The Bible is replete with instructions on music (Psalms 150:1-5, 98: 4-6, 2 Chronicles 5: 13) the music described is often celebratory, it is loud and joyful, so when I hear people tag a genre of music as “disco” music because its loud or has shouting components in it, I realize they are forcing the rest of us to see things from their own perspective and not from the scriptures. 

We are not all going to like the same kinds of music and to think more highly of your preferred style, or to consider only what you like and connect to, is pride in a subtle form.

As a singer/songwriter I am amused more than anything when I hear people talk about the power and majesty of the “old songs” and how all/most of the new music lacks it and they would prefer we went back to those styles of music. I cannot deny the truth contained in certain hymns and songs from the past and because of the nostalgia they evoke, we might be tempted to confuse the anointing with your emotions. The Holy Spirit and His anointing are not goose bumps!

While the words in those hymns are powerful no doubt, one of their biggest effects is the nostalgia and emotional connection they inspire especially in people who grew up on that kind of music (so what about that 14-year-old who cannot connect with the nostalgia his grand-daddy feels, is he a bad worshiper? Absolutely not!). 

We must know that they are not in any way more spiritual than newer music and we really must get away from this idea that “true power” lies in those particular set of words or the music they are set to. The power lies in the inspiration of GOD and let it not be in doubt, GOD still inspires His people even now and to think otherwise is untrue. 

The great thing about GOD’s move in his worshipers in this age and every age in the past, and every age to come, is that He does so in ways that are contemporarily relevant.

Music excellence (artistry) and ministry

Music and songs should be played WELL and sung LOUDLY. 

Psalms 33: 1-3

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy

The mistake we make is to assume that we cannot achieve both: Worship and Skill.

True worship is the destination, whereas the music is only a means (one of many) to get there, and we must be careful not to reverse that, the skillful playing serves to get us to worship, but GOD alone is and should be the object of our Worship.

Any style of music in church that is skillful and done to worship GOD must always be found to fulfill a double sided yet simple enough criteria which Jesus himself dictates in John 4:24 (God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth)

What is real worship?

Worship is that which we do with the intentional and sole purpose of magnifying and emphasizing GOD and nothing or no one else. It is not a song, nor is it a dance, it is an attitude that comes from our spirit (reborn) and is based on the WORD of GOD

John 4:24-God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit (recreated human spirit) and in truth.

Worship is the revelation of the truth of who God is from the Spirit of God to your recreated human spirit.Howeveryou react to that revelation (a song, a dance, a thought, a shout, a bow, a jump, a clap, silence, whatever) is your display of worship.

The foundation of worship should not be nostalgia, or feel-good experience- all those are from the soul and while there’s nothing wrong with them, but they are not built to withstand interrogation or testing by the realities of life.

Matt 13:5-6, 20-21

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Here’s an example of what I mean, a soul-based reaction to God’s healing power cannot stand in the face of a diagnosis of cancer, so when the diagnosis shows up, the worry and concern it creates will soon swallow up the shallow rooted emotions of knowing or hearing that God is a healer and one begins to doubt who God is.

If the truth of God’s healing power has settled by faith into your spirit as a revelation from His Spirit, you realize that that truth will swallow up the cancer diagnosis and in the face of that condition affirm God’s power to heal. Why? It’s roots are deeper located in your recreated human spirit and not just in your emotions.

Emotions in worship

Psalms 96:9

O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Psalms 103:1-2

My soul, praise the Lord!
            Every part of me, praise his holy name!
                         My soul, praise the Lord
            and never forget how kind he is!

Let me open by saying: God gave us emotions and he must have wanted us to use them for something!

Psalms 96 speaks to a “beauty” of Holiness, beauty is an emotional response to something one sees, hears, feels, touches or tastes. The psalmist’s description of beauty is very much based on something he/she has “sensed” (experienced) in the presence of GOD and in this particular case it is the Holiness of our GOD.

Psalms 103 asks that every part (spirit: as covered earlier, soul: seat of emotions, will and intellect, and body; physical posturing {kneeling, raising hands, bowing, standing still, and lying prostrate}) be involved in the worship experience.

Indeed, if you are to “never forget his benefits”, you’ll need your intellect for that.

I recommend that you read the entity of Psalms 103 and many other praise psalms, and you’ll see that the common thread is that they tell of a (truth) Great GOD and the awe (emotions) of a worshipper who knows GOD.

