George Beverly Shea 1909 – 2013

A young George Beverly Shea, as he started his
singing career.

George Beverly Shea, 104, of Montreat, North Carolina, soloist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), died  (April 16, 2013) Tuesday evening following a brief illness.

Since George Beverly Shea first sang for Graham in 1943 on the Chicago radio hymn program, “Songs in the Night,” Shea has faithfully carried the Gospel in song to every continent and every state in the Union. Graham’s senior by ten years, Shea devotedly preceded the evangelist in song in nearly every Crusade over the span of more than one-half century.

THE BELOVED GOSPEL SINGER TEAMED WITH EVANGELIST FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS.

 

“When I see you in the glory land, if God permits me to be there with you, I just want to go over and sit down for a thousand years with each one of you and talk. Won’t that be wonderful, sit down, by the Tree of Life? And you know we’ll be entertained by all the great singers. There’ll be Sankey, and Beverly Shea, and all of them, over on the hill over there, just a singing the praises of God. We’ll be sitting down by the Tree of Life, where the waters are coming out from under the throne. Won’t that be marvelous? I just long for the day. What does it matter to a Christian that’s really anchored in Christ, for just as soon as this old earthly tabernacle is taken away, we move right into another one, it’s right there. My, isn’t that marvelous? Think, sick, and weary, and broke down, and heartbroken, everything going wrong, the world all in a turmoil, and think well, “Come, Lord Jesus.” The first thing you know, this old shaky body, begins to wither away, and you feel the pains a moving to it, the chilly death moving up the sleeve. Then look standing yonder; there’s a brand new body, standing right there. Just move out of this one, right into that one.” 

~ William Branham, March 2^nd, 1955 The Curtain Of Time

 

I’d Rather Have Jesus – The Lyrics
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Video

I’d Rather Have Jesus – The History
I’d Rather Have Jesus is a song written by Rhea F. Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea. This poem, written in 1922, was left on a piano in the Shea home by Bev Shea who wanted her son to find it and change the course of his life.

The words, I’d rather have Jesus, moved George so much and spoke to him about his own aims and ambitions in life. He sat down at the piano and began singing them with a tune that seemed to fit the words. Shea’s mom heard him singing it and asked him to sing it at church the next day.

George’s life direction did change. He was offered a popular music career with NBC, but a few years later chose to become associated with evangelist Billy Graham and sang this hymn around the world.

I’d Rather Have Jesus – The Bible’s Support

This hymn is about dedication and commitment. To follow after Jesus is costly. Matthew 16:24-26 says: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?’” I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold. . .

Philippians 1:21 reminds us: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead. . .

Philippians 3:8 says, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame, I’d rather be true to His holy name. . .

Praise God for the words of Rhea Miller and the caring of Bev Shea. Because of them, George followed after Jesus and we are blessed with the fruit.

The aim and final end of all music

While cantor at Thomas Church of Leipzig, Bach taught Luther’s Small Catechism.

Johann Sebastian Bach stated:

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. If heed is not paid to this, it is not true music but a diabolical bawling and twanging.”

 President George H.W. Bush stated, February  22, 1990:

“The Bible has had a critical impact upon the development of Western civilization.

Western literature, art, and MUSIC are filled with images and ideas that can be traced to its pages.” 

Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson wrote in McCollum v. Board of Education, 1948:

“It would not seem practical to teach either practice or appreciation of the arts if we are to forbid exposure of youth to any religious influences.

MUSIC without SACRED MUSIC would be incomplete, even from a secular point of view.”

 

Considered the “master of masters,” Johann Sebastian Bach’s works include:

Passion According to St. Matthew; youtube link
Jesus, Meine Freude (Jesus, My Joy!); youtube link
Christen, ätzet diesen Tag (Christians, engrave this day); youtube link                                       and Easter Oratorio. youtube link

Bach wrote more than 300 sacred cantatas, including:

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A mighty fortress is our God); youtube link
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God’s Time is the very best Time); youtube link
Christ lag in Todes Banden (Christ lay in death’s bonds); youtube link                                                         and Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake). youtub link

Godly Music

Here is another excellent article on Christian music written by Bob Jennings:

click link for PDF of this article: by Bob Jennings on 2013-01-12

Music is big in our world, both sacred and secular. It is big in importance; it is big in industry. We have a very musical world.

Music is a marvel often taken for granted. Cows can’t make music. Frogs and birds come closer. But man is musical.

Angels are musical, as it is written,

• Job 38:7 The morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

In Duncan Campbell’s account of the 1949 Hebrides Revival in the north of Scotland, there were two angelic visitations – singing. And the devil, the top angel, is musical, as it is written,

• Isa 14:11 (NAS) Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol, and,
• Eze28:13 (KJV), Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God … the workmanship of thy tamborines and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

The Lord Jesus is musical, as it is written,

• Heb 2:12 in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise, and
• Mat 26:30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

God Himself is musical, as it is written,

• Zep 3:17 He will joy over you with singing.

