I hope and pray all is well back home. We are doing well down here and thank the Lord everyone has been healthy. In the last few days we have received a lot of rain. With this there has been an increase of mosquitoes. Please pray that we will stay healthy and will not get any fevers that can be passed through their bites.
I receive emails from Brother David Cloud (Word of LIfe Ministries) and I thought that this was a pretty good article on Country Music. It was written by Brother Jeff Royal and I have posted it below. If you have anytime it would be a good article to read.
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support.
Brother Chris
The following is by Jeff Royal (http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1022721204&msgid=1666511&act=2D0T&c=399450&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fjeffroyal5%40bellsouth.net) --
Music is a very important part of most people’s lives, and a quick scan of the radio dial reveals what people are listening to. Rock /rap/pop music dominate the airwaves, therefore many Christians are turning to a new venue--Country music.
Country music has hit the big time. It “has become the most popular radio format in America, reaching 77.3 million adults--almost 40 percent of the adult population--every week. Since 1989, country record sales have nearly doubled from $921 million to over $1.758 billion” (http://www.roughstock.com/history/garthnew.html).
Is Country music a viable alternative to the secular, worldly mainstream music of our day?
My concern is that a steady dose of Country music will not help you in your daily walk with the Lord, but it will actually hinder and ultimately weaken you.
Consider some song lyrics and information that will help shed light on the spiritual and moral dangers of this music.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has been a key figure in Country music for 40 plus years. Her first label was Goldband back in 1957. The following lyrics are from her album “Something Special” titled “Speakin Of The Devil”:
Speakin' Of The Devil
He's got a way of walkin'
He's got a way of talkin'
A way to fascinate me all the time
And he's got a way with women
A way to keep my head a swimmin'
He's got away too many times
Ooh, speakin' of the devil
He is drivin' me wild
With that wicked little grin
And that fire in his eyes
He's got me dreamin'
Got me steamin'
Ooh, speakin' of the devil
It feels mighty close to heaven
And I'd go through hell to make him mine
This is very typical of Country music. Country takes a flippant, whimsical view when it comes to the Bible, Jesus Christ and the Devil. The Bible makes it clear that the devil is our adversary and sin is horrible that it nailed God’s Son to the cross.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
Dolly Parton in her album, “Halos and Horns,” covers the heavy metal band Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Here’s what Dolly had to say about the song:
“I was scared to death to send it to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. They sent word back that it was fine and they loved it. In fact, Robert Plant said he’d always thought of it as a spiritual song, and he was thrilled we’d used a choir on it, because he thought about that, too. If they like it, that’s most important to me. But I do hope the public will accept it too. I even hope they love it. (http://www.dolly.net/cutbycut.htm).
Dolly also performed the John Lennon song “Imagine” on her 2005 album called “Those Were The Days.” Here are the lyrics:
Imagine there's no heaven
Music is a very important part of most people’s lives, and a quick scan of the radio dial reveals what people are listening to. Rock /rap/pop music dominate the airwaves, therefore many Christians are turning to a new venue--Country music.
Country music has hit the big time. It “has become the most popular radio format in America, reaching 77.3 million adults--almost 40 percent of the adult population--every week. Since 1989, country record sales have nearly doubled from $921 million to over $1.758 billion” (http://www.roughstock.com/history/garthnew.html).
Is Country music a viable alternative to the secular, worldly mainstream music of our day?
My concern is that a steady dose of Country music will not help you in your daily walk with the Lord, but it will actually hinder and ultimately weaken you.
Consider some song lyrics and information that will help shed light on the spiritual and moral dangers of this music.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has been a key figure in Country music for 40 plus years. Her first label was Goldband back in 1957. The following lyrics are from her album “Something Special” titled “Speakin Of The Devil”:
Speakin' Of The Devil
He's got a way of walkin'
He's got a way of talkin'
A way to fascinate me all the time
And he's got a way with women
A way to keep my head a swimmin'
He's got away too many times
Ooh, speakin' of the devil
He is drivin' me wild
With that wicked little grin
And that fire in his eyes
He's got me dreamin'
Got me steamin'
Ooh, speakin' of the devil
It feels mighty close to heaven
And I'd go through hell to make him mine
This is very typical of Country music. Country takes a flippant, whimsical view when it comes to the Bible, Jesus Christ and the Devil. The Bible makes it clear that the devil is our adversary and sin is horrible that it nailed God’s Son to the cross.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
Dolly Parton in her album, “Halos and Horns,” covers the heavy metal band Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Here’s what Dolly had to say about the song:
“I was scared to death to send it to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. They sent word back that it was fine and they loved it. In fact, Robert Plant said he’d always thought of it as a spiritual song, and he was thrilled we’d used a choir on it, because he thought about that, too. If they like it, that’s most important to me. But I do hope the public will accept it too. I even hope they love it. (http://www.dolly.net/cutbycut.htm).
Dolly also performed the John Lennon song “Imagine” on her 2005 album called “Those Were The Days.” Here are the lyrics:
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one
Hank Williams Jr
Hank Williams Jr., the son of legendary Hank William,s tells his philosophy of life in many of his songs. Here are just a few:
Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin', I want to thank you Lord. - Hank Williams Jr., “Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin’”
Somewhere between raising hell and amazing grace, Lord I know just how they feel. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country State of Mind”
We say grace and we say M’am. If you ain't into that, we don't give a EXPl. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke, too. Ain't too many things these ole boys can't do. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”
I get whiskey bent and hell bound. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound”
Artist: Williams Hank Jr Song: If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie Album: That's How They Do It In Dixie - The Essential Collection
If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I don't wanna go If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I'd just as soon stay home I was one of the chosen few To be born in Alabam I'm just alike my daddy's son I'm proud of who I am I went through a lot of good women And shook old Jim Beam's hand If I never see the pearly gates I've walked through the promised land If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I don't wanna go If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I'd just as soon stay home If they don't have a Grand Ole Opry Like they do in Tennessee Just send me to hell or New York City It would be about the same to me I've got wild honey trees and crazy little weeds Growin around my shack These dusty roads ain't streets of gold But I'm a happy right where I'm at All these pretty little southern belles Are a country boy's dream They ain't got wings or halos But they sure look good to me
Country music is no doubt a much sought after commodity, but at what expense to the listener. The Bible clearly points out the fallacies of following such things.
Psalms 5:5 “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”
Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”
Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker has a song called “Texas When I Die” that basically talks about loving Texas more than heaven. In I John, God gives us a much different story.
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Texas When I Die Lyrics Artist(Band):Tanya Tucker
Ed Bruce/Bobby Borchers?Patsy Bruce
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
New York couldn't hold my attention Detroit City couldn't sing my song If tomorrow finds me busted flat in Dallas I won't care, 'cause at least I'll know I'm home.
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
I'd ride through all of Hell and half of Texas Just to hear Willie Nelson sing a country song Beer just ain't as cold in old Milwaukee My body's here, but my soul's in San Antone.
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
Charley Pride
Kiss an Angel Good Morning, 1971
Whenever I chance to meet some old friends on the street They wonder how does a man get to be this way I've always got a smiling face Anytime and any place And every time they ask me why I just smile and say You've got to Kiss an angel good morning and let you know you think about her when you're gone Kiss an angel good morning and love her like the devil when you get back home Well people may try to guess The secret of a happiness but some of them never learn it's a simple thing The secret i'm speaking of Is a woman and a man in love and the answer is in this song that i always sing You've got to Kiss an angel good morning and let you know you think about her when you're gone Kiss an angel good morning and love her like the devil when you get back home
Your So Good When You're Bad, 1982
You're a lady, you're an angel, Bringin' sunshine to my life. You're closest thing Heaven that I've ever had. Oh, but sometimes, you're a devil, When you reach out and dim the lights, An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. You would never hurt anybody, You're too gentle sweet and kind, Still I keep on doin' things that make you sad. But you don't hold out on your feelin's, When there's lovin' on your mind. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. I could say that you're the perfect woman, And if it's not, it's just because of me. 'Cause I'm hung up on the perfect woman, An' I don't know how I deserve to be. I see other pretty women, An' Lord, they still, they look good to me. An' there are some ladies that can drive some men mad. But when an angel let's her hair down, Oh, that's something else to see. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.
