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By J. MATTHEW COBB DISAPPOINTMENT IN THIS GAME rarely vexes my spirit. I’m very aware that whenever the saints are planning to do anything pertaining to Kingdom work or advancement, the enemy always seems to rattle his presence along the way in order to make any work-related fulfilment in trying to stop God’s progress. Remember, the enemy’s purpose is to kill, steal and to destroy (John 10:10). Over the years, I have tried to keep a low profile with digging into deep controversial issues and even greater political subjects that seem to be bothering the modern-day church. But of course, hell has erupted in the church over the last couple of months. You can see it all over the magazines, the news broadcasts and on almost every non-conservative blog. It is my primary goal to keep gospel music moving forward on PRAYZEHYMNOnline and moving towards better. Better music, better writing, better advertising, better outreaches and better decisions. But I cannot help but comment on the outrageous conduct and outlandish lifestyles that the enemy has so easily promoted before our music. It shouldn’t come to this when I, a gospel music promoter and self-proclaimed historian, have to actually declare that “gospel music ain’t gospel music anymore.” I have tried to educate the masses through the database and website about the actual definition of gospel music and feel I have done a good job in highlighting what it is. It dosen’t matter if a R&B superstar like Patti LaBelle or a gospel veteran like Shirley Caesar is performing it. If it’s gospel, let’s just call it what it is. Over the years, I have had the luxury of running across and meeting a number of independent artists through the website. Some of their material is pretty good...and very rewarding to the art and craft of gospel music. But there’s some stuff that just needs work and some rigorous discipline. But I don’t necessarily fault the newcomers in this situation. They only learn from what they see and they are only illuminating their set of chosen examples from over the years. Now popcorn groups and choirs are morphing out of the shadows like never before and are doing their best to find their identity. It’s okay sometimes to make mistakes in the open - especially when you are trying to find the real “you.” But when mistakes become habits and become intentional, then the problem has festered and continues to spread like a seed when planted in good soil and water. Now it’s normal to sing gospel that no one can understand or interpret. Now it’s okay to sing with such insane vibrato that we actually have the nerve to call it “musically correct,” when it [vibrato] is supposed to be used only to add expression to a song, not to be used carelessly. Now it is okay to sing hundreds of meslismas in one song and having the nerve to question why the song won’t fly up the charts. Now it is okay to have choirs yell, jump, scream and act like a circus clown in the choir stands and the same groups are left puzzled as to why the audience hasn’t clapped at the end of the song. Gospel music is heading down a very dangerous, uncomfortable and defiling path and it’s happening for a reason. I think it’s only one reason...period. Quote me on this: it’s a spirit of rebellion. Remember, according to the Word of God, Lucifer’s pride led him to rebel against the spirit of righteousness and anything pretaining to what was good; ultimately exalting himself against God’s order. It led to his termination from Heaven’s musical department, but it only marinated into his ugliest transformation because of a spirit of rebellion. Say what you want after you read the next couple of lines from me, but I have an obligation to help save the music I grew up to, got saved to, grew from and deeply value with all of my heart. I strongly oppose any kind of ministry, group, church, pastor, songwriter, singer or performer that refuses to do what is decent and in order. For too long, I have seen artists make a mockery of gospel music and witnessed them become infamous online through MySpace and YouTube for just doing anything they feel like doing. And we continue to put up with such craziness because there’s a little bit of a rebellious nature in all of us. But you have to always go back to what God said unto a troubled Cain in Genesis 4:7:
But there is an amazing revelation tucked in that scripture and that is that God said to Cain that even though sin desires for him, he (Cain) should have power and rule over it. See, sin knocks at our doors, but we have the power to either let him in or turn away from the door. And we also have the power to suppress our own evil desires. When gospel artists continue to live filthy lifestyles and are promoting a spirit of rebellion in the work fields of God’s acreage, they are giving us (the recipients) a taste of rebellion and have planted their seeds of discord amongst us. And in the end when the gospel community stands alone in peril and with disappointment looming in our eyes, all of us will have to hold the responsibility and accountability of its failure. Now remember God’s Word will not fail, but the music [and style] we so dearly loved for ages, if defected, is not immune from God’s wrath. We still have confused stargazers in our company that continue to call Tonex’s The Naked Truth acceptable to God’s Word (don’t believe me, read Gospelflava’s entries on their Fascinating People In Gospel 2007). A key reminder: just because it’s fascinating doesn’t mean it’s right and good. A couple of night ago after checking out a few MySpace pages, I ran across a video of an upcoming group called Dexter Walker & Zion Movement. After listening to their debut project and turning it off for many reasons back in 2007, I decided to give the group an open ear and opened my heart to their ministry. The video clip I was so interested in viewing was their rendition of Hezekiah Walker’s churchy hit; “Lift Him Up.” Everything for the first couple of seconds felt okay and normal, but I should have taken into consideration the group’s highlighted slogan “ZM Ain’t Normal.” When the song finally opened up before my ears, I was floored and disturbed. I really had no reason to smile. How could gospel music become so overbearing and ridiculously dismembered with such a chaotic nature or appearance. It only reminded me of the few over-the-top performances of Tye Tribbett & G.A. that most gospel audiences recall witnessing through past television programs and previously-released DVD presentations. Now gospel choirs are cramming large doses of wicked vibrato into their repertoires and artists are just doing anything without any form of discipline or any careful monitoring from responsible leadership. And I've noticed that they don’t receive criticism well at all. We are living in a day when normal isn’t good enough, when being original means to throw out everything that is old and of the before. We are living in a day and time when gimmicks and tricks have replaced good quality singing and compassionate ministry. We are living in a society that seems to be very much patterned after Paul’s revelation of future reparations found in Romans 1:21. In that text, they [the world in the so-called church] knew who God was, but they didn’t glorify Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their own thinking became futile and their foolish hearts became dark. And although they professed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged God’s glory for images made to look like mortal man. In verse 25, it states that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Lord God. And even though they were religious and had a form of godliness, they were rebelling against God deep in their heart. Not trying to get super-spiritual in this report, but I have witnessed the ignorance of our generation take over and have seen so many people wonderfully comment publicly on the things that are not of God. From tax evasion in today’s megachurches to preacher beatdowns in the parking lot, from dark YouTube confessions from professed Christians to devilish entertainment being promoted by gospel torchbearers. And no one on the Lord’s side wants to rise up and say “enough is enough.” No one wants to say out loud that gospel music is being hijacked by rebellious terrorists that are so close to being labeled as wolves dressed in sheep skin. To the rebellious generation, be warned. God shall separate the wheat from the tare...and in the end when you finally approach Jesus at the judgement with your great works and a list of countless Stellar Awards you’ve earned, don’t be amazed when God responds to your long list of accolades with the words “I never knew you” because God’s Word forewarns us of the many that will be rejected at that great day (Matt. 7:21-23). So be advised, be warned...enjoy your happy services and continue to manipulate gospel music for your own personal gain. Your time will come when everything will be laid to rest and the music will finally stop. When the last note is played, when the rebellious nature of the last days overwhelms our harvest, when I am no longer heard and my work will be laid to rest, God still will get the last word. Glory hallelujah; His truth will still be marching on. OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO: Gospelology 101 - The perfect crash course on the history and evolution of gospel music - PRAYZEHYMN-approved.
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