He is the origin of music. There would be no music if not for the Creator. It is a marvelous gift.

But not all music is good. We should not be surprised, for, if angels can inspire doctrines (1Tim 4:1), surely they can inspire music. The devil takes what is good from God, and corrupts it. So, what makes good music?

I –Words are a very important element in good music

Words are important in God’s economy. One of the names of the Son of God is “the Word.” God has given us a book filled with words. God has chosen preaching, and what is it but words?

Understandability

If musicians could only understand that their words must be understood. It is rare to hear a soloist that can be understood. Most music on the radio, whether secular or sacred, cannot be easily understood. I’ve been to concerts where I could not understand 90% of the singing or preaching. It is barbarianism, as it is written,

• 1Cor 14:11 If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be to the one who speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me.

The point of music is not that you have music and you want to adorn it with words, but rather that you have a message and want to adorn it with music. If the musician can’t get his message across by turning the music down or voice up, then how will the church be edified? How will another say “amen”, as it is written,

• 1Cor 14:16 … how will the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?

Blurriness in speech is likely a mark of the spiritual condition of the nation. Mushy theology produces mushy speech, and much of our music is slurry, wimpy, and whiny rather than bright, cheerful, bold, and straight-forward. But it is not humble to mumble. Rather clarity is a service to the listener.

Content

The content of the words makes for good music. Often Christian music is experience-centered, man-centered, and self-centered – ‘give me, give me’. The content is inferior, lacking sublimity, magnificence, glory, weight, beauty, skill, and theology. The word of Christ is not “rich” in many songs, as it is written,

• Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly … singing.

What makes good music? Words. Words that are understandable, and words that are rich in truth.

II –The music itself, the tune can make for good music

Is there such a thing as a good tune? That is, apart from the words, apart from the listener’s connotative associations and memories, apart from the musician’s spiritual state, can a given tune be good or bad?

First, let’s forget the good or bad aspect and try to demonstrate that music can communicate, that is, it can give off a message. The Lord Jesus teaches this in

• Mat 11:17 We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.

A given tune was expected to produce a certain effect.

There are three elements that determine the quality of a piece of music – the notes, the rhythm, and the volume.

Notes

Granted individual notes are neutral. Like bullets, notes are neutral in themselves; it is only a matter of what is done with them. Or, like letters of the alphabet, they are neutral; it is only a matter of how they are put together. Play the chord CEG on the piano. Now move one finger and play CEF. It is quite a different effect, a different mood. The first is resolution and rest. The second is tension. The first is pleasant and the second is discord. You don’t need to know a thing about music to feel that. There is an inherent message in the sound. An ambulance siren does not need an interpreter. When watching a movie, it is easy to tell by the music that danger is approaching before ever it is seen on the screen. The point? Music by itself communicates by way of the notation.

Rhythm

The beat, that is, how long notes are played makes music speak. Take two hymns, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, and, My Faith Has Found a Resting Place. They are similar in content, but due to the different rhythms, one is lively, and even lends itself to clapping, whereas the second calls for resignation. The composer uses staccato for a reason. Even accent in our speech gives out a message. One might say, “I can tell by the way you said that, you are angry.” Tribal musicians work warriors into a murderous frenzy with drums alone. The drums of a marching band can make the hair stand up on the back of your head with a sense of foreboding power and aggression. Someone observed, beat is needed, but, like heart beat, too much means trouble.

Volume

How loudly notes are played makes music speak. Composers put crescendos in there for a reason. Seventy-six blaring trombones give off quite a different effect than just one playing the same thing softly. Contrast the delicacy of an instrumental quartet with the swelling tide of a philharmonic orchestra or the scream of a rock band. Musicians know volume communicates and they use that plaintive softness or threatening loudness.

A Powerful Medium

Musicians know music is a powerful medium and intend to communicate by music. You would insult a musician if you told him after the concert that his music did not move you. Dr. Max Schoen in his Psychology of Music says,

“Music is the most powerful stimulus known among the perceptive senses.”

Saxophonist Clarence Clemons summed up his new instrumental CD, Peacemaker, this way, “I said what I wanted to say.” Instrumental! The high school pep band expects (obvious by the name) to give off a different message than the chamber band at baccalaureate. The US military used music to drive Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega out of his stronghold. Advertising companies spend big money researching the effects of music. A tune can make words stick in the mind for days. What was so great about the Beatles’ I Wanna Hold Your Hand? It was not the words. Texas barrelhouse piano player Robert Shaw boasted he could throw his hands on the keyboard and make the audience move the way he wanted. In 1913 Igor Stravinsky produced a classical instrumental, The Rite of Spring, specifically to create chaos. At the first concert a mass riot occurred and the theater seats were torn up. My wife and I both witnessed our oldest two children each at age two go into the appropriate dance when a piece of music came on the radio. They could not have learned the dance; moreover they had never seen it.

