I Have a Goodly Heritage...

Psalm 16:6 says, " The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage."

My niece, Luanna, who is almost 14, is coming with me and my parents to the Inter-Church convention in Dayton, Ohio next week. This is a big thing for her, and I hope she has a wonderful week!
I started thinking about some events which happened when I was her age...let's just say that has been a "few" years ago! The summer after my 13th birthday, my brother Michael and I, accompanied my Grandpa and Grandma Heer on a trip up to Hot Springs, South Dakota. We made a stop in a town located in western Nebraska for them to have a missionary service. They had a very strong love and heart for the American Indians and traveled extensively for Wesleyan Indian Ministries. Michael and I assisted with the service by providing some music. My grandpa didn't make it to South Dakota that year as he was stricken with a heart attack while we were still in Nebraska. Thankfully, we were staying with the pastor that night, and his wife was a nurse. She accompanied us as we drove my grandpa to the hospital several miles away. We made it and he was admitted and stayed for awhile, perhaps 10 days or so, to receive care. After a few days had passed, my grandma took Michael and I, and we proceeded up to Hot Springs to attend the annual camp meeting being held at Brainerd Indian School. Eventually, we made it back to western Nebraska, my grandpa finished his recovery, and we drove on home to Overland Park. The next year brought dietary changes as he walked and tried to improve his health.
The next summer, when I was 14, Michael and I once again accompanied them north towards Hot Springs for the annual gathering at Brainerd Indian School. On the way, we stopped at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to assist Frank and Kathy Johnston and their family with a VBS. That was as far as we got. On Sunday night, my grandpa began to feel badly and went out to rest in the recliner located in the living room of the mission home. It was there, his spirit winged its way to his reward with the Lord as he once again suffered a heart attack. He was eventually discovered, and an ambulance came to get him. Three Indian men came and took him to the hospital, but he was already gone. It was so appropriate that he passed this life on an Indian reservation amongst the people for whom he carried such a burden. He so longed to see them receive Christ and have new life.
Soon, the Johnston's oldest daughter, Caroline, accompanied us as we drove home to Overland Park to prepare a funeral and burial. This was very difficult for my grandma to lose her husband so unexpectedly and without a chance to say goodbye. He was only in his 60's.
I am so grateful for these opportunities I had to spend time with my grandpa. None of us knew when we sat out on that trip, it would be our last opportunity.
He was truly a man of God. He spent his life preaching, teaching, pastoring, traveling in deputation, and praying that God's work would be accomplished. Truly, I have a "goodly heritage!"

Music, does it really matter?

Recently, I raised a fire storm on Facebook by posing a simple question. Here is my question, "what sort of music do you REALLY want to hear at church on Sunday morning??? Screaming guitars played by guys in jeans or a choir dressed nicely in either robes or dress clothes singing hymns??? This is a fairly serious question...please give appropriate answers!" So far, there have been over 100 comments posted...so, you can see that this is a very volatile issue.

For the serious Christian, the bottom line should always be, what does the Bible have to say about music? It is my understanding, that most of the approximately 600 references to music in the Bible, are speaking of praise to God. If this is the case, we can be quite sure, that music should lift us in praise to God. Can we glorify God while listening to other styles of music besides religious? I believe so. Try listening to a CD of Bach music and tell me if it does not cause you to give honor to our Creator who could not only create music, but bring into being individuals, such as Bach, who would be enabled to write such magnificent music!
We could give that test to other types of music...why don't you try it some time? Can you praise God while listening to headbanging rock music? Can you praise God while listening to something sensuous and self serving?

Speaking of our Creator, if we believe Genesis 1:1 that God created the earth, do we not believe that He created music also? That He created humans with the gift of writing music and creating wonderful arrangements of tones which can draw our hearts to praise Him? If He created music, and I believe that He did, then, would it not stand to reason that He should have the ultimate authority over our music?

Mr. Richard Peck writes in his book "Rock, Making Musical Choices," about a way we can "test" music. Here is part of his outline involving the letters in the word "test."
T-Test-Is the message true according to scripture? John 4:24, II Timothy 2:15
E-Exalts Christ or man? Psalms 89:1, Psalms 147:1, Acts 2:25-21
S-Separate from the world? I John 2:15, II Corinthians 6:14-17, Romans 16:17, Galatians 1:8
T-Teaches and builds up the body of Christ? I Thessalonians 5:11, II Timothy 2:2, Colossians 3:16.

