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"Beyoncé"                                                                    "Martha Munizzi"

“Are You Okay Blending It?”

Let me start by asking a few questions? Are you a Christian? Do you listen to gospel or Christian music? And do you listen to secular music also? Do you like music artists like Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Drake, Niki Minaj, etc.? And how about Casting Crowns, Mary Mary, Da Truth, Lecrae, Chris Tomlin, Tye Tribette, David Crowder Band, Yolanda Adams, Martha Munizzi, Fred Hammond, William McDowell, Deidrick Haddon, Kiki Sheard, etc.?

Personally, I’ve listened to some of these mainstream artists as well…BUT over the years, and through the grace, power, and Word of God, I’ve learned that as God began to call me higher in Him, I realized that I could not MIX the two. I had to choose one. And trust me it was not an easy decision, because I liked pumping up the latest jams on the hottest radio stations while driving to work, the club, or Happy Hour. But then I also found myself mixing the worldly music with gospel music on Sunday mornings and Wednesday night drives to Bible Study. So with that being said, and after being taught the truth, I began to realize that something wasn’t quite right with that. I was living a double life. So I had to choose whom I would truly serve.

And with that being said, I did try to release the secular music (which means worldly rather than spiritual http://www.thefreedictionary.com/secular) by letting go of the secular radio stations & music. BUT I still watched the award shows (hint: the Grammy’s, BET, MTV, etc.). And I admit that I was a sucker for “Usher”. In fact, I found myself rewinding his stage performances over and over again (I actually taped it and replayed it about 20 times), until my 4 year old son said, “Mama, you’re still watching him?!” See…God has a way of getting our attention (even through our children). But that wasn’t enough. You see, I’m married, so me and my husband thought we could listen to Usher together…but that didn’t work either, because as I listened to the slow songs…it was about other women, fornication, lust, & adultery – stuff that I was clearly learning about in the Bible that was sin against God. So…long story short…I gave it all up. I surrendered, and I’ve been delivered now for approximately eight years. Praise the Lord!

Now many of you reading this might be thinking, “So is secular music a sin?” My answer to this question is this…there isn’t a specific Scripture that says, “Thou shalt not listen to secular music.” However, before you run off, let me ask you this? How does it make you feel when you listen to it or watch it? What does some of it make you want to do? Does it encourage you to want to sin by having sex with someone you’re not married to, masturbate, entertain homosexual or impure thoughts, want to commit adultery or watch porn, or physically hurt someone. Does it spark greed, envy, jealousy, drinking, or getting loaded perhaps? If you are a Christian/born again believer, the Bible says in Galations 5:16 & 19-21 (NLT), “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves…When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

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So, simply stated, it’s not per say the music alone, yet it’s the spirit behind the music and what it may cause you to do either now or later. You see, our great enemy Satan plants seeds, and he’s very subtle. And we can’t forget that he was over music in heaven before he was kicked out by God? Today, he’s just using his craft on Christians. Can you imagine him sitting back laughing while eating popcorn watching us entertain ourselves with the very things that Jesus died to save us from…our old sinful nature? Remember God wants us to live new lives full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galations 5:22-23).

Listen…if you’re reading this today, it’s not by chance that you stumbled across this blog post. God has a message for you. I believe that God is calling you higher for such a time as this. He is calling you to be set-apart for His glory and purpose. And if you are going to go higher in Him, then I encourage you to let go of some of those weights that may slow you down (Hebrews 12:1), and I believe that you know what they are. Jesus Christ is coming back soon, and it’s time for the body of Christ to be purified, set-apart, unspotted, and effective in every way.

So take a quick moment to examine yourself to see if what you’re listening to or watching on television either glorifies or displeases God. Listen to the lyrics, because unfortunately, many Christians practice The Mix: both secular and Christian music? Weigh in…do you feel that it’s okay blending it? If you sense conviction: pray, acknowledge it, confess it to God, & repent in Jesus name. And if you’ve already overcome in this area, please forward it on to enlighten someone else.

Suggestion...there's a lot of good Christian music out there today. We don't have to compromise.

Remember, Jesus is coming back soon. Let’s get ready from the Inside Out.

~Courtnaye

Thanks for reading! Like, comment, or share from my Facebook Fan Page and “Like” it while you’re there ( http://www.facebook.com/InsideOutWCourtnaye). Also feel absolutely free to leave a comment here! I’d love to get your feedback! I pray that God will continue to enlighten you to live for Him through His word in your daily life. Stay tuned for new blog posts every Monday at 7:30am on Inside Out with Courtnaye @  www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org.  Also, follow me on Twitter by inoutwcourtnaye. Thanks again![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]