FACT: you can only worship GOD to the extent you know HIM and have experienced HIM  

Emotions are not the enemy in worship, they should be seen as what they are: Natural human responses to a Supernatural GOD and I think it’s unfair to demand that emotions be expelled from worship. 

We however must be careful as worship leaders not to emphasize the response of beauty above the truth of GOD’s holiness; the object of worship must and should only be GOD, however people should be encouraged to emote as they focus only on and worship GOD.

Here’s what I mean, at times, as a worship leader you might look out into the audience and see someone who’s not seemingly participating in the corporate experience, don’t allow yourself to interpret that as not worshiping (which it might be), but rather believe that everyone reacts to the revelation of a truth differently. For some it might be a shout and a dance, and for others, a state of deep pondering and quiet tears.

What about “distracting” lights and sounds?

Psalms 97: 1-6

The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.

Revelation 4: 1-10

Then I looked, and there before me was an open door in heaven. And I heard the same voice that spoke to me before. It was the voice that sounded like a trumpet. It said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” Immediately the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven was a throne with someone sitting on it. The one sitting there was as beautiful as precious stones, like jasper and carnelian. All around the throne was a rainbow with clear colors like an emerald. In a circle around the throne were 24 other thrones with 24 elders sitting on them. The elders were dressed in white, and they had golden crowns on their heads. Lightning flashes and noises of thunder came from the throne. Before the throne there were seven lamps burning, which are the seven Spirits of God.  Also, before the throne there was something that looked like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal.

In front of the throne and on each side of it there were four living beings. They had eyes all over them, in front and in back. The first living being was like a lion. The second was like a bull. The third had a face like a man. The fourth was like a flying eagle.  Each of these four living beings had six wings. They were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stopped saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful.
    He always was, he is, and he is coming.”

These living beings were giving glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever. And every time they did this,the 24 elders bowed down before the one who sits on the throne. They worshiped him who lives forever and ever. They put their crowns down before the throne and said…

I would ask that you re-read the above scriptures with your imaginative cap screwed on tightly, GOD’s presence is not void of light and sound effects! Therefore, GOD CANNOT be diametrically opposed to lights and sounds, what He is opposed to is you having any other GOD before Him, including the effects in His Presence. 

We must realize that GOD is not the lights or sounds around His throne and definitely not the lights and sounds from our stages on Sunday worship services.

Ideal worshipers should be able to cry-“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful, He always was, he is, and he is coming.”…With flashing lights and thunderous sounds, why? Because they know that GOD is holy with or without lights, why? They know HIM and nothing (either good or bad) is able to distract them from the awesomeness and benefits of His Presence

Spiritual and not sensual

The emphasis should NEVER be on the sensual, but the spiritual (again see John 4: 24) but the emotional has a role to play, why? All of you is required in a love relationship.

Try loving your significant other without an emotional connection and let me know how that’s going, so why do we feel our love and display of LOVE for GOD should be void of emotions? Why can we not love on GOD in an emotionally stimulating ambiance, after all at a candlelight dinner, no one eats the candles, or stands in forever awe of the candles. The candles only help the experience of sharing a meal with the one you love more special and memorable.

Luke 10:27

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.”

So why then do we have lights and sounds? Simple reason: they evoke a more majestic response from us to a mighty GOD.

Do we need them to worship? Absolutely not, but on a lighter note, think of them as practice for when we would stand eternally before GOD’s throne with all its light and sound effects, so you no go fall our hand ☺ (Parlance for “so you would not disgrace us”)

Vain repetitions vs. Faith repetition

Matthew 6:7-9

“And when you pray, don’t be like the people who don’t know God. They say the same things again and again. They think that if they say it enough, their god will hear them. ⁸ Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ So this is how you should pray.

This scripture continues as the Lord’s Prayer

Vain repetition is the practice of saying a thing multiple time to satisfy your vanity (your flesh) and prove that youhave succeeded in “doing” a thing. That is “works” and not “grace.”

It must be strongly distinguished from repetition that builds faith. When in worship and I repeat continually the phrase “God is able” I am bringing all of me into a place where that truth becomes my reality, and faith as we know gets stronger with each dose of WORD it hears.Romans 10:17 declares that faith (the belief in the person of God) comes by hearing and hearing (repeatedly) by the Word of God

Conclusion

I do not like that we try to make the beautiful art and act of WORSHIP a new instrument for internal division in the body of CHRIST. Your worship is not more worship than mine and vice versa, if I do it in a way that is scripturally sound and based on the truth of GOD’s WORD and you do the same, even if they look vastly different in form and manner. 

