Our society has stereotypes, or prejudged images, for all manner of things and people � some are accurate, others are not. In the ministry we have stereotypes for the men God has called to preach His precious word�often time we picture the preacher as being middle-aged, clean-shaven, and wearing a well tailored suit with matching shoes. Most church platforms would shudder at the thought of allowing someone with even a mustache, let alone a beard; to imagine a preacher stepping up to deliver a sermon wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt would be considered an abomination in some circles! However, let us look into the word of God, and see who God has called into the ministry and whether or not they fit the stereotypes we often use. May God open our hearts and minds as we rightly divide the word of truth.

John 7:24

Too often we allow the stereotype image of the preacher to automatically tune out what the man of God has to say from the pulpit. This is sad because we rob ourselves of the blessing this man has to offer. Let us look at the roster of the original 12 disciples:

Matthew 10:2-8 - 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Mark 3:16-19 - 16 And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

Some of the disciples were definitely social undesirables. Who would have thought an uneducated fisherman would ever be entrusted with the gospel and proclaim in on the day of Pentecost? And a tax collector as his ministry associate? God sees things differently than we do. Going to education�there is nothing wrong with getting a good education or going to a Bible college, providing God is kept in the forefront and the education is not used to supersede the sound doctrine of God�s word.

Sometimes, in our modern church culture, we expect our men to dress a certain way � i.e. in real nice tailored suits; wear their hair in a certain style (we are not talking about long hair on men); be clean-shaven; and wear freshly polished shoes. Most churches would not allow someone preach who wears a mustache, let alone a full beard; if the preacher showed up wearing blue jeans and work boots or athletic shoes, he would be drummed right out the door without being given an opportunity to share what Jesus impressed on his heart.

James 2:1-9
Romans 2:11

James says quite a lot in these verses concerning judging on the outward appearance to the point where we look down our noses at brethren who do not look exactly as we do. Paul�s statement in Romans backs this up. We as Christians have fought hard to break down the walls of racism in the church, yet at the same time have bought into this notion that the platform is a fashion show, and those who God sends to speak must fit the image or not be permitted to speak the word of life. We must be careful, for not only are we in danger of quenching the Spirit, but we could also be setting ourselves up for an even more dangerous situation.

Matthew 7:15-20
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Luke 6:26

There are false preachers who dress themselves impeccably, speak with the eloquence of a college professor, and can charm the scales right off a cobra; they can slip into the platform unawares and instead of giving the sound doctrine of God�s word they feed the flock some sugar-coated message that not only tickles the ears, but can lead them astray. Yet we are guilty for falling for these people�s sales pitch because they looked and sounded the part!

Romans 9:6

Again, this is a warning to avoid just basing one�s spirituality solely on the outward appearance. We must turn to the Holy Ghost and God�s word to help us discern who is and who isn�t going to jeopardize our souls with some sweet-sounding poison.

1 Corinthians 15:3-11

Paul spoke with both authority and humility in this passage. He was honored to be counted as an apostle even though he knew he was not worthy; he did not consider himself above anyone else in the ministry, and mentioned Cephas (Peter) by name. Paul was not concerned about where the disciples came from; he was just thankful God counted him worthy to be one.

2 Corinthians 10:10

This passage tells us the importance of focusing on the message and anointing of the man of God rather than his outward appearance. Sometimes we hear a sermon from a man of God, be he a pastor or evangelist, and once we meet this individual in person we have just had the wind taken from our sails when he does not meet the image we have perceived in our minds. He may have mannerisms that we disagree with, a style of clothes that may not be the fanciest, and so on�yet he preached an anointed message that God used to touch our hearts! Why should we allow the physical appearance to prevent from receiving the blessings God gives through His messengers?

1 Samuel 16:7
1 Corinthians 1:26-29

God is telling us that it is not, nor has ever been, a person�s appearance or demeanor that is most important to His purpose. It is the inner man and his heart toward Jesus that separates him from the crowd and allows him to be used by the Master; humbly he prays that he can be that willing and obedient vessel unto God�s glory.