Hank Williams Jr
Hank Williams Jr., the son of legendary Hank William,s tells his philosophy of life in many of his songs. Here are just a few:
Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin', I want to thank you Lord. - Hank Williams Jr., “Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin’”
Somewhere between raising hell and amazing grace, Lord I know just how they feel. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country State of Mind”
We say grace and we say M’am. If you ain't into that, we don't give a EXPl. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke, too. Ain't too many things these ole boys can't do. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”
I get whiskey bent and hell bound. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound”
Artist: Williams Hank Jr Song: If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie Album: That's How They Do It In Dixie - The Essential Collection
If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I don't wanna go If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I'd just as soon stay home I was one of the chosen few To be born in Alabam I'm just alike my daddy's son I'm proud of who I am I went through a lot of good women And shook old Jim Beam's hand If I never see the pearly gates I've walked through the promised land If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I don't wanna go If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie I'd just as soon stay home If they don't have a Grand Ole Opry Like they do in Tennessee Just send me to hell or New York City It would be about the same to me I've got wild honey trees and crazy little weeds Growin around my shack These dusty roads ain't streets of gold But I'm a happy right where I'm at All these pretty little southern belles Are a country boy's dream They ain't got wings or halos But they sure look good to me
Country music is no doubt a much sought after commodity, but at what expense to the listener. The Bible clearly points out the fallacies of following such things.
Psalms 5:5 “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”
Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”
Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker has a song called “Texas When I Die” that basically talks about loving Texas more than heaven. In I John, God gives us a much different story.
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Texas When I Die Lyrics Artist(Band):Tanya Tucker
Ed Bruce/Bobby Borchers?Patsy Bruce
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
New York couldn't hold my attention Detroit City couldn't sing my song If tomorrow finds me busted flat in Dallas I won't care, 'cause at least I'll know I'm home.
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
I'd ride through all of Hell and half of Texas Just to hear Willie Nelson sing a country song Beer just ain't as cold in old Milwaukee My body's here, but my soul's in San Antone.
When I die I may not go to heaven I don't know if they let cowboys in If they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy! Texas is as close as I've been.
Charley Pride
Kiss an Angel Good Morning, 1971
Whenever I chance to meet some old friends on the street They wonder how does a man get to be this way I've always got a smiling face Anytime and any place And every time they ask me why I just smile and say You've got to Kiss an angel good morning and let you know you think about her when you're gone Kiss an angel good morning and love her like the devil when you get back home Well people may try to guess The secret of a happiness but some of them never learn it's a simple thing The secret i'm speaking of Is a woman and a man in love and the answer is in this song that i always sing You've got to Kiss an angel good morning and let you know you think about her when you're gone Kiss an angel good morning and love her like the devil when you get back home
Your So Good When You're Bad, 1982
You're a lady, you're an angel, Bringin' sunshine to my life. You're closest thing Heaven that I've ever had. Oh, but sometimes, you're a devil, When you reach out and dim the lights, An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. You would never hurt anybody, You're too gentle sweet and kind, Still I keep on doin' things that make you sad. But you don't hold out on your feelin's, When there's lovin' on your mind. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. I could say that you're the perfect woman, And if it's not, it's just because of me. 'Cause I'm hung up on the perfect woman, An' I don't know how I deserve to be. I see other pretty women, An' Lord, they still, they look good to me. An' there are some ladies that can drive some men mad. But when an angel let's her hair down, Oh, that's something else to see. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad. An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.
We should heed these strong warnings from God’s Word and not take them lightly. Groups like the Kendalls have been around for years. This song came out in 1977. Sin is such a serious thing with God. Many in Country music have an almost nonchalant, lackadaisical view of sin, but God Almighty sees it so seriously that He sent His only begotten Son to die for it.
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
The Kendalls
from the album Let the Music Play / Heaven's Just a Sin Away
Heaven's just a sin away, oh oh just a sin away I can't wait another day, I think I'm giving in How I long to hold you tight, oh oh be with you tonight But that still don't make it right, cause I belong to him Oh way down deep inside, I know that it's all wrong But your eyes keep tempting me, and I never was that strong Devil's got me now, oh oh gone and got me now I can't fight him anyhow, I think he's gonna win Heaven's just a sin away, oh oh just a sin away Heaven help me when I say, I think I'm giving in
Oh way down deep inside... I think I'm giving in I think I'm giving in I think I'm giving in
It Don’t Feel Like Sinning To Me Recorded by the Kendalls
Written by Curly Putman and Michael Kosser
When we're holding each other in the dark hours of the night There are those who say it's wrong but it's right Cause the way that we feel how much sin can it be Lord it don't feel like sinning to me No it don't feel like sinning to me Feels like love feels like love No it don't feel like sinning to me Feels like love feels like love So let them talk about us let them gossip away Jealous tongues will find something evil to say But if they could remember first love they recall That it don't feel like sinning at all
Hank Williams Jr. and others in Country music have been chummy with the likes of performers like Kid Rock.