If unsure of a certain song or musical style, try applying Mr. Peck's "Test" to it and see how it measures up. Let's try an example and see how it measures up.
What about the very well known hymn, "How Firm a Foundation." Here we have the first verse..."How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord. Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word. What more can He say than to you He hath said? To you, who for refuge, to Jesus have fled."
Test-is it true? Yes, the Bible is our firm foundation and there we find that God is our refuge in time of trouble, Psalms 46:1
Exalt-Does it exalt Christ or man? Clearly, it does exalt Him as our refuge!
Separate-Is it separate from the world? Yes, this musical style is certainly acceptable and does not promote a love for the world.
Teach-Does it teach me something about God, His character? Does it build me up? Does it build up the body of Christ? Yes to all of these questions. It shows me that God's character is trustworthy, even in times of trouble, it encourages me to seek Him in times of trouble, it encourages the body of Christ to trust Him.

I would challenge you to respond to this post with some "test" observations of your own. Even bring your hard cases!

Keep in mind also, "The New Song Principle." We see this in Psalms 40:2-3 where the Psalmist is praising God for bringing him up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, placing him on the solid rock, and establishing his goings. This amazing "salvation experience" brought the Psalmist such joy! He was given a "New Song" to sing! The meaning of the word "new" here is "fresh, new thing." Can you honestly say that all musical styles would be acceptable as "new" for a newly saved individual? Or a saved individual who has been around for awhile? One who has just come from the pits of sin? He is set up out of that, should his old music styles remain? Should he endeavor to use a style of music which was written PRIMARILY AS A MEANS TO STIR UP SENSUALITY, as his worship mode?
Garen Wolf writes of the "New Song Principle" in his book, Church Music Matters, in this way...{The New Song Principle} connotes music making that is of a higher or renovated character that always renders praise to God-not man...part of the old things that pass away is the 'old song' and the old self-engrandizement and worldly musical performance practice." He also quotes II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
According to Wolf, the nature of the new song is "to praise...God that is of a higher renovated character. New song in the Bible means 'new character,' not just something produced now."
So, we cannot say that we must only sing newly written material. No, this is clearly speaking of a newness in character which should characterize ALL aspects of the Christian life, not just music. Good music can be hundreds of years old, or just days old. The important thing is to determine if it is appropriate, based on the Word of God, for the child of God to sing. Is it fresh, new?

These are just some thoughts that I hope will stir others to evaluate their musical choices in a new way, and be open to making changes as the Lord leads! I welcome comments!

I Bless Your Name....

Psalm 34:1 says "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth..." We read in Psalm 33:1 that "praise is comely for the upright."

Have you ever been in a "prison in your mind?" Did life ever seem so bleak that you simply could not see any way to get on top or ever feel that life would have meaning again? I believe we CAN find an answer for these difficult times in something as simple as praise.

I recently listened again to a song sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir which really blessed me. It talks about Paul and Silas being in prison, having been beaten. We read in the scriptures of that account in Acts 16:19-39. They had cast out a spirit of divination from a young woman which caused her masters great concern, for how could they continue to receive such great gain from her? No longer would she be able to supposedly tell fortunes. Her masters brought Paul and Silas into the marketplace, complained loudly against them, and before it was all said and done, Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into prison.
Wouldn't that make you want to keep preaching the gospel? Hardly. But, for Paul and Silas, a "praise meeting" commenced at midnight. They sang the praises of God, and something amazing happened. An earthquake occurred, the prison was shaken, the doors were opened, and all the prisoner's had their chains loosed! Another miracle awaited in that the jail keeper and his entire family were saved!
Here we see the power of praise from the upright! The soloist for the Brooklyn Tabernacle sings so beautifully, these words:
"Some midnight hour, if you should find.
You're in a prison in your mind.
Sing out in praise, defy the chains.
And they will fall in Jesus name!

I bless Your name! I bless Your name.
I give You honor, give You praise!
You are the Life, the Truth, the Way!
I bless Your Name, I bless Your Name!"

Praise can bring you into the presence of the One who can break chains!
Sometimes it will only be a conscious decision. We will not feel like praising.
But, He can lift us above our circumstances. He can bring us out of darkness. He can help us to see the He will be with His child, even IN the darkness. He can help us to see that He is still ruling, reigning and living!