Amos 7:14-15
Luke 7:24-28
Mark 1:6

Some people come to hear certain preachers because of their lineage, especially if they come from a family line of preachers. I was not the son of a preacher, nor did I attend seminary. My education was in the secular universities, and I received the gospel truth the same way anyone else did � through the �foolishness� of preaching. God saw fit, despite my seemingly inadequate background, to call me into living for Him and sharing His word as He has for many other faithful men and women through the years. I do not own the most fashionable clothes, nor do I speak with the polish of the Harvard professors. Those of us who seek to be anointed of God can relate to the challenges which John the Baptist and Jesus� disciples faced because they did not fit the stereotypical religious figure mold. One pastor I labored with worked a full-time job as a waste water plant operator, and would sometimes arrive to preach straight from his job in his work clothes! This did not in any way diminish his ability to declare the gospel, and he simply allowed God to use him regardless of his appearance and (given where he worked) odor.

By now I pray we have seen that God places anointing and calling above appearance and eloquent speech. However, before I conclude this study, I need to address one thing. God will not allow confusion to commandeer the pulpit. There are a few men who profess to be Christians and preachers, yet they dress and behave like the world to the point where there is no distinction whatsoever. What do the Scriptures say?

1 Corinthians 9:19-22
Philippians 4:5 - Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

The preachers in question take passages like this and interpret them to mean they can look and act like the world in order to win the world; let us look more closely. Paul stated that he sought to be able to relate to the people he ministered to so he could be effective in his testimony; the �moderation� he refers to is the discipline of the Christian minister. People in the world need to see a distinction between themselves and those who claim to be saved; while they may laugh at us, deep down they know we have something they need. There is power in godly separation and setting a godly example!

John 15:16
Romans 11:29

In closing, let us remember that God called us and qualified us into His service, and that ministry is not a fashion show or popularity contest. It�s about winning souls!

I enjoy listening to good music of various styles, especially music that uplifts and glorifies our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I originally wrote a study on this subject back in 2000, and it deserved a good review after some further study into aspects of the music industry, including �Contemporary Christian Music� (CCM). My prayer is that after this study is completed that we can all take a closer look into what music we listen to, why we listen to it, and how the music as well as the words influence us. May Jesus be glorified!

God dealt with me about an issue where I did not cover in the original message, and that is the proliferation of �Contemporary Christian Music�, or CCM for short. Are all modern gospel songs bad? No, and I will admonish that the old hymns have as much importance now in the church as when originally written. The classics by Fanny Crosby (Blessed Assurance) deserve equal place in a Christian�s music library as Darlene Zschech (Shout to the Lord) and Keith Green (Create in Me a Clean Heart). Here is a gouge for discerning the wheat from the chaff among modern gospel artists; this is only my perspective, and other gospel ministers will have different tools to offer as well.

1 John 4:1
Romans 9:6

We must exercise our senses to discern the good music from the trash that masquerades itself as gospel music. Rock music, no matter how it is dressed up, is still the music of rebellion and should be avoided by the church. David Bowie, the sodomite rock star, stated in Rolling Stone magazine that �Rock and Roll is and will always be the devil�s music�. If one of the secular music industry�s own artists was bold enough to drop a piece of information on us (to the disapproval of Bowie�s record company bosses), then it should be a no-brainer that Christians ought to avoid that type of music like the plague! However, this is not the case as we shall see.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18
Deuteronomy 22:5
1 Timothy 2:9
Revelation 9:8
1 Corinthians 6:9

There are many CCM artists who, by their appearance both onstage and offstage, are indistinguishable from the rest of the world. The clothes are immodest, the women wear excesses of jewelry and makeup, and even the men have been known to wear long hair, spandex, and makeup to look just like the secular bands their target audiences listen to. Why listen to Stryper when one can listen to Poison (heavy metal band with similar costumes)? Their music sounds too much alike. Same holds true for the former CCM band known as Petra. Their first major hit, �God Gave Rock �N Roll to You� was written by secular artist Russ Ballard and was covered with equal ferocity by the band KISS. In fact, many of Petra�s tunes sound very much like the demon-masked rockers; while the lyrics may have been different the music � melody, rhythm, and pitch � was still the same rock music. As one digs deeper into the CCM industry�s artist catalog, one will find to their own shock how many of these artists mimic their secular counterparts. Amy Grant, when she crossed over to the secular charts, was often compared to Madonna. DC Talk was compared to Nirvana when their 1995 album Jesus Freak was released. I will also add that artists like ZoeGirl and Rebecca St. James (who is actually a very talented gospel artist) do not effectively reflect the appearance of Christian women by their manner of dress, even though it is mild in comparison to such artists as Stryper (who are all male). Stryper, a CCM band who rose to prominence during the 1980s, was notorious for their effeminate looks, long hair, spandex outfits, and imagery that bore much resemblance to occult symbology. Their most recent CD, Reborn, is an almost exact imitation of an old Black Sabbath album from the 1970s.To further illustrate Stryper�s non-Christian appearance, they were often compared during their heyday to secular bands M�tley Cr�e and Poison.

