Author Archives: Delight in Truth

Feb 25 2013

Counterfeit Praise and Worship in the Evangelical Church

A friend added me to a Facebook group called Gear Talk: Praise and Worship.  It’s a place where worship leaders discuss their instruments, gear, songs, and other things related to praise and worship through music.  There are thousands of members in this forum.

As I scrolled through the posts, I come upon this beauty:

“Prepping songs for Lifechurch.tv Stillwater campus tomorrow.  Here’s the set list:
Lights – Journey (opener)
Cornerstone
One Thing Remains
Christ Is Risen
God of Our Salvation

Pumped for 6 services!!”

So, under the category “be angry and do not sin” I felt the need to tax this level of counterfeit Christianity and leave this comment:

“you guys play non-Christian songs by non-Christian bands during worship? (Lights – Journey)”

Journey is a rock band from the 80’s and not only is their music NOT praise and worship, but they are completely secular.  The responses I received from these so-called praise and worship leaders included:

“Love me some Journey!!!”

“There really is no such thing as a Christian/Non-Christian song…songs are songs, meat is meat, days are days. (Rom 14:5-6)”

“Lights is a great song and pretty fun to play so I don’t have a problem with it.”

My friends, this is counterfeit Christianity at its worst.  These praise and worship leaders do not understand the first thing about our God, and the fact that He is “holy, holy, holy,” and He will not receive the worship of the depraved!  How can He receive a song by Journey, a song that has nothing to do with Him, an uninspired song written by people who do not know Him?

Moreover, the guy is using Scripture to defend his position! Unbelievable!

Looking through this forum, and seeing other similar posts, I began to realize how deep this unholy cancer runs in our post-modern churches.  I am realizing that we have people who are not born-again leading congregations in so-called “worship.” And God is not receiving this worship unto Himself because these are not his children. These congregations have a “form of godliness but denying its power.”  They are doing exactly what the Israelites of old were doing in mixing their worship for God with worship for Baal, Asherim and Molech.  And God despises it today just like he did back then.

The rebuke through prophet Isaiah applies to these false Christians today: “this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…” Isaiah 29:13

This is how we have wanna-be rockers in their 50s rocking out in churches secular songs such as the theme song from the depraved adult TV show The Simpsons.  Watch the “worship” below from Granger Community Church and be shocked that this happens in church:

Feb 23 2013

Theology 101: Is Decision Theology Biblical?

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I used to attend Monday nights with Greg Laurie at Calvary Chapel when I was a kid. At the end of every service Greg used to invite people in the front to make a decision to accept Christ and become born-again after repeating a one minute “sinner’s prayer.”

This practice became more pompous at the yearly Harvest Crusades when after reciting the sinner’s prayer, fireworks went off and Greg would declare: “welcome to the family of God.”

Is the personal decision to become born again unto eternal life grounded in the Bible? And is it ok to label a person born again after reciting the sinner’s prayer?

Billy Graham has been applying decision theology throughout his evangelistic career, and he famously declared that only 5% or less of those making a profession of faith at his crusades eventually make their way into the Body of Christ by joining a church.

It then follows that a huge number of people who make a decision to believe, make a profession that is NOT of faith. That is just the tip of a nefarious iceberg. These folks leave the crusade thinking they are saved and they continue to live unchanged lives. They are left with an empty decision, a profession, and a false declaration of salvation by a celebrity evangelist.

This problem invariably gets into the monergism vs synergism debate. Monergism holds to the supreme sovereignty of God in matters of salvation, and states that a human decision is not involved in becoming born again, while synergism claims that a human decision for salvation is necessary and synergistic with the work of the Holy Spirit.

But I argue that when it comes to conversion, philosophy can muddy the waters. Let us go to the Scriptures to highlight the fact that salvation belongs to God and it is the work of the Holy Spirit. The only thing that humans can do is abandon salvation.

First, a confession of true faith stems in the gift of faith given by God, NOT in a human decision:

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”

Second, this faith cannot be activated by a human decision because such an action is contrary to fallen human nature:

1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

It becomes clear that in order to make an authentic confession of faith one has to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit because the unregenerated natural man is not able to do this.

