Sing, sing, SING!

I love music, always have.  No, I am not a musician and have little appreciation of the finer points of music.  For me, music is an emotional, more than intellectual, experience.  A country ballad evokes one kind of response; a soaring choir anthem quite another.  A good Gospel sound can make me dance (you don’t want to see that) and a song extolling the Majesty of God can open my heart to the Presence of the Spirit. Since worship involves both my mind and my emotions, music is one of the languages of my soul.  And, I am not unique in that. The Psalmist says, "Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. He has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. … Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!" (Psalm 98:1, 4-6, NLT)

We need something of the heart of a little child in this matter.  Ever watched a little one playing happily, singing to herself? She makes up little lines as she goes. It’s not a performance. It’s an overflow of her heart.  As she gets older, she will become more self-conscious and start to wonder if she is ‘good’ or if she ‘can carry a tune,’ but when she is 4 or 5, it’s simply a heart thing.  God, give us the heart of a child, a willingness to let the song of our soul spill out before You! 

Most of us watch a TV drama or a movie and when we are drawn into the story, we forget about the soundtrack. But, it’s there!  Music becomes a way to enhance the experience, to make us ‘feel’ the emotions portrayed by the actors.  It works.  So, let me ask you, what is the soundtrack of your life?  Really, what do you play as you go about the day; as you drive, when you read, while you work?  It’s a question with real merit.  What is playing into your head, will shape how you think and respond.  I grew up in a home where sacred music played all day long.  Those songs shaped my understanding of the Lord, gave me a language to use in praise and worship, and are a part of my spirituality even decades later. 

"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints." (Psalm 149:1, NIV)  "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths." (Psalm 149:3-7, NIV)

And, should you only think this directive is a ‘Psalm’ thing, here’s a word from the Word to take to heart today. "Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:18-20, NLT)

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Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

Opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,

Drive the dark of doubt away,

Giver of immortal gladness

Fill us with the light of day!

Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living,

Ocean depth of happy rest.

Thou our Father, Christ, our Brother,

All who live in love are Thine.

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals join the mighty chorus

Which the morning stars began!

Father love is reigning o'er us.

Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music lifts us sunward,

In the triumph song of life!

Edward Hodges | Henry Van Dyke | Ludwig van Beethoven

Public Domain

JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE

Where will you live - in the lie, in the Truth?

I paid the man to inflict pain on me.  No, I am not having psychological problems. He is a surgeon and the procedure saved my life! Now, that I have your attention, let’s talk about how we deal with the pain that comes our way in life.  The Bible tells us to consider those things to be one of God’s way to bring us to maturity so that we will enter into real life.  "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." (James 1:2-3, NLT)  

When we go through times of testing our minds are confronted with a choice:  believe a lie or believe the Truth. For example, your marriage gets difficult, your spouse distant from you.  The truth is that, in covenant love, you are to pursue the relationship, as you pray for wisdom to love them as Christ loves you.  But, I guarantee you that somewhere in that struggle, you will confront the lie that divorce is the better option, that someone, somewhere would love you better, make you more happy, than that person to whom you’re married.  As the Spirit leads us, we can walk into that situation, joyfully: not because our marriage is bad, but because God will be faithful to lead us to a better and whole LIFE through the difficulty if we pray for His wisdom and walk in daily obedience. Is that costly to Self? You bet it is. But, this is God’s promise: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12, NIV)

Our nature response to hard times in life is often to blame God for being uncaring, unloving, or far removed!  “How could You do this to me?” we cry.  And, often what we’re going through is inexplicable.  Did we bring on ourselves with poor decisions? Did it happen to us because of the sins of society in which we live?  We may never know why on this side of Heaven, but the Word warns us against concluding that God is setting us up to fail! The Word says, “Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us.”  The Message (James 1:13-14)  God allows the circumstances, but it our own Self (corrupted by sin) sets up the possibility of making a sinful choice. That’s why we must pray for wisdom to see through the fog of temptation in times of trial. “Lord, let me see clearly what is the Lie and what is the Truth.” And then, we exercise faith by choosing the truth, even when it hurts to do so.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians thanking them for their prayers. He did not sugar-coat his experiences of persecution. It was rough! But, he spoke with the perspective of being on the other side of those terrible times.  His words are an encouragement to anyone presently in stormy times.  Meditate on this.  Then, pray for Spirit-revealed wisdom and faith to choose obedience. "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." (2 Corinthians 1:8-11, NIV)

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Oh Lead Me

Oh lead me to the place

Where I can find You.

Oh lead me to the place

Where You'll be.

Lead me to the cross,

Where we first met.

Draw me to my knees,

So we can talk.

Let me feel Your breath;

Let me know

You're here with me.

