CCM | A People for His Name

Seeking Thoughtful Feedback about My Book on the Bible and Music

February 2, 2024

Friends, I’m looking for thoughtful feedback on the possible pros and cons of the following train of thought:

I have been studying the subject of the Bible and music intensely for the past twelve years. I have been working on a book on that subject for several years now.

Because I want to profit as many people as possible and as soon as possible with all my work in this area, I am considering disseminating the material of my book in a lengthy series of blog posts instead of an e-book or a printed book.

Doing it as a series of blog posts allows me to instantly make my work available all over the world and gives me total control of everything about how that material is formatted and does so at no additional cost to me. It also allows me to continually revise anything in my work on an instantaneous, ongoing basis.

It also removes inherent limitations that other formats have with what can be included (for example, printed books cannot provide live links to other articles on my site as well as on other sites; illustrations by necessity have many limitations that would not be true on a blog post).

Thoughts?

In CCM, Christian Books, Discipleship, Exposition, Interpretation, Ministry, Music, Theology

Pastor Mark Minnick on Musical Sound as An Issue to God

August 21, 2023

When it comes to music, when it comes to that kind of thing, really, all that change starts with a philosophy that says that sound is not an issue to God. Text is an issue to God, not sound. You take a Bible governor off the sound. Well, now, the sky’s the limit in terms of what can be done as long as your viewpoint is, “Sound is not an issue to God.” It just becomes then a matter of personal preference and taste.

–Pastor Mark Minnick, Sunday PM message, “Preachers and Missionaries UK 2023,” 8/20/23

I believe that these statements very insightfully express what really is at the heart of so many of the worship music issues in our day.

In CCM, Mount Calvary Baptist Pulpit, Music, Theology

The Bible and Percussion: Two Discussion Threads on SharperIron.org

August 8, 2023

For many months now, the focus of my study of what the Bible reveals about music has been on what it says about percussion instruments. To that end, I have been involved in two ongoing discussions on Sharper Iron:

Did the Israelites Use Drum-Like Instruments in the Worship in the Solomonic Temple?

Shamanism, Percussion, and First Corinthians 6:12

As God directs, I invite you to consider what has been discussed in these threads.

A Biblical Response to Robert Bakks on Percussion Instruments in Psalm 150

Image credit: Image was cropped from Image from page 330 of “The pictorial Bible and commentato… | Flickr

In CCM, Exposition, Interpretation, Music, Theology

Book Update 7.22.23

July 22, 2023

I am getting closer to finishing the first draft of my book, “The Battle for Kingdom Music: A Call to Worldwide Consecration”!

Here is the current layout of the book:

Section	Page Numbers	Total Pages
Title Page	i	1
Preliminary	ii-iv	3
Table of Contents	v-xi	7
Introduction	1-3	3
Part I	4-12	9
Part II	13-32	20
Part III	33-60	28
Part IV	61-76	16
Conclusion*	77	1
Appendices	78-104	27

The page counts are for 8.5×11 pages, font size 12. The total length is 42,527 words on 115 pages.

*I have not done very much with this section yet and plan to work on it a good bit more.

In CCM, Christian Books, Ministry, Music

Harold Best on “satanic music”

June 23, 2023

In his work, “Music Through the Eyes of Faith,” Harold M. Best asserts the following:

When people say that rhythms, chords, or textures cause sexual license, violence, or drug abuse; whenever anybody—missionary or tribal person—says that certain kinds of music or rhythmic types are satanic, they are caught up in the same dilemma that Isaiah speaks of (chapter 44). There is really no difference between someone carving a god out of what otherwise is a piece of firewood and someone else who happens upon or makes a certain kind of music, expecting it to govern the actions of those hearing and using it.

—Harold M. Best, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, 48-49

I believe that Best is profoundly mistaken in what he says about “satanic music” through these statements. As a finite human, he has no capability to legitimately declare what he does concerning satanic music.

See my post Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues Concerning CCM for much more biblical information about issues concerning what music God accepts in corporate worship.

In CCM, Christian Books, Music, Quotes

Book Update 5.26.23

May 26, 2023

God has directed me to study what the Bible teaches about music for more than 12 years now. He has also led me for several years to work on writing my book The Battle for Kingdom Music: A Call to Worldwide Consecration.

I have taken this week off from work so that I can do at least 30 hours of work on my book and read the Psalms through for my sixth time this year.

