FALWELL PROMOTES ECUMENICAL CCM MUSICIANS

FALWELL PROMOTES ECUMENICAL CCM MUSICIANS

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June 14, 1998 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The June 1998 issue of the National Liberty Journal, published by Jerry Falwell and the Thomas Road Baptist Church, contains an article entitled "The Gospel Music Legacy of Bill Gaither and His Friends." It is an entirely positive recommendation of the Gaithers. Many other CCM performers are mentioned in the article, including Sandi Patty, Carmen, and Don Francisco. There is not a hint of warning about their dangerous and unscriptural charismatic-ecumenical associations.

The Gaithers, though not Pentecostal themselves, have a close, non-critical relationship with the ecumenical-charismatic movement. They provided the music one evening at Indianapolis '90, a large ecumenical charismatic gathering I attended with press credentials. One-half of the 25,000 participants were Roman Catholics. A Catholic mass was held each morning during this conference, and a Catholic priest, Tom Forrest, brought the closing message. Forrest said that he worshipped Mary as the Queen of Heaven and praised the Lord for the doctrine of purgatory. The Gaithers were at home in this apostate gathering and entertained the mixed multitude with their lively music. During a concert tour in New England in 1986, Bill Gaither admitted that he had changed his musical styles due to the influence of the "world's culture." He said he believed there was a place for Christian rock, and he expressed his philosophy of music in these words: "God speaks through all different kinds of art forms and musical styles and musical forms" and the "format itself is not necessarily spiritual or non-spiritual" (FBF News Bulletin, March-April 1986, p. 3). Gaither is promoting the devil's lie that music is neutral and that any type of music can be used to glorify God.

In 1999, Bill Gaither joined forces with dc Talk founder Toby McKeehan to “create a new modern worship music label, 40 Records” (CCM magazine, July 1999, p. 11). The goal is “to stretch the boundary of worship music” and to “give a youthful spirit to worship music for ANY DENOMINATION…” Speaking of the new music company, Gaither said: “I view building bridges of understanding of different cultures and PHILOSOPHICAL POINTS OF VIEW as part of my calling. UNITY DOES NOT DEPEND ON OUR CONSENSUS OF OPINION, but on our unity in Christ.” This is a false and dangerous statement. Biblical unity does depend on a consensus of opinion about doctrine. Ephesians 4:1-6, which speaks of Christian unity, says there is only “one faith” (verse 5). This refers to the body of truth delivered by the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and recorded in the New Testament Scriptures. Philippians 1:27 also speaks of Christian unity, and it demands “one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” That is not a description of modern ecumenism. Timothy was instructed to allow “no other doctrine” in the churches he was overseeing (1 Timothy 3:16). Paul taught the church at Rome that false doctrine is the basis for separation (Romans 16:17). Like Gaither, McKeehan and dc Talk are unscripturally ecumenical and even accept Roman Catholics as brothers and sisters in Christ in spite of Rome’s false gospel. When Pope John Paul II visited the States in January 1999, dc Talk and other CCM groups joined hands with hundreds of thousands of Catholics to welcome him.

SANDI PATTY

Popular CCM singer Sandi Patti is a member of the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana. Though not Pentecostal, she moves freely in Charismatic circles. In 1987 she performed for Pope John Paul II prior to his mass in the Los Angeles Coliseum.

DON FRANCISCO

Don Francisco moves in the most radical charismatic circles. In November 1986, for example, he had a concert at Vineyard Christian Fellowship Southeast, Denver, Colorado. The Vineyard movement, founded by the late John Wimber, has promoted such unscriptural notions as continued prophecy, slaying in the spirit, miracle evangelism, and the laughing revival. Francisco’s music is a mixture of "folk, rock and blues" music (from the cover to his "Early Works" album). He teaches the positive-only philosophy which is typical of the charismatic-ecumenical-new evangelical movements which are permeating Christianity in these apostate last hours. Consider his testimony: "I knew from my own experience that painting a picture, rather than pointing a finger, was a much more effective way to get the Gospel into people’s heads and hearts." It is strange that the Apostle Paul did not understand this. Consider his sermon to the unsaved pagans on Mars Hill. He preached against their idolatry and warned them of judgment to come (Acts 17). Sounds like "finger pointing" to me, not finger pointing in the sense of a holier-than-thou attitude, but finger pointing in the sense of proclaiming God’s righteous judgment and calling men to repentance. Consider Paul’s presentation of the Gospel in the book of Romans. It begins with God’s holiness and His condemnation of man’s sin. Only after this "finger pointing" is completed, does he get to the good news that Christ has made the atonement for sin. The love of God is not even mentioned until chapter five of Romans. The preachers in the early churches did not have the philosophy of modern Contemporary Christian Music. In fact, preachers only 50 years ago did not have this philosophy.

