Thought for the day-Prayer Makes a Difference

                                  Thought for the day-Prayer Makes a Difference

It is one thing to believe that God can supply our need, but it is another to believe that he will do it.

Prayer Makes a Difference

    Prayer Makes a Difference   

Acts 12:5 states, “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church of God for him."

       This Bible lesson recounts Peter’s imprisonment. His marvelous release and how astonished the church was that God had answered their prayer. We may chuckle when we read about a church that prayed and were shocked when Peter showed up at the gate, but we too often react much like them when God answers our prayers.

       I remember when the Music division staff of the college where I worked prayed for a long, long time for a much needed seven foot grand piano that was needed for a piano teacher’s studio.  The staff prayed and I tried to raise money to purchase it, but nothing happened.  Then, much to our surprise, a local television station called the college and asked if the college would like to have a seven foot Baldwin that they had recently rebuilt.  We were all shocked as we stood around this beautiful instrument that had just been given to the college.  We were about to believe that God was not going to supply our need when we were on the brink of a miracle.

Prayer for the day-Lively Stones

                             Prayer for the day—Lively Stones

I thank you Lord for taking a lifeless dead rock and transforming me into a lively living stone.  Lord please help me to continue to be a” lively stone”.  Please continue to build me up so that I will continue to be a useful part of Your spiritual house and a useful ministering servant.  I ask You to daily fill me with your Spirit in order that I may offer spiritual musical sacrifices unto You.  Please endue me with your power in order that my musicing will be efficacious.  These things I pray in Your strong name.  Amen.

Are You a Lively Stone?

                                          Are You a Lively Stone? 

I Peter 2:5 states, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

       Christ the chief cornerstone has chosen us and has made us living stones.  Once we were dead in trespasses and sins, but now we are living stones.  We know from verse nine that we are a chosen generation and a spiritual house. 

       In the Old Testament in Malachi 3:3 it is recorded that God purified the sons of Levi in order that they might be able to offer unto God an offering in righteousness.  The Hebrew word tsadaqah (6666) which was translated righteousness in the AV means sacrificial offerings that were of moral virtue. 

       A musician that is dead in trespasses and sins is not able to offer musical offerings that are spiritual or morally righteous. The reason is that righteous “doing” requires righteous “being”.  In order to be a part of God’s holy priesthood a musician must be a “lively” stone in Christ Jesus.  The word lively which was put for the Greek word zao (2198) connotes life, hence to be alive in Christ our Lord.

       Why must we offer up spiritual musical sacrifices as we music unto God?  The answer is simple.  As musical ministers our musicing may be musical, but they will never be acceptable unto God by Christ Jesus unless our offerings are “spiritual sacrifices”.  So, two bible lessons are taught in I peter 2:5.  First, the musician must be a spiritual person and his or her musical offerings must be acceptable unto God by Christ Jesus.

 

 

Thought for the day-Musicians are Called From Darkness

              Thought for the day—Musicians Called From Darkness

It is no wonder that Christian Musicians are constantly praising God with music. They have been called from awful sinful darkness into the marvelous light of God’s presence.

Christian Musicians are Called From Darkness to Light

              Christian Musicians are Called From Darkness to Light 

I Peter 2:9 states, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye may shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

       Yesterday we marveled in the thought that we have been changed from dead stones to living stones by the mercies of Christ Jesus.  Today we are going to consider five, thoughts found in I peter 2:9.  First, we are a chosen generation; second a royal priesthood; third, a holy nation; fourth, a peculiar people; fifth, a people called from the darkness of sin unto the marvelous light of salvation. 

       It is a marvel to me that I have been called or chosen by God to music unto Him.  I often wonder why God has chosen me to be a part of His royal priesthood.  Why me?  I am small; I do not have perfect pitch or even excellent relative pitch.  I am not from an ecclesiastical background.  I was raised on an eighty acre farm in eastern Kansas. I was a nobody of nobody’s.  But, praise God he lifted me out of the deep miry clay of sin.  He has called me to show forth his praises by musicing unto His matchless and wonderful name.

       God has also made it possible for me, a Kansas farmer, to be a part of His holy nation.  He has also purified my heart by his great power.  Thank God that my savior Jesus Christ suffered without the gates to sanctify me as one of His people (see Hebrews 13:12).

        God has made me a part of his peculiar people.  The Greek word peripoiesis (4047) which was translated as “peculiar” means a purchased people.  I am peculiarly purchased in that Christ did not purchase me with money but through his own blood that he shed for my sins on the cross at Calvary.  I was such an awful sinner that my changed life shows forth the praises of God’s wonderful name.  He has called me from the awful darkness of my sinful life, into the wonderful light of his presence.

Prayer for the day-Ability comes From God

                                               Prayer for the day-Ability Comes From God 

       I Thank you Lord for preparing your servant, even before I was born, to be a ministering musician.  Lord, I give all my musical gifts back to You.  I give all my musical worship to You.

I also give You the glory for all of the musical accomplishments of my life.  Lord, please help me to give all the glory and all the praise for my musicing and the musicing of the musicians in the organizations that I have the privilege to direct.  Please help me to mentor the musicians that you have placed under my care to give You all the glory and honor that they receive for musicing in Your precious name.  Help me to always remember that You will not share your glory with any Christian musician.

Musical Ability Comes From God

Musical Ability Comes From God  

    I Peter 4:11 states, “if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do is as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.”

       As we well know, all musical ability comes from God the creator and owner of music.  So, the Christian musician who considers himself or herself a self-made musician is a religious humanist.  The Book says, “If any man minister let him do it as the ability which God giveth.”

       Contrary to popular thought among post-modern religious humanists, no church musician, performer, music educator, or dog catcher who muses unto God does so of his or her own ability.  If you are reveling in the fact that you studied trumpet at “prestigious University”, you have forgotten that your lips were formed in your mother’s womb by the very God who created you and owns music and music ability.  He foreknew that you were going to play trumpet. So, he formed your lips and your dental structure to make it possible for you to play trumpet well.

       This Bible lesson tells all Christian musicians that if they forget where they received their musical talents, their ability to music efficaciously will be hindered by the fact that God will not receive the glory for their musicing.

Thought for the day-It is Christ

                                                     Thought for the day—It is Christ 

As a Christian musician I want the audience to enjoy my music ministry.  However, if that means that I cannot tell them the complete truth then I must please God rather than my audience.

 

It is Christ,Not Music, That Draws Men

 It is Christ, Not Music, That Draws Men. 

St John 12:32, 33 states, “And I, if I be lifter up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  This he said, signifying what death he should die.

       Christ left no doubt in our minds, in this Bible lesson, that He would die on the cross in order that we could be drawn to him and have forgiveness of sins.  De explained in verse 47b that, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”  So, we know with surety that all who will receive Christ may be saved.  Twenty first century church musicians must remember that it is our responsibility to sing and play the gospel message, and it is His responsibility to draw all men unto Himself. 

       I believe that there is a great need in this century for men and women to hear expository preaching.  There is also a need for expository music ministry so that all will have knowledge of the message of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection as well God’s law and His love for all people. 

       Praise music is wonderful because the blessed Trinity is worthy of all of our praise and adoration.  Although our praises are comely for the upright, they are not the complete gospel message.  The gospel message is the old, old story of the Christ who left the portals of the Glory World, took on the form of man, and suffered, died on the old rugged cross, paid the full penalty for sin, and was resurrected in order that we might have forgiveness of all our sins.  It is through Christ and Christ alone, that we may be justified through the grace that is extended unto us all.  Unless our musicing expounds the full gospel message, it is by far an incomplete ministry.

       Are you musicing the full gospel message?  Does your musicing tell lost men and women that Christ unselfishly shed His own blood for their sins?  Do you music regularly that all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God?  Does your musicing explain that sin separates mankind from a holy God?  Do you sing the entire truth that the wages of sin is eternal death but the gift of god is eternal life only through our Lord Jesus Christ?  If you are musicing these eternal truths, you should take courage because your music ministry will be much more efficacious than if you only sing praise choruses.