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SINGING IN WORSHIP

 

The interest of this research is singing and music as one of the significant element of the congregational worship. It is particularly important because it is a response to God in His revelation and encompasses most of the faculties of man in worship. May I seek to echo the words of John Wesley in his advice to hymn singers in what he wrote in 1781:

“Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself or any other creature. Attend strictly to the sense

In singing we have responses that touch on intellectual, spiritual, moral, emotional, and involvement of human strength in worship.

The intellectual response: All spiritual experience begins in the mind because the very starting point is an intellectual grasp of the truth. This is so because of two reasons:

a)    God made man as a rational human being in His own image

It is for this reason that God addressed Adam as a rational being immediately after the creation. So then God gave him the responsibility of naming the animals and plants – something he did with an astounding prowess. Adam was able to appreciate a logical argument in which God presented the terms of the blessings in response to his obedience and judgment in the face of His obedience. In response to God then man has to use his rational mind in addressing God. This will have some necessary consequence on the content of music.

 

b)    God revealed himself in intelligible words

God did not leave man with some vaguely defined presence, He spoke to him addressing them. The basic conviction of scripture is that God has spoken meaningful words. His truth is propositional – stated in sentences which man, a thinking being, is able to comprehend and respond to.

Man is now fallen and his heart and mind, the very primary faculties, have been darkened (1Cor.4:4). As a result, man in his fallen state may be highly intelligent and may reflect on his intellectual achievements the fact that the image of God, though sadly defaced, has not been totally lost. Yet this leaves the natural man unable to worship God appropriately. In order to worship God acceptably we must do so ‘in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). There must be a communion of our spirit with God in a living relationship of person to person but we must ensure that we do it in ‘truth’ that is, in accordance to His revealed truth, which we have received.

We must adore the true God, and our approach must accord with the terms and conditions that God has laid down. Both the goal of our worship and means of achieving it are to be governed by the truth of God, which He has revealed in the Scriptures.

The Moral response: As long as man lives in ignorance of God, he will live in ignorance of his sin. This Paul makes very clear in Romans chapters 1&2 and he attributes the problem with godlessness (Rom.1:18). Ungodliness leads to unrighteousness. This Paul again highlights by saying man has suppressed the truth of God and as a result the moral restraints are thrown off and even worse, they fail to worship Him as God, “For although they knew God, they did not honor (glorify) Him as God or give thanks to Him but became futile in thinking, and their foolish hearts darkened… because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” (Rom. 1:21, 25, emphasis added)

Once a man accepts the truth, the Holy Spirit enlightens him and then he begins to understand the word of God. Now he not only sees God in his holiness and purity, but also himself in his utter sinfulness and inability. Knowledge of the truth goes together with the conviction of sin and the first response to the message of the gospel is repentance, and then delight in God who saved such a person. When the demoniac at Gerasenes was healed, he begged that he might be with Christ, didn’t he? This means that worship is more than opening up our lips and singing – it is singing what we believe and want are and desire to be in sincerity.

The emotional response: We are creatures who think and act, but we also feel. We smile and frown, we are moved to laughter and sometimes to tears; there is inner warmth and also a chill in our spirits; we can be exuberant and we can be dejected; we can be stirred at an event like a concert to enthusiastic applause or we can be disappointed. Undoubtedly, emotions play a major role in our lives. The two basic emotions are those associated with pleasure and pain. We cultivate experiences or circumstances that leads to our well-being, and avoid any pattern of events likely to cause harm. Men are constituted in such a way that they desire happiness, and try to avoid sadness.

While the Holy Spirit speaks to our minds, we must also realize that He also sometimes utilizes our feelings as He leads from our self-centered sinfulness to faith in Christ. He confronts us with this truth exerting pressure on our feelings so that we are left crying and sorrowful because of our sin. Repentance is often accompanied by sorrow due to the guilt of sin. This is because sin is grieving a Person, the gracious Creator who gave us life. The Holy Spirit not only displays to our consciences the breaches of God’s law for which we are guilty, but He also makes us feel the wretchedness of our rebellion and ingratitude against a loving God. This has to affect our emotions for it comes with heavy pain of disdaining God who wants to do us the highest good. Therefore, songs that express penitence have to come with the feelings of sorrow and somberness.