Ephesians 5:11
2 Timothy 2:16
1 Corinthians 10:20-21

A Christian�s power is in his willingness to separate himself from the ungodly influences of this world and be brave enough to be different. Toby Mac (formerly of DC Talk) was responsible for the group�s transition from rap to grunge; in the band�s music videos he hired the same director who filmed the works of Trent Reznor and his anti-Christian band Nine Inch Nails. In fact, Toby even stated he was interested in touring with satanic rock star Marilyn Manson. Where is the separation? Why would a Christian eat at the devil�s table? Other artists such as P.O.D. (a supposedly CCM band with heavy Rastafarian influences) use profanity in their songs and interviews, and have toured with secular artists to the point where they even partied with them...without a guilty conscience at all. P.O.D. was a headliner at the Ozzfest tour, which consisted mostly of very ungodly rock acts. Sadly, the influence of rock music has invaded churches; some houses of worship will play worldly music with �Christian lyrics� to make it seem �OK�. I visited such a church a couple years ago because they were drawing a lot of attention and I was curious...I sensed right away when the music played that there was something wrong here! One cannot mask the music of the devil with �godly words� and get away with it. I even discussed my concerns with the pastor, who then said I was too uptight. I am not uptight; I just want God�s music to be played and not have polluted bread served upon the altar!

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Romans 14:16

Many CCM artists have fallen into this trap. World Wide Message Tribe, who was one of the more successful �Christian Techno� artists of the 1990s and early 2000s, played their gospel lyrics to techno and trance beats, which are found in the night clubs and not in the church! The WWMT members wore the baggy clothes, piercings, and looked just like the ecstasy-popping patrons in the clubs. Just as rock music creates an atmosphere of rebellion, techno and trance create an atmosphere of sensuality and loss of control which is heightened by the inclusion of alcohol and drugs from the club culture. Christian rap, which is not very common nowadays, was known for similar problems as the artists dressed and behaved no differently than their secular counterparts. The major concern as a Christian parent is that if I allow my child to listen to the �Christian� rock, techno, etc., then it will be easy for him to wolf down into his heart and soul the secular garbage�because there is no difference!

Mark 8:38
John 12:32
Proverbs 23:23
Malachi 3:16
Luke 6:45

As the smaller CCM labels were bought out by the larger secular ones, the practice by the larger companies was to persuade the CCM artists to water down their songs and make them more �universally appealing�. Sadly, this is the common theme of many CCM artists. Michael W. Smith, whose warbling has touched millions of listeners, hardly even mentions Jesus in his songs. Why? Probably because the record label told him the �J� word will chase people away. What is ironic is that while many CCM artists won�t mention the Lord, secular performers like Kanye West (Jesus Walks) and Carrie Underwood (Jesus Take The Wheel) have done so...and the songs were big hits. While this does not excuse the lifestyles of the secular performers, this is an embarrassing indictment against CCM, that they will not glorify the Lord like they should. Even some of the more edifying performers have admitted that when they perform their songs, they have no interest in evangelism. Rich Mullins, who wrote such wonderful pieces as Sing Your Praise to the Lord and My Deliverer, was quoted in an interview that he was not into preaching to his audiences; �if I want to be preached to, I�d be in church� was his reply. This is a sad comment when many people consider Mullins� music to be among the most edifying of modern gospel artists.

Ephesians 5:4, 19
Ezekiel 44:23

As I shared in the previous study, we must strive to listen to music that is going to glorify God � not just in word, but in melody and pitch. When we listen to a song, especially by a CCM artist, we need to ask God: �Could this song be played in church? Does the song help create an atmosphere of praise and worship?� If the answer is NO, then stop listening to it and throw those songs away if we have them in our library!

Proverbs 22:28

I mentioned in the beginning that the old hymns that God used to build the church are just as relevant today as they were in days of old, and thus must be a part of every Christian�s music catalog. We must maintain a strong foundation in our faith, and this includes the music we listen to along with the preaching and the sound doctrine of God�s word.

