by RobertCummins | Aug 11, 2014 | 33. The Song
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth….Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God….Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. (from Psalm 100 NASB)
In the fertile soil of smaller gatherings where questions are permitted, I have discovered that some are puzzled with this week’s theme; The Song. Words were not even necessary. Their countenances posed the question, “What’s singing got to do with me?” Fair question. I love the dialogue that can occur between people who are hungry and searching. I love hearing people’s questions. I love the exchange of ideas among those whose hearts are not so dead-certain pertaining to things about God. I believe the fertility of smaller gatherings is linked to the safety people feel to ask their toughest God-questions.
OK, let’s concede that your pastor may not have recently (or ever) preached on “the song” per se but let’s not abandon the idea too quickly. Let’s just modify it to become; the theme-song. And let’s think about our theme-song as the music that plays over and over in our minds – the same (all to oft) discordant tunes that are so familiar (and yet so harmful) to us. In that case our “singing” would simply be the “living” we have done as a consequence of the music within us. So, “the song”, in this sense, is more important than we think because, as our theme, it is the music playing unchallenged in the backdrop of our lives, coloring all of our choices, dictating the expression of our lives. If you are getting my drift, we are all singing our songs all the time.
Our songs are composed over the course of our lives. Sadly, most never intentionally contribute to their songs. They are just written for us by default by the happenstance of our experience. However, in the tension of high stakes spiritual warfare, the enemy is intentional and we should tremble at the idea and war against any notion of happenstance as it regards our songs. In the cultural backdrop of our lives there is the competing siren songs, gladly serving their demonic masters as our guides; providing us with their own alternate and shaded interpretations of our experience.
If life is just happening to us, a corrupted reality is being imprinted on us by default. If our songs are being shaped by the world, they will become dirges that drive our worst nightmares. It is in this uncensored, unmonitored atmosphere that the prince of this world operates. In carefully metered dosages he injects his well-crafted distortions into society, leading us like unwitting cattle to the judgement that awaits him and all those he may dupe. We must intentionally contribute to our own songs. It turns out, our songs are a life or death matters.
As agents of choice, we (the elect) are not exempt from the war. I’m sure Satan has reveled over his gains among God’s people. Most of us are indiscriminate consumers of popular culture and everything the world is selling. Consequently her (the church’s) song can barely be heard in western culture. However, we can take heart because God too is intentional and being in bondage is not his intent. Given that a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, believe our dirges are destined to become anthems.
One major theme in my song is “the heart”. A few years ago, because of distress in body and soul that was playing out unfavorably in my emotions and in my relationships I began asking myself if something might be amiss with my song. As I looked a bit closer (with help from a few really good brothers) I discovered I did actually have a song within me. The problem however was that it’s title was, It Is Not So Well With My Soul.
I have discovered that another theme in my song is “the Church”. Over the past few years, the Lord has been editing my song. Consequently, the word church has new meanings for me today. I believe our understanding of it has become so distorted that we need to intentionally, respectfully and lovingly re-crafted its definition. Not for all, but for many (if not most), church is a place and/or an event that can be attended. By attending people are made to feel a part of it (kind of) once or twice a week. Hence the questions; “Where do you go to church?” or “What time does church start?” For some time, I have been wondering if it would not be beneficial for us to ask God this question;
“Father, when You sing Your song, what comes to mind regarding “church”? What is Your definition of that word? I can imagine God saying;
“When I think of the Church, I think of my Bride, the One that makes my heart sing. Each of my unique children have their own special songs. They each contribute their unique rhythms, melodies and harmonies to compose the symphony of the ages, “The Song of The Lamb”. It will be sung at our Marriage Supper. I am eagerly yet patiently longing for that day. I am praying for my children that they are too.” (Check out Isaiah 25:6-9 for more about this scheduled event. Please RSVP directly to the Father.)