Faith is also more than response to the Word of God. It is also an emotional love towards the Lord Jesus Christ after hearing the Word. Faith is therefore a delightful response by a person who was lost but can now found, who was blind but now see. There is no question that when a sinner discovers Christ, the Saviour of sinners from eternal damnation, will by all means find delightful joy full of satisfaction for having been known by God and for having been saved eternal peril.

However, it is important that we note the difference between a healthy stirring of the emotions and emotionalism. The latter is when a technique is used which sidesteps the mind and ignores the moral implications of the gospel. It is sadly evident in some meetings, where the atmosphere is deliberately created by means of music or conditioning humor, to make people susceptible. It may also be employed by the preacher who uses a moving story not simply as an illustration but as means of emotional manipulation. It is too often the instrument, which levers people out of their seats to respond to an appeal, which has been accounted by the soft singing, choir, and reinforced by the powerful suggestion of the apparent response by others. This kind of emotionalism is wrong because it elicits a response, but ignores the totality of man’s nature.

A healthy stirring of the emotions is produced by the truth of God applied by the Holy Spirit to the mind and conscience and will. It is from that impact of the Word that the deepest emotional experience emerge, and it is here that we find the secret of the depth of feeling associated in Scripture with the true worship. A true emotional stirring is one that not only stimulates us to worship, but also deepens our spiritual zest and gives us a capacity as well as a passionate desire for deeper experiences of the fullness of God.

Based on these three responses, how shall we sing?

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The Sure Way for you!

My friend, If looking at your life, all you can see is gross abuse of your body, your life, your resources, God has given the way in which sinners are to obtain pardon for their sins, as terrible as they are. This is by trusting in the Jesus Christ. God has said that, “…. Let it be known to everyone of you and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10 – 12)
Beg Christ to forgive you all your sins now, no matter how terrible you have been, He can forgive you. No matter how carelessly, the Lord will give you the forgives of your sins. The Lord is full of compassion and abounding in love. Believe in Christ now!

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How to deal with anxiety:

Ever wondered how to deal with worry and anxiety?

God has the answer in Phil. 4:4-9:

Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Philippians 4:5: Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Philippians 4:6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:9: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

THREE THINGS EXPECTED OF YOU FROM THIS PASSAGE:

1. Rejoice always

2. Pray – Supplications with thanksgiving
3. Think right – that which is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely commendable, excellent, praiseworthy

THIS WILL BE MADE EASIER BY THE END RESULT:

Then you will enjoy:
1. The peace of God both in your heart and in your mind in Christ
2. God of peace to be with you!

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Prophecy and Tongues Today: Genuine or False?

It is the historic position of the evangelical Christians that tongues and prophecy had a very specific role to play in the early days of the Christian Church. Not only were they clearly sign gifts that were given to validate the message of the Apostles, but, in the case of tongues, they served as a warning to the unbelieving Jews that the destruction of the nation of Israel was imminent. In Isaiah 28:11-12 we read:

“For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,’ and, ‘This is the refreshing’; Yet they would not hear.”

The above words were spoken by the prophet to the people of Judah as a declaration that they were about to be judged by God for their rebellion by an Assyrian invasion. The presence of “unknown tongues” was also mentioned by Moses in his prophecy of the ultimate destruction of national Israel found in Deuteronomy 28:49:

“The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand.”

The entire New Testament deals with the scene just prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the termination of the Jewish economy in A.D. 70. God began His warnings to the rebellious nation of Israel through John the Baptist, who was sent to declare that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Following the death of John, Jesus picked up this same theme and began to warn Jerusalem of impending destruction should the people not repent of their rebellion. Of course, the Jewish leaders sealed the nation’s doom when they rejected and crucified their Messiah. It was not until Israel had thus transgressed against her God that the gift of tongues was introduced among the Apostles and their associates on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2); they were then used to call them to repentance. In this sense, they were, as Paul wrote, “for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers” (I Corinthians 14:22a); they served as an indictment against Israel and a public declaration that her “house [was] left… desolate” (Matthew 23:38), and that the Kingdom of Heaven was about to be taken from the Jews and given to another people — the Gentiles (Matthew 8:10-12, 21:33-45).

Having established the purpose of biblical tongues, let us now determine the purpose of prophecy in the early Christian Church. According to Paul, “[P]rophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe” (I Corinthians 14:22b). Since the New Testament canon was still in the process of being written, via the letters of Paul, Peter, and the other Apostles, prophecy served the purpose of edifying and strengthening the infant Church to endure the persecution that God’s enemies were bringing against her, and to offer hope that God’s enemies were soon to be destroyed (Revelation 2:8-11). However, with the close of the canon, this purpose was fulfilled, and prophecy ceased. In Jude 3, we read:

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

This verse is very important in dealing with the finality of revelation and prophecy, for in it Jude clearly anticipated the closing of the New Testament canon of Scripture. The phrase “once for all” is noteworthy. Actually, only one Greek word (“hapax”) is used here, which indicates “what is of perpetual validity, not requiring repetition.” Hence, the Scriptures themselves preclude any further revelation beyond the apostolic age.

Another verse that may be cited in this regard is Ephesians 2:20:

“… [The Church has] been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

These words of Paul tell us that the Apostles are part of the foundation of the Church. A building can have no more than one foundation, and the Body of Christ is certainly no exception. John 14:26 tells us that Jesus had spoken to His apostles while He was still with them, but the Spirit, the Helper was to teach the Apostles “all things.” And bring them to the remembrance of all the things that the Lord Jesus had taught them.

In addition, Paul commanded Timothy to “keep” the “good thing which was committed” in II Timothy 1:14. Clearly, this “good thing” was identifiable or else Paul’s exhortation would have been in vain. Since the Apostles were taught all things, there would be no need for further revelation. Indeed, what can be added to all things? Furthermore, the Apostles’ doctrine became part of the New Testament canon, and because this revelation was complete, there can be no further “scripture” (either verbal or written) added unless proof is given that the apostolic era has not ended. However, as noted above, the apostolic era served as the transition period between the old economy of Judaism and the “new heaven and new earth” (Revelation 21:1) of the New Covenant; once the transition had been made, the apostolic era with its various apostolic sign gifts ceased.

The New Testament, of course, is not the only place from which this conclusion may be drawn. The Old Testament prophets themselves looked forward to a time when revelation would cease to be given by God through His prophets. For instance, in Daniel’s prophecy of the “Seventy Weeks” we read:

“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)

Verses 25-27 make it clear that when the “Seventy Week” period (490 years) began, it would continue uninterrupted until it was completed. Since the prophetic “clock” began to tick “from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem,” which was given by King Cyrus (Ezra 1) exactly 483 years prior to the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River, we can only look for the terminus of this period in the first century. As prophesied, Christ’s death and resurrection made an end of the sins of His people (the elect), and therefore He accomplished the reconciliation promised by God through Daniel (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21). Christ’s people have consequently experienced “everlasting righteousness” because of the fact that we are clothed in His righteousness, which itself is everlasting (II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 3:9; Revelation 19:8). The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 is clearly linked to the “Seventy Week” time frame. This is proven by verse 26:

“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Finally, we come to the phrase, “to seal up vision and prophecy,” which is included within the “Seventy Week” time frame. According to E.J. Young:

“Vision was a technical name for revelation given to the OT prophets (cf. Isaiah 1:1, Amos 1:1, etc.). The prophet was the one through whom this vision was revealed to the people. The two words, vision and prophecy, therefore, served to designate the prophetic revelation of the OT period…. When Christ came there was no further need of prophetic revelation in the OT sense” (Commentary on Daniel, Banner of Truth Trust, 1988, p. 200).

Since there is no fundamental difference between Old and New Testament revelation, and the source of inspiration was the same God, there is no reason to doubt that all giving of new revelation ceased in the first century.

