Discipleship | A People for His Name

Ensemble Guitar Music for "God Is So Good"

May 9, 2011

Learning to play ensemble music is a great way to develop many basic musical skills, such as rhythm and listening to both yourself and others as you play.

When I was teaching theory classes to young guitar students, I came up with a simple ensemble format for guitar music. In this post, the format provides the notes that are to be played for all four parts of the song God Is So Good.

Each part can be played by one or more students by paying attention to the Roman numeral that tells you on what string to play the notes for that part. Advanced students can try to play more than one part at a time.

Although the music itself is quite simple, working on it with one or more other guitarists can be a fun way to improve your guitar playing!

In Guitar Music

Know and Honor Our Mothers

May 8, 2011

On this Mother’s Day, we should know and honor our mothers.

1. “The Mother of All Living”

As Bible believers, we must accept all that the Bible teaches. Scripture says, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20). Many professing Christians are calling into question or denying the historicity of Adam and Eve (e.g., some professors at Calvin College).

If Eve was not the mother of all living, then Jesus was either wrong or deceptive in what He taught because He taught that Adam and Eve were real and that they were the first people that God made (Matt. 19:4-5; cf. John 3:12). The Christian faith would then be worthless.

Jesus was not wrong or deceptive. We must know that Eve was the mother of all living, and we must honor her as such. We are to honor Eve by defending her historical existence.

We are to honor Eve also by heeding the teaching of key passages in the NT that speak of her (1 Cor. 11; 2 Cor. 11; 1 Tim. 2). God created her from Adam and for Adam and not vice versa (1 Cor. 11:8-9).

Eve was deceived by the serpent (2 Cor. 11:3). We must honor her by learning from her failure that we must guard ourselves against false teachers who preach another Jesus and speak of receiving another spirit and of accepting another gospel (11:4).

Adam was formed before Eve and was not deceived (1 Tim. 2:13-14). We must honor Eve by learning from her succumbing to deception that we are not to allow women to teach men or usurp authority over them in the church (2:12).

2. “Thy Mother”

Every person that has ever lived has come into the world in the same way: he came out of his mother’s womb (Job 1:21). In the Ten Commandments, God declares, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Ex. 20:12). The New Testament reiterates that teaching in Ephesians 6.

In various ways, we are to honor our mothers who gave us birth:

heeding her law (Prov. 1:8; 6:20); obeying her (30:17; Eph. 6:1-3)
making her glad by being righteous and wise (Prov. 23:24-25)
blessing her (Prov. 31:28; 30:11)
providing for her if she is widowed (1 Tim. 5:4)

3. “The Mother of Us All”

In Galatians, Paul teaches us vital truth for all believers. He defends justification by faith without works. In his defense of that doctrine, he says, “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26). Paul speaks of one here whom he says is “the mother of us all.”

Paul says that the Jerusalem that is above is the mother of all believers, and that she is free. He contrasts her with the earthly Jerusalem that was in bondage in his day.

How do we honor heavenly Jerusalem, our mother? Some people are currently saying that we have misunderstood Paul’s teaching about justification and the Law. They are trying to get Christians to change their understanding of justification and salvation. To honor “the mother of us all, we must steadfastly resist all such teaching (4:30; 5:1).

In Discipleship

"The Nearest Place to Heaven"

May 7, 2011

But to them the happiest days of all were not those high days and holidays. Through the mists of childhood the brightest associations lingered about one dear figure in the repose that always seemed to accompany a white crêpe shawl and satin gown. Sunday was the day on which mother gave herself to them as she could not through the week, and if there was one thing she cared about, it was that that day should be to every member of the household the happiest and most helpful of the seven. In the morning the children went with her regularly to the House of God, and there was more leisure to enjoy companionship at home on Sunday. But in addition, Mother had ways and means for making that day different from all others and much to be desired. The nicest toys and picture-books belonged to Sunday, as well as the prettiest frocks and a cosy fire in the drawing-room because the piano was there. Mother’s sweet voice made hymn-singing a delight. No talks were like her talks over the Bible, not to speak of Pilgrim’s Progress and other books that only appeared that day. Then she always had a basket of fruit for her little people in the afternoon. And just to see her looking so sweet and restful as she shared their enjoyments was not the least part of the happiness of the day.
Yes, home was home indeed and the nearest place to heaven, because it held that mother in whose heart was shed abroad the very love of God.

—Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul, 57

In Quotes

Spurgeon on The Mediator as Judge and Savior

May 6, 2011

In his message, “The Mediator-Judge and Saviour,” on the Lord’s Day morning, May 30, 1880, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, C. H. Spurgeon said,

OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FIRST OFFICE OF THE MEDIATOR IS EXCEEDINGLY NECESSARY TO OUR ACCEPTANCE OF HIM IN HIS SECOND CAPACITY. This is why Peter preached it: this was why Paul before Felix reasoned concerning righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. This is why the Holy Spirit himself convinces the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Dear hearers, if you do not believe in Christ as your Judge you never will accept him as your Saviour (caps in original).

—Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit: Sermons Preached and Revised by C. H. Spurgeon During the Year 1880, Vol. 26, Pilgrim Pubs. Pasadena TX, 1972, 321

What do you think?

In Quotes

Guitar Music for "Nearer, Still Nearer"

May 3, 2011

This post provides a link to a PDF that has the melody notes, guitar chords, and the first stanza for Nearer, Still Nearer.

The melody is given with the fret numbers to be played on the second string of the guitar.

In Guitar Music

Trotman on Redeeming the Time with Soulwinning

May 1, 2011

Time is short. Even God cannot bring back lost opportunities and precious hours. We read in the Word that we are to redeem the time because the days are evil . . . and to “awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame.” Oh, if we could only get a glimpse of the wonders of heaven and Life Eternal and the contrasting view of a lost soul . . . without hope, we might take this business more seriously. There is hope for men, and it is our blessed privilege to tell men of the way of escape God has made through the atoning death of His only begotten Son. Whatever you do, don’t let the Thief of time rob you of the Joy of leading precious souls out of Darkness into His Marvelous light.

—Letter from Dawson Trotman in Daws: A Man Who Trusted God, 123

In Quotes

Faithful Spiritual Leadership

April 29, 2011

First Samuel 12 features extensive dialogue between Samuel and the people of Israel:

“And Samuel said unto all Israel . . .” (12:1-3)
“And they said . . .” (12:4)
“And he said unto them . . .” (12:5a-b);
“And they said . . .” (12c)
“And Samuel said unto the people . . .” (12:6-18)
“And all the people said unto Samuel . . .” (12:19)
“And Samuel said unto the people . . .” (12:20-25)

Through its record of this dialogue, it provides rich teaching concerning some key characteristics of faithful spiritual leadership.

A Proper Testimony

Samuel challenged the people to testify before God and the king about his not dealing righteously with any of the people. He offered to make restoration for anything that they would testify that he had done wrongly (12:3). The people affirmed that he had not wronged them (12:4).

He was able to have effective ministry with the people because he had maintained a sterling testimony before them. Apart from such a testimony, faithful spiritual leadership is impossible.

A Proper Perspective about Life

Samuel attested to his mindset that it was “before the Lord” that he lived his life, especially as he ministered for Him (12:3, 7). He spoke of the Lord as a witness against the people concerning his righteous dealings with them (12:5). He spoke of their great wickedness that they had done “in the sight of the Lord” (12:17).

He showed His belief in the Lord’s attending to what he and they were doing by telling them that the Lord would act before their eyes (12:16) when he would call unto Him (12:17). He then called upon the Lord (12:18a), and the Lord answered Him by sending thunder and rain (12:18b).

Samuel showed that he lived his entire life with the proper awareness of being always in the sight of God. Only by cultivating such a perspective about our lives, especially in our ministries, will we be faithful in our spiritual leadership.

A Proper Ministry

Samuel’s ministry on this occasion displayed many aspects of a proper ministry:

Focused on God as the LORD (31x), especially as their King (12:12), throughout his ministry to them – 12:3; 5; 6; 7 (2x); 8 (2x); 9; 10 (2x); 11; 12; 13; 14 (3x); 15 (3x); 16; 17 (2x); 18 (3x); 20 (2x); 22 (2x); 23; 24
Exhorted them to fear the Lord (12:14, 24) and serve Him (12:14, 20, 24) with all their heart – 12:20, 24
Reminded them of their history – 12:7-12
Reasoned with them of God’s righteous dealings with them – 12:7-13
Confronted their sin – “perceive and see that your wickedness is great,” 12:17
Confirmed their sinfulness – “ye have done all this wickedness,” 12:20
Encouraged them appropriately after they had acknowledged their sinfulness – 12:20-22
Assured them that he had prayed and would pray faithfully for them – 12:23
Taught them the good and the right way – 12:23-25
Appealed to them earnestly – 12:20-21; 24
Warned them diligently, especially about idolatry – 12:15, 21, 25

To be faithful in your spiritual leadership, you will have to have a proper testimony, a proper perspective about your life, especially about your ministry, as being in the sight of the Lord, and a proper ministry to the people whom you minister to as a spiritual leader.