After doing 16 1/2 hours since May 22, I may now be 95% finished with my first draft! I have also read Psalms 1-50 in the last three days.

Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

In CCM, Christian Books, Music

In Gratitude for the FBFI Resolution on Music

May 5, 2023

Praise God that He directed brethren in the FBFI to speak out in resolve concerning music that is acceptable to God!

97.10 Regarding a Commitment to Godly, Christ-honoring Music:

The FBF rejects the notion that music is not a matter of separation. Clearly, we would separate from a pastor or church that used rock music either to attract a crowd or-God forbid-in worship. Therefore, we recognize that it is a separation issue. The encroachment of “CCM” or Contemporary Christian Music as a musical genre has been ignored too long. It is wrong to judge motives subjectively, but it is essential to discern the implications of methods, particularly in music. Fundamentalists should be able to agree that we must be committed to Godly,
Christ-honoring music. With sufficient prayerful discussion with Fundamentalist musicians, and necessary study of the subject by our preachers we will be able to move toward a consensus of what is meant by ‘Christ-honoring’ music in practice. We call for Fundamentalists to cease defending tastes in music as a matter of “preference” and begin to expound the principles whereby those who need guidance on this issue can be truly helped. We assert that those who boast of their “balance’ and ‘objectivity” while rejecting the teaching of biblical principles concerning music are compromising the means whereby this issue can be resolved. Neither tradition nor taste are the issue. The Bible communicates principles of music that is acceptable to God that can and should be known and taught.

This resolution is from the PDF “Past FBFI Resolutions: 1946—Present” available at the bottom of this page: https://fbfi.org/positions/

In CCM, Ministry, Music

A Biblical Response to Robert Bakss on Percussion Instruments in Psalm 150

March 6, 2023

In his book, “Worship Wars: What the Bible Says about Worship Music,” Robert Bakss discusses the role of drums in worship music. He writes,

Most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are percussion instruments. This shows that beat is acceptable in worship music.

— p. 67

Are these statements correct?

Musical Instruments Mentioned in Psalm 150

Three verses in Psalm 150 mention multiple musical instruments:

Psalm 150:3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Psalm 150 mentions 8 musical instruments or groups of musical instruments:

1. trumpet
2. psaltery
3. harp
4. timbrel
5. stringed instruments
6. organs
7. loud cymbals
8. high sounding cymbals

Three of the 8 instruments or groups are percussion instruments: timbrel, loud cymbals, and high sounding cymbals. Three out of 8 means that most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are not percussion instruments.

Conclusion

A careful examination of Robert Bakss’ statements about Psalm 150 shows that his first statement is factually wrong and therefore does not support his second statement. It is not true that Psalm 150 “shows that beat is acceptable in worship music” because “most of the musical instruments in Psalm 150 are percussion instruments.”

Brethren who seek to support that view need to provide factually correct information from Scripture to support their belief that beat is acceptable in worship music.

In CCM, Exposition, Interpretation, Music

On Worshiping God Today without the Use of “Modern” Music

February 23, 2023

Before believers started accepting rock music in worship, none of their worship music had a strong beat, prominent use of percussion, or a whispered singing style. Multitudes of believers were edified by that “old” music and genuinely worshiped God in spirit and truth with it.

Because multitudes of genuine believers did so for decades and decades before there was ever any rock or rock-based music used in worship, the same is certainly true today. Churches and believers who have never used any rock or rock-based music in their worship do not have any reason or need to change or apologize for their music that other believers regard as “old” music.

Just as God was truly worshiped in the past, He can be and is truly worshiped today without the use of any so-called “modern” music.

In CCM, Music, Theology

Book Update 12.31.22

December 31, 2022

I have been studying what the Bible teaches about music for more than 11 years now. I have also been working for several years on writing my book The Battle for Kingdom Music: A Call to Worldwide Consecration.

On December 23, I began an extended time off from work. My goals for this time were to do at least 30 hours of work on my book and read the Psalms through twice while doing so to saturate my mind with God’s own thoughts about music.

This morning, I finished my second time going through the Psalms since December 22!

This afternoon, I finished working 30 hours on my book since December 23! God has given me tremendous progress on my book during this time!

It seems that I am getting close to having the rough draft of the book done. Lord willing, I hope to complete the book and have it published by September 2023.

Praise God for His faithfulness!

In CCM, Christian Books, Ministry, Music

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Musical Instruments Mentioned in Psalm 150

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