Last weekend I was travelling from Boston to Connecticut
with a friend of mine and he played a CD in which a Bishop was singing an
Alicia keys song during his sermon. He said that was the song he was inspired
to sing and changed the word “baby” to “Jesus”. He said it does not matter what
you sing, but whom you are singing it to. The congregation sang with him.
What songs really qualify for worship, praise and adoration
to God?
Songs are vehicles through which we access the heart of God.
They connect with our Spirit when offered as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and
reverence to God from a true heart.
It becomes vital to
understand that Songs move God, that’s why he is involved with giving out songs
(Job35:10, Deut 31:18) It matters what we sing to God as he loves to hear
his children praise him. God delights in the worship of his saints.
Good songs do not necessarily mean they are Gods. Songs containing
biblical terms as Jesus, Joy, God, Bless, Heaven, hope, peace etc., are easily
thought to come from God because to the believer, it sounds Church-like.
There is no instruction as to what styles of song God
prefers. It can be the traditional hymn, a contemporary song or a Spontaneous
Spiritual song, but it matters where the song comes from.
Singing to God has always and will continue to be a sacred
part of our worship because God should be our song (Exd 15:2). He inhabits it.
God demands that we
sing a new song to him (Pslm 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, Rev 5:9) not because he gets
tired of listening to old songs, but because he expects us to see different
revelations of his glory and majesty whenever we sincerely offer Songs in
worship that captures the whole entity of who he is.
Maybe the reason we do not have an experience of the move
and manifest presence of God in our lives and ministry is because we have been
offering him songs he cannot relate to.
What have been the songs you are singing back to God lately?
What inspires and edifies your Spirit?
Without a doubt, hesitation. Church music MUST BE GOD'S. He created music to be used to edify & Glorify Him & Him alone. Man has distorted music for man's purposes, & God is not happy with that.
ReplyDeleteYou said it right God is not happy with that. Most of the time he is not even there when we praise him and sing unto him.
DeleteThe word should be our standard,not opinions.It would be difficult for me to comment on this particular incident in question because i do not know the full facts.However i feel that the church is trying to be worldly thinking that will win the world.We need authentic Holy Ghost power not some marketing scheme where we go with whats trending.Let us get back to the word people of God
ReplyDeleteThe word of the Lord has stood the test of time though people have given in to change.God will never and has no plans or reducing or compromising his Standards. Thanks a lot Tinashe.
DeleteThanks for this wonderful post! You made some great points.
ReplyDeleteDuring a very difficult time in my life, when I was only 8 years old and suffering from Lyme Disease, God began "giving" me songs to write. It was all I could do to keep up - often writing on lunch napkins or on the back of spelling lists at school. I was blessed with a mom who was a gifted musician and could pick up and play all the songs by ear.
One song God gave me sounded different in my head. I didn't even know how to describe it and had to do an internet search before I realized it was a "Doo Wop"-style song! Like you mentioned in your post, the style doesn't matter... as long as it honors & brings glory to God! You can see the Doo-Wop music video at http://www.youtube.com/echoingpraise
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
God bless you!
Misty
http://www.echoingpraise.com
Thank you Misty.I will check it out.
DeleteOut of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. It clearly shows what the Bishop have been feeding his heart with. So sad how many believers are so lazy to wait on God or listen to his Spirit for songs. I guess it's okay to get the congregation shouting most of the time.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't get blast for this but I think it's not just what you are singing it whom you are singing to. I'm sure some or most of you may have seen this YouTube post by now
http://youtu.be/NxQV51JnMtk and it may be the very clip or post this topic may be about. But I think in every thing we should really search deep and study every part of every thing,Because one person point of view of Gods word might not be the same as the next person but at the same time they both have a good point and understanding of Gods word.
I like songs that glorify God as something more than a man or a HE and that talk to humankind, not just men. Maybe we need to broaden our thinking in more than just music?
ReplyDeleteWho says that some of the artist who wrote those love songs were not worshipers at heart? Who are we to say that just because the song was meant to be R&B that I can't sing this to my Savior and it come from a pure place? As long as Im not telling God, He reminds me of mu jeep.... there is a distinct difference in Im so in love you with, or Let's stay together.. Not making any excuses because we will all never agree on everything, but what we can agree upon is that God desires our worship, and John 4:24 advises us how to worship and that is in spirit and in truth. We don't worship the same.. Love you in Christ.
ReplyDeleteI do not really appreciate God's minister using a secular musician's song as a worship song just because the song sounds good. It's a go ahead sign for the worshippers that any song by secular musicians( even if they are sold out to the Devil) is ok and they are free to go on listening. if Bishop can be listening to such music then why not me?
ReplyDeleteWe have more than enough alternative good and even better songs by gospel artistes that can be used in worship. I am not saying all secular music are bad but God's ministers must be careful what they unconsciously endorse. God's vineyard is not in lack of songs and God is still giving new songs to His children everyday.
So, Bishops and Pastors need to be careful, their endorsement is all some members of the church need in other to indulge in worldly music.
Such interesting discussion! I feel compelled to offer my opinion...
ReplyDeleteOur church has occasionally used secular music as a teaching element, like a sketch or movie clip, for years. These songs are placed alongside the message, not within the congregational worship time. For example, we performed,'Somebody That I Used to Know' by Gotye recently during a series on Marriage/Dating. I personally don't see a problem with this as long as the lyrics tie closely to the message (making it clear why you're performing it) and are not offensive or anti-God in any way, shape or form.
However, worship is and should be an entirely different story. Worship by design is for us to humble ourselves before the Lord, exalting Him for who He is, His nature, His character, and to thank Him and offer praise for all He has done, etc. Even if we've heard a secular tune and, for personal reasons, we feel it expresses our thoughts about the Lord, does changing a few words mean our congregation will be able to make that leap, too? As leaders in worship, are we not responsible to do our best to usher hearts into the presence of the Lord? Would there be those among the congregation whose brains would automatically default to the secular lyrics rather than the 're-worked' ones, especially of the song is popular and well known? Would there likely be those among the congregation who would have carnal thoughts associated with those lyrics? Withing the context of congregational worship, I think that it's dangerous ground to tread upon.
It may sound harsh, but considering all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, recall Amos 5:21-23:
“I hate,I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies(BF) are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps..."
My two cents...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAnswering your question directly, I have been listening to the older hymns and worship songs from my earlier years of being a Christian.
ReplyDeleteI think that the older songs carry a sense of the presence (and anointing) of God and were given to people in the same way that the Spirit came on the servants of God in the bible.
I don't think that divinely inspired songs (intended for worship) come from people outside of the faith. I think it comes from God to people who know him. Worship is not about being sentimental or emotional it is about revelation of Christ and ourselves before him.
Songs like Just as I am, Amazing Grace, How Great thou art, Sweet Hour of Prayer, What a friend, Bless the Lord, It is well. When you hear these type of songs, you know they are coming out of a relationship with and a revelation of God.