Tuesday, October 27, 2026
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).
If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?
“Anointed music” (or “anointed worship”) is a trendy name habitually repeated in Christendom. While seemingly impressive, rest assured it is nothing valuable or godly. Basically, particular phrases/lyrics, musical instruments, and sounds are employed to create an atmosphere that stirs up and maintains an adrenaline rush (it happened with ancient Babylonian idolaters in Daniel chapter 3!). It is a syncretism of Judaism, heathenism, mysticism/superstition, and emotion-based religion (Corinth!!!). If ever you hear, “Come encounter God—come feel His presence—at our ‘praise and worship’ service,” permanently turn your back to it and leave as quickly as you can! Why?
The Charismatic Movement of the latter half of the 20th century was actually Pentecostalism (founded circa 1900) infiltrating mainline denominations. Excessive emphasis is still placed upon miraculous demonstrations and spiritual gifts (especially tongues), as well as various other superficial and external criteria (what looks good, feels good, et cetera). Charismatic theology and practice produced “Contemporary Christian Music” (“CCM”) in the 1960s and 1970s, and popularized it throughout the 1980s and 1990s. What people generally do not understand, or have chosen to ignore (!), is how this nonsense resulted from failing to avoid the spiritual silliness of which 1 Corinthians warned. Contemporary Christian Music is spiritually dangerous: its lyrics (underlying doctrine) are quite shallow and even heretical.
However, Contemporary Christian Music appeals to the (lost) general public. Megachurches use it to attract tens of thousands of visitors. Frankly, that strong feeling of excitement—“frisson,” adrenaline rush (!)—is exactly what drug users experience and become addicted to. “Worshippers” enjoy a concert, release their pent-up energy with “moving and grooving,” and even feel a bit religious in the process (after all, it is “church!”). Captivated, it is guaranteed they will return (and even throw in a generous contribution at collection time, similar to children paying admission into an amusement park!). Denominations and ministries affiliated with Contemporary Christian Music are not about to divest themselves of anything that brings in large crowds of people and huge sums of money—even if it is a counterfeit spirituality.
Oh, dear friends, how the professing church is in overwhelming spiritual trouble….
