Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

You will be remembered more for what you "do"with music than what you believe about music.

Direction Determines Destiny Philosophically

Direction Determines Destiny Philosophically.

            One of the most unfortunate twenty-first century dilemmas in Christian music philosophy is that many Christian musicians do not have a series of systematic written beliefs concerning the nature and value of the whole of music.  Many Christian musicians believe that music philosophy is like jello with too much water in it that never solidifies into a cohesive whole.  These musicians fail to realize how important it is to know where they are going musically.

            Remember direction determines destiny.  They want to go to Kansas City musically bur fail to realize they are going east on Interstate 70.  No matter how sincere they are about going to Kansas City musically, they will never get there going east.  Once a Christian musician starts with a faulty premise the rest of his or her faulty conclusions topple like dominos all lined up in a row.

            Those who conclude that music is amoral have to incorrectly assume that in the beginning God did not create music in a personal real objective way.  They believe that God sees music from a distance through rose-tinted glasses.  Since they believe that God does not have an ultimate opinion concerning music ministry, He is not “there” when it comes to music.

            The very fact that music “is” is proof to a Christian that it is a part of God’s infinite creation.  A thesis thinking Christian who believes in a real music creation rather than some kind of theistic musical-evolution is led to the systematic conclusion that because music “is” it is a part of God’s real creation.  Therefore, God is “there” concerning music.  If God is “there” concerning church music in the 21st century, then it stands to reason that he cares about it in a most objective way.  I repeat, God is "there" concerning music!  Never forget that God is more than willing to guide us musically in this century!  James 1:5 contains a wonderful philosophical promise, "If any of you lack wisdom, (sophia, 4678) let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him."

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

"What is the difference between a wise man and a wise guy?  A wise man is smart--a wise guy is a smart-aleck." (Pastor Travis Johnson)  Are you wise concerning musicing unto God, or are you merely a "Wise Guy?"

 

What is a Music Philosophy?

What is a Music Philosophy?

            If we are going to keep discussing a philosophy of music then we must know what it is.  Some grass roots church musicians say, “I’ve done this all these years without a philosophy, why do I need one now?”  They are somewhat like the church board member who adamantly refused to agree to the church buying new chandeliers.  When asked why he replied, “First, no one here really knows what chandeliers are, second, they would cost a lot of money and third, we need some new lights in the sanctuary.”  Rather than bothering to ask what chandeliers were, the board member was actually fighting the very thing he believed the church needed. 

          Many church musicians that claim they don’t have a music philosophy are very outspoken about what should or should not happen in church music.  Although they declare that they don’t have a philosophy of music, they do have one it just isn’t systematic or thorough.

            What is a music philosophy?  It is a series of systematic beliefs concerning the nature and value of the whole of music.  These beliefs should be written and they should be systematic.  If you as a Christian musician are going to be prepared and not end up being ashamed you must, "Study to shew thyself approved (tested or approved 1384) unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

If a musician is going to retain God's Word in musical knowledge, he or she must consider the Bible to be authentic.   

 

   

 

Retaining God in Our Musical Knowledge

Retaining God in Our  Musical Knowledge

            In 1960, Donald Grout published his famous, “A History of Western Music”.  In this treatise, Grout is careful not to be specific concerning the origins of music.  He attributes the beginning of Western art music to the Christian church.  He also states that “Greek mythology ascribed to music a divine origin and named its inventors and earliest practitioners gods and demigods, such as Apollo, Amphion, and Orpheus.”3 He also mentions Old Testament references to music but does not recognize Bible music as authentic knowledge concerning the beginnings of music.

            In 1971, Edith Borroff published, “Music in Europe and the United States”.  She begins her treatise on music history with “Speculation on the beginnings of music is endlessly fascinating, but no certainty is even likely to come to it.” Although Borroff was unaware of it, the Hebrew Scriptures had authentic knowledge about Ancient music notation.

            In 1990, K. Marie Stolba published, “The Development of Western Music History”. She begins this treatise on music history by reminding history students that “Plato placed the origin of music in creation, and numerous legends present music as a gift of the gods or the invention of one of them.”5 She begins chapter one by acknowledging the music of Ugarit and the te’amim (musical notation) of the Bible. I was thrilled to see a college text with an excerpt from the Old Testament including the te'amim.  Although it has taken centuries for music historians to come to knowledge of the truth, Musicology has forced music historians to retain God in their knowledge. (See Romans 1:28).

Thought for the day

Thought for the day

If you want to know more about music's significance, study the whole of music and also study it in light of Bible principles of musicing.  If you want to know more about the significance of mankind, study the Bible, not music.

 

Humanism and Music Philosophy

Humanism and Music Philosophy

            One of the most influential music philosophers in the U.S. Bennett Reimer stated that"... the arts may be conceived as a means of self-understanding, a way by which a human's sense of his nature can be explored, clarified, grasped.  Many words have been used to describe the value of insight into one's nature as a responsive organism: 'self-unification' (John Dewey);'personal identity' (Susan K. Langer); 'individualization' (Leonard B. Meyer); 'individualization' (Carl G. Yung); 'self-actualization' (Abraham B. Maslow); ‘integration of the personality' (Paul Tillich).  All these terms signify the humanizing value of self-knowledge."  (A Philosophy of Music Education by Bennett Reimer, pp. 25-26.)

            This long list of general and music philosophers is proof of the fact that a great host of influential music philosophers are strong humanists.  They believe that music begins and ends with SELF.  What is even worse is that those on the list above all believe that a musician can and should derive life's significance from the arts.

             Now you know why I hammer the thesis that "God made Music" and "God owns music" so hard. You have probably guessed already that I believe that we derive life's significance from the Bible and from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our savior.  I have devoted almost all of my life, and all of my adult life to the study of music education, music of the Bible, and philosophy of music.  None of my studies have ever brought me to the conclusion that we derive life's significance from music or any of the fine arts.   I am reminded of the verse in I Corinthians that explains that, "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom new not God..." (Verse 21a), and also II Timothy 3:7 which states, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of truth." 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Man fell and is flawed and, unless he is regenerated, he will no doubt not follow the matrix (the source from which something is formed) of God concerning music Philosophy.

No Musical Absolutes --A flawed View

No Musical Absolutes --A flawed View

            What would lead a Christian musician to believe that, when it comes to music making, there are no absolutes?  They honestly believe that music is completely a matter of personal taste.  There is room for taste in church music, but musicing unto God is not all a matter of a musician's tastes.   One thing I will tell you for sure is that all philosophical thoughts concerning music and all music making comes under the absolute authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The philosophical musical view that Christian musicians are free to do whatever they wish with their musicing is an autonomous flawed view.

            All committed Christian musicians regardless of their theology, should, no, I mean must, be careful Christian musicians. They are careful in what they think, what they say and what they do.  If they are committed to being Christ like in everything they do in the Lord’s name, that tenderness toward God will include their musicing. I can’t help but believe that tenderness toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will cause them to be careful in their musicing, and in their philosophical musical viewpoints.

            There is another aspect of Colossians 1:16 quoted earlier that merits discussion here. All things were not only created by God, but also for God. God created music for his glory not for man’s aggrandizement. Any practical view of music philosophy or music making that is humanistic is an autonomous view and therefore a non-biblical view. In Colossians 1:1-8 we are reminded “...that in all things he might have the preeminence.” God must have the preeminence in our music making. Men like Diotrephes in III John 9 have always hindered the work of God by seeking to be preeminent in the church. Beware of the church musician who is enamored with self.

Scripture for the Day

Scripture for the Day

Ephesians 5:6-8, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

Do all musical roads lead to heaven?

Do all musical roads lead to heaven?

            Contrary to popular thought, the essential nature and value of different musics is not always the same.  The Christen musician who unwittingly believes that one can squeeze the music of Satan's matrix into efficacious worship of a holy God is mistaken.  Although two different musics will both have purpose and will effect the performer and the auditor, the nature and value each is not always synonymous since each may be driven by a different purpose.   Any praxial view of that supposes that "all musical roads lead to heaven" is faulty.  Remember that when it comes to philosophic musical praxis, direction determines destiny.  All musical trees do not yield the same understanding or, so to speak, the same musical fruit.

  To suppose that music that has been influenced by Satan and that ipso facto derives its significance and value from his influence is valuable to worship God is a faulty view.  Such a view essentially equates "good" value to a music that has been perverted by Satan.  There is no "good" that comes from any part of Satan's perverted praxis.  Furthermore, there is no spiritual "good" or spiritual understanding to be derived from music that has been influenced by Satan.  One exception is a text that is quoted from the Bible or is clearly biblical.  However, one must also take into consideration the music part of this music.   To suppose that Christian musicians can squeeze "good" out of the result of trying to retask the music part of this music is to suppose that good may be derived from Satan's influence.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Christian music teacher need to be sure that they do the right thing in the right way.  The right way is always keeping  music philosophy positive.

Music Education Philosophy Must Be Positive

Music Education Philosophy Must Be Positive

        “Critical thinking” about music education will of a necessity recognize pitfalls, shortcomings of various music education philosophies of the past one hundred years.  However, identifying the problems of the various music education philosophies does little to solve these problems.  The attitude that all musical endeavor until the present day has been faulty is shortsighted and lacks honesty.  There is nothing wrong with proposing changes to current music education philosophy and praxis, but to deny the vast history of successful music education around the globe is an egotistical position to say the least.  If the Christian music educator is not careful he or she will get caught up in the faulty belief that almost everything done in music education worldly, incongruent, or not adequate in some way.

        The way to keep from becoming a negative and therefore an unjustifiably critical music educator is to remain positive in one’s thinking. Philippians 4:8 sums up the philosophical matter well when it states, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

 

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Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Singing is referred to many times in the Old Testament.  Christian musicians need to look at each reference carefully before passing judgment on its meaning in context.

 

A STATISTICAL LOOK AT THE SINGING THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A STATISTICAL LOOK AT THE SINGING THE OLD TESTAMENT.

             Let us look statistically at what the words translated "singing" etc. represent i.e. what can be derived from this study?  Of the 343 references in the Old Testament to “singing", 176 of them can be placed  in a  category which represents  words used most often as vocal music with some implications of instrumental music.  There are 101 references which represent words used most often as both vocal and instrumental music.  Another category contains the third most responses with fifty-five references used most often for vocal music with perhaps some instrumental music implications.  Still another group contains a less significant amount of references with only eight Scriptures where the words most often instrumental music with perhaps some vocal music implications. A final group has only three words that did not seem to fit any of the other four categories.

            It should be pointed out at this point that the various groups of words in this study are categorized by virtue of the fact that they were MOST OFTEN used a certain way in Scripture.  A thorough review of Scriptures readily shows that a certain Hebrew or Chaldee word is not always used in the same way in Scripture. 

            The following conclusions may be drawn from the singing study of the Old Testament:

1.         Vocal music was very important in the    music of ancient Israel.  The study           revealed that 332 of the total 343          references were directly connected with singing.

 2.  Vocal and instrumental music were often used together in scripture though merely   by implication of the wording in some cases.

3.         Instrumental music seems to be used less by itself than with vocal music.

4.   The hypothesis that instrumental music in the Bible was used most often with vocal             music (perhaps in an accompanying role) seems to be substantiated by this study

Sonf,Thought, and prayer for the Day

Song for the Day He Keeps Me Singing by Luther B. Bridgers
Thought for Today
Today’s devotional Scriptures tech that contentment is an act of a Christian’s will.
Prayer for the Day
Our heavenly Father You are truly my Father.  Thank You that You have promised that You will never leave me or forsake me.  So, help me to be content with what You have given me.  Help me to purpose to be happy and content and to not be greedy.  Help me to be a godly man who understands what “great gain” really is.  These things I am asking in Your name.  Amen.

Contented Christian Musicians

Contented Christian Musicians

            1Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”  Every Christian musician must remember that godliness is essential to being a Christian.  However, being godly does not insure that a Christian musician will be content.  Paul is here instructing Timothy that Christians who are not content are impoverished.  The apostle purports that “great gain” is accomplished by being godly and by being contented.

            Hebrews 13:5 also instructs Christian to, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  This Scripture very plainly teaches Christians to not be covetous and to be content.  Aphilarguros (866) connotes not being greedy.  So, are there Christian musicians who are greedy?  Evidently there are Christians who struggle with greed.  So the writer of the Hebrew letter instructs Christians to “be content with such things as ye have”.  He further reminds Christian musicians that God has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  Take time today and read Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5, 1Chronicles 28:20; Psalm 37:25; and Matthew 6:25, 34.

 

Song, Thought, and Prayer for the Day

Song for the Day Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty by Reginald Heber

Thought for the Day

If I want to always be able to trust God, I must conceptualize Him as the Almighty rather than my buddy.

Prayer for the Day

My dear heavenly Father I want to always see You as the Almighty God who spoke the world into existence. Help me to have a right concept of who You are and what you are capable of doing.  Please help me to understand more and more about You each day,  This I am praying in Your name.  Amen.

A Right Concept of God

A Right Concept of God

                Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Yirah (3374) means, among other things, reverence or a moral fear of God.  What God thinks about me matters.    What I think of God matters too because it will directly effect my respect and trust of Him.   When things are going well for me, I might like to think of God as sort of my buddy, but when the going gets rough, I find myself in need of a strong and powerful God.  When my earthly friends are nowhere to be seen, I find myself needing a God who is able to meet my serious need. 

                When I have problems that are much too difficult for me to solve, I need a big, wise, wonderful God to come to my aid.  Isaiah put it like this, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”( Isaiah 6:1)  When He was in trouble he did not look for a folksy and indulgent God but rather an exalted Holy God!   I do not know about you, but I need a God whose train fills the temple about every day.  Therefore, I plan to visualize my God as High and lifted up.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

I was the least likely person to have ever had the wonderful opportunities that I have had to serve Jesus Christ.  All of these opportunities have been made possible by my heavenly Father who somehow saw that I would be a willing servant.

The Musician Taken from the Sheepcote

The Musician Taken from the Sheepcote

       2 Samuel 7:8, “Now therefore so shalt thou say unto thy servant David, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel.”  Every time I read this Scripture about King David’s beginnings, I think of myself.  I was raised on an eighty acre farm five miles east of Fort Scott, Kansas about a mile and a half west of the Missouri state line.  No one in my family background was an important person.  As they say in Kansas, I was born a “nobody of nobodies” and no one knew me from “Adam’s off ox” because I was the last child born to a crop farmer who ran a very small grade “C” dairy. 

       I grew up with my older sister Virginia and two older brothers David and Nathan.  When I was a little boy our family was very poor but our parents always put us first.  My brothers and I always went to school with starched jeans and spotlessly clean clothes!  We always had plenty to eat and the very best of what our parents possessed.  Since we always had what we needed, we did not know how really poor we were.         Dad worked on the farm and off of the farm as a painter and carpenter.  My mother worked at the hospital as a nurse’s aide, and later after we were raised, she went back to college and became a licensed practical nurse.

       My first memories of going to church include my mother practicing songs with me and praying with me, and the preacher lifting me up on a chair behind the pulpit to sing special music about Jesus.  I have told you all this to remind all of you Christian parents that your children’s musical training really matters.  No matter what you have or do not have, the things that matter are not “things”.  Whatever it takes, make sure that your children receive a quality music education and that you provide them opportunities to give their musical talents back to the God who gave them to your children. 

        I am grateful that Dr. John I. Page and his wife Virginia took me to church fellowship meetings and to retirement communities to sing the gospel as a little child.  I was extremely blessed to have a pastor and his wife that cared about a little boy who had some musical talent.  I am also grateful that in July of 1967 Dr. Page invited me to an altar of prayer where I confessed my sins and wept my way into the loving arms of my forgiving Savior Jesus Christ.  I will forever be thankful that I was given a Christian upbringing, and that as a child I was given musical training and many opportunities to give my musical talents back to God.

        I believe that every child is given musical talent by our loving heavenly Father. Mothers and fathers you have the responsibility to give your children an opportunity to develop their musical talents and at an early age give those talents back to God!  That is what really matters because children learn musically by doing.  If you want your sons and daughters to give their musical talents to God in adulthood, make sure their early memories of going to church include musicing unto Him.

 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day
       Every time that I have had the good sense to keep my big mouth shut, I have been exceedingly glad later.

  

 

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The Eyes of the LORD

The Eyes of the LORD

       Psalm 34:15-16 states, “The eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto thy Cry.  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” These two verses were preceded by the admonition for those who desire to live a long life and see good days to “keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”  Christian musicians often fall into Satan’s snare of speaking “guile”.  I’m not sure of all the meaning of the Hebrew word mirmah (4820).  However, some musicians that I have associated with definitely are plagued with this speech malady.  They would not lie, cheat or steal but they often spoke evil of almost everyone I trusted and respected.  There have been some musicians that avoided like the plague because they could depress a statue with their negative chatter.  They kept almost every rule of Christian conduct in the Book; it seemed, except speaking evil of others.

       I have often told my Symphonic wind and string members and choir members to “be careful little mouth what you say.”  Even if what you say is the truth, it may hurt the person spiritually that hears what you say about others.  Christian musicians must remember that our speech about others must be kept charitable at all times.   They say in the navy, “Tell your troubles to Jesus, ‘cause the Chaplin’s gone ashore.”

       This passage of Scripture reminds us all that, “the eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous” and, I might add the unrighteous as well.  The Lord knows when you have been done wrong and have been offended.  So, tell Him your troubles because as this Scripture reminds us, His ears are open unto your cry for help.  God is always listening and seeing and that is a good thing.  He is not watching from a distance but rather up close and personal.  He is always very much “in the know” so remember that He is as close as the mention of His name.  Don’t talk negatively about others, but rather ask God to help them.  Also, don’t forget to ask Him to help you as well as your enemies!

 

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Be careful of people you idolize because may people who are considered to be “stars” become fallen “stars”.  So, keep your eyes on God who is the keeper of the stars.

 

 

Thought for the Day

Weary Music Ministers

                 Galatians 6:9 states, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”  How can we keep going when we haven’t seemed to have accomplished the great task before us?  I do not believe that this verse is teaching that the Christian musician will never get tired.  I have seen some high energy musicians that seem to never get tired.  However, I am sure that they have to get weary emotionally and physically.  I believe that this Scripture is an admonition to the Christian musician to not quit when he or she is tired and faces burnout.

       I remember being so emotionally weary that one morning on our way to work I announced to my wife Sheila, “this is it—I quit.”  I remember her saying to me very calmly, “If you leave I will not go with you because you know that the Lord wants you to stay here.”  I thought that she was kind of joking, but I didn’t test her to see if she really meant it!

       The Bible lesson in this verse is that the Christian musician should not quit or he or she will miss the harvest.  Wouldn’t it be awful to work hard and the give up before the lord sends the harvest?  I ministered 38 years full time as a Bible college music director. 

If I had quit after only a few years, I would have missed a multitude of God’s richest blessings.       Galatians 6:9 includes a little word with a big meaning.  This word is “if”.  The promise of spiritual harvest comes to those who refuse to quit.  None of us know when the “due season” will come.  So, hang on!  Be sure you get your soul fed because you cannot keep going unless you have spiritual strength within your soul. 

       Keep up your “well doing”.  Your musical ministry does not have to be large in order to please God.  It isn’t your success in the eyes of people that matters.  Rather, it is your faithfulness and “well doing” that matters to God.

 

 

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

“There is a difference between people who sing songs about Jesus and those who sing who know Jesus.” (Rev. Tim Keep)

 

With the Voice of Singing

With the Voice of Singing

       Isaiah 48:20 states, “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with the voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, the LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.”  At this time Israel was in Babylon, they had transgressed God’s law.  God, in his tender mercy, was going to make it possible for them to leave Babylon.  God was going to “place his arm on the Chaldeans” to help Israel to escape.

       Have you ever found yourself in trouble and then realized that it was your own fault?  Musicians are famous for blaming everyo0ne else for their problems.  However, I have lived long enough to learn that it isn’t what happens to us that really matters when we get in trouble in trouble.  No, it is how we react to what has happened to us that makes the difference.

       Notice that God said to Israel, “go”, “flee”, and “declare with the voice of singing”.  Today He is asking Christian musicians to declare “with the voice of singing” that “the Lord hath redeemed” us and will also deliver us from the “furnace of affliction (vs. 11).”  It is important to note that the Scripture uses the terminology “with the voice of singing.”  Sometimes we can sing our way to victory when nothing seems to work.  If you are in the “fiery furnace” just now, try singing God’s praises!  I remember the Bloom sisters singing the song “It’s amazing what praising can do.”  That song has been a source of help to me many times when I have been troubled and so depressed that I felt like leaving my place of music ministry.  If you are depressed and feel that there is no way out of your trouble—try praising God with the “voice of singing”.

 

 

Quote, Song, and Prayer for the Day

Quote for the Day

Psalm 115:1 “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.”

Song for the Day To God be the Glory by Fanny Crosby

Prayer for the Day

My dear precious heavenly Father I want to thank You for being my father.  Thank You for giving me the opportunity to music unto You.  I stand in complete wonder that You have given me the ability to bring honor and glory to Your glorious and mighty name.  Please give me the common sense to not try to make you share the glory of musical worship.  I know that You know my heart and innermost intent.  Dear Lord, if I know my heart, I want to glorify You with my sacred musicing.  Please cleanse anything in my heart that would make me want any of the glory when I music unto You.  This I am asking in Your name.  Amen.

God Will Not Share Glory With Musicians

God Will Not Share Glory With Musicians

            Psalm 146:1 “Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.  While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” Verse one declares that it is the responsibility of every believer who loves Yahh (3050) to praise YHVH.  Those who love God still have the responsibility to praise.  The Hebrew word used in verse one is halal (1984) which means, according to Strong’s dictionary, “to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate”.

            When we music unto God we should boast, shine, and celebrate!  Our celebration should always be a celebration of who God is and what He does.  Musical worship is never about the music or the musicer, but rather it is always about the blessed Trinity.  If we worship music, our musicing is an act of idolatry—nothing more and nothing less.  If we celebrate the musicer, our gratitude is by no means an act of worship.  When the performer is the center of attention, what could have been true worship becomes a musical event or a concert.  Isaiah 48:10-11 “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”   Again Strong explains that the word “glory” i.e. kabowd (3519) properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness:--glorious(-ly), glory, honour”.  So, God has declared that He will not share His splendor and honor with anyone—which includes musicians.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

Pick your tower very carefully and be sure that you are not hiding under the wrong one!

 

The Musician’s Tower

The Musician’s Tower

       II Samuel 22:3 states, “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior, thou savest me from violence.”  The first site that I wanted to in Paris was the Eifel Tower.  We arrived at the tower just before they turned on the tower lights at dusk.  The tower is beautiful all the time, but it is awesome at night when the lights outline the entire tower.  The tower looked big from a distance, but when stood directly under the tower it was very huge!

       I don’t know how many times I have read this scripture but it never stood out to me until I had seen the Eifel Tower.  Now I have a much clearer mental picture of God as my high tower.  He is bigger and stronger than the Eifel Tower.  He is the God who is above all false gods.  Now I understand that the false gods of the world are like those little key chains which have a small metal tower hooked to them with a chain.

       Everyone has a rock.  It may be a crumbling rock or a bunch of pebbles.  Let me remind you that God is your Rock and strong tower.  Since He is so high and lifted up, strong and mighty, He towers above all your troubles.  He will be your refuge and Savior. The Christian musician’s tower is the rock Christ Jesus.  There is no other tower as strong as our God.  The Christian musician is anchored deeply on the strong rock and tower Christ Jesus.

       When we got to the Eifel Tower it was raining and the wind was blowing.  However when we got completely under the tower, we were sheltered from the cold night rain in Paris.  I did not want to leave the protection of this magnificent tower.  However, I had too because the others I was traveling with wanted to see more of the magnificent city or Paris.  Praise God, we never have to leave the protection of our strong, high and mighty tower Christ Jesus our Lord.  I cannot understand why any musician would willingly journey through this life without the strength and protection of our tower which is Jesus our Lord.

 

 

Prayer for the Day

Prayer for the Day

       I Thank you lord that you provided opportunities for me to develop my musical talents.  You have made it possible for my musical grainery to be filled with precious musical seed.  Lord I am asking you to help me to plant this precious in the fertile soil of the lives of young Christian musicians in order that they may also bear precious seed for your kingdom.  I am also asking you Lord to help me, in my retirement years, to mentor other Christians around the world to bear precious musical seed for you and to plant it in the fertile soil of the lives of those to whom they minister.  These things I pray in your Strong Name.  Amen.

 

Are Your Musical Seeds Still in the Barn?

Are Your Musical Seeds Still in the Barn?

            Haggai 2:19a states, “Is the seed yet in the barn?”  This verse from the Book of Haggai may seem to be a strange portion of scripture to use for a philosophical thought for today.  How could seed in a barn possibly have ant relevance to a Christian musician?         How does seed get into a barn?  As you well know seed never comes with a barn when it is constructed.  Someone has to place it in the grainery.  Someone has to till the soil, plant the seed, cultivate or spray the plants and fertilize the soil.  After the grain is mature someone has to harvest the seed and store it in the barn.

       How did you get a start musically?  Many Christian musicians are the product of a lot of spiritual and musical cultivation.  It was my home church that gave me a start musically.  It was also my mother and father who provided the money and took me to my music lessons.

       Very few Christian musicians are self-made musicians.   Someone cared, prayed, encouraged, and provided ministry opportunities.  As a result, many of us are loaded with training and practical music ministry experiences and music education.  We owe others a great debt.  Furthermore we owe God an eternal debt of gratitude and responsibility to train others for His Kingdom.  We need to make sure that our musical seed is not sitting idly in our barn.  God does not provide for us so that we can, musically speaking, get all we can so that we are able to can all we get.  God gives to us so that we can get all we can and give Him all we get.  So, we as Christian musicians need to be sure that our life is about taking the precious musical seed and planting it in the fertile soil of young people’s lives.  I do not want to face my Savior, who gave his all for me, with a barn full of musical seed that I was too lazy to plant in the fertile soil of young Christian musicians.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day

If the “new man” has to make changes in various areas of life style, surely this Christian may have to make some changes in the music that he or she allows in his or her life style.  Without doubt this includes worship music and music styles that are closely associated with carnal passions.

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 4

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 4

            One can remove a pig from his muddy wallowing hole, give him  a thorough bath with a scrub brush, but if the pig is allowed to not only return to his wallowing hole but to also again continuously wallow in it, there is absolutely no way that he will remain clean. Psalm 40:1-2 clearly explains, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”  Notice that verse three further explains. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”  The Cambridge scholars AV marginal reading for the words “horrible pit” i.e. shaown bowr (7488 953) is a “pit of noise”.  Again, I find it odd that so many Christian musicians, pastors and church boards believe that the best way to help a Christian, who has passed form death unto life by the born-again experience, is to subject this Christian to the same horrible pit of noise that he or she wallowed in as a carnal un-regenerated sinner who was dead in trespasses and sins.

            Surely fellowships of believers should provide music for the new man which is of a higher renovated character i.e. “new song” chadash shiyr (2319 7892) rather than the music of the old man and the old life.  I am not saying that it is absolutely impossible for Christians to exist spiritually on a diet of fried musical bologna on white bread made from bleached musical flower that has been stripped of almost all of its life sustaining ingredients, but such a worship diet is by no means the best musical diet. 

            Psalm 40:2 also teaches that God had to pull the psalmist David out of the “miry clay” i.e. yaven tiyt (3121 2916) before he could place him upon the rock and establish his goings.  At least by implication these verses in Psalm forty teach that the old song of the old life in the pit of noise was miry clay that held the psalmist down spiritually.  So, YHVH replaced the old song with a new song of a higher renovated character so that he would not be drawn back into the horrible pit of noise. 

           

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day

Ephesians 5:8, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

 

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 3

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 3

            Yesterday we discussed that as important as knowledge of famous visual arts and famous musical compositions may be to an undergraduate student’s general education, such knowledge should never be placed above Bible knowledge of music.  Furthermore, musical knowledge, which has been thoroughly interwoven into every Christian student’s music philosophy that is seasoned with a thorough understanding of music as a part of worship from ancient to modern times, is essential to every student receiving general education that is truly Christian.  It is high time that so-called Christian colleges and universities realize that having Christ’s name as a part of the institution does not automatically insure that its graduates will receive a Christian education.

            Every Christian educational institution denies that it has been squeezed into the world’s musical mold.  However, as I alluded to in an earlier post in this series, multitudes of Christian colleges and universities believe that it is proper to worship with music styles that were created to feed carnal desires of depraved men and women.  This philosophy of music is fed by the belief that the most effective way to music unto God is to make worship exactly like he carnal music of the world.  It seems odd to me that so many Christian colleges and universities believe and teach, at least by default, that the way to music unto the high and holy triune God is to use music that sounds exactly like the carnal music of this godless world.

 

Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day
You can tell what a pastor really believes about musicing unto God by listening to what he puts up with musically from his worship leader.

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 2

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 2

                Yesterday we began this series of posts by citing some of the problems that are facing public music worship today.  Because so many Bible Colleges and a host of Christian universities have been more concerned with liberal arts education than a thorough Bible based Christian education, many undergraduate curriculums are now devoid of any required courses in Music of the Bible and Music Philosophy taught from a bible based Christian perspective.  Although Christian Colleges and universities would adamantly deny it, they have allowed the world to completely influence their broad based undergraduate curriculum decisions.  Although they blame accreditation requirements for the lack of Bible bases music courses in general and professional education curriculums for all students, this is not a fact.

            For instance, they have chosen courses like Art Appreciation, Fine arts Appreciation, and general Music Appreciation which could have been replaced with course like Music Philosophy in Christian Perspective, Philosophy of Music Worship, Music of the Bible, and a Host of other courses such as the History of Music Worship. I know, after working with different Christian and secular accrediting agencies in the US that Christian Colleges can make the above curriculum decisions in their undergraduate general education programs.  So, accredited undergraduate Christian colleges and universities are without excuse when they ignore Bible based music courses that are acceptable as fine arts general education. 

            The problem is not fitting such courses into the general education portion of broad based general education, but rather a lack of the belief that every student must have an understanding of what the Bible teaches about music and musicing and have such knowledge interwoven into his or her philosophy of music.  Accrediting associations give accredited member colleges much more general education freedom than many college academic officers will admit.  However, even if there is not much variety in general education curriculums, Christian colleges can always require some Bible based music courses as a part of all professional programs. 

            Music has become the “war department” in multitudes of churches in the last half of the 20^th century and now in the second decade of this century.  Every church deserves to have a senior pastor and a minister of music that both have a thorough understanding of Bible principles of music and musicing.  Furthermore, these pastors and ministers of music must be able to utilize this knowledge in a well-developed Bible based ministry philosophy.  Churches cannot expect secular universities to provide Bible based curricular offerings for pastors and ministers of music. However, they have the right to expect Christian colleges and universities to provide and require such offerings of each of their graduates.  If this were to happen, much of the shared ignorance would cease, and Churches would be much better equipped to face this post postmodern world. 

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day
Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

 

 

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 1

Graduates Cannot Teach What They Do Not Know-part 1

            “The average pastor today will often admit that he knows very little about music, and generally leaves decisions regarding the music ministry to the song leader/choir director. The primary reason most pastors know very little about music is that they have never been taught a Biblical philosophy of Christian music. Most Bible Colleges today do not teach much in the way of Biblical music standards, and often leave such decisions up to the students themselves as to what they listen to and perform.”  http://www.beaconmbc.com/articles/abiblicalphilosophyofchristianmusic.htm    This insightful quote by Dr. Thomas Cassidy sums up the major reason for the music dilemma that many churches have found themselves facing as we enter the second decade of this century.  Multitudes of pastors are advocating their God given responsibility to be the leader in all matters concerning public worship.  Tight behind them are multitudes of church board members who many times realize that, since they do not even know the names of the lines and spaces, do not have enough knowledge of a Bible based music philosophy to be a leader in matters of public music worship.

            So, what should the church do now that in many Christian institutions of higher learning complete musical ignorance reigns?  Should it give in to the musical winds of continued destructive musical change forced upon it by worldly church attenders who love worldly styles of music?  If the church continues to lead by ignorance of Bible principles of musicing, we will probably not be able to recognize public worship in another decade or two.  Turning over musical worship to a novice or a worship leader who loves worldly secular styles of music that were never intended to be used in worshiping God,  or worse yet a musician who has a “musical ax to grind” and is on a demolition course to change traditional worship at any cost is certainly not the answer.  The “will to power” is a dangerous trait of the canal mind, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)