Jimi Hendrix said,

“Atmospheres are going to come through music, because music is a spiritual thing of its own.”

He boasted he could hypnotize people with music. Another rock star says, “Don’t listen to the words; it’s the music that has its own message … I’ve been stoned on the music many times.”
The preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,

“We can become drunk on music. There’s no question about that. It can create emotional state in which the mind no longer functions as it should be and no longer discriminates. I have known people to sing themselves into a state of intoxication without realizing what they were doing.”

The medical, psychological and other evidence for the non-neutrality of music is so overwhelming, that it is amazing that anyone would seriously say otherwise. Music is never neutral. Words say more, but in varying degrees it will speak.

If music then does give off a message, it easily follows that a given piece of music can be good or bad. That is, music can indeed communicate a message that fits Christianity or does not. It can minister an attitude, stir a mood, create an atmosphere, and make an effect that will express a worldview – either Christian or not. Just as words can rightly or wrongly represent Christianity, so also does music.

Underlying Principles for Discerning

How can we judge music? Here are some Biblical guidelines, some underlying principles that can be applied.

Is the music proper; is it fitting? Certain things are fitting among the saints. Some things are appropriate; some are not.

• Eph 5:3 as is proper (fitting) among saints.
• Php 1:27 conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Just as a suit and tie is not fitting for digging ditches, so we should analyze what conduct is fitting for saints (holy ones). Does this piece of music fit a Christian worldview? One Christian artist says, “Here’s a sound your parents will hate.”

Is the music peaceful and restful?

• 1Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.

Lively music is fine, but screaming, harsh, driving, pounding music is another thing.
Dave Roberts, a columnist for the CCM magazine Buzz says,

“Heavy rock is body music designed to by-pass the brain and with unrelenting brutality induce a frenzied state among the audience.”

Is the music humble?

• Mat 11:28 I am meek and lowly of heart.

Does the music minister submission to the King of kings or does it speak aggression and rebellion? Does it call for surrender to the Majesty on high or is it pushy, daring, and lawless? Does it make you feel like a tough-guy? It is unseemly to have a singer snarl out a commitment to Christ.

Is the music melodious?

• Eph 5:18 singing and making melody in your hearts.

Is the music melodious, bright, cheerful, hopeful, and bold, or is it wimpy, whiny, slurry, and lacking resolution after tension? David made sweet music (2Sam 23:1). The music of heaven is sweet, like harps (Rev 14:2). The harsh, strident, distorted, nasty music does not fit Christianity. Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says, “It’s a noise we make. That’s all. You could be kind and call it music.”

Is music ordered?

1Cor 14:40 all things be done decently and in order.

Is the music ordered or is it chaotic? Some is so unordered that it does not make for congregational singing. It does not fit among the saints.

Is the music sensual or is it spiritual?

• James 3:15 this wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Does the music tempt me to move my body in sensual way or does it remind me I am not a debtor to the flesh, to live after the flesh (Rom 8:12)?

Is there such a thing as a sensual song? We could cite many men of God who would affirm it, but maybe they are biased, old-fashioned, and narrow-minded. If we won’t receive the counsel of godly, then listen to the ungodly. What do the rock stars themselves say?

• Sex and Rock go together like wheels on a car.
• Rock music is sex and you have to hit teens in the face with it.
• The purpose of rhythm is to get into an orgiastic state of losing yourself.

And their bold testimonies continue …

• Rock has always been the devil’s music and you can’t convince me that it isn’t.
• Rock and Roll doesn’t glorify God. I was one of the pioneers of that music, one of the builders. I know what the blocks are made of because I built them.
• Rock is the perfect primal method of releasing our violent instincts. He calls his music Combat Rock and speaks of raping his audience.
• We communicate aggression and frustration to an audience, musically and visually.
• Rock and Roll brings out violent emotions.
• I am sorry that I was involved in the beginnings of Rock and Roll. It has helped to destroy untold millions of young people the world over.
• If I told you what our music is really about, we’d probably all get arrested.
• When performing I don’t know who I am. If someone walked on the stage I’d probably kill. We wanted to blow their minds with our music.

III –The Musicians Themselves Should be Considered

Ironically and admittedly good people can make bad music and conversely, bad people can make good music. But God is nevertheless concerned about who is carrying the ark (2Sam 6:3f). He does not need a demonized girl to preach even if she is preaching truth (Acts 16:16).