Even repentance is not the result of human decision but something that is granted by God:

Acts 11:18 “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””

I need to stress that human participation in salvation is not robotic. But also, it is not a man initiated event by decisions and sinner’s prayers. It is the result of the quickening of the Holy Spirit.

An appropriate altar call should include the presentation of gospel facts and gospel terms followed by an invitation to repent and surrender to God. Decisions to become born again have no place in a biblical understanding of salvation. Neither do declarations of eternal salvation for those who make professions of faith.

Feb 22 2013

Could Jesus Culture Be More Popular Than Jesus Christ?

Following a provocation by Todd Friel from “Wretched” (here)I dared to Google “Jesus C” and observe the prompt choices that come up. The first choice in my browser’s search bar was “Jesus Culture” followed by “Jesus Christ.”

Through no fault of their own, at least by this metric, the band Jesus Culture has become more searchable and popular than Jesus Christ. Many young Christians are aware of who they are and probably listen to their worship music.  Jesus Culture is way bigger then Hillsong was in their prime (early to mid 2000’s) or any other worship band.  Ever.

They are part of the New Apostolic Reformation charismatic movement out of Redding, CA based at Bill Johnson’s church, whose theology is very focused on the mandate given to the 12 disciples in Matthew 10:  heal the sick, raise the dead and exorcise the demon-possessed.  That, and also establish God’s kingdom in Redding.

The question is why are they so popular? I’ve done some research on this including attending their conference in Los Angeles (mostly out of curiosity) and try to analyze this phenomenon. I personally believe that a pure gospel message based on the cross would not bring a band to this level of popularity.

The music is well done from an artistic stand point but this alone does not explain it. While many of their songs do have an uplifting message (some are not written by them), the lyrics are mostly your usual modern worship lyrics centered on what God does for us, and NOT Who God is… So the lyrics do not necessarily explain the Jesus Culture phenomenon.

The answer is that Jesus Culture popularity has to do with the package they have become.

1. In their interviews and concerts they are focused on promoting “deep encounters” with God and experimental trance-like scenarios built around receiving power and baptism with fire. At the Los Angeles concert they performed a maneuver where after a 10 minute instrumental and light show build-up to a climax, everything suddenly stopped, the crowd went nuts and received power on command from the speaker who declared “receive it, receive it, receive it.” This transfer of power is practiced in the “tunnel of fire” at their church as well. Wild expressions of ecstasy on command from the speaker were common throughout the event.

2. They advertise “new experience” when attending their conferences. This makes them highly attractive for those who seek this type of physical stimulation of the senses. We live in a world which loves sensational experiences, and Jesus Culture provides that. For example vocalist Kim Walker’s testimony of her physical/metaphysical encounter with Jesus is astounding (here, starting at minute 28). It sounds like a description of a scene from a badly made 80’s movie, where she hugs Jesus and presses Him to answer how much He loves her, and whether she was really meant to be a girl and not a boy.  For comparison… a look back at the encounter Paul had with Jesus on the way to Damascus which left him as dead, reveals a completely different type of encounter than the one experienced by Kim.

3. Another reason for their popularity is the fact that their message and conferences have nothing to do with repentance, the new birth, and the cross. Instead the message is focused on power. Power to perform miracles, heal the sick, raise the dead, etc. That is attractive! It makes the followers feel good, and it empowers them, but  in a misleading way.

So, the question will come up… Should we listen to this music because after all, the sound or the lyrics are not different from Hillsong and Gateway?

Can one can separate the recording from the band’s theology and practice, and be edified by songs with a biblical message like “There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain…?”  One has to use his discerning ability and decide for himself.  I will personally never attend another Jesus Culture event, and I will warn the youth about their practices.

But if you really love this music and want to listen to it, I strongly caution you not to get sucked into the bad theology and mystical practice of Jesus Culture.

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Feb 21 2013

A New Passion: The Taylor 414ce

This beautiful new guitar is my new passion. I will experiment using it during worship at church as I try to make a transition from playing keys to playing guitar.

I have been playing keyboards and piano since I was a kid, but I have been secretly loving the idea of leading the church in worship using the guitar.

