Today’s Devotional – October 19th (Choosing Appropriate Music’)
By admin On February 7th, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – October 19th
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‘Choosing Appropriate Music’
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“All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment…
…where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hubbub.”
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Quote: Johann Sebastian Bach (courtesy-www.goodreads.com)
Picture: bach – hausmann – Wikipedia – US public domain
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Suppose that Jesus and His Father, along with a Holy Angel, were going to come to your house
for dinner tonight, and make an assessment as to just how you have been doing with your Christian life!
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And if that wasn’t enough, they even requested that you provide some nice music to listen to, after dinner.
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And so, you frantically went through your collection of music, trying to decide just what Jesus and His Father and the Holy Angel might like to listen to.
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And then, as the hour drew near, you got your house in order, and everything perfectly set in place!
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Finally, at the appointed hour, you heard somebody knocking at the front door…
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chamber door – Robert-Breyer-Renaissance-Portal-wikimedia-US-public-domain
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Well, perhaps you should have already decided this question long ago, the very first time that you chose the kinds of music which you desire to listen to!
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Exclamation Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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The subject of music is a very touchy subject, especially since the Bible does not make any hard and fast rules.
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But the Bible does lay down principles. And those principles can apply to various aspects of everyday life.
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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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GAMBLING
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For instance, the Bible does not expressly condemn gambling. But there are a number of principles laid down in Scripture which can very easily apply to gambling.
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One such principle is found in Proverbs… “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” Proverbs 13:11
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And so, this above proverb reveals that wealth obtained by frivolous means (such as gambling) will probably not be blessed by the LORD.
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Poker Room – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License
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APPLYING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO MUSIC
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Likewise, music, though not specifically defined in the Bible, can be easily defined by merely applying general principles
found in God’s Word.
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For example, the Bible says… “Be ye followers of me (Paul), even as I also am of Christ.” 1st Corinthians 11:1
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So now we have a principle which should cause us to study everything we can in Paul’s writings, in hopes of gaining a greater and greater insight into Paul’s life, so that we can better follow his sterling example!
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HOLINESS OF CHRIST!
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Jesus said… “And ye shall be holy unto Me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine.” Leviticus 20:26
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So here we see that holiness should mark our lives, just as Jesus was and as He is… holy!
Thus, our great desire should be to conform our lives to Christ’s holiness.
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Listen… “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Hebrews 12:14
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Transfiguration – Bloch – Wikimedia Commons – US Public Domain
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“FOR I AM THE LORD: I CHANGE NOT!”
Malachi 3:6
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We humans are a very fickle and changeable race of people! Fads and fashions come and go, even as the seasons change!
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But Heaven is not like us! No, Heaven operates on timeless and unchangeable principles.
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Oh yes, God is a lover of variety!
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For instance, while there may be great celestial choirs, singing great swelling strains in Heaven, and yet we also read of David, alone with his harp, singing soft praises to God!
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And the Bible speaks of…“…psalms and hymns and spiritual (sacred) songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” Colossians 3:16
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But even though there are varieties of music, there will not be all the fads and crazes that we so often see down here!
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David Playing Harp www.thebiblerevival.com US public domain
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HEAVEN’S WISDOM
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But here’s another principle…
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
James 3:17
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Now this above verse speaks of purity, and being full of good fruits. And so, not only should the words be pure, but the music should likewise be pure, if it is to convey the wisdom of Heaven. (And don’t miss the two words, “gentle” and “peaceable”, either!)
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And we must keep in mind that music is a language, in which can easily convey many sentiments and emotions! Thus, as a language, music can speak of things pure and holy, or it can speak of things sensual, earthly, and unholy!
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ABOVE PICTURE – winter – Orion the Good Shepherd – www.signsofheaven.org
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CHRIST LIVETH IN ME!
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Now here is another principle which is so powerful… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:” Galatians 2:20.
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This above verse is a testimony by Paul, that he was so dead-to-self, that it was no longer Paul, but Christ living out His life through Paul!
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And the more that we submit our will to Christ, the more that Christ might live out His holy life through us!
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In other words, what kind of conversations would Christ engage in?
What manner of dealings with others would He engage in?
How would Christ eat?
What kind of music would Christ listen to?
Which places would He go, or not go?
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Paul Shipwrecked – Acts 27:41-44 – www.lavistachurchofchrist.org – Public Domain
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HIDING GOD’S WORD IN OUR HEART!
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Well, these are just a few examples of how the Christian is to apply the principles laid down by God, in His Word, to the kinds of music that glorify God.
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And for those who encounter difficult questions or need to make perplexing decisions, the more we have hidden God’s Word in our heart, the easier it is to discern between good and evil!
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Listen… “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” John 17:3
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
Dear Lord, Help me to glorify Thee in all that I think, say, and do…and in the music I listen to…
Woman praying – Heinrich Seufferheld – 1893 – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Running The Christian Race (Part 3, Sensual Music)”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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REVELATION 12 WRITTEN IN HEAVEN
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“And there appeared a great wonder (or sign) in heaven; a woman…
And there appeared another wonder (sign) in heaven;
and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns,
and seven crowns upon his heads…
And the woman fled into the wilderness,
where she hath a place prepared of God…
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”
Revelation 12:1, 3, 6, 15
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Here is a sketch of this Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12. This is the Winter Constellations of Signs Of Heaven. Besides Orion and his Horse, we also see pictured in this sketch, the Dragon of Revelation 12.
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This Revelation 12 Woman Constellation is fleeing. As you can see, the Dragon Constellation is spewing a flood of water in her direction, as is written…
“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”
Revelation 12:15.
This wave of water represents Satan’s lies, and his false teachers who tell those lies.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1”
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TOMORROW:
“October 20th (Christian Humanitarianism)”
FMSC Staff Trip 2011 – Food Distribution – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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20+ MINUTE AUDIO JEREMIAH STUDY
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ALL ‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
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THIS IS STUDY #290 PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING…
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Harold Camping Jeremiah Series #290
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Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.com – Public Domain
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