The Bible is replete with warnings against false leaders, hypocrites: Mat 7, Acts 20, Rom 16, Gal 1, Eph 4, Php 3, 2Cor 11, 1Tim 4, 2Tim 3, 2Pet 2, 1Jn 4, and Jude. False leaders are many, as it is written,

• 2Cor 2:17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

We are to beware of evil workers (Php 3:2). We don’t want to endorse an unregenerate piper, pastor, music leader, or piano player.

False ministers are peddlers of the word.

• 2Cor 2:17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

They are merchandisers, concert-hopping, money-loving, fame-promoting, compromising entertainers. It is a modern manifestation of the sins of Jeroboam (1Kg 12:30, 14:16) – do anything to get the people. They are crowd manipulators, skilled at working the crowd up into a high –high places that should be torn down.

• 2Chr 15:17 the high places were not taken away.

The world does it better. Let them do it. Was the past not enough for us?

They are not sincere, but are show-offs.

• 2Cor 2:17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

They are not worship leaders but performers, pretending some sensual ecstasy with their eyes closed, breathing out their breathy lyrics with the mic at their mouth. Are they servants or stars? Are they gathering followers for Christ or fans for themselves? As someone observed, they are not saying, “Behold the Lamb”, but they are saying, “Behold me saying, ‘Behold the Lamb.’” Some admit they intend to entertain. Some get the girls to scream at them. It is a fair show in the flesh. It is strange fire (Lev 10:1). And there is this continual attempt to say it ‘cool’, to be a ‘character’, to be cute, clever, and even goofy. But buffoonery and cleverness nullify the cross, as it is written,

• 1Cor 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.

One band, speaking of the resurrection of Christ, says, “You can’t keep a good man down.” It is cheap blasphemy. What happened to simple sobriety and sincerity? How different these men are from the gravity characterizing men of God. How different from the fearful atmosphere of the great revivals when God was present in a manifest way? How different from Paul the apostle, as it is written,

• 1Cor 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
• Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Paul’s ministry was in the sight of God.

• 2Cor 2:17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

He was God-centered, God-fearing. They are afraid to be different from the world and are ashamed of Christ. One Christian artist mentions the name of the Lord Jesus once in nine songs. Some musicians are so vague that it is not possible to distinguish if they are singing about some lover or about Christ. No wonder they are sponsored by beer companies.

Now, it must be admitted that there are gray areas in music. It is an art, not a hard science like math, though God has more math in it than most realize. Each song must be analyzed. And, as we go on in the Christian walk, our tastes and choices are purified. We grow. This is the way of grace. There is much to learn.

• Psa 119:7 I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart when I learn Your righteous judgments.
• Php 1:9, 10 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.

Again, behold the power of good music. When Paul and Silas sang, the earth shook and the jail rattled (Acts 16). When Jehoshaphat went out to battle, he put the singers in front of the army and God set up ambushments (2Chr 20:22). David’s harp drove off evil spirits (1Sam 16:23). When Elisha called for the minstrel, it invoked the hand of God and a spirit of prophecy (2Kg 3:15). Good music pleases God, as it is written,

• Psa 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song … it shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs.

Godly Sorrow

But when it comes right down to putting what you say you believe into practice, and willing to confess the wrong, they don’t do it. It just isn’t there. They don’t have it. Well, that’s real conviction. That’s what we need. We’ve long left that, a long time ago, and swapped it. Prayer, and–and confession, and conviction, we swapped it for emotion, a shaking, or a jerking, or a jumping up-and-down. That’s the reason there is no holding tight, ’cause there is nothing there to hold them, until you come upon the basis of God’s Word, of godly sorrow, ready to repent and make anything right, and do what’s right, ready to live right. I don’t care what the people say, or anything else, you live for yours, for Jesus Christ and what He said. Then you take a church like that, coming back, there is a possibility of it coming. -William Branham JUST.ONCE.MORE.LORD 12.01.63

 

 

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Godly Sorrow

1. Once my sorrow was for the pain of all I stood to lose

And yet my sin remained.

This sorrow, born of my pain,

Kept my heart from turning back to Him again.

 

Chorus 1&2

Sorrow for my sin brings my soul such pain.

Yet this pain I know can lead my soul back to him again.

 

2. Now my sorrow is for the sin that gives offense to God

And stains my soul within.

This sorrow of godly pain hopes

I never give offense to Him again.

 

3. Godly sorrow became the start of the path

That led to a mighty change of heart.

This sorrow out of love helps me find the way back to Him again

Chorus 3

Sorrow for my sin brings my soul such pain.

I know can lead my soul Godly back to Him.

Text:  Steven K. Jones

Music:  Sam Cardon

Artist:  Felicia Sorensen

Heal Me Oh Lord, And I Will Be Healed

Heal Us, Emmanuel

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are
We wait to feel Thy touch;
Deep wounded souls to Thee repair,
And Savior, we are such.

Our faith is feeble, we confess
We faintly trust Thy Word;
But wilt Thou pity us the less?
Be that far from Thee, Lord!

