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Integrity has helped launch the ministries of some of the most influential contemporary worship musicians, such as Darlene Zschech, Lincoln Brewster, Don Moen, Israel Houghton, and Paul Baloche.
Integrity recorded an album at the Brownsville Assembly of God (home of the strange “Pensacola Outpouring”). Don Moen, the “creative director” for Integrity, described the power of the Laughing Revival music in these words: “Because something is imparted when you listen to this tape. I don’t want it to sound spooky or mysterious, but there’s something powerful about embracing the music of the revival. The fire of the revival can stir in you even as you listen to the songs that took place at the Brownsville revival” (“Don Moen Discusses Music at Brownsville Assembly,” Pentecostal Evangel, Assemblies of God, November 10, 1996).
The “revival” to which he refers was not a biblical revival; it was a “revival” in which people become drunk and staggered about and shook uncontrollably and fell down and were unable to perform the most basic functions of life. The pastor at Brownsville, John Kilpatrick, testified that it took him a half hour just to put on his socks when he was drunk with the Brownsville spirit. He laid on the church platform for as long as four hours, unable to get up. His wife has been unable to cook their food or clean the house. Some people had to be carried out of the church. One mother lay on the platform until 1am in the morning “basking in the spirit” until an usher collected her neglected kids, took them home, and put her to bed. Whatever this “revival” is, it is not something that conforms to Scripture. The Spirit of God doesn’t render pastors incapable of tending their flocks or mothers, their children.
Yet Moen testifies that this “spirit” can be imparted through Integrity music.
We believe this is true and it is one of the reasons why contemporary praise music is so effective at transforming the character of staunchly Bible-believing churches.
Integrity’s Hosanna! Music worship albums include songs by ROBERT GAY, who records music from alleged prophecies given by charismatic latter rain “prophets.” Gay has written hundreds of choruses, and many of them have been professionally recorded. His songs include “Mighty Man of War,” “No Other Name,” “On Bended Knee,” “More Than Enough.” Gay was a worship leader at Integrity, and Integrity has produced many of his “prophetic” songs. Gay claims that the Holy Spirit gives him visions for his songs, yet we know that these visions are not of God as they are not Scriptural.
Gay is connected with “apostle” Bill Hamon’s (b. 1934) Christian International network of supposed prophetic ministries, which promotes the deception that God is continuing to give revelation through prophets and apostles today. Hamon holds the latter rain miracle-revival heresy that God will raise up new apostles who will operate in miracle-working power even exceeding that of the first-century apostles who will unite the churches and establish the kingdom of God. Hamon claims that the Laughing Revival (Toronto, Pensacola, Lakeland, Holy Trinity Brompton, etc.) and Promise Keepers are part of this restoration process (Hamon, Apostles, Prophets and the Coming Moves of God: God’s End-Time Plans for His Church and Planet Earth, 1997; The Day of the Saints, p. 129). Hamon says, “I refuse to be boxed in. But I may say certain things that you may try to box me in, but I am not trying to propagate any particular eschatology” (“Battle of the Brides,” New Life Church, Nov. 13, 1997). He doesn’t want to be tested by God’s Word.
Integrity also publishes music by “prophet musician” KEVIN PROSCH who is closely associated with Rick Joyner of Morningstar ministries, a supposed latter rain prophet. Joyner promotes the Latter Rain Manifest Sons of God heresy, which anticipates a revival of end-time miracles whereby chosen believers will usher in the return of Christ. It is also called Joel’s Army, Dominionism, the New Breed, and Kingdom Now. In his books The Harvest and Mobilizing the Army of God, Joyner claims that a great company of prophets and apostles will be raised up with the spirit of Phineas to take rule; the appearances of angels will be common and the Lord Himself will appear to councils of apostles; miracles will exceed the most spectacular ones recorded in Scripture, with the “anointed ones” not only walking on water but also “walking on air.” All of this will supposedly occur before the return of Christ and the Millennium.
Prosch is right in the middle of this dangerous heresy with his “prophetic” contemporary praise music. A Bible believer will discern immediately that the spirit that empowers this “praise” is “another spirit” (2 Cor. 11:3-4) and is not the Spirit of the Lord. (See “Kevin Prosch” in this Directory.)
