Prayer for the day-Believing God-Part 2

Prayer for the day-Believing God-Part 2   
Lord, thank you for your Word.  Thank You that You are the Word!  Thank You that no one can ever separate You from Your Word.  I am asking You to help me to trust Your Word and help me to start trusting it in the Genesis 1:1.  Lord I am asking You to help me to not be led astray by humanists, philosophers, agnostics, secular and theistic evolutionists.  Please let the Logos Christos dwell in my mind abundantly and in all wisdom which the Holy Spirit teaches.  These things I pray in your strong name.  Amen

Believing What God Has Said-Part 2

Believing What God Has Said-Part 2 
       Yesterday we started a discussion about believing the Genesis record.  I believe that the Genesis record should be trusted to mean exactly what it states.  That belief includes a real six day creation.  It takes blind faith to believe that the created plant life lived a thousand, or perhaps a million years without sunlight. 

       Again, one may ask, “Why does a musician care whether creation took six days, six thousand or six million years?”  A Christian musician cares because of the fact that if one cannot trust the Genesis record; he or she will find it hard to trust the remaining Scriptures to be accurate.  If the Bible is not accurate in what it says then a Christian musician’s truth basis fails.

       It is no wonder that so many Christian musicians have trouble trusting what the Bible says about musicing unto God.  Why should a musician trust what the Bible says about music if he or she cannot trust the Genesis record to be accurate?  Remember that St. John 1:1 states, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  This means that one cannot separate God from what He says.  Before creation i.e. the Genesis record Jesus was with God and was God.  Therefore, we can trust every word about the creation of the world.

       At this point you are probably wondering, “What is the devotional thought for the day?”  The devotional thought is that “direction determines destiny”.  When a Christian musicians goes down the philosophical path that “One cannot trust what is written in the Genesis record then there is no stopping place and the result is that one believes that the Bible is not always accurate.  With such a false philosophical basis, one erroneously concludes that the creation account is not literal and therefore not to be trusted. If we are going to make it into the City of God, we are going to need the comfort, guidance, and hope of God’s inspired Word.  If we cannot trust His Word to be accurate, then we cannot trust what God has said to us.  If one believes that part of it is accurate and other parts are not accurate, then just what part or parts can we trust?

 

Thought for the day-Believing What God has Said-Part 1

Thought for the day-Believing What God has Said-Part 1

There is a difference between interpreting figurative language used in the Bible in a figurative manner and refusing to believe a direct statement given in the Bible in order to support a person’s philosophy of a Theistic evolution.

Believing What God Has Said-Part 1

Believing What God Has Said-Part 1   

 Genesis 1:11& 13 state,  “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.  And the evening and the morning were the third day. The first chapter of the Book of Beginnings gives us a clear record of all the growing things created on the third day of creation.  On the next day God created the sun and the moon so that his creation would have the lights to sustain photosynthesis which is essential to sustenance and growth of all the plant life He had created the day before.  

       Those who believe that each day was at least a thousand or perhaps a million years apart have a hard time explaining scientifically how all those plants lived at least a thousand years without light.  I guess they have faith that God suspended his laws of nature so that all those green things could exist until a thousand years or a million years had passed. 

       Christian musicians often get sucked into this non-literal view of an inaccurate Genesis record which leaves them ripe for all kinds of exotic hypotheses about a theistic evolution.  When one considers something in the Bible to be non-literal then he or she needs to have a concrete reason why it is non-literal.

