“I’m going to tell you something folks, I didn’t stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn’t a sinner anymore. And the religious world thinks that’s heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the Bible says that I’m righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time … All I was ever taught to say was, ‘I’m a poor, miserable sinner.’ I am not poor, I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I was and if I still am then Jesus died in vain. Amen?” Joyce Meyer “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?
Worship Superstar Chris Tomlin put on a concert during the 40th anniversary of the Love Life Women’s Conference, put on by Joyce Meyer, and serving as a fundraiser for Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN.)
Founded by false teacher Paul Crouch, TBN is the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and is known for platforming the worse of the worst, including TD Jakes, Joel Osteen, Steve Furtick (who took over from Kenneth Copeland two years ago), Joseph Prince, John Hagee, Andrew Womack, and Jonathan Cahn.
Having recently gotten into hot water over the ‘VIP Ticket Packages’ Amid Backlash and currently touring with Hillsong, Tomlin performed all his big hits with TBN raising funds online.
The conference also featured Joel Osteen and Christine Caine, the latter spending the better part of her week “liking” and “loving” posts by Trinity-denier T.D Jakes.
The 79-year-old Meyers is long thought to be one of the ‘Big three’ heretics, along with Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Popular with women and effeminate men, the famed multi-millionaire televangelist whose ministry brings in over $100 million yearly and is known for her word-faith teachings, among the beliefs that put her outside the bounds of orthodoxy.
According to CARM, who has cataloged her wayward ways, she has a bizarre view of the atonement where Jesus paid for our sins in hell, believes that Jesus stopped being the Son of God for a time, that Jesus had to be born-again, that Jesus went to hell in our place and was tormented, that If you don’t believe Jesus went to hell, you cannot be saved, and that the scripture teaches that we are little gods. This is all while claiming that she routinely receives revelation from God and the angels.
Given the lack of discernment that Tomlin continues to show, it’s no wonder this sort of event is right up his alley.
Famed worship leader Chris Tomlin has responded to pushback over his decision to tour with Hillsong United over the next few months in light of the multiple scandals that have rocked the Australian megachurch over the last two years, saying that he ‘knows their hearts; and that that he believes the shows will be ‘amazing.’
This is not the first tour that the two bands, considered evangelical worship royalty, have gone on together. During their time last year, they came under fire for offering pricey ‘VIP experiences’ that included perks like “PRE-SHOW PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH YOUR PARTY FROM THE ON-STAGE CATWALK TO COMMEMORATE YOUR NIGHT.” Amid sustained criticism, theyeventually canceled that sort of ticketing.
By all accounts, Tomlin is the more theologically solid of the two bands, though he is not without his issues, given the other artists he worships alongside. He has toured with or put on shows with troublesome performers such as Matt Maher (a practicing Roman Catholic idolater) and Kim Walker-Smith of Jesus Culture, the musical group belonging to the hyper-charismatic cult of perdition that is Bethel Church in Redding, California.
As far as distancing himself from them, Tomlin says he has no intention of bowing out and will see it through. Christian Post reports Tomlin telling Hillsong when they offered to release him from the tour:
’ No, if we’re going to do this, I think it’s going to be amazing. And I think it’s gonna really help people, and I’m with you guys.’”
Tomlin is committed, knows full well what he’s getting into.
From the time that we started to the time we actually went on tour, they were completely different, [Hillsong United] were in a completely different place.
…It wasn’t like I was touring with somebody I really don’t know; I’ve known [Jonathon ‘JD’ Douglass] forever. I’ve known Joel for so long, and I know their hearts. I know their hearts are broken just like everybody else’s. The only difference is they have to live it and get lumped in with all this media stuff, and they have to take the hits on that.”
Everybody goes through hard times, and life is hard, and life throws curves in many different ways…To stand there and say, ‘You know what, in the midst of that I worship you, God.’ I mean, that is the Bible. That’s the Scripture; that’s what we read.
The fact that he’s playing with Hillsong- a mega musical band in their own right that has dominated the worship scene for the last two decades and who is simply a vehicle to deliver the scandal-riddled organization’s own brand of wicked prosperity gospel and cauldron of blasphemies is an indictment against him. We’re not trying to kneecap the guy. Still, Hillsong is awful, and we regard every aspect of the Hillsong ecosystem designed to draw in Christians and expand their influence to be wholly and utterly demonic.
The megaworship concert featuring Chris Tomlin and Hillsong has dialed back some of the more nakedly commercial aspects of their upcoming worship tour, with Premiere Productions, the organization in charge of tickets and putting on the event, pulling one of the add-ons and rebranding them as ‘Experience packages’ rather than ‘VIP experiences, followng backlash on social media. See the before/ after pictures;/
For an event supposed to be designed to worship the Lord, this reeks of money-lovin’ and mammon-grubbin’ commercialism, offering multiple perks and add-on’s such as closer seats to the band, gifts, merch, lanyards, the ability to shop for merch early, early check-in with a host, and some degree of access to bands so you can bask in their presence. We support any band hocking their wares, as capitalism is a gift from God. But the fact that this is a worship event makes it feel unseemly.
