Have you ever heard any one call a certain style of music "Devils Music"? I definitely have. It's usually used to describe music that has heavy and screeching guitar riffs, relentless double-bass drums, and overly feminine men screaming about who knows what...you know, the stuff Seiji listens to. (Love you Bro!)
"That sounds like the devils music!"...is a line I heard a lot growing up. And that was usually followed by me taking my tapes...yes TAPES (I'm old-school)out back and destroying them with my dads hammer! My parents would stand behind me and chant, "Take THAT Satan!!!" ...Ok, maybe they didn't do that.
The funny thing is, I always got caught. Every tape I had was discovered. I started wondering if my parents were recieving morse code from God telling them where my secret musical stash was! And then I would hear it. "Matt, we don't want that devil music in our house!" It's hammer time! No pun intended.
Let me get to my point.
First, a disclaimer: I'm not encouraging you to go behind your parents backs in any way. Whatever the rules of the house are...are the rules.
What I do want to ask is this...
If there really was a genre that we could call "Devils music", what would it be? What would it sound like?
I believe there is a lot of destructive messages in so much music today. But as I really think about it...as I read more about how Satan works, a different idea surfaces of what "Devil music" really is.
Satan will do whatever he can to kill, steal, and destroy what God creates and what ultimately glorifies our Lord.
I start to think that the Devils music isn't so much the music with the shredding solo that was written while the band was high on drugs... but more like worship music.
Not just worship music, but APATHETIC worship.
When we fail to give God the totality of who we are.
When instead of focusing on who He is and responding to what He's done...we remain unengaged and apathetic.
Satan knows if he can infiltrate our heart, mind, and souls, we will never be able to worship our God in spirit and in truth.
Worship through music...that to me is an important and often overlooked battleground.
And when our worship through music becomes apathetic, that's when it becomes "Devils Music".
Friday, February 8, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
What Ship Are You On?
Aren’t cruises the best! Five star dining, amazing buffets, great entertainment, full relaxation, and your every need met. Cruises allow us to enjoy ourselves, be catered to and experience those blissful, carefree moments. Did I mention the food yet?
There is a myriad of enticing options out there, all of which can provide us with ultimate comfort and indulgence.
What is scary and harmful is when this ‘philosophy of comfort’ makes its way into the church. When we think of the church as a cruise ship we stop doing what Christ called us to do: Serve.
The Church should look more like a battleship. Everyone working together, participating, getting each others backs, all working toward the same goal! Scripture is abundantly clear. We’re the Body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4) We all play a role. As followers of Christ and as a part of His Body, the Church, it is our biblical mandate to serve so that the Body of Christ may be built up.
So, what ship are you on? WHERE are you serving? Where are you allowing God to use you to build up The Body?
The sooner we can shift our paradigm from the “cruise ship” mentality to a “battleship” mentality, the sooner we begin to become the church Jesus intended us to be.
There is a myriad of enticing options out there, all of which can provide us with ultimate comfort and indulgence.
What is scary and harmful is when this ‘philosophy of comfort’ makes its way into the church. When we think of the church as a cruise ship we stop doing what Christ called us to do: Serve.
The Church should look more like a battleship. Everyone working together, participating, getting each others backs, all working toward the same goal! Scripture is abundantly clear. We’re the Body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4) We all play a role. As followers of Christ and as a part of His Body, the Church, it is our biblical mandate to serve so that the Body of Christ may be built up.
So, what ship are you on? WHERE are you serving? Where are you allowing God to use you to build up The Body?
The sooner we can shift our paradigm from the “cruise ship” mentality to a “battleship” mentality, the sooner we begin to become the church Jesus intended us to be.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
McDevo's
For those of you who attended Bedside Baptist last Sunday and enjoyed the Charger game while we were worshipping God, I thought I would leave you with a "Cliff Notes" version of what we talked about in the HSM. I would hate for you to miss out on this! So here ya go...
Don't settle for the fast food devotional life.
You know you've done it. We've all been super hungry and instead of taking time to prepare a healthy meal for ourselves or wait for mom to prepare her nutritious casserole, we pull into the drive-thru, order and eat as fast as we can just so we won't feel the pain of starvation any longer. Are you feeling me?
Well, we all know there are healthier alternatives, right?
"But doesn't a Big Mac have lettuce? That's healthy, isn't it?"-Me
Truth is, we do the same thing when it comes to our spiritual appetites. We're hungry for a taste of God but lack the discipline it takes to cook something up from His Word. I'm guilty of this. I've caught myself reading A verse or throwing out a "shout out" to Jesus somewhere in between waking up and falling asleep. And then I'll feel discouraged, easily angered, and frustrated and I'll wonder why. Hmmm...
I'm convinced that if my devotional life is ever gonna grow, I'm gonna have to feed it the nutrition that only an unhurried time with God can provide. How about you?
Don't settle for the fast food devotional life.
You know you've done it. We've all been super hungry and instead of taking time to prepare a healthy meal for ourselves or wait for mom to prepare her nutritious casserole, we pull into the drive-thru, order and eat as fast as we can just so we won't feel the pain of starvation any longer. Are you feeling me?
Well, we all know there are healthier alternatives, right?
"But doesn't a Big Mac have lettuce? That's healthy, isn't it?"-Me
Truth is, we do the same thing when it comes to our spiritual appetites. We're hungry for a taste of God but lack the discipline it takes to cook something up from His Word. I'm guilty of this. I've caught myself reading A verse or throwing out a "shout out" to Jesus somewhere in between waking up and falling asleep. And then I'll feel discouraged, easily angered, and frustrated and I'll wonder why. Hmmm...
I'm convinced that if my devotional life is ever gonna grow, I'm gonna have to feed it the nutrition that only an unhurried time with God can provide. How about you?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
People Disappoint Me
Do you ever have those moments where everyone disappoints you? Those times where it seems like there's a secret allegiance of people who have decided that it was their goal for their day to ruin yours? I don't know about you but I've definitely have felt this a lot.
If I'm really honest with myself, I know why. I can see exactly what's going on. What I know is that as soon as I stop seeking God and looking to Him to fill me, I've outsourced that need to those around me. Let me unwrap this.
We all have deep, inner needs, right? (Just say yes.)
We all crave meaning, joy, and fulfillment, don't we? (Well, I do!)
As soon as I stop looking to God to meet my needs, I place that responsibility in the laps of the people in my life.
No wonder I find myself over and over again being bummed out by the people I love.
No wonder I get left hanging...
No wonder I feel hurt by the littlest things.
I've placed an impossible task in the hands of limited people. That doesn't sound too fair! We will never be fully satisfied if we are placing the role of God in the hands of other people.
Let God be God and let people be people.
If I'm really honest with myself, I know why. I can see exactly what's going on. What I know is that as soon as I stop seeking God and looking to Him to fill me, I've outsourced that need to those around me. Let me unwrap this.
We all have deep, inner needs, right? (Just say yes.)
We all crave meaning, joy, and fulfillment, don't we? (Well, I do!)
As soon as I stop looking to God to meet my needs, I place that responsibility in the laps of the people in my life.
No wonder I find myself over and over again being bummed out by the people I love.
No wonder I get left hanging...
No wonder I feel hurt by the littlest things.
I've placed an impossible task in the hands of limited people. That doesn't sound too fair! We will never be fully satisfied if we are placing the role of God in the hands of other people.
Let God be God and let people be people.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
"God, you're so random!"
It's interesting to read the Bible with a "panned out" view and to be able to see the over-arching theme, the beginning of a story and the end. But it's an entirely different experience when you enter into the story. Know what the characters know. Feel what they feel. When you actually hit the zoom button and become engaged with the circumstances, the story becomes more real.
Both points of view are important. We just need to figure out when to "pan out" and when to "zoom in".
