DISCERNING MUSIC PART 1
PERFECT MCSNUP.
We live in an age characterized by deception! In the Scriptures, the Lord had warned, concerning the last days, that his followers should "take heed lest any man deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). The Apostle Paul feared for the Corinthians:
"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." — 2Cor 11:3
When Eve was deceived by the Serpent, she was not on a deliberate mission to disobey God, however, she did disobey God! That is the meaning (implications) of the work of deception! There must be a "taking heed" for anyone to not be deceived, especially, in this age where religion is a most popular commodity!
As opposed to religions popular demand, the way (following Jesus Christ) is a hard, if not impossible, sale! There is no "pros advertising" it! It can't be branded into an appealable brand! Religion, in whatsoever names branded, will sell, but the moment one dares rebranding the Gospel of Christ, they by default, loose the Gospel! It becomes something else! A dear brother, once warned: "let us beware, lest in our zeal to present the Gospel to the world, we offer a Gospel, acceptable by the world!" In fact Christ's words, shows he predicted that happening, just as it has!
Indeed Christ said, the chief deceptive lies of the last days, would be done in his name:
"for many will come in my name...and shall deceive many..." (Luke 21:8),
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'" — Mat 7:22
"Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" — Mat 7:23
Tragically, as seen in the just cited scripture, "many" who say 'Lord Lord', would only come to the tragic realization of their souls deception when the Lord returns! They would hear the Lord's judgement, from the Lord himself: "I never knew you -evildoers!"
Why? Self deception, is at its very essence the worst of all deceptions!
As the Lord would have us serve for now, we "trade music", and unlike the Gospel of Jesus Christ, music is one of the most popular sales today! Indeed, there's no day in the world that the music industry, may not boast about a billion dollar sales! The music industry is the place for the young who desires fame on the speed lane, we read on the news just recently, some artists who had bought a private jet for their religious leader, now whether they did or not, the point is do they have the wherewithal, the means to do so? An emphatic Yes of course! Music is said to be the "Speaking Voice" when words fail! Music is heard and listened to even more, than, the most popular speeches, and sermons! Indeed only the total deaf don't hear a song! Yet, they may "feel music". This is music, used almost alike by the world and the religious world! Yet, this article, is titled: "Discerning Music" and yes, Discernment of all things, must be given top priority if one lives in an age, such as ours.
Let's mention immediately, that this article, was put together, firstly, as a response for those who desire to "go into music, as recording artists or artist/record label manager's/founders". Particularly, such as say, their desire is to: "Serve the Lord" through their music; it is primarily for these that this article "Discerning Music" is addressed. However, on the secondary note, everyone may be affected since music affects us all, one way or the other!
In Music, the saying: "things are deeper than they appear" is very true, indeed better yet, W.S Gilbert's quote, finds a more appropriate application: "things are seldom the way they seem, skim milk masquerades as cream." The "Pain-behind-the-Fame" shows affirms this! However, the world of the musical artist, spans across horizons, and the "Pain-behind-the-Fame" stories could by itself, completely be misrepresented by the artificialness of the industry, and this has largely been the case! Thus, even a "pain-behind-the-fame" video, becomes just another, "entertainment gossip" and the judgment is completely downplayed, how entertaining is "the pain behind someone's fame"?
Let us quickly assert, that we do not by any measure, mean to imply through this session that "music" or "entertainment" is evil! Neither would we now say, it is a "good and perfect gift" Far from that! Music and Entertainment may be considered as "harmless" things, if ever they could stand by themselves, but that is certainly always never do, for even so-called Music without words (instrumentals) do have a "mindset: purpose and aim, an intention...a philosophy...a thought pattern...made, after the heart of the composer!" However, if Music were sheer "innocents", it is yet noteworthy to say that "innocence is not necessarily and objectively positive!" On the contrary, innocence is negative! When man was created, he was not "Righteous or Holy" but was "Innocent", this means, his "Innocence-position", was not a choice he had made by himself, and therein, lies the negativity of it! Man must make a choice for himself, he really, can never forever, remain in that position -"innocently"! We find the same principle, with little children; there's this "innocence" at first, then, the child, begins gradually to learn, that, that position is not a fixed one! The issues with "unfixed (temporal) positions!" Our dear little Children must, some day, choose! O how much, is such a parallel seen even in Spiritual growth! How, many hearts upon which the seed has been sown, has only lasted "for a season..." And for the season it lasted, did appear, as though they did bear fruits! But alas, when the offences did arise, or the cares of this world did sprout forth, "they fell away", the verdict is the same: " they bore no fruits!" The seeds on the good grounds did bear fruits, but of course, this wouldn't have been a "straight forth" fruitfulness, it was "time that showed what kinds of grounds the seeds fell on!" Alas, how much deception there have been, because some "straight forth" received the word and went forth anon with joy, but when the offences came, they fell away, rather, their hearts were exposed!
Thus is innocence, reason why Adam in the garden had to be given "a commandment", just one commandment! Thus it is with all innocent gifts: Sex is a gift from God, but O what great evil man has made of it! The same applies to desires, etc; bring it home, so is our dear Music and entertainment! Like dear Brother A. W Tozer said: "The abuse of a harmless thing, is the essence of sin!" And this is so pitifully, the misery of music and entertainment. By God's grace, in the second part of this article, we shall give further attention to some practical considerations.
Innocence, must be given a place -choose its place! Same applies to Music, by itself it is "Innocent", just like beauty, but it must take up the form assigned to it by the man who would use or abuse it; the man therefore is the heart of the matter, and not primarily the music! The Scriptures affirms this position as well:
"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." — Luk 6:45
To be continued...
