Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Singing God

Our Lord is a singing God.  It should be a great deal of encouragement for us to realize that God gave us music to deepen and develop our relationship with Him.  But we should even be more encouraged and challenged to sing knowing that He is a singing God.

First, we find in Zephaniah 3:17 the following words - "For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior, He will take delight in you with gladness.  With His love, He will calm all your fears.  He will rejoice over you with singing."  What a blessing to know that He is rejoicing over His own with singing.  Our Lord God, the Father, sings!

Then in Matthew 26:30 at the end of the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus sings a hymn with His disciples on the evening before He is to die.  He needed His disciples to be edified as He approaches the cross, and joins them in singing a hymn.  God, the Son, sings!

Finally, Ephesians 5:18-19 says, "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit."  This indicates that God, the Holy Spirit, inspires songs in believers' hearts as He fills (controls) them.  One of the reasons that we often sense God's presence in an unusual way when we gather to sing His praises is because the Holy Spirit is in our midst, inspiring our songs and our singing!  God, the Spirit, sings!  

How can we dare not sing?  How can we keep from singing?  Mind and heart are engaged with vibrant singing, enabling us to combine truth about God with passion for God!  Music literally reflects the glory and activity of our triune God.  HALLELUJAH!  Let us sing! mjm

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Password into His Presence

During a time of vacation my wife and I stopped by to spend the night with her brother in Georgia. They had invited me to sing and play for the Friday night service of a week-end of revival in their small church outside of Atlanta.  What a blessing to experience a group of people hungry to see God work in their midst, hungry to see folks saved this week-end.  Several were saved and there were many recommitments in the service last night, with more reported this evening and six people saved.  Praise be to the Lord for this great work of God in this small church in Georgia where a small group of people have been earnestly praying for revival.

I was reminded of how, especially on vacation, you often see the words on your computer or electronic device - "access denied" when you don't have a password for web access, etc.  Knowing the password is of the utmost importance when trying to gain access.  I was reminded in that revival service last night the password into the presence of God.

When we approach God through Christ, "we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him" (Eph. 3:12).  "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:19-22).

Without the finished work of Christ we have no access to God.  He has entered a holier place, the heavenly sanctuary, having atoned for our sins and having torn down the veil separating us from God.    As the High Priest and perfect sacrifice, Jesus is our "password" into the presence of God.  It is only Jesus Himself who can bring us into God's presence.  Our access is not based on our skill, our musicianship, or even our sincerity.  Only the finished work of Christ makes our offerings of worship acceptable in God's eyes.  I took the platform last evening with my brother-in-law on guitar, a young teenager on drums, and me at the piano.  With a bi-vocational music minister, we, in simplicity, led worship. I was reminded that it is not the excellence of our offering that makes our worship acceptable, but the excellence of Christ.  We cannot worship the eternal Father apart from the eternal Son.  Our worship is accepted not on the basis of what we have done, but on the basis of what Christ has done.  mjm




Wednesday, October 22, 2014

New Song Summary

Songs matter.  The songs that we sing say a lot about who we are.  They show our values and reveal our experiences.  We are drawn to songs which speak to our experience.  They reveal the songs that we hold dear because they tell our story of grace.  Songs have the power to express what we think, what we feel, our desires... with the power to teach.  Our songs reveal our journey.  

"A new song," as we have seen the last few weeks, is used nine times in Scripture.  Six are in the Psalms, two in Revelation and one in Isaiah.  As we have previously seen they are always in the context of a mighty act of God.  When God moves mightily and does powerful things, His people write and sing new songs.  When we find ourselves overcoming something, when we have gone through grief finding new grace and peace, the old songs won't do.  When we have grown stronger, wiser, and more mature in the Lord a new song is called for.  The new song expresses our response to a growing experience in the Lord.

God not only gives us something to sing about, He helps us sing it.  In these "new song" passages, we have seen "songs of salvation", "the Song of the Lamb", and the God who sings songs.  The other songs may fall away but the song of the Lamb endures forever.