When Don Francisco does give the gospel in his songs it is an unclear message. Consider the words to "Step Across the Line" from his "Forgiven" album: "You gotta take a step across the line/ Let Jesus fill your heart and mind/ I can show you where to look/ but you gotta seek to find." Is that a clear presentation of the gospel? Could someone be born again through that? Contemporary Christian Music evangelism is almost always this hazy. Consider another example. This one is from Francisco’s song "I Don’t Care Where You’ve Been Sleeping." "I don’t care where you’ve been sleepin’/ I don’t care who’s made your bed/ I’ve already gave my life to set you free/ There’s no sin you could imagine/ That’s stronger than my love/ And it’s yours if you will come back home." It is wonderfully true that Christ died for all of our sins and that His grace is sufficient to forgive any sin, but how do we receive His forgiveness? How can a person be born again? A hazy "come back home" is not the answer. Come back home to what? The unsaved portion of Don Francisco’s audience is a mixed multitude of pagans and religious lost. What does "come back home" mean to them? Come back home to the Roman Catholic sacraments? Come back home to baptismal regeneration? Come back home to the "hold on tight because you might lose it" insecurity of an Assemblies of God gospel? Come back home to what? Most CCM musicians do not make the message clear because they do not have a strong understanding of Bible doctrine and because they do not want to cause doctrinal divisions.

Here’s another example of Don Francisco’s gospel. This one is from his song "Give Your Heart a Home." "If you are tired and weary, weak and heavy laden/ I can understand how it feels to be alone/ I will take your burden/ If you let me love you/ Wrap my arms around you and give your heart a home." Is that the Gospel? It is not the message that the Apostles preached.

CARMAN

Another musician recommended in Falwell's paper is Carman. Carman's "Addicted to Jesus" album contains such blasphemous cuts as the "HOLY GHOST HOP." He exclaims: "Hey all you brothers and your sisters too/ Don’t let tradition tell you what to do/ Release your worries and your fears/ ‘cause we’ve been hoppin’ in the church for years/ If King David was here I knew/ that he would do the Holy Ghost Hop with me." Carman is wrong. David did not dance to rock music. He did not put on a fleshly show. He was not moving his feet to some carnal beat. He danced before the Lord, but it was nothing which the world would have appreciated. On the contrary, unsaved people understand and appreciate the type of music and dancing that Carman produces.

On another cut entitled "Come Into This House," sung to a heavy rap style, Carmen says: "I’ve got news you can choose/ You need to be delivered/ with Christ you win/ without Christ you lose/ BUT IF YOU JAM WITH THE LAMB, YOU’RE SMOOTH/ Cut out the jive, cut into church/ You need a healing’ touch/ A big strong hand/ Come rock with the flock/ with the brothers that jam." The title cut on that album has this flippant message: "Addictions you know/ Everybody’s got ‘em/ From the top to the very/ bottom of the list/ So come get with this/ An addiction you don’t wanna miss/ To Christ who paid the price."

Carman’s unscriptural and dangerous Charismatic theology comes across loud and clear in his music. In his song "Satan, Bite the Dust," Carman claims that he has "been sent with a warrant from the body of Christ" to arrest the devil and to run every unclean spirit out of town. He claims to have the authority to cast out "depression, strife, disease and fear." In this strange song Carman asserts, "Satan, you coward, you molester of souls, I command you to appear." The Apostle Peter, though, tells us that even the angels do not bring railing accusations against the devil (2 Peter 2:11). Nowhere in the New Testament Scriptures do we see the Apostles and early Christians speaking to the devil in this manner. Carman then says: "I represent a whole new breed of Christian of today. And I’m authorized and deputized to blow you clean away." This is a probable reference to the New Order of the Latter Rain theology which claims that Christ’s return will be preceded by a miracle revival whereby Christians will perform miracles and exercise kingdom authority over the powers of this present world. Some of the "prophets" which were popularized by John Wimber and the Vineyard movement, men such as Paul Cain, claim that God is raising up a "new breed" of end-time Christians who will take authority over the devil.

Carman’s theology is not only wrong, it is nonsense. He has not blown away the devil. He has not bound the devil. He has not arrested the devil. He has no power to command sickness to depart. He can pray and ask God to remove sickness, and God answers according to His will, but he cannot demand that sickness be healed. No Christian can. When Timothy was sick with frequent infirmities, the Apostle Paul did not command those infirmities to depart. Paul did not curse those infirmities as demonic. He did not say, "I bind thee, foul infirmity." No, he said: "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities" (1 Tim. 5:23). I will be glad to take any Charismatic preacher with me into a hospital and we will demonstrate right there which of us is doctrinally correct in this matter. If a Christian has the power to bind the devil and to cast out sicknesses, let’s see it. Carman is confusing the minds of God’s people and leading them away from the truth with his false doctrine.