But, before our songs can merge harmonically and become the sound we were collectively created to make, we must share far more in common than we currently do. Perhaps a good working definition of church that is biblically anchored and spirit led would serve as a good melody line for our song. I don’t know whose in charge of that department so I will just throw an idea out there to those in charge (whoever that is). Here is my best stab……
…..the Church is God’s myriad selection of diverse souls, in whom His Spirit resides; who are learning their indispensable and unique songs and are learning to sing them out joyfully and boldly over cities and nations, all under the direction of the Holy Spirit who, through these long awaited songs, is continually wooing the spirits of men to come home.
Application? Isaiah 26:3 says, “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because He trusts in Thee”.
As I think of what a steadfast mind might look like, I think of “the heart” that is being intentionally and diligently watched over. (Proverbs 4:23). I also think of Romans 12: 2 “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. These verses are simply saying that in the song God is sovereignly making of our lives, we still bear responsibility in its recomposition. We bear responsibility to discover our songs, nurture them in relationship to God’s Spirit and to boldly sing them everywhere we go.
Father, would You teach us our songs? Would You please release those true shepherds among us who are gifted in helping us recognize and care for our own music? Would You continue to sing over us until our hearts and minds are collaborating – enabling us to become those singers You seek who are worshipping You in Spirit and Truth. May Your Bride herself soon produce those harmonic vibrations within the realm of men’s spirit’s, awakening us from our songlessness. Amen.
Application; What is the name of your song? I promise, you have one. Your answer could be very important! When we see each other or exchange stories, would you please tell me the name of Your song? If we are even half honest, that question should stimulate a worthy conversation. An even more interesting experiment might be to ask those around us, “What song do you hear me singing?”
Until we stand before Him…..
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth….Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God….Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
by RobertCummins | Aug 18, 2013 | 33. The Song
Psalm 98
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things….. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.” (Ps 98; 1,4)
“The Song”, I have gathered, has been an anticlimactic theme for a few of you. It would have been less inspiring for me too a few years ago. I would have thought, “Really! A song? I don’t hear anything akin to music playing in me”. And sadly, at the time, I was a teaching elder, a worship leader and the adult Sunday school director. Outwardly, it may have looked pretty good. Jobs were getting done within the local church organization, helping to keep that machine running. The problem was that my inner-machinery was starting to “run hot”.
Three of the warning lights (which most of us learn to ignore) are our emotions, our relationships and our physical health. These indicators in me had been flashing red for some time. Others had seen it but few people were brave or skilled enough to approach a machine that is about to explode. Do you have people close enough to you who can recognize signs of a troubled heart or offer anything more than their sympathy if they do?
Just before my engine (or heart) completely locked up, I was fortunate enough to find three men who understood that everything we do; the entire expression of our lives flows from our hearts.
I do not even know who the first man was. He was one in a team of three prophetic types who were praying for me. At the conclusion of their prayers, this guy spoke up. He asked, “Did you know that you were full of religion?” My response was (to myself), “the heck you say.” I wanted to remind him that we were praying for my back, but instead, I filed this away as one of those mysterious words that often make more sense at a later time. Thanks friend, whoever you were!
The second man’s name was Charlie Finck. He is a counselor with Liberty Cross Ministries in Liberty Lake, Washington. Even though I only spent a week with Charlie, I feel as though I owe Him my life. This may sound like over-dramatization but all I know is that I showed up at his doorstep with no song playing in my heart. I left believing that I was meant to sing. Thank you so much Charlie!
After working with Charlie, I didn’t know exactly what my song was going to sound like; I just knew I had one within me. It took another person to help me discover what my song would sound like. The third member of God’s intervention team was Brad Sprague. Brad calls himself a life-coach. I think of him as a shepherd because he is a man who knows there are songs within us and he lives with a passion to hear them sung. With his toolkit he is able to help folks like me discover their songs and encourage us to begin singing them. Thank you so much Brad!
There is another essential element to escaping songlessness. It is the example and encouragement of other singers. Had I not seen them singing; had I not listened to their songs; had I not heeded their encouragement, I might have imploded. I cannot mention them without risk of forgetting someone. You know who you are. You are the ones in relational proximity to me; those who God has sovereignly placed in my relational networks who have become my community of faith. Thank you for being my family!
