Great Wall – BT3: How does any of this so far relate to Christian music?
Great Wall – BT3: How does any of this so far relate to Christian music?
Please follow the BLOG Etiquette to stay on topic and pass the moderator’s check. Bold, underlined text below = future links to the BLOG pages.
How does Great-Wall – BT1 and – BT2 BLOGS apply to Christian musicians? I, like many Christian musicians came from a worldly life of Zechariah 4:6’s “might and power” fleshly performance FOR myself, and then later the same, but now FOR God, within so many churches. I started learning & playing drums in 1968. I became a Christian at a Church of Christ in 1980 and although they didn’t allow instrumental music, they didn’t seem to have a problem with it at their parties outside their church building!
Like so many Christian musicians, I played FOR my own pleasure, money, fame, and even FOR God, to please Him, or even to feel “more right” with Him. That’s sure the way I felt for a long time playing in 15 churches! And I talked to a lot of others that felt the same way! We were actually proud to be Christian musicians ‘serving God’ in this way. However, our rehearsals were often more fleshly than the other 25 secular bands I’ve been in, full of impatience, even hot-tempers, and worry. This was a terrible testimony to church music!
But then in 1985-1990 and again after 2010, I was “enlightened/illuminated, then having tasted the heavenly grace-gift [of the Spirit], and/coupled have-become metochos ‘active partaker with, which results in a change afterwards’ of the Holy Spirit, and/coupled have tasted the kalos ‘beautifully-good that inspires/motivates others to embrace what is lovely & praiseworthy’ of the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of God [by the Spirit], also the [Spirit’s] enabling-powers (signs & wonders miracles) of the age to come.” All these kai “couplers” make it evident that this is Spirit-kind-of anointed and prophetic in koinonia intimate-partnership with God.
The real danger is if we then “have fallen away” from this intimate experience and gone back to our own “might and power.” How can they “be restored again to repentance, since they would be again crucifying the Son of God and/coupled [routinely/habitually] subjecting [Him] to public, open shame/disgrace,” as Hebrews 6:4-6 warns? The Jewish-Christians were being tempted by Law-teachers to go back to Moses’ Law. If they did, this is what would happen!
As for myself, after I started playing by-the-means-of the Spirit, I’ve only been hungrier for more! I’ve also played in 25 secular bands, some that I just had to quit because they were so fleshly, but I’ve also had to do the same for some churches! Some secular bands were fairly neutral, but although as a hired musician they have been important for my income, I would drop them in one second for an opportunity to play by-the-means-of the Spirit. However, I haven’t found too many churches or other Christian musicians that really want to go down that road! I’m really hoping that this Spirit Music Meet-Ups ministry will foster more opportunities! Meanwhile, I will continue to go out in local parks and metochos play WITH God and declare His prophetic-rhema words.
Now an interesting thing has happened during my secular gigs since “I tasted the kalos beautiful-goodness of the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of God” to me, especially in 2020 that “You are an anointed musician who knows what it means to be filled by My Spirit, who knows what it is to play by My Spirit, and one day you will play in My courtyards with many others that I have chosen.” As I’m playing these secular gigs, I’m NOW aware of this new identity, I feel an inner joy, I find myself smiling, I am feeling more confidence and less fear, I’m watching myself play so much more intuitively without as much analysis, I’m playing so much better, and I’m getting complemented more by the musicians. I just say I’m really having fun and feeling very grateful. I’m still trying to process this big difference. I’m also starting to share more with these musicians and my students this new life-changing direction!
What has your experience been? Please share below!
Click on Pic
Spiritual Education, Great Wall quenching the Holy Spirit is borrowing from the Old Testament and world, Christian music application, Might & Power performance FOR God versus playing WITH God in fellowship by His Spirit, My experiences of playing by the Spirit