So I took a big step and purchased this instrument from Sweetwater after bargaining for a good price.

It is made of spruce wood in the front giving the sound a bright tone, while the ovankol wood found in the back and sides provides for deep bass. And my favorite part, it is fitted with the Taylor Expression System Electronics which make it ready for playing in a church setting using amplification.  The sound is absolutely full-bodied and overall amazing.  My finger tips are already calloused 🙂

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

Feb 20 2013

Evangelical Romanian Gypsy Worship: Psalm 117

These are songs from Romanian Evangelical Gypsies in the middle of a wedding.  The first clip is based on Psalm 117.  The second clip is a simple “Hallelujah.” All I can say is… amazing.  Worship atmosphere during a wedding…

Praise the Lord all ye nations,

Praise Him all ye people.

Everlasting is His truth,

And His kindness is great to us.

Hallelu, hallelujah, hallelu, hallelujah

Praise the Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Praise the Lord, hallelujah,

Hallelu, hallelujah!

Praise the Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Feb 19 2013

There Is Nothing New in NBC’s Mocking of Jesus

What was NBC thinking?

What was Saturday Night Live (SNL) thinking when they mocked Jesus Christ in this skit (here) this past weekend? What possible reason could they have in doing this?

For the purpose of entertaining the masses, SNL/NBC is portraying Jesus as a revengeful post-resurrection Christ out on a murderous spree. There is gory, blasphemous killing and blood spilling everywhere to the delight and comic relief of the studio audience.  How low will NBC go to mock our Savior?

Dear Christians, this is nothing new.

NBC is merely borrowing an old Satanic technique showing that depravity and mockery are siblings.

Evangelist Luke tells us in chapter 22 how they mocked Jesus after His arrest:

63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”

And Matthew details in chapter 27:

28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.

NBC, enticed by Satan to obtain comedic value and ratings out of mocking Jesus, decided to go ahead and broadcast this clip for the world to see.  Unfortunately for them,  this clip will serve as eternal evidence on Judgement Day, evidence which will convict them before God.

Imagine if NBC/SNL did a skit linking Islam’s Mohammed to such images or to pedophilia.   They wouldn’t dare do such a thing because they fear for their lives.  They know that Christians respond differently from the followers of Mohammed, and that Christians do not respond violently to the mocking of their faith.

Should we be offended and protest against NBC?  No.  This is expected.  The work of Christ is based on mockery and death.  That is how he took our sins upon Himself, and apostle Paul teaches us that we must identify ourselves with the sufferings of Christ as we are united with Christ and hidden in Him.

Satan will continue to mock Jesus.

The world will do the same.

By doing this they will mock His followers as well, which will continue and intensify until His glorious return.

Feb 18 2013

Abortion Tragedy Strikes Again in Maryland

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The older I get and the more I follow the Pro-Life movement and learn about these cases, the more I polarize myself against the abhorrent practice of killing the unborn.

So I write articles such as this one to educate the visitors of Delight in Truth about what the forces of evil are doing with abortion, and how a spiritual war has real and physical consequences.

The case of 29-year-old Jennifer McKenna-Morbelli, a teacher from New Rochelle, N.Y., who recently died after suffering massive complications following an abortion is truly striking.

There are two crazy events in this story.  First, a healthy young woman died as a result of massive hemorrhage stemming from abortion.  Second, the abortion involved a nearly FULL-TERM baby who could have survived without life support if he/she would have just been delivered by induction of labor.

The tragedy is grounded in the fact that a mother and child are dead, when both could have been alive by a delivery instead of an abortion.

That is the main story.  While the act of killing a nearly full term baby is an abomination, the details of the case are troubling as well.  New York is a liberal hot spot for abortion activists, but even New York will not allow the abortion of a late-term baby unless the life of the mother is in imminent danger.  As a result, the young mother and wife traveled to Maryland where abortion laws are even more lax, and where a very late-term abortion can be performed if the baby develops an “abnormality.”

Medical points are beyond the scope of this article, but a fetal abnormality (usually genetic) does not develop in the third trimester.  It develops from early in the pregnancy, and while I do not know the fetal ultrasound details of the case, it is unlikely that all of sudden, one finds a new fetal abnormality at 33 weeks gestation.

