Heavenly Overtones

Music is designed with a melody that runs throughout the whole piece.  Other parts add harmony.  The melody is the beginning, and the ending.  It is what holds the piece together.  Lose the melody or make it a monotone—the same tone over and over— and it ceases to be music.  Overpower the melody and the music loses its meaning.

Music is a sound that began in heaven with God, our Father and Creator.  It is a major means that He provided to help us worship Him—“Holy, Holy, Holy”—one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Ghost, is sung by the angels in heaven. (Isaiah 6:3  and Revelation 4:8)

Anthems are compositions for music that include all parts —melody, harmony, and sometimes, what is called a descant.  A descant is a part that is sung by a higher range of voices.  It is not meant to overpower but provide an extra lift to the other parts.

Together all the parts speak to the senses to lift the spirit and the heart toward God.

Some of The Psalms that we sing from the Trinity Psalter have descants.  If you have never sung The Psalms you have not only missed hearing the command of the Lord in Ephesians 5:19, but also the blessings that come with them when they are sung.

In Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we worship with Biblical texts and heavenly music.

(For centuries The Psalms were sung in all the churches.  They are God’s Word sung in worship to Him.  But most churches for the past two hundred years have thrown them out in the same way that the true gospel has been pushed aside.)

And for the most part, all we hear is a monotone—the same thing over and over.  Melody and harmony have been replaced with the performances of one person’s voice or drowned by instruments that overpower the melody.

Hymns have been replaced by compositions that have no harmony—difficult to sing and remember—and have separated generations of families.

I picture it according to His Word—the melody was begun in heaven with Jesus, His Son—“Holy, Holy, Holy”  from the foundation of the world.  He would not only be the beginning of music, but the melody throughout the span of time here on earth, onward into eternity.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes…”

He was wrapped in our humanity—the melody of heaven was here—to gather around Him those that would add the harmony to Himself, and provide the music for His family, the music that the Father wanted to hear.

“On the same night there were shepherds with flocks of sheep in the field. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them”—the music and the worship were about to begin.

“And the glory of the Lord shone round about them with good tidings of great joy”—the prelude—the introduction to the first anthem of true worship.

“To all people—unto you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord”—the music begins.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God, and saying,  Glory to God in the highest”—the descant.

“And on earth peace.”   Christ Jesus, our Lord, is the melody of heaven, the melody of life, as God has composed it, and plays it for us by His Spirit and through His Word.

“I will declare thy name (the Father) unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” “Behold, I and the children which God hath given me.”  (Hebrews 2:12-13)—the harmony of His family.  Now He has a full choir.

The Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that we learn throughout our childhood are the anthems that are carried into heaven with us, as we join that celestial choir. Others are added along the way as He gives us a repertoire.  The only soloist is the one who carries the melody—Christ, Himself.

As we live by the Spirit, and walk by the Spirit, He opens our ears to hear the melody, and to follow Him.  Our off-keys and monotones are tuned to harmonize with other voices.  And walking humbly with our Father, in the obedience of faith, loving the Lord, our God, and our neighbor, we are surrounded by the heavenly overtones echoing His praise in heaven and earth. In our devotion to Christ He opens our hearts to hear compositions we have never heard before, especially during the difficult circumstances of life.

I pray that we know the Lord as our strength and song.”  (Exodus 15:2)

I pray that we would experience “the new song” as He fills us with His Spirit.

On this Lord’s Day I go to His House with a great expectation of hearing the melody—a strong and sure foundation for our worship—hearing the other parts, and the distant sound of the descant of the angels in affirmation that our worship is accepted.

I pray that each day we will practice our singing, individually, and in family worship, so that we are prepared for worship on the Lord’s Day—all in preparation for the great day when we see Him and praise Him in all His glory with the angels.

Our Father has composed the music and directs the choir.

Let us sing with full hearts to His glory and our joy.

“Holy,—-Holy,—-Holy,

The LORD of hosts:

        The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Lord’s Day 9/23/07 (From 50 Days of Prayer and Praise~Articles and Stories of Faith.)

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Where are God’s angels today?

“Angels from the realms of  glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.”

The angels that were present at the creation, have been present throughout all of history, waiting the time when God’s word would be fulfilled in the incarnation of His Son, Jesus.

Without doing a whole series on angels, we want to look at  one segment of the record of angels from God’s word, to compare the angel’s announcement of Mary’s conception,  to Jesus’ proclamation of our new birth.

The Angels Proclamation:
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”  Luke 1:35

 Jesus’ Proclamation:  
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…except a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit…The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”   John 3:3,5-6

The same Holy Ghost (Sprit) that came upon Mary is the same Spirit that comes upon us to reveal Jesus Christ in us. The power of the Highest that overshadowed Mary is the same power that overshadows His people today; by which we conceive in our hearts the image and Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

He told His disciples that He would not leave them helpless, but would come to them, by His Spirit. When Jesus comes He does not just come unto us, but into us, by His Spirit.

