Heavenly Tunes

Wednesday   9-9-15 (Home in Modesto)

Scripture reading:  Lam 1-2   Obadiah     Rev. 14

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Rev 14:3  This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. NLT

O.  God loves music.  He is the Author of it.  Now a choir of 144,000 voices is singing a new song before the throne of God.  Awesome!

A.  Some of us like the old songs, the hymns and choruses that were sung when we were younger.  They bring back wonderful, spiritual experiences of our past.  But the Lord enjoys new songs as well and I am learning to enjoy them, too.

In my early years of ministry I served, among other things, as music director.  In Orangevale we developed a choir of about 30 voices.  I had some good sopranos, altos, a few good baritones and one very good deep bass.  It was a volunteer choir, of course, and my most faithful man was Brother Marifield.  He was a dear brother that could not carry a tune.  I needed him just to encourage other men to be faithful, too.   I loved what I was doing and so did my choir.  Once we sang in a great “Choir Congress” held at Bethel Temple, Sacramento (Now  Capital Christian Center) and our little choir literally brought the house down.  They were fine-tuned and perfectly synchronized.   I immediately thereafter was offered a position of music director in a large church in Los Angeles area.  But God was calling me us another direction and we opted to serve as pastors in the little mountain town of Colfax... where, by the way, we started another choir.

Music is fun.  Leading worship can be exhilarating.  What would it be to lead a choir of 1,000 voices?  I sang in Billy Graham’s 1,000 voice choir, led by Cliff Barrows in Portland when I was 18.  It was thrilling.  But a heavenly choir of 144,000?  That’s going to be awesome indeed!

P.  Lord, we cannot even imagine the music of heaven.  David had his harp, I’ve got my 8 string lap steel guitar.  I asked you to let me take it with me, but I heard You say You’ve got me something better up there.  I can’t wait!  It’s gotta be good!  I used to sing a lot, but my voice isn’t as young as it “use-to-was”.  What’s that?  You are saying that You have a new and better voice for me, too?  Well, I guess I keep squeaking and plucking and worshiping You with all I’ve got... until that day.  Music is fun.  And I know You like it to... for You invented it.  And everybody said, “Amen.”

Ralph