Scripture songs

http://www.jesusisprecious.org/articles/bible_verse_songs.htm

song - if i could write a song .. i would probably end up writing this

God of mine forever

god of my forever: http://youtu.be/3m1obbZTd5c

Jesus lover of my soul - jazz version

Everywhere

Michelle Branch - Everywhere [Official Music Vide…: http://youtu.be/HLCasyAh7ic

Song

Michelle Branch - All You Wanted (Video): http://youtu.be/Cbo2n2MzxxE

One wintry night

David Phelps - One Wintry Night Lyrics

Just a simple stable, looking back it does seem odd
That God Himself would enter there inside
One wintry night the starry universe
Went whirling upside down
And everything that was, was not the same
One wintry night a supernatural birth
Left heaven and earth spellbound
As the Mysterious Omniscient took a name
Darkness fled from Light; wrong was made right
In just one wintry night

Just a simple carpenter who found himself in love
With a girl bearing the Child of the Divine
Just a simple manger yet somehow it was enough
To accomadate the God of space and time

One wintry night the starry universe
Went whirling upside down
And everything that was, was not the same
One wintry night a supernatural birth
Left heaven and earth spellbound
As the Mysterious Omniscient took a name
Darkness fled from Light; wrong was made right
In just one wintry night

Don't you know the angels were breathless
As He stepped down off His throne
Into the cosmos His own hands had made

Don't you know that darkness protested
As its reign was overthrown
And victory was declared with love's display

One wintry night the starry universe
Went whirling upside down
And everything that was, was not the same
One wintry night a supernatural birth
Left heaven and earth spellbound
As the Mysterious Omniscient took a name
Darkness fled from Light; wrong was made right
In just one wintry night

One wintry night upsidedown
One wintry night was spellbound
One wintry night upsidedown
One wintry night was spellbound
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/david-phelps/one-wintry-night-lyrics/#zx5836L8cQGAkgsk.99

Jaynagar after outreach 2

Jaynagar after outreach

Important dates every catholic has to know

Learnt in church history class - you can look up for references online . textbook -  Christianity through Centuries

Important dates of every catholic needs to know

Assumption of Mary by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus by exercising papal infallibility.

Immaculate Conception was of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Pius IX in 1854  , meaning that Mary was conceived without original sin.

     In 495 A.D., Pope Gelasius issued a decree which rejected this teaching as heresy and its proponents as heretics.  In the sixth century, Pope Hormisdas also condemned as heretics those authors who taught the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary.  The early Church clearly considered the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary to be a heresy worthy of condemnation.  Here we have “infallible” popes declaring something to be a heresy.  Then in 1950, Pope Pius XII, another “infallible” pope, declared it to be official Roman Catholic doctrine

“And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto Jesus, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”  (Luke 11:27-28)

.

23. November 2014

PRAYER is not answered coz of our asking but cox of redemption

Praying again and again and pray without ceasingIt says that more that what were pay to... What prayer itself does to us

MISSIONS

Seeing the fallen world thru the eyes of God

Gods work

For usIn usThru usOUR WORK FOR GODIs the eternal love of which God is the author and finisher and so nothing can start in god and end in us rather reciprocated to God of which God is the finisher.

LOOK AT PEOPLE BY FAITH

When people are good or fail... Look at them with the virtue of God in them which can happen Olly thru faith

The more the offence... The more the holy spirit was to accomplish in me.

We cannot change anybodyWe cannot change myself

Rap

Success,

we think to be the doingGod thinks of faithfulness

In crisis

God has not made a provision to retreatIn armor of God there is no part for the backDo I get offendedHow easily do I get offendedWhat kind of people

The measure of negativity in my mouth is the direct proportion to the lack of provision that I receive from god to myself

Not give God an opportunity to deliver

Moses called a burning bush vs people burning in the furnace of afflictionBefore I have an encounter with enemies of God.. God needs to encounter meThe crisis we are brought to in our life... We are called to freshness... Why?? Crisis cannot be give thru mechanical stuff but rather mystery

My faithfulness to you will determine the truthfulness of my word

There cannot be faithful ness without doctrine..

