DO you ever feel like some music makes you feel more artistic, more passionate, more beautiful, pleases your soul, and feeds your spirit?
Lately I have been listening to a lot of music. I never was one to listen to music while I study, but lately I have taken to studying in coffee shops a lot (something else I never used to do well). It seems like I get a lot more done in the coffee shops here. Even though it seems like there might be more distractions, and usually at home this would be true, seeing as how I have a 90% chance of running into someone I know at all the coffee shops I tend to frequent.
[insert characteristic Lindsy rant: This is actually something that I love about the coffee shops at home, they are good places to run into a friendly face and enjoy a spontaneous hug or a conversation to encourage each other in Christ, even make new friends and meet your friends friends! Not to mention that we have some pretty incredible coffee shops in Roseville/Rocklin, where you can get a great cup of coffee, and it is really not so here in the Philippines. The coffee is varying degrees of sucky, some less yucky and some just completely undrinkable. I find that I drink more tea here than I ever did at home.]
SO ANYWAYS, as I was saying about studying in coffee shops and listening to music. I have been been listening to a lot of music. Mostly it is all music which glorifies God. Its not that I think its wrong or sinful to listen to secular music, I just find that when I listen to too much secular music at one time (which I do enjoy on occasion), I start becoming numb to whatever idols and demons the artists are unknowingly (or knowingly) glorifying. See, ALL music is worship. Music was created for worship!! It is MY personal FAVORITE way (as most of you may know) to worship the Lord and to express myself and my love for Him. In fact, when I was praying and asking the Lord to make my heart alive almost 2 months ago, Jesus told me to do one thing, He told me to sing!!! He knows my heart, and He knows that singing, especially singing to HIM makes my heart soar! I love music, I love the art of it, and the different creative sounds fill me with joy, emotion, compassion, love, and pleasure!!! I get SUCH pleasure from listening to certain music. For me though, these things are served best, when they are all for God's glory, so I do not feel obliged that I may only listen to Christian music, I love finding music that is artistic and also glorifies or worships and praises, and gives the Most High King the glory and honor and praise He is due! It is sparse, for some reason, Christians are just not tapping into the incredible richness of God's creativity and using it for His glory. I believe there is a renaissance coming though, where the artists will turn their hearts back to God and be inspired by what is pure and what is holy, and what is not only BEAUTIFUL, but the MOST beautiful, MOST creative, MOST loving Uncreated God!!!! I believe that with the power of God and the inspiration of heaven (which is unfathomable and incomparable to any beauty or creativity we know here on earth, God will break open the heavens over these artists and they will change the world, bringing people freedom from the spirits of religion (I think artists have a special gift in this, because they are weird and offensive to people, hence why the Christian art and music is SO boring!!! When their potential is capped by religion and apathy, no WONDER they are not walking in the fullness of the gifts God gave them!!!)
I am eagerly awaiting a day when artists are walking in freedom, glorifying God, and tearing down strongholds with their expression of God's heart to people. Their art will teach us and show us different aspects of the beauty of Gods heart for us! It will foreshadow the age to come! The age where He will rule and reign, where every tongue will confess and every knee bow, to Him and call upon His name as Lord God and King of ALL!!! How I long for this day!!! I am SO deeply moved, and filled with hope for the fact that I worship this God who is holy, perfect, awesome, and transcendent in beauty!!!!
I will eagerly anticipate the day when ALL of His glory is seen and known by the earth, when the earth joins in worshiping Him together. But for now, I will let the songs of love and worship with flow out my heart and praise Him. I will eagerly groan in intercession awaiting for the day when His glory manifests in the culture of art and music. I will pray for it, and desire it earnestly!!! Lord, let Your Kingdom come let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!!! Matthew 16:19 "For I have given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Lord, loose your creativity in heaven! Bind the spirits of darkness that are capping our potential to worship You how You rightly deserve to be worshipped here on earth!!! Let Your glory COVER the earth!!!
And to ALL you artists who love the Lord and feel a deep lack in this area, may I encourage you to consecrate your hearts to the Lord. Cast aside the distractions of "art" which does not glorify God, and let your heart draw close to Him. Let Him inspire you with His goodness, with His beauty. Experience the richness of His beauty!!! Sing your songs of praise, play your songs of worship, paint His glory, write His poetry, sew His for His glory!!! Let all we do sing and praise and worship the Lord!!!!