In typical Charismatic style Carman rebukes the "demon of alcoholism" and the "spirit of infirmity," demanding that these "demons" depart. He proclaims, "We lay hands on the sick and they recover." In another song, "Our Turn Now," Carman exclaims: "World, you had your turn at bat/ Now stand back and see/ That it’s our turn now/ Some things gonna change/ We’re gonna bind the/ Devil at every hand by/ the power of Jesus’ name." This is unadulterated Charismatic kingdom now, dominionism theology.

Is this the theology that fundamental Baptist churches want their people to be exposed to? Of course not, but it is not only Jerry Falwell’s church which is connected to the charismatic-ecumenical world via music. In fundamental Baptist churches across the land, churches which would never think of allowing a Charismatic preacher to stand behind the pulpit and teach his false doctrine, church members purchase Carman albums and pass them around the congregation. The pastors of these churches are either ignorant or extremely careless. Either way, they are oblivious to the fact that Contemporary Christian Music is working its unholy leaven in the congregation.

DC TALK

The rock group dc Talk was formed in 1989 by students from Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, Toby Mckeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Smith. Toby wears two ear rings and has long hair. Their interviews contain offensive and vulgar words such as “crappy” and “freaking.” The Bible says we should use only “sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2:8).

The three met at the charismatic Heritage USA when Falwell was attempting to rescue the PTL after Jim Bakker was arrested. The origin of this rock group, therefore, is related to the compromise of Jerry Falwell in associating with the worldly/unscriptural PTL. After dc Talk was formed, they were allowed to sing at a Liberty University chapel service (Calvary Contender, July 15, 1991).

In 1991 Falwell stated: “During Toby, Michael, and Kevin’s tenure at Liberty University, it was obvious to me that God had great plans for these three young men and their powerful program...” (Calendar magazine, Spring/Summer 1991, p. 8). Terry Watkins observes: “That’s quite a statement by Brother Falwell, considering that Kevin was kicked out of Liberty for a ‘drinking’ problem!”

The group was praised in Falwell’s June 1996 National Liberty Journal: “This year’s top artists are Liberty University’s own dc Talk, whose Jesus Freak CD experienced never-before-seen sales figures for gospel music.” In April 1996 hard rocking dc Talk drew the largest concert crowd in the history of Falwell’s university.

In an interview with CCM Magazine about their 1998 album, Supernatural, the members of dc Talk described their objective in these words:

“'We are not ministers,’ says McKeehan. ‘DC TALK IS A BUSINESS, but in the midst of our business, we pray that God ministers to people through our lives. Max adds, ‘DC TALK IS AN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP. But when you dig deep into what we do or you dig into what we say, therein lies where the Holy Spirit interacts with the people” (emphasis added) (April Hefner, “Supermen,” CCM Magazine, October 1998, p. 38).

The name dc Talk refers to Washington D.C., where the band members are from.

Some of dc Talk’s musical role models are the Beatles, David Bowie, and The Police, all of which are wicked secular rock groups. Kevin Smith admits that he listens to mostly secular rock music (Flint Michigan Journal, March 15, 1996, p. B19). dc Talk opened its “Jesus Freak” concerts with the Beatles’ song “Help.” They also perform other secular rock songs at their concerts, including drug inspired “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix. Toward the end of their concerts they played the rock song “All Apologies” by the secular rock group Nirvana, formerly led by Kurt Cobain. Terry Watkins notes: “Kurt Cobain is one of the worst ANTICHRIST blasphemers since John Lennon. Kurt Cobain decorated his home with blood-splattered baby dolls hanging by their necks! The inside of Nirvana’s album In Utero, which is the album dc Talk got ‘All Apololgies’ from, has pictures of chopped up babies! Cobain ran around his neighborhood spray-painting, ‘ABORT CHRIST’ and ‘GOD IS GAY.’ Cobain’s first band was called ‘Fecal Matter.’ Cobain killed himself a couple of years ago” (Watkins, Christian Rock: Blessing or Blasphemy?). During their 1999 “Supernatural Experience” tour, dc Talk performed “Hello Good-bye” by the Beatles, “Jesus Is Just Alright” by the Doobie Brothers, “Give Peace a Chance” by the late New Ager John Lennon, “That’s the Way I Like It” by the Sunshine Band, and “Le Freak” by Chic (CCM Magazine, April 1999, p. 55).

dc Talk hired Simon Maxwell to produce their “Jesus Freak” video. Maxwell was hired because dc Talk had seen his work with the antichrist rock group Nine Inch Nails. Toby McKeehan said that Maxwell’s “style appealed to us” (Billboard, Nov. 11, 1995). The Maxwell-produced Nine Inch Nails video Closer features a monkey crucified on a cross! Nine Inch Nails lead singer Trent Reznor backs the satanist group Marilyn Manson, which has a blasphemous album titled “Antichrist Superstar.”

dc talk admits that they want to push the envelope with their music and videos. Following is their stated goal with the video Jesus Freak: “the intention of the clip was to ‘push the envelope’ of the Christian music community ... they expect some of the more conservative members of the Christian community to frown on the adventurous clip” (Billboard, Nov. 11, 1995).

