proclaiming the Word through music

Just had a blissful time sharing a workshop with brother Patrick and sister Gabby. Spoke on the role of music in proclamation of the Word. One of the roles of music in praise worship is to proclaim the Word or reinforce the Word.

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:17-21

Christian music should always emphasise the message the Word of God not the music, nor the musician. Christian music is not meant to be entertainment, it is not a performance, a concert or a talent show. Music is to be worship, a ministry as unto the Lord.
Dr. Frank Garlock has written: “Contrary to popular opinion, sacred music is not for entertainment. Christian music is first and foremost a vehicle for praise unto the Lord.” (Music In the Balance)
St. Augustine, observed: “When I am moved by the voice of him that sings more than the words sung, I confess to have sinned.”
However, much of what is presented as Christian music today not only emphasises the musician, but the medium completely overwhelms the message. In all too many cases the message is vague, ambiguous, obscured or incomprehensible.

Worship and singing are sometimes weapons of spiritual warfare eg. (2 Chr 20:20-25)
King Jehoshaphat's victory over the enemy through the power of praise caused the enemies to be confused and defeated.
Singing prophetically to the enemy about God's goodness and the enemy's defeat can bring victory. Another eg. Moses and the sons of Israel sang at the crossing of the Red Sea. (Ex15:1-18)

Good worship music, lyrics, and singing proclaim truth about God and His Christ. Jesus’ Person and Work are to be both the subject and object of the church’s praise. In addition to the Old Testament Psalms, the New Testament contains, alludes to, and quotes from several apostolic era hymns. For example, it is thought by scholars that the Kenosis passage of Philippians 2:5-11 was excerpted from an ancient hymn. Paul’s poetic lines in 1 Timothy chapter three, and verse sixteen, are thought to have been part of an ancient hymn.[16] Other Scripture passages quoted in the New Testament evidence that they were probably ancient Christian hymns (John 1:1-14; Ephesians 5:14; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 1:18-24; 2:21-25; 3:18-22; Revelation 5:9 ff., 12; 12:10-12; 19:1ff.). These hymns exhibit profound Christological content that the Holy Spirit, whose ministry is to bear witness to Christ, led the apostles to quote and include in the New Testament (See John 14:26; 15:26-27.). Spiritual songs are “teaching” songs! (Colossians 3:16, Greek, didaskō)

We also managed to check out the sanctuary at PLCMC for the upcoming Oops Asia worship concert with Patrick and Gabby. The acoustics is great and would need to try out the instruments in July when the band is down. Looking forward to an exuberant time of worship and fellowship!

sowed a good seed today

Had a fruitful time today ministering to a referral from One Hope. This is a heart rending story. The lady in question is a mother of five and her husband was apprehended for drug possession. His car ended up being impounded and her son was the guarantor . Managed to strike a good deal with the finance company to allow reasonable repayment . Been seeing more of such cases of late. I believe that during this difficult period, God is also opening the door for us to sow more deeply into the lives of others. I am always reminded by KP Yohannan's well known sermon on the call of Christ , that we are his eyes, his hands, his ears, his feet , being sent out to the world, to minister as he did. Indeed the Bible tells us that if we claim to be in Him, we must walk like him.

HELP IN THE PURSUIT OF HOLINESS

Although God has called us to holiness, this is not something which we can achieve on our own unaided.

Romans 6:11 " In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus".
How does this help us in our daily battle against sin?
Firstly, it gives recognition to the fact that we are united with Christ in all his power. We are united with the ONe who is at work in us to strengthen us with his mighty power.

Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones says:"To realize this takes away from us that old sense of hopelessness which we have all known and felt because of the terrible power of sin...How does it work? It works in this way. I lose my sense of hopelessness because I can say to myself that not only am I no longer under the dominion of sin but I am under the dominion of another power that nothing can frustrate.However, weak I may be, it is the power of God that is working in me."

Another implication flowing from being alive to God is that He has given us his Holy Spirit to live within us. In 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8, Paul writes :
" God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God who gives you his Holy Spirit".