We reached out to Hillsong and Tomlin’s reps but have not received a response.
Premiere Christianity, which has been covering the story, had a nice op-ed from Tom Read, where he writes:
“Looking through the various options available (of which there are a few), I can’t help but wonder: how could anyone think that this is a good idea in the context of worship? Many of us are well aware that the worship music industry has a thinly-veiled but dark underbelly of commercialism. But here, they don’t even seem to be trying to hide it anymore. Worship music, and much of the contemporary church, has a celebrity problem. And it’s about time we started talking about it…
MODERN-DAY WORSHIP HAS BECOME SO CORRUPT THAT I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT JESUS WOULD FLIP THE TABLES ON MUCH OF IT
Looking at this latest offer through even the most charitable eyes, it’s hard to see it as anything other than a money-making opportunity…What about worship concerts then? Should we ever pay to attend a worship event? Some people argue that worshipping God should always be free.
While I don’t disagree with this opinion, I do think there is also a strong (and biblical) argument to be made for artists and ministers being fairly paid for what they do. This is certainly the case when it comes to covering the costs of events and other projects. But let’s be honest, there’s a significant difference between paying an artist for their work and buying VIP tickets so you can have a photo on a catwalk at a worship event. What is so problematic here is the leveraging of the worship of God for the creation of personal fame and fortune…
Visibility matters. Leaders have a responsibility to set an example they would be proud for people to follow. Are Christian VIP experiences something we really want to encourage?
In typical Christian consumerism that would make the money-lenders in the temple blush, famed artist Chris Tomlin and worship band Hillsong United have joined forces for a 33-stop North American tour together, which will likely be regarded as one the biggest Christian music concert of the year.
“We really believe this tour is going to be something unforgettable,” said Chris Tomlin and Joel Houston (UNITED) in a press release. “We’ve been trying to do something like this for a long time and we have a real sense of trust in the fact that this is the right time. This is the moment for what God has been planning and in that, we think the timing has everything to do with the people joining us each night.”
It will be big. TIME magazine called Tomlin “the most often sung artist in the world” with his music being played by over 30 million believers in the United States every Sunday. According to his spec sheet:
“Chris has scored 17 #1 one singles at radio, placed 29 top ten hits (more than any other Christian artist), sold more than nine million albums with 4.5 Billion career global streams, earned a Grammy, three Billboard Music Awards, 26 Dove Awards, became a two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year honoree and an ASCAP Songwriter of the Year. In 2016, he was named one of only four artists ever to receive the Sound Exchange Digital Radio Award for over 1 Billion digital radio streams, alongside Justin Timberlake, Pitbull and Garth Brooks.”
By all accounts, Tomlin is the more theologically solid of the two parties, though he is not without his issues, given the other artists he worships with. He has previously toured or put on shows with troublesome performers such as Matt Maher (a practicing Roman Catholic idolater) and Kim Walker-Smith of Jesus Culture, the musical group belonging to the hyper-charismatic cult of perdition that is Bethel Church in Redding, California.
The fact that he’s playing with Hillsong- a mega musical band in their own right that has dominated the worship scene for the last two decades, and who is simply a vehicle to deliver the scandal-riddled organization own brand of wicked prosperity gospel and cauldron of blasphemies does not help his case. We’re not trying to kneecap the guy, but Hillsong is awful, and we regard every aspect of the Hillsong ecosystem designed to draw in Christians and expand their influence to be utterly and completely demonic.
But there is one more thing we wanted to point out.
For an event supposed to be designed to worship the Lord, this reeks of money-lovin’ and mammon-grubbin’ commercialism, offering multiple perks and add-on’s such as closer seats to the band, gifts, merch, lanyards, the ability to shop for merch early, early check-in with a host, and some degree of access to bands so you can bask in their presence. We support any band hocking their wares, as capitalism is a gift from God. But the fact that this is a worship event makes it feel unseemly.
In fact, one of the perks you can pay for is “PRE-SHOW PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH YOUR PARTY FROM THE ON-STAGE CATWALK TO COMMEMORATE YOUR NIGHT.** with the asterisk noting that ‘there is not artist participation with photo opp.’
Yep. You can pony up some cash for the opportunity to stand on the very same stage and catwalk…that the worship band walked and performed, with perhaps the opportunity to touch the hem of their garmen-guitar stand if you’re lucky and blessed enough.
It’s not just them doing it either. The house band at Steven Furtick’s Church, Elevation music, is going on tour with tickets to worship selling for upward of 195$ and just this morning we wrote of a Christian conference that has tickets of $1000.00, offering many of the same perks this one does.
Apparently, no one seems to think this is grossly excessive.
A trailer for The Jesus Music has just dropped; a Lionsgate documentary that delves into the roots and origins of Contemporary Christian Music.
