Deborah (Discerning the World)

Deborah Ellish is the author of the above article. Discerning the World is an internet Christian Ministry based in Johannesburg South Africa. Tom Lessing and Deborah Ellish both own Discerning the World. For more information see the About this Website page below the comments section.

12 Responses

  1. Discerning The World says:

    Granham

    Why does music keep you going and not Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible and studying and reading His Word?

    The Holy Spirit lives inside of you when you are genuinely born again not on the outside and only reading His Word the Bible can keep you going, give your strength to make it through the day, not fleshly inspired music and gatherings where only men (not families) were allowed.

  2. Graham says:

    My wife gave me the CD for my birthday in May,only a few weeks after MMC 2009.My son helped put both GLORY TO THE KING and SPIRIT WARRIORS onto a MP3 player.Keeks me going through the day.Cant find any other songs on the net yet?

  3. Discerning The World says:

    Hi Lekrom

    How many bands would you say on this cd are genuinely christian?

    Then let’s break it down, how many band members in each band are genuinely Christian? (lets take Lekrom out of the picture)

    The reason I wrote this little article is because I know that some of the bands on this cd are not christian, but their music ‘sounds’ Chrisitan, because the lyrics sound ‘good’ and they bands are relaying a message of living a good life and loving others.

    Now remember this. No everyone who says the name of Jesus is Christian. And not everyone who says they are Christian knows who Jesus is. (Gosh I am sounding like Rob Bell here, the art of speaking in circles lol)

    Have you noticed how rock music is getting heavier and heavier. When will it not be considered acceptable anymore? I am talking about rock music that can be played on the radio, music that is acceptable to be played on the radio at the moment (TUKS fm excluded). In 6 months time the music will be heavier…

    Do you think Christian rock music needs to move with the times…keep up with the sound of mainstream rock bands in order to get a decent crowd? So that you can get the message of Jesus across to the crowd?

    Is it ok for the music to get heavier and heavier (even keeping good melody which makes it more uplifting) as long as you keep the lyrics/words positive or good or Christian?

  4. Lekrom says:

    Hi DTW.
    I am a musician in a band that plays music glorifying Jesus Christ in the style commonly referred to as rock. We are actually featured on this compilation. I am actually a Bible-believing Christian as YOU would define it – i.e. Christ and Him crucified for my sins according to the Scriptures.

    Rock being just the types of instruments you use. I have heard all the arguments from guys like Rodney Seale etc. regarding rock is Satan’s music. There is nothing to back that up. What can be deduced from history is that Satan repeatedly perverts that which God created for us to enjoy the beauty of.

    God created sex as something beautiful to enjoy in the right context. Satan perverted it by taking it out of that context and taking God out of the equation.

    The same with music. Music is God’s creation – the angels were singing to Him in heaven since ages past. Satan perverts that by taking God out of the music – in other words – the MESSAGE. Not the style, or instrument you play. The Bible speaks more of stringed instruments than it does of organs (none about organs). What makes a song spiritual is NOT the notes you play (they are all just mathematical structures after all), but the intent of your music and the lyrics you link to the words.

    I would agree mere melody has an uplifting or depressing mood but that is linked to the tonal differences in the notes themselves which is like the law of gravity – fixed.

    What makes a band ‘Christian’ is if their lyrics exalt Christ, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work can be seen in the members’ lives. Our band has always had its roots in worshipping Jesus Christ as Saviour and God in Person.

    Essentially – it’s the same difference between what makes a speaker a preacher vs a heretic.

    Love to have your thoughts.

  5. Lekrom says:

    Thanks for replying, DTW.

    I see your point regarding ‘Christian members’. I also know some of the other bands’ members on the compilation and know that some of them are real Christians, but also that others are more in line with the popular “moralistic therapeutic deism” as Chris Rosebrough so elegantly puts it.

    But grant me this – just as there are some preachers who will fall into both categories – there will be musical artists who fall into the same categories. A band’s music can’t be classified as ungodly based on the style of music (no clear guideline on musical styles is given in Scripture, and I don’t think the intent was to do so) – it can only be classified based on the categories I mentioned above – lyrical content and visible fruits. Although the fruits should not be measured without the lyrics, just as works alone are not salvific but true salvation will be observable through a changed heart.

    I therefore do not agree with you that there is a degree of ‘heaviness’ that is acceptable or unacceptable based on the classification of style. So I think music can get heavier and the lyrics remain Christ-focused. That being said I am not even making music that would be classified as ‘metal’ myself – I am merely trying to think Biblically and rationally. Even in the times of old there were quiet hymns and there were triumphant victory chants for the Israelites.

    I do agree that many bands follow the secular trends (which is something we’ve never been good at – we’ve always tried to make music as we hear it, what sounds good to us and to fit the message into it). I must say in the last 2 years God has also changed my heart to turn away from this ‘drivenness’ to ‘make it’ with the band. For me now it doesn’t matter where we play, or how many people we draw, I just want a chance to preach the Gospel of Christ through the vehicle He’s given me. I am also already experiencing a chance in my lyrics – not that I was ever really that “radio-friendly” or “crossover” with to begin with. But I am also experiencing in my own worship times and leading in song at my church that the songs that are most poignant now and allow me to exalt Him the best are those that exalt His qualities and not exclaim a personal desire to dance and shout (the man-focused vs Christ-focused songs).

