With music such a large part of today’s culture it is important to recognize its role and influence and then approach it through a biblical world view.  Is music good for Christians to listen to, should they listen to secular music, is a particular style of music more reverent than others and how should Christians pick their music?  These are questions that Christians should ask themselves as they turn on the radio, listen to online, and purchase song’s on iTunes, because this is a decision that is going to influence who they are regardless if they realize it or not.

1. God gives man the ability to not only enjoy music, but to create it as well.
God gives man the ability to use is his voice (Exodus 4:11) to praise Him and be His voice.  This can either be in speech or in song (Exodus 15).  God also gives man the ability to invent and play musical instruments (1 Chronicles 23:5) and then go on to write music (I Kings 4:29-32).  Robery Wolgemuth writes:

“Monroe Dourte played the harmonica to the delight of all of us (eight children and their spouses, thirty five grandchildren and their spouses, over a hundred great grandchildren), His crystal blue eyes sparkling as he serenaded.  He loved to sing.  No one was ever concerned about covering the tenor part when he was around.”[1]

The ability to enjoy music is a gift from God and “the Bible is filled with references to music. It establishes music making as an important part of worship for all Christians.” [2] But is all music good for men?

2. Music is so much a part of who we are that it influences our mood, our being and our spirit. Ronald Camerrer put’s it best when he writes, “music is good for the soul,” but the opposite can also be true as well. [3] When a powerful scene in a movie is viewed, music accompanies that scene.  Why? Because the director knows that music gives the scene dramatic effect.  Therefore we know that music has an effect on everyone.  Christians need to be discerning about what music they listen to as it can either build you up or tear you down.

“The two-pronged goal of a Christ-centered music program should be to enable a child not only to participate in uplifting musical activities but also to make the kinds of musical choices that will build him up in the Lord.”[4]

3. Music is A moral, but the themes behind the music are not. Painting is not any more Christian than sculpting, nor is sculpting any more Christian than sketching.  But it is the artist intent that changes if the subject matter is building up men or tearing them down.  Music is much the same.  The question Christians need to ask themselves is, what does this music say, is the music positive, is it saying things that contradict the word of God? If in any way the music does not honor God, then it should not be a part of a Christian’s collection and would quickly put into question the musician/s as a whole.

God created music as a way that man could express himself in a wonderfully creative outlet; however man’s sin has corrupted music and uses it to accompany depraved practices.  None-the-less, that does not mean than Christians should abstain from music, rather they need to develop the ability to judge music on its merits and recognize and appreciate the good songs and reject the bad songs.

---

[1] Eareckson, Joni Tada and MacArthur, John and Wolgemuth, Robert and  Wolgemuth Bobbie and Dennis, Lane T. What Wondrous Love is This (Crossway Books, March 8, 2002) p. 59.

[2] Kuehmann, Karen and Tipton, Nancy. Music 5: for Christian Schools ( Bob Jones University Press. v. 1989) p. 4

[3] Camerrer, Ronald Pursuit of Peace: Footprints on the Bluegrass Gospel Jam Trail (AuthorHouse, 1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, In 47403, 2008) p. 107.

[4] Kuehmann, Karen and Tipton, Nancy p. 4

Recently I was asked, “what kind of art should Christians enjoy?”  Should we only own christian art, what about nude art and is Thomas Kinkade really Christian art?

It is typical for Christians to believe that God created the world with great beauty using a wide spectrum of mediums and thus has given man the ability to use and enjoy this splendor as a means of praise to God. The Bible goes on to say that he has gifted some to be artist (Exodus 31:2-5) and that man should use this their artwork to exalt the Lord (Psalm 145:10).  However, does that mean all artwork is good artwork?

1. Is all so called art, really art?
Just because one calls a piece of paper or sculpture artwork, does not mean that it is artwork at all.  In fact, artwork requires skill and craftsmanship. God demonstrates this when he calls on skilled craftsman to work on the Tabernacle and does not have just anyone work on it (Exodus 36:35).  Artwork is a craft that is honed and perfected by the artist.

To be sure, this does not mean that simply because a self-proclaimed artist calls some object art, that it is art. To the contrary, the foregoing guards against this error. If a work is art, it is so because of its grounding in a cultivated skill set; the declaration of its maker does not make it so. If a product is disconnected from its relevant skill, the art label is in reality groundless.[1]

While artwork is subjective, it should show skill and talent that has been crafted over repeated trial and error.

2. That leads to the next question, “Is secular art good?”
Expressing a personal like or dislike by saying, “This is good art, or This is bad art,” “This piece is beautiful, or This piece is ugly,” does not truly determine good art.[2] Good art for the Christian is art that honors God and those who honor Him.  It can be a statue of a working family that honors all those Christians who toiled in the fields; it can be a painting of mother and newborn baby that gives honor to our Christian mothers.  However, sinful men produce bad art when they created pieces that do not honor God or those who love him.

