MercyMe - "I Can Only Imagine" - "Hurt people hurt people"

"I Can Only Imagine (Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions), the movie based on the life of MercyMe frontman Bart Millard who wrote the mega-hit song after the loss of his father to cancer, shattered pre-weekend tracking expectations to become No. 3 at the box-office this weekend and the No. 1 faith-based movie of 2018. ... In support of the motion picture, MercyMe unveiled I Can Only Imagine – The Very Best Of MercyMe, a 13 piece collection of their most beloved songs alongside a special version of the monumental hit “I Can Only Imagine (The Movie Session).” ... With the success of the movie, there is reinvigorated demand for the original version of “I Can Only Imagine” too. The best of album and double-platinum selling track has seen an increase in streams and sales, recently hitting No. 4 on the Overall Albums iTunes Chart and No. 7 on the Overall Singles iTunes Chart."
I Can Only Imagine Hits High Note As No. 1 New Indie Film & Breaks Into Top 3 Overall At The Box Office

As much as I'd like to be able to applaud this achievement, I can not. We haven't seen the film and probably won't. After reading about the film and listening to some interviews, I feel compelled to offer some insight that will temper the sense of victory some may feel about the film and song.

The inspirational story is about the relationship between MercyMe frontman Bart Millard and his abusive father, who is played by actor Dennis Quaid.

Dennis Quaid Talks About His Inspirational New Film, ‘I Can Only Imagine’ | TODAY



@2:15, Dennis makes the observation that, "Abusers are usually abused themselves, but still that's no excuse." Dennis says, still, that's no excuse, and from one perspective that's completely valid. Kathie Lee echoes and reinterprets his statement in the expression, "Hurt people hurt people." In context they are describing Bart's father but, by this principle, we should note how Bart himself is next in line in the cycle of the abused becoming the abuser.

Victims are potentially dangerous, and unless they are truly recovered by the Lord Jesus Christ they will abuse others. This is a cycle that is famous with pedophile child abuse, and with those who are victims of SRA, which is very commonly involving family members. The kind of abuse that becomes apparent may look like its strictly limited to certain visible kinds of manifestations but this is a situation that can be compared to an iceberg. There's the visible tip but the vast majority is below the surface where it can't be seen - and that's the dangerous part!

If you've become familiar with what we do on The Open Scroll Blog and our YouTube Channel, you know we venture into some very controversial waters to shine the light into the murky deep and expose what's really going on. We want to know if what we find is consistent with what appears on the surface or whether there is some hidden threat. With "I Can Only Imagine" there is such a threat!

There's a reason why "I can only Imagine" is so broadly appealing to the mainstream culture. I have some special insight will provide a warning as a word to the wise. The music of MercyMe is cursed, and you can consider the evidence I'm going to offer so you can hear for yourself the cursing of God, and please take this to the Lord in prayer for confirmation. I should tell you that I have prayed for Bart Millard and for those close to him. I love him, but not at your expense. I pray for those who are touched by his song and story and are being inspired to rally around him for support.

I'm going to share some reverse speech with you, and this subject deserves an introduction. About ten years ago, I was researching a range of signs that I was led to see in connection with the Olympic ceremonies in Beijing, and during that season I was led to invest hundreds of hours in a personal quest to understand about the strange phenomenon of reverse speech. That was fruitful in a variety of ways. The thing about reverse speech is that it can reveal something of the unseen, as through the unheard, in a figure. If you ever heard of Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes We can" and how it sounds like "Thank you, Satan" when a recording is played backward, that's probably due in part to a video I produced that went viral.

I have made several other videos of reverse speech that never became very popular, and three of them featured two songs performed by MercyMe. Here's two.

MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine - reverse speech lyrics * Sheep's clothing



MercyMe - Word of God Speak - reverse speech lyrics



If you personally don't hear what I hear, that doesn't explain away the fact that many others largely agree with what I hear. The vocabulary is often strange but there is a shadow language, and languages of men and of angels, according to the Bible.

It's a reality that those who are abused become cursed, which is also to say, possessed by demons. While some are able to become fully recovered, the sad reality is that most do not. Many of those with an actual or faked degree of deliverance use their testimony of being victimized both actively and passively to draw the compassionate into their snare so they can be victimized. People who have natural compassion are compelled to rally around a victim to support them with encouragement or provide help of some kind. That's the trap. I don't want to discourage people from helping others - not at all - but help should be offered in the Lord's own compassion, with His mind and heart. Naiveté and ignorance provides no defense. Offering yourself as a sacrifice to a wolf in sheep's clothing helps no one.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ~ Matthew 10:16

so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:11

28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ~ Acts 20:28-32

Even we have been so commended to God and the word of His grace, which is still able to build us up and give us the inheritance among all those who are sanctified!