Encourage One Another

Music is life-giving. Music can effect moods. In 1 Samuel, the servants of Saul understood that music was a powerful antidote to spiritual oppression, which is what the Lord uses to bring David into the court of the king. In many other places in Scripture, we find examples of the weapon of song being used to combat depression, guilt, etc. but not only to fight the bad, but to spur on and replace what is wrong with what is right; joy, repentance, etc. Singing worship songs that declare truths about the greatness of our God, lyrical theology as it were, has a way of setting our minds right and lifting our spirits. We can see wonderful examples of this throughout Psalms, especially David's writings (Psalm 22, 130, 131; to name just a few). David sings his confessions as he is honest with God about where his heart is at, but he doesn't stop there. He turns his eyes from himself and fixes them on the Almighty and his perspective is set right. In the same way, as we bow down in holy surrender before the righteous King of the universe and glorify His name, our struggles are put in their place. There are times, however, when we feel the reality of our inability to do this by ourselves and we are unable to find our joy and peace in the all-sufficient goodness of our great God (it goes without saying that this does not imply any failing  on Christ's part, because He never fails us). It is at these times that fellowship with fellow believers is vitally important. We have to come alongside and encourage one another, stirring one another on to good deeds (we also need to press on in our personal times and not give up because it has become difficult to find joy in Christ, Who is the only complete and satisfying joy). In Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18b-20, Paul says, "be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," (ESV) and again in Colossians chapter 2 verse 16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (ESV) This might look different for all of us, but here are a few ideas: sharing a passage of scripture (the Bible is a source of encouragement for any season of life), a song via a music streaming service, singing truth to one another -- if that's weird, even texting or reading a song lyric to a friend. A great example of this comes from the recent track by Hillsong titled "Good Grace:" //don't let your heart be troubled/hold your head up high/don't fear no[sic] evil/fix your eyes on this one truth/God is madly in love with you/so take courage hold on/be strong remember where our help comes from// (doesn't that just put a smile on your face??) 

and, better yet, from Scripture itself: 

Psalm 9:9-10 "The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in You,  for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (ESV)

Isaiah 26:3-4 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, 

because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." (ESV)

Those are only two of the myriads that can be found in the living and active Word. Scripture is full of life-giving passages.

I apologize, I have been jumping around quite a bit, but I will leave you with this:

Be active in searching for ways to encourage our brothers and sisters. Christ is risen, He is alive, and He is our joy. He is our life and, as long as we are in Him, we have this source of life -- the only source of true life -- to share with others. So let's be life-givers. Encourage the body of Christ with song.

The Desiring God website has a phenomenal article written by Pastor John Piper about "ambushing Satan with song." It was written way back in 1985 but is still extremely relevant and encouraging and speaks to how our singing in worship actually can combat our spiritual enemy. I cannot recommend it highly enough (you can either listen to or read the transcript of it). It says what I am trying to say in a much more eloquent way (I mean, it's John Piper, so duh, but still).

til next time,

Simeon

With All Disrespect to Death...

a family gravesite in Edinburgh, Scotland
photographed Sept. 2018

I've been listening to O Praise the Name (Anastasis) by Hillsong quite a bit lately. I am regularly awestruck by the beauty in the rich theology and simple melody of the hymn. My favorite part, debatably, is in the third verse where we declare, “Oh trampled death, where is your sting? The angels roar for Christ the King”. I wish my voice could shout louder every time I come to this stanza because my heart screams in gratitude to our great Almighty Who did the trampling of that death and its curse. As much as I have been reveling in the English version, I have also been enjoying it in the Russian recording. The same part is said in a different (yet similar) way. Rather than addressing death, the heavens cry out that Christ has trampled death. I realized that the verb (попрал, - poprahl - past tense of the infinitive попрать) that is used was not familiar to me - although I understood it in context - so I looked it up. I was not prepared for what I read. It means “trample,” for sure, but it’s more violent than just "to trample." It means: to rudely or cruelly disrupt, stomp on, or break up; to trample. It may seem like a small differentiation, but it shed light for me on the extent to which Christ violated death. He removed, for the believer, any hold that the curse of death and the grave has on us. But not just for us. For. His. Glory. And we get to join Him in His mission to bring life to the dead, as we once were... all for the fame and glory and declaration of Him and His saving work. Although we still die, the spiritual death that was death's sting no longer holds power because of His saving work. That is good news, indeed. 

Little bits go long ways...

Did you know that January 21st is National Hugging Day? It just so happens that this year, it is also Martin L. King Jr. Day. I think that’s quite fitting. Our country seems more racially and politically divided than ever before. The opposing sides of the isle oppose each other more and more on the basis of party rather than the basis of issues that matter. Today we remember a man who literally gave his life in the pursuit of racial equality and true — not social — justice. A hug isn’t going to fix the world, but every little but goes a long way. Can we do that? Can we show a little bit more kindness despite how much we disagree with another person’s opinion? “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 ESV). We’re not talking about a condescending soft answer either, that doesn’t help one bit. Give someone a hug today, even if it’s only in memory of the man we celebrate today. Show kindness. Love mercy. Let’s all show a little more respect. Little by little, it’ll make the world less harsh. 

Much love,

Simeon

On Death and What is to Come

Last night, the song “It is not Death to Die” played on my phone and, as I listened to it, my mind was drawn to those I know that have gone on before me. I see a healed Mrs. Reich, worshipping Jesus without a hint of cancerous pain. I see Cousin Scottie, a wide grin plastered on his face, shouting for joy and lifting the arms, arms that were so long rendered useless by ALS, in praise of the Great Physician. I see R.C. Sproul, breathing without the help of an oxygen tank, singing as he beholds the unimaginable glory that he declared for decades. The glory of the Great I Am. 

I think of these few and I am innocently jealous that they have beat me home... but then I am reminded that they ran their race, I have a few more laps to go. I know my day will come, as fast as the blink of an eye, and I don’t fear that day at all. I pray that, when I do reach those beautiful gates, I will have left a similar impact on those who knew me. That when I’m gone, people won’t imagine that “heaven got another angel” but that I will have lived in such a way that no one will doubt where I will be. For I will be bowing at the feet of my King, all my struggles a thing of the past, finally made wholly without sin through His blood. 

Still, I am content to live on, however long He has written for me. I will receive the blessings with gratitude and the trials with faith. One day I’ll make it home. Oh my! What a day that will be!