The fact that Maryland allows for such late-term abortion is detestable.

LeRoy Carhart, the abortion doctor who performed this particular abortion has had other such instances where young mothers have died as a result of his abortions, and he is currently being investigated and hopefully suspended soon.  A late-term abortion is risky procedure to begin with, and incompetent physicians who may be performing these procedures only compound the risk.

I continue to hold that abortion medicine  is a creepy field to be practicing in, and the vast majority of Ob-Gyn doctors do not want participate in it.  As a result we are have very old doctors (from the Roe v Wade) era still doing these procedures with added risk to patients.

I feel sorry for the family who lost two lives instead of none, and I will not invoke divine punishment in this case for the choices made because that is up to God.

But the Word of God is clear when it states that the shedding of innocent blood (abortion) of a nearly full term infant is an abomination in his sight. One of the seven things that the LORD hates is listed in Proverbs 6:

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 …hands that shed innocent blood…”

But the good news is that even the sin of abortion can be atoned for in the sacrifice of Christ.   If you were involved in an abortion and shed innocent blood, Jesus Christ can take that sin upon Himself and you can be made righteous before God, if you repent and believe in Him!  The cross is the only hope for any sinner.  That is the ultimate place where the grace and love of God meet the justice of God, and the sinner becomes a child of God.

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Feb 15 2013

Living in Tomorrow, Today! Update from Narcis Popovici (2)

Narcis, his wife and kids, and another family left EVERYTHING behind to answer the call of the Lord to extend His Kingdom into a hostile country. They live there now and they need our support and prayers.  With previous permission, here is the latest update from them.  Names and places have been erased to protect them.

Life and Family
D… and I were just having a coffee for her birthday a few days ago and talking through God’s faithfulness to us through the years and how important it is to find in Christ the source of all our LIFE and LOVE.  We were able to celebrate her 32nd birthday with the team, it was fun!  D… is homeschooling the kids and being the wonderful woman of God and inspiration that she is.  Learning to find Him in the everyday moments of life is often what separates the men from the boys (or girls from women :-)).  She’s also been doing great at picking up Arabic, along with the kids.  The kids are being their usual selves, anyone who’s ever raised 3 boys should know what I mean.  It has been one of my joys being able to make this move and progress together as a family.  In the past, most of the […] we’ve undertaken has been me traveling without the family, but there’s nothing I love more than being with them in the journey.  On another note, we hope to take a family trip to Romania this summer, in order to get the paperwork started for the family’s Romanian citizenship and introduce the kids to a part of their heritage they’ve never had the opportunity to experience yet.

God’s Revelation is God’s Invitation
We believe that in God’s self-disclosing nature, He’s wanting to awaken in our hearts “faith”, an invitation to come.  Our hearts are burning to see His Glory transform this region of the world.  The only reason that’s even the case is because He has allowed us into His hearts desire for this people.  As a team we know that a part of what we are called to is sow into the generation to come.  But we also firmly believe that there is a dimension in God that we can touch, that we can enter, now.  Pulling into our present experience that which His heart is longing for.

Points for Prayer and Progress
Some of the things we covet your prayers on is favor and financing for our base here.  We have potentially found a place that would cover our licensing and suit our “House of Prayer” and “School of Equipping”.  We have prayed and feel peace from the Lord to move forward with it.  If all goes well, it will run us around $1800 a month for rent, not including utilities.  Please pray that we will build with the right people.  Also, F… and I will be doing some traveling in the near future within the region, connecting with people of like heart believing for open doors for the gospel of the glory of Christ.  We covet your prayers and support for these endeavors, whether stationary or mobile.  We have also been able to start some relationships with some local Muslim’s here and will be going out more consistently here as the weather gets warmer.  Please pray that God will pour out His mighty Spirit as the gospel prevails upon hearts, minds and bodies with the effective work of Calvary.  We are believing for mighty conversions and baptisms in the Holy Spirit.  Our God is great!  Thank you all again so much for all of your loving prayers and support towards our family, the team and the work here in […] and the […].  Peace to you all…

With Love… here is a video message: