Manifest By The Light

 (The following is excerpted off of rapidnet.com and was Posted on Manifestedbythelight-Darkness Reproved-Music January 12, 2011, WWW.manifestedbythelight.com-lyndonbechtel@att.net.)

By John Beardsley

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 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." (Colossians 3:15-16; also refer to Ephesians 5:19) 

Emphasis "...psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts..." Does this approve or license Christian Rock? Definitely not.

1 Corinthians 7:1 
"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman."

There is positively no way to escape this verse on the issue of body surfing!

II Corinthians 6:14 
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 

Romans 12:1 - 2
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

These verses demonstrate we are NOT to conform to the world, exactly opposite of what C-rock is teaching.

1 Peter 3:15 
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

Matthew 28:19-20 
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen."

These verses testify against c-rockers lack of a gospel message even saying they are NOT at the concerts to preach. Not to mention where in Bible does it say to use music as the way to preach?  It doesn't, it's in the Bible to build each other up!

2 Timothy 4:2 
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

This is what folks like myself are doing are best to do, doctrine is a foreign idea in c-rock because they are adapting to the world's way of thinking.

2 Timothy 2:15 -16
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."

Matthew 7:16 - 20
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

Galatians 5:21 - 24
"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."

And where are the spiritual fruits of the C-rock?! They are not evident in the concerts they claim are explicitly "Christian." This of itself should be enough to scare away a teen trying to walk honestly according to scriptures.

The utterances of c-rock are vain babblings at best and are often blasphemous or heretical. 

Christian rockers are clearly "cozying-up" to the world and its ways, opposite of Romans 12:1-2 and other verses quoted.  They often sing the world's songs, mimmic the world's dress style, have lyrics which often make no sense like their secular counterparts, and behave like the unsaved rockers! The fast growth of Christian rock should sound the alarm bells for parents, pastors and peachers who are seeking to follow scriptures and protect their children!  We need to beware of the arguments presented by the likes of c-rockers as they attempt (maybe unintentionally) to undermine parental authority introducing the seductive heresy of "Christian Rock."

The following answers the so-called "cheap shots" we are making of c-rock as accused by the leader of the c-rock group "Bride."

Why do I and others like me take a stand against c-rockers? This web site speaks volumes to the why we must oppose them according to the Bible:  
http://www.feasite.org/Tracts/fbcjudge.htm

Here's a quote from the site: - (Go to the website for the entire article)
(It makes for a good study in scripture, because God, NO MAN made these statements, here the harmony of scripture is evident)

THIS QUESTION- "IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE?" is one that puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital matters, it is not only right but a positive duty to judge.
Many do not know that the Scripture commands us to judge. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43). To others, our Lord asked, "Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke 12:57). 

The Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15). Again, Paul declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1 Corinthians 2:15). It is our positive duty to judge.

False Teachers and False Teaching 

"Beware of false prophets!" (Matthew 7:15) is the warning and command of our Lord. But how could we "beware" and how could we know they are "false prophets" if we did not judge? And what is the God given standard by which we are to judge? " 

To the Law and to the Testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
(Isaiah 8:20). "Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16), Christ said. And in judging the "fruits," we must judge by God's Word, not by what appeals to human reasoning. Many things seem good to human judgment which are false to the Word of God. 

The Apostle Paul admonished believers, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17-18).

This apostolic command could not be obeyed were it not right to judge. God wants us to know His Word and then test all teachers and teaching by it. Notice also that it is the false teachers who make the "divisions," and not those who protest against their false teaching. And these deceivers are not serving Christ, as they profess, "but their own belly," or their own "bread and
butter," as we would put it. We are to "mark them and avoid them." 

"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord" (2 Corinthians 6:17, read verses 14-18). and "From such turn away." (2 Timothy 3:5). "Withdraw yourselves" (2 Thessalonians 3:6). "And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them " (Ephesians 5:1 1). "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9). "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It would be
impossible to obey these injunctions of God's Word unless it were right to judge! And remember, nothing is "good" in God's sight that is not true to His Word. 

The Apostle John wrote, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test, judge] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world " ( 1 John 4:1 ) . Again he wrote, "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.... 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 7,10-11). This Scripture commands us to judge between those who do, and those who do not bring the true doctrine of Christ. 

Whenever a child of God contributes to a denominational budget that supports Modernist (liberal, compromising) missionaries or teachers, he is guilty before God, according to this Scripture, of bidding them, "God speed " in the most effective way possible. And he thereby becomes a "partaker" with them of their "evil deeds" of spreading soul damning poison. How terrible, but how true! Arouse yourself, child of God. If you are guilty, ask God to forgive you and help you never again to be guilty of the blood of souls for whom Christ died. When we are willing to suffer for Christ, we can readily see the truth of God's Word on this tremendously important matter. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Timothy 2:12) . 

Misunderstood and Misused Scripture 

One of the best known and most misunderstood and misapplied Scriptures is "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1). Let us examine the entire passage: 

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1-5). 

Read this again carefully. Notice that it is addressed to a hypocrite!-not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God's Word. And instead of being a prohibition against honest judgment, it is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this Scripture commands sincere judgment-"Then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." If we take a verse or a part of a verse out of its setting, we can make the Word of God appear to teach the very opposite of what it really does teach. And those who do this cannot escape the judgment of God for twisting His Word (2 Peter 3:16). Let this be a warning to us never again to take a text of Scripture out of its context. 

Many who piously quote, "Judge not," out of its context, in order to defend that which is false to God's Word, do not see their own inconsistency in thus judging those who would obey God's Word about judging that which is untrue to the Bible. It is tragic that so much that is anti-Scriptural has undeservedly found shelter behind a misuse of the Scripture just quoted. The reason the
professed church of Christ is today honeycombed and paralyzed by satanic Modernism is because Christians have not obeyed the commands of God's Word to judge and put away and separate from false teachers and false teaching when they first appeared in their midst. Physical health is maintained by separation from disease germs. Spiritual health is maintained by separation from germs of false doctrine. The greatest peril of our day is not too much judging, but too little judging of spiritual falsehood. 

God wants His children to be like the noble Bereans who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so"(Acts 17:11). 

Romans 2:1-3 is also addressed to the religious hypocrite who condemned himself because he was guilty of the same things for which he condemned others. James 4:11-12 refers to an evil spirit of backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God's Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of
Scripture we must view it in the light of all Scripture. "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private [isolated] interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20). "Comparing spiritual things [words] with spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:13). 

The "Wheat and Tares" parable of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, is much misunderstood. First of all, our Lord is talking about the world, not His Church-"the field is the world." He goes on to say that "the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one" (Matthew 13:38) . They are the two groups in the world; children of
God-those who have received Christ (John 1:12), and the children of the devil-those who reject Christ (John 8:44). When any of the "children of the wicked one" get into the professed church of Christ, as they have always done, a definite procedure for God's children is set forth in His Word. First, it is their duty to tell them that they have "neither part nor lot" in Christ (see
Acts 8:21-23 and context). 

If the children of the devil do not leave voluntarily, as is generally the case, God's children are commanded to "purge out" (1 Corinthians 5:7) these unbelievers. But God's people have disobeyed His Word about this, and so unbelievers [and disobedient brethren- 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15] have gotten into control, as is now the case in most denominations. Therefore, those who
purpose to be true to Christ and His Word are commanded to "come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord" (2 Corinthians 6:17), regardless of property or any other considerations. When we obey God's Word, we can trust Him
to take care of all the consequences of our obedience. 
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