Southern Gospel Music Examined

[Brother Ben]

Dear Friends and Brethren,
This issue doesn't hit anyone any more than it does my wife and I. We were both raised in Southern families, grew up listening to Country Western music, and currently live approx. 30 minutes away from Nashville,TN. home of the Grand Ole Opry. It is deeply imbedded in us to have a propencity toward country oriented music. I am not saying that all country oriented music is in and of itself, evil. However, if we are going to honor God with our lives, we are going to have to live by principle and not feelings.

There is music in the CCM and Southern Gospel realm that do not violate biblical principles, but they have taken up residence in the midst of a den of snakes! This is why extreme care must be taken in extracting music from these types.

Below is a link to get started on. I will most likely add to this topic as I find challenging material regarding Southern Gospel music.

For Christ and His glory,
Bro. Ben

www.wayoflife.org/fbns/southerngospel1.htm

[Brother Ben]

I originally started this post in August of 2004. Since then, I have continued to speak out against this deceptive music. Southern Gospel music is based in carnality and those who struggle with their flesh in the area of music feed on it often.

Many think music is amoral, that is to say, it is neither good nor bad, but it is what you make of it. Hog wash.

Several years ago I was asked to speak at a daytime meeting. There was a popular camp meeting preacher there and a popular Southern Gospel musician also. I didn't know and in my message I took SGM to task. After I spoke, the singer got up, said he was going to sing some "good ol" Southern Gospel music, and did so. I was sickened.

Flash forward in time over a decade. I am sitting in church and the pastor reads a prayer letter from a singing group that wants to raise $5000.oo dollars of God's peoples money so he can do the godly endeavor of...........make a Southern Gospel music CD. Wickedness! I spoke out against it, in a spirit of humility, but firmness. It was the same group that got up and sang after I preached several years before.

Friends, if you dabble in this genre of music, you are in the devils playground! As I said before, I am a white son of the South, and my natural tendency is to country, bluegrass, etc. This music is in the category, works of the flesh. It must be confessed as sin, and repented of.

I don't know how many people have sung the praises of Bill Gaither and the Home Coming programs. I want you to read the following article and see just where his heart is and apply it to the spirit (small "s" on purpose) that drives this music.

This is wicked sin and God's truly redeemed people need to awake unto righteousness and sin not.
www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/CCM/marsha_stevens.htm

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

1Co 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

Take a look at the guy on the right under the words, Everything Good!

Again:

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!


Bro. Ben

[jeff]

Thank you for that Bro. Ben. I had no idea........

[nightingale]

[kathreyn]

Thank you for that message. I had no idea, I am so shocked. I thought southern gospel was safe for us to listen to. We don't listen to that a lot, mostly we listen to Handel or Mozart and some old shaker choruses which we like for their simplicity. Now I wonder if these are OK. Any thoughts? Kathleen

[nightingale]

Ok...well I was so upset last night over reading this about the Gaither Vocal Band that I could not even think right...I love listening to music, but the more I learn about CCM and Southern Gospel music the more I am disillusion...and the article I read about Marsha Stevens was not surprising, siblings of my own family practice a homosexual lifestlye and they make the same statements about God's word...they use John 3:16...and as Marsha Stevens says, We so called christians take scripture out of content when it comes to homosexualilty being a sin, we need to search sciptures and pray for God's guidance and we then would understand the error of our way I get this mindset from my own siblings...I love my siblings with all my heart and I pray for their eyes to be open to the truth, because they along with Marsha Stevens and it looks like the Gaither Band as well are so wrong and lost.......with that said what music can we listen to? I ordered music from Charity, but I can't say I really enjoy them the music is beautiful, but I want something I can sing along with and I can't understand a word they are sings, it is so loud it is distorted...I would like to have some music that I can hear the words and sing along that is glorifying the Lord...If anyone knows of a place I could get something of this nature, let me know...thanks and especially thanks to Bro. Ben for posting this most informative message......Blessings Sis Debbie

[prv31wife]

I enjoy music my Conservative Mennonite friends have sent me. You can order a cappella tapes and CD's if you like a cappella from GVS. Their telly number is 1-800-398-2494. It's a lot to choose from I think it's all really good.
You can also get a free CD called Amazing Grace by The Antim Mennonite Choir from bibleliving.org/messagetapes.html Just scroll down and you'll see the CD offer. The other messages offered are good too. It is a Conservative Mennonite website though but alot of the teaching tapes that I have ordered are really good. I hope that helps.

[prv31wife]

I almost forgot, thanks Bro Ben regarding your post about the Gaithers and I must be old because I don't know who Martha Stevens is.
I almost bought some tapes about a year ago some Gaither Homecoming tapes but to be honest I find Southern Gospel rather boring. I'm sorry about your experience with the SGM message and the singer who pretty much mocked you after you gave your message. Too bad the message went through one ear and out the other
There are some black gospel music that are just as bad. If my family knew I was saying this, they would accuse me of being a "sellout" but today's singers are just not at all like Mahalia Jackson or any of the gospel music I listened to as a child.

[George]

The Gaither's are quite interesting Sister Debbie. I had someone recommend them to me at one time. I started to listen to one of their songs and then turned to the other person ans said: "That's rock music!" Not only that but from what I have seen in pictures of them just about all of them are quite overweight. That is not a very good stage presence to show people they are Christians and wanting to glorify God with their music when they don't even take care of their own bodies. That was said with apologies to any of them who may be working on losing weight.

In Christ,
George

[Brother Ben]

The above mentioned CD by the Antrim Mennonite Choir is excellent. This is also a very good source

www.altarofpraise.com/music.htm

This site has a large selection of REALLY GOOD music.

We have CD's by the Smucker Family, the Harold Dean Miller Family, and the Kauffmans. These are nice CD's and our children sing along all day long.

I also found this site and was particularly blessed by the young man, Brian Pinner, a classical guitarist.
www.cuttingedge.org/Music/Christianmusic.html

Debbie, the Charity congregational tapes are a bit cloudy. We know what they are singing because we have been to Charity churches and have their hymnal, 'The Christian Hymnery.'

This lead should get you started. I know of other places, but many have begun to dabble in questionable music. These groups are for the most part careful.

Bro. Ben

[dragonfly]

I had a hard time even reading the article.. that is just disgusting.

[prv31wife]

D'Ann,
I had a hard time reading it too. Those folks have lost their minds!

[qfmamato4]

that is so sad and sickening....

[jeff]

Thanks for the link about the Antrim Mennonite Choir. I ordered one of the CD's last nite. One of the links lets you listen and I liked what I heard.

Do any of you have a BBN station in your area? We do, and I enjoy some of the music from it. It's better than the other stations that are supposed to be "Christian" music.

[benshelpmeet]

Just one look at this picture tells me alot. These men look strange, polished, ungodly. They look like the kind of men who would steel away the heart of wives and silly women. These men look like there trying to look good (attractive). The brethren are not to look like this.

If you look at godly men they present themselves much different than this.

I personally do not think they look fat. I think they are trying to look attractive. I would not trust their testimony, much less their music. They are selling more than music here. They have an image there selling, and it does not reflect God.

A picture is worth 1,000 words.