by Rev. Jack Barr

(Note: This letter was in response to their reading my answer to a question about "Christian Rock Music" at Question on Christian Rock Music." All of this letter text was in one paragraph, and was separated my myself to make it easier to see what they were saying.)

I have to say that I was very surprised and disturbed when I read your article about Christian rock music. My first question is, how would you define "Christian Rock Music"? Would it include any music that is not "traditional" according to you?

I believe that you should be very careful about criticizing how others worship God for it is not for you to judge.

To tell you the truth, I don't see anything very worshipful about the old hymns and songs sung from books in churches today. How can you worship God if you are too busy reading the words and trying to keep up with the rest of the congregation?

For you to say that people that listen to Christian rock music or contemporary Christian music are only listening to the beat and not the words is quite presumptious, and frankly I am very much insulted by it.

I read some more of your articles and there were a lot of things I agreed with that you said. But the article on Christian rock music and you accusing others of not worshipping God just because of the beat of their music really deflated the rest of what you had to say.

I understand that you used the Scripture to back up your view on the music but those verses can pertain to anything worldly.

Just because I like a beat doesn't mean I love the world (just so happens that the world played it first)...and in a lot of contemporary Christian music that's not even the case.

(End of letter)

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Hi XXXXXX

Don't give it a second thought. You are totally free to believe anything that you want to believe. If you choose to believe that God's Word in the Bible does not mean what it says, then go on telling God what He can or can not do, or what He must accept as worship.

Do you not understand?? There is a great difference between "Contemporary Christian Music" and "Any kind of Rock Music." Rock Music is Rock Music is Rock Music is Rock Music!! It is like NO Other music. It makes no difference if it uses words to glorify Satan, or uses words that are suppose to glorify God. God told us to COME OUT OF THE WORLD!!! And Rock Music is most defiantly of the World. Rock music started out Satanic! What makes you think that it changed? Haven't you ever stopped to listen to the words coupled with Rock Music? The very beat of Rock Music is designed to clear your mind of any thoughts, so how could you possibly glorify God when all you are doing is to sway with the beat?

There are modern songs today which does Glorify God, but not one of them is Rock. I enjoy many modern songs (Contemporary) which Glorify God, songs written in the last 5 - 30 years.

Are you listening to, and singing Rock Music, to please yourself, or to please God??? The Old songs Glorify God, and that is why they have lasted for 75 - 300 years. Why do you have such a distaste for the songs which have been Glorifying God for so long?? Is it because you have a distaste for giving Glory to God??

And Yes, we, as Christians are commanded by the Almighty God, in the Bible, to Judge what is of God, and what is of Satan. As a Christian, I will not be tolerant of the things which are not of God, (will NOT accept them into MY Life). For what is not of God is of Satan!! There is NO Middle ground. Do you not understand?? God has told us how we are to worship Him, and will not accept anyone who tries to worship God in their own way. In the way of the World. The Word of God starts out in the Book of Genesis chapter 4, telling us about Cain and Able's Offering to God. Able's offering, which was the way that God had instructed them as the way of worshiping Him, was accepted by God. And Cain's offering, which was the way Cain wanted to worship God, In Cain's way, but not in the Lord God's Way. Cain's way was the way of the World. The Lord God rejected Cain's way, and told Cain to go back and do it the right way, and it would be accepted. But Cain refused to do it God's Way, and as a result killed his brother and was banished from the presence of God.

Are you going to insist on doing it your way?? The way of the World?? The way of Satan?? So be it, it is your choice. Know this, any church which uses Rock Music, is a church of the World only, and not a Church of God, for they worship themselves only. They are like Cain, trying to tell God how God must accept their way, and not His.

You understood that I used Scripture to back up what I wrote about Rock Music, but then you go on to reject Scripture, and in rejecting Scripture, you are rejecting God Himself. Do you not understand?? Or are you like so many others. With your thumbs in your ears so you will not hear, and your four fingers of each hand over your eyes so you will not see, because you are afraid that if you hear, and if you see, that you will understand, and will then turn, and really worship, and serve, the Almighty God.

Tell me, Why should I be careful when I tell you what God's Word says?? Is it that you do not want to hear God's Word? Like the people of old said to the Prophets, tell us only good things, do not tell us of the Anger of God at what we do. You say yourself that you are insulted because I told you what God's Word says. Yes, the Scripture DOES pertain to anything Worldly. Come out of the World, says the Lord God.

Everything that you say in your letter is telling me that you are NOT WORSHIPING GOD!!! You can tell me over and over again how you are worshiping God, but you are only lying to yourself, and listening to the lies of those around you. You are only worshiping religion, worshiping the church. Why do you not go direct to God and ask Him how HE wants you to Worship Him. First, you must Humble yourself to accept God's Way, instead of your own way.

It is not too late for you to change, and to find a church which really does worship God. I can assure you that it will be a church which is not at all like the one you attend now. Only God can lead you to be in the right place with Him, and He will, if you will choose to do it His way, and not your way.

Or you can choose to go on the way that you are, and have the same fate as did Cain. Banishment from God. The choice is yours!!

With the Love of Jesus

Rev. Jack Barr