Serrano’s two foot high cibachrome photograph of a crucifix in urine has a fashionable, chic gold-and-red appearance. That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, voluntarily left heavenly glory to be born through the legs of a woman, to be tortured and die on a Roman cross for my sins (1 Cor. 15:3–4; Phil. 2:5–8) is indeed like being immersed in feces. What a Savior! Descending into the hell of our dirty human excrement. However, Andres Serrano spoiled his ingenious artwork with a “Piss Christ” title, letting his disaffection with the plethora of plastic crucifix junk sold at pilgrimage places in myriad Latin Catholic countries trip him up into a sophisticated, self-righteous dig at the Church, with malice aforethought, as it were.[3]

Chrisitans need to be discerning (Phil. 1:9–11) about art.  They do not need to be concerned about the medium used or if nudity is in the art.  Rather they need to look at if the artist showed craftsmanship and honored God in his or her work.  Now go enjoy your local art museum!

---

[1] Jacobs, Nathan, “How Should Christians Be Stewards of Art?” Journal of Markets & Morality Volume 12, Number 2, 2009: p. 373

[2] Jacobs, Nathan p. 369

[3] Seerveld, Calvin “How Should Christians Be Stewards of Art? A Response to Nathan Jacobs” Journal of Markets & Morality Volume 12, Number 2, 2009: p. 381

What happens to babies when they die, what if they are still-born, what if the baby is aborted while still in the womb, or a death of a young child and even special needs children?  When a family looses a baby to death it is one of the single most difficult experiences any parent could go through.  It is then very natural for parents to wonder what happens to a child when they die? Christian parents wonder if their child is held responsible for their sins since they have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.  They are left wondering if their child is doomed to hell since only those who accept the Lord are saved (Acts 16:30-31)?

What does one say when one who is so young and tender dies?  Is there any hope for the parents when one so young and precious dies? Does the Bible give any promises of hope about their fate? These are the questions I face as a pastor. These are questions I would rather not have to deal with, but we live in a fallen world and death is part of it, even death of a child.

I do believe children will be in heaven, but theologically I am still working through this question.  I see verses that tell us we are to be like little children “But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”” Matt. 19:14. When King David lost his child he said  to his servants that one day he fully expect to be with his son again.  “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:23.   Some may argue that David was simply referring to physical death, but I find that hard to accept since David was a very spiritual man who was very familiar with God and the after life  The truth is though, this is not an easy question to answer.

Not everything in the Bible is always clear cut.  The Bible tells us that God is three individuals and yet he is one?  While we have a lot of good analogies to explain this, none of them perfectly fit and eventually break down under scrutiny.  I do believe the question, “Do babies go to heaven?” is another good example of one of these though questions.  However, I do see strong evidence that babies do go to heaven even though many may say otherwise.  Most importantly, I do know without any doubt that everyone who is supposed to be in heaven WILL be in heaven.  God will never say, “oops, that one slipped through my fingers.”  Be comforted with the fact that all those who are supposed to be in heaven will eventually be in heaven.

If you watched the Academy Awards on TV you know that the above words precede the presentation of an Oscar. This award is given for, among other things, the best performance by an actor or actress in a starring role. For them, this is their time of public recognition, it is their crowning glory. They are being recognized, not for who they are in real life, but, as an actor…for who they pretend to be in a scripted role. This ability to pretend is why they are called actors.

In the time of Jesus, the Greeks had another word for an actor. It was the word ‘hypocrite.’ If you were acting on a stage, in a performance, in front of a live audience, there was nothing shameful about being called a hypocrite. However, Jesus used this word in a derogatory manner to describe those who were putting on an act in real life. They were pretending to be something they really were not. For them, their performance was all about themselves. “Look at me,” their actions said, “See how religious I am.”

Jesus illustrates their hypocrisy by several random examples in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, as it reads in The Message translation. He says of hypocrites, that, “They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior…their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. ” Jesus says of them, “You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment the absolute basics- you carelessly take it or leave it…you’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.”

They were guilty of only ‘acting’ out a religious role, doing things that honored themselves and not doing the weightier things which pleases God. Hypocrites like this are very good at what they do. There ought to be an award for them, perhaps a “Judas” statuette.

We would do well to learn from these examples and others given throughout the Gospels. Let’s examine our own lives to make sure we are not merely acting out a religious role that has no reality with God’s Word. We can fool people with our hypocrisy, but we can’t fool God. He sees right through our hypocrisy and says, “Woe unto you, you hypocrites.” I hope that you are not auditioning for the ‘Judas’ award. It’s only given to hypocrites. Just remember, “If you is who you ain’t, then you ain’t who you is.”