And then there are those who have loved me and endured me in my songlessness. Oh how much I owe these people! My wife in particular; Daneille. She is God’s perfect compliment to me. While it appears at times that our nearly polar opposite make-ups could in itself produce an explosion, she has instead been the balance in the marriage relationship that has saved me from isolation. Her steadfast joyful spirit has kept our ship afloat and on course through many a storm. Thank you!
A note about prophetic words. I am just now (after writing the preceding paragraph) recalling that one of those prophetic types had a picture come to their minds as they were praying for Daneille and I 20 years ago. They saw us lashed together to the mast of a tiny ship that was being tossed around in a dark stormy sea. The phrase that came with this vision was, “Best Friends”. These people did not know us well enough to know that Daneille and I were intimately and painfully acquainted with the specifics of that storm or that we had not been fairing well at all n our darkness. That “word” christened our ship as it left one port for another and inaugurated a season of blessing and peace that both Daneille and I marveled at to this day. So, thank you as well , those of you who have found your prophetic voices!
Then there is of course the Lord of Intervention Himself who had heard my cry. “Now, thanks be to Him who has proven that He is able to keep me from stumbling and has enabled me to stand (and sing) boldly in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” (a personalization of Jude 24)
While I am profoundly grateful to those who earn a living as pastors, coaches and counselors, I am hopeful that you and I may someday become the prophetic shepherds to each other. We are called to recognize the life of God within each other; to affirm it and encourage it. Frankly, when I read the New Testament, I do not see as much dependency on professionals as we have today. I don’t see the gift of “counseling” and “coaching” listed per se there. I do see the word “pastor” (or shepherd) which I suspect embodies what both Charlie, Brad and the prophetic do.
The local church, as it it is currently structured, even with the largest and best staffs, cannot cover all the shepherding needs within the body of Christ. There is simply not enough professional to go around. Hats off to those leaders who recognize this and are taking steps to promote authentic community among God’s people where spiritual fathers and mothers are being reproduced and released. Hats off to those leaders who are equipping the saints for service – attempting to train us up to understand the heart; so that, with the Word and the Spirit, we can serve as coaches, counselors and prophets to those within our relational networks, ultimately releasing new songs all around us.
How truly beautiful His Bride will become when His life finds its fullest expression through her and not a single child’s song will be left unsung. Each of us has a special “part” that is uniquely ours and is essential to the song God is composing and longs to hear. I wonder if this will not be The Song of the Lamb.
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things….. ”
Father, may You contend for full dominion over our hearts until every last remnant of opposition to Your kingdom is surrendered. Even if we are models of Christian service, give us the courage to recognize if we are songless, and grant that we might find those around us who are singing; who can model abundant life. Raise up a new generation of your family with prophetic and shepherding gifts who can promote healing and community by virtue of Your life within us. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Aug 16, 2013 | 33. The Song
Exodus 15:1-21
“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted, (since) the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea“. On Monday I proposed that we all have a song and that the living outward expression of our lives is our singing. I even suggested you try and “name your tune”. Maybe I can help you a bit with this project. If this were the first line of your song, how would you complete it?
“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted, (since) He has….. (fill in the blank with your personal experience.)”
How did you you complete your verse? What have you seen and experienced that might have inspired such a declaration? Verse 3 says, “The Lord is a warrior“. What enemies has God overthrown in your life? Those who have been walking with Christ will all be able to fill in that blank with something. As a son or a daughter of God, we just don’t live (sing) without having a story (hopefully many) of our exploits against the world, the flesh and the devil. This is our testimony. These exploits become the lyrics to our songs. We ourselves (with our songs), are the bright beams of Truth that have been predestined to shine into the darkness of our specific theaters of operation. Right here, right now, we are strategically located and divinely equipped to bring glory to God and validity to the claim of the gospel; He is making all things new. Especially us.