Rock N Roll Jesus Lyrics Artist (Band): Kid Rock
Been alotta cheap talk but I rock still From the streets of Shanghai back to Knoxville Sittin' high on a mountain top holdin' shop spreadin' the good news Been alotta false prophets and quick hits And a lot of unAmerican bull#$%^ But the time has come to settle and the devil's gonna make u choose And just like a cold wind blowin' can u feel me comin' for u Just like a freight train rollin' packed tight full of rhythm and blues
It's a Rock revival Don't need a suit Ya don't need a bible Get up and dance I'm gonna set you free yeah Testify It's all sex, drugs, rock n roll A soul sensation that you can't control And you can see I practice what I preach I'm your rock n roll Jesus Yes I am Been alotta bling bling but it ain't real And alotta new kings but I won't kneel
Sittin' high on a mountain top, holdin' shop singin' the raw dog blues Like in old Mississippi's dirty cotton fields Or in Detroit City's unforgotten wheels It's the same song spinning but the same song's always been true And I'm gonna take my roll cuz I ain't got nothin' to lose And I'm gonna save your soul if it's really what you want me to do Get on your knees I'm your rock n roll Jesus
Big & Rich
Album Lyrics: Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace [2007]
Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace I was raised by the good book learned to work hard every day Thought that if you can't say something good there's nothing good to say And I caught on pretty early it's no use to work no harder than you play So I guess that's how I ended up this way [Chorus:] Somewhere between raising hell and amazing grace Is a place I keep finding myself Yeah I get a little crazy trying to have a little fun Then I end up back where I started from Down on my knees, I pray Oh Lord let me see another day Somewhere between raising hell and amazing grace Well I give everything I got, try to give more than I take For Heaven's sake I keep on smiling no matter what comes my way And I may be passin' out on Friday night But come Sunday I'll be passing the collection plate Yeah I know I'm a sinner, but I've got faith Oh my good side is what he's gonna see When I'm standing at them Pearly Gates He'll have nothing but mercy for me
George Jones
These are just a few examples of George Jones who many consider the father of Country music. Many performers today list George Jones as their greatest influence and the reason they are in Country music today.
George Jones as many in country has done several “gospel” albums. Here are some of them.
1) Country Church Time (1959)
2) Homecoming in Heaven (1962)
3) We Love to Sing About Jesus (1972)
4) In a Gospel Way (1974)
5) The Gospel Collection (2003)
Many country singers have no problem going from gospel to secular and back again. One more example from George Jones is his song “Honky Tonk Myself to Death”
Song: Honky Tonk Myself to Death Album: Other Songs
Well I don't know why you left me But I do know that you're gone Colder nights, you've turned my life into a sad ol' song And one way or another, I gotta get me over you And I think there's only one thing left for me to do Lord, I don't wanna die of a broken heart That would be too sad Or drive my car off a cliff You see, that would just hurt too bad And if I tied a rope around my neck I couldn't get my breath
So I think I'll just honky tonk myself to death Well, I might get a little bit crazy But I don't wanna go insane Young Wendy and Dan's ol' whiskey Well it might just kill the pain I'm gonna find the highest barstool and I'mma climb up to the top Yeah, I think I'll just drink and two-step till I drop Oh, I don't wanna die of a broken heart That would be too sad Or drive my car off a cliff You see, that would just hurt too bad And if I tied a rope around my neck I couldn't get my breath So I think I'll just honky tonk myself to death And if I tied a rope around my neck I couldn't get my breath So I think I'll just honky tonk myself to death
16 Biggest Hits Tammy Wynette and George Jones God's gonna get 'cha for that(1975)
God's gonna get 'cha for that God's gonna get 'cha for that There's no place to run and hide For He knows where you're at God's gonna get 'cha for that God's gonna get 'cha for that Every wrong thing that you do God's gonna get 'cha for that This doggone world we're living in It's giving me a fit It seems like everywhere I turn I see a hypocrite Well, if ya wanna go to heaven Well, you can't live like that So let me tell you, brother God's a-gonna get 'cha for that Now, the preacher in our church He's a mighty devoted man Everybody thinks, that he's a-goin' to the Promised Land But the other night on a country road While I was a-drivin' through I caught the preacher makin' love
Now oh Sister Bessie, she like to testify She says, 'I'll always love the Lord, someday I'm a-gonna fly But the other night while goin' by the local liquor store I caught oh Sister Bessie, flyin' out the door God's gonna get 'cha for that, yeah (get 'cha for that) God's gonna get 'cha for that (get 'cha for that) There's no place to run and hide For He knows where you're at