The members of dc Talk do not belong to any organized denomination or church affiliation.

dc Talk’s antagonism toward biblical fundamentalists is evident in their music. The song “Time Ta Jam” on their 1989 debut album contained the following insolent lyrics:

“So hyper fundi, don’t be dismayed! Check out the lyrics when the record is played.”

In other words, dc Talk is mocking biblical fundamentalists (“hyper fundi”) who are opposed to the use of rock music. They are saying that only the message matters. The hypocrisy of this view is evident by the fact that the message presented by dc Talk often is obscured by their heavy rock music. Further, the message is frequently abstract. Note the following example from “Mind’s Eye”—

“You know what I’m going through/ I know (that) it’s true/ Cause you’ve stood in my shoes/ Desire’s inside of me/ But, it’s hard to believe/ In what you cannot see/ Can you catch the wind? See a breeze? Its presence is revealed by/ The leaves on a tree/ An image of faith in the unseen/ In my mind’s eye/ I see your face/ You smile/ As you show me grace/ In my mind’s eye/ You take my hand/ We walk through foreign lands/ The foreign lands of life/ In my mind/ I’m where I belong/ As I rest in your arms/ And like a child I hold on to you/ In my moment of truth/ We can ride the storm/ Endure the pain/ You comfort me in my hurricane/ And I’ll never be alone again/ ... In my mind I can see your face/ Love pours down in a shower of grace/ Life is a gift that you choose to give/ And I believe that we eternally live/ Faith is the evidence of things unseen/ People tell me that you’re just a dream/ But they don’t know you the way that I do/ You’re the one I live to pursue” (“Mind’s Eye,” dc Talk).

Nothing is clear about this message. Who are they talking about? Jesus? They don’t say. It could just as easily be about Krishna or Buddha. The listener could easily fit any false god into this song. If the song is about Jesus, what Jesus? The true Jesus of the Bible or one of the myriad of false christs in the minds of those who hear dc Talk’s music? The song speaks of living eternally, but there is no clear gospel message so that the hearer can know how to have eternal life. In fact, this dc Talk song could be about a girl, a lover. There are secular rock songs which have a similar message.

Notice how dc Talk describes John the Baptist:

“There was a man from the desert with naps in his head/ The sand that he walked was also his bed/ The words that he spoke made the people assume/ There wasn’t too much left in the upper room/ With skins on his back and hair on his face/ They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate/ The Pharisee’s tripped when they heard him speak/ Until the king took the head of this Jesus freak” (“Jesus Freak,” dc Talk).

To dc Talk, John the Baptist was a strange Jesus freak! A freak is a term popularized during the hippie era of the 1960s and ‘70s. It referred to a drug-using, counter-culture rebel. dc Talk claims that they use the term merely to refer to an “enthusiast,” but that is not how the term has been used in the context of rock & roll. I know the term well, because I was a “freak” before I was saved. To apply this term to John the Baptist is foolish. The term “freak” implies rebellion, but the Christian is called to submission not only to God but also to parents and employers and church and government. Freak implies dissatisfaction, but the Christian has found complete satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Freak implies resentment toward life, but the Christian has faith that God is in complete control of his life. Christians are not freaks, and the venerable John the Baptist, who was exalted by Jesus Christ as the greatest man who ever lived, was not a freak.

In dc Talk’s Kevin Smith joined Roman Catholic Kathy Troccoli and 40 other CCM artists to record Love One Another, a song with an ecumenical theme: “Christians from all denominations demonstrating their common love for Christ and each other.” The song talks about tearing down the walls of denominational division. The broad range of participants who joined Kathy Troccoli in recording “Love One Another” demonstrates the ecumenical agenda of Contemporary Christian Music. The song witnessed Catholics, Pentecostals, Baptists, etc., yoked together to call for Christian unity.

As mentioned earlier, when Pope John Paul II visited the States in January 1999, dc Talk and other CCM groups joined hands with hundreds of thousands of Catholics to welcome him. dc Talk’s Kevin Max praised the Catholic youth for coming out to hear the Pope, describing John Paul II as “someone with something of substance to say” (CCM Magazine, April 1999, p. 12). Each attendee received a rosary with instructions about how to pray to Mary.

The Contemporary Christian Music scene is not built upon the eternal Word of God. It does not stand for the Faith once delivered to the saints. It is apostasy, and those who promote CCM are promoting apostasy and will be judged for their compromise and for leading God’s people astray into carnality and worldliness and doctrinal confusion.

"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John 9-11).