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 pubically 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, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day 

Lord I want to thank you for the gift of music.  Thank You that You have chosen me to be one of Your musical ministering servants.   Please help me to be quiet before You so that my heart may be “tuned” to the will of the Holy Spirit for musicing unto God.  These petitions I bring to You knowing that You will tune my heart, if I will only turn my heart and mind toward You.  Amen.  

Song for the Day “At the Name of Jesus” by C.M. Noel  

  Thought for the Day     

Before you music unto God be sure you get quiet before the Holy Spirit so that he can talk to you about your music plans for the service.

 

Preparing to Sound

Preparing To Sound  

Revelation 8:6 states, “And the seven angels which had seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”  
       In the Book of Revelation at the time of the opening of the seventh seal, seven angles were given seven trumpets.  The opening of the seventh seal was serious business.  When the seventh seal was opened “there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Revelation 8:1B).

       Musicing unto our heavenly Father is serious business today.  If the angels in heaven needed to prepare themselves to music in the presence of God, surely Christian musicians need to prepare themselves each time they minister in God’s house. 

       The ministering servants in heaven were quiet before God for about a half hour as part of their preparation for “sounding” in His presence.  Likewise, we as ministering musicians must have a time of quietness in the presence of God before “sounding’ i.e. musicing unto our heavenly Father.  It is my opinion that public music ministering should be somewhat like an ice berg.  By that I mean that there is much more hidden beneath the surface than the part that the church attendee witnesses during the worship or evangelistic service. 

       Christian musicians spend years “tuning their harps’ but many times, because they are so busy, spend little time “tuning their heart” before ministering publically.   How much time do you spend “tuning your heart” before musicing unto God?  It is very important to prepare our music before we minister, but it is just as important to prepare our hearts, by practicing the Presence of God, before we come before His presence with musicing. 

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, I thank You for Your faithfulness to me during this busy, busy season.  Thank You for helping me to feed your people with my little musical lunch.  Lord, it may have been small, but I gave it all to You.  Help me to remember that it was my responsibility to give 100%, and it was Your pleasure to feed the hungry people with my meager lunch.  Help me to keep believing your Word that encourages me that I am doing the will of the Father.  These things I am praying in your name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “O Come All Ye Faithful” Latin Hymn

Thought for the Day

Can God trust you to make right decisions?

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

Peace with God     
Romans 3B-4 states, “…we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience; And patience experience; and experience hope…”  
       When things aren’t going well musicians often quote “tribulation worketh patience”.  However, I have never heard a Christian musician say, “I glory in tribulation”.  I know that I am not thrilled when I go through trials.  Neither do I pray for patience knowing full well that such a prayer might bring about even greater problems in my life! 

      I believe that the point that St. Paul was making was not that we should ask for tribulation, but that the Christian has peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord when he or she is surrounded with trouble.  The Christian musician is able to see “good” in whatever situation he or she is facing.  It is not always possible to see “good” in a situation while you are going through a trial, but a Christian knows that “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). 

       As a Christian we go through times of trouble, and when we do, it is important to remember that God cares about our everyday lives.  Knowing this, we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ no matter what type of tribulation we face.  This peace gives us a lively hope in god as we learn patience, gain experience, and greater hope in Jesus Christ our lord. 

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

Lord, help me to be thankful for who You are and what You have done for me personally.  You are the rock of my salvation.  I want You to know that I love You Lord.  Help me to shout your praises and sing with great acclamation about Your saving grace.  These things I pray in your name.  Amen. 

Song for the Day “Holy Ground” by Geron Davis  

Thought for the Day    

When you don’t understand what God is doing in your life make sure your heart is full of love and adoration toward Him.

Singing to the Rock of Our Salvation

Singing to the Rock of Our Salvation   

Psalm 95:1-2 states, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”  (NIV)

       Why do we sing unto the Lord?  We sing because our hearts are joyful.  We are so excited about Jesus the Rock of our salvation that we shout aloud because of the thanksgiving and praise that wells up in our hearts.  Because of this joy we come before His presence with thanksgiving.

       What does it mean to extol the Lord with our musicing?  The word ruwa (7321) which is justly translated extol in the NIV means to shout aloud or to music with great strength.  It does not connote noise making as the AV would suggest.   The word todah (3034) which is translated thanksgiving means literally to extend the hands in worship. The words music and song in the NIV and psalms are derived from the Hebrew word zamiyr (2158) means to accompany a song with instrumental music.  So when we extol God with our musicing we sing with great strength songs accompanied with musical instruments. 

       Because we joy in the presence of the LORD, we shout aloud the praises of the self-existent, eternal God who is.  We enhance our praise music by singing with instrumental accompaniment.  Because Jehovah is worthy of praise, we lift up our hands in avowal to the triune God. 

       Chief musician, is your heart full of mighty praises to our wonderful Lord?  If not, remember that God is the Rock of your salvation.  As you remember who He is and what He has done, and what he is capable of doing, you can actually come into His presence with praiseful musicing.