       Why should we care?  One of the reasons we should care is that if one starts to consider, without concrete logical reasoning, that the Bible record does not mean what it says—then there is no stopping place in such faulty reasoning.  We should remember that the Word clearly asserts that the evening and the morning consisted of one day.  Those who purport that a day is as a thousand years with the Lord are forgetting that we have no reason to assert that when the Word states” the evening and the morning were the third day” that it is in any way referring to a thousand years.  We will continue this discussion tomorrow

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day 

Heavenly Father, I approach Your throne today through our mediator Jesus Christ who is my Savior, Sanctifier, and elder brother.  Thank you for giving Your Son to suffer and die on a cruel cross to pay the price for my awful sins.  Thank You Jesus for declaring my name in the midst of the congregation and for musicing with me to my heavenly Father.  I love You Lord and wish to serve you throughout this life and eternal life to come.  These things I am praying in The name of the Father.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “I’ll Tell the World that I’m A Christian” by B.C. Fox 

Thought for the Day 

My two older brothers David Wolf and Nathan Wolf were always willing to defend me when I needed help.  I think Jesus is like my two older brothers in that He is always willing to help me.

"I Will Declare Your Name”

 "I Will Declare Your Name”  

            Hebrews 2:12 states, “I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”    The Scripture in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews is a bit difficult to understand.   Clarke, Whedon, and Barnes say that this direct quote of Psalm 22:22 is messianic and therefore referring to Christ in the Hebrew letter.  If this is correct exegesis then Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren.  With this exegesis in mind we can deduce that Christ is approving and participating in singing Gods praises in public worship.  No wonder that the child of God claims Jesus as our elder brother.  What an encouragement it is to the Christian musician to realize that Jesus, who sits at the right hand of the Father, owns us as His children and is not ashamed to call us “brethren”.  

       Next is the statement that in the midst of the church (ekklesia 1577) Jesus will sing God’s praises.  I must admit that again this statement is very difficult to interpret.  Either Christ is saying that he will sing the father’s praises or our praises.  I choose to believe he is referring to praising the Father.  If this is so, then Christ meets with us on Sunday morning and sings God’s praises in the midst of the ekklesia i.e. the congregation of saints.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

When one comes to the reality that God is the object of all Christian musicing, it is of little wonder that a Christian musician develops carefulness in the way he or she musics unto that high and holy triune God.

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 6

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 6

            Although the topic of identifying the real audience of a Christian musician’s musicing is too large a discussion for these blog posts, let me say briefly that God is the ultimate audience and object of musical worship that is truly Christian.  Ephesians 5:19 gives a very accurate explanation of who hears, who worships and who is worshiped.  “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”  There is no doubt about it; both God and people hear our musicing.  However, the music making of a Christian is “to the Lord”.  The fact that some Christian musicians believe that musicing which is really Christian is ultimately directed to God in no way makes them un-sensitive, un-caring, inwardly focused, bigoted musician who is not in touch with reality, is not evangelistic in focus, and therefore does not care about the congregation who attends the worship service (i.e. is not seeker sensitive).

            We recently viewed the results of some church surveys of what was called “inward reaching churches”.  Supposedly, those who are inwardly reaching are those who have members who are divisive about “music preferences”.  These church members who had these “music preferences” also presumably were not interested in evangelism.  It was not conservative musicians who were against evangelistic services that utilized evangelistic preaching and the utilization of gospel songs and choruses.  It was the more progressive churchmen who lobbied against evangelistic services, revivals, and evangelistic campaigns.  This same mindset developed the faulty notions that hymns, gospel hymns, gospel songs and gospel choruses were outdated and representative of Christian beliefs and notions that were outdated and therefore of little or no use to the twenty-first century church.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

The question before us as we enter this century is not “Is there such a phenomenon as sacred and profane music?” but rather how to ascertain which music is sacred and which is profane.

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 5

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 5

            Jonathan Friedman believes that “…wile musical function seems as diverse as humanity itself, the major functions of music are essentially identical across the globe.”  He went on to say that music’s perceived religious benefits were much the same in that setting [in biblical life] as they are today.”  Music in Biblical Life, p. 19.  If his assessment is correct, and I believe that it is, there is much justification for studying music in the Bible in the light of current Christian perspective.  There can be little doubt that the Levite musicians who were I charge of all musicing in the ancient Jewish Temple as well as having the responsibility for the musical training did so in light of the understanding that music could either be sacred or profane (see: Psalm 89:15, 1 Chronicles 25:7, Amos 8:3, Amos 5:23, Isaiah 14:11 etc.)