Martin Smith

© 1994 Curious? Music UK (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Our Father In Heaven

The call brought news of a friend’s serious illness.  Hearing the pain in her husband’s voice, my emotions were stirred.  Then, my reflex was ‘let’s pray.’  After decades of walking with Jesus, prayer is like the air I breathe.  Could I pray better prayers? Yes!  Should I spend more time in prayer? Perhaps.  But, prayer often takes me to my Friend, my God.  The prayers of my life are like the other conversations I have; some short, some long, some joyous, others full of sorrow.  Paul said that he prayed often for the people he loved. "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, NIV)

There is a misconception among Christians that keeps some from prayer. They think they must make speeches to God!  No, not at all. The Lord loves when we come to Him, even if it is the incoherent overflow of our troubled heart. Even a child can pray, and the simplicity of their prayers are worthy of our emulation. But, to think that all prayer must be of our own composition is like saying we could never borrow the words of a poet to express our love, joy, or appreciation.

I love the Lord’s Prayer and make it my own, not as an empty form, but as a pathway into His Presence.  What could be more comforting than to borrow Jesus’ own words: “Our Father, in heaven; hallowed be Your Name…” ?  Frequently the Psalms become my prayer book.  They move me to the depths of worship, praise, and intercession.  Praying them, again and again, changes my thoughts, lifting me up into His Presence.   Then, too, I use ancient prayer like this:  “Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy.”  I this breathe this simple supplication when I am deeply troubled or standing alongside of a person in crisis.

A way of prayer is taught in this passage. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will." (Romans 8:26-27, NIV)  We enter into the Presence of the Holy Spirit and wordless prayer forms as we are moved by Him.  We may groan, we may yield to praying in the Spirit, speaking in a language intelligible only in Heaven.  Paul says that this is praying with our spirit, rather than our mind. "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind." (1 Corinthians 14:14-15, NIV)  It is a mystical, but deeply satisfying, kind of prayer.

Christian, do you pray? The way we should live is summed up in the Word. Take this with you and think about it often today. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV)  

Let us pray!

"This, then, is how you should pray:
”‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

 (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)

It’s dark, but we carry the Light

It’s dark, but we carry the Light

Three women who were abducted in Ohio about 10 years ago were found yesterday. They were locked in a house in a neighborhood where there was also a 6 year old child. All indicators point to some twisted kind of slavery, most likely sexual in nature.  (Women found in Cleveland)  One woman managed to open a door wide enough to extend her hand and to scream for help, leading to their discovery and the arrest of three men.  Sex slavery is one of those things you just don't think ought to still exist in the 21st century, do you? But, we're a sex-crazed world it seems. Our culture has sunk to awful depths. The coarse nature of our society reveals itself in the callous disregard for life, the willingness to look past the suffering of the poor, the poverty that traps generation after generation in this ‘land of opportunity.’   Our entertainment solves every social problem with bigger guns and more police. We are fearful and willing to give away our freedom to hang onto some sense of safety.  We’re angry, too.  Listen to the harsh words that flow in our political conversation.  Observe the ways that we argue with one another over the most trivial of issues.

Yes, it’s dark out there! Why?  We have turned to idol worship.  “Come on, Jerry.  First, slavery; now idols?  What are you thinking?”  The Truth!  In Romans 1, we learn that we are made to worship.  If God is removed from the center of our lives, we will give ourselves to something else.  In The Message, we read:  “What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us.”  (Romans 1:21-25)

Before you jump to the conclusion that this all happened because the Supreme Court removed prayer from our public schools, think again.  The sin of America is much, much deeper than a formal prayer in a classroom.  Long before kids stopped praying the Lord’s Prayer in 1^st grade,  we had headed in a godless direction.  Fifty years ago, we took a serious turn in direction. We substituted money for God, personal fulfillment for spiritual devotion,  chasing our own happiness for finding meaning in His ways. It did not happen all at once.  The seeds that produced the present harvest were planted a century ago.

But, all is not lost! God remains Lord of history.  The Holy Spirit still empowers those who love Him. And, Light still streams from those who know, love, and adore the Living Lord Jesus.  "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5-6, NIV)  If we live in the Light, letting God guide us into truth, we will become Light-bearers.  “Let your light shine,” Jesus says.

The light in us must not be dimmed by our own disobedience.  Read this word from the Word and pray for the power to live a holy life that reveals the light. "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:4-10, NIV)

Are you part of the solution (building the Kingdom of Christ) or part of the problem, living in the darkness of sin?

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Shine, Jesus, Shine

Shine, Jesus, shine!

Fill this land

With the Father's glory.

Blaze, Spirit, blaze!

Set our hearts on fire,

Flow, river, flow;

Flood the nations

With grace and mercy.

Send forth Your word, Lord,

And let there be light!

Lord, the light of Your love is shining,

In the midst of the darkness shining.

Jesus, Light of the world shine upon usm

Set us free by the truth You now bring us,

Shine on me shine on me.

Graham Kendrick

© 1987 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055