Learn how to take the offense to God

Mature marriage takes its offences to God and peopleIf I don't receive the correction thru the word.... But cross will anyways happen they humility

Disciples fled from the cross

When I flee from very things that God called me to.. I'll miss out the amazing privilege of maturing me.Don't settle to hearing good and faithful servant now but settle to the comfort of the holy spiritNone of us are worthy of the work we are called to but god appreciate us and do I in my dealings

Don't be trapped in montane thingsIn your offense never seek to be accepted in a soulish attachment

Grace of God has preserved usThe longer your in the ministry the more offence God let's in us

The offence in my life should welcome the plan that God had in my life

When we behold the king in  his Beauty then I can see the vision of the far distant land

Offence comes to let the spirit be released.

Our going forward in Christ is measured with the weight of the offence that God wants to work in us.

Abd review November 2014

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s293/sh/051916ed-0ff4-4ac9-af55-8eb4c62e5817/ac780980688b1ee4dbfd2b6083d565dd

abd

Karaoke

Arms open wide - Karaoke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXTEmAefH1w

Prayer

Below are the points I like from EM BOUNDS BOOK ON PRAYER..

Prayer outlives the lives of those who uttered them, outlive a generation, an age, a world

The mightiest successes that come to God's cause are created and carried on by prayer in God's day of power

Angelic days of powerful activity occur when the church prays

Psalm 2
Ask of me and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance - it's in our asking that we can receive
I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion - God is able to provide mightily for us, his church, coz this dispensation is unique in having Christ seated as our king.

To a prayerful man God is present in a realized force

Prayer is gods settled and singular condition to move ahead in his kingdom

PRAYER GRASPS ETERNITY

Leonard Ravenhill 
Why Revival Tarries 

PRAYER GRASPS ETERNITY

"No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be a shopwindow to display one's talents; the prayer closet allows no showing off. 

Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of praver. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere. 

The two prerequisites to successful Christian living are vision and passion, both of which are born in and maintained by prayer. The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer-the highest ministry of all human offices-is open to all. Spiritual adolescents say, "I'll not go tonight, it's only the prayer meeting." It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching. Yet past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God's people praying. Modern Christians know little of "binding and loosing," though the onus is on us-"Whatsoever ye shall bind...” Have you done any of this lately? God is not prodigal with His power; but to be much for God, we must be much with God. 

This world hits the trail for hell with a speed that makes our fastest plane look like a tortoise; yet alas, few of us can remember the last time we missed our bed for a night of waiting upon God for a world-shaking revival. Our compassions are not moved. We mistake the scaffolding for the building. Present-day preaching, with its pale interpretation of divine truths, causes us to mistake action for unction, commotion for creation, and rattles for revivals. 

The secret of praying is praying in secret. A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning. We are beggared and bankrupt, but not broken, nor even bent. 

Prayer is profoundly simple and simply profound. "Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try," and yet so sublime that it outranges all speech and exhausts man's vocabulary. A Niagara of burning words does not mean that God is either impressed or moved. One of the most profound of Old Testament intercessors had no language "Her lips moved, but her voice was not heard." No linguist here! There are groanings which cannot be uttered." 

Are we so substandard to New Testament Christianity that we know not the historical faith of our fathers (with its implications and operations), but only the hysterical faith of our fellows? Prayer is to the believer what capital is to the business man. 

Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of anxiety is money? Yet that which tries the modern churches the most, troubled the New Testament Church the least. Our accent is on paying, theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is taken; when they had prayed, the place was shaken! 

In the matter of New Testament, Spirit-inspired, hell-shaking, world-breaking prayer, never has so much been left by so many to so few. For this kind of prayer there is no substitute. We do it--or die! 

Taken from Why Revival Tarries, by Leonard Ravenhill. Copyright 1959, Leonard Ravenhill. Published by Bethany House Publishers.