In our morally deteriorating society, it is difficult to share at times that certain decisions and actions are still sin in God�s eyes. There once was a time when adultery was condemned from the pulpits. However, largely due to the desensitizing of our culture and the promotion of this sin through the media (music, movies, television, tabloids, and romance novels), most people turn a blind eye to adultery even though the consequences are still as devastating as in ancient times. My prayer as we search the scriptures is that we realize that all sin is equal in God�s eyes, and the price for sin has not changed. � JSC

Before going into the scriptures, we need to first understand the definition of adultery.

The dictionary definitions of adultery are very plain as we see here. From the Strong�s Concordance we find the following:

There are references to idolatry in the Biblical definitions, but for the purpose of this lesson we will cover the physical act of adultery.

At one time, literature would touch this subject and it would be addressed as sin, not an affair or a midnight rendezvous. The most famous literary example is given in Nathaniel Hawthorne�s book The Scarlet Letter, where Hester Prynne committed adultery; she was punished by public humiliation on the scaffold and being required to wear a red letter �A� as a reminder of her wickedness. The other point made is that sin hardly ever acts alone; one sin often works in conjunction with others, and will lead to other evil deeds such as revenge, murder, etc. This will be covered in more detail. To show how even our culture has turned a blind eye to adultery, consider this: in 1938 entertainer Frank Sinatra was arrested and fined in his native New Jersey for committing adultery with another man�s wife. Today, so much of this nonsense happens in Hollywood no one even notices; soap operas and popular prime time television shows like Dallas and Desperate Housewives have glamorized this sin to the extent it is an acceptable part of our society. However, God�s word has not changed, and it is still sin!

Now let�s look at the scriptures!

Exodus 20:14
Exodus 20:17

One does not just glibly say �I am going to cheat on my spouse� without some form of covetousness. This covetousness could come in many different forms; yet the result, if one does not subject himself (or herself) to God�s will, and rebuke that covetousness in Jesus� name, other sin will quickly follow.

1 John 2:15-17

The New Testament clearly backs up through John�s epistle what God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai. Many times we are drawn into sin by coveting something God does not want us to have, or do! However, once we have given in to the idea of coveting something sinful, the whole chain of events takes place that leads to our physical, emotional, and even spritiual downfall.

James 1:14-15

Let me be one to say that the thought itself is not sin. All manner of thoughts and ideas pass through our minds every day. It is the retaining of certain thoughts and the meditation on them that will lead us to committing sin. How does this apply to adultery? A man sees an attractive looking woman either in town, on his job, or on television perhaps. In our modern age I will even say he may have met her on the internet. Upon meeting in person, conversation ensues, phone numbers are exchanged, and even a time and place for the act of sin to take place. Sin is not an accident! Sin is the result of planned actions which lead to the culmination of the deed being performed. However, once sin is committed it will produce evil fruit�no matter how well it appears to be covered up.

Numbers 32:23
2 Samuel 12:7-12

David gave in to his lusts when he saw Bathsheba bathing in her room. He carefully plotted a plan not only to seduce her, but to steal her from Uriah once he chose not to lie with her but to return to battle. He also cunningly devised a means to have Uriah assassinated, and to cover his tracks. Satan will deceive us like this�but in the end God will always find us out! David repented once Nathan told him the truth, but the sword never left David�s house; he was known as a bloody king from that day forward. If David could be lured into such a trap, so can we! Many mighty men of God have fallen because they gave in to fleshly desires, only to be found out later.

Solomon, in his writing of Proverbs, went at length on this subject as we shall see.

Proverbs 5:3-14
Proverbs 7:18-27

The consequences of sin are indeed very severe. The sin of adultery has some very severe consequences, maybe not in our society, but most certainly in God�s law and design.

An article from a minister in Colorado gave an excellent outline of the consequences of adultery. I will share the scripture references he used in this next paragraph.

Proverbs 5:10
Proverbs 6:26

These are a couple examples of financial ruin. Often the adulterous affair ends in divorce, where alimony and child support will sap the monetary life out of an individual�sometimes both the ex-wife and the mistress receive some form of compensation!

