What I Believe
I do not subscribe to denominations.
The word denomination means a category or classification, and I do not believe the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST should be placed into a denominational category. My faith and convictions come from the Word of GOD—not from a denomination, tradition, or man-made system.
I believe the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. I believe the Word of GOD is not to be added to, taken away from, or changed to accommodate our preferences.
“Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
— Proverbs 30:6 KJV
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your GOD which I command you.”
— Deuteronomy 4:2 KJV
And Revelation gives a sobering warning concerning the words of its prophecy:
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, GOD shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GOD shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
— Revelation 22:18–19 KJV
These are not matters I take lightly.
Perfection Through GOD
I also believe that we can be perfect with GOD.
I know this is difficult for many people to swallow. Some people may even call this heresy because they have been taught that it is impossible for a Christian to be perfect.
But we have to believe what the Word of GOD says.
JESUS said:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
— Matthew 5:48 KJV
The Bible also describes Job this way:
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared GOD, and eschewed evil.”
— Job 1:1 KJV
So when I say that I believe we can be perfect with GOD, I am not saying that we make ourselves perfect through our own works, human strength, or righteousness.
I am saying that when we receive HIS Holy Spirit and walk uprightly with HIM, HE is the One who makes us perfect.
It is not my perfection.
It is HIS perfection working in me.
It is not something I can boast about as though I have accomplished it through my own ability. It is the work of GOD in a person who has surrendered himself to HIM and is walking according to HIS Spirit.
The Bible says:
“We know that whosoever is born of GOD sinneth not; but he that is begotten of GOD keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
— 1 John 5:18 KJV
This is why I no longer go around telling people, “I'm not perfect.”
I understand what people usually mean when they say that, but I no longer want to use that statement to describe my relationship with GOD.
The Perfect One lives on the inside of me.
Don't get it twisted—I am not saying that I am perfect because of my own doing. I am perfect because HE has made me perfect.
And if GOD has commanded us to be perfect, then we have to believe that what HE commands is possible through HIM.
The angel Gabriel said:
“For with GOD nothing shall be impossible.”
— Luke 1:37 KJV
It is not me giving myself perfection.
It is GOD.
This is also why I believe we should never use the fact that we are still growing as an excuse to remain in sin, disobedience, or spiritual immaturity. If GOD has given us HIS Holy Spirit, then HE has also given us the ability to walk with HIM.
The Kind of Church JESUS Is Coming Back For
This conviction also affects how I view the Church.
When JESUS addressed the seven churches in Revelation, there were two churches that HE did not rebuke: Smyrna and Philadelphia.
To the church at Smyrna, JESUS said:
“And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
— Revelation 2:8–11 KJV
And to the church at Philadelphia, JESUS said:
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my GOD, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my GOD, and the name of the city of my GOD, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my GOD: and I will write upon him my new name.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
— Revelation 3:7–13 KJV
That matters to me.
I believe the Church JESUS CHRIST is coming back for is not a Church that makes excuses for sin. It is not a Church that believes disobedience is inevitable. It is not a Church that settles for the bare minimum.
It is a people who keep HIS Word, overcome, remain faithful, and walk with HIM.
That is the kind of believer I desire to be.
And that is the kind of person I desire to work with. You may not be there yet, but if you're still willing to learn, build brotherhood/sisterhood, I am open that.
Why I Use the King James Bible
I exclusively subscribe to the King James Version (KJV).
This conviction comes largely from what I have been taught and trained in by my Apostle, as well as what I have personally come to understand through studying the Word of GOD.
I have been taught that many modern translations were produced from different underlying manuscript traditions and textual sources, and that in the process, certain words and passages found in the King James Bible were omitted or altered. Because I believe Scripture warns us against adding to or diminishing from GOD's Word, I take these differences seriously.
One example that particularly stands out to me concerns deliverance.
The King James Bible says:
“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
— Mark 9:29 KJV
The New International Version reads:
“He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’”
— Mark 9:29 NIV
Notice the difference.
The King James Version says “by prayer and fasting,” while the New International Version says “only by prayer.” The words “and fasting” are not included in the NIV wording of this verse.
There is also a related passage in Matthew:
“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
— Matthew 17:21 KJV
Matthew 17:21 is not even included in the NIV's main text.
I believe these differences matter because I take seriously the biblical warnings about adding to or diminishing from the Word of GOD.
I am not asking you to simply accept my conviction because I say so. I want you to look at the Scriptures and examine these things for yourself.
For me, this is one of the reasons I have chosen to use the King James Bible exclusively in my personal study, teaching, and music production.
If we are going to put Scripture into a song, I want us to know exactly what the Scripture says and use the translation that I have been convicted to stand by.
I have also been taught through an experience involving a young woman undergoing deliverance that left a lasting impression on me. During a demonic manifestation, words came through her describing other Bible translations as a “wet noodle,” while expressing intimidation toward the King James Bible.
I understand that someone may hear that testimony and interpret it differently. I am sharing it because it was part of my training and experience and contributed to how seriously I take this conviction.
However, I do not build my faith upon manifestations. I test everything by the Word of GOD.
Scripture says:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of GOD: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of GOD: Every spirit that confesseth that JESUS CHRIST is come in the flesh is of GOD:
And every spirit that confesseth not that JESUS CHRIST is come in the flesh is not of GOD: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Ye are of GOD, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world.
They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
We are of GOD: he that knoweth GOD heareth us; he that is not of GOD heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
— 1 John 4:1–6 KJV
For that reason, if we work together, I need you to understand that the King James Bible is the biblical translation I use and stand by.