As we sing the "new songs", what do our songs say about us?  Do they describe our values?  Do they show our experiences?  Do they describe where we are going in the Lord?  Do they proclaim that God is with us, and we are responding accordingly?  Do our songs proclaim our journey with Christ, holding His light to pierce the darkness around us?  Do our songs boldly sing of the Kingdom of God at hand?  Let us sing the "new song" unto the Lord now, as one day we will sing the "new song" before the Lamb for eternity!  mjm

Sunday, October 19, 2014

New Song - Rev. 14:3

Wherever we find the words - "new song" we have seen it in the midst of salvation and redemption. But in this passage it goes a bit beyond that.  " . . . and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.  No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth." Here again it is present tense - they are singing. Isaiah indicated that the ransomed would return to Zion with singing. Those who have been redeemed from amidst great difficulty always respond with songs of praise!

But here in this passage as a whole we see not only the new song of redemption. We see also that one of the purposes of trials and tribulations is to produce in us a "new song" to praise to God. This song here is that of victory after conflict with the dragon, beast, and false prophet sung as never before because such a conflict had never been seen.

Those who have been forgiven much and have gone through and endured trouble and persecution are able to better appreciate the gifts of God while others sometimes take them for granted.  We have to remember that God is Sovereign and every tear you shed contributes toward His glory and your enabled ministry to others.

In Him, sorrow and sighing give way to singing the "new song" in joy! mjm

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

New Song - Rev. 5:9

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,  . . .'" (Rev. 5:9) 

A comment about what directly precedes the singing of the new song in worship in the previous v. 8. It talks about golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.  Oh my goodness, hallelujah!  Again, prayer and the new song tied together!  Again, prayer and praise always go together.  And just think, our prayers are collected and held in heaven for worship of the Lamb.

The original Greek word - "adousin" is present tense - "they are singing".  It is a historical present describing an event which has already transpired. This is their continuous blessed occupation. Both the living creatures and elders sing this new song.  I believe when the church is engaged in high praise that we are literally joining the hosts of heaven in singing the new song!  It is the chorus of the redeemed!  The great victory in suffering and death by the Lamb inspires this new song. The suffering Servant has died, and broken the bond of the oppressor claiming by right of purchase you and me as His own; and the price was His blood. 

Here in this passage again, we see that this is for every tribe (smaller divisions of peoples),  larger groups denoted by different languages where every man can learn of the wonderful works of God in their own tongue.  Goes on to mention people and nations, even larger groups.  It simply is saying that this new song is a global thing meant for all kinds of peoples.  The global extent of the gospel is expressed here.  All who have been redeemed from the earth are joining in singing the new song!

The new aspect of the song here is worship motivated by the impending opening of the scroll and the words of this song record the beginning by the Lamb of the events which would quickly lead to the climax of history and the establishment of His Kingdom.  

How important is the singing of the "new song" to our Lord?  mjm

Sunday, October 12, 2014

New Song - Isaiah 42:10

A common thread we see with the "new song" is that there has been an act of mercy, grace, and redemption always found in the context of those words.  Isaiah 42:10 says, "Sing a new song to the LORD!  Sing His praises from the ends of the earth!  Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands." We also see God's heart for the mission of sharing mercy, grace, redemption - the "new song" all over the earth in this context.  The Gospel must be dispersed to distant lands.

In the beginning of the chapter, the prophet sets forth the meekness of the character of the Messiah,  and the extent and blessings of His kingdom particularly among the Gentiles.  As a response to all of this he calls on the whole of creation to join Him in one song of praise to God. Later in the chapter the prophet chastises the Jews for their blindness in rejecting the Messiah.

With this new song he is saying, "Behold my servant Messiah!" So thoroughly hardened of heart are the Jewish people, that they are represented as being a house on fire without even realizing it. And unfortunately this is still true today.  But, thank God, the new song was meant to be sung by Jew and Gentile together as one song as they come to know Him!  

Before we are too quick to judge our Jewish brothers, let us remember that many times we fail in the same way to "sing the new song".  Knowing what is right and not doing it is a fate worse than not seeing it at all.  We know what is right by His Word and yet often do not obey.  We need to commit to walking the walk.  Biblical faith is a lifestyle commitment, not just a study in theology! Let us "sing a new song to the Lord from the ends of the earth!"  mjm

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

New Song 149:1

"Praise the Lord! Sing to the LORD a new song.  Sing His praises in the assembly of the faithful."  Well in this context surrounding . . . "sing to the Lord a new song" we find more interesting emphasis.    We are told to sing the new song among those of God's faithful people gathered for worship.  We are challenged to exult and rejoice in our Maker.  We are told to do it with dancing accompanied by instruments.  And, we are challenged to let the praises of God be in our mouths and a sharp sword in our hands.  Interesting picture of the people of God with His praise in their mouths and His word which is as a two-edged sword in their hands.