Jesus firm foundation

Jesus firm foundation

Christmas songs for kids

 

http://www.maynardsgroovytunes.co.uk/jukebox/presents

http://www.maynardsgroovytunes.co.uk/jukebox/letsjumpwith

we believe - News boys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i9wtJzok4U

SONGS

Jesus firm foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgLAk9S1gFA&list=PLQjZDIk8T4aaaEkoxrl8ZeNBe6kFT2YnW

My deliverer - Chris Tomlin

Devotional and prayer

Samuel

Prayer , strength of God.. Weakness in man's eyes

Satan wants me to belive that my strength is my weakness

It's worlds  blindness

Prayer : thank you lord that you loved me, I love you too... I wanna walk with you.. I need you Jesus.. Where else can I go.. I give up lord.. Let me have a simple yet profound walk with you.. This life weighs me down.. Thanks for the people who love me.. Thanks for pastor and marina.. Thanks for their wisdom in times like this where the believer has no other way to escape into you.. You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart with songs of deliverance when ever I'm afraid.. I'll trust in you... Thanks for the friendship in you.. Lord you know my heart, my ways, my plans, my maputions, my control, my tendencies to decisive myself.. Help me lord.. Consume me with your holy love.. Let me be swept away by floods of your grace.. Open my eyes, not just to see but see with your eyes..i pour my love on you, I spend my all on you.. after all you hear me beyond my words.. And cherish me beyond who I am to the potential of WHO you made me to be, THE LOVE OF YOUR HEART

Pope Francis INVOKES LUCIFER Easter Vigil Mass: http://youtu.be/JDYUOAzuyyw

Church history Review 2014

Verses Defending The Believer In The Face Of The Problem

Verses Defending The Believer In The Face Of The Problem

God is holy

- Isaiah 6:3-4 And one cried to another and said: " Holy, holy, holy [is] the LORD of hosts; The whole earth [is] full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

I have offended God even after salvation

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

He constantly forgives

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

He owns my life, he bought me with a price,  I'm his servant, I belong to him,

I'm crucified with Christ - Galatians 2:20
I'm a new creation - 2 Corinthians 5:17
I walk by faith not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7
God is able to make all grace abound toward me 2 Cor 9:8
God has foreseen the plans for me
Coz of God I take pleasure in infirmities 2 Cor 12:10
I can have hope in this weakness coz of God - 2 Corinthians 13:4

. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Book of Romans outline

Romans timeline

Genres of music

Philosophy of learning mind map

Music mind map

Solomon's life compared in kings and chronicles

Graduation - Associates

Bangalore conference with Pastor Schaller

05/07/2014

Pastor John

Numbers 23:21 "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God [is] with him, And the shout of a King [is] among them.

Grace is LOVE in working cloths

Love makes us
God does not behold people's iniquity
He is not remembering and hold people for sin
Love removes evil eye
Grace must be in relationships to resolve the conflicts
Grace comes mephibosheth walk
I may start with love but I'f I behold iniquity it will turn to hate

...........

Pastor Sam

Ezekiel 41:7 As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up [from] the lowest [story] to the highest by way of the middle one.

Psalms 45:1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

...........

Pastor teny

John 8:7, 1 Kings 2

Jesus said.. neither do I condemn these

Walk and service of  the saved one
Grace gives us the ability
Come boldly before the throne of Grace
My Grace is sufficient for you.. when you are weak Iam strong in you
Lev 14, be holy

................

Pastor Schaller

MY PERCEPTION OF WHO GOD IS...IS IT TOO SMALL OR BIG

Relating to life thru experience, thru reason, thru imagination

John 16:17

Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
When I started to have trouble I listened and so I wanted to have bigger God
We are Made for the spiritual, eternal
Job 15:11 [Are] the consolations of God too small for you, And the word [spoken] gently with you?
God is bigger than your troubles
God's benefits are seen too ifsmall
The arrows of the almighty is with in me

A BELIEVER WHO WENT BITTER WITH GOD
Ruth 1:20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
God is been very hard with me

If Concept of GOD is to small .. we see the consolation of god too small

Christ could have been most bitterest person in the world

The thief on the cross....saw another day..after death..

