Watch Out for Pine Needles!

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. ~Genesis 4:7 (ESV)

This morning, I sat down (outside) somewhat close to a nice-looking spider web, aglow in the rising sun. Just out of curiosity, I picked up a pine needle and tossed it into the very intricately-woven web. Immediately, the warrior scrambled over to assess the damage done to his city wall. I thought at first that the little guy was confused at why the pine needle didn't have the right body shape or blood type of a normal victim, so he was attempting to tie it up for later, but as I watched, something else appeared to be going on. The spider realized that the needle was a hazard and a distraction that would lessen his chances of being productive later, so he expertly worked at unharnessing each part of the stuck needle until he was holding the thing (which was significantly larger than his own body) out from the web and gingerly dropping it to floor below. He then made his way back to the center of the web to resume duty.

I would offer a comparison for us to this spider. Even though we often have those high points in our spiritual walk, times when we are in the Word, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers and enjoying life as Christ did...when we allow even something small into our defenses, it can block our growth and hinder us from a full relationship with God. This blockage basically resembles our pine needles in life--they could look like tiredness, compromise, unnecessary daily distractions, indulgence, sin, busyness, "higher" priorities, etc. If there is anything that comes up to block our defenses, thus hindering our offensive, we need to get upfront about it and un-stick it from our lives. Only when we are completely free from distractions can God work miracles in and through us.

I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. ~1 Corinthians 7:35 (ESV)

The Sound of Music

"People’s greatest need is for Christ, not another Christian band. Music is just a form of how we have been equipped to get the Gospel out to the lost who do not know [the] saving grace of God." ~Stephen Cobucci of “Wolves at the Gate” (Band)

What do you think music is? Should be? Was intended for? There are several ways music can be taken by the artist, (assuming we are talking about Christian musicians). They could 1) make their music into a career without feeling the need to incorporate anything "Christian" into their lyrics, 2) make music for themselves that is pleasurable to the human ear and may or may not include Christian values/messages within the lyrics, 3) make music that is intended to please God (worship) and not to make any profit on it except whatever they are blessed with by the works of their hands, or 4) make music that specifically reaches out to the listener by incorporating messages of hope and the gospel into the lyrics.

As a quick sidestep, let's look at how God views music. Some seem to think that God benefits from all music that is in someway uplifting, though I can't say I agree:

"I think the main problem is that people think you have to be all ” Glory, glory. Praise Jesus” in your music, or it isn’t christian. I believe, since we are all created in the image of God, that even non-Christians can glorify God, even if it is unknowingly. Take for example, a non-christian composing a beautiful piece of music. He does it for himself, but the only reason he can create it is because he was made in the image of God, and God knows that. God receives glory from it, even though it was done unknowingly by the composer." ~Unnamed band discussion contributor

In Romans 8:28, Paul says that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV)." This means that God can use even music that does not relate directly to him, but it doesn't mean he takes glory from it directly. In Romans 11:36, he says "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen (NIV)." This notes that there is nothing that God does not control, because if there was something that was not of him, that he did not make and own, then he might owe us something, and that isn't possible. These things being to his glory at the end of the verse shows how he takes glory in all that he has made, though it doesn't mean he is pleased with the choices we make or takes glory in all our decisions. I think that God is glorified by our intentionality toward worship, music or not, and that he doesn't benefit at all from those who don't acknowledge him.

As for the way Christian musicians should be approaching their music, I think that everything we do boils down to the convictions of our hearts. If we are in tune with God, then he will be constantly moving us to change the areas of our lives that could be improved to the betterment of his kingdom. Maybe that doesn't look like creating worship music and having to find a separate job for support, but money should never be an obstacle for us as we strive to go wherever God has called us. At the very least, we are called to, in all things, be a light to others, so whenever we see a musician who doesn't take their music (as just one aspect of their lives) seriously in promoting their faith, they really have no excuse and most likely aren't in a continual, growing relationship with God.

Feel free to add any thoughts or corrections below!

Heart of Worship

O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways. 

~Proverbs 23:26 (NLT)

When our hearts are completely geared toward God, when our worship and motivations are right and solely focused on pleasing Him rather than others, then that is when God can really start changing us. Only then can we truly take delight in following Christ, only then will we find joy even in the trials, and only then can our desires for worldly things start to change.

It is a truly amazing thing whenever I am reminded that my longing is to do God's will--when all the temporary pleasures I used to enjoy spending time in suddenly fade away. There is such a contrast of joy between the joy of the world and the joy of knowing and being enveloped in the peace of the Lord. All of heaven seems to quiet and listen when we decide to stop for, pray to, and worship the Almighty with our everything......when we truly give Him our hearts.

