SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

"When I was about seven, I became involved in a satanic coven . . I grew up with a 'Star Wars' mentality. I loved Star Wars and the whole concept of the sinister side of the forces of darkness. Those things were very important to me. I also enjoyed other science fiction movies.

"When I was eight and a half, I was involved in my first ritual sacrifice. Often when we recruited young people to our meetings, we gave them alcohol or drugs, so they would have a hard time remembering what had taken place . .

"Satanic worship services are designed to put the worshipers into a mood where spirits can be called to manifest themselves during the service. They always use live music, and the music always has a beat.

"They start with a drummer. The rest of the instruments are geared to the drumming. These people practiced many, many hours for every service we had. It was rock music with rock beat.

"Subconsciously, while you listened to the music, it would open you up. People weren't aware that they were opening up to spirits, because they were concentrating on the music. This music prepared everyone to open themselves up to the forces of darkness.

"As those forces respond to that invitation, the people become inhabited by demons. There is no way to do the things done in those services without inviting spirits into your life to empower you to do them. During those services, I saw atrocities and vile acts . .

"I am now in my twenties. I am asking God to bring healing from my involvement in satanism and the horrors of those years of my life.

"Whenever I hear rock music, whether it's supposedly Christian or not, my reaction is extreme. I can't handle the music. I don't care what the words say. As soon as I hear the beat, it takes me back to those services where we called the enemy to empower us to do great evil. I am grieved about 'Christian rock' music. I can't believe Christians accept those things.

"Whenever I attend a church service where 'Christian rock' is played, I have to leave. I can't stay. It triggers so many memories . . It's very difficult for me to understand why any Christian would want to put Christian words to that kind of music.

"When I hear rock music in church, to me it's like taking an Ouija board to church and saying, 'We're going to play this and try to not summon the powers of darkness. We're going to play this and try to get a message from God.' It just doesn't fit!

"I attended one church service where a young man ran out of the room making noises as they started playing 'Christian rock' music. When I ran after him, I found him down the hall on his knees crying. He said, 'I can't stand the thoughts that are coming into my mind because of that music. Why are they using it in this church? I thought it would be different here.'

"One of the many things they trained us for, back in the coven, was understanding music. A number of us were taken to a fellow who had a lot of involvement in a large music recording firm. He explained to us that wherever we went in the world, we would hear that kind of music, and there would be people worshiping Satan. He played sections of music from different countries, beginning with Ireland, throughout Europe, and into Africa. It was part of our training to understand that all over the world, people are able to call spirits through music."—Testimony of a 20-year-old man, verified by his pastor, Dr. Jim Logan, quoted in a leaflet by International Center for Biblical Counseling, Sioux City, Iowa.

"I was raised in a Christian home and made a profession of faith at the age of five. Until I graduated from high school, I had a strong faith in God, and I was committed to living a godly life. However, my choice of music dramatically changed my life.

"I was introduced to rock music when I began keeping a nursery for a local aerobics class. I began to listen to music that my parents did not allow in our home. It had a strange, incessant beat that fascinated me. The more I listened to this music, the more I wanted to listen to it, and the more I desired the various kinds of rock music available.

"Against my parents' wishes, I moved away to attend college. I discovered more and more jazz and rock music I liked. I had begun by listening to 'soft rock' music but was led into harder and harder stuff.

"I began flirting with occult activities, including mind-control techniques. I found that I could alter my mood easily if I put the right cassette into the stereo. I could make myself sad, angry, or manic—but never happy. I could completely lose my mind, if I wanted to.

"As I continued to listen to this music, I was led ever deeper into rebellion against my parents and the values that they had taught me. By the time I graduated from college, I was mired in anger, drinking, depression, self-hatred, sexual promiscuity, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts. I continued to be involved with occult and 'soft-core' pornography. My grades plummeted, and nothing could motivate me to do anything—nothing but music. Rock music ruled my life.

"I am grateful for the people and events that God used to bring me back to Himself. Financial difficulties forced me to return home, and my parents asked me not to listen to rock music anymore. The music was affecting my spiritual, mental, and physical health . . I was gradually led back to God . . When I stopped listening to rock music, I was amazed to find my mind revitalized. I could memorize and meditate on Scripture again! I could concentrate on whatever task I was doing, so my job performance improved dramatically. My parents noticed that my eyes had lost their dull look and were beginning to shine with alertness and joy. My countenance had softened. My anxieties left as the sinful oppression under which I had labored for years was lifted. I was developing an intimate relationship with my Saviour. All these wonderful things did not happen overnight . .

"Rock music combines the two most detrimental and dangerous forces in musical composition: driving backbeat and unbalanced, chaotic harmonies. These characteristics affect the listener's heartbeat and respiration. More significantly, they are tools with which a musician or performer can manipulate the emotions and behavior of his audience."—Wendy Vanessa Griffin, Tennessee, quoted in How to Conquer the Addiction of Rock Music, pp. 91-93.

"All my life I have had a strong desire to follow the Lord, whatever the cost. I daily delighted myself in memorizing Scripture, praying, and encouraging others.

"When I was in the sixth grade, my best friend introduced me to 'Christian rock' music. At first I didn't enjoy it, because it gave me a deep unrest in my spirit, but it didn't take long for me to become accustomed to it. Soon it became a regular part of my life, and I felt that I almost couldn't live without it.

"This music began to change me into a self-seeking, sensual person. It drove a wedge between me and my parents, contributing to deep bitterness in my family. The music turned my focus to things of the world.

"By the time I reached high school, I was desperately seeking a new way of life. I wondered, 'Is there fulfillment in anything? How can I get closer to Christ? I know He is the answer, but how do I find Him?'

"My youth leaders at church directed me to heavier 'Christian rock' music while also reading the Bible. This combination gave me a 'sensual gospel.' Using my own definition of grace, I felt free to fulfill my fleshly lusts. My friends and I worshiped with 'Christian rock' music; we drove with 'Christian rock' music. It controlled my life.

"My parents helped me join a missions organization when I graduated from high school. I became a lead singer for a 'Christian rock' evangelistic band in Europe. But nothing had changed in my life. I was still sensual and could not gain victory. I deeply desired to know God, but there were so many walls I could not get through.

"While our group was singing one night in Romania, God began to show me the destruction that this so-called 'Christian rock' music caused. I had just finished singing, and my friend started to give a testimony of what God had done in his life [which was being translated].

"I looked out over the crowd and saw confusion on almost every face. They hadn't understood the words of the songs—but they had understood the music—and it carried a much different message than the words of the testimony. The people went home confused. I came back from Europe disillusioned and questioning . . I humbled myself and asked God to show me the truth of His ways in music, and I now thank Him for the freedom and victory He has given me."—Ruthie Fritsch, Oregon, ibid., pp. 32-33.

"We have a seventeen-year-old daughter who recently had surgery to remove a benign tumor from her right index finger.

"In the middle of the surgery, the nurse came running down from the operating room to ask me if our daughter had ever had heart problems. She said not to panic, but that the heart monitor indicated dangerous heart problems.

"The doctors planned an EKG after the surgery. I wondered if the Lord had allowed the lump to grow on her finger so we could discover the heart problem before it became too serious.

"About 45 minutes later, the doctors and nurses wheeled our daughter into the recovery room where I was, and they were all laughing. They explained that as soon as Debbie's headset clicked off, her heart rhythm, as revealed by the monitor, went to normal.

"Our daughter had been listening to a 'Christian rock' tape called 'Beyond Belief' as she was in surgery. Just two days before the surgery, we had advised our daughter to listen to traditional Christian music during the surgery, but she didn't."—Mr. and Mrs. Tom Boyd, Washington State, quoted in ibid, pp. 85-86.

Richard Mendoza tells of his journey deep into rock music and finally to the point of being part of a rock band that was just starting to reap real profits from audience attendance. But, just then, he first learned about the satanic, subliminal, backward masking words found in rock recordings. Deeply convicted by the Spirit of God that he must break with rock music or be lost, Richard shared the information with friends. We will begin his story at this point:

"We saw that we had come to a fork in the road and that we needed to make a choice either for God or for Satan. Three of us, the drummer, the lead guitarist, and I, decided we had no good choice but to quit.

"We called a special meeting of the band members along with our technicians and stage hands. It turned out to be our last meeting together. I remember it clearly.

"I was the first to speak. I told my fellow hard-core young rockers how I felt about the music we were playing. I told them about my new convictions about my belief in God, and also about how awful I felt influencing young people to do drugs, some of whom were only 10 or 12 years old. I distinctly remember falling to my knees and bawling like a baby.

"Much to my surprise, I heard someone else sobbing and saying similar things. It was the 6'2" drummer, Randy Robinson. He had spent over $8,000.00 on his Ludwig Octoplus drum set . . [which he had worked six months to purchase] . . Now he was crying. I sensed that something supernatural was taking place. He had never cried in my presence before. His heart had been hard as iron, but now it was melting . .

"We tried to explain . . but it was no use, and the band broke up. That very night, rock ceased to roll in my life. It came to a halt. I ceased devoting myself to the devil's music. Such peace and freedom I had never sensed before. I gave up drugs too, and have never used them since."—Personal testimony of Richard P. Mendoza, Michigan pastor.

Richard mentioned that additional personal decisions were made and, ultimately, three band members and two stage hands who had been present that night became Christians.