We are exhorted to "Live by the Spirit " and we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature : Galatians 5:16

The Holy Spirit strengthens us by enabling us first to see our need for holiness and cause us to become aware of specific areas of sin in our lives which we may be struggling with. Jeremiah 17:9 says " The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" None but the Holy Spirit can do so. Once we can see God's standard and our sinfulness, it awakens within us a desire to be holy. It leads to godly sorrow and repentance : 2 Corinthians 7:10

PURSUIT OF HOLINESS

"Pursue holiness , for without holiness no one will see the Lord" hebrews 12:14.The word "pursue" suggests two thoughts namely(a) diligence/effort required (b) lifelong task. Holiness is a process, something which we never completely attain in this life but rather as we conform to will of God in one area, he reveals to us needs in another area.

Holiness is for me
"For sin shall not be my master because you are not under law but under grace"Romans 6:14
To be holy is to be morally blameless and be separated from sin and therefore, consecrated to God. The word "holy" signifies "separation to God and conduct befitting those so separated.
"To live a holy life is to live a life in conformity to the moral precepts of the bible and in contrast to the sinful ways of the world.1 thess 4:3-7
Paul used the term in contrast to life of immorality and impurity
1 peter 1:14-16Peter used it in contrast to living according to evil desires we had when we lived outside of Christ
Revelation 22:11John contrasted one who is holy with those who do wrong and are vile.

To live a holy life is to "put off old self which is being corrupted by deceitful desires... And putting on new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness " ephesians 4:22-24.

Why do we not experience holiness in daily living?

A. Our attitude towards sin is more self centred than god centred. We are more concerned about our own victory over sin than about fact that our sins grieve God.Contrast pharoah, balaam, saul, judas and david.God wants us to walk in obedience not victory. Victory is a byproduct of obedience.

Second problem : we have misunderstood "living by faith" galatians 2:20. We have personal responsibility for our walk of holiness.I can put away sinful habits that plague me if I accept personal responsibility for them.Third issue : we do not take some sin seriously.The holiness of God1 peter 1:15-16"But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written :" Be holy, because I am holy."Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.

A W Pink said " Holiness ... Consists of that internal change or renovation of our souls whereby our minds, affections and wills are brought into harmony with God" ( The doctrine of Sanctification)
God is light and in Him, there is no darkness at all 1 John 1:5
Acknowledging his holiness is one of the ways we are to praise Him.Revelation 4:8Isaiah 6:3Exodus 15:11Habbakuk 1:13"Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong."We need to cultivate in our own hearts the same hatred of sin God has.
See attitude of Joseph in Genesis 39:9God judges each man impartially 1 Peter 1:17.
The more we grow in holiness, the more we hate sin.Psalm 119:104:"I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path".
HOLINESS IS NOT AN OPTION

God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life 1 thessalonians 4:7
1 corinthians 1:2Whole purpose of our salvation is to be holy and blameless in his sight . Ephesians 1:4Holiness is not a condition of salvation but part of it.
Noone can trust in Jesus for true salvation unless he trusts in Him for holiness.Grace empowers us to be holy Titus 2:11-12.
Without holiness, we cannot fellowship with God. If we cherish sin in my heart, Lord would not have listened. Psalm 66:18God requires that we be serious about holiness, that we grieve over sin in our lives and earnestly pursue holiness.

Holiness necessary for effective service to God . 2 timothy 2:21Holiness necessary for assurance of salvation. 2 corinthians 5:17Holiness of ChristChrist's moral purity magnifies our impurity. Isaiah 6:7 " see.. Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."The more we grow in holiness, the more we need this assurance that the perfect righteousness of Christ is credited to us.Holy spirit makes us more aware of our lack of holiness to stimulate us to deeper yearning and striving for holiness but satan will use this to discourage us.Solution is to flee to the rock of our salvation. I flee there not to be saved again but to confirm in my heart that I am saved thru righteousness alone.

"Just as I am without one pleaBut that thy blood was shed for meAnd that thou bidst me come to theeO lamb of God, I come."

Christ's life is meant to be an example of holiness for us. 1 peter 2:21

Change of kingdoms

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless , that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been freed from sinRomans 6:6-7
God has made provision for us to live holy life but we also have responsibilities.Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Romans 6:12We must reckon ourselves dead to sin. Through our union with christ, we have died to sin and set free from sin .Though delivered from reign of sin, sinful natures still reside and are in conflict. Galatians 5:17.

fruitful weekend in Christ

Its been a fruitful weekend in Christ. On 1 May, Oops Asia had the privilege of ministering at the Annual CAC event held at Queenstown Methodist Church through One Hope Centre. We heard powerful testimonies from recovering clients on how God has delivered them from their bondage of gambling and transformed their lives. In particular, there was a couple , a taxi driver and his wife who were reduced to their wits end after the husband had chalked up huge gambling debts. Through One Hope, they managed to resolve their debt problem and found salvation in Christ. Sister Gabby also presented a powerful moving rendition of her song " I trust in you" which ministered to many.

This evening, we were treated to another powerful testimony from Kelvin Soh, a well known chinese/hokkien gospel singer at the Mother's Day dinner at Singapore Recreation Club. He shared his life testimony. A former drug addict, he had been in and out of prison for twenty years and could not find the strength to kick the habit but through the redemptive grace of our Lord, he finally broke free. Without any formal music training, he started to write songs and has todate produced five albums and a vcd of his life testimony. Wow! I could see many tears rolling down the cheeks of those present as they sat glued to their seats whilst he spoke his heart on how God has changed his life. Truly, we serve a living God.

A Rwandan"s confession

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

Such unflinching commitment and singlemindedness is alas lacking in our modern day churches> Instead, our churches resound with the songs of the lukewarm :

Blest Be The Tie That Doesn't Cramp My Style
Pillow of Ages, Fluffed for Me
I Surrender Some
I'm Fairly Certain That My Redeemer Lives
Sit Up, Sit Up For Jesus
Take My Life and Let Me Be
What An Acquaintance We Have In Jesus
Where He Leads Me, I Will Consider Following
He's Quite a Bit To Me
Oh, How I Like Jesus
Fill My Spoon, Lord
It Is My Secret What God Can Do

We mourn for the lukewarmness... the fact that many can carry on their normal lives, unconvicted by the fact that each day, each hour, each minute, there are people being sent to a Christless eternity.

A Sower's Prayer

On sunday, we were blessed to have Dr David Geisler share his heart on evangelism in our church. Dr Geilser spoke about the challenges of evangelism today. One of the challenges is the erosion of truth. It is hard to proclaim forgiveness of sins and need for repentance to people who believe that morality is relative and that they have no sins which require forgiveness. Hence, the need to expand the evangelism paradigm today . Dr Geisler also addressed the need for pre-evangelism today. This entails tilling of the soil of their minds and hearts to prepare them to be at least willing and open to hear the truth. What really struck me though was the reasons why Christians are not evangelising as much as they should be. One reason is that we ourselves dont realise the degree to which we have been forgiven: see Luke 7:47. As Christ said: "For those who have been forgiven much, they love much." We need to be reminded daily about how much we have been forgiven. Another reason is that we often forget the urgency of the task at hand and we lose the eternal perspective of things.

As I was mulling and reflecting over these gems of wisdom , the Lord placed the words of a song in my heart at 2 am on Monday morning. Its a song called " A Sower's prayer" and the lyrics run like this :

A Sower's prayer

Lord, Help me sow one seed for you today
Help me draw someone closer Lord to you each day
Make me a channel of your blessing from above
That I may be your instrument of hope and love

Lord, help me pass your gift of love along the way
That I may touch one soul for you Oh Lord each day
And may you bless each seed that I may sow
And cause that little seed each day to grow

Chorus

Enlarge my heart oh Lord that I may see
How much every soul means to Thee
For you sent your only son to die on Calvary
Forever grateful for the price you paid for me


Lord, help me sow one seed for you today
And help point someone to the Cross along the way
In the way someone had sown a seed in me
And helped me find my way back home to Calvary

Repeat Chorus

I am going to do a demo of the song whilst the melody is still fresh in my mind and share it with others. Lets continue to seize every opportunity to sow into the lives of others . Amen.