Remember him who once applied
With trembling for relief
“Lord, I believe,” with tears he cried;
“O help my unbelief!”

She, too, who touched Thee in the press
And healing virtue stole,
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace;
Thy faith has made thee whole.”

Concealed amid the gathering throng,
She would have shunned Thy view;
And if her faith was firm and strong,
Had strong misgivings too.

Like her, with hopes and fears we come
To touch Thee if we may;
O send us not despairing home;
Send none unhealed away.

- William Cowper

May He Bring Peace in 2013

OSEH SHALOM

He who makes peace in His high places,
May He bring peace upon us
And upon all Israel,
And say ye Amen.

May He bring peace, may He bring peace,
Peace upon us and on all of Israel.

(this video was recorded in 1984)

(The following quote, taken from the message entitled, Shalom, by William Branham on January 19, 1964 in Phoenix, Arizona was edited for clarity)

Shalom,

to you who have the Word down in your heart,

chosen before the foundation of the world

to hear the Word for this day.

If you don’t, it’s a bad year ahead for you.

If you are, it’s a great world ahead for you,

a great day,

great year coming.

New Year.

Not to turn a new page—a lot of people try to turn a new page on New Years; then turn it back the next day.

Like a little story I was reading the other morning.  A woman hollered in to her husband, who got up early

and went out and got the morning paper, and was reading it.

She said, “Is there anything new in the news?

 He said, “No, just the same thing, only different people.”

That’s about the way it is today, same thing. We have new organizations; same old doctrine.  Just pat it around,

somebody has a little phase of it going this way, or that way.

This is a new day!

Hallelujah!

This is a day that we should rise and shine in the power of Jesus Christ.

Gross darkness is settling upon the earth.

There should be a new day for us.

Yes, indeed, doing it just the way He does it.

But turn to His Word and see the promise that’s promised for this day,

and you’ll know whether you’re living in daylight or not.

Changing the calendar doesn’t change the time.

It only changes the calendar.

Now, closely listen.  Do as David did.

Put your future in His hands.

How?

What am I . . . know what to do, Brother Branham?”

Put your future in His hands.

No matter what comes or goes,

trust Him.

He is the Word.

Now, David said, “His time is in my hands.  Trust in Him all the time.  Always trust in Him.”  He knew who held

the future.  That’s the reason he could say this.  There’s only One who holds the future.  That’s God.

Instead of you trying to hold the future, let Him hold you.

 Some  people  said,  “But  Brother  Branham,  I  have  tried,  and  I  have  tried. . . .”

Isaiah 40:31

But wait a minute,

patience is virtue.

Patience is Holy Spirit virtue.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”

 You say, “How can I wait any longer?”

  

Ephesians 6:13

Just keep on waiting.  When you’ve done all you can do to stand, then stand, see.

Just stand.

“How am I going to do it?”

Stand.

He said, “It’s the truth,” and it’s the truth.

He said, “It’ll happen.”  How, I don’t know, but it’ll happen.

He said so.  He promised it.

If He promised it, it’s going to happen.  That’s all.  They can’t wait.

So now, just remember God took thousands of years to fulfill His promise of a coming Saviour. God took four thousand

years to fulfill that promise.  But He knew from the beginning just when it was going to happen.

He knew.

No one else did.

He just said it would happen.

God With Us!

The ti­tle comes from the well known Isai­ah 7:14: “Be­hold, a vir­gin shall con­ceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im­man­u­el.” Im­man­u­el is He­brew for “God with us.”

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

____________________________________________________________

O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL

Also published as “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel”

Version 1
Compare: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel – Version 2
See: Notes on Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

Words: Veni, Veni, Emanuel (the “O” Antiphons), 
Authorship Unknown, 8th Century Latin;
Published: Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Köln, 1710.

Translated from Latin to English by John Mason Neale, Draw Nigh, Draw Nigh, Emmanuel
in Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences, 1851.
Neale’s original translation began, “Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel.”
Neale only translated 5 of the 7 Antiphons (See Notes, below).

This version by John Mason Neale, “Altered by Compilers.

Music: “Veni Emmanuel,” 15th Century French Plain Song melody,
Arranged and harmonized by Thomas Helmore in
Hymnal Noted, Part II (London: 1854).
Based on a 15^th Century French Processional
(Some sources give a Gregorian, 8^th Century origin.)
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML
Melody Only: MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Alternate Music: “St. Petersburg,” Dimitri S. Bortniansky
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / Sheet Music / XML
“Veni Emmanuel,” Charles F. Gounod (1818-1893)
MIDI / Noteworthy Composer / PDF / XML

Meter: 88 88 88

Source: Louis Coucier Biggs, ed., Hymns Ancient and Modern (London: Novello & Co., 1867), #36, pp. 40-41.
Also found in J. H. Hopkins, ed., Great Hymns of the Church Compiled by the Late Right Reverend John Freeman Young (New York: James Pott & Company, 1887), #48, pp. 76-7.