Integrity’s Hosanna! Music worship albums also include songs of other key churches that have been captured by the strange and very dangerous Laughing Revival movement. Another one of these is HILLS CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTRE. Hosanna published an album entitled “Shout to the Lord” which was recorded at this church in Sydney, Australia. It has become hugely influential, being sung even in fundamental Baptist churches. The worship leader at Hills Christian Life Centre, DARLENE ZSCHECH, is a Pentecostal pastor.
Many of the “praise” songs on this album are extremely man centered. The lyrics to the songs often present a theology of “holding out faithful.”
“I will never be the same again/ I’ve closed the door/ I will walk the path/ I’ll run the race” (“I Will Never Be” from Shout to the Lord).
“I love you/ I need you/ Though my world may fall/ I’ll never let you go” (Jesus, Lover of My Soul” from Shout to the Lord).
Instead of the Christian rejoicing in God’s promises to keep him, these songs have the Christian promising to hold on to God. It is man-centered theology.
There is also the false Pentecostal latter rain theology in some of the songs.
“I believe the promise about the visions and the dreams/ That the Holy Spirit will be poured out/ And His power will be seen/ Well the time is now/ The place is here/ And His people have come in faith/ There’s a mighty sound/ And a touch of fire/ When we’ve gathered in one place” (“I Believe the Presence” from Shout to the Lord).
Integrity is totally committed to the end-time heresy of ecumenism. Don Moen stated their objective in an interview with Christianity Today as follows: “I’ve discovered that worship [music] is transdenominational, transcultural. IT BRIDGES ANY DENOMINATION. Twenty years ago there were many huge divisions between denominations. Today I think the walls are coming down. In any concert that I do, I will have 30-50 different churches represented.”
The “transdenominational” character of contemporary worship music should be a loud warning to any true Bible believer. It is this “transdenominational” character that makes it so transformational when it comes into a fundamentalist church.
Integrity Worship Institute offers a master’s degree program in partnership with REGENT UNIVERSITY in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This charismatic school was founded by Pat Robertson, one of the most radical ecumenists alive. In 1985, Robertson “revealed that during 25 years of broadcasting, he has ‘worked for harmony and reconciliation between Protestants and Catholics’ and ‘refrained from airing major theological differences.’ He told Roman Catholic Bishop Sullivan, ‘I have been your friend and booster. ... It has been my pleasure to assist on repeated occasions the church you serve’” (Christian News, July 22, 1985). In 1991, Robertson invited a Roman Catholic, Keith Fournier, to be the executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice at Regent. Several of the Regent professors are Roman Catholics. A Catholic mass is held on Regent’s campus every week. “A frequent leader of special masses is Bishop Walter Sullivan, head of the Richmond Diocese, whose motto is ‘To Unite All in Christ.’ . . . To this end he serves as the Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA (the national Catholic peace movement) and is outspoken regarding his support for ordination of homosexuals” (“Roman Catholicism: The Seduction Continues,” Frontline, May-June 2000). Sullivan also supports homosexuals and claims that homosexuality is a natural condition. After Robertson met with Pope John Paul II in 1995, he said, “We all want to build bridges with the Catholic Church” (Calvary Contender, Sept. 1, 1996).
Speaking at the St. Louis 2000 conference, which I attended with press credentials, Robertson said, “We need to have some Catholic charismatics come into our Baptist churches to teach us how to worship.” This illustrates the great confusion that surrounds the contemporary praise movement. Experience is exalted far beyond sound doctrine. Otherwise, how can you explain such a strange statement from the lips of a former Southern Baptist? How can a Roman Catholic teach a Bible believer how to worship God? The Roman Catholic holds a false faith-works gospel, which Galatians chapter 1 says is cursed of God, and he worships the false christ of the mass. One of the other speakers at St. Louis 2000 was Catholic priest Tom Forrest. At another conference that I attended, I heard Forrest say that he praises God for purgatory, because without purgatory we can’t go to heaven. Forrest is one of the Catholic charismatics who, according to Pat Robertson, is supposed to teach us how to worship.
The fact that Integrity Worship Institute is comfortable with Pat Robertson’s Regent University is irrefutable evidence of its capitulation to the most radical elements of the charismatic ecumenical movement, and it is a loud warning to those who are tempted to “adapt” some of their praise music.
(For more about Integrity Music see “Don Moen” in the Directory of Contemporary Worship Musicians.)
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