THE MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE

There is nothing wonderful about having a hard heart and not being able to be moved by God or by things that move normal people. The more you let the Devil give you an emotional, synthetic experience with Rock and that kind of thing, the less you will be able to respond to God. It is the hyper-emotional synthetic experience that will keep you from that which is real and genuine. Remember the verse that was used in the first lecture, Ephesians 5:10. “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”

A pastor in Birmingham turned on a Christian station that was playing hard rock. He could not believe what he was hearing. He then turned on a secular station that had good music playing on it. The Christian station was far worse than the secular station. You may say, “That was his opinion.” Let me ask you a question. What kind of music does God want us to have? Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” The Bible is telling us that we are to reprove evil. Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” God says that we should not allow “vain words” to deceive us.

AWAY FROM COMMON EXPERIENCE

What the Devil does in rock music is to take the words and empty them of their meaning. This means that no real communication exists. There is a book called The Treasure of Our Tongue, which says, (written by Lincoln Barnett) "The trend in all art forms has been AWAY FROM COMMON EXPERIENCE and common understanding and in the direction of the undefinable. The liking for the ambiguous and mystical. This is at the bottom of a love of confusion. The key word in our day confusion. No one seems to understand what is going on, (and we know that God is not the author of confusion). Words do nothing if they are emptied of meaning. Words work only when men agree what their components mean....John Cage says, 'I have nothing to say and I am saying it, and that is poetry as far as I need it.' If you were to ask a neo-orthodox person or a neo-evangelical person about the inspiration of the Bible, they would say that Shakespear was just as talented. If you ask them if Jesus is the Divine Son of God, they will say we are sons of God too. We even need to define Jesus and being born again.

NO, IT IS THE MUSIC ITSELF THAT IS BAD.

In Readers Digest Magazine, June, 1973, it says, "What sound to us like expressions of futility and despair, are to the young lyrics speaking about freedom, if freedom may be taken to mean a rejection of responsibility. It is a defiant tongue that takes pleasure in this language, primitive, vulgar, undisciplined." What they are saying is that the language of rock music is the language of rebellion. Language of rebellion is not something that a Christian should desire in his life, because it is also rebellion against God and the Word of God. Because of that we Christians should want nothing to do with it. We seem to think that it is bad only if the words are bad, but I would say that if rock music is good, then prove what is right with it. We think that it is bad only if the words talk about illicit sex or drugs and then it is wrong. NO, IT IS THE MUSIC ITSELF THAT IS BAD. THE WORDS ONLY LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE MUSIC ALREADY SAYS. Even if excellent words are put with a rock beat, the music changes the meaning of the words.

rock shows an EXISTENTIAL ATTITUDE

In a book called "Rock Music" by William J. Shaeffer, it says on page 13, "We must look at rock as one principle dialect in the language of culture." He says that the music is a language that tells you what is going on. On page 25, he says, "There is no separation of form and content in Rock since they are fused as a continuous experience, a package of simultaneous impressions and feelings." You cannot take sacred words and put rock music to it because it does not work. He says, "You cannot separate the message of the rock music." On page 61, he says, "Rock commentators often describe the music as a sharing of consciousness, a connection of sensibilities beyond the verbal level; communication without words, without verbal conceptualization." They view Rock as an organic nucleus of culture, a part of the basic tissue of their lives. On page 62, he says, " Rock as a mythopied force, a tool for altering consciousness." What he is saying is that the music is a tool to alter the consciousness, it is actually a way of thinking on its own. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN TO THINK LIKE THE WORLD, THEN LISTEN TO ROCK MUSIC. On page 73, he says, "Regardless of what ideology is inserted into the music, rock's effect is to concentrate the listener's reactions on THE INSTANT, ON HIMSELF INCLOSED IN THE INSTANT, rock shows an EXISTENTIAL ATTITUDE, it is home made existentialism." On page 75 he says, "What the music says is at a level below words." He is saying, don't listen to the words because the words don't matter. "The mythology of rock has communicated itself through the music itself. They exist as powerful states of consciousness, for the young who will hear rock through their flesh and bones. Rock has acted as a catalyst, a force uniting ideas and feelings, it is a medium, rock is a cult of irrationality, a reverence for the instinctual, the visceral (sensual), and a distrust of reason and logic. This form of anti-intellectualism can be highly dangerous, and can lead to totalitarian modes of thought and action. Linked with this anti-intellectualism is an interest in the occult, magic, superstition, exotic religious thought, anything contrary to the main currents of Western thought. Also directly connected is an obsession with the unconscious mind. The force of drug culture has been its promise to reveal the hidden instinctual man, to free the individual from restrictions and limitations of his conscious mind and his gross physical body." He is saying that rock music is closely linked to the occult and thus the very essence of rock music would fit in the realm of idolatry which is an abomination to the Lord. .

PUT YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS WITH A LITTLE HONEY.

