G. Craige Lewis of EX Ministries delivers a powerful message about the spiritual implications of award shows and the music industry, arguing that they often promote darkness and stray from true worship.
Lewis begins by drawing a parallel between church worship and ancient mythology, explaining that praise and glory invite a spiritual presence. While in church, this presence is God’s, bringing joy, healing, and deliverance [02:46], in antiquity, praise was offered to gods (fallen angels) to invoke their presence [01:27]. He asserts that award shows are not merely celebrations but “satanic ceremonies” and “initiations” where artists unknowingly become part of a ritual [04:36].
The speaker emphasizes music as a powerful tool that can bypass one’s guard, making musicians influential in leading people either towards God or into darkness. He suggests that even artists associated with gospel music, like Kirk Franklin and Snoop Dogg, contribute to a blending of the sacred and profane [11:23, 31:52].
Lewis also points to symbolism in performances, such as artists wearing masks or disfiguring themselves, interpreting these actions as signs of manipulation by an “entity” or “demon” as a pledge to the industry [13:02, 16:23].
Citing Isaiah 14:13-14, Lewis explains that the devil’s primary goal is to receive praise and worship, wanting to be like God and ascend above Him [18:44, 30:51]. This desire to “sit upon the mount of the congregation” means he aims to intercept the praise meant for God [18:51, 31:07].
He further argues that as artists age and seek continued relevance, they compromise their holiness and righteousness to appeal to the world, adopting profane language and actions [38:10, 41:26]. This, he contends, leads to a loss of their true identity and promotes their “humanness” over “God’s holiness” [50:39].
The message concludes with a strong call to action for listeners to examine their music choices and “delete that playlist” that contains secular or compromised music, as it can lead to spiritual defilement and hinder one’s walk with God [57:05, 01:03:17]. Lewis stresses the importance of discernment in what one consumes, especially given music’s ability to influence and program individuals, particularly the youth [59:11].
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