sold as "the work of the Holy Spirit." But it was an unholy spirit of competition.

Still, none of the non-Catholic type denominations would have dared used instruments. So, this is the evolution but the Word of God did not have an EXPIRED IN 1800 IN FRONTIER AMERICAN label.

The evolution was in organizing the Sectarian Instrumental and Choir wing of the church. However, much of this came out of the Christian Church out of Americal Methodism out of Anglicanism. This was the "high church" view that men (elders) have the authority to fill in the time-dependant blanks God overlooked. However, even Anglicans never got a chance to reject the Catholic High Church view of clergy because Queen Elizabeth vetoed their plan.

Just confusing the facts: you could identify everything in "non-instrumental" churches as wrong or evil but that would not change a jot or tittle about "music as worship" which is the best documented pagan practice in the history of religion. Only those who don't like to read but like to body worship could have escaped the abundant history.

Paul said that if everyone prophesied then everyone would be edified. Prophesying by one who is not inspired is to READ THE WORD and end it with: "Thus saith the Lord." This means that the Lord speaks in the way the Lord intends to speak to those who are not prophets.

However, among the Corinthians:

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.

Let all things be done unto edifying. 1Co.14:26

Paul could speak in tongues or the minor dialects but he would NOT DO SO IN CHURCH. Therefore, Paul did not give permission to speak in one's own minor dialect when everyone knew Greek.

Therefore, by the same verse he does not give permission to sing their own song because he always prescribes "that which is written" as the only teaching resource.

Therefore, everything WHICH IS DONE in the public assembly MUST be for edification: tongues and self-composed poems do not edify and therefore are not commanded.

The Presbyterians which influenced the Campbells use the Psaltery or psalms only and did not use instruments. That was because there is a direct command to use "that which is written" (Rom 15), the Spirit (Eph 5) or the Word of Christ (Col. 3).

There are also all kinds of Bibles also.

Well, we know something about Restoration Movement History. Alexander understood the Bible and refused to become a "pastor." However, he made his living by marrying well and publishing. When he published his first book of SONGS it had no notes. They used one of five tunes to sing all of them. However, his competition took these songs and put notes to them. Therefore, this was not evolution but commercialization of religion. The publishers, and not God, have made all of the songs sung in almost all of the churches: "if I can compose your songs it matters not who preaches the sermons."

The direct command is that we "teach" the Biblical Text and there is no immediate command to "sing." The DIRECT COMMAND is to use "that which is written." Therefore, Alexander Campbell simply did not grasp that singing was not an act of worship but an act of EDUCATION. Paul said it to the Romans just as He said it to others:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Rom 15:4

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Rom 15:5

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15:6

There certainly is no more "musical" concept in the Bible than in teaching a Physics class. We need no legalism which says: "Thou shalt not entertain my class with they team whist I am teaching Physics." We would just call the cops and we doubt NOT that a Holy God will do no less. Singing in the modern style is a concession but it often leades to self-composed praise songs so that teaching the Bible in song is totally lost.

No, the Corinthians were not commanded to do any of these.

Pavoratti comes to our congregation as says: "I see that all of you have a song and that you are all singing opera." Now, we are informed enough about Paul's use of irony that we don't go home and tell mother: "Pavoratti says that I sing opera." Like Paul in 1 Cor 12, as a Pavoratti would say, "but you don't ALL have the talent, do you!" Now, this is an insult and not a legalistic pattern. The CORE gospel was also an insult to eternally carnal people.

Paul said that these songs came out of their own "spirit" or mind, that they were speaking to god (generic) when they ought to be listening, and that this was just speaking into the air. He condemns utterly those who would "instruct God" or be His counselor. A bit of background grasps that the "just out of pagans" were prone to worship the goddes of the Air.

But if all prophesy (teach the word saying "thus saith the Lord"), and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 1 Cor 14:24

And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 1 Cor 14:25

"But what do we find with you" is not a command but ridicule:

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. (teaching) 1 Cor 14:26

"Doctrines" and "essential practices" are not within the arena of "authority" for the elders: they do not compose their own songs, their own doctrines, speaking in tongues (complex singing and instrument) and have a revelation from God.

Paul didn't say "do all of these things." He said, "do all that you do be instructive." This is exactly the instructions in the other "singing" passages:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col 3:16

If your body begins to rock and you begin to clap your hands you are engaged in "body worship."

When the Greeks read something in the Greek language their speech patterns were called "singing." The normal inflection of the voice as was cantillation among the Hebrews meant that "singing" was "reading like a schoolboy reads the hallel."

"These musical fragments show that Greek music was predominantly vocal, although instrumental pieces were sometimes presented.

"The music was homophonic; i.e., it consisted of single melodic lines.

"Ancient Greek was a pitched language, so melody had to be an outgrowth of the natural inflections of the spoken language. [That was "speaking" one to another and in the synagogue it would be called cantillation or chanting: speaking in an elevated voice]

"In early Christian times the Gnostics used the Greek scale in their incantations, and Byzantium adopted the Greek modes.

Paul then goes on to demand that if anyone does any of these things believing that they are inspired (give God the credit for my inspired songs) they would have to have a monitor: an interpreter to agree that he was inspired. But they were all singing THEIR song and teaching THEIR doctrne and making THEIR revelation: but Paul would say, "but you don't all have a gift, DO YOU?

So, what do we have? We have the Apostle Paul say that even if one who believes themselves to be inspired have no authority to speak out of their own spirit unless they are willing to be questioned and censured. Elders do not rise above that Authority. Jesus claimed that He only spoke what He heard from the Father. Therefore when people come to believe that elders are above questioning it is no wonder that they are compared to "celestial beings."

Paul prescribed the command of Christ that our teaching and praying be "in spirit and in truth."

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 1Co.14:15

This is parallel to :

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15:6

Paul's universal demand is: "Teach or preach the revealed Words of Christ, sing and make melody in the heart." That means singing in the spirit along with speaking or singing the Words of Christ.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit (The Word); Eph 5:18

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Eph 5:19

All of these in the Septuagint are Biblical Psalms and not self-composed songs.

You might as well compose YOUR OWN BIBLE as to compose your own song book.

This meets Jesus' demand for worship "in spirit and in truth." Choirs singing human compositions violate this direct command. Therefore, it will do no good to pretend to Madison that God has no will in the way we are to worship. Therefore, you have to trust yourself to elders who trust themselves to theatrical performers who effeminize and weaken the church.

Mature members are not hard hearted: they simply are higly offended when the elders present them with performance preaching or singing which "afflicts" the masculine nature of most males.

Before and during the Restoration Movement, the "musical" practices within the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists universally repudiated "music" as a device of worship until just before and following the Civil war. The changes did not happen with any attempt to justify it by the Bible until 1878. Then, as now, the musical thrust was a seeker after those with money. Following the civil war, the northern cities were very wealthy and began to compete with one another for "crowds" to pay for the new mega-churches.

The Catholic Encyclopedia in the 1913 edition agrees with the non-instrumental or non performance vie.

All of the church fathers understood that music was not a "worship" word in the Bible and simply had no role to play in the church which was synagogue or school and not a pagan "worship center."

All of the protestant reformers repudiated music for the same reason some of us still do.

There is not now nor ever has there been a lack of information or Biblical evidence that one cannot do "in spirit" or in the mind devotion to God by stimulating the external, carnal sense. When the body moves as a result of "music" then the performance is inducing the impulse of "fight, flight or sex." Many mature, masculine members flee, most endure the impulse of "sex" and a few brave souls are stirred to fight. Yes, musical performance can and does induce violence.

Our spirit worships God's Holy Spirit and 'you' can have no part of my worship. Ample church history notes singing the inspired Biblical material but this was never "music" which in the Greek world was a secular, carnal and usually prostitute role.

And if you are so addicted to getting kicks out of assigning worship to that one hour one Sunday then you have no authority to define that as the exclusive place and method of worship which is so addictive that you will agree to sowing discord and offending these little ones and 'stealing church houses of widows' just like the Pharisees.

