Prayer, Chorus, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day 
I am asking you Lord to enlarge my passion to help those to whom I minister too musically to lift up their voices with great strength.  Please help me to burst forth into joy as we sing and play the good news during this Christmas season.  Christ is born.  Christ is risen.  Christ is alive and well.  Lord fill me the strength and joy to music unto you during this Christmas season.   Let me so live that my choir and orchestra will experience my passion and glorify my father which is in heaven.  May those who music with me make a tremendous ruwa (7321) of praise to You the Christ of Christmas.  These things I pray in your name.  Amen.

Chorus for the Day “Jesus, Name Above All Names” by Naida Hearn  

Thought for the Day   

If most people were just half as enthused about the good news of Christ’s coming as they are about their favorite football team, everyone around them would hear about Christ’s birth during this Christmas season.

The good News This Christmas Season

The Good News This Christmas 

Isaiah 40:9 states, O Zion that bringest good tidings, get the up into a high mountain; O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.”

       What were those good tidings/  the good news was that Jesus the Christ was coming to dwell among men and women on this earth.  What is the good news of this Christmas season?  It is that Christ came two thousand years ago to save sinners and he is still saving the lost in the twenty-first century.  Christ is still freeing people from the awful bondage and slavery of sin.

       What should we do during this Christmas season?  The people of God should turn up the sound system so that people may hear the good news of the Gospel.  That is what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed.  Get thee up into a high mountain so that people will be able to hear the good news.       Tell the congregation of people and the choir and the orchestra and the pianist and the organist to “lift up thy voice with strength” that Jesus Christ still saves sinners. Do not be afraid to lift up your voice to saints and sinners alike that there is good news this Christmas season.  Tell them,”BEHOLD YOUR GOD”.

 

Prayer, Song, and Thought for the Day

Prayer for the Day

I want to thank You Jesus for leaving the splendors of heaven and coming to this earth for me.  Help me to understand that You are an “everlasting Father” that will never leave me or forsake me.  Thank You for being the Prince of Peace in my life.  Help me to music with tears, shouts of joy, and with great passion during this Christmas season.  Lord, help me to be able to pour out my heart to the musicians that I minister to and with during the advent and Christmas season.  Help me to somehow help them to get a glimpse of who the Christ of Christmas really is and what He has done, and what He will do for His children.  Also, please help me to explain to a lost world that Christ was born in a manger in an unimportant town to live, suffer, die and rise again in order to conquer sin, death and hell.  Praise your wonderful name.  These things I am praying in Your strong and wonderful name.  Amen.  

Song for the Day    “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” by Fanny Crosby

Thought for the day

Never forget that the Story of Jesus told through music is the greatest musicing you will ever be involved in your entire musical career.

 

The Reason Christ Came to Earth

The Reason Christ Came to Earth

Isaiah 9:6 states, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
         All these wonderful names of God give us a glimpse of who the Christ of Christmas is and what He does for us.  He did not come to earth for Himself.  He came for you and for me.  That was His sole purpose for leaving the splendors of heaven and being born in a lowly manger.
       Be sure to remind all the musicians who are “under your hands for Christmas song” and all the people to whom you minister musically the reason Christ came to earth.  Tell them that God the Father gave the greatest gift possible to us on Christmas day.  He gave his only son to be our wonderful counselor and mighty savior.  The government is upon His shoulder!  No matter how mixed up things seem to be in this present world, God is in control.  He is a wonderful mighty God who can and will take care of everything that perplexes his children.
       Some of the musicians that you work with did not have a father during their growing up years.  Remind them during this Christmas season that Jesus is an everlasting Savior and friend and an “everlasting Father”.  He will bring peace out of the troubles of life because Jesus is “The Prince of Peace”.

Prayer for the Day

Prayer for the day-The Baby in the Manger  

 I Thank You Lord for making me one of your music ministers.  It is a comfort to know that You know where I am and what I am doing.  I know that Your eyes are over righteous musicians and your ears are open to their prayers.  Help me to keep my attention on what You have called me to do.  I am asking
You to not let me become sad or bitter over the fact that my music ministry is largely unnoticed by most people.   I thank you Lord that you care and that you notice everything that I do.  I also want to thank You that You will make this Christmas season blessed as I music unto Your matchless name.  These things I pray in Your wonderful name.  Amen.

The Baby in the Manger Was the Creator of Music

The Baby in the Manger was the Creator of Music 

St. John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

       At this time of Christmas, we should be reminded that the baby in the manger was the creator of the world and all that is in it.  The author, owner and creator of music came to this earth and dwelt among men and women.

       Think about it, the creator of music lived on this earth.  We do not know how often He musiced, but we do know that He sang a hymn with His disciples  (Matthew 26:30) before he we went into the Mount of Olives to pray. 

       The creator of music lived on this earth almost unnoticed by the world.  Yesterday we talked about the birth of Christ in an insignificant little town in Judah.  Today we are considering the almost unnoticed Christ.  If the creator of music went almost unnoticed by the world, what makes we who are Chief musicians think that the world will notice us?  Most of us will never be the slightest bit famous or of any concern to the world.  We will work hard in an insignificant place of ministry unnoticed by the world.

       We need to understand that our reward is “out of this world”.  Most of us will never be rich and famous in this life.  However, as His ministers, Christian musicians are laying up treasures in heaven. 

 

Song and thought for the Day

Song for the day, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks 

Thought for the day-The unimportant Town 

We sing the song “Little is much if God is in it” but sometimes I cannot help but wonder if we believe a word of what we are singing.  Also, they may build a bypass around your town, but they can never cause God to bypass you or your ministry.

 

The Little Unimportant Town

The Little Unimportant Town

St. Matthew 2:6 states, “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art thou not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”  

       St. Matthew quoted this Scripture taken from Micah 5:2.  The occasion was when the wise men from the east came to Jerusalem to enquire of Herod where they might find the Christ child.  Herod immediately sent for the chief priests and scribes who made reference to the well known prophesy in the book of Micah.

       Think of it, little insignificant Bethlehem Ephratah was the chosen place for the birth of God’s son Jesus Christ.  It certainly was not a large significant impressive important city to most people’s thinking at the time of the birth of Christ.  As a matter of fact it was identified as the least of the cities of the princes of Israel.  However, God used it and it is remembered among the great cities of ancient Israel.

       Where are you Christian musician?  Has God placed you in the middle of nowhere, way out there in Smirgley Junction?  Do people who happen to blink when they pass through the place where you are called to minister miss the whole town?  Has the Department of Transportation built a bypass that completely misses your complete town?  Ate you catching on?  You may not be ministering in Chicago, San Francisco or New York City, but the place where God has called you to minister is still important to God’s kingdom.

       Little Bethlehem became the birth place of our precious Savior.  Shepherds on a nearby hillside were visited by the heavenly hosts and held the first Christian worship service for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Think of it, they experienced Christ’s presence first as they worshiped Him with music.

       Take heart, you may not have a huge choir or orchestra.  The stage setting for your Christmas production may not cost 200,000 dollars but you are still vital to the kingdom of God as you honor Him during this Christmas season.  God has made it possible for you to touch lives with your Christmas musicing.  Make sure that your worship is genuine in order that God may anoint your production in order that it may honor and glorify Him.  Make sure that your musicing is vital and real as you tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love for all mankind

Prayer for the Day--Filling Your "Gas Tank"

Prayer for the day-Filling your “Gas Tank”  

Forgive me Lord for trying to be Superman or Superwoman.  I confess that I am not able to bear all the pressures that are surrounding me at this Christmas season.  Please Lord, would you pick me up and hold me in the hollow of Your mighty hand.  Lord the “snow drifts” of life are too deep for me to walk through.  I am asking you to walk before me so that I can walk in your big footsteps!  Thank you Lord.  Now I know that I can make it through the busy Christmas season.  These petitions I pray in the name of God.  Amen. 

Filling Your Spiritual "Gas Tank" at Christmas

Filling Your Spiritual “Gas Tank” at Christmas 

Isaiah 40:31 states, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  

       Yesterday we talked about God preparing the salvation road so that we could experience His saving grace.  Today we are going to talk about musicians taking time to be holy.  Each Christian musician should take a moment and take a spiritual inventory.  Every busy Christian should think about refilling his or her “Spiritual gas tank”.  We are eleven days into the month of December.  Many musicians are in the midst of Christian music program preparations.  When one is so very busy, it is easy to become empty spiritually.

       Many times Christian musicians run almost “empty” during the Christmas season.  We rationalize that there is just too much to do to read, meditate on God’s Word, and pray.  So, as a result, we run out of gas right in the middle of a rehearsal.  Our spiritual engine spits and sputters because our eight cylinder spiritual engine is only hitting on two cylinders.  At this point we cut off some poor tenor’s head for chewing gum or we growl at the two giggling sopranos that refuse to settle down and rehearse. 

       What causes us to make such mistakes?  I’m sure that you are way ahead of me.  You have already figured out that these outbursts are the result of nerves and a lack of taking time to be holy.    These mistakes take place because you failed to wait upon the Lord and let Him renew your strength.  The only way that you will be able to soar like an eagle when you are under pressure is to let God take off some of the load that is on your back.  Right now ask Him to remove the part of your load that you are not able to carry any longer.