In this lesson we will show you how this is happening with rock music. The rock musicians are taking away the meaning of words deliberately and they do it deliberately to trick young people. What is happening to us today is like taking a frog and placing him in a tank that is heated so gradually that the frog will not jump out and he boils to death. In the same way Christians have compared themselves with the world by staying a certain "safe" distance but they don't realize that the world has moved and now they are where the world used to be. When we do that and fail to compare ourselves with the Bible, we make a big mistake. John Lennon said, "It's the same message, but now it's sugar coated. It's anti-religious, anti- nationalistic, anti-conventional, and anti- capitalistic, but now I understand what you have to do, PUT YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS WITH A LITTLE HONEY." They call this sweet rock or soft rock. It is sugar coated, with honey on it, so even Christian people will swallow it and think it is good, but don't realize that the message is still the same and that they have changed things around so that the Christians won't catch on. Lennon says, "People have always turned to music to express their feelings about the problems of life. Music has served as an expression and reflection of the problems of life. Music has served as an expression and reflection of the problems of our society. Music tells you what is going on. You study the music and you can realize what is happening."

th music cancels the words.

A recording is played during the lecture of a famous hymn of the "Lord's Prayer." The music is so overpowering that the words can scarcely be distinguished. Frank Garlock has to explain that this is the "Lord's Prayer." He shows by demonstrating how the music cancels the words. You could demonstrate the same thing if you were to stand in front of a crowd with a big frown on your face and then say that you are happy. In the rock opera Godspell, which is played by way of illustration, (sound bites only) all are dressed like clowns, with faces white and lips and cheeks red. Steven Schwartz, who wrote it says that "Christianity is the biggest myth around, and I am going to show what a myth it is by making a joke out of it." What he did is to take the words of Scripture and made them into a joke by putting them with a rock music beat. (Ad this point in the lecture Frank Garlock plays parts of "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord," "God Save the People," and "Day by Day." This is what is called sweet rock. It is one of the early attempts at putting Christian words with the devil's music and the whole purpose was always to make a joke on Christianity. The words are not bad because they are taken out of Scripture, but the music is saying the exact opposite of the words and that is what the writer intended to do. It is a clever and funny dirty joke. This is just as much blasphemy as if someone stood and cursed God to the face. This music is not a means of getting the Gospel out but of bringing God down and blaspheming Him to His face. .

TO REALLY BE SOLD OUT TO GOD

In the book "Greening of America," after talking about how words mean nothing, he says, "music, on the other hand says all the things they want to say or feel." For a Christian, having rock music with Christian words is their last link with the world. The Scripture teaches that we are dead to the world in Christ. Rebellious Christians know that drinking, drugs, smoking, and sex are bad, but won't give up their evil music. IF YOU WANT TO REALLY BE SOLD OUT TO GOD, THEN GIVE THE MUSIC UP. THEN YOU CAN REALLY BE SOLD OUT TO GOD. Don't put your rock music in a closet, destroy it. The only thing that should be done with trash is to destroy it. Ephesians 5:17 says, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." AS LONG AS YOU HANG ON TO THE WORLD AND IT'S MUSIC, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU NEED TO MAKE A COMPLETE BREAK. . In the book "Greening of America," after talking about how words mean nothing, he says, "music, on the other hand says all the things they want to say or feel." For a Christian, having rock music with Christian words is their last link with the world. The Scripture teaches that we are dead to the world in Christ. Rebellious Christians know that drinking, drugs, smoking, and sex are bad, but won't give up their evil music. IF YOU WANT TO REALLY BE SOLD OUT TO GOD, THEN GIVE THE MUSIC UP. THEN YOU CAN REALLY BE SOLD OUT TO GOD. Don't put your rock music in a closet, destroy it. The only thing that should be done with trash is to destroy it. Ephesians 5:17 says, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." AS LONG AS YOU HANG ON TO THE WORLD AND IT'S MUSIC, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE. YOU NEED TO MAKE A COMPLETE BREAK.