            Current liberal Christian thought in the twenty-first century purports that any Christian musician who is prescriptive in his or her approach to sacred music is an inward reaching caring musician.  Conservative Christian musicians, for the most part, believe very strongly that there is truth in the belief that when it comes to religious musicing there is definitely music that is “sacred’ and “profane”.  There is no reason to believe that merely because a Christian musician is careful in the process of prescribing which forms of music are appropriate to utilize in musicing unto a high and Holy God is bigoted or non-caring about the congregation who will hear and perform worship music.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

When one reads after a liberal churchman, the impression is given that it is only out of touch conservative musicians who start or get involved in worship wars. Conservatives did not initiate worship wars but rather it was liberal church musicians who demanded that drastic changes be made in public worship.

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 4

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 4

            Conservative Christian musicians and music philosophers are being shamed into playing dead to music style, form, and meaning.  They are being accused of being divisive, inward reaching, self-serving bigots who are not seeker sensitive.  Those Christian musicians who display any degree of musical restraint or musical conservatism are pinpointed as ignorant and out of touch with reality.  I am reminded of a passage of Scripture in1Peter 4:1-5, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” 

            Although these verses say nothing specifically about the battle for Christian music, the analogy can be justly made.  Peter, whose writings were hovered over by the Holy Spirit, warns that if a Christian takes a stand for conscious sake he or she will suffer for taking that stand.  So, it is of little wonder that Christian musicians who have a careful musical conscious are accused of being musical bigots.  The fact that some Christian musicians have conservative views concerning sacred and profane music does not make them bigots or uncaring.  They simply believe that when one sets a particular “music” in motion it will function in a predictable way.

 

Thought for the Day

 Thought for the Day

Although some current music philosophers deny that music has meaning, there is certainly no consensus that it does not communicate meaning to the performer and the auditor.

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 3

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 3

            Music is sometimes defined as the result of the organization of sounds and silences into meaningful patterns.  If this definition is even partially adequate to identify music, then this “meaningful” organization has, without doubt, meaning—at least to those who understand its organization. Roger Scruton once wrote, “If music has meaning, then that meaning must be understood by the one who understands the music.” Understanding Music, p. 34.  So, perhaps the real import of such a discussion is not musics meaning per se but the understanding of music’s meaning.

            Since the pursuit of understanding a piece of music’s meaning is such a complex task, many Christians have capitulated in the battle for whether or not music has meaning.  This has made the quest to understand a particular music’s meaning a superfluous task.  If the music part of music does not have any meaning then one certainly does not have to search for the understanding of this meaningless art.  This reductionist theory (a theory that deduces complex the musical phenomena into simple terms). It seems to me to be somewhat analogous to reducing drug crime by legalizing marijuana.  What Christian musicians have done is eliminate the need to have an understanding of music’s meaning and what that meaning has the potential to do to the whole-life of the auditor and performer.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

It puzzles me that some twenty first century Christians write as though the concept of sacred and profane is a current manufacturing of conservative musicians who are out of touch with reality when it is a well-known fact that writers have struggled with this concept since antiquity.

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 2

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 2

            Isaiah’s writings recognized noise in relationship to music in ancient Israel in verse eleven in chapter eleven, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.” The word that Isaiah used was hemyah (1998) is derived from hamah (1993) which also connotes noise or tumult.   Amos 5:23 also recognized noise in relationship to music. “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”  The Hebrew word that Amos used was hamown (1995) which means a rumbling or noisy sound.  Surely the twenty first century Christian’s ear should be able to recognize noise in relationship to worship music.

            As far back in history as the writing of the 89^th Psalm there was an understanding that there would be those who could not (or would not) be able to distinguish between the two types of sounds.  One of the shades of meaning of the word yada (3045) which was translated “know” in the AV is comprehension or discernment.

