In the course of my Christian life I have learned to try to find what is real (i.e. what is true and right in God's eyes). In doing so, I have found that when one looks for what is real, the things that are not real (the things that may be right in man's eyes but not in God's eyes) will stand out like a sore thumb and are to be avoided. When something is avoided, something that is right and true in God's eyes needs to take the place of the one avoided. In the thoughts below I ask the reader to get alone with God and ask Him if the thoughts expressed are true and right in His eyes. Try to avoid opinions and feelings and seek what is right in God's eyes. This is hard to do, for our natural man is guided by our feelings and our formed opinions. I am not yet perfect. Therefore I know my natural man may have influenced the thoughts below. I hope not. Please try to focus on what is right in God's eyes, not on whether the reader agrees with me or not. I have purposely not tried to prove or give too many evidences to prove the thoughts. I simply want to stimulate a One-on-one conversation between God and the reader and hopefully encourage the reader to see things through God's eyes. There is no need to respond to me concerning these thoughts (unless God specifically directs the reader to do so). I have no desire to debate. I would rather focus on Christ.
Thought #1 -Worship
Worship is humbling ourselves before One that is Supreme and exalting Him. Worship is focusing on Him and everything He says or does. True worship is putting the true God above all. There is a false worship. It is a worship that exalts another instead of or in conjunction with the true God. The most subtle form of false worship is idolizing one who teaches or preaches God's Word. In this subtle form we tend to take whatever the teacher or preacher says as absolute truth without discerning whether or not it is right in God's eyes. We assume he is right based on him being right in times past. We let down our guard and start, sincerely but wrongfully, to worship the creation rather than the Creator. This may be our pastor, Sunday School teacher, radio preacher, organizational leader, or anyone who knowingly or unknowingly draws our attention away from God. Even our church services can draw our attention away from God with our praise, our worship, what we are doing for God, honoring and glorifying the singer(s) and/or preacher (even if they don't desire the honor and glory), and anything else that centers on self and does not exalt and glorify God. A little thought on worship teams: Why do we need worship teams to stir us up into an attitude of worship when we have the very life of Jesus Christ (if we are true believers) in our hearts? When we turn to worship teams, who or what are we worshipping? Please don't tell me we have worship teams because there were "worship teams" of priests in the Old Testament. Those priests did not have Christ living in their hearts. True believers have Christ in them. Everything we need for worship God has already placed in our hearts. What about our liturgy? All churches have some type of liturgy. Liturgy is the form we use to worship. It is to keep order in the service. We need that order to help keep our natural man in check. But liturgy is not worship! It is merely a form used because of our infirmity. So often our liturgy takes the place of worship. This is true in both conservative and contemporary churches. It is often not God Who is worshipped but our form of worship (liturgy) that is given first place. This is one place we enter into phariseeism (more on the thought of phariseeism later).
Thought #2-Music
There is a thought mostly among the contemporary churches that music historically goes through a cyclical pattern. In other words, history repeats itself. History does not repeat itself. What is happening is a downward spiral (the Bible teaches that things will get worse and worse as time goes on. This includes music). The ones who think they are looking back in history are really at the bottom of this downward spiral looking up through it. God created music. He created it with certain characteristics and standards. Rock music (in any form) is one form of music that does not meet these characteristics and standards. Remember, we are not looking at personal style, personal preference, or personal anything! This is not a "different strokes for different folks" philosophy. We are trying to look at music through God's eyes-not our own. It is what God wants us to use in our worship of Him, not what we determine to use. There are a couple of things I have found that are hard for musicians in general to accept: 1) All true music has a mathematical exactness to it. The characteristics of true music do not change. When these characteristics are changed, music becomes corrupted and is no longer what God intended music to be. 2) One does not need to be a musician to discern what Godly music is from ungodly music. One only needs to be a believer focusing on Christ. Then God will make it plain to the believer what He will accept. We do need godly musicians to compose music. We do not need to be a musician to know what is truly good music.
Thought #3-Unity
For many years, there have been Christians of various denominations and people who have tried several ways to unite Christians together. They have tried agreeing on certain doctrines as a source of unity. They have tried doing evangelistic crusades together to show unity. They have even tried to unite by understanding each other's cultures. Understanding another's culture is important, but it will not bring true Christian unity. It is interesting that Jesus understood the cultures of His day while on earth and used His understanding of cultures to teach truth to His disciples as well as to the multitudes. Jesus also kept apart from certain aspects of those cultures. Why are we sometimes expected to accept or adapt to parts of cultures that are not pleasing God if Jesus refused to? The only true way for Christians to dwell together in unity is for each believer to individually focus on Christ and then let God--in His way and in His time-bring those believers together. Any other attempt to bring unity to believers in any way is of the flesh and not the Spirit. It may look good in man's eyes but will always eventually fail. God's way never fails.
Thought #4-Phariseeism
The Pharisees are a group commonly looked down on in a very negative way. But the Pharisees were very diligent in the study of God's Word. They knew God's Word backwards and forwards. They were very devout. The problem was they could not recognize their Messiah when he stood in bodily form right in front of them! Many Christians today are very much like the Pharisees of the Bible. They -conservative and contemporary alike-can't recognize Jesus right in front of their own eyes. They are too busy trying to worship in their way and obey God in the way they see right and never recognize the Saviour in their presence. Both conservative and contemporaries are guilty of this legalism (What is the difference between saying "Don't play ball on Sunday" and "Don't let your prejudices determine what you do on Sunday.") I know contemporary churches do not consider themselves as legalists-to them that is what the conservatives are. But in reality contemporary churches have just as many do's and don'ts as they claim conservative churches do. What is right in God's eyes? Are we to compare ourselves among ourselves (which the Bible says is not wise)? We are to compare ourselves to Christ. The Pharisees were united according to their understanding of God's Word and their particular "liturgy". The same is happening in both conservative and contemporary churches. This is a legalism no one wants to seem to admit. When we realize how legalistic we really are, we need to turn to God, repent, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit means practicing the fruit of the Spirit, which is, in reality, the very character of Jesus Christ (Jesus said the Holy Spirit would speak of Jesus, not Himself). We can only practice the fruit of the Spirit by focusing on Christ and then He will show Himself in and through us.
Thought #5-Giving and Prayer
Giving is a one-way street. Nothing is to be expected in return-not even a "thank you". Thanksgiving and forgiving are also one-way streets with nothing to be expected in return. Prayer is a two-way street. We talk with God and He talks with us. Praying without ceasing is simply conversing with God as we walk with Him. Sometimes both of us talk, sometimes only one of us talks, and sometimes neither of us talks--we just listen to each other's hearts as we walk along. In both giving and prayer we are to be focused on Christ. When we are focused on Christ, we can see as God sees and He will guide us with His eye.
I hope my natural man has not influenced these thoughts too much. And I hope I have not been too pharisaical. I simply want to stir the reader to get alone with God and ask Him what is right in His eyes. May the reader be "Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2a)
In Christ, Bruce Nudd