I think maybe I’ve figured it out. Apparently T. Dexter is getting ready to change professions. Apparently he is about to become a secular concert and entertain event producer. That is the only reason I can see for some of the guests he is inviting to The ‘Mess 2006. Either that or he thinks you are some incredibly stupid people.
In a concert called “The Celebration of Unity” ‘Mess organizers are going to have Aretha Franklin, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Kelly Price…”and more” strutting their stuff. Notice I didn’t say “ministering to the attendees.”
Why do I get the feeling that the only thing unifying these performers is name recognition and their ability to draw a crowd? Aretha Franklin is the uncontested queen of Soul. If you don’t know who she is, not only are you not an authentic Black but you must have been living in a cave for the last thirty-five years. Why is she performing? At best her connection to the Gospel and the Christian life has been tenuous during those thirty-five years.
I’ll give McClurkin, Hammond, and Caesar a pass. Though they are likely more performers than ministers, they are active and have been active in gospel music.
But then we get to Kelly Price. One of the things I like about writing this blog is the fact that I have to learn a lot of new things. One of the things I have been learning is the personalities in secular music. At first blush that would seem kind of curious since I am doing a Christian Apologetics blog. But given the intermingling of the secular with the Christian, perhaps it shouldn’t be that surprising.
But back to Kelly Price. Until this year, Ms. Price has apparently been a secular performer; a rather successful secular performer. I checked on some of the lyrics of her songs and they reflect the immoral view of sexuality and intimacy displayed by most of the current crop of popular singers. I won’t even bother to post some of the sleazier lyrics. But before any of you accuse me of looking just at her past, I recognize that Ms. Price is being featured in a Gospel album entitled “God’s Gift.” So maybe she has, within the last year, committed her life to Jesus Christ. Maybe.
Is it just me or do the rest of you think it’s somewhat presumptuous to feature a person who is better known for their secular productions than for being featured on a religious album just now being released? Why do I get the feeling that this concert is more about generating revenue and publicity than about teaching people how to live holy and acceptable lives to God (Romans 12:1,2)?
T. Dexter is also featuring Gerard Henry, the creator and host of BET’s Gospel music video show “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” He says his primary goal is to “motivate people to use their gifts to bring honor and glory to God.”
Of course you do know that BET doesn’t stand for Black Entertainment Television right?. I used to think it did. But then I spent some time watching it. That was when I decided the acronym actually stands for “Booties Exposed Tonight.”
Here is a two-fold why question: Why would someone produce a gospel program to be broadcast on such an ungodly network as BET? And please don’t tell me that it is to attract the unsaved who watch BET. If that’s the case, why not pay to broadcast that show and others on some of the adult entertainment cable channels?
Second why: Why is T. Dexter bringing in a man who would work for a network that broadcasts such negative-imaged sewage? Who next - Larry Flynt? Afterall, Larry professed to be a Christian something like fifteen years ago.
:lol:...
Melvin, why are you so harsh? You give christianity a bad name! Are you just so perfect, and you do nothing wrong? Wow, I have finally seen it all. Why don’t you go down to Mega Fest and give out tracts to get your point across. Are you really a christian because I don’t see anything about your site that says you are one? Just curious! Anyway, God still loves you and will forgive you.
I am only as harsh as God insists we be with those who would fleece the sheep and deceive the unsaved.
To read about me (not that it’s that important) click on the “About Me” link to the right of the articles. Of, since you didn’t see it the first time, clck here.
You must be a relatively new reader. You just stepped through most of the KJR comments people make.
And actually, it’s the subjects of the postings who give Christianity a bad name. I am simply calling attention to them and warning you about them. The unsaved don’t care much about this site. They generally think it’s much ado about nothing.
While I do have some of the same concerns that you do, I find that your issue with Gerard Henry being on BET somewhat confusing. If we use the same logic, why are you using the “Eye of the Devil, ” the internet, to post your blogs?
Here, let me help you out.
Radio is a medium. It is neither good nor bad. However, somethings broadcast can be good or bad. Those who do the broadcasting are responsible for the content. The radio waves are not.
Broadcast television is a medium. It is neither good nor bad. However, something broadcast can be good or bad. Those who do the broadcasting are responsible for the content. The “television waves” are not.