“And the Award goes to….?”

Like my father in heaven, I am very creative. In fact I’m really good at visual art with an interest in doing some sculpting. The best part about posting on this blog is that I get to create little pictures to go with each entry.

I am really happy when I get to see the art work of men and women who are far more talented than myself, because they serve to encourage me to do better. I love walking through a museum and finding those two to three pictures that just capture my imagination. I look at how the blue colors interweave into the flesh of dying or dead man, the flow of a brush stroke that gives the tree its texture and the focal points that draw the eyes to the artists main subject matter. I go home and emulate the very paintings that inspired me and create a work that is original and unique, but what if I could not see?

If I could not see, would I still continue to create? Could I paint when I could not see the canvas? Would I paint the warmth of the sun if I could not see it’s rays?  Yes, I would still continue to create.  I’m not sure how or what I would create, but it is a part of who I am. Ludwig van Beethoven continued to create music even though he could not hear and John Milton continued to write even though he could not see. It is part of how God created them and it is how God created me. How would you react?

If you like to paint would you still do it if you could not see? If you are a runner would you still be in a marathon if you had no legs?  If you love to sing would you still find ways to make music if you got cancer in the throat?  Would you?  Could you deny that part of who you are, because it got more difficult to do the things you love?  I pray that I never loose my sight, but if I did it would only be temporary and I will still continue to create.  I give thanks to God for my sight and my ability to create.  Now go do the very things that God made you to do best.

Praise God and Amen.

What are some of the things that God has given you the ability to do well?

Did you know that in the International Version of the Bible that the word “fear/feared” is mentioned 326 times? The most commonly used is “fear the Lord.” In fact in 2 Timothy 1:7 it says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

In society, we fear a number of things, but to fear the Lord, means we should love, honor, and obey him. Satan wants to use our fears to keep us from fulfilling God’s work and in some cases prevent us from talking about Jesus to other. When we suffer, he wants us to stay in that state of mind rather than turning to God.

“You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.” Deuteronomy 7:19

An article on the subject of fear said that an estimated 80% of Christians today are oppressed by a spirit of fear. For me fear kept me from doing things and now I’m learning to give it all up to God to overcome and grow from my fears. Proverbs 11:9 says, “Through knowledge the righteous will be delivered” and 1 John 4:18 says, “perfect love casts out fear.”

I’m learning that the more I lean on God, the less I have to fear about trivial things. I fear God, not in a bad way but in the way that we were intended. To overcome fear is a daily battle as each day we are tempted with what evil presents to us and it seems easier to give into the fear than to fight to overcome it. When we have faith though, we bring God’s blessings for our lives and turning to the Lord makes evil shy away. The article had this to say, “Fear is a substance of things we hope won’t happen, it’s almost like a conviction that they will happen. Fear is faith in reverse. But it is faith in the devil, whether we know it or not. God wants Christians to be free of such fear. There is a fear which is good and clean, which is the fear of the Lord.”

My remedy for overcoming my fear, is one to read my Bible every day to absorb myself in His word and two pray when it seems evil is strong and wants to over power me.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Knowing that God all around me and within me. This knowledge has recently opened my eyes and heart to fight off the evil that has long tried to use fear to keep me down. Well not anymore!

“I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20.

Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:4

AMEN

If anyone molested, mutilated and/or killed any of my children, I would kill them.

Just recently I read an article about the funeral of the young nine year old girl, Christina Taylor Green, who was killed by the gunman who attempted to kill Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  She was only nine years old and was murdered, because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel terrible for Green’s parents and I pray that God will comfort them and that believers in Christ will surround them with His love.  Reading that article angered me and left me wondering how I might react had I been her parents.

I know that saying, “I would kill them” is not the correct response, however I’m trying to be honest here. I’m sure many of you would say I should forgive as Jesus would forgive, but I don’t see myself Christ like enough to do that yet.  I think I would be so emotionally enraged that I would seek brutal revenge.  I truly pray that never occurs and that I am never tested that way.  Unlike God, I do not believe I have the character to restrain myself.

Too often we forget that God faced this when Christ died for our sins as he was physically mutilated, tortured, beat and then placed on a cross. Yet, that was not the worst of it, because for a moment in time Christ bore all our sins.  Every sick, degrading, hurtful, shameful and sinful act that we have done or will do, was placed on Christ and paid for by Him on the cross (1 peter 2:24).    Instead of God decimating man for their sins, He showed His awesome love and compassion for man by allowing His son to bear the punishment.  Our Lord is a great Father God who loves his Children.

1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that
we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Psalm95:3 For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods

Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.