Mary could not conceive a child of her own.  It was God’s gift to her and to us.
We cannot conceive a child on our own.  Whether flesh or Spirit, it is God’s gift to us.
We cannot will this gift to ourselves.  We cannot birth Christ in our own hearts.
We cannot decide to believe in Christ.  Only He can send His Spirit to be born in us.

Was Mary’s conception a phenomenon?  So is our faith in Jesus Christ.
Was the birth of Jesus Christ through a virgin a supernatural event?  So is our new birth.

Apart from Jesus Christ, we can do nothing.  As He continually sends His Spirit to do His work in and through us we can do all things that He wills for us, no less and no more ~ all miraculously!

“CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY“
Colossians 1:27

What are the angels doing, now that Christ has accomplished His work on earth and “It is finished?” They are still winging their flight o’er all the earth; and in heaven rejoicing over every sinner that repents!

The work of the Spirit of Christ keeps the angels singing. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

   Angels We Have Heard on High
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Glory to God in the Highest!

 “All creation, join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising to the eternal Three in One.”

Give Your Marriage at Least Fifty-years

What happens after the honeymoon?  Reality sets in.  The husband and wife begin to let down their guard and show their true colors.  The marriage vows were laid on a sure foundation of true love and commitment or on the sand of lust and deception.

How well do a man and woman know each other before saying “I do?”  In a way the stages of marriage can be compared to this life and preparing for the next.  As the Bride of Christ, the church is always going through difficult times, as we anticipate and contemplate the developing of this relationship and the final consummation.

For whatever reason you married ~ for love or lust ~ it can develop into a holy relationship.  By this I mean, a relationship in which God, through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit, does a miraculous work in both hearts; bringing two people to enjoy a time together that was impossible at the beginning.

It takes commitment, from both, or at least one.  This too is His work.  We must give ourselves first to the Lord Jesus Christ, as part of His Bride.  We experience a spiritual marriage in our relationship with Him; and a physical marriage in our relationship with a husband or wife.  A wife’s submission to the husband is “as unto the Lord.”  Ephesians 5: 22-24, 33.  The husband’s love to the wife, is as “Christ loves His church.”  Ephesians 5:23, 25, 33.   This is a supernatural work.

Twenty years is a miracle for most marriages today.  We have heard of broken vows and divorce after thirty years of marriage.  The duration of fifty years is one of brokenness of hearts and spirits, for things unforeseen, for hurts and adversity; much prayer and searching for wisdom through God’s word.

All of these bring with them the needed character of patience, longsuffering, and forgiveness, with  a multitude of the Lord’s blessings.  They are used of God to turn lust into true love, as we endure with the one to whom we are united and committed.

 Jerry and I (as one) are a good example of this truth of perseverance.  Had we depended on ourselves, or just on each other, we would not still be together.  Forgetting ourselves, we had to look past our own feelings, to what God willed for us, and to the needs of the other.

There is no perfect marriage, except the one that our heavenly Father is preparing us for in heaven with Christ.  What a glorious day and eternity that will be.  In the meantime, He is revealing it to me, giving me a taste of it, in my own marriage.

 (Jerry, in case I haven’t told you today  ~  I love you.   Thank you for putting up with me all these years, for enduring all my anger, impatience, discontent and frustrations; for your forgiveness, for providing for me, for loving me. )

 Lord Jesus,  I love you.  Thank you for your patience and longsuffering,  your physical suffering and sacrifice for me, your provisions for now and eternity; your loving me now and forever.  Thank you heavenly Father for creating me to be Jerry’s, to see His needs above my own; to live for you and him.  Spread abroad your love in our hearts, by your Spirit, which you have given us; that we may love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Continue to fill me with your Spirit of joy, fulfilling your purpose for Jerry and me ~ for your glory and our joy.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

The Words I Speak Most Often

The words I speak most often:

“FATHER, HELP ME!”  ~  Isaiah 41:10

“FORGIVE ME, LORD.”    ~  Matthew 6:12

“THANK YOU, LORD!”   ~  Psalm 100:4

~ because He promises to hear and answer; to be with me; and  show me His way.

“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD
who formed it to establish it—the LORD is His name.
Call to me and I will answer you,
and will show you great and mighty  things that you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:2-3

 “Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach my thy paths;
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me;
For thou art the God of my salvation;
On thee do I wait all the day.”
Psalm 25:4-5

In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.