Cable and Satellite are mediums. They are neither good nor bad. However, something broadcast can be good or bad. Those who create the content of the programs are responsible for the contents. The cable is not.
The Internet is a medium. It is neither good nor bad. Those who generate the contents are responsible for the contents. The internet is not.
The closest we can come to what you are saying is a communications medium controlled by a single entity. Direct TV or a cable company may agree to carry bad stuff (like adult channels). And to that degree, they are responsible for being a sewage portal. However, that gets us into a discussion that could go on forever and not really get us much of any where.
My point is that the internet is a medium, neither good nor bad. Each person is responsible for what they put on the ‘net.
Your analogy is flawed.
I would respectfully disagree with you and as I have seen, if you don’t agree with an analogy, it is, in your opinion flawed. In any case, I can somewhat appreciate your ministry as it relates to apologetics. Continue to be led of the Lord.
(MN: Of course I think it’s flawed. Why else would I disagree with it? But still, thank you for the encouragement.)
MJ,
I will have to agree w/ Ron on the “Gerard Henry” issue. I believe, and I may be wrong, however “Black Entertainment Television” at it’s inception was supposed to provide an alternative for black people to be entertained and informed.
The focus of the network was to reflect black culture to it’s viewers (and Gospel music is supposedly a big part of Black Culture). The early years of BET consisted primarly of Music Video Shows, Info-mercials, and Gosple Music.
Of course as time went on the videos have gotten worse (but continue to bring in more viewers), thus causing what you see today “Booties Exposed Tonight” (Sex Sells Commerical spots).
Not to mention the fact that MTV (Viacom/CBS) bought the Network a few years back… which just accelerated the course that the network was on.
Anyway, my point is at the time Gerard Henry created “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” , I belive it was a good thing because it got the word out about God/Jesus no matter how watered down it may have been or the fact that it was on BET.
And the reality is anything to do w/ the Gospel on a major Cable network is almost impossible to believe (TBN Excluded, but not too much on TBN is dealing w/ God/Jesus any way
)
I would bet you Dollars to dounuts, that even if he wanted to take his show to another network it wouldn’t have been picked up, due to the narrowcasting nature of the subject matter.
I see….. I would like to make a point in here. Yes, he does have a positive message(i guess), but man our Bible says “the righteous will scarcely make in, where will the sinner and the ungodly appear?” Look…. it’s time out for a watered down, user friendly, anything goes, so called gospel message. If the Gospel is “dialuted” it is not the Gospel anymore, It’s a lie with some truth in it, but not the Gospel. We need to really be concerened about our lifestyle. So much of the word of God is about living a HOLY life. Many of Paul and Peter’s writings were stressing life style.
My Point. Jesus said he came to cause division. Read the Book.
Dude…you rock! I agree 100% with every article you’ve written. You are shedding light on all the darkness that has become “church”. Keep going, bro! Some of the saints today are so brainwashed!!! And that’s probably because they are not reading the Bible like they should. Expose more!!!
That’s why I left the church years ago because of Christians fighting against Christians. This site doesn’t help at all. Rude comments against each other. I’m sure someone will come back and post a message to make me look stupid. Please someone pray for me that I will find my way back to God.
If you are sincere about finding the truth or a church who promotes the truth of scripture, look-up the Protestant Reformed church. They may not be the only one, but I am certain you will find unadulterated truth there. They are not a “Black” church, they are a true church.
Peace with God
Look Brother,
If this sight is right or wrong, whatever. But please feel me right here. Dont let anyone cause you to miss out with God. Disapointments are painful and discouraging, but your salvation is up to you. All i can say is that if you expect humans to be perfect, you’ll always be frustrated. But brother you put your faith and confidence in God. You may have to leave a church, but never leave God. I love you man and I’ll be praying, but Salvation is your choice too.
I think this sight in it’s purest intent is to expose those who pervert the truth and prey on innocent people while using God’s name. Never mind the people, focus on Jesus.
It is sad how we have these clown preachers who all they want to do is put on a show to make money. And its really sad that the majority people who attend this are saved and can’t see the wrongness in this event. I just thank God for brothas like yourself who try to reach the world about these people.