Garth Brooks
Song: Beer Run (B-double E-double Are You In?) (Garth Brooks with George Jones) Album: Scarecrow
Twenty-five minutes past quitting time Seven of us crammed into that truck of mine Paying no attention to them highway signs Going 90 mile an hour toward that county line Quick sack, 12 pack, back again It's a B-double E-double are you in? My buddy and their babies letting down their hair As long as were together it don't matter where Ain't got a lot of money but we just don't care Knowing that the fun is in the getting there Aztec, long necks, paychecks spent It's a B, double E, double R, U, N Oh I cant stop thinking What the hell they were drinking When they made this county dry I got a week long thirst and what makes it worse lord it's my turn to drive Laughing and a bragging and a' carrying on We loaded up the wagon and we headed home I guess half a dozen cases doesn't last that long Come tomorrow morning it'll be all gone It's turn around, leave town, sounds again Like a B, double E, double R, U, N
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html
Here are a few of the more recent song lyrics from current Country music performers.
Eric Church
Song: Sinners Like Me Album: Sinners Like Me
I was fifteen when my daddy's old man Caught me half way through my first beer He laughed so hard when my face turned green He said “You come from a long line of sinners like me” Now me and my brother go to see him some times But he don't have much to say anymore So we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D. Here's to a long line of sinners like me La de dah de dah La de dah dah de de I come from a long line of sinners like me My mama had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy So she had two more just like him It takes an angel to raise a family That comes from a long line of sinners like me Well now maybe who knows one day I'll settle down Give my dad a grandson of his own And when the doctor smacks him, he'll probably take a swing Cause he'll come from a long line of sinners like me La de dah de dah La de dah dah de de I come from a long line of sinners like me On the day I die I know where I'm gonna go Me and Jesus got that part worked out I'll wait at the gates til his face I see And stand in a long line of sinners like me I'll stand in a long line of sinners like me Here’s to a long line of sinners like me I come from a long line of sinners like me
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html
These songs pretty much sum up what Country music is today. Living a shallow and weak “Christian” life is good enough and there seems to be little desire if any to live a godly, faithful Christian life.
Jessica Andrews
Summer Girl
I drive an army jeep
My bumper sticker reads
"Drink till he's cute"
That's what I'm gonna do
Ain't got no serious thing
Don't wear a diamond ring
I got a new tattoo
I think you'll like the view
And in my mind the sun shines
All the time
CHORUS:
'Cause I'm just a summer girl
I wear my flip flops
When I let my hair down
That's when the party starts
Who needs a boyfriend
I got my girlfriends
When we get together
The summer never ends
Tank tops and cut-off jeans
Bikinis and belly rings
We'll make that scene
When the DJ plays "Dancing Queen"
Fellas lay your money down
We'll let you buy a round
Don't push your luck
Don't get more than your hopes up
In my world, day or night
Rain or shine
BRIDGE:
Everybody needs a little ray of sunshine
Everybody needs time to unwind
Everybody's gotta have a good time
I'm just a summer girl
Everybody get up on your feet
Everybody gotta shake your body
Everybody got a right to be free
I'm just a summer girl
Andy Griggs
Song: How Cool Is That Album: Freedom
How Cool Is That
She's the last girl I thought I'd ever see here There stands a preacher's daughter Holdin' a beer Tattoo of angel On the small of her back How cool is that? She probably don't remember me It's been a long, long time About then she turned around And kinda stared at me and smiled She said, "I had the hots for you In Sunday School class" But tell me how cool is that? How cool is a hot summer night When the stars line up And everything feels just right How cool is knowing inside That I'm the one she's looking at With that look in her eyes. About then I asked if She was still seeing old what's-his-name She said, "Has it really been that long Ow, how things have changed" She brushed her hair back and said, "Lets not talk about the past" How cool is that? How cool is a hot summer night When the stars line up And everyting feels just right How cool is knowing inside That I'm the one she's looking at With that look in her eyes. How cool is knowing inside That I'm the one she's looking at With that look in her eyes. She was the last girl I thought I'd ever see here There stands a preacher's daughter Holding a beer.
