IN THE NEWS!

ARNIE STANTON "GOD IN THE BOX"

After much internal struggle, as well as much discussion with Joe Horn through various e-mails, and with my wise wife, it became evident that my song, God in the Box is my most relevant one to all that is now unfolding in the world right now.  

Right after the horrifying events of 9/11,  many people came to our church seeking comfort and answers.  However,  all they found was only a power struggle among our leaders.  Our apathetic congregation remained blind to our leader's antics, as long as their social clubs and activities were still intact.  I tearfully rebuked my leaders at a packed church business meeting for not only disobeying our church constitution, but also disregarding the commands in the Bible itself in regards to their own infighting.  Only 2 other believers in the group of over 300 made a public statement against the SINS occurring by our leaders.  The rest were strangely blind to what was going on in plain sight!  

After talking to 2 former elders of our church, I realized that our church leadership for years was, in the name of Jesus Christ, selfishly serving themselves.  They developed an ends justifies the means attitude, where they would do anything, include water down the Bible and the Gospel, in order to get more people to attend our church.  

It quickly became obvious to me this problem was not occurring only in my church, but in every church in America!  A terrible Bible prophecy about the Body of Christ had come to pass:

2 Tim 4:3-4
3    For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
4    and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.

I love music and entertainment, especially since I am a composer/performer.  But is that what we should have as the main part of our church services?  The verses just before and after the passage I quoted tells us what is needed:

2 Tim 4:2,5
2 preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  
5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

There are many problems in the world, including the theft of American's money, and the theft of our freedoms.  All sorts of behaviors the Bible calls "sin" is now openly practiced and endorsed by our government, and more sinful behaviors are sure to follow.  Many Christians think that it is their job, even their ministry, to confront the sins of unbelievers.  However, the Bible teaches something very different:

1 Cor 5:9-13
9    I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10    I {did} not at all {mean} with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.

11    But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.
12    For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within {the church}
13    But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Today, most Christians do the OPPOSITE of what God commands us to do. We judge "those who are outside" (unbelievers), while we continue to fellowship with continually sinning, unrepentant CHRISTIANS!

God in the Box  tries to address much of this crucial subject that to our shame, is being ignored by most Christians.  This I believe is a true CHRISTIAN song.  In fact, all my songs are "Christian".  No, I don't stuff in a lot of religious verbiage.  In fact, I typically go out of my way to keep it out.  That is how I have gotten a lot of non-Christians to hear my songs, and strike up relevant conversations.  

My future plans?  One of my Christian mentors described my life as "walking on water" like the Apostle Peter.   My life, on a HUMAN level, hardly makes any sense. All I seem to be able to do, is take one crazy step after another.  I decided long ago to give up "trying to make it" with my own music.   This turned out to be a wonderful thing.  Instead of trying to write music to please some corporate boss looking to make money, I was able to fully focus on creating truly meaningful songs.  Not that I would turn down financial assistance.  All I know by faith, is that God had made me the weird person that I am, prepared to deal with the darkness in the church, and in the world, at this time, right before the final "End Times" Bible prophecies begin to occur.

-Arnie Stanton

LISTEN TO "GOD IN THE BOX" HERE! 

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