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Praise Adonai!

Imagican said:
The question is: HOW do you KNOW that what you sing IS appeasing to GOD HIMSEL and NOT just a 'way' of edifying the FLESH? A 'sense' of belonging or DOING that makes us FEEL a 'particular way' that we FIND desirable?
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Psa 150:1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!
Psa 150:2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Psa 150:3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Psa 150:4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Psa 150:5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Psa 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Eph 5:19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,

The Bible is replete with instances of music and singing in the worship of God. You should be far less concerned with man's motives and worry about the condition of your own heart. Yours is truly a faith of Pharisaical proportions.
 
I'm not going to reply to any more responses towards ME on this thread. Cyber asked that I visit this site and I did and offered my response. I appreciate your offering Cyber and apologize that my response has 'taken away' what you meant to offer. My replies to the direct responses to me are posted on the 'other thread' concerning music. I leave this one for those that wish to continue to remain 'ON subject'.

MEC
 
Alabaster said:
Worship is due God alone. Music is His creation, created for Him, to glorify Him alone.

While the word 'due' is a correct offering. But what we DO and and what IS due are often TWO distinct 'things'.

It brings us pleasure also, just as all His creations do. When we worship God with the right attitude, we will be edified and blessed! That is the byproduct of effective worship!

WITH THE RIGHT attitude offers NOTHING Biblical. Through Spirit is the ONLY way that we are ABLE to worship God in TRUTH.

The byproduct of effective worship is NOT 'our personal edification'. The byproduct of effective worship is a "PLEASING of OUR FATHER'' and Spiritual maturity in ourselves.

There is no sin in it. God seeks to bless us, as we seek to bless Him. It's our job.
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Our JOB is to LOVE, PERIOD. Not the 'things' of this earth; 'the creation', BUT THE CREATOR and our neighbors. CAN we 'love' music without that LOVE of IT 'getting in the way' of our LOVE for our Father? Where do we 'draw the line' in our OFFERING of music TO God from 'the Loving OF the music FOR ourselves'?

MEC
 
Our job includes worshiping the Father! Doing so blesses God and brings His presence. His presence blesses us! It's a reciprocal thing! You cannot escape the pure joy of bringing the Lord joy!


I am sad that you miss this fact.
 
Alabaster said:
Our job includes worshiping the Father! Doing so blesses God and brings His presence. His presence blesses us! It's a reciprocal thing! You cannot escape the pure joy of bringing the Lord joy!


I am sad that you miss this fact.
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Don't be. I haven't 'missed' anything so far. I have just attempted to offer that JUST because someone FEELS good about music doen't make it HOLY.

MEC
 
Imagican said:
....I have just attempted to offer that JUST because someone FEELS good about music doen't make it HOLY...
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I can't believe I am saying this, but I agree with you. A lot of times when people "feel" the Spirit or whatever, the truth is they don't know for sure where that feeling is coming from. They may just be in a good mood.

That is why I trust the Sacraments. With them, I have metaphysical certitude about what it is I am receiving, and not just a feeling.
 
MEC,

You have raised legitimate concern for misuse of music, and some say that Satan was the original worship leader in heaven, but whether that's true of not Satan corrupts every good thing God has made. No man can have talents aside from what God gives him. When I read in Genesis 4:21 that "Jubal...was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe" I believe that it was a gift of God and not a man's creation. Jubal's name may have even been the contributor to what we call "Jubilee", as a sound of praise. The Angels also sing, and they are not wrong in praising God.

But you are most certainly right that music has been, and still is, a bastion of evil to seduce people's souls and even override their reason to draw them to sensuous desires and thoughts that exalt the flesh and despise the Spirit. Music can be used for great evil, but thank God that all evil in the end will be destroyed and music will be restored in full to its rightful and holy place of praising God. And in the mean time we lift up our God with praises for his deliverance, like Miriam and the other 1,000,000 women who came out of Egypt did when they went in front of the tribes of Israel and praised God with singing, dancing, and the tamborine for His deliverance - the biggest charistmatic party you'd ever see. :)

God Bless,

~Josh
 
I have just attempted to offer that JUST because someone FEELS good about music doen't make it HOLY.
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Actually this is very true, and emotion as a whole ('feel good') is a bad indicator in general for effects of prayer, God's presence,.... any thing related to God and the faith. Feeling good is no indication of true 'goodness', nor are 'feel good' Churches, nor a make-believe 'feel good' Jesus, or a 'feel good' paraphrase Bible. Emotions stir constantly and basing our faith or any spiritual matter on them only breeds a microwavable "cook and stir" Christianity that turns on a whim and mood. I completely agree with you, which is why discretion is needed. But you must concede the fact that God gave man the gift and ability to sing and play music, and that he is glorified when we obey Him in the command to "sing to him a new song".

God Bless,

~Josh
 
cybershark5886 said:
I have just attempted to offer that JUST because someone FEELS good about music doen't make it HOLY.
Click to expand...

Actually this is very true, and emotion as a whole ('feel good') is a bad indicator in general for effects of prayer, God's presence,.... any thing related to God and the faith. Feeling good is no indication of true 'goodness', nor are 'feel good' Churches, nor a make-believe 'feel good' Jesus, or a 'feel good' paraphrase Bible. Emotions stir constantly and basing our faith or any spiritual matter on them only breeds a microwavable "cook and stir" Christianity that turns on a whim and mood. I completely agree with you, which is why discretion is needed. But you must concede the fact that God gave man the gift and ability to sing and play music, and that he is glorified when we obey Him in the command to "sing to him a new song".

God Bless,

~Josh
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Totally right on.
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Feelings are not reliable indicators of truth, because they often lie to us.

However, when we enter the joy of the Lord, our emotions are affected, because we worship Him with our total being. We are safe and secure in that. We are supposed to worship as David worshiped---with our whole selves, in abandon!
 
Hey Alabaster,

I found this song on you tube of Hebrew being sung, it absolutely blew me away. The most beautiful voice I've ever heard. It's not a Christian song but rather a Jewish nationalism song, but none the less beautiful. Apparently it came from Rabbi Akiva's statement that "For your songs, O Jerusalem, I am a harp". The song is also a bit of a story, like some long lost epic poem. It was enjoyable to listen to. I can imagine how hymns in Hebrew could have been sung, especially the Psalms. Hebrew (perhaps contrary to popular opinion) is quite lyrically-suited.

A better translation of the lyrics is here: Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.

God Bless,

~Josh
 
Thanks, cybershark! That gives me shivers! Makes me wish I was Hebrew!
 
I continue to listen to Paul Wilbur in my car every week. My multi-cd changer in my car currently has 4 Petra CDs in it ( 8-) It never gets old), Paul Wilbur - The Watchman, Integrity Music (lyrics are straight up word-for-word Bible verses - very edifying songs), and to spice it up a bit I have Lecrae (Christian Hip Hop - to keep the Gospel alive in da' hood ;) - and has excellent & edifying lyrics: the only reason I listen to it). And while I'm at it I must mention that I also have several Kirk Franklin CDs and I was taken by Kirk ever since I was about 10 years old and heard "STOMP" for the first time at a Church, preformed to by muppet-like hand puppets jumping around humorously in a Sunday School play. :D
 
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