“The Redeemer shall come to Zion”
Isaiah 59:20

Toby Mac's Music - Got an 'Eye on It'?

Reblogged from ChurchSalt:

I recently saw that Christian singer "Toby Mac" has released a single that has made it all the way to the #1 spot in the secular charts with the song "Eye On It".  Naturally, that made me curious as to what a Christian singer might be singing about that would resonate so well with the lost.  After all, Scripture tells us that we will be persecuted for our faith, that all men will hate us and revile us. 

Read more… 283 more words

"As so many times before, after taking a peek into contemporary Christian music, I am walking away dismayed." Yes, me too.

Christian Internet Radio

http://knvbc.com/player/

Music is powerful. Biblical music is a vital part of the Christian’s life that can do much to foster spiritual growth in every believer. Ungodly music will have the opposite effect, leading us away from fellowship with God. It seems that psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are quickly being replaced in our homes and churches by other forms of music and entertainment.

KNVBC, a local church ministry, will provide Christian music and programming to encourage, equip, and challenge Christians around the world. This unique station will run 24 hours per day. Listeners will be able to tune in anywhere there is internet access.

We believe that Christian homes and churches will be strengthened in the Lord through the daily broadcasting on KNVBC.

Dr. Jack Trieber explains what you will hear on KNVBC:

http://knvbc.com/player/

This is one of my favorite online radio stations. It is nice when I can listen at work too.

If you would like to share some of your favorite online Christian radio station and why they are, please do so in the comments section?

How should a singer or musician respond when complimented about their song or talent?

The following list has been slightly adapted for singers and musicians. It was an original post by Brian Croft, on how should a pastor respond when he is complimented about his sermon. I adapted it for singers and musicians. If you are a singer or musician, how do you respond to compliments?

How should a singer or musician respond when complimented about their song or talent?

“Great job…good song…that really touched me.” The list of phrases one may hear from church members

goes on. Inevitably, whether the song was good or not, these quick comments will be spoken

to us with varying levels of sincerity and it is important that we know how to respond in a God-honoring way.

Here are 4 suggestions:

1) Say Thank You. It is sad when a musician or singer tries to wear a false humility to hide either his insecurities or

inability to know how to receive a kind word. It usually shows up in the response after a kind,

encouraging comment in this way, “Uh…no it wasn’t that good. I missed it here, stumbled over my words

here…” Just stop it and say “thank you for your kind words.”

2) Be grateful for the encouragement. Regardless the comment, if it was meant to encourage you, thank

them for their encouraging words. Be grateful that however small, simple, or even shallow the

comment, someone took the time to share their thoughts with you. Be grateful and receive it that way.

3) Be Humble that the Lord would dare use you. What should humble us more than a hearer taking time to

encourage us about our song, is the fact that God would choose to use broken vessels like us! That should amaze us with every kind word extended to us. When it ceases to amaze us, then we should start worrying.

4) Give God all the Glory. The great temptation when complimented about a song or musical talent or skill is to think the fruit of our labors ultimately is about us and because of us. When a kind word is extended to us about our singing,

make sure God is credited and praised. Not superficially, but sincerely. We can give God glory with our lips in

response, but inside be welling up with pride.

In light of these suggestions, here are a few ways I think it is appropriate to respond to a kind word extended to

us after a song:

“Thank you for your kind words, isn’t God good the way he speaks to each of us through hymns and singing.”

“Thank you for your encouragement, I am grateful to God he used the words of that song in that way.”

“I am grateful you took the time to share the way this song has affected you. This song effected me in

similar ways. God is so gracious.”

Reblogged from: http://practicalshepherding.com/2012/08/13/how-should-a-pastor-respond-when-he-is-complimented-about-his-sermon/

Avoiding The Ditch

Here is a recent newsletter from SoundForth Music. Operating under the umbrella of Bob Jones University, they magnify the good news of salvation through the production of God-focused music.

Colorado, where I grew up, is known for its snow-covered mountains, but with that beauty comes roads covered in snow and ice. One thing you soon learn to avoid when driving is landing in the ditch. Over the last fifteen years of ministry, I have watched many in the music profession wind up in the ditch by chasing trends. The inherent danger with following trends is seen in Isaiah 53:6—“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Because sin is natural to us, we quite often go our own way and make choices according to our own foolish pride, influenced by our own opinions, the opinions of others, and our own circumstances.

Avoiding the ditch is not as easy as it seems, however. Overcompensating will land you in the ditch on the other side of the road—also not a pleasant place to be. Conservative musicians have the tendency to overreact to trends, which only lands them in the ditch on the other side of the road. Some overreact with a love of form, others with a love of beauty and aesthetics. Some are passionate about technique, while others overemphasize ministering from the heart. But whether in one ditch or another, they each are still in a ditch and out of balance. Moreover, they each are convinced that their ditch is where they need to be. They proudly articulate their points, trying to get others to join them in their extremes.