            According to Herbert Lockyer Jr. “Since the dawn of creation, artists have been exploring the many ways which music communicates beyond words.”  All the music of the Bible, p. xi.  I believe that Dr. Frank Garlock accurately assessed music’s ability to communicate with the time honored statement “Music is the message”.  What and how music communicates is a complicated matter.  The problem with music communicating is not that it exudes some ethereal, subliminal, hidden, or esoteric message or that it has some kind of magic ability to control the auditors mind.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

It seems to me that it is only Christian musicians who have trouble distinguishing between the sacred and profane when it come to their musicing.

 

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 1

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 1

            “Universally, the human ear distinguishes between musical and unmusical sounds, and even in clamorous environments like city streets and shopping malls we tend to gravitate, either consciously or unconsciously, toward these organized sounds.  The division between music and everyday noise is, then, analogous to the distinction between sacred and profane; ns in a society as God-oriented as ancient Israel, it is fitting that holy words were musically offered and received.”  Music in Biblical Life by Jonathan L. Friedman, p. 113.  This concept is attested to by Psalm 89:15, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.”  The word translated joyful sound is teruah (8643) which means a joyful or the sound of rejoicing.  This terminology is often used with musicing in the Old Testament. 

            Whether there is a difference between sacred and profane sounds has been a hot topic since the middle of the twentieth century.  Friedman is certainly not alone in his assessment that a difference between sacred and profane sounds, as related to sacred musicing, has been believed since the time of musicing in ancient Israel.  As a matter of fact it was generally agreed that there was a difference between sacred and profane sounds until the 1960’s.  Oddly enough it was Christian musicians who developed the notion that there was no difference between the sacred and the profane (except for words).

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

All scholars of music in the Bible need to be reminded that Re 22:18-19 warns that, “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.”

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 5

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 5

             If any authors’ writings are to be considered to give an accurate account of how the ancient Jews worshiped with music, those writings which are most ancient, both biblical and extra-biblical, should be treated with great respect.  Certainly the ancient Old Testament biblical record should be treated with great respect regardless of whether or not one believes it to be inspired by God. Those of us who do trust the authenticity of the Old and New Testaments should be reminded that 2Timothy 3:16 attests to the fact that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

            Modern day students of the Old and New Testaments have a tendency to believe that it is perfectly proper to translate the ancient Old Testament with sentences that are not literal representations of the Hebrew and Aramaic words in order for Scripture to be made more easily understood  by the twenty-first century reader.  Although the modern redactor of Scripture may get up in the morning and say, “I’m going to change the wording of that verse in the Bible”, the last thing that would have gone through an ancient Jewish scribe’s mind would have been to spend his day altering the Holy Writ.  We have evidence of this carefulness from the common historical knowledge that for manifold centuries the ancient Jewish scribes purposed to “build up a wall around the Torah”.  As a matter of fact it is believed by some scholars that even the ancient abbreviated manuscripts called the Serugin were an attempt to “build up a wall around the te’amim” (the cantillation signs i.e. musical notation found below and above the entire Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Bible).
Note: this series will be continued on April 2, 2015.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Christian students of music in the Bible often exhibit prejudice against the writings of Jewish scholars who have great knowledge about ancient Jewish musicing unto God.  They continue to exhibit these prejudices even though these writings, of Jewish authors who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, many times do not reflect on their knowledge of ancient musicing recorded in the Bible.

 

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 4

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 4

            I suppose that my blog readers could legitimately ask, “What is the usefulness of a doubting music historian’s comments about the accounts of ancient musicing recorded in the Old Testament?”  Just because a writer does not trust the Old Testament record does not mean that a believer cannot benefit from that music historian’s knowledge of ancient Hebrew language or from his or her knowledge of ancient Jewish music history. A problem arises when a musician who is a believer looks through the eyes of faith at that skeptical music historian’s written comments. Quoting a doubting music historian’s writings must therefore be done with great carefulness in order to not interpret that musician’s writings as though that musician was a believer. Honest quoting must never implicate spiritual relationship with God to the writings of a non-believing music historian.  