Some of us may be protesting here, saying the lyrics of our songs are; “but I wasn’t there to see the Red Sea parted and Israel’s enemies drown. Surely I am exempt from singing so exuberantly. Faith is purely a gift. Some have it. I just haven’t seen evidence that miracles really happen. I don’t have any great declarations to make and it sounds silly to compose music from all my intellectually valid questions.” I know this song well because I sang it for years. I think of this condition of heart as “songlessness”. (I am going to provide the lyrics to Mockingbird by Derek Webb at the end of this post. It’s about what happens in the religious life when we do not have our own song.)
Moses lived in a day when God was just beginning to make Himself known to His chosen race. We are further down the timeline in the evolution of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. In Moses context, the agreement between God and man involved the Law and sacrifice. In the context we enjoy, the agreement involves a better covenant that is administrated through grace and faith. So..instead of waiting for evidence that He can part oceans to serve as inspiration for our songs, we are expected to “ascribe” God credit not just for what we have seen (or not seen) Him do, but…”by faith” we are to “reckon” that He is the same as He we was “then“, that He is “now” and that He will be “forevermore“. So..since in this dispensation where we are to compose our songs via “reckoning” and “faith”, we approach our task of composition by writing…
“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted (SINCE) …………………….
Christ has come, taking our punishment upon Himself; (since) He conquered death in His resurrection; (since) He sent His Spirit, our Helper to earth after His ascension; (since) His Spirit indwells us – animating our previously dormant spirits.
The songs of the faithful will consist of romantic as well as military themes. Much of the bonding and intimacy between us and God develops in the heat of battle. It’s really in the trenches (living by faith) that we discover Who He is and what He is like. Our songs (if we are honest) will include painful events that seem (in the moment) to be a total loss. They will also include glorious conquests where we arise from the ashes. Our victories (to us) will be no less amazing than Israel’s deliverance from Pharaoh. We are compelled to sing;
“Who is like Thee among the god’s, Oh Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?”
Father, I pray that you would pour out the gift of faith afresh upon us, encouraging our spirits to embrace all that You desire to be to us and through us. May our testimonies be updated with fresh encounters with You and victories over our enemy. May Your Bride be equipped with new songs to sing until that day when we see that the knowledge of God has filled the earth as the waters fill the oceans. Amen.
Derek Webb – Mockingbird Lyrics (included because WE MUST have our own songs)
There are days / I don’t believe the words I say / Like a life that I’m not living / A song that I’m not singing but to you
And there are times / That I believe I’m satisfied / Like an intimate connection / Despite this bad reception with you
‘Cause I can’t afford to pay / For most of what I say / So it’s a lucky thing / That the truth’s public domain
And I am like a mockingbird / I’ve got no new song to sing / And I am like an amplifier / I just tell you what I’ve heard / Oh, I’m like a mockingbird
So yes, it’s true / That I need this more than you / Like one whose name is many / Have mercy, please don’t send me away
When I’ll do all I can do / To be a better man / Oh, I’ll clean up this act / And be worse than when we started
And I am like a mockingbird / I’ve got no new song to sing / And I am like an amplifier / I just tell you what I’ve heard / Oh, I’m like a mockingbird
Oh, I’m like a mockingbird
by RobertCummins | Aug 14, 2013 | 33. The Song
Zephaniah 3:14-20
In the early part of this book the prophet speaks of the day of the Lord’s wrath; “And on that day all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.” Then…..
At the conclusion of the book the prophet speaks of the Lord’s mercy, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy….I will bring you in, gather you together and give you renown and praise. I will restore your fortunes before your eyes.”
If we are trying to compose a song from Zephaniah alone our lyrics may not make sense. It would seem God is at cross purposes with Himself. God is committed to gathering His people together to lavish His affection on them from a spot on the earth where He has just brought a terrifying end to all its inhabitants. See what I mean?
To us it is impossible to comprehend how the same God can go from wrath to mercy; from judgement to restoration in 3 chapters. Our comprehension suffers because it really has no choice. One day, it is true; “we will know as we have been known(by God)”, but until then, our grasp of an eternal God is filtered through the lens of our finite understandings.