going down

a. Ultrasonics – sounds above your hearing range. Newsweek Magazine says “The Virginia Electric and Power Company has come up with a novel experiment for keeping fish away from danger. The company has installed four underwater loud speakers, near the water intakes in its plant on the James River in Surrey, Virginia. The program, raucous rock music from a local rock station and blaring twenty-four hours a day.” The fish can’t stand it. The thing that does it is Ultrasonics. Only a jet engine or an amplifier can produce ultrasonics. One can buy an amplifier strong enough to produce an earthquake, and to hear a rock band twenty miles away. Be careful about ear phones. Symphony orchestras are not that loud but the sound from an amplifier can permanently damage ear cells. Some teenagers have 65 year old ears from listening to too much rock music and playing it too loud. b. Infrasonics – sounds that are below your hearing range. If you get the sound to 7 cycles per second it will greatly affect you, giving you a high, getting you stoned without drugs. Your body will produce some drugs of its own just from hearing the sound. “The scientists said that the test nearly cost us all our lives, luckily we were able to turn it off fast. All of us were sick for hours, everything in us was vibrating.” This is an article about a scientific experiment using Infrasonics. When the vibrations were down to 7 cycles per second, they found that they thought they could kill people up to five miles away with nothing but sound. That is what is happening to the new music with bass so loud that it shakes houses as the cars with speakers in the trunk pass by. Just watch “American Bandstand” or “Soul Train” with the sound turned off. Look at the movement that is caused by the music. MUSIC AFFECTS THE BODY. If that is the standard, then what type of motions go with your music. Is it tapping the foot, or moving like “Soul Train.” And then ask yourself if you could move your body like that “as unto the Lord” just because there were some Christian words thrown in to make it alright. 2. Saul was made well – music affected his mind. “Rock is a method for altering consciousness.” Psychotherapeutic music is played in mental hospitals as a medicine for the mind, to help mental patients. Autioanalgesia is a way of using music or sound in such a way as to limit pain during an operation. It is used by dentists instead of pain killer. With a set of ear phones and a dial in your lap, he asks you to turn the dial when he starts drilling until you cannot feel the pain. 80% of people can do this and never feel pain. One badly burned boy was able to kill his pain with this but it damages the ears. A rock station manager was asked a question one time, “How could you clean up rock music?” He said, “Eliminate the repetition, the beat, and the volume.” They responded, “Then it wouldn’t be rock music.” Rock music can be defined as REPETITION, BEAT, AND VOLUME. Repetition is alright in music as long as it is in STRICT CONTROL. Frank Garlock tells about someone making chili and instead of putting 7 teaspoons of chili into the mix, they put 7 ounces. He makes the point that chili powder is ok as long as it is under STRICT CONTROL. He plays a number by “Grand Funk” where a phrase is repeated endlessly throughout the number. He mentions a number by the “Monkeys” where the number lasts 2 minutes and 15 seconds and the words “going down” are repeated 85 times.

That would be equivalent to your mother saying, “Make the bed,” over and over and over for one LOUD HOUR. What would you do? The reason that you would go crazy is the repetition. One of the key things that is used in hypnotizing people is repetition, and that is what the Devil does through the music and then he feeds you with all kinds of devilish philosophy

When someone is hypnotized you can give him subtle suggestions, and he will not remember getting the suggestion but he will do what you told him to do. Sex, drugs, and other things are fed to your mind when you don’t expect by rock music. The Devil anesthetizes your will, your mind, and your spirit. Prayer, Sunday School, and other things cannot cancel the rock music in your mind. The average teen listens to rock 4-6 hours a day according to Ralf Nader. Listening to rock music is what makes you a fool. You are being brainwashed by your worst enemy. In the book, “Rock Music” on page 79 it says, “What is undeniable about rock is its hypnotic power, it has gripped millions of young people around the world and transformed their lives.” You cannot study better and listen to rock. The very root word of music is muse which means to think. Amuse means not to think. “Rock is auto- intellectual music. One either fights it and leaves, or loses oneself in it in a trance-like state.” Even those that write the music are telling us here that rock music is hypnotic music to keep you from thinking. Let me challenge you. Try to go thirty days with ABSOLUTELY NO ROCK MUSIC. Spend the time that you would have used with the music reading the Word of God. If you are a teenager, your grades will definitely improve.

The battle between good and evil

THE EVIL SPIRIT DEPARTED FROM HIM. Music affects you spiritually. MUSIC HAS SPIRITUAL POWER. Donovan says, “Rock is the perfect religious vehicle.” The book “Rock Beyond Woodstock” says, “Rock became a religion, a way to God.” The Devil is out to get you spiritually. He wants you to worship him even if it means using his music with some Christian words in it. Occult music with Christian words does not mean it is Christian. We will show in the next lecture what the basic elements of music are and how Christian music differs from rock music. Romans 12:1,2 says, “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.” God says “present your bodies” because he knows that you cannot go anywhere without your body. When young ladies learn this they will keep their bodies properly covered, because their bodies do not belong to the men on the street, but they belong to God. We are to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. As we said in Ephesians 5:10, “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Are you keeping yourselves acceptable unto the Lord? “And be not conformed to this world.” Many Christians are like Jell-O. “And be ye transformed,” which means metamorphosis, “by the renewing of your mind.” God wants your mind. What if your mind had a television screen that showed what you think? Would you want people to see your thoughts?

Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 4:23,24 says, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

All these verses have to do with the mind. What you think about is what you will become. You can control your mind if you want to. You can live without the hypnotic influence of rock music if you want to. “That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” When you give your body, mind, and spirit to God, you will then know what the will of God is for your life. The questions that you have had up to now will start to be answered.

The Music is the Message – Lesson Two