MercyMe
by David J. Stewart
Please know that I don't condemn anyone, for the Bible condemns all of us as guilty, dirty, rotten, hell-deserving sinners. My salvation solely rests in Christ's righteousness, because of the precious blood that He gave for our sins. My intention is not to be unkind; but rather, to expose the demonic nature of so-called "Christian rock" and also to expose MercyMe for the bad influence they are upon Christian teenagers today.
Assisting the Devil in Blinding People
According to the Word of God, Mercy Me is a friend of the world and; therefore, are enemies of God. James 4:4 clearly WARNS us about being a friend (to "assist") the world, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend (Greek, "to assist") of the world is the enemy of God."
The man driving a beer delivery truck, who claims he is just making a living, is guilty of assisting the Godless liquor traffic. Likewise, the professed "Christian" artists who claim they are trying to reach others for God with worldly music, while propagating GOSPELESS MUSIC, are assisting the Devil in BLINDING THE MINDS OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE NOT. 2nd Corinthians 4:4 reads, "In whom the god (Satan) of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not (the unsaved), lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ ... should shine unto them." Satan loves CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) because it is virtually Gospeless. I triple-dog dare you to look at any CCM website and show me a clear presentation of the Biblical Gospel. Good luck with that!
Romans 1:16 declares, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for IT IS THE POWER of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." The "power" to get saved is in the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ; NOT the power of Christian music or anything else. Salvation can ONLY be found through the Gospel of God's Word. A person CANNOT be saved apart from the Word of God. 1st peter 1:23 declares, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The Word of God (the Gospel) is the seed which is the power unto salvation TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.
ONLY through Jesus Christ, and the precious blood He shed at Calvary, can anyone be saved and have their sins forgiven. Thus, all of the modern CCM artists who fail to propagate the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are leading millions of unsuspecting young people into a Gospeless religion. Their fans are NOT coming to Christ in faith for salvation. Rather, they are coming to the religion of rock-n-roll music, repackaged, just like the witchcraft of Harry Potter.
The Word of God gives us advice concerning any individual or group that denies the power (the Gospel)...
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2nd Timothy 3:5)
Here is a link to Mercy Me's website. I triple-dog dare you to show me a Gospel presentation anywhere on their website. I am not just narrowing out Mercy Me here, but since they are extremely popular at this time, they are worthy of being exposed as a pseudo-Christian band.
Interchangeable and Wishy-washy LyricsI am so disgusted with modern so-called "Christian" performers who claim they want to reach the lost for God with their music, but then contradict themselves by producing weak, milquetoast, watered-down, and virtually meaningless lyrics. Here's the lyrics to MercyMe's song, Here With Me, from their album, Undone...
I long for your embrace
Every single day
To meet you in this place
And see you face to faceWill you show me?
Reveal yourself to me
Because of your mercy
I fall down on my kneesAnd I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your loveYou're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known(Up to this point in the song, you could easily be thinking about a girlfriend or boyfriend. You'd have no reason to think about God as they haven't said anything to indicate so. Compare this to any of the old hymns of the faith, where you would definitely know from the get-go that it was a Gospel song. This is what's wrong with so much CCM today.)
You are holy
(This is the ONLY indication in the entire song that it MIGHT be about God. It could easily be paralleled with John Mayer's "Your Body is a Wonderland," where he praises a woman's physical beauty. Notice that Mercy Me mentions "beauty" and "the wonder of your touch" four times in this song. It is obvious what the songwriter has done with the lyrics. You can take the lyrics to be "Christian" or carnal. In comparison, there is NO WAY you could ever take a song like "The Old Rugged Cross" as anything but about the Lord. Thus, it could easily give the impression to the listener that the woman's body is holy, which is exactly what adulterers and fornicators want to hear).
And I fall down on my kneesI can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your loveI surrender to your grace
I surrender to the one who took my place(This is a vague reference, perhaps to the cross, or not. The bottom line is that NO CCM artist will ever make it in the Godless CCM industry unless they are willing to play the game, and that game is to NEVER present anything Biblically solid or clear. If they did, they'd lose their fans immediately).
I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender:I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your loveIn the song, Undone, from the Mercy Me album titled, Undone, are taken the following lyrics...