We must labor to get the understanding to know who God is

Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
Easily we carry the condemnation in us

Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

NAOMI KNOWS WHERE SHE COMES FROM

Ephesians 2:11-12 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

WE HUNGER
Coz we are alive

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
WE REMEMBER JUST LIKE NAOMI WHERE CAME FROM
We were once without God
We are interested in what God is doing
God is interested in people ps 3:4..what it's man that you are mindful of him
We are interested in life of Christ Hebrews 12:3

It's bigger than our past, failure, hesitation

MARRIAGE OF CANAAN
World gives you best now but later the bad
God gives the narrow road now but later God gives a wider road to heaven
Ight of the righteous becomes brighter and brighter day by day unto the perfect day

Spiritual mind is considering
Where I came from
Word of god
Work of Christ
Body of Christ

I rather know God than to go thru life tip toeing safely to the grave
Live on the edge..
We live to know him

Key to Joseph's problem was found in the jail

GRACE
Covenant favour

CONSOLATION
CAPACITY for Grace comes from or thanks giving

Rap Pastor Schaller
Arrows come to us so that we can weep with those who weep
God's consolations are big
When you have trouble. Don't beat yourself.. learn your new identity in Grace
Before you tell me what you think of me tell me what God thinks of me
Grace will dissolve the problems I have in my life, relationship
To be anointed of GOD is joy
Be careful not to interpret your troubles.. Job says man is born for trouble
God has picked me up and shaken me to pieces ,, book of job.. God is in the picture
Don't become old and bitter, become old and sweet
Job.. Satan accused coz you , God, were God to him that's why he loved you.. compare that with Lucifer and God
God sent a man ahead (though he was a slave Joseph)
Become re oriented in hope

Fatalism rebuffed
Moses changed God's mind.. We participating with God..this is an interesting relationship.. this Cannot be explained other than we are invited into this relationship with God..even in saving souls we are involved..this is one reason why it's not fatalism..our mind affects God's mind ... Isaiah 64:7 And [there is] no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
To stir up myself means it's not fatalistic.. or choices mean.. We are invited into a relationship..God said..Will I destroy Sodom without telling my friend Abraham
God is a relational God

Rap
Religion.. Latin word bind together

How can Moses change God's mind?
Yes
And that's why our religion is different
Ep 5:3 marriage is a mystery
Do we like a friend who will always agree with you..rather we want a friend who can contribute, change
We have an indulgence which can change God's mind
God is inviting us to a vital relationship, to make Difference
,I have a living God who inhibited me into a relationship and so I have choice, we have power with God,
Deut 28:13 you are to be the head and not the tail.. serpent.. We are not to be victim of the situation but

HOMOSEXUALITY
Isaiah 5:20-22 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to [those who are] wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
Insecurity
Psychological
Not all are homosexual as some are having problem with psyche and Matt be experimenting
Addiction
Bondage
Leaders who promote this
Not wise

IDOLATRY
It's the holy spirit who convicts
We try to keep the people.. God will convict
Preaching, speaking about Jesus changes this automatically if the person is willing

Know everything about God but do not know him
Prime minister of India I know about him but I dint know him personally
1 Cor 13 though I know everything if I had no love it profits me nothing
Having the knowledge of god (love)
Prov 23:23
Luke 14 count the cost

Increasing in God

Hosea 6:2 only thing that we can take back to eternity is the knowledge of GOD

Conference In Hyderabad church May 2014

Day 1

Heard great portions from Pastor John and Pastor Bryan

Pastor John spoke on tabernacle and holiness of God

Pastor Bryan spoke on the mediatorial work of Christ and ours with him . Jesus Christ being our high priest and mediator has given The believer the same, to be a mediator who cares. In terms of God's dealing with people we(Moses) move with God's own heart by being gracious to people's sin(golden calf).but when it

Had great time of rap (discussion) with sudah at dinner.. he explained how God is interested in the Believer to be elevated to himself which plainly said would make the Believer to strive in himself which God does not want . So God says come to the throne of Grace and receive mercy.. we need mercy which cleanses us and Grace which elevates us to God

