Thursday 13 September 2012

MUSIC: ANOTHER EDUCATION UNFOLDED (PSALMS 100)

The mystery behind music still stands unknown to many, the fulfilling power it wields and the many keys it possessed is still something that is yet to be unraveled.
 
Music means any fine tune that can be produced by anything abstract or non-abstract. Abstract ones can be the howling of wind, the soft tune made by gentle breezes and so on, while the non-abstract are musical instruments, human voice, singing birds etc. Having known what music is, we would have to know about its power.
 
First and foremost, we have to know that our God loves good music. It as it is our duty that saints after death will continue to praise God in the splendour of His glory. Also, he made angels so that they praise Him. He (God) uses music (I mean good music) to win wars for the Israelites.
 
Music is also known for its soothing and healing power. In 1 Samuel 16, the spirit of the Lord left Saul and he was possessed by an evil spirit, it was with the power in the good music that David made that soothed and healed him all those times. Several testimonies have been made in this contemporary period about many people being inspired by the power of music.
 
But lo and behold, the music that we know to possess this great power is nothing to write home about our environment today. Bad music is being sought after by both the young and the old. Our call as Christian is to learn Godly music, know it the core, and then use it to bring back our brethren that have gone lost.
 
Now, using America as a case study, it is discovered that there is no way an average American citizen won’t know about an instrument, and why is that? It is simply because right from a period in their childhood age, when they assimilate every possible teaching being passed across to them (precisely age 3), they would be made to learn an instrument but that is not the case here in our society because even most parents do not see any usefulness as to what music is.
 
It is also so devastating that our Baptist Churches are doing nothing to keep music alive, so it is a clarion call to our pastors to please encourage learning music and using it to serve God in our churches. Music is another reason many Baptist members are leaving for greener pasture in terms of music.
 
Another bad turn on the side of music in our churches is that people that are not supposed to be seen playing instruments in the church are the ones that are handling it because the responsible youth who should be there do not know anything about those instruments.
 
One day at a wedding programme where our choir was to minister, we started the programme well with some instrumentalists we can get, but at the time meant for thanksgiving, a drummer was called to come and play (only God knows who), because we have our drummer and he was already playing. Suddenly, he was asked to stand up so that the new guy could replace him. Many of us did not agree, but we had little to say in the matter. The guy started playing and just before the end of thanksgiving, he spoiled the bass drum and ran away. It was then someone came and told us that he had smoked Indian hemp before coming to playing in the church. This kind of occurred because he was deemed fit to play than our other drummer because we did not have many.
 
So right now, I am urging us to rise and take what is ours. There are many instruments you can learn that will make you useful in God’s vineyard. Learn something today, and when you do, use it for God alone and not for selfish reason. Rise up brethren and let us beat the devil’s music down. And remember Christ loves music. SHALOM!

Alagbe Faith I.
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