Prophetic music

I'm continuing a long-running series all the way back from 2008 on prophetic music where I interview musicians, singers, and worship leaders from IHOP. If you have not read the other interviews, be sure to read the ones from Justin Rizzo, Jordan Vanderplate, Francisco Arteaga part 1, part 2, and Gabriel Hancock part 1, part 2. I love running with these guys (and gals) because they share the same vision as me for the spirit of prophecy on their music. This time, I interviewed Cassie Campbell, a bass player in the house of prayer who has played a lot with Misty Edwards and many other worship teams here. I hope her words and thoughts encourage and provoke you!

Without question, the influence of secular music on musicians that profess the name of Jesus is strong. Church musicians and Christian artists will name many secular bands as their main musical influences. Before you think I am about to give the blanket statement that is heard so often - “secular music is bad” - I’ll say that various musical genres in and of themselves are not “bad”, and by no means am I advocating that all modern worship songs should be in a specific, common “style”. Taking such a stand is to, I believe, remove the multi-faceted nature of music as it expresses God’s heart and personality. But the issue I do want to speak into though is the influence of musicians that confess Jesus looking to secular music for that “new edge” on their worship music. I don’t want to point fingers or accuse in any way – I want to call us as musicians and songwriters to a higher standard as we write, play, and sing today at the end of the age.

As I’ve outlined in many previous posts on my blog in my prophetic music category, there are two worship movements being raised up today. Both will use music in a massive way to influence men’s decisions and attitudes. Both will gather multitudes in stadiums. Both will even have supernatural power connected to them. But one will lead many into giving themselves to Jesus in meekness and humility, bringing them to eternal life and peace - and the other will deceive many into worshipping Satan and his demonic cohorts, sending them to the lake of fire forever.

The last thing we want to do as musicians writing, playing, and leading for the true movement is to give ourselves, even in little ways, to the entanglements and snares of the false movement.

In the Christian music arena, the phrase “before an audience of One” is used liberally by almost every church worship leader, Nashville recording artist, and youth group musician. I absolutely love the concept – we don’t play to impress 300 in church on Sunday morning or 50,000 people in a stadium. We play to impress the Lord Himself, because, even though it may seem weak, we truly believe that He is pleased as we play and sing before Him.

But do we really believe that? Can we honestly say, without hesitation, that if absolutely nobody showed up to the show or worship service, that we would still play and sing the same way as if the stadium had 50,000 screaming worshippers in it or the church building was packed and overflowing to the street?

I want to provoke our hearts to really think about this for a little bit. When we say that we sincerely play and sing for an audience of One, can we remember the last time we went into our secret place with our instrument or voice and played and sang to the Lord with the same passion and zeal as we do before the stadium crowd or before our churches on Sunday morning?

This post is continuing a series on my blog entitled "Prophetic Musician Interviews". Today's thoughts are from Justin Rizzo, a worship leader here at IHOP. I play keys for Justin's worship team, and I'm privileged to be able to post some of his thoughts.

Josh: Hey Justin. I know you would agree that there is a war raging in the spirit realm today through the common language of music. Just as we see the Satanic movement being raised up, we are entering into a time in history when the Holy Spirit is specifically setting apart musicians like never before. Give us some of your thoughts on what the Lord is doing on the earth today, and how you posture your heart as a worship leader leading musicians in the Lord's worship movement.

Justin: For so long we have settled for simply listening to the ‘other guy’ and playing whatever they play. But in this day and hour God is giving many musicians a higher vision and releasing the cry within them, “There must be more than what I’ve known.”

Around God’s throne in heaven we are told that there is lighting, thunder, and voices which are proceeding from His throne (Rev. 4). There are four living creatures and the twenty-four elders who never stop crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” They are not robotically programmed to say, “Holy.” They are saying it because they are constantly seeing new expressions of God and fresh waves of His glory are being released. My point is that God is the creator of all sound and all music and He is not lacking in new ways to express Himself.

One of the primary ways that I believe the understanding and expression of Christianity is going to change in this generation is through musicians (and singers) who consecrate their ears and watch what they feed their spirits, and also those who are faithful in cultivating their life in the Spirit. More and more I am hearing about musicians who are shutting out other musical influences because they want the influence of heaven upon their playing. There is such dissatisfaction with what they’ve known and they are committed to spending time playing their instrument before the Lord and communing with the Holy Spirit. I have experienced times when the Holy Spirit is breathing upon a musician as they play and I am convinced that these times happen as a result of the hours spent before Him alone at home in their rooms; playing before Him when no one else is watching. (Isa. 42:10-13)