            When a historian exhibits insight into the history of ancient musicing recorded in the Bible or in extra-biblical literature, a believer should use those comments in his or her writings about music in the Bible.  When a writer, believer or non-believer, makes a written statement, that statement may be used at face value if used in the context of what that writer was saying.  It seems credulous for an author to cast definite doubt on the authenticity of what the Bible teaches and records about music in ancient Israel merely because a twenty first century writer believes that the ancient Hebrew authors exhibited prejudice in their writings.  This is especially true when there is no extra-biblical proof for such a musical hypothesis.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

1John 1:6-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  It is one thing to have great knowledge of what the Hebrew Bible states, but it is another to walk in the illumination (owr 216) of what it teaches.

 

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 3

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 3

            As a Christian, I believe that John 1:1 explains that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Since the Word “was God”, and still is synonymous with God, any faith in God that does not have basis in what His word declares is an unfounded false faith.  It is no mystery to me that a writer who does not have faith in God’s Word ultimately comes to conclusions that bring him or her to a lack of personal faith in God.  I am reminded of the Scripture explaining that in the last days there will be those, as  2 Timothy 3:5 explains, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  Verse seven goes on to say that these scholars are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  God embodies true truth and therefore, if His Word is not true, God is not worthy of a scholars trust.  True faith in God never Goes beyond the “true truth” revealed to us in His Word.

            Isaiah 2:5 is a strong admonishment to Jewish scholars “O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”  The Hebrew word owr (216) means illumination either literally or metaphorically.  So, the house of Jacob is admonished to walk in the mental illumination of YHVH.  Naturally, Jewish or gentile scholars cannot be illuminated by a myth or a fairy tale.  If Moses did not exist then he most certainly did not receive the Decalogue from YHVH on Mount Sinai or write the five books of the Pentateuch.  If Moses existed but lied about the accounts of the exodus, then perhaps he also lied about the ten commandments.  As one can see when an Old Testament scholar accepts the doubting accusations of higher critics, when given the slightest pseudo academic push, all of the accounts of the Hebrew Bible topple like dominos lined up in a row.

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

It is somewhat ironic that although it has been devout Jewish scholars who have for centuries been the “guardians of God’s Word”; they are in this century, in more and more instances, skeptical of its authenticity.

 

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 2

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 2

            I can understand a Jewish historian not having faith in the veracity of the New Testament, but I do not understand why a writer of at least thirteen books on music and religion would bother to spend a lifetime writing about the Hebrew Bible when he does not consider it to be an accurate historical record let alone the a text which was hovered over (God breathed) and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

            Certainly his lack of trust that the Hebrew Bible is an accurate historical record by saying that is a biased document which is full of myths bespeaks of an author who is devoid of personal faith in God. Actually Friedmann never mentioned any kind of personal faith in God in either of the aforementioned books. The logical end of Bible study is understanding, respect and trust in what it teaches.  I would think that an author who does not have personal faith in the God who hovered over His Word would find something more productive to do than spend his time writing about musicing unto the God that he does not love, respect and trust.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

What you think about God and His Inspired Word is probably the most important thing about you!

 

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 1

Knowledge Must be Accompanied by Faith—part 1

            I have been reading and re-reading a couple of Books by Jonathan L. Friedmann.  They are Music in Biblical Life and Music in the Hebrew Bible.  Friedman is a music professor of Jewish music history and also a practicing Jewish cantor.  He is very knowledgeable in the area of Jewish music and music in the Hebrew Bible.  I was surprised that a Jewish historian would state that the Hebrew Bible is “…a document of biased construction and mythological content Music in Biblical Life p. 8 and “Since the nineteenth century textural critics have questioned the veracity of numbers of biblical episodes, including a few involving music.  Most significant for our purposes are the verses sung at the Red Sea (Song of the Sea) and the musical activities of King David, both of which are folk traditions rather than historical facts.” Music in Biblical Life, p. 8.  

