SCHIZOPHRENIC WORSHIP
By: Rex Duff
Worship is defined in the New Testament as to prostrate oneself in homage, to do reverence, to adore. It is clearly an act of praise to the triune God. It is always an upward act, and is never a vertical act towards man. At least it is not suppose to be a fleshly act!
Schizophrenic is defined as a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality. It is characterized as demonstrating disorganized thinking, and as experiencing delusions or auditory hallucinations!
Someone who is participating in Schizophrenic Worship, is therefore not aware that their Worship of God, is not reality. They made even think the Holy Spirit is speaking to them. They feel a false spiritual high. They have delusions of being on a spiritual mountain top, when they have been deceived by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Clearly, when we go to Church, there is more than worship in the service. There are announcements, prayer requests, a sermon given to those present, and an invitation to Christians and to the lost to come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The problem in to many fundamental Churches is not the message, but the Worship that is used to get people, both saved and lost, to respond to the message.
You see, if we respond to fleshly music, not the drawing and convicting power of the Holy Spirit, the decision is worthless.
As a matter of fact, when we get people excited using fleshly music, it is like a drug high, which requires more and more fleshly music to maintain the high.
Good gospel music becomes dead music, and the Church that doesn’t allow fleshly music, is known as a dead Church. I have personally witness lengthy testimony services, following strong fleshly music. It was so lengthy that there was never any preaching in the service! I have notice that all the shouting and excitement is only with the music, sometimes the “high” carries over to the preaching, but most of the time it doesn’t. I have even witnessed invitations strictly on the music, when there was no preaching. People were said to have even gotten saved!
The problem is we are talking about “Christian Music”. To be blunt, we are talking about music with drums, sometimes a base guitar, but always a predominant beat. I have heard the preacher say the service was dead when the drummer was not present. What are we talking about?
We are talking about CCM, southern gospel, rap gospel, rock gospel, or plainly any gospel music, controlled by the beat.
In my early days before I was saved, I played drums in local Rock groups in my home town. Fortunately, I was not a great star, so I never got caught up in the big drug rock seen. I did play drums though, for my Junior high, and for my college marching band (Liberty Baptist College), and played kettle drums for the worship service of Thomas Road Baptist Church.
I can clearly say that I have had first hand experience on putting the devil’s beat to gospel music. I can see where music did take the late Jerry Falwell, and where his standards did go!
What then is the history of drums? Why must a true Church, never allow drums in the Church. Why, if you go to a Church that has drums, you should consider leaving. CAUSION—You will have withdraw! It will take some time before you can enjoy Biblical worship music. I personally spent several years in a non-instrumental Charity Fellowship Church, before the beat was out of me. I still wonder if it is completely out?
The following on DRUMS, is taken from Biblical Guidelines for Christian Music (AV 1611, web site)
“Pagan dances and rituals are always accompanied by the incessant BEAT OF DRUMS. Rhythm plays a major role in these demonic activities” – From Hart, Lowell Satan’s Music Exposed, Salem Kirban Inc 1980, page 71.
Robert Palmer who has taught courses in music at Yale, and many other universities states: “Bata drums (Drums used in voodoo) sacred to the Yoruba people of Nigeria and Cuba: their push and pull provided a template for the inner rhythms of rock and roll”. – From Palmer, Robert Rock and Roll An Unruly History, Harmony Books, New York, 1995, page 46.
The fundamental riffs, licks, bass figures, and DRUM RHYTHMS that make rock and roll can ultimately be traced back to African music of a primarily spiritual or ritual nature – From Palmer, cited above page 53.
The drum was a very common instrument in Egypt and lands around Israel, and yet the drum is never mentioned in the Bible. Some preachers say that because the Bible mentions cymbals, that it approves drums. The problem with this reasoning is that the cymbals in the Bible were not used to keep a beat, they were used more like a gong. They were used to get your attention, not provide fleshly music for you. I am amazed that even Amazing Grace, can be made worldly and fleshly by adding drums.
Drums are associated with voodoo, shamanism, paganism and magic rituals. Drums represents the beat of the heart and is played to summon up magic powers. – From Miranda Bruce-Mitford, The illustrated Book of Signs and Symbols, DK Publishing, 1996, page 80.
“The Shaman was the original “long hair” the first rock star draped in leather, dancing possessed to a rhythm banged out on a drum”. – From Danny Sugerman, Appetite for Destruction, page 208.
In Siberia, in Northern Asia, drums are used in Shamanic rituals to heal people. It is believed that the Shaman can communicate with the spirit world THROUGH DRUMMING. – From Louise Tythacott, Musical Instruments, Thomas Learning, 1995, page 37.
Robert Palmer also states that drums that are used in voodoo possession are the same drum patterns that are a part of the basic rock ‘N’ roll and CCM music. We can also add Southern gospel.
I believe this kind of music is demonic….. A lot of the beats in music today are taken from voodoo, from the voodoo drums, according to LITTLE RICHARD – From Charles White, the Life and times of Little Richards, page 197.
According to history, African slaves brought to this country were forbidden to play their drums – From Louise Tythacott, Musical Instruments, Thomas Learning, 1995, page 19.
New Orleans, the voodoo capital of the United States, never forbid drumming there. – From Robert Palmer, already cited, page 21.
When the first Blacks from Africa were converted to Christianity they knew the power and evil influence of DRUMS. And the converted blacks strictly forbid the use of drums! They referred to the drums as “the devil’s drum” – From Martha Bayles Hole in Our Soul: The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music, page 138.
Historically blacks had drawn the line between particular instruments and practices; they permitted tambourines, for instance, but not drums. – From Martha Bayles, already cited, page 130.
One simple guideline for Christian Music is this, NO DRUMS, and I might add no bass guitar, if it is used to produce a strong BEAT!
CHRISTIAN MUSIC should feed the spirit, not the flesh
CHRISTIAN MUSIC should emphasize the Melody, not the beat
CHRISTIAN MUSIC should be dedicated to worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ, not satisfying a carnal flesh!
The Bible declares in Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”.
The Bible states also in Colossians 3:16, “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”.
Can anyone question that drums might be, nothing more than instruments of Satan?
Editor's Note- Please understand that I am not condemning sound tracts with a very light drum beat in the music. What I am condemning is CCM, and Music that is clearly controlled by the beat!