Again we quote:

However, when it comes to the worship practices of the early church, there is very little actually taught in the scriptures and historical documents.

But aren't we ever so lucky that the Bible is filled with negative associations between music and worship: if God approved of music as worship, why would He associate it with the pagan idolatry at Mount Sinai, telling God I will not listen to you, comparing those who come to hear the beautiful voice as treating God like a prostitute, associating instrumental noise only to burning sacrifices in the temple in Jerusalem, attributing the king/queen of Tyre the qualities of Lucifer who used music in a commercial/religious seeker system, said that the king/queen of Babylon would rot on a bed of maggots along with his/her harps, prophesying that the Judas attack would be a vocal and instrumental attack, having Jesus attacked by the pipers and singers, having Jesus drive away the "musical mourning team," having Paul define-away "music" in teaching and having John predict of the end-time Babylon Harlot and her commercial seeker system with musicians and instruments?

If music is God ordained to be the way Spirit is worshiped with the "works of human hands" why is His Spirit association 100% with beyond-redemption experiences in Israel and then Judah? Why would He not give us just one hint that: "Hay, I just love musicians trying to seduce Me." Or why is music never associated with an ethos or power to make people better? Or why does He endanger His own gift by associating it with warfare, prostitution and the "like the nations" worship at the temple?

Or why would He outlaw the "playing of trumpets and making a joyful noise before the Lord" when the nation was assembled? These assemblies were only for instruction and the trumpets were used like church bells but they were not used for "worship."

Aren't we lucky to have lots of historical documents which do not detail liturgy because there was none. However, they define Paul's direct command as the way to 'teach and preach' to those without their own copy of the Bible. And so lucky that they all universally condemn using the instruments of the pagan theatrical crowd and prostitutes even in their secular parties and totally repudiate them "while in church."

If you have dissociated your mind by replacing Truth with music, you may believe that there is no evidence. That is just wishful thinking and slight of hand. If you are interested in what the church Fathers said about "music as worship" just click here: but turn off the CCM blasting away your eardrums because you CANNOT learn and listen at the same time.

The new word is not "change" but innovating and improvising.

You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. Amos 6:5

"Doubtless they sounded harmoniously in their own ears; but it reached no further. Their melody, like much Church-music, was for itself, and ended in itself. 'Let Christian chanters learn hence, not to set the whole devotion of Psalmody in a good voice, subtelty of modulation and rapid intonation, quavering like birds, to tickle the ears of the curious, take them off to themselves and away from prayer, lest they hear from God." (Barnes, Albert, Amos, p. 300)

"That chant to the voice of the lyre, accompanying the voice of the lyre with the human voice, giving vocal expression and utterance to what the instrumental music spoke without words. The word, which Amos alone uses in this one place, describing probably 'a hurried flow of unmeaning, unconsidered words, in which the rhythm of words and music was everything, the sense, nothing; much like most glees. The E.M. 'quaver' has also some foundation in the root, but does not suit the idiom so well, which expresses that the act was something done to the voice of the lyre, accompanying the music, not altering the music itself." (Barnes, Albert, Amos, p. 303).

Modern choir singing is called "organum" or after the pipe organ. A well trained team can become a vocal band. Therefore, to claim not to be instrumental but to add the human equivalent is just legaleze like the Pope's invention of A Cappella.

The American Restoration Movement changed almost nothing in their worship: didn't have to, no one was so gross as to add choirs and instruments to their spiritual worship. They explicitely repudiated that form of singing designed to mentally dissociate people into coming to the mourning bench to get their salvation!

The goal was not to come closer to God but to come closer to the Bible! Like David the musician, they didn't feel that God was lost or "up there" so that our musical worship team must "lead you into the presence of God."