So, my friend, start praising Him! Bless His Name!

"His Kingdom Come..."

Have you ever thought about what it means when we recite the Lord's Prayer and we say "...Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...?" What does this mean for me? For you?
Strong's defines "kingdom" as "properly, royalty..rule...realm...reign." His kingdom has to do with His royalty, which is undeniable; His rule, which is all encompassing; His realm, which is all of the earth and universe; and His reign, which will be forever! We assume that eventually this will happen during His Millennial reign as the earth enjoys a thousand years of peace. But, have you ever wondered what it would be like to have this reality in your own life? What would it be like to have this reality in MY own life? What would it be like if it started happening today? What if God's kingdom and will could begin to happen in each of our lives, then spread to our families, to our churches and into larger areas?
What is God's will? Strong's defines the word "will" as "a determination ...choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination:-- desire, pleasure, will." What would it be like if God's will truly came into my life today, your life today and into an ever increasing area through a ripple affect? What would it be like to have God's purpose, decrees, desire and pleasure happening in our lives in a personal way?
We know that ultimately His will has to do with His holiness and His glory. We know that His kingdom has to do with His purpose to redeem a lost human race and restore us to Himself. We know that He wants to live in us, and that His kingdom is there, inside of us if we trust in Him. How do we make that personal?
How do we move beyond the reality that our world is growing increasingly godless, moving more swiftly to an eternal hell, and Christian values are being attacked every day in so many arenas. What difference WOULD it make, if God's kingdom and will even came into my life?

Evelyn Chrisenson writes in her book What Happens When Women Pray, "...there is a spot on earth that belongs only to you. It is your own personal sphere. It has been given to you by our Heavenly Father. {The disciples} knew they couldn't change the whole Roman Empire, but they also knew it was possible for them to change the spheres of influence which had been given to them by God...God frequently changes circumstances and people when we in a very personal way pray that His will be done in our own spheres of influence...Think of what would happen if every Christian really brought God's will to the little sphere of influence that is his or hers, with nothing contrary to God's perfect will! How different would be our nation, our cities, our churches, our homes."

What would that look like? Would our love for God really show in the way we talk? In the way we view the outcasts of society? In the way we treat our family members and those who disagree with us? Would it show in the neighborhood with the neighbors who annoy us? Would it show in the supermarket when the cashier gives us too much change? Would it show in the things we watch/listen to/read/spend time doing? Would it show in the church when it comes time to try a different approach? To pick a new color of carpet? Would it show by how many people we shared Christ with?

Would it show each day that we lived it as if it were our last? Would it show in the things that we treat as important? Would we view earthly things differently in the light of eternal values?

I am preaching at myself as I share this...what are your thoughts???

We Are What We Think We Are!

It has often been said that "we are what we eat." I concur that we are also what we think! Just as the quality of food and drink put into our bodies will help to determine our health and longevity, so also, the quality of our thoughts will determine the type of people that we are and will become. Proverbs 23:7 says it clearly, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." I find that I struggle with this area of my life. Let me give you an example. I love true crime stories. As a girl, I loved reading Nancy Drew and yes, The Hardy Boys! I love mystery, and the idea of putting the bad guys away. Maybe I should've been an investigator. Anyway, I enjoy watching news accounts which are shared regularly on the internet such as "48 Hours Mystery" and "Dateline." These shows chronicle various crimes and mysteries that often times surround the prosecution of the accused. I find them very fascinating. But, if we are what we think, is that really going to spur me on to deeper knowledge of Chirst? Philippians 4:8-9 gives us the recipe for our thoughts and for what we should focus on. There we read, "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."
William McDonald in his commentary on the whole Bible helps us define these words more clearly.
true-genuine and real
noble-honorable and morally attractive
just-righteous towards God and man
pure-high moral character
lovely-admirable or agreeable
good report-good repute or fair sounding
virtuous-moral excellence
praiseworthy-something which deserves to be commended
This is what we are to meditate on! This is what we are to think on and mull in our minds. Striking, right? Meditate means "to care for, to attend to, practice, be diligent in, to ponder and imagine." (Vine's) This definition seems to show us that this idea of meditation will require time and diligence. It will require us to give up some things which might even be okay things, but which are not leading us closer to Christ. I believe that one way we can do this is by scripture memory. We can also do that by listening to good, Bible based radio programs, studying the word in small groups, and individually, etc. As we hide the word of God in our hearts, we are established. We really DO need to be careful what we meditate on!
I Timothy 4:15 says, "Mediate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all." "These things" refers to, among other things, "reading, exhortation and doctrine." If we are faithful to read the Bible and other books which are Biblically based, exhort others by spurring them on in their walk with Christ, and study Bible doctrines, how much time will we have left for things which don't meet the standards of Phil 4:8-9 and I Timothy 4? Just some thoughts to ponder...(and meditate on)...

Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed...

Psalms 85:10 says,

"Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed."

We see this fulfillment in the birth, death and resurrection of Christ, our Savior. Yes, it is the celebration of His birth, and with it the beginning of the fulfillment of this scripture. Righteousness represents the law which was never meant to be more than our "schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ," (Gal 3:2) but Peace is representative of the grace and mercy which Christ brings.

Imagine two separate worlds, one where we as sinners live, the other as Heaven where God abides. Now, Imagine the cross joining these two worlds with Christ's death and resurrection. Remember the Holy of Holies in the temple? Only a few, privileged priests were allowed into this sanctuary with the presence of God Himself. But, Christ bridged the gap, as we read in Mark 15:38, making a way for us to enter! The veil was torn asunder and the way was made for us to "cross over."

While we celebrate Christ's birth with all the beautiful lights, gifts and spectacular musical tributes, let's not forget the reason that Jesus came. He came to bring together sinners with the sinless King of Kings; He came so that righteousness and truth might come together in perfect harmony; He came so that the law might be fulfilled. The fulfillment of the law meant a perfect sacrifice must be made for sins. Christ fulfilled that righteous requirement perfectly when He bore sins' penalty on the cross. He also fulfilled the need for grace, peace and mercy. How desperately we need that! By paying for our sins, He has brought all of the grace, peace and mercy we need.

In John 1:14, 16-17, we read of this amazing phenomenon... "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth…And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

No wonder the angels sang that night! No wonder the shepherds "came with haste" to the manger of the newborn king! No wonder we love Christmas! For indeed, righteousness and peace have come together...the gulf is gone!

Women in the Line of Christ

Have you ever wondered about the four women other than Mary, mentioned in Christ's lineage in Matthew 1? Two of them were prostitutes, one was a Moabitess, and the other was an adulteress. When we consider these four women in the line of Jesus, we should never doubt that God can use anyone regardless of their past!

First, there was Tamar whom we read about in Genesis 38. She became a childless widow after she married Judah's oldest son and he passed away.
Judah, her father-in-law, did not keep his promise to find her a replacement husband by giving her to his second son, so she took matters into her own hand and "played the harlot" with her own father-in-law! In due time, she bore twin sons, Perez and Zerah. Through the family line of Perez, we have our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Joshua chapters two and six, we read of Rahab who hid the spies. She was not only a harlot, but also was not Jewish. She saved her whole family when the wall of Jericho fell, and she became the wife of Salmon and their son was Boaz, which brings us to Boaz's wife, Ruth. She came from the land of Moab whose people descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter. She was not one of the chosen people through birth, but was grafted in when she proclaimed that she would follow the true God of Israel. We read her remarkable account in the book which bears her name. She became a widow when her husband, Naomi's son died and followed her mother-in-law, back to Israel and became a part of God's chosen people.

And finally, we come to Bathsheba. Perhaps we all know this account in II Samuel chapters 11-12. Here we see King David lusting after a woman who was another man's wife. Their immoral relationship brought about the birth of a child that died as God's judgment was upon them. But, God was gracious and later gave them Solomon from whose line, Christ came.

Who would've thought that Christ would have such "mothers?" We are tempted to dismiss such women as too tainted by sin to be much of anything. How often in society, these women are shunned or their children are looked down on. This in no way excuses their sin, for the Bible is clear regarding purity. Yet, we must remember that Christ came to bring forgiveness and cleansing to even the most vile.

For we read Christ's own words in Matthew 18:11, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." No one is too far gone for Him!

Are you feeling lost? Do you feel your past is tainted with some sin too ugly to imagine Christ forgiving you? Then, look at those whom He included in His own family! Surely, there is a message of forgiveness and redemption to be found here. Will you trust Him, the babe in the manger with all of your past, sins and all? He is waiting for you!