In verses 1-5 we find . . . joy to all the people of God, and in verses 6-9 is found. . . terror to their enemies.  Also in these two sections we are challenged to praise Him both in public and in private. Both public and private worship of God, singing the new song, are an imperative for the believer. Spurgeon said that singing the new song is the fittest method for expressing reverent praise to the Lord.  Our singing should be "unto the Lord"; the songs we sing to Him should be of Him, to Him, for Him and through Him!  We are shown here again that the sanctuary is both a house of praise and house of prayer.  Personal praise is sweet to the Lord but congregated praise multiplies the sweetness to the ears of the Lord.  The saints do not gather to amuse themselves with music, nor to extol one another, but to sing His praise whose saints they are.  Spurgeon said, "A congregation of saints is heaven upon earth: should not Jehovah, the Lord of saints, have all the praise that can come from such an assembly."  

Psalm 149 describes worship as exuberant and energized.  To be able to enter into the worship of ancient Israel would definitely be a cross-cultural experience for us today.  The immersion in praise was by no means a retreat from the world; it provided hope, encouragement, motivation, and support to the congregation to join with God in gathering the outcasts, healing the brokenhearted and lifting up the downtrodden.  Healing the world is serious work - God's work - and we are called first to praise His divine work and then to participate with Him in it with a "two-edged sword." We are here on business for our King!

Psalm 149 challenges us to worship by celebrating life, fully resisting all forces that stand in the way of God's justice, salvation and peace.  Can our worship hear and echo the praise of all God's creation, as does Psalm 148?  mjm

Sunday, October 5, 2014

New Song 144:9

I will sing a new song to you, O God! I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp. (Ps. 144:9) In this, another reference to "sing a new song to the Lord," we find it is again a Psalm of David.  David blesses (praises) the Lord in two different ways in this Psalm.  It is almost two Psalms within one.

First, in verses 1-11 David blesses God, telling Him how great He is. He calls Him his rock, his shield, his fortress in praising His greatness with the new song on a ten-stringed harp. David has built his life on the rock.   The new song is once again about the greatness of God in redemption and victory, acknowledging that even Kings need to be rescued and given victory from the Lord God!

Second, in verses 12-15 someone, maybe David, is praying that God will bless His people.  The Psalmist knows that God's love never ceases even when we do not obey Him. They are a covenant people.  Yahweh emphasizes the covenant between God and His people.  God agrees to love and send help to His people.  His people's part of the covenant is to love and obey God.

When we make the LORD our God, He blesses us and we sing the new song and play instruments to bring glory to His name as we seek to obey Him in all things! mjm  

Thursday, October 2, 2014

New Song 98

"Sing a new song to the LORD, for He has done wonderful deeds.  His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown His saving power!"

Of course we again have the idea of putting the old song behind us and singing the new song that God has put into our hearts.  God has shown the vanity of the old song and great victory in the new song.  He contrasts them by implication.

The old song is one of defeat and grumbling just as we saw the children of Israel doing during their delivery from bondage.  But then we see the new song is one of victory as we see the faith of Caleb and Joshua and the song of Moses in Exodus 15.

The old song is one of pride, leading to loneliness and disappointment.  The new song is one of dependence, leading to love and security in the Lord.  We see this illustrated all over the Old Testament. 

"All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation (victory) of our God."  The contrast between the old and the new song is one of ignorance versus enlightenment.  The old song is one of darkness and ignorance; the new song is one of light and enlightenment. 

The new song celebrates the reign of the King with shouts of joy, songs of joy and with instruments of joy as we see in the latter part of Psalm 98.  It is summed up in the words "make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!"

The last part of the Psalm reminds us that the new song will usher in the return of the King to judge all the earth; global judgement with righteousness and fairness to all nations.  Global anticipation and celebrating the return of the King is seen in Revelation, along with the words "Sing to the LORD a new song!".  Our worship then as now must have the new song as a part of it!  God gave the song so we would sing it - glorifying Him! mjm