Proverbs 6:27-35

This passage tells a lot. Adultery is a dangerous fire that burns everything it touches. The ruin is not only financial, but physical and social. Many, many police reports in the United States alone tell the tragic tale of a jealous husband (or wife) who learned the other was cheating and sought revenge not only on the person who had the affair, but the unfaithful spouse as well. Divorce and broken homes are commonplace today, and adultery plays a major role in the collapse of the American home. The social disgrace associated with adultery is still there, especially when the guilty party is a person of esteem and leadership; President Clinton had his name sullied because of his affair with a White House intern, and Jimmy Swaggart suffered a major fall from grace when his ministry was ruined by scandals involving prostitutes. Sadly, because of the increasing accepatance of sodomy, we now have incidents like Ted Haggard that have brought disgrace as well.

Adultery is adultery, regardless of the gender or location. In my own experiences in the Navy, men have told me that they could cheat on their wives overseas because �rules are different in other countries�. I refuted their claims by sharing with them Jesus sees what we do, and we need to honor the vows we make to our spouses. Sadly, many of these same men refused to listen and are now divorced. Sooner or later the wives found out!

Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
Numbers 32:23

When we got married, we made a vow � maybe not to God if we were married before coming to Christ � but at least to our spouses to be faithful to one another. When I got married, the presiding official stated as we exchanged vows �forsaking all others�, meaning that once we got married neither of us was to mess around with someone else. Many who are caught in adultery honestly believed they had a scheme set up where the spouse supposedly would not even be aware what was happening. However, God sees everything and there will be nothing hidden on the day of judgment.

1 Timothy 5:24-25

The bottom line is this: sooner or later an adulterous person will get caught!

What can be done to stem the devastation caused by adultery? Knowing the factors and taking proactive steps, under the leadership of the Holy Ghost, is the best way to nip this problem in the bud. It is far easier to prevent adultery than to respond to it once the deed has been finished.

Matthew 5:27-28
Psalms 101:2-3
Job 31:1

These same scriptures also apply to the women. We must avoid looking upon people to �check them out�, and avoid looking at things that would cause us to lust. This includes pornography (a whole topic in itself), certain movies, magazines, and images such as shown on television and even the internet. We need to make a covenant with our eyes and strive to avoid frequenting those places where people are dressed immodestly and can cause us to fall. Yes, this includes mixed bathing and beaches. I am not saying the beach is evil, but the behavior of people on the beach can be downright sinful. Don�t hold on to old phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other information on former boyfriends/girlfriends...this too can cause problems! Get rid of them!

Internet chat rooms and websites such as MySpace, FaceBook, and the myriad of singles sites are dangerous if approached with the intent of meeting someone for a possible relationship, especially if one or both parties are married to someone else. Since I have an internet presence via a personal website and accounts on different forums (including MySpace), I will recommend using caution and seeking the Holy Ghost to avoid any type of compromising, even dangerous, situation.

Proverbs 23:29-35
1 Thessalonians 5:22

We must be in control of ourselves and not allow the deception of the enemy to trip us up. Too often I have heard, especially during my naval career, men complain about how much alcohol they drank (drugs will do this too) and found themselves in very compromising situations where they committed adultery with a woman they did not even know or remember. We who are born again and walking in the Spirit must avoid any situation that could remotely cause us to sin.

2 Timothy 2:22

Joseph, when Potiphar�s wife attempted to seduce him, did exactly that. He fled for his life because he wanted nothing to do with her, nor sin against God. Despite the wrongful accusation and imprisonment, God blessed Joseph in a mighty way. We need to have the same mindset � to flee from sin for our very lives!

Proverbs 5:18-19
Ephesians 5:22-31

As we bring this topic to a close, let us consider the word of God concerning our spouses. God wanted us to be blessed in our marriages, and to rejoice in a deep loving relationship that transcends the physical. We must look at the whole person � their emotions, needs, preferences, maturity in Christ � and not just the physical appearances. God also established a hierarchy in the home where the husband is supposed to be the head, and the wife is to be in godly submission to her husband; she was meant to be a support and help for him, not a �ball and chain� so many people joke about. By the same token, the husband is to lead and at the same time show love and affection to his wife in the example Jesus shows us to His church. I do not respect husbands who brow-beat their wives and treat them like a lower class citizen (in some countries livestock have more rights than women, which is sad); nor do I like it when wives rebel against their husbands when it comes to godly living and just do whatever they want to do. It is frustrating and it wears folks down! Then we wonder why we see so many marriages in trouble, in addition to other causes; this frustration also, when paired with other factors, can lead to the destruction caused by adultery. My prayer is that we will all grow from these readings, and allow Jesus to guide us and give us the tools to build up our marriages and save our families.