Finite interpretations lend themselves to the black and white; the “either / or” as opposed to the more complex, “both / and” kind of understanding. Because we (as humans) cannot simultaneously hold onto wrath and mercy, we assume God can’t either. For many it is hard to worship a God they cannot fully understand; who is so unlike them; who, in His dealings with nations and people, does things, that violate their sense of civility. To them God seems cruel or barbaric.
I confess I too am challenged to get my mind around God’s ways in the OT but I am not going to quit reading it or cower in fear before Him because of what may be confusing to me in the earlier part of the Bible. With the latter part of the Bible, He gave us the New Testament as a lens to better comprehend the deep deep mystery of who He is. I mentioned recently a friend who is so offended by God in the OT that He seems to be boycotting everything except what He prefers to think about Him. I want to take him by the hand (or heart) and say. “let it go. Read this. Here is the good news”;
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and many ways , in these last days has spoken to us in the Son, whom He appointed as heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
If our songs are composed strictly of OT understandings of a righteous and angry God our music may sound like a chant or a dirge in a minor key. But… after we see in the NT children being welcomed up onto His lap and realize He has become our righteousness and that we too are now invited onto His lap, our songs should change. The songs of sons are different than the songs of servants! Exclamation points replace periods; rejoicing replaces weeping; chants become anthems and crying turns into laughter.
God is not limited emotionally toward us either. While “He will be quiet in His love” He can also “rejoice over us with shouts of joy“. Zeph 3:12 says that God’s people will be a humble people and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord. Humility includes laying down our protests where we do not understand Him and accepting the tremendously good news that; regardless of men’s posture before God in the OT, we (as His children) can now be kept from stumbling and we can stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy!!
That I can even call You Father is utterly amazing! How amazingly good You are! Thank You that exclamation points are replacing the old question marks! Father, for Your Name’s sake, please gather Your family together and restore the fortunes of Your grace right before our eyes and before the eyes of an unbelieving world! Teach us to compose the songs in our hearts out of the clear simple truths You gave us and may we sing of Your goodness as we pay the bills, buy the groceries, deliver the product or whatever high calling You have entrusted to us this day. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Aug 13, 2013 | 33. The Song
Isaiah 12:1-6
“For although Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou dost comfort me.” Isaiah 12:1-6
When you read the Old Testament are you ever puzzled or does God and all His ways all just neatly fit together? I have one friend who will not read the OT at all because the strain between it and the NT is just too much for Him. I am not so jaded but I do understand the temptation. Here is one of my question-shaped puzzle pieces (in prayer form); “Father, If Christ died for me while I was yet a sinner (which I assume was out of love for me) when was it that “Thou wast angry with me?”
This was just one of the puzzle pieces that the Bible and life’s circumstances had seemed to scatter intentionally all over my game table. For example; there were myriad puzzle pieces related to God’s sovereignty and my powers of choice. Then, there were just as many related to the interplay between good and evil; “Father, You may not be directly guilty but, as the Creator of all things, You are at least “a person of interest” (as an accessory) where it appears that evil contributes to tragic outcomes.”
I wanted so desperately to complete this puzzle so that I could assemble a composite of God (so that it looked the way I wanted Him to look). “Father please give me a systematic theology so that I can better understand Your ways and follow You”. The problem was that it seemed new (and definitely unwanted) pieces seemed to regularly appear. Even more problematic was that when I would try and envision how they fit in, they seemed to form dark and misshapen images of God’s sovereignty and His goodness. “Lord, If You can do all things. How is it that (insert your own nightmare) happened!?” How can this be! I was unwittingly building a case against God in my own heart! I suspect if you have followed the Lord any time at all you know that the accumulation of unanswered questions can contribute to our “songlessness”.