In recent years, Christians have become enamored with the numerous, modern hymns available to the church today. Even though many of these texts are exceptional, Christians must guard against the pitfall of misguided affections—idolatry, in other words. The Jews had a tremendous respect for the Scriptures, but they were in a ditch. Despite their intense studies in the Word, they had become militant defenders of the letter of the Law but had grown completely blind to its spirit. They were fascinated with the text and the form, but they didn’t know God. So what were the Jews doing wrong? They were studying the Word of God as if the love of Scripture were the end itself.

The Christian musician can be guilty of the same extreme today. The use of art or form in worship can become an extravagant substitute for the true worship of God. A routine or superficial approach to the worship service can distract the Christian from the necessities of renewing his mind and deepening his relationship with Christ. He can feel righteous and holy after participating in a well-crafted worship service yet never experience the true joy of abiding in Christ.

Regarding the entrance of all the wonderful new texts and hymns in the Christian community today, I wonder if one ditch to avoid is that of following those who worship and serve the creature (or creation) more than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). As you minister in the days ahead, emphasize the importance of Scripture as the source of all truth but also remember that nothing can take the place of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ—the source of true life.

Kurt Stephens Operations Manager of http://soundforthmusic.com/

What Is Mercy?

I read something the other day which stopped me in my tracks. 

“In Psalm 103 we learn that God does not deal with us according to our sins. Try to maintain an imbalance of mercy and judgment–God is extremely imbalanced in this regard…1000 to 4! His mercy is to a thousand generations and his judgment to the third and fourth generations… Remember also that God’s compassions are new every morning. Make sure yours are likewise.” –MH

It put me on a trail of thought… something I had been thinking about for a few days after a discussion with someone I highly respect. We were talking about a situation where certain christians seem quite adamant to prove a backslider was wrong, and seem almost hell-bent on pushing this person lower and refuse to offer forgiveness. I commented that they are determined to be her judge in everything she does. Do believers really know how to express Mercy? We claim to have received Mercy, and many of us have. But do we readily extend mercy to others? Oftentimes we are too quick to judge others. I have witnessed occasions where Christians are quick to judge and castigate those who have fallen or backslidden and very slow to forgive or show mercy. I do not believe we are called to pass judgement on others. We are not called to judge, yet. Unto him who much is given, much is required. Are we truly living for Christ and living AS Christ would, if we are judging the sinner and backslider and condemning rather than extending a helping hand to pull someone out of the deep miry clay of sin and this dreadful world? God help us all!

I wonder what you think about this topic? Feel free to comment.

Why can’t we help other’s by pointing them in the right direction rather than pointing out all their faults?

HE BROUGHT ME OUT!

My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay,
Who tenderly brought me out to golden day.

Refrain

He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

He placed me upon the strong Rock by His side,
My steps were established and here I’ll abide;
No danger of falling while here I remain,
But stand by His grace until the crown I gain.

Refrain

He gave me a song, ’twas a new song of praise;
By day and by night its sweet notes I will raise;
My heart’s overflowing, I’m happy and free.
I’ll praise my Redeemer, who has rescued me.

Refrain

I’ll sing of His wonderful mercy to me,
I’ll praise Him till all men His goodness shall see;
I’ll sing of salvation at home and abroad,
Till many shall hear the truth and trust in God.

 

Love Demands My All

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Gal. 6:14

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross – Isaac Watts

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

[Added by the compilers of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern]

To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.

_

Hymn Story:
Isaac Watts wrote “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” in preparation for a communion service in 1707. Originally, the hymn was named “Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ,” following the practice of the day to summarize a hymn’s theme in the title. It was first published in 1707 in Watt’s collection Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

Watts wrote five stanzas for the original version of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” However, he put his fourth stanza in brackets, indicating it was the most likely one to be left out, if need be:

“His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree:
Then am I dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.”

Other alterations have been made to this hymn through the years. For example, line 2 originally read “Young Prince of Glory,” but in the second edition of the hymnal, Watts changed it to “When God, the Mighty Maker, died.” It has also been “When Christ, the Lord of Glory, died,” “When Christ, the Great Redeemer, died,” and “When Christ, the Great Creator, died.” In the nineteenth century there were numerous collections with extensive alterations to the hymn.

“When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” is considered one of the finest hymns ever written. It’s the first known hymn to be written in the first person, introducing a personal religious experience rather than limiting itself to doctrine.

In Watts’ day such hymns were termed “hymns of human composure” and they stirred up great controversy. At the time, congregational singing was predominately ponderous repetitions of the Psalms. But this hymn gave Christians of Watts’ day a way to express a deeply personal gratitude to their Savior. The well-loved song continues to stir our hearts today.