Perhaps we are reading the wrong history. Normally orphans were cared for in an intimate, personal way which would not destroy the peron's self-worth. History did not await Madison in 1950 to invent orphan homes. People always took care of one another before Pot Luck Paula had not turned "church" into Pot Belly Ken. Before then, churches believed Christ and honored Christ by "going into all the world to preach the gospel." Paul was not conserned with orphan homes but preaching the gospel. He was not sent to form orphan homes but to preach. That was some other person's "job description." Indeed, Phoebe seems to have been a Greek official: she was Agape, Welcome Wagon, House Hunter, Job Seeker and whatever it took as an agent of the Government to help foreigners get settled down.

We remember supporting orphans before Madison was born. So, we were not evil just because "church" was for education and honoring Christ rather than entertaining and worshiping the team.

When that was done the early churches ALWAYS took care of widows and orphans: long before Madison church of Christ. The earliest secular history about the "assembly" was that they took up collections for the needy and not for the rich and famous who refused to move on: they gave even one claiming to be an apostle only two or three days and then sent him on or found him a job. The Widow in Deed is confused with the deaconess but she was put on the church rolls for help. Now, we steal the widow's church houses and send them out into the cold looking for a new one afte spending their lives building Madison only to be told that "we are waiting for you to die so we can take over."

But, I know where the writer is heading. It is predictable to identify the old "traditional" worship service with not caring for widows and orphans. Why, one Nashville fellow equates our view about music to fire bombing abortion clinics or chasing down a fur-wearing lady and doing her in. However, Madison did its work when it was manned by elders rather than what Lipscomb called the "youngers." This was before the belly-button-examining, fur-licking, Baby Boomers (Infantile Drummers) decided that they were God's ordained agents to change church into "venue for rock and role" (that "f" word). They even believe that their songs are more inspired than God's songs.

One pro-instrumentalists suggests that the bread is still the bread whether it is on a plate or not: the plate does not change the FORM of the elements. That's so true. However, the bread is still bread if it is served up on a cow chip. See the difference? No?

Ira North would not approve of those now telling their seniors: "It is corban." It is dedicated to the Lord. We just have to worship our bodies. Sorry about that but when the Voodoo drums (singers) began to beat then I have to get on my feet and sorry it offends you old lady but soon you will be dead and we can do it our ways."

They fawn over the "leaders" which one e-mali equates to "celestial beings" but have no respect for the true elders male and female who are foced out in the cold if they do not want to be offended.

Ira was Biblically literate and it is so unthinkable that one would try to resurrect him to get his approval for choirs, mediating teams, charismatic worship and, not far off, a rock and roll band just like the Saddle Backers. Ira would have known that "music" is not an operative, worship word in the entire Bible. Is music wrong? Of course not. However, in a "religious" sense "Music, sex and perverted sex" were locked-at-the hip components in paganism.

You cannot do music or listen to music without telling Christ: "Just for the moment I don't want to follow you into suffering. I want to get my fix from musicians pulling tricks." (Well, the Classics and church fathers knew that.)

Alexander the oracle Monger knew that you could sing and toot the flute (vocal band equivalent) and seduce the "fatheads and simpletons." And "only females and the effeminate" fell into musical breakdowns. Read it, you will find out how music is always used to manipulate weak or immature minds.

Musical Prophesying - Witchcraft - Making Souls Fly

That is the Saddleback term. Jesus said that God only looks for worship in the spirit or mind: he doesn't care how many "Lord, Lords" you say as you prophesy (the meaning of music and singing). Your body is carnal and is SUPPOSED to be considered dead (Rom 12) and burned up on the altar before your spirit can even approach God. If you are worshiping with your body then you are not worshiping IN SPIRIT.

"Singing served as a means of inducing ecstatic prophecy (speaking in tongues).

Thus the essential relationship between music and prophecy can be clearly seen.

This relationship also explains why the expression for "making music" and "prophesying" was often identical in the ancient tongues. origen contra celsum 8.67.

The Hebrew word Naba signifies not only "to prophesy" but also "to make music." (Quasten, Johannes, Music and Worship in Pagan and Christian Antiquity, p. 39)

Therefore, if you are involved in BODY WORSHIP with music, God will say, "I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME."