Many in this place, like my friend boycotting the OT, have given up finding God in the scriptures or in life. For them the strain on the mind and soul is too much. There is an unworkable deal-breaking tension between His goodness and the badness of life. There have been vows made to turn our backs on a God like “this”. If you are in this place can I make a suggestion as one whose song is being restored? Be totally honest with yourself and God about Your anger; your heartbreak; your disappointment, even your unbelief. Speak to Him (scream if necessary) with all the emotional honesty you can rally. I promise You, He can handle it. It will in fact be the music He has been waiting to hear from you – a song filled with honest lyrics.
This is really His specialty anyway. Recall; He is the Man of Sorrows who was misunderstood, rejected, abused; who ultimately launched your question and His at God from His cross; “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?”. And then there was King David. Listen to the tenor of His songs when His puzzle wasn’t coming together; “Lord, You have forgotten me. How long until I see Thy redemption?!”
All fallen men have a puzzle to assemble. Some find teachers who help them take half the actual pieces and assemble them into a picture of what they would like God to look like. Others, in anger kick over the game table and say to hell with this puzzle. Then, there are those like king David, (who had the commendable heart before God), who, after venting their heartbreak and anger with God, do what Isaiah does. He chooses to sing…..
” I WILL give thanks to Thee, Oh Lord…..I WILL trust…..I WILL not be afraid…..I WILL joyously draw near…..I WILL call upon His name….I WILL cry aloud.”
It may be that for a time our sacrifice of praise is made out of our will even while filled with emotional pain. But every saint who has carried their cross and worked out this aspect of their salvation will testify ‘there is joy in the morning“. Emotions will wain and wounds heal if they are tended to in His presence. Then.. eventually we can sing with Isaiah before the world and a great cloud of witnesses;
“God You are MY strength and MY song and You have become MY salvation. I have learned to joyously draw water from the springs of MY salvation. You have done excellent things in Me and I will tell my story. I will sing My song.”
One last thing and I pray it will be an incentive for you to begin singing. In the great mysterious economy of God He somehow uses those places of our greatest pain to compose our greatest songs. It is in the process of rewriting the music in our hearts that we truly truly can come to know Him. It is in the daily crucible of life where the personal relationship blossoms; where He becomes our’s and we discover we have always been His.
Father, It is our destiny to sing. Teach us to reclaim our songs from what we have viewed as the ash heaps of our life. Help us to create a new file we label “Mysteries” where we can store our unanswered questions until such a time (if ever) we need to know. Even though our minds cannot catalogue and organize You; Thank You that You have given our hearts the capacity to behold You by faith and to sing of Your goodness. May our hearts return to innocence where we always hold You harmless in our appraisal of life. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Aug 12, 2013 | 33. The Song
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth….Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God….Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. (from Psalm 100 NASB)
I love the dialogue that can occur between people who are hungry and searching. I love hearing people’s questions and their stories. I love the exchange of ideas among those whose hearts are not so dead-certain pertaining to all things about God. In the fertile soil of smaller gatherings, where questions are permitted, I have discovered that some are puzzled with this week’s theme; The Song. Words were not even necessary. Their countenances posed the question, “What’s singing got to do with me?”
OK, but let’s not abandon the idea entirely. Let’s just modify this week’s subject to become; The Theme-Song. And, let’s think about our theme-song as that tape that replays over and over in our minds. It continually plays the same (all to oft) discordant tunes that are so familiar (and yet so harmful) to us. In that case our “singing” would simply be the “living” we have done as a consequence of our theme song. So, “The Song” may be more important than we think, because, as our theme, it is that music that is playing continually in the backdrop of our lives, coloring all of our choices, dictating the expression of our lives. If you are getting my drift, we are all singing our songs all the time.
Our songs are composed over the course of our lives. Sadly, most never intentionally contribute to their songs. They are just written for us by default by the happenstance of our experience. In the tension though, of high stakes spiritual warfare, the enemy is intentional and we should tremble at the idea and war against any notion of happenstance. Because… in the backdrop of our lives there is the competing siren songs of popular culture, gladly serving their demonic masters as our guides; providing us with their own alternate and shaded interpretations of our experience. If life is just happening to us, a temporal reality is being imprinted on us by default. If our songs are being shaped by a demonic temporal reality (however popular it may be today), these dirges of ours will become our worst nightmares. It is in this uncensored, unmonitored atmosphere that the prince of this world operates. In carefully metered dosages he injects his well-crafted distortions into society, leading us like unwitting cattle to the judgement that awaits him and all those he may dupe. We must intentionally contribute to our own songs. It turns out, our songs are a life or death matters.