Trust And Obey

“I think it’s very important for us to be slow with the trigger. Very important for us to be slow to speak; quick to hear. And you know, If somebody’s got a heart against God, let God deal with that person. Let God deal with that. Our role, our job description does not include judging people who we feel are guilty. That is not our place to do that. God is the avenger of all such; God is the one who will sort it all out in the end. What He wants you to do is obey His Word. And when you make mistakes we can come back to God and ask Him for His mercy and say, ‘Lord forgive me for what I’ve done wrong, forgive me for what I’ve done in error. Lord forgive me for what I’ve done here. That’s not my heart. My heart is to get over this. My heart is to be an over-comer.” - my pastor

Trust And Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

Called To Be Mothers

“You mean that’s all you do?”
That’s all? As a mother, your life is given to taking care of people–small ones, to begin with, whose wants never seem to cease. Sometimes when your days seem to be wholly taken up with wiping things–dishes and sinks, little runny noses and big slow tears–you wonder about what “fulfillment” is supposed to mean for you. You wonder about being (besides the perfect wife and mother) the hostess-with-the-mostest, creative, intellectually productive, beautiful… and slowly your dreams seem to evaporate.
You’ve been listening to what they’re telling us nowadays about how important it is to find yourself, express yourself and assert yourself. Maybe you’re thinking that you’re nothing more than somebody’s wife and somebody else’s mother. And what kind of life is that?

 

There is a tribe in the Southern Sudan called “Nuers” where a woman’s name is changed not when she becomes a wife, but when she becomes a mother. She is “ManPuk”–”Mother of Puka.” Among the Nuers, being someone’s mother is what makes a woman’s life meaningful. Two thousand years ago there was another young woman, of the Jewish tribe of Judah, who understood that truth. The world has never forgotten her–Mary, the mother of Jesus–because she was willing to be known as, simply, Someone’s mother.
Motherhood is a calling. It is a womanly calling… and let’s not be cowed by those who extinguish the light and joy of sexuality by trying to persuade us to forget words like manly and womanly. At the beginning of time when God made the first man and the first woman in His image He put both under the divine command to be fruitful. The woman’s obedience to that command meant self-giving. First she gave herself to her husband–he initiated, she responded–then she gave herself for the life of her child.
A woman knows, in the deepest regions of her being, that it is this very self-giving for which she was made. Single or married, her level of maturity is measured by how much she gives to others. If she’s married, she gives herself to her husband and she receives. If she’s a mother, she loses her life in her child and–mysteriously–she finds it.

A woman knows that no one can really say where the giving ends and the receiving starts. It is no wonder we are confused when urged to look for some “better” or “higher” vocation in which to “prove our personhood.” No wonder we are distressed to be subjected to male standards, or told that the notions of femininity and masculinity are obsolete.
Old fashioned notions they are indeed, but they weren’t our own to begin with. They were God’s. He planned the whole system, and it’s God Himself who calls. He calls some to be single, some married people to be childless, but He calls most women to be mothers. There are, the Bible tells us, “differences of gifts,” and they’re all given to us according to God’s grace. None of the gifts of my own life–not my “career” or my work or any other gift–is higher or more precious to me than that of being someone’s mother.

If our calling is to be mothers, let’s be mothers with all our hearts–gladly, simply, and humbly–like that little peasant girl Mary who spoke for all women for all time when she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38).

Called to be Mothers
Elisabeth Elliot
Published: Jan 1, 1995

God Has Given Me a Cheerful Heart!

“God has given me a cheerful heart, and he will surely pardon me 
if I worship Him cheerfully.”

Franz Joseph Haydn and Friends

 Do you know who said these words? Many are familiar with Haydn’s music, but it is little known that, before his talent was recognized, his life was filled with struggles.

 When Joseph was just a boy, his parents recognized his love for music and sought to develop his skill. A distant relative offered to teach him music, but little did Joseph realize  how difficult this would be–his relatives were stern; they flogged him and often deprived him of food. But this did not deter him.

 

 Eventually Haydn was given the opportunity to sing in Vienna’s renowned St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Two years later, after pouring his soul into this endeavor, he was penniless.   Still determined, he made a promise: “I will never give up.” In due course Haydn received the support of a countess and went on to became the world famous composer we  admire today.

 

 In all of this, Haydn never allowed his success to fill him with pride. Toward the end of his life, he was carried into an orchestral hall, too weak to walk. There he listened to the performance of his famous Creation oratorio. In the grandeur of the moment, as the crowds applauded, Haydn “simply pointed upwards and devoutly exclaimed, ‘The music came from above–from God.‘”

 

May it be with us that, after we have persevered and labored heartily before the Lord, we might say with the psalmist, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1).