It’s the Same Old Song

A few years ago I spent the weekend at a Christian retreat center in central Minnesota. In the sanctuary, Terry MacAlmon’s “Precious Lamb of God” was repeatedly heard on a CD player in between meetings. This is one of my favorite songs by Terry. However, I chose to stay away from the sanctuary as much as possible.

It’s happened before when I got tired of a song because the pastor, worship leader, or person in charge overplayed it. One minister I know habitually plays the same song over and over on his iPod at the end of his meetings. A favorite of his is Roy Fields’ “In the Presence of Angels.” I liked that song when first heard at the Lakeland Outpouring meetings in 2008. Now I cringe whenever hearing it. That’s unfortunate since it’s really an anointed song.

Another tune that’s become annoying to me is the David Ingles composition “Lord We Magnify You.” There’s a church I’ve attended for many years that (in my opinion) still sings that hymn too much. At one recent worship service, the piano player announced “let’s sing this just once” but then went through it several times before moving on to the next song.

One might argue we will sing the same song over and over in heaven. Revelation 4:8 says, “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’” But it later says in Revelation 5:9 and 14:3 they “sing a new song” in heaven. Many verses in Psalms command us to do the same thing.

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:7 to avoid vain repetitions in our prayers. I believe this can also apply to music used in worship. Perhaps the Lord would be more pleased if we occasionally waited on Him and then sang spontaneous songs downloaded to us from heaven. 

Our God likes variety and freshness.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints.” - Psalm 149:1

Whoa on the Whoas

Until I gave my life to the Lord in 1991, I didn’t have much appreciation for contemporary Christian music. During the 1980s I worked at roller rinks that had a Christian Skate Night. Most of the songs I heard then sounded lame and outdated compared to the secular stuff I loved so much. 

Although there’s now a greater variety of quality Christian music to listen to, I’ve noticed an increasing number of songs with the repeated syllables "oh" and “whoa.” Two Sundays ago I watched a worship service online. During which many “whoas” were sung. They were even added to the Delirious classic “Majesty (Here I Am)”, which doesn’t have “whoas” in the original recording. 

I don’t want to be critical of brethren who put their hearts into worshipping the Lord. Still, I’m turned off by the excessive usage of these filler syllables. Can you imagine praying with a bunch of “whoas”? (“Father God…Whoa Whoa”)

The word whoa is also a command to make a horse stop or slow down. May I suggest Christian singers and songwriters put a whoa on the “whoas” for a while? It’s become a cliché causing otherwise anointed songs to sound too much alike. How about singing in the Spirit more or coming up with additional Bible-based lyrics? I believe those things would be a greater blessing to the Lord…and to His people.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16

Just

One of the things the Lord used to prepare me for ministry was Toastmasters, an organization people join to improve their public speaking skills. In every Toastmasters meeting, the person assigned as the grammarian introduces a “word of the day” to encourage speakers to expand their vocabulary. My particular Toastmasters club also used a clicker whenever the person speaking uttered filler words like “um”, “ah”, “er”, and “you know.”

I’ve noticed many Christians habitually insert the word “just” whenever they are praying or praising the Lord. Listen closely the next time you’re at a church service or prayer meeting. You will likely hear people say, “I just pray that…” or “I just praise You for…” or “We just thank You…” Perhaps you picked up that habit because you heard other believers doing the same thing.

The Bible does say, “The just shall live by faith” and the blood of Jesus justifies us. But I don't see how the overuse of the word “just” adds extra power to prayers and praise. Maybe I’m nitpicking but I feel Christians use the word “just” just too much.

I like the advice given by comedian Tim Hawkins, "Just finish the prayer!"

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” - Matthew 6:7

"You Never Know"

A phrase that some people use that I'm starting to find annoying is “you never know.” Occasionally I hear believers say something like, “You never know what God will do.” It must grieve the Holy Spirit to hear His people say clichés like that. The truth is we can know what God is doing if we are sensitive to His leading. Jesus said in John 16:13 that the Spirit of God “will guide you into all truth” and “will tell you things to come.”

Another often-used phrase similar to this is “God moves in mysterious ways.” Some believers quote this like it came out of the Bible. This saying actually originated from an 18th-century hymn written by William Cowper. The promises of God are not mysterious but His methods of bringing them to pass can be. As Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”

It’s true that some spiritual matters remain a mystery. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” For example, you may not know why a certain individual died at a young age but God may choose to reveal the reason to those that need to know.

Amos 3:7 says, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” God uses His people to warn the world of coming judgments. Examples include…

• Noah and the coming flood (Genesis 6:13)

• Abraham and Lot of the future destruction of Sodom (Genesis 18:17; 19:14)

• Joseph and the seven-year famine (Genesis 41:30)

• Moses and the ten plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7:1)

• Jonah and the destruction of Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 3:4)

Sadly, some people remain ignorant of what God is doing in the earth because of listening to the wrong voices. 2 Timothy 3:6-7 mentions that in the last days there will be “gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Every time I read this passage, I think of housewives and single mothers who constantly watch tabloid talk shows on TV, filling their minds with useless information that won’t make a positive difference in their lives.

Occasionally when I’m out evangelizing, religious folks try to tell me that nobody can know for sure if they will have eternal life. But 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” That will happen as more of God’s people share the gospel with sinners and they respond to it by receiving salvation. Jesus said in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But truth alone doesn’t make anyone free. It’s knowing it and then applying it in their lives.

We can know the will of God by reading our Bibles, claiming His promises, and staying in communion with Him. But we can bring negative things into our lives simply by speaking the wrong words. As Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Let’s get “you never know” out of our vocabulary. Let’s believe God will bring revelation to help us fulfill His plans and purposes on the earth.

“The Holy One has anointed you, so all of you have knowledge.” - 1 John 2:20 (GOD’S WORD Translation)