In Discipleship

Christian Health/Fitness Quotes I

April 27, 2011

1. Charles Spurgeon on Deuteronomy 28:3b – “Blessed shalt thou be in the field”:

We go to the field to labor as father Adam did; and since the curse fell on the soil through the sin of Adam the first, it is a great comfort to find a blessing through Adam the second. We go to the field for exercise, and we are happy in the belief that the Lord will bless that exercise, and give us health, which we will use to His glory.

—Faith’s Check Book: A Devotional, 52

2. John A. Broadus on “The Maintenance of Physical Health”:

Again, to be a good channel of God’s message the preacher should give careful attention to his health. . . . The long hours in the study should be balanced by a careful diet and regular exercise.

—On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, 16

3. George Swinnock on Our Duty:

Thy duty is to exercise thyself to godliness in thy recreations; the Christian in his walking, as well as in his working, must be furthering his eternal weal. . . . I am confident that it is thy duty to keep thy body in the best plight and health, vigour, and liveliness that thou canst, for thy soul’s sake.

—Works of George Swinnock, 288-89

4. John Piper on Jonathan Edwards:

He maintained the rigor of his study schedule only with strict attention to diet and exercise. . . . In addition to watching his diet so as to maximize his mental powers, he also took heed to his need for exercise.

—God’s Passion for His Glory, 56

5. Jerry Bridges on “Honor God With Your Body”

Some are abusing their bodies through a constant lack of needed rest and recreation; others are allowing their bodies to become soft and flabby through no exercise at all. Both groups need to learn godly self-control of their bodies.

—The Practice of Godliness, 136

6. P. Johnson and L. Morris on Stewardship:

Some achieve high levels of fitness because they worship their bodies; others do so primarily to achieve the acclaim of man, and the rewards of this world. The condition of heart that promotes these purposes is certainly not pleasing or honoring to God.

—Physical Fitness and the Christian: Exercising Stewardship, 15

See also Christian Health/Fitness Quotes II, posted 3/7/13

See I Will Praise Thee for a motivating presentation of why we should glorify God in our bodies

See Maintain Your Body Wisely for a detailed explanation of what Scripture teaches about how we should serve God through maintaining our bodies wisely

In Discipleship, Health, Quotes

On Praying Continually

April 26, 2011

An unknown author writes concerning praying without ceasing:

Are there not endless opportunities during every day of “lifting up holy hands”—or at least holy hearts—in prayer to our Father? Do we seize the opportunity, as we open our eyes upon each new day, of praising and blessing our Redeemer? Every day is an Easter day to the Christian. We can pray as we dress. Without a reminder we shall often forget. Stick a piece of stamp-paper in the corner of your lookingglass [sic], bearing the words, “Pray without ceasing.” Try it. We can pray as we go from one duty to another. We can often pray at our work. The washing and the writing, the mending and the minding, the cooking and the cleaning will be done all the better for it.
Do not children, both young and old, work better and play better when some loved one is watching? Will it not help us ever to remember that the Lord Jesus is always with us, watching? Aye, and helping. The very consciousness of His eye upon us will be the consciousness of His power within us.

The Kneeling Christian, 94-95

In Prayer, Quotes

Problematic Christian Music II

April 25, 2011

In Part I of this series, I discussed why we should not continue to sing two songs, Jesus, Rose of Sharon, and The Lily of the Valley. This post addresses three more songs that I think have problematic texts.

More Love to Thee is a great song that sets forth our desire to love Christ more. Stanza 3 reads, “Let sorrow do its work, Send grief and pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, Sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me, More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee, More Love to Thee!” I do not find any Scriptural basis for asking God to send grief and pain, so I refuse to sing these words. I think we should not sing this stanza.

Another song with problematic wording is Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone. Stanza 3 reads, “Upon the crystal pavement down, At Jesus’ pierced feet, Joyful, I’ll cast my golden crown, And His dear name repeat.” Part of the wording of this text is based on Revelation 4:10-11:

The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

This passage speaks of the saints casting down their crowns at the feet of “Him that sat on the throne.” The following verses make clear that the Father is in view in these verses because He is the One on the throne from whom the Lamb takes the book (5:1, 7). Because the Father and not Jesus is the One before whom the elders cast down their crowns, we should not sing this stanza because doing so promotes a wrong handling of Scripture.

All That Thrills My Soul is Jesus is another song that I think has some problematic wording. The sentiment expressed by the seven words in the title, which are also the beginning words of the refrain, is wonderful. If I understand these words correctly, however, to sing these words is to affirm that nothing else thrills one’s soul.

I wonder then how often we can sing these words truthfully. If we sing these words but they do not truly reflect the reality of our hearts, do we not engage in improper worship? To address the problem that these words create whenever a believer’s heart is not all that it should be, he should either not sing them or alter them in some manner so that he expresses the desire that such would be true for him.

In Music

Archives For Discipleship

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: