On Sharper Iron, I am currently engaged in some very intense exchanges with some supporters/sympathizers of CCM. This thread concerns what I believe is an unethical campaign that has been waged against me for some time now by some SI users.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
The following table provides the latest information (as of 10:25 pm) for the total number of views on my blog for posts that have had 1,000 or more views. It is interesting to consider the varying subject matter of these posts.
I still am amazed that the most viewed post on my blog has to do with biblical reasons for why Solomon did not perish eternally! I never would have guessed that subject would elicit so much interest.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
I recently finished reading “New Heart, New Spirit, New Song,” by Douglas Bachorik. It is well-written and provides much valuable information.
Having read several books, and many articles, and other materials from both sides, especially from those who are not musically “conservative,” I think that his book will be especially helpful to those who are already solidly convinced of the correctness of being musically “conservative” and want to expand their understanding, perspectives, etc.
It is one of the top books available that from a biblical viewpoint supports using conservative music. If you have not read this book, I encourage you to do so.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Many believers wrongly think that for something to be sinful, the Bible must tell us that it is sinful. At least 6 passages teach us the key truth about human sinfulness that in Scripture God has not provided us with exhaustive information about everything that is sinful.
Deut. 23:9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
Ps. 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Rom. 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Gal. 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Tim. 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
Rev. 2:24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
We must learn from the combined force of these six passages that it is not true that if Scripture does not say that something is sinful, it is not and cannot be sinful.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
In my continuing research about CCM, I recently found two excellent articles about the dangers of music of the occult:
Music 6 – Hear That Long Snake Moan
Music 7 – Drumming at the Edge of Magic
These articles provide very valuable information and documentation about this subject.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
“Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart” is a moving hymn that calls upon the Spirit to minister to the heart of a believer. This PDF provides the melody in the fret numbers for playing the melody on the first string, the basic chords, and the first stanza of the song.
You can practice playing the melody or chords along with this mp3 audio of the melody:
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Everything that God has ever said is right. Psalm 66:4 speaks of a future time when all the earth will worship God and sing to Him:
Psalm 66:1 <To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.> Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. 3 Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
All the earth has never yet done so. Whatever God says is going to happen will happen.
Someday, Psalm 66:4 will be fulfilled! All the earth is going to worship God and sing to Him someday!
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
If you need a way to keep track of what books of the Bible you have read in any given year, this chart provides a simple way to do so.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Every guitar player should learn the main progressions in the six basic guitar keys. This PDF provides the chord diagrams and much more to play the I – IV – V7 – I progression in the keys of F, C, G, D, A, and E.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
By examining what Scripture reveals about divine rejection of certain altars, an important truth emerges that must inform our understanding concerning divine rejection of certain instrumental music used in worship.
Scripture explicitly reveals to us that there were altars made by humans that God rejected:
Deuteronomy 7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
God commanded His people to destroy these altars of the Canaanites as well as all their objects of false worship. It is important to note that the altars were not themselves objects that were worshiped; they were man-made objects that were used in worship.
Those altars were made by people who were made in God’s image. Although they were cultural products made by such people, God rejected those altars and demanded that His people do likewise.
Just as God commanded His people to reject the altars of those people, so His people were to reject as well the other facets of how they worshiped their false deities (Deut. 12:29-30). Because this divine mandate necessarily included their instrumental music that they used in worship, we see that God rejected their instrumental music used in their worship as well as their altars.
The fact that people made in the image of God made that instrumental music did not mean that music itself had to have been acceptable to God for use by His people in worship.
In response to this line of reasoning, some claim that God created all music. Such a claim has no explicit biblical basis.
Even so, to arrive at that position, some say that God made people in His image and they are sub-creators so that He is the Creator of all music in that way.
By the same reasoning, we would have to hold that God is the Creator of all altars. Yet, we see that God demanded the complete rejection of pagan altars.
If one, therefore, yet takes the approach that God is the Creator of all music, then one would not have any basis to deny that there is also instrumental music that God created that He wants His people to reject. That conclusion, however, is precisely what many believers who reason in these ways will not accept.
Just as God has rejected certain altars, so He has rejected certain instrumental music used in worship. The image of God in man does not mean that God will accept whatever instrumental music humans have chosen to use in worship.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.
Rajesh Gandhi holds a Ph.D. in New Testament Interpretation from Bob Jones Seminary; he's a long-time member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville, SC.