Prescription

"When we have the eyes of faith, we see a certain divine glow shimmering within the ordinary, just as we see all that is ordinary against a horizon of the eternal. Plato called this 'contemplating the divine,' and traditional religion calls it 'the finger of God in our lives.'" ~Ronald Rolheiser

Having the "eyes of faith" is an interesting way to say that a light bulb has gone off in our minds, and that we are suddenly able to comprehend--in a very small way--the vastness of God's glory. It's like putting on a pair of goggles, or glasses, that reveals a golden evanescence around everything beautiful; without them, we are simply human, but with them God gives us a glimpse through his own eyes. In the story of David, we see how God looks differently at people too, showing that it is not only the beauty of the natural world God created that He sees.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ~1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

In all ways we should strive to become more God-centered and focused. We were made in His image, meaning that through God's eyes we were shaped to (have the potential to) look like Him in nearly every way. In every way, we can strive to be like Him, and though that doesn't mean we will ever be as perfect, He tells us continually through His Word that we, as believers, need to find that passion within us.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ~1 John 2:6 (ESV)

So Stoked!

Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. ~Proverbs 26:20 (ESV)

One way to interpret and utilize the verse above is that whenever you find yourself trapped in a disagreement of some kind, a provocation by someone you know, the best way to save each of you from anything you might regret is to stopped encouraging it. Usually, when someone throws a remark your way that gets your blood rising, it is meant to elicit a comeback, a piece of wood to add to the rising fire.

Pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. ~Proverbs 30:33 (ESV)

 Jesus is an amazing example of not picking up any extra pieces of firewood and trying to stoke the flames higher. He was constantly provoked and harassed simply because he was so different from everyone else in the way he acted, spoke and responded to others. Jesus loved others, even when it wasn't easy. And that is what we are called to do.

Have my cake...& take just a few bites

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers ~Psalm 1:1 (ESV)

It is the human nature for us to make life easier for ourselves in every way possible. Our second nature would be that we like to get what we want and have the power to do with it anything that fits our fancy. In today's culture, that means a lot of Christians resort to a two-faced sort of personality. The cake is being a Christian and getting to show that title off around other Christians, while the eating of the cake is doing and being whatever and whoever we want outside of, say, church.

O you who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut. ~Jeremiah 51:13 (ESV)

When we peel back the skin and bones, the heart of this very common matter is that there is no thread. In every Christian, there should be a thread of hope, grace, love and longing, a thread that has been woven with the blood of Christ by God the Father, one that sews and mends our broken and sinful hearts. Not only that, but God should have a piece of that thread still connecting him to us. The thing is, God handed the thread to us long ago that we might have the choice to either let it go or pull it tighter. Many "Christians" who don't really act like Christians in every setting either never allowed God to send that thread their way or they let go of it when it seemed convenient. Something we can commit to is telling others about this thread, this hope of a different life, and we can personally strive to ditch the cake, pull the thread tighter every chance we get, and love others in everything we do, acting and behaving as Christ did.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." ~Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

Squash us, Lord!

"Life would have been so perfect without you! I might as well squash you with my thumb and start over." That's what my response would be if somehow I was God and I saw all of my creation willingly sinning against me and doing everything I commanded them NOT TO DO. That's what makes it incredible though (actually He takes all the credit), how God can seemingly shrug it off when we ask for forgiveness, as if it never happened. Of course, in all truth sin is always a big deal to Him, and it's never shrugged off or forgotten completely as He is an everlasting God, but once we have accepted Jesus' sacrifice, God no longer looks at that sin. In that sense, His love is so massive that there is NO WAY we could escape it even if we wanted to (which many of us do at some point in our lives).

'I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' ~Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)

In the book More Than a Carpenter by Josh & Sean Mcdowell, they bring up the passage about Jesus healing a crippled man who was lowered into the room from the roof by his friends. Jesus claims to forgive the man's sins...and he says this before he even heals the man! The religious folk in the room are outraged, of course, because only God can forgive sins. Jesus was implying that the man had personally sinned against him, and was therefore claiming to be God. What I am trying to get at here, though, is that Jesus forgives the man before he even utters a word. This implies that Jesus knows the man to be a sinner and also knows that he was willing to do anything to seek forgiveness and be healed. Jesus had but to search the heart of the man in order to know his true intentions.

God is a powerful God, much more so than I could ever be were I in His position. My love is temporal, as loving as I can be, but God's love is forever. That moment when Jesus forgave him must have been a simply astounding one for the man. I can almost feel the shivers rushing up and down his body as he realized the implications of just those few simple words. Jesus could have been lying, and nobody would be any worse off, but somehow I think the man who was forgiven knew without a doubt that this was the son of God. He must have been overwhelmed to the point of tears, and probably would have been fine living the rest of his life a forgiven cripple, but still Jesus took the opportunity to heal him after all he had done and been through. The man was then free to go out and proclaim the wonders of the Maker's unending love, and I don't doubt he did just that! 

Here is a link to a great worship song called Search My Heart.