Another passage that closely ties in with Daniel 9:24 is Revelation 22:18-19. Though in the New Testament, it is cited here because it describes in great detail the events which Daniel merely mentioned in passing, particularly the judgment and subsequent “divorce” of national Israel as God’s peculiar people. In this passage we read:

“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

It is acknowledged that the primary focus of this warning was to prevent additions to John’s revelation in particular, but it also bears indirect significance to the entire biblical canon in general. Despite erroneous attempts to place the writing of Revelation sometime around A.D. 96, there is strong internal evidence that it was actually written prior to Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 (i.e. the Temple is said to still be standing in chapter 11). Furthermore, Revelation 1:3, 22:6, and 22:12 demand a short period of time before the complete fulfillment of the entire prophecy of this book. Consequently, Revelation falls within the “Seventy Weeks” of Daniel 9, and since it is thus the last inspired book written, the prohibition of 22:18-19 applies to the entire canon of Scripture.

Finally, we come to Zechariah 13:3-5, which, in many ways, is similar to Revelation 22:18-19:

“It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the Name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. “And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his wisdom when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of course hair to deceive. But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’

The context of this passage of Zechariah places “that day” in the first century (see 12:10, 13:1, and 13:7). There is no denying then that continuing prophecy or revelation subsequent to the closing of the canon is viewed by God as worthy of the most severe punishment, and even of death. Why? Because it is false prophecy in view of the fact that God no longer speaks with men in a revelatory fashion, whether it be via the vehicle of unknown tongues, prophetic utterances, or the writing of additional “scripture.” Indeed, to insist otherwise, is in effect, to say that God’s revelation of Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ is insufficient. The Scripture says otherwise:

“God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the Prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

In closing, it is very significant to note that, aside from various cult groups over the ages (i.e. Montanism, Mormonism, etc.), tongues and prophecy were not recognized by anyone in the history of the orthodox Christian Church as continuing. It was not until the early part of last century that they “made a comeback” in mainstream Christendom with the Pentecostal Movement and gained popularity in the 1960s with the Charismatic Movement. It is also significant that the vast majority of those who claim to possess these gifts today are grossly ignorant of the most basic doctrines of Scripture and are, in many cases, proponents of outright heresy which denies Christ (i.e. adherents to the Faith Movement, the Manifest Sons of God, etc.)

As a whole, modern Charismatics are guilty of willfully rejecting the Word of God in favor of “ear-tickling” false prophets. People who purport to prophesy yet have very little regard for the Word of God are deceivers. Why do they pick a verse here and a verse there if they are committed to the whole Bible? Why do they not an exposition of the whole bible, book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter, verse by verse (Isa. 28:10)? This way they are able to preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27)? But without this exposition, then it becomes obvious that they are withdrawing from God’s people that which is profitable to them – this is the way Apostle Paul looked at this (Acts 20:27). In this passage, the Apostle shows Himself as an example, because he says that while he stayed with these Christians at Ephesus, he lived with a clear conscience before them – he did not covet anyone’s silver or gold or apparel, but worked with his own hands to minister to his own needs and those of others (Acts 20:33-34).

Is this what we find with these preachers who claim big titles for themselves? No! They milk their hearer to the last drop! They demand one thing after the other, trading it for miracles of one sort or another. Lastly, most of these people advertise themselves more than they advertise the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at their posters – they have their own pictures – their names are in bold, large fonts- screaming their names and parading the previous miracle episodes!

Is it in not incredible to think that men who purport to share glory with God will be God’s designated prophet? Are you aware that Dr. Owuor claims to have the Shekinah glory of God descend upon him? I recently saw it on one of his videos on the billboard at the Haile Selassie – Uhuru Highway Junction! I would like you to tell me if such claims are founded on any truth? God has said, “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, now my praise to carved idols.” (Isa.42:8, see also Isa. 48:11)

Does it not seem strange, in light of how God dealt with the Jews for this very same sin in A.D. 70, that He would choose to “pour out His Spirit” upon such rebellious people today via tongues and prophecy, while failing to give such “blessings” to those in the evangelical Christianity who have remained true to His Word and faithful to His covenant? Food for thought, indeed.

Find out the history of these preachers – they have a past scandal of one sort or another. Watch out for those with big titles because the Lord told us to be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees – they parade themselves in a manner to draw attention to themselves!

 (Some part of this article is adopted from, Greg Loren Durand)

 

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The Word of God is not full of suggestions – it is the sacred Word of God!

I have observed the general attitude of all people I have interacted with and even as I watch the television and listen to radio. This attitude is seen most clearly in the movies industry. Many foolishly dismiss God as non-existent and so God says that they are FOOLISH! Two Psalms are written to emphasize this great truth – that atheists are fools (Psalm 14 and 53). They will soon find themselves before the judgment throne of God and answer for their utter foolishness of denying the Lord who created them, gave them life and provided for them. They will sooner than they expect know that they are in great terror.

Many others hope that God is not serious when He gives His commands and threatens punishment to all those who disobey. They hope that somehow God will overlook His own Word! “God is the most loving and because of His love, He will not throw His own people, people that He created in His own image to hell.” This is how many of them argue and comfort themselves!

As I studied many divine revelations from God’s Word regarding Heaven and Hell, there is one thing that is very consistent. The things God warned His people about, would come true at the last day, if they ignored His warning. So it’s useless to hope that God might break His Word, just because someone is a Christian.  For example, when Jesus warned us, ‘unless you forgive your brother when he sins against you, your Heavenly Father will NOT forgive your sins.’ This is true, even if you’re the pastor of a 10,000 member church, or bishop of a church with a billion members, or the most powerful religious leader in the world. So His warnings must be taken seriously, by everyone.

God is holy – in fact thrice holy! He is not going to overlook any sin. And He will not allow any sin in His presence in glory. He will punish all evil doers because He has said, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the  kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice sexual immorality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Cor. 6:9-10)

How else do you think people who practice all these unrighteousness explain this passage (and many more others)? They think that God is not very serious about the keeping of His own commands. He is not serious (or even worse – because this is what it is in effect, it is not true, God is lying!) When the commands are ignored, brushed aside and disobeyed, people are saying that God is not to be taken seriously. Therefore, people are sexually immoral – the unmarried and married alike are involved in multiple relationships, they deceive to conceal their outrageous conduct, sometimes then even kill to cover up (like king David!) Homosexuals whether men or women, whether bishops or pimps on the streets, young or old, have no place in the kingdom of God  others have no place for God, regardless of what human rights society organizations say.

Many others they live to accumulate and amass wealth at all cost… materialism wherever it is – in the church or in the governments or any society, will not be accommodated in heaven by God. Thieves who are as materialistic and lazy as well as greedy, will be locked out of God’s kingdom. Those who love wild parties – of drinking and reviling. Spending all they have for pleasure instead of spending on that which is satisfying, they spend it on fleeting pleasures of this world. These are men who want to gratify the flesh not to glorify God. These are people who are unwilling to invest in eternity – they only invest here on earth, where diseases, moths, thieves and rust soon take away from them. They are left with nothing by the time of their death and by then God also rejects them because they lived a life of rejecting God, who gave them life and everything they have.

The tragedy is this, in several revelations of Hell in God’s Word, there are many Christians that wound up in hell, because they falsely assumed that God would NOT carry out His Word.

We know that by the shed blood of Jesus we are able to get forgiveness for our sins, but it doesn’t allow us to flippantly and continually violate God’s commandments, and live a reckless life. And Christians that do continually break God’s commandments, without repentance, their salvation IS in jeopardy.  This is consistent with scripture.

My friend, If looking at your life, all you can see is gross abuse of your body, your life, your resources, God has given the way in which sinners are to obtain pardon for their sins, as terrible as they are. This is by trusting in the Jesus Christ. God has said that, “…. Let it be known to everyone of you and to all the people of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10 – 12)

Beg Christ to forgive you all your sins now, no matter how terrible you have been, He can forgive you. No matter how carelessly, the Lord will give you the forgives of your sins. The Lord is full of compassion and abounding in love. Believe in Christ now!