Drums and Worship Music Styles in the Christian Church

(I am going to dance around a bit in this article I hope it does not cause you to stumble)
Let me state that I love the drums. Ever since I received my first set of Ludwig Red sparkle bongos and then later a full drum kit I discovered a passion for percussion.
The first time I really started thinking about drums and their use in worship was when I first saw Alex Acuna playing a bata drum on a Ron Kenoly video.
Here is a article that speaks about the bata drum and its origins.
http://www.batadrums.com/understanding_rhythms/talk.htm
I was in session with Alex at his home studio when I asked him how he could play a bata drum when it was used to speak to false gods by the Bantu/Yoruba people.
Alex simply replied "I don't speak to their gods when I play the bata."
There are many types of different drums all with different colors and tones. I do believe any instrument can be played to honor God, the enemy or the flesh.
Sandy Simpson states in his article about testing music in the church
"Instruments are neither good nor evil in themselves. It is rather the motive and intent in using musical instruments that gives the interpretation or spirit to the music and lyrics. It is the musician that gives the instruments and vocals the words and music that create any particular mood, message or atmosphere.
Musical instruments have been around since before the flood (Gen. 4:21). All musical instruments can be used to glorify the Lord, or glorify something else. I dont agree with the current teaching, in some circles, that drums and percussion instruments were not used in Biblical times for worship, therefore we should not use them now. Those who teach these things are ignorant of Scripture. The timbrel or tof was a percussion instrument with a membrane. The drums varied in size and were played either with bare hands or with sticks. (Ralph Gower, The Manners And Customs Of Bible Times, pg. 309.) The timbrel or tambourine can be found being used for worship in the following passages: Gen. 31:27, Ex. 15:20, Job 21:12, Ps. 81:2, 149:3, 150:4. Many noisy instruments such as cymbals and horns were used in worship: Ps. 81:1-3, 150:3-5, 2 Sam. 6:5, 1 Chr. 13:8, 15:16, 15:28, 2 Chr. 15:13. So apparently it is not the noise level but the motive and intent of the people playing the instruments that count.
Click the link below to read the entire article it is very good.
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/testingmusic.html

So I want to say I agree that it is not the instrument but the attitude and heart of the musician playing the instrument.
I do however think some of the music coming out lately has its origins in the forms of demonic influence.
And many of the dark artists out there will admit to being influenced by demons.
Why would we even want to even imitate the style from bands named have names like Venom, Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death, Unleashed, Darkthrone, Vicious Circle, Carcass, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Dismember, Deicide, Entombed, Cradle of Filth, Necropolis, and Obituary.
The members of the German Death Metal group Absurd, composed of three high school students (Hendrik Mobus, Sebastian Schauscheill, and Andreas K.), murdered a 15-year-old classmate in April 1993. The group also called themselves "Children of Satan." Band leader Hendrik Mobus stated in an interview that we are at "the dawn of the New Aeon, when Christendom will perish and a neo-heathen state will arise" (Lords of Chaos, p. 260).
In April 1996, a group of young people with intimate connection with Death Metal, who called themselves the Lords of Chaos, went on a crime, arson, and murder spree in Fort Myers, Florida. They burned a Baptist church and a large tropical aviary containing a collection of exotic birds. They burned down a former Coca-Cola bottling plant. They then murdered the director of their high school marching band, blasting him in the face at close range with a shotgun, because he had stopped them from vandalizing the school the day before. The leader of the group, 18-year-old Kevin Foster, was referred to by the others as "God." Before they were caught by police, the group
In December 1997, 14-year-old Michael Carneal shot and killed three students and wounded five others at a high school in Paducah, Kentucky. One of the injured was paralyzed from the waist down. All of the targeted students were participating in a prayer meeting sponsored by a Christian club. Carneal was a member of a group of students who claimed not to believe in God and who heckled the prayer meetings. A lawsuit brought after the crime alleged that Carneal was influenced by violent movies, videos, and music.

Ok lets put on the brakes here. I know these are extreme examples but they are becoming more common place these days.
And I ask you .
Is this a music style we should copy in the church simply because we want to relate with the unsaved becoming all things to all men?
In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the Apostle Paul shared his attitudes and practices as one called to reach others for Christ. His commitment to this goal was so strong that he summarized his outlook in this way: "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some" v. 22 doesn' doesnt mean we go down to a bar and get drunk with someone to lead them to the Lord.
Or watch a porno movie to reach someone addicted to sex.
Back to drums
What about the false new Apostolic Movement made up by such false prophets and false apostles such as C. Peter Wagner, Ted Haggard, Dutch Sheets, Cindy Jacobs and all the folks on the Elijah list?
There move is to normalize pagan ceremonies trying to Christianize them.
I watched a DVD last night which demonstrated this.
It showed this group with Leon Siu and some Indian folk going nuts (shades of Brownsville).
At one point the crowd was whipped into such a frenzy one guy who was beating himself with his hands whipped off his shirt and undershirt and kept up with wild hand motions while only in his shorts. All the time with women dancing tambourine's going over there heads. All they were really missing was the golden calf.
This was a Christian gathering folks.
Read more about that gathering here.
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/lehmann2.html

Didnt we learn anything from the false movements at both Brownsville, Pennsacola and Toronto.
Brownsville I think was just more of a platform for the pastor there and his mediocre blues ripoff music to the public.

Foolishness and serious lack of discernment from the folks at Integrity music.

Now lets look at the other side.
People will state that drums are bad in church because a repeative beat can send someone into a altered consciousness.
While that is true if it were just a drum circle but a drummer is also a time keeper, repetition is part of the job. And there is usually melody and other bits which fill a song which keeps the drums in the background keeping time.
Does the beat move you?
Yes.
4/4 and 2/4 time(used often in contemporary music) will make the body rock front to back.
3/4 and 6/8 time(used often in waltz's and every Irish song I have ever heard) will make you sway back and forth.
Its just the way the body responds.
In summary why I dont believe that every music style is evil.
But music sans lyrics alone is not neutral.
Drums have a great use in church if used with discernment and caution.
Hey its not about us.
Lastly to you drummers and perc players out in my opinion I would stay away from any instrument that has odd carvings or something you dont understand.
There are plenty of instruments out there that are just plain with no carvings on it. You wouldnt want to play something that was dedicated to some dark god.
And most of all seek your musical expression from inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
Sing a new song.

2 Corinthians 5:15-17

15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Romans 12:2

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.