We live in an age characterized by deception! In the Scriptures, the Lord had warned, concerning the last days, that his followers should "take heed lest any man deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). The Apostle Paul feared for the Corinthians:
"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." — 2Cor 11:3
When Eve was deceived by the Serpent, she was not on a deliberate mission to disobey God, however, she did disobey God! That is the meaning (implications) of the work of deception! There must be a "taking heed" for anyone to not be deceived, especially, in this age where religion is a most popular commodity!
As opposed to religions popular demand, the way (following Jesus Christ) is a hard, if not impossible, sale! There is no "pros advertising" it! It can't be branded into an appealable brand! Religion, in whatsoever names branded, will sell, but the moment one dares rebranding the Gospel of Christ, they by default, loose the Gospel! It becomes something else! A dear brother, once warned: "let us beware, lest in our zeal to present the Gospel to the world, we offer a Gospel, acceptable by the world!" In fact Christ's words, shows he predicted that happening, just as it has!
Indeed Christ said, the chief deceptive lies of the last days, would be done in his name:
"for many will come in my name...and shall deceive many..." (Luke 21:8),
"Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?'" — Mat 7:22
"Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" — Mat 7:23
Tragically, as seen in the just cited scripture, "many" who say 'Lord Lord', would only come to the tragic realization of their souls deception when the Lord returns! They would hear the Lord's judgement, from the Lord himself: "I never knew you -evildoers!"
Why? Self deception, is at its very essence the worst of all deceptions!
As the Lord would have us serve for now, we "trade music", and unlike the Gospel of Jesus Christ, music is one of the most popular sales today! Indeed, there's no day in the world that the music industry, may not boast about a billion dollar sales! The music industry is the place for the young who desires fame on the speed lane, we read on the news just recently, some artists who had bought a private jet for their religious leader, now whether they did or not, the point is do they have the wherewithal, the means to do so? An emphatic Yes of course! Music is said to be the "Speaking Voice" when words fail! Music is heard and listened to even more, than, the most popular speeches, and sermons! Indeed only the total deaf don't hear a song! Yet, they may "feel music". This is music, used almost alike by the world and the religious world! Yet, this article, is titled: "Discerning Music" and yes, Discernment of all things, must be given top priority if one lives in an age, such as ours.
Let's mention immediately, that this article, was put together, firstly, as a response for those who desire to "go into music, as recording artists or artist/record label manager's/founders". Particularly, such as say, their desire is to: "Serve the Lord" through their music; it is primarily for these that this article "Discerning Music" is addressed. However, on the secondary note, everyone may be affected since music affects us all, one way or the other!
In Music, the saying: "things are deeper than they appear" is very true, indeed better yet, W.S Gilbert's quote, finds a more appropriate application: "things are seldom the way they seem, skim milk masquerades as cream." The "Pain-behind-the-Fame" shows affirms this! However, the world of the musical artist, spans across horizons, and the "Pain-behind-the-Fame" stories could by itself, completely be misrepresented by the artificialness of the industry, and this has largely been the case! Thus, even a "pain-behind-the-fame" video, becomes just another, "entertainment gossip" and the judgment is completely downplayed, how entertaining is "the pain behind someone's fame"?
Let us quickly assert, that we do not by any measure, mean to imply through this session that "music" or "entertainment" is evil! Neither would we now say, it is a "good and perfect gift" Far from that! Music and Entertainment may be considered as "harmless" things, if ever they could stand by themselves, but that is certainly always never do, for even so-called Music without words (instrumentals) do have a "mindset: purpose and aim, an intention...a philosophy...a thought pattern...made, after the heart of the composer!" However, if Music were sheer "innocents", it is yet noteworthy to say that "innocence is not necessarily and objectively positive!" On the contrary, innocence is negative! When man was created, he was not "Righteous or Holy" but was "Innocent", this means, his "Innocence-position", was not a choice he had made by himself, and therein, lies the negativity of it! Man must make a choice for himself, he really, can never forever, remain in that position -"innocently"! We find the same principle, with little children; there's this "innocence" at first, then, the child, begins gradually to learn, that, that position is not a fixed one! The issues with "unfixed (temporal) positions!" Our dear little Children must, some day, choose! O how much, is such a parallel seen even in Spiritual growth! How, many hearts upon which the seed has been sown, has only lasted "for a season..." And for the season it lasted, did appear, as though they did bear fruits! But alas, when the offences did arise, or the cares of this world did sprout forth, "they fell away", the verdict is the same: " they bore no fruits!" The seeds on the good grounds did bear fruits, but of course, this wouldn't have been a "straight forth" fruitfulness, it was "time that showed what kinds of grounds the seeds fell on!" Alas, how much deception there have been, because some "straight forth" received the word and went forth anon with joy, but when the offences came, they fell away, rather, their hearts were exposed!
Thus is innocence, reason why Adam in the garden had to be given "a commandment", just one commandment! Thus it is with all innocent gifts: Sex is a gift from God, but O what great evil man has made of it! The same applies to desires, etc; bring it home, so is our dear Music and entertainment! Like dear Brother A. W Tozer said: "The abuse of a harmless thing, is the essence of sin!" And this is so pitifully, the misery of music and entertainment. By God's grace, in the second part of this article, we shall give further attention to some practical considerations.
Innocence, must be given a place -choose its place! Same applies to Music, by itself it is "Innocent", just like beauty, but it must take up the form assigned to it by the man who would use or abuse it; the man therefore is the heart of the matter, and not primarily the music! The Scriptures affirms this position as well:
"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." — Luk 6:45
To be continued...
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