Very importantly too, no one should feel judged when they worship. It is access to the most loving and powerful place ever and no child should feel like they do not belong if they adhere to the core principles of worship and not these add-ons, we slap on a thing to make it more difficult than it really is. 

Lastly, let no one distract you from your worship of GOD with their personal interpretations of Scripture, always return to your source, the SPIRIT of GOD from whom your re-born spirit draws life and ask Him to teach you, because after all Jesus did promise that the Spirit would lead us into all truth (John 16:13)

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

We live in a fallen world, one whose prince is the devil; the author of chaos and destruction. So, it is no wonder oftentimes we find ourselves smack center in negative and difficult situations and that’s just how it is. We can’t escape negativity in this world, the word says in this life, we shall have tribulations, so buckle up and get ready. Our response in those situations is what we must and should concern ourselves with

In the text above, we run into a dejected King David, who in the previous chapter had been denied help by the Philistines and now gets to Ziklag, only to realize that his family and the families of his men had been carted away by the enemy and all they owned was up in flames 🔥

Then things get even worse, though he has suffered a similar fate as that of his men, in their grief they determine that stoning him to death will be required to assuage them

David is in a pickle no doubt, but that last sentence in our text teaches us what to do in the face of overwhelming negativity

“But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God”

Let’s unpack that line

1. But: you must determine in your heart that this is not how your story ends. Determine that you’ve had enough wallowing and self-pity, you should shake yourself up and determine that you’ve reached an inflection point, a place where you make a 180-degree turn, reject the negativity around you, and head in the opposite direction. This is possible because you can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength. The power you need for your “but” is available

2. David strengthened himself in the Lord: you must take responsibility for drawing for yourself the required encouragement that comes from the Lord who lives on the inside of every believer. 1 Jn 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. This is not a job you can outsource or transfer to anyone else. As a believer, God is the source of our strength, when things look crazy around us, we look inside! The key is to call to remembrance all that the Lord has told us in those moments of negativity, which brings us to the last words in that sentence

3. His God: you must have a personal and fulfilling relationship with God, that becomes your anchor in the moments of negativity. Stock up on the word of God, so that when life tries and it will try to squeeze you, you’ll simply pour out what’s already inside you; the indefatigable, unchanging, transforming, and victorious WORD OF GOD

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

Phew!! This would be a good one, so let’s take a deep breath and dive in. As we start, let’s unpack 4 concepts:

Work
Time
Accountability
Productivity

1. Work is good and was created by God; Adam was commissioned to work even before the sin that led to the fall of man. The nature of work is such that it is not fixed, it evolves and changes with the demands of life, but it is required to yield something
Genesis 2:15
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work the ground and care for it.

2. Time used well is great and it too was created by God and it is the way we measure our earthly lives. Time is a finite resource, it caps off at 24 hours a day and no one is able to manufacture more time. In dealing with time, we all must learn to appreciate and use what we are given. Though a constant, no one is able to guarantee the next second
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

3. Accountability is the understanding that each of us owes an explanation of how we have used the resources that the Creator has put into our hands
John 9:4
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. The night is coming, when no one can work.

4. Profitability is the lasting and eternal impact we get from proving our “accountability” by having applied ourselves in “time” to our “work”

Matthew 25:20-23

So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Procrastination tells two fundamental lies

1. LIE #1: you have absolute control over time and so it’s okay to allot to yourself a piece of the future while having no guarantee that you’ll ever see it.