There may be times when you bring a song into the studio and quote Scripture from another translation. I may have to stop and explain why I do not use that translation and ask you to examine the passage in the KJV.
That is not me trying to be difficult.
It is part of my conviction and part of the responsibility GOD has given me.
My Calling and My Music
My faith is not separate from the way I work. It influences the music I create, the people I work with, and what I am willing to put my hands on.
There was a time when I produced secular music. GOD eventually convicted me to walk away from it. I then began working exclusively with Christian music, but even that journey taught me something important:
Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is necessarily walking according to CHRIST.
GOD has also allowed me to be a partaker in seeing HIS glory manifested and seeing signs follow the preaching of HIS Word, according to what JESUS said in Mark 16.
JESUS said:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
And they went forth, and preached every where, the LORD working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
— Mark 16:17–20 KJV
Because I have seen the spiritual side of music, I do not treat music like entertainment.
Music can affect people deeply, emotionally and spiritually. Scripture also shows music being connected with spiritual activity. Therefore, I believe we must be extremely cautious about what we listen to, what we create, what we release, and what we allow to influence the people who hear it.
That is why it matters what kind of music you and I work on together.
It matters that we approach the creative process from a consecrated place.
It matters that we understand the truth of the Gospel.
It matters that what we teach through our music actually agrees with the Word of GOD.
The Bible says:
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
— Galatians 5:9 KJV
Even something seemingly small can affect the entire message.
So I am not simply concerned with whether a song sounds good. I am concerned with what the song teaches, what it promotes, and whether it is consistent with the Word of GOD.
Excellence Is what we are after
I believe GOD deserves more than our bare minimum.
When Daniel was examined by the king, Scripture says:
“Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.”
— Daniel 6:3 KJV
That spirit of excellence matters to me.
Excellence is equivalent to perfection. It means that we refuse to give GOD something careless when HE has given us the ability and opportunity to give HIM our best.
I want excellence in the music.
I want excellence in the message.
I want excellence in the way we conduct ourselves.
And I want excellence in the stewardship of everything GOD has placed in my hands.
My Responsibility as a Watchman
GOD has called me to be a prophet.
Many people know me as PT, which stands for Prophet Todd.
I did not ask GOD for this responsibility, but I consider it a privilege and a serious responsibility. GOD has revealed things to me that I believe I am responsible for communicating to others.
The prophet Ezekiel gives us the picture of a watchman:
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way; to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”
— Ezekiel 3:17–19 KJV
Being a watchman is not always comfortable.
Sometimes the thing GOD requires me to say is not the thing someone wants to hear.
That can happen even inside my recording booth.
There have been times when Christians have brought songs into my studio that I could not participate in because I believed something in the song was not inspired by the Holy Spirit or did not agree with the Word of GOD.
In those situations, I have had to decline the musical work and address the spiritual issue instead.
That is not always easy.
But I believe I have a responsibility to be faithful.
If I have to correct you about something while we are working together, please do not automatically take it as an attack against you.
My responsibility is bigger than making you feel good in the moment.
If I love you, I have to tell you the truth.
My heart behind correction is not to make you feel bad about yourself. My desire is to please the Father and help you walk according to HIS Word.
Sometimes the truth does not feel good at first, but it can help us in the long run.
And this is not a one-way street.
I am also open to correction. I've been corrected so many times in my walk.
If you can show me from Scripture that something I am doing or teaching is wrong, I am willing to receive that correction. I do not believe that being a prophet means being above correction.
I believe we are all accountable to the Word of GOD.
Who I Am Called to Work With
I am not simply looking for talented people.
There is a lot of talent in the world, but talent is not the same thing as anointing.
I believe GOD has called me to work with people who genuinely desire HIM—people who love the LORD JESUS CHRIST, desire truth, and are willing to receive correction when something does not line up with Scripture.
Gideon's army is a picture that has stayed with me. Gideon began with thousands, but GOD intentionally reduced the army until only 300 remained.
The Bible says:
“And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.”
— Judges 7:4–7 KJV
That taught me that I do not need a large clientele to have a successful business.
I have learned to accept that I am not called to work with everybody.
JESUS said:
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
— Matthew 22:14 KJV
So I would rather work with a handful of faithful people who genuinely desire to please GOD than build a large clientele based solely on talent, popularity, or money.
My Musical Convictions
Because of these convictions, there are certain things I cannot accept in my work.
I will not put my hand into secular music.
I will not produce recordings over secular beats.
I will not use secular samples.
Everything must be original.
Everything must be approached from a consecrated place.
Everything must be handled with the understanding that we are responsible for what we put into the ears and hearts of other people.
I am not interested in simply helping you make a great song.
I want to help you create music that honors GOD and communicates truth.
That is the kind of producer GOD has made me to be.
Who Has Trained Me
First and foremost, I give all honor to the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Everything I have, everything I know, and everything I am able to do comes from HIM.
I secondly give honor to Apostle Makhario Dobbs, who has played a significant role in training me in the Gospel and helping me understand the Word of GOD accurately.
I am grateful for the people GOD has placed in my life to teach, correct, train, and sharpen me.
And I intend to remain teachable.
The Bible says:
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
— Proverbs 27:17 KJV
If you truly love the LORD JESUS CHRIST, if you have a heart after GOD, if you desire to create music that honors HIM, and if you are willing to receive biblical correction, you may be someone I am called to work with.
If that sounds like you, I would love to hear from you.