    I hope this makes sense?

  6. Discerning The World says:

    Lekrom

    Believe it or not, but I know EXACTLY what you mean. There is nothing wrong with music. Please just have a look at the comment written above, think comment no 1 think. This guy uses the music on this cd to get him through the day. Now, you had nothing to do with how he has taken the music on this cd and turned it into an idol. He relies on the music on this cd to uplift him and not Jesus Christ Himself.

    It’s like someone saying to me that my blog and what I write gives them strength. I am in no way responsible for what people think but I am resposible in God’s eyes for leading people astray though. People who rely on me I will say to them. ‘No!’ What I say and do, nothing in this world can give us spiritual strenght to get us through the day. Only the Words written in the Bible, Jesus Christ is the Word and the Holy Spirit that abides in you can uplift you.’

    And don’t confuse what I have said about about someone making you happy or someone helping you when you need it most.

    I would like to take this conversation off line for the moment if you don’t mind. Please email me (find address in About This Blog page above). Just give me some time to reply. It’s gonna be loonnggggg email. lol

  7. This conversation never went offline. So Lekrom I hope got what I was saying.

    Anyhow, I thought I had given a listing of the bands on this cd. But I see I didn’t.

    Straatligkinders is one of them I am sure of that.

  8. Fanie van Staden says:

    Deborah
    They are- see track 8

    Track Title Value Loading Music Player… Play Select All
    1. Glory Intro
    by Brad Klynsmith R 7.00 ($0.88)
    2. This Is War
    by Niemand R 7.00 ($0.88)
    3. Say To Me
    by One Day Remains R 7.00 ($0.88)
    4. Elevate
    by Reana R 7.00 ($0.88)
    5. Mother Mother
    by Fourteen 40 R 7.00 ($0.88)
    6. It’s All About To Change
    by Tree63 R 7.00 ($0.88)
    7. The River
    by The Ambulants R 7.00 ($0.88)
    8. Gedagte Vir Die Dag
    by Die Straatligkinders R 7.00 ($0.88)
    9. Ken My
    by Jan Hoogendyk R 7.00 ($0.88)
    10. My God Is Amazing
    by Surrender Band R 7.00 ($0.88)
    11. Move Me
    by Soul Noiz R 7.00 ($0.88)
    12. Summer
    by Singletrack R 7.00 ($0.88)
    13. Obnoxious
    by Scintillate R 7.00 ($0.88)
    14. Bewe
    by Petri R 7.00 ($0.88)
    15. I Like It
    by Arde R 7.00 ($0.88)
    16. Lift It Up
    by Two88 R 7.00 ($0.88)
    17. My Friend
    by Stass R 7.00 ($0.88)
    18. Take Me As I Am
    by World Upside Down R 7.00 ($0.88)
    19. Rain – Shine
    by Daypoem R 7.00 ($0.88)
    20. Bigger
    by The Metanoya Rockonfusion R 7.00 ($0.88)
    21. We Cry Glory
    by Brad Klynsmith R 7.00 ($0.88)

  9. Fanie

    That’s it. Thank you. Right I will put up that article asap. Oh and look who is on there too. Niemand. They played at the Turn2God event. Angus Buchan calls the guy from the band Niemand a ‘son’ – like family.

  10. Osito says:

    Between 2 and 3 years ago i told the people that the problem with this rock music is that one day it s going to sound like heavy metal and they said to me never!

    Last month i played a song to my friend and he was shocked when i told him it is a christian band, it sounds worse than iron maden.

    I ask him to think what the MASTER of this music would picture like in your head.

    I can tell you the picture that i got in my head was more devil like than anything else.

    Now over a thew years what tipe of picture will the children have in there head of God from this music if all sounds like it, the devil is working with a very smart plan, and i thinks thats why God worned us so many times in the Bible.

    Thank you Debora for this side and your work. I know now why God let me throught crc, to see what is realy going on in this world.

  11. Osito says:

    This music is called christian thrash, cd name (vengeance, human sacrifice)

  12. Osito

    Many many many years ago when I was a teenager, I listened to heavy metal. And I used to get so upset because the radio stations just refused to play metal. Then a few years ago I told someone who listens to metal (this person is not a Christian) to give it a few years and the music on the radio will be heavy metal. He too told me I was talking rubbish, but look at what we have today, metal being played on the radio non stop. DJ Fresh from F5 loves Slipnot, it’s his fav band.

    And yes the so called Christian metal back then as actually a joke really; Vengeance, Human sacrifice, Tourniquet, Deliverance, etc etc etc. I remember trying to fool my mom, trying to tell her that the band with the evil looking cover was a Christian band. And point to where they mention ‘Jesus’ name in the lyrics section. But looking back at this a few years ago, I was fooled as well.

    Now here is the crunch!

    There is no such thing as a Christian metal band, or other genre of band (punk, etc). It’s nothing but Satan blinding children into thinking they can have BOTH WORLDS – Be evil, look evil and follow Jesus. What does the bible say?

      2 Corinthians 6:14-17; “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord”

      1 Peter 1:14-16 “14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

      Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

    And all children who think they can be Christian and listen to Christian metal are only fooling themselves, not God. All parents who think they are Christian and listen to christian metal are fooling themselves, not God.

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