To the cross I run
Holding high my chains undone
Now I am finally free
Free to be what I've become
UndoneAlthough MercyMe and their fans may claim that lyrics such as this are a presentation of the Gospel, it is not. The Devil loves when professed Christians speak in religious terms, talk about God's love, speak of praising God, etc... just so long as the Gospel is HIDDEN from them that are lost, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (2nd Corinthians 4:3). I ask the members and fans of of Mercy Me, where is the Gospel? The world is going to Hell. Where is the Gospel? Titus 1:3 declares that God's Word is revealed through preaching, NOT music. Godly Christian music ALWAYS goes hand-in-hand with the Word of God. In contrast, today's so-called Christian music is preaching, Bible, and Gospel free.
MercyMe Showcased on the Godless Jay Leno ShowOn December 13, 2005, MercyMe performed some of their "Christian" music on The Tonight Show, hosted by Jay Leno. The Tonight Show invites some of the most wicked and vile God-haters on earth to appear on their show: including Satan worshippers Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osborne, etc. Regular guests include females who dress like complete whores and dirty talk is utilized to keep the shows ratings high. Homosexuals are praised and honored as outstanding people, but God says they are abominable perverts. Such godless shows are a cures upon America. MercyMe actually went on national television, on The Tonight Show, masquerading as a "Christian" group.
The truth is that MercyMe are assisting the Devil by hiding the Gospel from the lost. MercyMe had a chance on national television to witness to tens-of-millions of people, but they didn't. And they call themselves Christians? By MercyMe appearing on the Jay Leno show, they ENDORSED everything which that wicked show stands for. How could any professed Christian accept an invitation to appear on a show that is KNOWN worldwide for mocking God, praising perversion and indecency, and making fun of everything that is called holy?
As believers, we are commanded by God to "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, and BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH THE LORD...
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." (2nd Corinthians 6:14-17)
Do you think MercyMe is pleasing the Lord when they appear on a homosexual friendly TV show? No way! And what song did MercyMe perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno? Was it "Amazing Grace"? No! Was it "Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary"? No! Was it "God Is So Good"? No! It was, ready for this, ROCKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!! And you actually who waste your time, sending me angry e-mails, trying to defend these godless imposters. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
ALL Rock Music is Straight from Hell
Rock music may sound good, but it is worldly. There is NO such thing as "Christian Rock." "Christian Rap" doesn't exist either, anymore than Christian adultery exists.
Ephesians 5:11 COMMANDS believers to EXPOSE all works of darkness. Most professed Christians don't expose ANY works of darkness, which is why America is going to Hell. Your IDOLS, and that's what they are, who sing shabby lyrics to worldly music, don't expose anything. Instead, they rub shoulders with heathens who HATE God and spit on Jesus' name, such as appearing on worldly programs like The Tonight Show.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
The only thing that I see being glorified in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) are the artists themselves, and their music. Who is pictured in all the posters, T-shirts, albums, et cetera? The singers! The Devil has given today's youth a slew of IDOLS to worship, instead of worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ. All human beings are prone to worshipping other human beings. It's just in our sinful nature. Rock music is all about idols...
"Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his IDOLS IN HIS HEART..." -Ezekiel 14:4
Idolatry isn't just bowing down to a graven image, it is also praising and idolizing your favorite music group in your heart. The show "American Idol" is properly named. Many secular musicians admit that they are "gods" to their fans. Don't believe it, here's what Frank Zappa said...
"I'm the devil's advocate. We have our own worshippers who are called 'groupies.' Girls will give their bodies to musicians as you would give a sacrifice to a god." (Peters Brothers, What About Christian Rock, p. 17)
Do you think it's much different with "Christian" performers? Not at all! Although most of the "Christian" groups may not have backstage orgies after the concert, although MANY rock stars do, the fans are still worshipping them. Throughout the Word of God when anyone tried to worship someone else other than God, they were rebuked. I know what someone is going to say. You're going to say that's it's absurd to even suggest that MercyMe's fans worship them. Let me ask you a question. When all those fans are screaming and yelling in the audience, and the girls are crying, and the emotions are sky-high... do you think those fans are cheering for Jesus Christ, or the entertainers? You know as well as I do that the fans are praising their idols on the stage.
MercyMe is just another worldly band, masquerading as a "Christian" group. I don't know if they are Christians personally, and that's not for me to judge; but their music is definitely worldly. If they are born again Christians, then they are far from the Lord. The sign of a mature believer, who loves the Lord, is that they are a SOULWINNER. MercyMe doesn't even present the Gospel on their website. Again, I do not condemn anyone, I am just taking a stand for Jesus.
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2nd Timothy 3:5)