The Musings of an OLD Music Man
This past Saturday I was refereeing a basketball game of 9-10 yr olds, when during a break, one of the young men looked at me and said “Hey, old man!”. I immediately said, “Bring it on, son”. He dribbled behind his back, through his legs, you know, tough like, and I promptly stole the ball from him. Now while it’s true I didn’t have enough energy to run to the basket and dunk it, I still made him look at me in a different way. Now having pondered such an event and looking at myself, I have discovered an amazing fact. I AM OLD.
I have been a minister of music for 36 years. That’s a long time. I have always been an introvert with a temper and very vocally opinionated. (Sometimes way more than I should). I believe that I have mellowed in a lot of places. I am not nearly as “mean” or strict as I used to be and I’m working on the vocally opinionated part. In the area of Christian music, I have seen a lot of change. However, there are many things that have not changed, nor should they. And these should influence every person involved in the Christian music ministry.
1. God has not changed. He is still the God who created the world and everything in it; made man from the dust of the earth; witnessed the fall of man and the entrance of sin into the world; and made a way for man to be redeemed by sending His only Son to die on the cross for the sin of all mankind.
He is a just God, he is a sovereign God, He is a righteous God, He is a Holy God. He is a God who loves man, but hates sin. He is a God who has always been and always will be. He is God, the only God. He has not and never will change.
2. God’s Word has not changed. Oh, it’s true that the devil and his gang have tried to change it to suit our world, but it still is and will forever be, God’s unchanging Word. It is the greatest love story ever given to mankind. It is powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It still penetrates hearts, delivers never-broken promises, and gives comfort and peace to all who need it. It is God’s way of speaking to us, helping us, directing us, leading us, and conforming us to the image of His Son.
3.God’s simple plan of salvation has not changed. There is only one way and that way is through Jesus Christ. Human thinking wants to add so much to it. “For by grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. “ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation has always been and will always be a free gift. Simply repent of your sins. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for you. And ask Him to come into your heart. Salvation is by grace, plus nothing and minus nothing. (Romans 10:9-10)
4.God’s Love has never changed. I have been, am, and will always be amazed that God could love such a sinner as I. BUT HE DOES!. “But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8.) Why would an all-powerful, all knowing, always present God send His only Son into this sinful world, to die a cruel death on the cross for the sin of man-kind? Only one answer here. HE LOVES US.
So, you ask, what does any of this have to do with music. Let me answer that with a few questions. Why does Godly Christian music, which is scriptural by the way, have to incorporate all the elements of the world into it? Should we bring liquor into the church? Should we bring homosexuality into the church. Should we bring murder into the church? Should we bring sin into the church and let it be a norm? I think not. Then why would we try and mimic the world in our music and bring it into the church? Our music should be about God; who He is, His attributes, His qualities. It should be about His Word; what the Bible can do for me. It should be about salvation; what God has done for me. And it should be about God’s love; the only reason we can have a heavenly future. There is nowhere in the Bible that it says to place the world in any of our music. It is to be sung about Him, to Him, for His glory and for the purpose of showing others who God is.
Yes, I’m an old music man. And yes I am set in my ways. Actually, I am set in God’s ways. If singing about God, God’s Word, God’s plan of salvation and God’s love with no association to the worlds music
is being an old music man, then, praise the Lord, that’s where I want to be. “Love not the world, NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.”
Just musing as an old music man
This past Saturday I was refereeing a basketball game of 9-10 yr olds, when during a break, one of the young men looked at me and said “Hey, old man!”. I immediately said, “Bring it on, son”. He dribbled behind his back, through his legs, you know, tough like, and I promptly stole the ball from him. Now while it’s true I didn’t have enough energy to run to the basket and dunk it, I still made him look at me in a different way. Now having pondered such an event and looking at myself, I have discovered an amazing fact. I AM OLD.
I have been a minister of music for 36 years. That’s a long time. I have always been an introvert with a temper and very vocally opinionated. (Sometimes way more than I should). I believe that I have mellowed in a lot of places. I am not nearly as “mean” or strict as I used to be and I’m working on the vocally opinionated part. In the area of Christian music, I have seen a lot of change. However, there are many things that have not changed, nor should they. And these should influence every person involved in the Christian music ministry.
1. God has not changed. He is still the God who created the world and everything in it; made man from the dust of the earth; witnessed the fall of man and the entrance of sin into the world; and made a way for man to be redeemed by sending His only Son to die on the cross for the sin of all mankind.
He is a just God, he is a sovereign God, He is a righteous God, He is a Holy God. He is a God who loves man, but hates sin. He is a God who has always been and always will be. He is God, the only God. He has not and never will change.
2. God’s Word has not changed. Oh, it’s true that the devil and his gang have tried to change it to suit our world, but it still is and will forever be, God’s unchanging Word. It is the greatest love story ever given to mankind. It is powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It still penetrates hearts, delivers never-broken promises, and gives comfort and peace to all who need it. It is God’s way of speaking to us, helping us, directing us, leading us, and conforming us to the image of His Son.
3.God’s simple plan of salvation has not changed. There is only one way and that way is through Jesus Christ. Human thinking wants to add so much to it. “For by grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. “ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation has always been and will always be a free gift. Simply repent of your sins. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for you. And ask Him to come into your heart. Salvation is by grace, plus nothing and minus nothing. (Romans 10:9-10)
4.God’s Love has never changed. I have been, am, and will always be amazed that God could love such a sinner as I. BUT HE DOES!. “But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8.) Why would an all-powerful, all knowing, always present God send His only Son into this sinful world, to die a cruel death on the cross for the sin of man-kind? Only one answer here. HE LOVES US.
So, you ask, what does any of this have to do with music. Let me answer that with a few questions. Why does Godly Christian music, which is scriptural by the way, have to incorporate all the elements of the world into it? Should we bring liquor into the church? Should we bring homosexuality into the church. Should we bring murder into the church? Should we bring sin into the church and let it be a norm? I think not. Then why would we try and mimic the world in our music and bring it into the church? Our music should be about God; who He is, His attributes, His qualities. It should be about His Word; what the Bible can do for me. It should be about salvation; what God has done for me. And it should be about God’s love; the only reason we can have a heavenly future. There is nowhere in the Bible that it says to place the world in any of our music. It is to be sung about Him, to Him, for His glory and for the purpose of showing others who God is.
Yes, I’m an old music man. And yes I am set in my ways. Actually, I am set in God’s ways. If singing about God, God’s Word, God’s plan of salvation and God’s love with no association to the worlds music
is being an old music man, then, praise the Lord, that’s where I want to be. “Love not the world, NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.”
Just musing as an old music man