Verse of the Day - weekend 8/15

Through the Bible - Psalms 107-110, Romans 16 - 1 Corinthians 1

 

Good morning,

I enjoy much of today's " contemporary" Christians music.  Let me qualify that, I enjoy much of the music, the instruments of today's Christian music when the words are in line with the Bible.  Some modern artists strive to keep their lyrics Biblical and actually consult with theologians before finalizing a song.

 

Others put down and pretty much condemn modern worship music in total.  How are we to decide what type of music is correct?

 

The following verses from the Old Testament give us some example.

 

Amos 5:23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
an endless river of righteous living.   NLT

I don't believe that it is the type of music in our services that God wouldn't listen to, I think it has more to do with the heart of the worshipper, not just on Sunday for worship, but one that worships God everyday of the week, in all they do.

It comes from those who come to God in humility, which John Piper describes as being "stunned by the grace of God.".  This weekend's verse comes from Matthew 9, where Jesus said the following.

Matt 9: 13 Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

or from the NKJV

Matt 9:13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

John MacArthur writes, "Jesus paraphrases Hosea's prophetic and divinely inspired words, "I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hos. 6:6).  The perfect Word of God should have been the Pharisees supreme concern, as it should be ours, rather than the flawed words and ideas of humanity.  Without true and Godly compassion, all the Pharisee's rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices were worth nothing to God.  The person who is indifferent toward other people verifies that he or she is indifferent toward God, no matter how correct their theology or impeccable their morality."

 

And in the same way in the church today, every man and every woman is what the Bible calls a "living stone": "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).

It is easy to stand on the sidelines and be critical of the church. It is easy to say, "They are not doing this right," or "They are not doing that right." But it is another thing when you are in the game, playing, living.   It is another thing when you are in the arena, fighting, when you realize that you are a part of it., every day, and not just on Saturday night or Sunday.

 

There are many praise songs that speak of the need of our hearts to be in line with Jesus.  We sang one in our church last night that I was not familiar with.  Read some of the words below.  How do they strike you without the instruments?

 

Reign in Me

 

Oh great and mighty one
With one desire we come
That you would reign that you would reign in us
We're offering up our lives
A living sacrifice
That you would reign that you would reign in us
[2 x]

So reign please reign in us
Come purify our hearts
We need your touch
Come cleanse us like a flood
And set us out
So the world may know you reign you reign in us.

Jesus was committed to the church, and we should be too, every day, so that the world may know, He "reigns in us".

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Matt 9:9-14

 

Matthew the Tax Collector
(Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32)

 

9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

 

10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

 

12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."    NKJV