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• Lord Teach Me To Forgive (mycollectivethoughtsdotcom.wordpress.com)

The Law of the Lord is Perfect

We do an email newsletter, Musical Notations, for our church congregation in which we include the songs that will be sung the next Lord’s Day.  We provide a download for a Song Sheet which includes the text for each of the four songs that we sing, and also an MP3 for each of the songs.  Usually we sing two Psalms and two Hymns from the Trinity Psalter and the Trinity Hymnal.  We also publish the history of some of the hymns.  This ministry was begun in order to aid us in our daily and weekly worship.  The songs are used in personal and family worship, in preparation for the Lord’s Day worship.  This is what we refer to as purposeful  preparation for a worthy worship.*

We usually find MIDIs online and convert them to MP3s, but sometimes they are not very good for accompaniment.  Such was the case in searching for The Law of the Lord is Perfect, page 152 in the Trinity Hymnal.  Finally, I worked on recording the hymn on a small electric piano through GarageBand and ITunes.  We share it here, with a vocal recording without accompaniment.

The Law of the Lord is Perfect is the text of Psalm 19:7-11, which speaks of the work of God’s word in the life of the believer.

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect           152 Trinity Hymnal

The law of the Lord is perfect,
Converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure,
Making wise the simple.

(refrain)
More to be desired are they than gold.
Yea, than much fine gold,
Sweeter also than honey
And the honeycomb.

The statutes of the Lord are right,
Rejoicing the heart:
The commandment of the Lord is pure,
Enlightening the eyes.
(refrain)

 The fear of the Lord is clean,
Enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true
And righteous altogether.
(refrain)

The Law of the Lord is Perfect 2 ~ Piano
The Law of the Lord Is Perfect  ~ Vocal

*Worship That Springs from the Heart of God ~ A Sheep’s View
(book we are presently working on.)

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Thanksgiving Day

Olivia’s Thanksgiving Greeting  ~  2007

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Last week as William was bagging our groceries he asked, “Are you getting ready for Thanksgiving Day?”

When I answered, “Everyday is thanksgiving day!” he said, “I wish….”

Not hearing what he had wished, I asked him on our way out, “What did you wish?”

He said, “That everyday was thanksgiving day for me.”

Close enough to whisper the secret, I said, “It can be—in Jesus Christ.”

I had never seen William, and don’t know if he will be there on our next visit, but   enough was said to give him hope. A seed was planted with the prayer that the Lord will water it, and lead this young man to His Word, give him a new heart, and a spirit of thanksgiving for every day of his life.

There was an open door, and a humble heart desiring only what Jesus Christ can give. We praise the Lord for the short times in our lives when we can witness of His grace to others; and leave the results to him.

“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;” 1 Corinthians 1:4-5  

Little Kids Grow Up to be Big Kids ~ Goats

Jesus warns us that there will be a separation of the sheep from the goats.

“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:32

Where did parents get the idea of calling children “kids?”  I can’t find any solid information on this expression.  But besides searching for this in history, what are we saying when we use this word for the children God has given us?

Does God anywhere in His Word call us kids?  No ~ His children are sheep.  This puts a totally different light upon how we look at, and bring up our children.
They are lambs ~ not goats.  We may all act like goats at times, pushing and shoving one another, wild in our nature; but God, our Father has born us into a new nature through Jesus Christ’s work, and life,  and His Spirit within us.

Should we not also treat our children as if they are His children, though they do not yet act like it.  If we treat them as kids, letting them run wild in the field of this world they will indeed fulfill such vision as we have for them.

On the other hand if we consider them as “lambs,” doing for them what our heavenly Father does for us, we will provide for them, lead them, assure them, and nurture them ~ bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  (Ephesians 6:4) “discipline and instruction.” (ESV)

We will be a shepherd to them.  We will protect them, direct them, and correct them.
We will project to them the path, in which ~ and the goal ~ to which,  we are going together.  They will, in the process, come to understand their true role, and the purpose for their being a lamb of God.

The “kids” of this world are becoming the “goats” of tomorrow.  God’s “lambs” are becoming the sheep He expects them to be.  Only He can take a goat and make him a sheep.  “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17); “and have put on the new self, which is renewed in the knowledge of Him who created him.”  (Colossians 3:10)

The “lamb that was slain” became the shepherd that leads us to be the parents of His children ~  special gifts of life to us.  Give yourself to the “true Shepherd” and allow Him to work in you to bring up His children for His glory, your joy, and the joy of your family and others.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly more than we can ask or think,”
by His power of grace working in us.
Ephesians 3:20

Psalm 23

Dear Father in heaven, “hold me by my right hand; guide me with your counsel.”  ”Lead me in the paths of righteousness, for your name’s sake.”  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.