                Friedmann further complicates his distrust in the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible by going on record that he believes that “The exodus story, as presented in the books of Exodus and Numbers, has long been doubted.”  Music in Biblical Life, p. 9.  It is one thing to state that higher critics doubt the veracity of Scripture, but is another for an author who is so knowledgeable of the Hebrew and Aramaic texts to not defend its authenticity.

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day  

Heavenly Father, I approach Your throne today through our mediator Jesus Christ who is my Savior, Sanctifier, and elder brother.  Thank you for giving Your Son to suffer and die on a cruel cross to pay the price for my awful sins.  Thank You Jesus for declaring my name in the midst of the congregation and for musicing with me to my heavenly Father.  I love You Lord and wish to serve you throughout this life and eternal life to come.  These things I am praying in The name of the Father.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “I’ll Tell the World that I’m A Christian” by B.C. Fox 

Thought for the Day 

My two older brothers David Wolf and Nathan Wolf were always willing to defend me when I needed help.  I think Jesus is like my two older brothers in that He is always willing to help me.  

I Will Declare Your Name”

"I Will Declare Your Name” 

            Hebrews 2:12 states, “I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”    The Scripture in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews is a bit difficult to understand.   Clarke, Whedon, and Barnes say that this direct quote of Psalm 22:22 is messianic and therefore referring to Christ in the Hebrew letter.  If this is correct exegesis then Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren.  With this exegesis in mind we can deduce that Christ is approving and participating in singing Gods praises in public worship. 

       No wonder that the child of God claims Jesus as our elder brother.  What an encouragement it is to the Christian musician to realize that Jesus, who sits at the right hand of the Father, owns us as His children and is not ashamed to call us “brethren”.  

       Next is the statement that in the midst of the church (ekklesia 1577) Jesus will sing God’s praises.  I must admit that again this statement is very difficult to interpret.  Either Christ is saying that he will sing the father’s praises or our praises.  I choose to believe he is referring to praising the Father.  If this is so, then Christ meets with us on Sunday morning and sings God’s praises in the midst of the ekklesia i.e. the congregation of saints.

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord as I walk with you I know that there will be times of trouble that come to me.  Lord please help me to have Your peace when I go through these tribulations.  Help me to understand that You will use these troubles to draw me closer to you.  Lord help me to stay close to You no matter what I have to go through in this life.  Help me to realize that You will make all these things work together for my “good” and that You will never do anything to destroy my hope in You.  These things I pray in Your loving and wonderful name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “I Must Tell Jesus” by Elisha Hoffman

Thought for the Day  

Don’t expect to be overjoyed when you are going through “tribulation”.  During these times you will have to love and adore God on purpose.

Peace with God

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day     

Lord, You are my Lord and Savior.  You are my helper, healer, counselor, defender, deliverer, and friend and brother.  I am asking You to make Your praise so glorious when I music unto You that those who hear my song will also want to praise You for who You are and what You have done.  I know that all my musical efforts will be in vain unless You help me to music unto You.  Lord, you have done much for me and the people to whom I minister.  Help us all too truly be thankful as we praise you with music.  These things I pray in Your name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “Our God Reigns” by L.E. Smith Jr. 

Thought for the Day 

The Levite musicians who served in the Jewish Temple were separated to record, thank, and praise God.  Try remembering, and truly being thankful before you lead others in praise music.     

A Song of Deliverance

A Song of Deliverance 

            II Samuel 22:1 states, “David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”  David had been delivered from all his enemies including Saul who was also his enemy.  What a relief David must have felt to be out of harm’s way.  What did he do?  He wrote a song and sang it unto Jehovah. 

       Have you recently received anything from the bountiful hand of the self-existent, eternal God who is?  Perhaps you should try what David did when God helped him greatly.  Write down your joy and sing it unto God during your time of private devotions and perhaps try singing it publically for the glory of God.  Writing a song to Jesus may seem to be a little crazy, but there is nothing too lavish to bestow on our Savior Jesus Christ.  Psalm 66:2 says very clearly, “Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious”. 

Prayer and Thought for the Day-God Cares

 
Prayer for the day-God Cares 

Loving Savior, I am bruised and broken.  Restore me and heal me, and lift me up into your mighty arms.  Forgive me of my spiritual failures and restore unto me the joy of my salvation.  Help me to trust that You will take care of me.  I know that I must have your help to keep ministering for you.  Help me to receive from You so that I may continue to give to others.

Thought for the day 

One has said, “I may be knocked down but I’m not knocked out.”  I say, “If you have never been knocked down, then you probably have not been the fight.”

God Cares about Your Spiritual Problems

God Cares about Your Spiritual Problems

Isaiah 42:3A states, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench…”         This servant’s song of Isaiah gives hope to one who is bruised or weakened by his or her own spiritual weakness or failure.  The reed or cane which grows in marshy places often has a weak stock and is easily bruised or crushed.   One of these stalks that is crushed or broken, but not severed from the roots will be remembered by our Savior, because He is a caring redeemer.  God’s eternal, infallible, inspired Word tells us that our redeemer, Jesus Christ the righteous one, will not break off this seemingly worthless bruised or broken stock.

       For those of us musicians who do not always catch on the first time we read one of God’s wonderful promises to us, He not only stated that He would not break off a bruised reed but also that He would not snuff out a smoking or smoldering flax (probably a flax stalk used as a lamp wick).  God has promised to not cut off the broken Christen because He is a loving, caring, and concerned Savior and he is the divine Paraclete. 

       Albert Barnes stated in his commentary on the Book of Isaiah that, “The sense is, that he will have an affectioned regard for the broken-hearted, the humble, the penitent, and the afflicted.”  Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament, [Heritage Ed.], Isaiah, p. 100.  If you are a Christian musician who is bruised and broken and if you feel that the “Oil of the Spirit” is burning low in your soul, look up to our Redeemer who will rescue and restore you!

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

 

Prayer for the Day

Lord I am asking You to help me to always act like a Christian musician.  Help me to guard my attitude and my tongue during rehearsal.  Help me to guard my heart and my attitude toward those with whom I minister with musically.  Help me to live a life that is worthy of the vocation to which You have called me.   Help me to be more interested in the people that I work with than I am about a missed note, rhythm, or musical nuance.  These things I pray in Your wonderful name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “Living for Jesus” by C.F. Weigle  

Thought for the Day 

If we want anyone to believe that Christianity works, we will have to act like Christians every day, all day and even during the night.

 

Your Vocation and Calling

Your Vocation and Calling 

            Ephesians 4:1 states, I therefore a prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation where with ye are called.”  In this verse Paul is admonishing the Ephesian Christians to live a life that is consistent with a Christian profession.  Did you ever wonder why he was admonishing Christians to act like Christians?  Not only was it necessary to admonish them to be what they professed, but is necessary for Christian musicians today to check up on the way they act.  When you give a slight correction to the tenors because they are singing under pitch or when you inform the sopranos that they are singing too loudly, do you do so with gentleness? 

       We as Christian musicians, need to stop our hurried pace long enough to check up on whether our musicing and musical leadership is being carried out in a spirit of Christian kindness and humility.  When it comes to the musicians that a musician leads, it is not “big I and little you”.

       Verse three of the fourth chapter of Ephesians is an admonishment Christians to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (NIV).  We need to make sure that we are not more concerned with musical precision than with Christ’s presence.  Ouch!  We should never hide a disgruntled attitude under the disguise of being a musician who is a perfectionist and is working with mediocre musicians. 

       We need to remember that a perfect heart is much more important than a perfect performance.   With this said, I do believe that God expects the best musical offering that we are able to give Him.  However, with that in mind, I still believe that how a Christian musician acts in rehearsal and in performance is more important than perfection of performance.  

Prayer and Song for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Heavenly Father I want to thank You for helping me to not be intimidated by those who do not love and serve You.  Thank You for giving me the strength to stand up for your righteous and Holy name.  I am asking You to keep delivering me from the subtle influence of those who are “workers of iniquity”.  Thank you for delivering me from those who “lie in wait for my soul”.  Help me to praise Your name and to resist the false philosophies of this present world.  these things I am praying in Your strong name.  Amen.

Song for the Day Stand up, Stand up for Jesus by George Duffield

 

Sacred and Profane Sounds—part 2

            Isaiah’s writings recognized noise in relationship to music in ancient Israel in verse eleven in chapter eleven, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.” The word that Isaiah used was hemyah (1998) is derived from hamah (1993) which also connotes noise or tumult.   Amos 5:23 also recognized noise in relationship to music. “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.”  The Hebrew word that Amos used was hamown (1995) which means a rumbling or noisy sound.  Surely the twenty first century Christian’s ear should be able to recognize noise in relationship to worship music.

            As far back in history as the writing of the 89^th Psalm there was an understanding that there would be those who could not (or would not) be able to distinguish between the two types of sounds.  One of the shades of meaning of the word yada (3045) which was translated “know” in the AV is comprehension or discernment.

            According to Herbert Lockyer Jr. “Since the dawn of creation, artists have been exploring the many ways which music communicates beyond words.”  All the music of the Bible, p. xi.  I believe that Dr. Frank Garlock accurately assessed music’s ability to communicate with the time honored statement “Music is the message”.  What and how music communicates is a complicated matter.  The problem with music communicating is not that it exudes some ethereal, subliminal, hidden, or esoteric message or that it has some kind of magic ability to control the auditors mind.

 

Lead or Be Led

Lead or Be Led

            Psalm 59:2 states, “Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.  For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.”  Although we do not like to dwell on anything negative the world is not, and has never been, a friend of grace.  Every Christian musician must be aware that he or she will either be a leader or they will by default become the victim of some other leadership.  

            My wife and I were walking the other day at Northgate Mall and a lady started walking with us.  After some small talk my wife immediately began to thank the Lord for His goodness to us.  The lady said that she had been raised a Baptist but she was now a “pagan”.  I think she was without doubt mixed up on her terminology but I was impressed that my wife did not let her dominate the conversation when it came to spiritual matters.

             A Christian has the choice to make of either letting non-Christians control the conversation or to lead by proclaiming the name of Jesus even when it is not popular to take a stand.  If a Christian continually keeps silent when the name of God is reviled or made light of, that Christians faith becomes damaged.  So, stand up for Jesus, and Satan will have to withdraw and Jesus your advocate will stand up for you!

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Although reading the entire Book of Psalm through has merit, studying each Psalm as an individual poem will reveal much more knowledge of what that Psalm actually means in its historical context.

 

Authorship of the Psalms

Authorship of the Psalms.          
               Knowing the authorship of a psalm can enlighten us as to the content and emotion of a particular psalm.  For instance knowing the story behind Psalm 51, gives us great insight into this prayer song. The superscription “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba” puts David’s prayer of repentance in proper perspective for the reader. 
             Likewise “To the chief Musician, Altaschith (Al tashcheth 516) (Aramaic), Michtam (4387) of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him” enlightens the reader with the knowledge that David was hiding from Saul's servants who planned to kill him. It also lets the reader know that David delivered this Psalm of deliverance (destroy not) to the Chief musician to plead for Elohiym to deliver him from his enemies. All of this knowledge sheds a great amount of light on the content of Psalm 59.  Just like knowing the story behind a hymn or gospel song, knowing about the psalmist and the situation from which a psalm was born is vital in helping to make a psalm come alive to a congregation of worshipers.