Ty Herndon
Lyrics for Song: Steam Lyrics for Album: Steam
Go Steam from a summer raindrop Rising off the blacktop I wipe the sweat from my brow Steam on my radiator I'm late and getting later Should be at your place by now Bank sign says 102 But that ain't nothing when I'm next to you There's fire in your fingertips Flames in your touch Desire in your burning lips Can't get enough Today was a scorcher But I'll go you one better Tonight when we get together We're gonna make steam I dream of you there on my front steps Sunning in that short dress Hotter than the Texas heat Seems I'm never gonna get there Traffic's going nowhere But when I feel you next to me Girl the things you know to do Just make my heat index go through the roof There's fire in your fingertips Flames in your touch Desire in your burning lips Can't get enough Today was a scorcher But I'll go you one better Tonight when we get together We're gonna make steam Girl the things you know to do Just make my heat index go through the roof Flames in your touch Desire in your burning lips Can't get enough Today was a scorcher But I'll go you one better Tonight when we get together We're gonna make steam Steam Ha ha ha We're gonna make steam Come on
John Michael Montgomery
Lyrics for Song: Little Devil Lyrics for Album: Letters From Home
C'mon sugar, take off your sneakers C'mon Baby, let down your hair I wanna see what's behind those glasses I gotta know what's under there Don't worry about what your mama told ya Don't worry about what your friends might say Slide over here, lemme kiss and hold you Time for you to come out and play (Chorus) C'mon little angel wontcha be my little devil tonight C'mon little angel wontcha be my little devil tonight I got a batch of margaritas, a jacuzzi in the back Clapton on the radio, how about that We could build a fire, yeah we could go nuts Dancing all around 'til the sun comes up I know a place between here and heaven We could cut loose and come undone Ain't nothin' wrong with a little livin' The day is gone but the night's still young (Repeat Chorus) This can be our little secret
FORNICATION AND ADULTERY
As we have seen, the sensual pleasure of sex outside of holy matrimony is a major theme of Country music. If it feels good and the two parties agree, it is O.K. “Nothin’ wrong with a little livin’.”
This is the devil’s lie. God’s Word issues powerful warnings against fornication and adultery. Not only does it have major consequences in this life, but it also has eternal consequences. Fornication will not be “our little secret,” because God sees all things, and His Word warns, “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
“So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts” (Proverbs 6:29-35).
“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).
TOP 20 COUNTRY DRINKING SONGS
We have also seen that drinking is a major theme of Country music. Recently The Boot online magazine voted on the top 20 “Drinking” songs. This gives a crystal clear look at the character of Country music and how drinking is glorified. Some of the songs and musicians go back to the 50' and 60's. Only the Lord knows how many Country music fans have committed violent acts, estranged their children and friends, committed fornication and adultery, destroyed their marriages, crashed their vehicles, ruined their health, died before their time, and lost their souls -- all because of “drinking.”
Consider some examples:
“Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson (1973)
“Whiskey River take my mind / Don't let her mem'ry torture me. / Whiskey River, don't run dry / You're all I've got, take care of me."
“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks (1990)
“I've got friends in low places / Where the whiskey drowns / And the beer chases my blues away / And I'll be OK.”
“Alcohol” by Brad Paisley (2005)
“Since the day I left Milwaukee / Lynchburg, Bordeaux, France / Been makin' the bars lots of big money / And helpin' white people dance.” [The song is sun from the perspective of a bottle of booze.]
“All My Rowdy Friends” by Hank Williams, Jr. (1984)
“Do you wanna drink? / Do ya wanna party? / ... I cooked a pig in the ground, we got some beer on ice / And all my rowdy friends are coming over tonight.”
“Pop a Top” by Alan Jackson (Under the Influence album, 1999)
“Pop a top again / I think I'll have another round / Sit 'em up, my friend / Then I'll be gone and you can let some other fool sit down.”
“I Gotta Get Drunk” by George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson (1970)
“A lot of doctors tell me / That I'd better start slowing it down / But there's more old drunks than there are old doctors / So I guess we'd better have another round.”
“Six Pack Summer” by Phil Vassar (2000)
“Got the ultra-ray wraparound sunglass vision / Got the sails up, iced down, a cool ambition / Just to relax and let the six-pack summer roll.”