Here’s an email Melvin recently sent me. I believe it to be true and accurate. Isn’t it funny that once you’ve come to understand the gospel, you can clearly see through that which is not the gospel. Honestly, there are two emotions which continually fill my heart… Gratitude and sorry. Gratitude, because God was pleased to reveal the gospel to my heart through the Son. The other being sorrow… Sorrow for those for whom the gospel has not yet been revealed. Who need a works based righteousness for their acceptance before God.
As Melvin has stated… ”
“The purpose of the site is to warn you of them, not try to convince them to change. I do believe most of them know exactly what they are doing. They are not going to change. But, I can sound the warning to help some souls escape their pimping and sound the warning to help others avoid being pimped to start with.
And again, the issue is not “perfect doctrine.” The issue is the teaching of heresies and pimping the sheep”.
We should be thankful for men like Melvin, because they tell us the truth! Aren’t we tired of being lied to?
I really haven’t heard anyone address one of the main issues as seen on the flyer with the artists themselves. You have secular artist and “supposed” gospel artist performing together. My question is, is the “gospel” artist comprising him/herself? One comment you’ll hear from today’s gospel artists, is that they can’t reach today’s people with the old style gospel music (I beg to differ with this point, I’ll explain later), so they change it up a bit, throw in a funky beat, sample an old RB tune and poof!…. you have Kirk Franklin (who happens to attend Jake’s church).. excuse me today’s gospel artist. This speaks of the persons ego and how they justify what they do. Because it’s not about them reaching the person, it’s about the holy spirit and how he moves, I might even be wrong here on this point, and I will take criticism on it. However, personally I am turned off when I hear Franklins music, especially his new one taking riffs from Patrice Rushens “Haven’t You Heard”. But people accept it and move on. If I am not mistaken, I do believe Satan was the minister of music in heaven at one time. So it should be no wonder that gospel has fused itself with R&B and rap and continues to do so to the point to where you can’t tell the difference between the two, which goes directly against scripture reference 1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
During the BET award’s Yolanda Adams sang Chaka Khans “Sweet Thing”, which of course is about adultery. As my wife watched this I turned away and shook my head, but she was okay with this. And her reasoning was that maybe they were friends and she was supporting her with the song. I laughed long and hard at this and said to her maybe she should be witnessing to her and not helping her stay where she is, by encouraging her by singing the song. I’m not sure if anyone else even saw this?
Oh, yes, I saw it and I was sitting there with my mouth open. I was like, “HUH?!?” How is that not confusing to the baby Christians and to the slightly mature ones (like me)? I was dumbfounded by it. Yolanda can be Chaka’s friend. Nine times out of ten you’ll find most folks have unsaved friends. Cece Winans says one of her best friends is Whitney Houston. But what Yolanda did, she didn’t have to do. “Chaka, I love you and I’m praying for you, but I can’t sing that.” I like Yolanda and Chaka, too…but in their proper settings. What next….Ying Yang Twins and Andrae Crouch? (LOL). I’m a musical purist. I like Gospel with Gospel and Old School with Old School, not a mix. Like Kirk’s song. I can’t hear that song without thinking about being at the roller rink as a teen skating to Patrice Rushen’s version. And at the rink…I was not lookin’ for JESUS. Just keeping it real.
So what was it exactly about the Patrice Rushen riff that you didn’t like in the Kirk Franklin song? Is it just that it came from her song? Do you also get offended when secular artist take riffs from Gospel songs? Does it not work both ways? I guess I’m still trying to find some answers to not only this question, but the others I posted previously concerning “unpleasant” music…How are people defining unpleasant and pleasant? Where is the line drawn in what’s acceptable and unacceptable? And how many people truly remove themselves from environments where music is being played that is not Gospel/Christian?
I hear you on this point tweet its easy to sit and criticise and say this is bad while this is ok.
I’ve been on a long journey with the music i listen to since i got saved. when something is blatantly promoting/encouraging a life style against that which is revealed to us in the bible i don’t entertain such things.
however one of my fav tracks at the momment is by a new secular artist Connie bailey Rae the song is not offensive and the video is modest.
I think what events like megamess do is highlight the very real problem that is happening everywhere. the lines are getting very blurred these days between the acceptable and the unacceptable. I once went to a church where they sang a hymn to the beat of 2pac song.
Check out the “Oprah - Goddess of This World” blog, comments were posted concerning Yolanda’s performance on the BET Awards. Very interesting.
Now on music and the gospel, it’s debatable on what’s deem as appropriate and inappropriate since there’s no musical notes in the bible but I can say when you co-mingle secular music with gospel what do you hear? What carries the weight of the song? I agree with praywarrior when hearing Kirk’s song you can’t help but think about your days at the skating rink or at a back yard party. During my days in the world (Hallelujah, He changed me!!!!) I would go to clubs and the deejay would play Kirk’s Stomp, Revelation or Mary Mary’s Shackles and we would get our (excuse me for saying this) freak-on on all these so-call gospel songs. If it can be played in a nightclub and if you can move your hips to it then it’s kind of questionable.
But the major issue is that some of these gospel artists are allowing the world to set a model for their music instead of their music setting a model for the world. They’re trying to be so culturally relevant that they have fallen right into the culture and you can’t tell the difference between them and the world. Music and songs are meant to bring glory to God with praise and thanksgiving and not meant to be detrimental or appealing to the flesh.
I tried posting this comment yesterday, but I was having computer errors…:( Anyway, Yolanda and Fred both did commercials a few years back…Chrysler and Domino’s, respectively. Are these commercials detrimental to one’s spiritual walk and/or appealing to the flesh?
Tweet, I like Patrice Rushen’s song, and I’d probably like Kirk Franlkin’s if it used different music. I have no problem with the lyrics. I get offended when secular artists use Gospel or Inspirational (a lot of this stuff is not Gospel). A good, but old example is the old Spiritual “Wade In The Water”. Tony! Toni! Tone! used the same music for their song “Little Walter.” The two genres just do not mix to me. And as far as removing yourself from “unpleasant” music, the spirit of discernment will give you clues on when not to participate. My job had an employee appreciation ceremony where all they played was old school music. Some hip-hop, too. I enjoyed it. I would have had a problem if after an old school tune I heard a Gospel song. To me it would be like a mockery of sorts. Some functions I don’t even bother to go to because I can tell in the way they’re advertised, they’re going to be heathen. I think Tweet, the line is drawn in your own walk with the LORD: HE will make very clear to you what is right to listen to and what is not, if you ask HIM.
Prayrwarrior:
I understand what you are saying, however, with “Little Walter,” I believe that the artists were trying to get a message across to the audience and that is the dangers of drugs; Little Walter’s lifestyle of drugs lead him to his death. I really do not have a problem with this song because of its message. But in truthfulness, one must asked, was the audience really listening to the lyrics or the beat?
I will tell you what he was saying, he does not think about Jesus when he hears that song, neither do I. All I think about is when I was in the club dancing to that song when it first came out in the 80’s. Even when Stomp came out, I say unsaved people grooving to stomp and saying cant wait to go to the club tonight! George Clinton wrote stomp and the saints were just rockin to it. Even Steve Harvey talks about how wicked stomp is. Come on saints lets get real.
It is the Lord that gives us a new song, not the world. Gullible!
Please don’t use Steve Harvey ever again as an example on this site. That is the blind leading the Blind. Have you ever heard of Kings of Comedy, how in the world can that brother talk about anything? Get out of here with that seriously. LOL
Money is the name of the game. You would be suprised at the amount of “Christian Producers” are producing for secular artists such as Snoop, 50 cent and a host of other artists that rap about things God hates. The Love of Money can cause a person to act a fool. Me as a former hip hop artist and now a Gospel singer, I know the pressures of trying to fit into an image. People buy into it. But it’s ridiculous that artists compromise for the sake of popularity. You sing about Jesus or dont call your self a Gospel Artist.
Tweet,
My answer to you is this, if you listen to the song he is using the same lyrics as the original, but throwing god (I use the small g for this) in it to give it the gospel twist. My question to you, is as you are listening to the song, do you feel convicted? And, how does this song show praise and worship to God? Or do you see anything wrong with Franklin’s approach? As you listen to his music you can se where his influence is hip hop. So that is the direction his music has taken. My point is this when you are trying to separate yourself from something, you don’t want to necessarily be around or be tempted by what your coming out of i.e. the musical influence. Think about about it….
2 Peter 2:20 For if, after escaping the world’s corruptions through a full knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and conquered by them, then their last condition is worse than their former one.
2 Peter 2:21 Indeed it would have been better for them not to have known the Way of Righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them.
2 Peter 2:22 The proverb is true that describes what has happened to them: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and “A pig that is washed goes back to wallow in the mud.”
Point well taken…Do I personally agree with all that you are saying…no, but that’s what opinions are for — to show differing viewpoints. But what about my other question…the flip side…Secular artists using Gospel riffs, etc…Is that a problem?
The best example of this is Al Green, huge back in the 60’s and 70’s. Got burned by some grits, found religion, released a few gospel songs, but went back to his R & B roots and still performs and preaches to this day. Out of all that I have said, what does the bible have to say about it all?
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
and here are some sermon notes for you as well ;
I. SIN HAS UPSETTING EFFECT UPON NORMAL BALANCE OF MAN.
A. Three parts to man - body, soul & spirit.
1. Spirit highest, soul next, then body.
2. Highest gift to man is mind.
a. Think and reason.
b. Logic.
c. Mind - affections - will.
3. Sin - reversed order and balance.
a. Instructions: heart comes first, then mind, then will.
4. Man no longer governed by mind, but by heart.
a. Example, John 3:19, men loved darkness.
5. People who say that Christianity not reasonable attempt to intellectually justify the godlessness of their heart.
a. “The fool hath said in his heart.”
b. The heart covets worldly things and rules the mind.
II. SIN BLINDS MAN TO CERTAIN VlTAL ASPECTS (II Cor. 4:3&4).
A. Blinds us to things perfectly obvious.
1. Worldly treasures, fact is.
a. None of them last.
1. Personal appearance.
2. How often face this fact?
a. Money - can’t take it with you.
b. Jealous and envious of one another.
B. Change and decay all around. We see but we don’t perceive.
1. Value of man and God.
2. Try to please man, God ignored.
3. Our worldly life put before God, this is blindness.
C. Blind to impossibility of mixing opposites.
1. No mixing of light and darkness.
2. No serving God and mammon.
Thanks Tweet, you don’t have to agree, however, the deeper you get in your Word, somethings become clearer to you. I’m not saying that you are not in your Word at all. I’m just saying that when as a “christian” you see and hear certain things, my belief is that God will give you insight into what is right and wrong. There is nothing new that is going on today, that has not happened in some form years ago, that’s why the bible is our compass and manual. My belief is this, people that accept it are carnal minded and will pretty much accept anything. I have two words for you, “leaven and carnal”. Leaven in how the music has been effectively affected by the world (if you watch some of the gospel videos turn the music down and watch it and compare to a video on BET, sometime it’s no difference), and carnal - how christians accept it as the norm and move on (NCW had it correct, a supposed gospel song that’s made for dancing in the club). And to answer your question about secular artist’s, first I would look at source i.e. R-Kelley, Beyonce (who always puts a “gospel” song on her releases) and others, but yet the other 95% of the cd is about whatever) among others out there. To me it’s clear you either love one or hate the other. You’re either hot or cold, no grey area here.
Are we not content with Godliness?????? All the songs in scripture speak to GOD about GOD and they didn’t need a catchy beat or our approval to make the words acceptable to GOD.
When God gave David or the sons of Kora (or whomever the writers were) songs, they reflect Gods glory in the midst of any given situation, suffering, victory over our enemies or as we travel through this valley of tears on our way to heaven keeping our focus on our eternal sabbath the ultimate victory. GOD gave them the words, have they lost there power over time or have we lost our minds?
All of this mega music business is strictly a show and it’s no guessing who has overcome whom anymore. Todays “gospel” music has not won the world, they have become one with the world.
Don’t be deceived.
i believe kelly price stated in an interview that she started out singing in the church, under the c.o.g.i.c. denom…her and her sister however took a job singing with mariah carey, and that led to her r&b career, however, she would still attend her home church worship services, and has always held to her gospel roots, and speaking about her faith even at concerts, so the fact that she is doing gospel more frquently isnt a big jump, the fact that she took so long to get back to it is, for me any way….but i think that we all have our journeys to make back home, prayerfully she can lead others in the entertainment field back to Christ.
Genesis 11:1-9
The Tower of Babel
1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [a] they found a plain in Shinar [b] and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel [c] –because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Regarding “MegaMess” (and those soon to come in the future), Can’t help but think that it’s nothing more but a repeat of the “Babel” experience.
The tower of Babel was a great human achievemet, a wonder of the world. Only one problem, though….it was a momument to the people themselves rather than to God….it didn’t reflect who He was or what the Truth was all about
And yes, even though it was good that the people were unified/working together to help one another out, they were unfied for the WRONG PURPOSE!!! THEY WERE UNIFIED TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES RATHER THAN CONCERNED FOR MAKING GREAT THE NAME OF GOD!!!!
That’s the entire reason God scattered the people to begin with….if they were unified under the wrong purpose or for something as evil as denying reflecting God as He is, what limit would there be to the potential flood of evil that could follow from it (much like it is now, where people not following God were unified with people representing the Lord and now new/unheard of foolish are increasingly taking place in the church!!! And it’s all happened before with God’s people more than once……Genesis 6:1-8, Judges 1-2, II Kings 17, etc)?
If people are making momuments to themselves to call attention to their achievements rather than the God of the Bible, and if they use them for self-worth/idenity apart the Lord, even if the the things they build are not wrong in themselves (example: having a conference, being in a place of influence, or having an important job isn’t wrong),……..those things take the place of God in their lives….
And though we’re free to develop in many areas, we’re never free to think we have replaced God…as if His Leadership/Law are no longer necessary, are we?
We all respect the fact of how much effort Jakes puts into this kind of conference, for “men desiring to build know they must labour and accordingly they put forth all their skill and strength, but let them remember that if Jehovah is not with them, their designs will prove failures”…
If the face of God is explicitly against the things that take place at MegaMess, just as it was for the people of Babel, they toil in vain….and they may not escape when their “towers” fall back down on em’ and their hearers….
Pray for the folks who attend this conference, people that they’l learn from history and realize the “towers” they have in their lives…..and that they would cease investing in anything where God’s Complete Word isn’t the foundation……Prayfully, perhaps they’ll let God do the building, lest they “Build in Vain”
Ezekiel 13:1-16
Ezekiel 13
False Prophets Condemned
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD! 3 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish [a] prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. 6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The LORD declares,” when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. 7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The LORD declares,” though I have not spoken?
8 ” ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
10 ” ‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
13 ” ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it [b] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15 So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames
Luke 6:46-49
The Wise and Foolish Builders
46″Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat–
for he grants sleep to [a] those he loves.
you focus on things that are not important who do you think you are you are not a judge so just pray and let God do the rest mr.perfect!!!!!!!!!!!
We get so caught up in using the microscope to examine each others lives, forgetting that we should only examine our own lives always compairing it to the life of Christ in light of his holiness.
(MN: Nice try. But the issue is the doctrine and the associations these people have. Of course you can have fun. I fly for fun. I love to have fun. This isn’t about their personal lives. It’s their public doctrinal positions that I deal with. )
The writter of this blog acts as if you cant share the gospel and have fun too. As if you cant be a psalmist and a performer. If what they are doing doesnt break the law of God then with what do you judge them. Holiness is not a look or a profession its a matter of the heart. So let me see, when you make love to your wife, assuming that you are married, and if youre not then roll with me for a second, when you are making love to your wife, do you play donnie mcclurkin or fredd hammond? (MN: Neither. I listen to Barry White [Oh baby. Yeah Baby.] ) If the music doesnt glorify the flesh then is it wrong to listen to it or perform it? People act as if a song is unholy becuse it doesnt scream jesus every other word. what kind of nonsense is that? GOD is love, so wouldnt a love song be of GOD? Kem for instance, john legned, a lot of the seventies music. I tell you people act like there is something wrong with placeing matters of the heart to a beat or something, mr writer you need to get it together. Anytime someone uses a microscope to pick apart another man’s vision to find loopholes, i then question their walk with the Lord, because the last time i checked it is the devil who uses the microscope, the Lord uses a telescope…..may the lord continue to bless and keep you
(MN: I’m not sure of your general point here. My point in the posting is that T.D. brings in secular people to perform at what he keeps trying to present as a religious event - without calling it a religious event. He brings in Gladys Knight (a Mormon) to teach women about Christianity. Huh? He brings in Ms. Pigford to teach young adults about living holy. Never mind the fact that she appeared in a semi-nude photo shoot. The issue isn’t about having fun. It is about being consistent with the Bible preaches. T. Dexter doesn’t align with this. )