This morning, I was reading the story of the mass exodus the Israelites made from Egypt. Everything from the Passover to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to the Red Sea just kept me thinking, "God....you're so random!"
What would you do if God told you to kill poor little Lambchop and spread his blood over your door? And because you did that you would be spared...? Random!
Or how would you handle the fact that God just allowed for you to be free from your captivity and now he has you trapped between an angry Egyptian army and a big Red Sea? With a zoomed in view you can "feel" the stress and uncertainty of that situation.
Now begin to pan back and see what happens. Israel is saved and God is glorified. Cool Verse Here
Sorry to ruin it for you. But looking at the story as a whole, you're able to see why God did what He did.
You see that the details that seemed random...weren't.
It was all purposeful. It was all part of a bigger plan.
Right now, you may have a "zoomed in" view of your own unfolding story.
Things and details may not make sense to you.
But what a story like this teaches us is that God is doing something. Something that we may not see because our viewpoint is so limited.
But He is also providing us with what we need for every situation.Another cool verse. There may be trials, blessings, people, or situations in your life that seem random up close.
But maybe they're not random.
Maybe they're what you need and if you could only pan back, you might see why.
Both points of view are important. We just need to figure out when to "pan out" and when to "zoom in".
This morning, I was reading the story of the mass exodus the Israelites made from Egypt. Everything from the Passover to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to the Red Sea just kept me thinking, "God....you're so random!"
What would you do if God told you to kill poor little Lambchop and spread his blood over your door? And because you did that you would be spared...? Random!
Or how would you handle the fact that God just allowed for you to be free from your captivity and now he has you trapped between an angry Egyptian army and a big Red Sea? With a zoomed in view you can "feel" the stress and uncertainty of that situation.
Now begin to pan back and see what happens. Israel is saved and God is glorified. Cool Verse Here
Sorry to ruin it for you. But looking at the story as a whole, you're able to see why God did what He did.
You see that the details that seemed random...weren't.
It was all purposeful. It was all part of a bigger plan.
Right now, you may have a "zoomed in" view of your own unfolding story.
Things and details may not make sense to you.
But what a story like this teaches us is that God is doing something. Something that we may not see because our viewpoint is so limited.
But He is also providing us with what we need for every situation.Another cool verse. There may be trials, blessings, people, or situations in your life that seem random up close.
But maybe they're not random.
Maybe they're what you need and if you could only pan back, you might see why.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
What's YOUR $5 dollar story?
I can't wait to see what God does in and through you all!!!
Tell us your story by clicking "comments".
Tell us your story by clicking "comments".
In the beginning, God blogged...
I've always had a desire to start a blog. Haven't you? I mean who doesn't have one??? This is a big moment for me!! *Pause.....I'm just soaking in this moment........ok.
I guess I've finally told myself that questions like, "What would I possibly write about?" or "Is there anyone out there who will be adventurous enough to wander away from the addictive pages of myspace for two minutes to read an outpouring of my heart?" aren't gonna hold me back anymore! I just am dying to share with everybody the random yet inspirational num nums from my soul!!! So, I'm a little fired up....sue me:)
But even more so, this is a place for us, the Seacoast HSM, to be able to share, to encourage, to ask questions or give answers, to comment on how amazing the HSM staff is...you know, stuff like that:)
So have fun. Be nice. And don't forget to add this blog to your "Favorites!!!"
Love, m A t t
I guess I've finally told myself that questions like, "What would I possibly write about?" or "Is there anyone out there who will be adventurous enough to wander away from the addictive pages of myspace for two minutes to read an outpouring of my heart?" aren't gonna hold me back anymore! I just am dying to share with everybody the random yet inspirational num nums from my soul!!! So, I'm a little fired up....sue me:)
But even more so, this is a place for us, the Seacoast HSM, to be able to share, to encourage, to ask questions or give answers, to comment on how amazing the HSM staff is...you know, stuff like that:)
So have fun. Be nice. And don't forget to add this blog to your "Favorites!!!"
Love, m A t t
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