As agents of choice, we (the elect) are not exempt from the war. I’m sure Satan has reveled over his gains among God’s people. Most of us are indiscriminate consumers of popular culture and everything the world is selling. Consequently her (the church’s) song can barely be heard in western culture. However, we can take heart because God too is intentional and being in bondage is not God’s intent. Given that, a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, our dirges are destined to become anthems.
A major theme in my song is “the heart”. A few years ago, because of distress in body and soul that was playing out unfavorably in my emotions and in my relationships I began asking myself if something might be amiss with my song. As I looked a bit closer (with help from a few really good brothers) I discovered I did actually have a song within me. The problem however was that it’s title was, It is Not So Well With My Soul.
I have discovered that another theme in my song is “the Church”. Over the past few years, the Lord has been editing my song. Consequently, the word church has new meanings for me today. Because of the unbiblical meanings of that word, which we have been conditioned to accept, I truly believe that our definition of “church” needs to be (if possible) intentionally, respectfully and lovingly re-crafted. Not for all, but for many (if not most), church is a place and/or an event that can be attended. People feel a part of it (kind of) once or twice a week. (Hence the questions; “Where do you go to church?” or “What time does church start?” For some time, I have been wondering if it would not be beneficial to ask God this question;
“Father, when You sing Your song, what comes to mind regarding “church”? What is Your definition of that word? I can imagine God saying;
“When I think of the Church, I think of my Bride, the One that makes my heart sing. Each of my unique children have their own special songs. They each contribute their unique rhythms, melodies and harmonies to compose the symphony of the ages, “The Song of The Lamb”. It will be sung at our Marriage Supper. I am eager yet patiently longing for that day. I am praying for my children that they are too.” (Check out Isaiah 25:6-9 for more about this scheduled event. Please RSVP directly to the Father.)
But, before our songs can merge harmonically and become the sound we were collectively created to make, we must share far more in common than we currently do. Perhaps a good working definition of church that is biblically anchored and spirit led would serve as a good melody line for our song. I don’t know whose in charge of that department so I will just throw an idea out there and see if my brothers and sisters would like to add to it. Here is my best stab; I believe;
…..the Church is God’s myriad selection of diverse souls, in whom His Spirit resides; who are learning their indispensable and unique songs and are learning to sing them out joyfully and boldly over cities and nations, all under the direction of the Holy Spirit who, through our long awaited songs, is continually wooing the spirits of men to come home.
Application? Isaiah 26:3 says, “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because He trusts in Thee”.
As I think of what a steadfast mind might look like, I think of “the heart” that is being intentionally and diligently watched over. (Proverbs 4:23). I also think of Romans 12: 2 “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. These verses are simply saying that in the song God is sovereignly making of our lives, we still bear responsibility in its recomposition. We bear responsibility to discover our songs, nurture them in relationship to God’s Spirit and to boldly sing them everywhere we go.
Father, would You teach us our songs? Would You please release those true shepherds among us who are gifted in helping us recognize and care for our own music? Would You continue to sing over us until our hearts and minds are collaborating – enabling us to become those singers You seek who are worshipping You in Spirit and Truth. May Your Bride herself soon produce those harmonic vibrations within the realm of men’s spirit’s, awakening us from our songlessness. Amen.
Application; What is the name of your song? I promise, you have one. Your answer could be very important! When we see each other or exchange stories, would you please tell me the name of Your song? If we are even half honest, that question should stimulate a worthy conversation. An even more interesting experiment might be to ask those around us, “What song do you hear me singing?” Until we stand before Him;
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth….Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God….Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