“Get Drunk and Be Somebody” by Toby Keith (2003)
Keith also wrote “I Love This Bar,” “Whiskey Girl,” and “Beer for My Horses.”
“Chug-aLug” by Roger Miller (1964)
“Sumpin' like I ain't never seen / And I'm just going on 15 / But with the help of my finaglin' uncle I get snuck in / For my first taste of sin.”
“Beer in Mexico” by Kenny Chesney (2005)
"Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico / Do my best to waste another day / Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico / Let the warm air melt these blues away.”
“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett (1977)
“There's booze in the blender / And soon it will render / That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.”
“Killin’ Time” by Clint Black (1989)
“If I did the things I oughta / You still would not be mine / So I'll keep a tight grip on the bottle / Gettin' loose and killin' time.”
“It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere,” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett (2003)
“Pour me something' tall and strong / Make it a hurricane before I go insane / It's only half past twelve / But I don't care / It's five o'clock somewhere.”
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:29-35).
CONCLUSION
I could have cited many more examples, but I think this is sufficient. I have no animosity towards anyone within Country music or anyone else for that matter. I think most people would agree that today’s Country music has changed drastically from the old country and western music. Today’s Country music has a thin veneer of wholesomeness about it, but in reality it’s laced with worldly themes, pushing the envelope whenever it can.
I know that it had a very powerful influence on my life and while was listening to country my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ suffered. I’m convinced Country music played a part in distancing me from the Lord. I never want to go back to those days.
We’re all sinners who need a Savior. None of us merit God’s favor and forgiveness, but by His grace and regeneration through salvation, we are acceptable in His sight. True Christianity is not trying to “live the Christian life.” It is being born again and living a new life by the power of the indwelling Spirit. Jesus said that those who are not born again or converted will not see the kingdom of heaven. The reason so many country singers and listeners seem to hang between “amazing grace and hell” is that they have not been saved. They might have prayed a prayer and been baptized; they might have been raised in a Christian home; they might go to church; but they have not been converted and therefore they have no power to live for Christ. The Bible warns about those who have a “profession” without the “possession.”
Matthew 18:3 Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The “grace” preached through Country music is not the grace described in the Bible. A grace that allows Saturday night fornication and Sunday morning offering taking is not the true grace of Christ.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).
My concern is that many Christians are listening to Country music as an alternative to rock. While not all Country music is like the examples I citied, Country music does have the power to weaken a Christian’s testimony and render us unfit to serve the Lord as we are called to do.
My admonition to those that read this is to be on guard against ALL forms of worldly music. Ask the Lord for discernment.
For those that read this that aren’t saved, my plea is and my desire is for you to be saved today. Here are some verses that will help you to understand how to become a Christian.
John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 10:9-11 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Psalms 2:11 “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
____________________________
Distributed by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service, an e-mail listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY IS NOT DEVOTIONAL BUT IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. This material is sent only to those who personally subscribe to the list. If somehow you have subscribed unintentionally, following are the instructions for removal. The Fundamental Baptist Information Service mailing list is automated. To SUBSCRIBE, go to http://www.wayoflife.org/wayoflife/subscribe.html . TO UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE ADDRESSES, go to the very bottom of any email received from us and click "Manage My Subscription." If you have any trouble with this, please let us know. We take up a quarterly offering to fund this ministry, and those who use the materials are expected to participate (Galatians 6:6) if they can. Some of the articles are from O Timothy magazine, which is in its 28th year of publication. Way of Life publishes many helpful books. The catalog is located at the web site: http://www.wayoflife.org/publications/index.html. Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061. 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org. We do not solicit funds from those who do not agree with our preaching and who are not helped by these publications, but only from those who are. OFFERINGS can be made at http://www.wayoflife.org/wayoflife/makeanoffering.html. PAYPAL offerings can be made to https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=dcloud%40wayoflife.org
WAY OF LIFE LITERATURE SHARING POLICY: Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. Other items we sell to help fund our very expensive literature, video, and foreign church planting ministry. Way of Life’s content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, video presentations, O Timothy magazine, and FBIS articles. You are free to make copies of these at your own expense and share them with friends and family. You are also welcome to use excerpts from the articles. All we ask is that you give proper credit. Things we do not want copied and distributed freely are items like the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, print edition of our books, PDFs of the books, etc. These items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we need the income from the sale of these to help fund the ministry. We trust that your Christian honesty will preserve the integrity of this policy.
No comments:
Post a Comment