Who Are They Kidding? DC Talk and Newsboys – Revisited

When I originally looked into a concert back in 1996 some 16 years ago I never dreamed the articles would still be as valid as the day they were published in the Christian Conscience!  What made me look was a promotional video sent to the church we were members in Rapid City, SD introducing head-banging, body surfing and moshing for our kids at a concert to be given at the Rapid City Convention Center. In 1997, we did a follow-up article looking into the Newboys concert.

Here I am in the year 2012 talking about the same guys? Who’d have thought?  To bring you up to date I am going to quote in its entirety an article from Dr. David Cloud who on a few occasions I have had the honor to contribute to with his extensive research into a myriad of dangerous teachings in the church. My contributions mostly relate to the issues of music and the house church movement for more please refer to the links on our blog Truth with Snares.

THOUSANDS “MAKE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST” THROUGH FUNKY JESUS MUSIC
(Friday Church News Notes, March 16, 2012, http://www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

According to reports from the Winter Jam Christian rock tour, tens of thousands of young people have made “decisions for Christ” in this venue since January. The Winter Jam tour is the largest annual Christian rock tour in North America, “combining 10 popular artists and a speaker each night in major venues across the United States.” It runs from January to April. Bands on tour this year are Newsong, Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, Dara Maclean, For King and Country, Toby Mac, Jamie Grace, and We As Human. It is said that “ministry is at the heart of Winter Jam,” but I am guessing that if you removed the sensually-powerful music there would be nothing left. As for the “decisions for Christ,” it would be decisions for the cool, rock-loving, never-judging christ of The Shack. Consider Toby Mac and Jamie Grace and their “Funky Jesus Music,” and the grinding, screeching, screaming “Dead Man” by We As Human, which are illustrative of what goes on at these worldly affairs. These shameful displays can be seen on YouTube.

Whatever Jesus this is, it is not the holy Jesus revealed in Scripture. Contemporary Christian Music is the soundtrack of end-time apostasy. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).

This past month on my way to work listening to the Fundamental Broadcasting Network FBN and its low wattage station a local AFR American Family Radio station  (Contemporary Christian Music station) attached with the American Family Association bled over with it high power station.  Something really sounded, um a bit odd!

What did I hear? Singers with the latest ‘sexy breathing’ male and female sounding like the secular counterparts of radio and commercial TV  but then a familiar singer was put on, Peter Furler who I recall formerly of the Newsboys comes on singing his rock/pop song (do not recall name) then on way home same sort of thing as Toby Mac formerly of DC Talk with his worldly sounding song again nothing of note for the songs – rather these singers being treated as their other young singers! More like a couple of ringers!

A few things come to mind aside from the usual making the money with these two:

1. Their age came to mind. Just how old are these guys? – I recall when I did the article on DC Talk and Newsboys many of them were just a few years younger than me. I turned the big 50 this past month —so are these two really in their mid-forties!? Yes! Toby Mac is 47 DOB 10/22/64 and Peter Furler just turned 45 DOB 9/8/66 according to a quick Google search!
2. How young are they trying to sound and look? – even when I did the articles on DC Talk and Newsboys they were making themselves appear 10+ years younger for that youth appeal what teen would want to listen to singers the age of their parents!? Guess makeup goes a long way these days! — Okay lets be fair, their secular counterparts are older than they are heard Mick Jaggar of the Rolling Stones recently turned 70!
3. Don’t know what else Furler has been except rooting for his buddy Steve Taylor (of Newsboys background) putting together the movie Blue Like Jazz!!! – What’s that all about? Check out these warnings about the dangers of the book and upcoming movie from with Apprising.org and Way Of Life Literature.For reference above: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wholenotes/2011/07/a-conversation-with-solo-artist-and-former-newsboys-lead-singer-peter-furler.html
4.  Then there is Toby Mac revived the heretical Godspell musical some time back. I’ll stop digging at this point… because there is no point. We have shown time and again these people in the so-called CCM and C-rock industry are in it for the filthy lucre, greed and etc. They may have their names in lights here on this planet but I would be quaking in my shoes for the judgment they are heading towards misleading our youth into the world. They have been the pied-pipers heralding what is a non-judging, non-discerning dead church. If anyone comes out of them and into the light of scriptures they are the exceptions not the rule.

I find it sad but funny in a weird way that they are producing music like they are a couple of guys in their late teens or early twenties some 16+ years later! Do any of you see this as totally wacky? It is bad enough we have another couple of generations following them and their rocky ways, conforming to the world and its music. Yes, they are still making all the same ridiculous claims how they are turning thousands to Christ – but where is the evidence?

Perhaps 30 years ago there was a stirring that CCM and C-rock is controversial and perhaps even detrimental to our youth. Today more than ever I have to look high and low to find a church that holds to biblical standards for their music, I have committed myself in the local church we are members to hold the line on music with the full support of our Pastor. Christian, if you are reading this I encourage you to do the same, sit down with your pastor, show him the history of the music and emerging church. If he is a godly man you will at least get a handshake and perhaps a hug and tears! These are dark days, perilous times that people are just looking to have those itching ears scratched. Pray for our leaders that they will accept the truth in love and that the pure things will remain pure as our music should which is only a part of our worship to a Holy God, how can it ever be conformed to the music of this unholy world? It simply cannot!

As for the old guys I refer, I do so to make light of this very serious subject. I pray for the members of DC Talk and Newsboys as I did before but hope that what I have shown here reveals to a few how ludicrous  it is that they really think they are making a difference for Christ. If thousands and thousands had been saved over these past 16 years the world would be a different place with a renewed reverent fear of God as we seek His face for His glory – not our own! And we would not be rocking to the beat of their drummers!