Day 2

My music teacher a sweet heart

After years I met my music teacher yesterday... was a great time..we almost spoke for 2 hours.. Many questions, many answers, I totally adore her. She loves music and being older she's still passionately after it..(She doesn't like to be named in social links/sites and so not naming her- ask me privately)
I think she's full of genuine motivation for music..one thing I wish for her is that she comes into a experiential relationship with Christ the savior..it's not like she is not aware rather she chooses not to be religious... I wish she understands the big fact that God hates religion too..and so knowing God is not the religious thing to do but the normal thing..
She's full of stories..it's about 4ish in the morning and I woke up singing and was thinking about our conversation .As i told you
She's full of stories.. stories about music, life, experiences, everything under the sun..and she is anything but boring.
I thank God for her life.. She knows a lot of fears that i have as a musician..but she's a constant encouragement..
your a sweet heart ( probably she might never read this- she's far from tech stuff and a practical person)
Joel

MODAL CIRCLE OF FIFTHS - JIM FULTON

A Beautiful Life - Tim McMorris

Sometimes Life Is Hard

Sometimes Life Is Hard -  By Kristin 

We never know what's wrong without pain.
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

And sometimes when people get hurt,
Even the strongest ones may need comfort.

The Art Of Rectifying Your Musical Mistakes

       [Here's a video of a girl who gets off to a wrong start but gets back on track in no time 
       (to be precise at 1:06 seconds)]

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

The scene behind your Musical thinking requires:

1. Training your ear
2. Training your musical intuition
3. Bold in making mistakes and rectifying them

1. Training Training your Ear

• listening to wide range of musical genres
• Being able to say what style it is 
• What the time signature is (if you don't know what this is, look it up on Wikipedia)
• learning to analyse a song-
•  to what the shape of the song is:
• where does it become loud or soft?
• Emotional delineation

• learn to see the Musical landscape (Look the picture below which shows the ingredient)

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. Training your musical intuition

• this depends on your personal perception.
• perception 
• human senses ranked in percentages are                                                         sight = 83%
  hearing = 11%
  touch = 3.5%
  smell = 1.5%
  taste = 1% 

•  so to develop your perception you need to learn to associate one sense to the other, i.e., learn to attach your hearing skill to your Feelings/Emotions and your imagination (which is in turn your SIGHT). i cannot stop to impress more on this..

• Learn to create impressions on your emotions
• this can be achieved when you hear a certain  music and at the first point of your hearing you get a hint of a very small emotion, all you need to do is exaggerate the feeling and enjoy it. You'll be surprised of how music can Move you in an AUTO-MODE
• The more you work at developing your taste to something, the more colorful your yearning's become and the more you extract from the pleasures of this LIFE.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 3. Bold in making mistakes and rectifying them

• Mistakes are inevitable and so learning what's next is much more important.
• The more mistakes you make by trying to put into practice what you attempted to learn, the more creative you'll be when you really make a mistake.
• The art of rectifying is a step which comes after you learn the Lesson of  "MAKING A MISTAKE"

_________________________________________________________________________________

Bebo Norman - The Hammer Holds

Who's a true friend

Points on biblical friendship

- We can't make friends, all we can do is, be a friend
- A friend must show himself friendly
- A true friend draws you close to God(not eating up your personal prayer/study time)
- friendship demands the giving to the other not expecting and so demands a flavor of agape love
- An acquaintance merely enjoys your company, a fair-weather companion flatters when all is well, a true friend has your best interests at heart and the pluck to tell you what you need to hear
- if friendship with a person draws you to God then retain it, if that leads you to be friends with the world, rethink it!

An interesting article I saw by Dr.Barry liesch

Neutral—An Open Universe for the Christian Artist

I believe in an open universe for the Christian artist.  My contention is that this ought to be our starting point, theoretically, as Christians.  Any chord, any rhythm, any instrument should be theoretically acceptable for worship. The sound of a sax is not more immoral than a clarinet or a violin.  A reggae beat is not more evil than a waltz or a march.
However, for a given group of people, a given instrument or rhythm may not be appropriate because of its associations (I’ll develop this a bit later).  But even in this case, as I wrote in The New Worship, I would attempt to teach everyone to be “strong” (as did Paul) and to accept meat offered to idols (read in place of that “music”)–for, as Paul said, “the earth is the Lords.”  Nevertheless, I would not force, constrain, or cajole anyone to eat meat offered to idols (or listen to any music style) if it bothered their conscience.  Nor would I want to look down on them or make fun of them if they chose to refrain. Paul teaches each of us to be convinced, and to act only from faith (Romans 14:23). But again, teaching people to be strong is vital.  I should even think that any music style should be redeemable.  If someone does something bad with a style (associates it with something unhealthy), the Christian should be allowed, with wisdom, to associate it with something good.


But Not Neutral in Some Senses


In some senses I hold that music is not neutral.  It’s not neutral emotionally. It can arouse emotions and induce physical actions.  It can stimulate you to tap your foot, nod your head, or sway your body. It can convey the feelings of transcendence and intimacy.  Musical sounds are active and alive–sound waves literally hit your body.  You can actually feel loud, low sounds waves hitting your chest.  But the fact that sounds strike your body is not immoral in my view.  I understand that we are often persuaded by our emotions, and music appeals to the emotions.  I would agree that when music is combined with words, music could be highly persuasive, because it heightens the meaning of words.


Music Associations—the Most Troubling Area


 Music associations are, for me, the most troubling area for the Christian community.  In worship contexts, sometimes people are better off not knowing the associations.  For example, if congregations do not know that a particular rhythm is associated with a sexy dance step, it is just appreciated for its energy and vitality without any sexual overtones.  I also think parents have every right to be concerned with the environment, the culture, that goes with a particular music. For example, drugs have been associated with certain musics.  Paul teaches, “Everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial.” (I Cor 10:23, NIV).  Especially is this the case when unhealthy/ungodly texts accompany music.  The music that captivates and entices us, associated with the lyrics, could indeed become a snare.
With music without words, however, meanings are more ambiguous, because unlike a representational painting, music itself is invisible and contains no concrete images.  There is no interior beacon of reference or meaning upon which everyone can agree.  People can and do draw different inferences (meanings) from the same musical passages depending on their experience and the associations they make with the music.  Our minds are not passive, but active in making associations.
For example, when I grew up in Vancouver B.C. in the early 50’s, there was in those days an understanding that my brother would not play the sax in church because it was associated with dance halls–but the clarinet was OK.  The sax was thought to have a sexy sound not appropriate to convey the reverence due to God. That changed in the 60’s. Today many people positively identify the sax with contemporary worship bands and that particular problem of associations doesn’t exist.
Similarly, my Christian piano teacher tried to dissuade me from using complex jazz chords in church settings, although he had no problem with my playing rhythms originating from ragtime!


Acts 2 & the Tongues of Fire


I would argue that the “tongues of fire” passage in Acts 2 teaches that the Gospel can be preached in any language.   And if the Gospel can be preached in any tongue, then any music style could also be implied, and in fact, be inevitable, because musical styles mimic the inflections, syntax of language. Music reflects language.  Moreover, music is just the next cultural step.  People speak the Gospel and then sing it.


What about Scientific Studies, Dissonance?


As for finding ethical reasons for avoiding certain musics in scientific studies, I find these studies inconclusive.   Certainly, music can speed up your heartbeat, etc., but is that ethical or moral? Plants, they say, prefer classical music.  But what meaning does that have for us?
I hear arguments against the use of dissonance in worship because studies show that babies wrinkle their faces and show dislike when they hear dissonances–but why shouldn’t they!  Dissonance, analogically, often represents pain in music.   Yet everyone experiences pain in life.  We need a musical language which can address all of life, both the pain and the joy. Do we want to excise from Scripture all passages that convey emotions of hatred, anger, and so on?
This is as far as I’m going to go with this discussion right now.  If you want to look into this subject more, I suggest you read Harold Best’s book Music Through the Eyes of Faith. Chapters 12 and 13 of my book, The New Worship, provide more rationale and more scriptural backing for the view expressed here. I also understand that other good Christians have differing views on this subject and I honor them and their views too.
Even more important, study Roman 14 and I Corinthians 8-10, because Paul has much more to say about these so called “grey areas.”

Books recommended by my teacher -  Music Through the Eyes of Faith by Harold Best