Your spiritual forefathers and foremothers in the seeker systems don't hesitate to call it entertainment. If your body moves it is because you are under attack by deliberate inducers of endorphins and other junk called "morphine within." Harmony induces pain, pain induces endorphins, endorphins mask pain, leave some left over to be PEDDLED as "spirituality." Paul said that the body and spirit are eternally in conflict: if your body "worships" then you have been dissociated and you are following those "who make souls fly." See how soul and body hunters are condemned by God as soothsayers or enchanters or diviners:

Paul spoke directly to the "musical instruments" which were brass, hi-tek versions of the familiar spirit of the witch of Endor. Her's was a hollow, empty wineskin. The same concept defines the nebel or harp by which one spoke the voice of the angels or departed souls (demons) to get a message.

The Corinthians honored these witches because the uncovered prophesiers (11:5) came out of such practices which hunted souls to make them fly to have the gods speak to them. However, Paul would say: "Even, if I could speak the voice of angels" I would be identical to the empty brass echo chambers and cymbals who could "speak to you from the gods" but brass as a musical instrument cannot love you:

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Cor 13:1

False prophesying out of a person's own spirit (Paul to Corinth) was always musical. Therefore, the women were especially good at composing "old wives tales" or magical incantation called hymns. Furthermore, Jesus identified the Devil as a liar where liar is defined as "speaking on his own."

Singing their own songs which had no rational meaning was speaking in tongues. It has been said that if women were excluded from speaking in tongues there would be no speaking in tongues. And if women and the effeminate were excluded from "standing in the holy place" there would be no music called "worship."

Ezekiel who in chapter 33 has God identifying those seeking musical performance as treating Him like a prostitute also spoke to the women.

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, Eze 13:17

And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows (seductive suggestion) to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls

Will ye hunt the souls of my people, (soul Seekers)

and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? Eze.13:18

Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows (clothing to suggest after-hours free time), wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly (lift up), and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. Eze 13:20

Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Eze 13:22

Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Eze 13:23

Rubel Shelly teaches that the musical team can "lead the worshipers into the presence of God" and the Vineyard look-alike says that the goal is to reach a climax with God. This repudiates Christ as the One and Only Mediator and disgusts a holy God who will spit you out of His mouth.

Matthew Henry notes:

3. They kept people in awe, and terrified them with their pretensions: "You hunt the souls of my people (v. 18), hunt them to make them flee (v. 20), hunt them into gardens (so the margin reads it);

you use all the arts you have

to court or compel them into those places

where you deliver your pretended predictions,

or you have got such an influence upon them that you make them do just as you would have them to do, and tyrannise over them.''

"It was indeed the people's fault that they did regard them,

but it was their fault by lies and falsehoods to command that regard;

they pretended to save the souls alive that came to them, v. 18.

If they would but be hearers of them, and contributors to them, they might be sure of salvation;

thus they beguiled unstable souls that had a concern about salvation as their end but did not rightly understand the way, and therefore hearkened to those who were most confident in promising it to them.

But will you pretend to save souls, or secure salvation to your party?'' Those are justly suspected that make such pretensions.

But Jesus said that God only SEEKS those who worship "in spirit and in truth." Now, that does not mean enthusiastically without regard to the Truth. The "spirit" is the PLACE where God looks for us. He cannot be seduced in a "knowing" way by our BODIES. This was always the claim of king/queen of Tyre who was the agent of Lucifer and called "the harp-playing prostitute." Ezekiel 33 has God equating those who come to listen to "a beautiful voice" as coming to Him like they came to their prostitute priests.

Michal, David's faithful defender, found something wrong with it. David "rose up to play" using the same words as when Israel rose up to play in musical idolatry around the golden calf. David, bless him, believed that he had God in a box. He told Michal that he was happy because the slave girls (camp followers) praised him and he would "make himself even more vile." That is the meaning of Davids praise, Halal, related to "lucifer."

The Jewish people had NEVER worshiped God with singing, instruments, dancing or hand clapping. Worship to the Jews was "bowing down" or "hard bondage." And this was mostly fulfilled by the tribe of Levi. The synagogue had never "worshiped" by singing, playing, dancing or clapping hands." These are practices of the culture and never "acts of worship."

There was never any "music" in the Jewish "pattern" of worship. Pagans knew that music and cultic prostitution went together and therefore neve seduced the "elders" into getting us a musical worship team so we can worship THEM.

Jesus spoke brutally of music but too deep for now.

Paul commanded "in the heart" melody which, by the definition of Psalmos, excludes any other "instrument."

Why, even the trees praised, sang and clapped their hands. But Jesus said that the truth had been spoken in parables "from the foundation of the world" to hide it from those who cared nothing for truth.

Again, Rubel Shelly of Woodmont Hills will actually lead you into the presence of God

Position Title: Worship Facilitation Minister (Link mercifully removed)

"Work with the worship planning committee, the preaching minister and worship presentation groups (music, drama and technical) to facilitate group worship experiences which will help bring worshipers into the presence of God.

That means to "Make Souls Fly" and such identification was the eternal way to capture souls and give them wings.

Amos and Isaiah connected musical worship with total ignorance of the Word of God. This caused the people to hunger and thirst for the Word and be taken into captivity and death: captives were always led into captivity to the beat of musical PRAISE which was to make them seem vile and as they CLAPPED their hands in contempt.

No, He told those who opposed Him but He did not leave this as a pattern. These people don't sing "praise the lord, praise the lord" or "lord, lord." Rather, praise is to tell the story of what they know.

Lots of people praised God but I don't think that they ever held a PRAISE RITUAL. wouldn't that be legalistic?

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Luke 19:37

Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. Lu 19:38

Rejoice is: Chairo (g5463) khah'ee-ro; a prim. verb; to be "cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impers. espec. as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well: - farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joy (-fully), rejoice

Cry Out: Krazo (g2896) krad'-zo; a prim. verb; prop. to "croak" (as a raven) or scream, i.e. (gen.) to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat): - cry (out).

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness for in one hour is she made desolate. Re.18:19

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; Rev 18:22

Praise means to "tell what you know about the Bible or for miracles performed by Jesus. It does not mean to cry out "lord, lord." We praise Johnny by telling abut his good grade. We praise God by telling people what God has said in His Word. We praise Jesus by telling how He raised the Dead. We don't praise self or the praise leader.

These people were not in a "Corporate Worship" or "Plenary Session" as those who try to intruduce instruments into "non plenatry sessions."

All of the legalistic "patterns" for charismatic (musical) worship are lifted from the private activities of people. If you see Jesus performing a miracle then it is proper to tell everyone: "I just saw Jesus raise the dead." However, the praise must have some object or activity to laud.

Praise means to "tell what you know about the Bible or for miracles performed by Jesus. It does not mean to cry out "lord, lord." We praise Johnny by telling abut his good grade. We praise God by telling people what God has said in His Word. We praise Jesus by telling how He raised the Dead. We don't praise self or the praise leader.

These people were not in a "Corporate Worship" or "Plenary Session."

No, the Jews never "worshiped" by clapping their hands: just some more death-dealing ignorance of the Word. But, we will show you where Madison gets its charismatic worship MOTHER from:

"Often this intimacy causes us to meditate, even as we are singing, on our relationship with the Lord. Sometimes we recall vows we have made before our God. God might call to our mind disharmony or failure in our life, thus confession of sin is involved. Tears may flow as we see our disharmony but his harmony; our limitations but his unlimited possibilities. This phase in which we have been wakened to his presence is called expression. Carol Wimber

Physical and emotional expression in worship can result in dance and body movement.

The Jewish people never worshiped with "congregational singing with instrumental accompaniment." No "musical praise team" ever led them into the presence of God. The common people's congregation was excluded from the temple during the animal burning music which is not called music but a great crashing noise. The people if incidentially present would be put "outside the camp." That is where Jesus meets believers.

It is true that the church was almost identical to the Jewish Synagogue. The synagogue was a school and not a pagan worship center. You don't sing, clap, dance and fall in the floor in Physics class or the teacher will call the mental institution to come get you.

The primary effort of the non-institutionalized synagogue was as a center for reading the Biblical Text and explaining those parts which needed to be "dialoged" but not preached. Jesus stood up to read the Scriptures and had the common decency to sit down and dialog with the people. There WAS NO PRAISE SERVICE IN THE SYNAGOGUE. The church added the Lord's Supper to that "school" and history shows that it was a private ceremony for members and not a show and tell with stimulators trying to massage the crowd into a "spiritual" mood.

Timothy restricted the lifting of hands to the HOLY MALE LEADERS. Lifting hands meant to put your elbows at your waist, extend your hands outward with palms upward as if "reading" that which you are reciting as prayers. "Praying" was hymning and most often meant reciting some poetic prayer material from the Text. Neither the prayers or "songs" were composed by human "inspiration."

Only the high priest was allowed to lift his hand up to his shoulders. On the other hand, those who waved their hands over their heads or clapped their hands were identified as unruly females or effeminate males. The punch line is HOLY and not "hands."

As we will see under what was always called the Holy Whore concept, women were not so much legally silenced as this was a way to identify those still-pagan women who exercised SEXUAL AUTHORITY by removing themselves from the sedentary position.

And MOTHER Carol taught us:

'At this time we also discovered that singing was not the only way to worship God. Because the word worship means literally to bow down, it is important that our bodies are involved in what our spirits are saying. In Scripture this is accomplished through bowing heads, lifting hands, kneeling, and even lying prostrate before God.

'A result of our worshipping and blessing God is being blessed by him. We don't worship God in order to get blessed, but we are blessed as we worship him.

He visits his people with manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

'Thus worship has a two-fold aspect: communication with God through the basic means of singing and praying, and communication from God through teaching and preaching the word, prophecy, exhortation, etc. We lift him up and exalt him, and as a result are drawn into his presence where he speaks to us.' Carol Wimber

Christian women are supposed to find it impossible to fall into a charismatic fit. Because it is music-induced it is a FIGHT impulse, a FLIGHT impulse or a SEXUAL real or pretend. this was the "authentia" or sexual and murderous impulse outlawed by Paul.

If the masculine component of the "synagogue" mind becomes hostile it is because music generates the FIGHT impulse or even unreasoning RAGE. Those who seduce the crowd with music understand fully well what they are attempting to do.

People have always believed that when their body begins to move under the mind-altering power of music that the "gods" or "Holy Spirit" was inside making them move. However, wine, sniffing poppy-seed incense or chewing laurel leaves to go insane and foam at the mouth worked just as well to fool both the fools and the foolers. [I have the laurel on my farm fenced off: just cannot stand charismatic deer out there prophesying].

"Restoration Churches" learned their practices of a "new style worship" with a "new style song book" from the Vineyard movement. Most "song book" publishers have followed suit with contemporary "christian" songs which are mushy sentimental, teach doctrinal error and create the endorphins which create or respond to the impulses of FIGHT, FLIGHT OR SEX.

In the classics, ordinary people not slaves or prostitutes were very reluctant to stand before a group and present a poem or song or play a piece on the harp (very uncooth to play and sing at the same time-you insult the poet). Therefore, when a respectable person rose up to public performance it was only because they were much or little out of their mind. Therefore, they were held to be inspired or they would not risk the ridicule expressed in hand clapping.

When you try to "bind flesh and spirit" together you are practicing an ancient fertility religion of sex or perverted sex. When your body starts pumping you are somewhat "charismatic" and somewhat charismatic is like somewhat pregnant:

Plato Ion 534a

[534a] just as the Corybantian worshippers

do not dance when in their senses,

so the lyric poets do not indite those fine songs in their senses,

but when they have started on the melody and rhythm they begin to be frantic, and it is under possession--as the bacchants are possessed, and not in their senses, whe