If I may take it one step further (with no intention of offending), laying claim to something you cannot guarantee is a false sense of confidence in yourself and it is low key indicative of a failure to understand how “tiny” each of us in the grand scheme of things and how we fit into the concept of eternity. It is also a bold and arrogant disregard of our accountability to the God who sits in Eternity and governs over the affairs of men

2. LIE #2: you will get done later what you won’t get done now. Take life easy, there’s no hurry

Mark my choice of words “won’t” implies that you have the ability but lack the willingness, this is different from “can’t” which speaks more to lacking the ability and not the willingness. Taking one more step with no intention of offending, the absence of the willingness to work while having the ability is laziness, and laziness is not a hallmark of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Laziness tells the Lord, that you have no interest in being profitable

In the text at the start of our conversation, we catch ourselves listening in on the end of the parable of the talents. That parable teaches us the following:

Each one of us regardless of our backgrounds or situation is given 2 things in our lives
Installment (Work)
Interval (Time)

Each of us is required to produce 2 things with our lives
Increase (Accountability)
Influence (Profitability)

In burying his “work” for later, that third servant failed in “time” to show any accountability and lost out on any chance of profitability… such is the scorecard of anyone who procrastinates

I understand that at times, life can get busy and cluttered, and somethings things fall through the cracks, but what sets the non-procrastinators apart from the procrastinators, is an understanding that we have work to do with no control over time and a Master to whom we are all accountable

Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked

I got asked the titular question and I wondered how best to answer this and it occurred to me; to live a fulfilling life, you must know why you’re here!

In the text, we catch up with Jesus, who has just finished his fast and is charged up; He’s ready to do what He was sent here by the Father to do, but He doesn’t just run off into the streets and start being Jesus, instead, he announces His mission, His why

So let me ask you this: what’s your “WHY”?

A fulfilling life is impossible in a place where the purpose is not known!

Why are you here?
Why are you the way you are?
Why were born when you were born?

Jesus starts His “why” statement, by announcing the divine partnership that makes life worth living: “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME”.

A fulfilling life is one lived under the influence of the Spirit of God and the reason behind that is simple: man’s life at the very beginning was only made possible by the breath of God (His Spirit) placed into the nostrils of Adam, who up until the Spirit of God came upon and into him was simply a clay vessel.

I don’t care how great life here might be in the eyes of man, a life lived outside of the influence of the Spirit of God has missed its mark.

For the believer, our “why” is constant and easy. Thankfully we all share one common “why”, I’ll show you

Revelations 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Our “why” must always be that which gives God pleasure and glory. Let me state clearly, in giving God glory and pleasure, I’m not saying we all become pastors, the Bible and life is full of men and women who have lived this truth without holding any official church position or title (Abraham, Enoch, Esther, Daniel, Dorcas, Cornelius)

If we would keep at the fore of our hearts a desire to serve and glorify God, while being “under” and fully submitted to His Spirit, we would find ourselves on the road to our purpose.

Now that we are aligned on the “why”, let’s address the “how”

Your “how” is found in your natural abilities, your talents, your strengths, your personality, your physical build, your athleticism, your intellect, your preferences, your gifting, your profession, your education, your location, your interests.

Very often the true dilemma with purpose arises from how to couple the “why” to the “how”. Your “how” is YOU and it’s as diverse as we are different. No two “how’s” are the same. Look at yourself and you’ll, sure enough, see the things that you’re good at, they may be buried now, but that’s why you must unearth them, clean them up (work your gift), polish them up (keep working your gift) till they shine and reflect the light of God.

Here is a true statement; surrendering your “how” to the “why” would always result in a fulfilling and impactful life.

Many of us in today’s world feel immense pressure to be perfect. The mere thought of vulnerability scares us, making us cover up our truth with what we assume to be a socially acceptable veneer and happy disposition, but can I tell you, it’s okay to feel every emotion, including not being okay!

In the text, we come upon Jesus Christ, the savior of all mankind, the one who walked on water, who commanded the winds and the seas, who multiplied a little boy’s lunch and fed a multitude, and He is having what would be today described as a meltdown

What?!

Yes!

But that’s not the only lesson He teaches, in His moment of vulnerability, He so kindly shows us how to cope with not being okay

1. He surrounds himself with his closest friends, and is not afraid to share with them the truth of how He feels, because He understands what the scriptures say in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 9

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls, and has no one to help them up.

Understand that God has given you and I the (imperfect) people in our lives for support even in difficult times. So, do well to cherish and nourish those relationships even when they annoy you and won’t stay up to pray with you 🤪🤪

2. Above and beyond sharing with man, He speaks to the Father about it, because He knows that the Father understands and is caring enough to strengthen Him. This He does base on His clear understanding of what the scriptures say in Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Speak to God about whatever troubles you and find peace in knowing that He loves you and is on your side. Surrender to His will and watch God work it out for you in His time

I pray for anyone who is not okay at this moment, may the God of all peace, release unto you, His logic and sense defying peace.