Released by the Erwin Breothers, who directed movies such as “I Can Only Imagine’, ‘I still Believe’, and ‘Woodland’, “This documentary reveals Jesus Music’s untold story – from its humble beginnings at the Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California through its transformation into the multi-billion-dollar industry of Christian Contemporary Music today.”
The film features interviews with a host of Christian musicians, including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kevin Max, Trey Pearson, TobyMac, Kirk Franklin, Lauren Daigle, Lecrae, For King & Country, Bill Reeves, Chris Tomlin, Bill Gaither, and others.
While we can’t speak for everyone to determine the extent of their beliefs, about a third of the artists featured have either come out in support of homosexuality and same-sex marriage or are deeply compromised and confused on the issue, offering a glimpse into the direction things are headed.
Lauren Daigle. In 2018 when Ellen asked Daigle if she believed homosexuality was a sin, she replied
“I can’t say one way or the other, I’m not God. When people ask questions like that, I just say, ‘Read the Bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know because I’m learning too.”
Trey Pearson. Pearson came out as a homosexual in 2016, telling fans in a letter:
“To make an extremely long story short, I have come to be able to admit to myself, and to my family, that I am gay.”
Amy Grant. Grant has had a very loud and vocal LGBTQ fanbase for years. A few days ago she shared her affirmation with Proud Radio host Hunter Kelly, who himself is gay, telling him she affirmed him as he was, much to the joy of gay twitter, who celebrated the words. She said:
“Who loves us more than the one who made us? None of us are a surprise to God. Nothing about who we are or what we’ve done. That’s why, to me, it’s so important to set a welcome table. Because I was invited to a table where someone said ‘don’t be afraid, you’re loved.’ …Gay. Straight. It does not matter. It doesn’t matter how we behave. It doesn’t matter how we’re wired. We’re all our best selves when we believe to our core, ‘I’m loved.’ And then our creativity flourishes. We’re like, ‘I’m gonna arrange flowers on your table and my table.’ When we’re loved, we’re brave enough to say yes to every good impulse that comes to us.”:
Kevin Max. Max wrote on his Twitter feed a few months ago that he was “Pro-Love, Pro-LGBTQIA”
Kirk Franklin. Franklin has apologized multiple times for people expressing ‘homophobia’ when explaining what the bible says, saying:
“The Bible is not a book that’s an attack on gay people. It’s not a book written to attack gay people. It is horrible that we have made it where the Bible is a homophobic manual. That’s not what the Bible is. I mean you want to talk about things that God gets at…pride and jealousy and envy and arrogance.’
And then in 2018 and 2021with the Breakfast Club:
“All Scripture is God-breathed … but what we have to understand also is that the Canon of Scripture still is coming from a place of a loving God. God is not built to hate gay people. The Bible is not a manual on how to hate gay people.”
…It’s that you have some LGBTQIA+ people that make decisions- like I have some close gay friends who make decisions based on their interpretation of the Bible, and they live out their lives based on whether celibacy, or whatever they choose to do, and they should have the right to do that… A lot of people that maybe profess Christianity, they have views that are not even bibliocentric. It’s their personal views that they do not understand, sometimes maybe the biology of homosexuality, and so they want to find a scripture to try to justify their own homophobic views.”
Lecrae:. In a 2020 interview with DJ Vlad, the host pressed Lecrae on his opinion of Chick-Fil-A President Dan Cathy making statements that are pro-family and against homosexuality, wanting to know if he agrees with them.
Lecrae, clearly not wanting to discuss any of this, put on some comically clueless facial expressions and awkwardly asking Vlad “Does he still stand by that today?” Vlad confirms he has and asks what Lecrae would do if his son came out as gay, and he replied, looking uncomfortable as all get out:
“My thing is like this, I don’t… like… my brother’s gay..you know what I’m saying? And I don’t…I don’t condemn him. I don’t look down on him for him being attracted to [the same sex]. I don’t condemn him, you know what I’m saying? Like, if anything we will dialogue so that I can have a better understanding. Cuz’ I don’t profess to be like ‘I got this all figured out, and I know the way this should be.’ Like, I’m trying to read the bible, I’m trying to have conversations with people, and I’m trying to understand, you know the perspective, you know what I’m saying?
And I feel like anybody who wants to come at a person negatively, like, if you were a Christian and you came at me negatively, then it’s like you’re not giving me the grace and the space to be a learner. You know what I mean? Help me, you know, give me the grace and space to learn, and that’s how we move forward…
You can point something out to me and say ‘hey, this is what it says, Lecrae. You should know better, you should know this.’ Well, you know, give me the grace and the space to take my time and to understand the perspective on it and to understand why these people think this way and like, that’s the perspective I have. I’m more of a learner and I give people the grace and the space as I’m processing and as I’m learning and just walk with people through that, you know what I mean? Just be a life-long learner, man.
