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Surviving the Coming Tribulation How to Escape the Seven Last Plagues

Adapted from a message
presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
during "The Voice of Prophecy Speaks"


A number of years ago, Flight #316 with 68 passengers sat on the runway at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Authorities delayed the flight for hours. The hours stretched into a day. Two days. For three long, dreary days, Flight #316 just sat there.

What was the problem? United States authorities wanted to be sure one particular passenger aboard that plane wasn't leaving against her will. Her husband had defected from another country to the United States. Then he wanted her to join him. So she came here.

Now the question was, had she been pressured to leave? Did anybody force her to board the plane? That was her husband's fear. She was leaving, but why?

With television cameras whirring and reporters' cameras clicking, this woman stood in the presence of officials of both nations and made her final statement: "I love my husband. But he made his decision to stay here. And I have made mine to leave." And she walked away!

U.S. Immigration wanted to know, "Had she spoken freely? Without coercion? Did anybody force her to say this?" But she made her decision. And so after 72 hours on the runway, television lights switched off, reporters hurried to the telephones, and Flight #316 lifted into the evening sky.

End Time Held Back

Is the ship of time being "held" on the runway--waiting for certain passengers to make up their minds? According to the Book of Revelation that's the assignment for four special angels.

"After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree" (Revelation 7:1). [Bible texts are from the New King James Version, except as noted.]

Winds on a leash! Angels holding back the winds of war and destruction. Holding back the flight of time. Turning aside disaster. Blunting the power of wars and hurricanes and floods. Restraining the winds of terror and violence. Holding the hourglass on a slant so that the last grains of sand will not flow through. Forbidding history from signing out just yet. Because God is unwilling to wrap it all up until every man and woman has decided by their own free choice, what they want to do with their eternal future.

Prophecy warns us that one day soon the winds will be unleashed. They'll blow with a fury that defies imagination. Why are the angels holding the winds? Holding our flight?

"Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads'" (Revelation 7:2, 3).

Angels are holding back the winds--until God's people are sealed in their foreheads. With some sort of visible tattoo? No. Millions of men, women, and children will be so in love with Jesus that they will say, "Lord, I want to be marked as one of Your children forever! I accept. I obey Your forever seal!"

But other millions--the majority, unfortunately--will say in their hearts (or by their actions), "No thank You, Lord. I know You died to save me. But I don't want to be sealed. I choose to go another way--my own way."

It hurts Jesus so much to hear men and women say that they want to accept the gift of salvation that cost Him so much; but then reject His gift of restoration. So He keeps waiting a little longer, holding our plane on the runway of time because He doesn't want a single one to be lost. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Final Choices Honored

One day soon every living person will have completely made up their mind--to choose Jesus, or not to. God knows their decision is irrevocable, so the fateful decree goes forth: "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Revelation 22:11, 12).

That decree is the close of probation. For men and women on Planet Earth there'll be no more changing of camps after that. Not because God wants to be arbitrary. Not because He wants to cut anybody off. Rather, the decree simply reflects the fact that individuals have made their final choice. And God will honor those choices. It's time for the flight to take off.

Notice what the prophet Daniel says will happen: "At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1, 2).

The winds will blow and we'll be ushered into a time of trouble such as this world has never known! The seven final judgments of God--the seven last plagues--will be released upon the enemies of God. The predictions of Revelation will reach their final fulfillment. The last grains of sand will finally slip through the hourglass.

But the prophet Daniel encourages us, Jesus will return and God's people will be delivered!

Let me remind you of a technique of God. God's great Bible prophecies are consistent. They reveal a God who is predictable. The way God has worked in the past, He will work again today: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). "All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Sobering Parallel in Exodus

The Old Testament miracles during the Exodus when ten plagues fell on Egypt--but God's people escaped--are extremely important. They provide a sobering parallel to the final exodus from Planet Earth. By studying them, we'll discover how we can escape the seven last plagues during the final tribulation.

Before God rained plagues on Egypt, He sent Moses and Aaron to tell Pharaoh, "This is God's message: you don't have to receive these plagues. If you cooperate with God, He'll bless you. Thus says the Lord God Jehovah, 'Let My people go.'" But Pharaoh wouldn't budge. Refused. Hardened his heart. Insulted God.

Ten calamities then began exploding one by one like Patriot missiles.

First, the Nile River, worshiped by the Egyptians, turned to blood. Fish died and all the water in Egypt became blood for seven days. But Pharaoh still refused to let God's people go.

Next a plague of frogs infected the land. Millions of them--in their food, their beds, everywhere. Pharaoh stubbornly refused to budge.

A plague of lice came next. The arrogant ruler still wouldn't agree to let the people go. The Bible tells us the first three plagues fell on both the Hebrews and the Egyptians. But after that, things got more serious and the plagues fell only on the ungodly Egyptians.

The fourth plague came: stinging, venomous flies. It was epidemic--so awful it swept through the land.

Then the fifth plague came, destroying livestock. The stench of death was pervasive. Pharaoh wondered whether the animals of the Hebrew people had been protected as Moses predicted. "Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go" (Exodus 9:7).

The sixth plague fell. Boils on man and beast. Head to toe--miserable boils! Still the obstinate monarch refused to release the children of Israel.

Next, a plague of hail, laced with lightning and thunder--a stupendous sight, with lightning running along the ground, like carpet bombing by B-52s! Every living plant and crop and tree was flattened. For a few fleeting moments Pharaoh actually toyed with the idea of obeying God and letting the people go. But when the bombardment abated, so did his good intentions.

The eighth plague hit: a cyclone of locusts eating every plant the hail didn't get! Can you imagine Pharaoh's counselors pleading with him, "No more plagues, please! Pharaoh, it's over--please! Let the slaves go!" But still the king refused.

Then came three days of mysterious darkness. So cold, so intense, so bitter and oppressive, it could be felt. But rebellious Pharaoh continued to defy the God of heaven.

Finally the tenth plague. The climactic grand finale. The slaughter of all the firstborn. "And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh . . . to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock" (Exodus 12:29).

But where the blood of a lamb had been sprinkled on the doorposts in obedience to God's instructions, not one home was touched. Thousands of anxious Israelite firstborns must have stayed up till midnight asking, "Daddy, did you sprinkle the blood on the doorposts? Like God instructed?" "Yes, dear, and the angel has passed over."

Throughout the vast kingdom of Egypt the wailing cries of mourners could be heard--even in proud Pharaoh's household, as with trembling legs and anguished voice he finally screamed to the children of Israel, "Get out of Egypt. And hurry. Or, we'll all die!" At the stroke of midnight, the children of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land!

History to Be Repeated

What does this 3500-year-old story have to do with us today? Revelation tells us it's profoundly significant here in the 21st century! History will be repeated. The events on Planet Earth during the final tribulation will parallel the Exodus story. This time, seven plagues will be global catastrophes. They will culminate in the final exodus of God's people from spiritual Egypt and our planet in rebellion!

I don't mean to be critical of Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" books, because he clearly admits his books are fiction, not necessarily Bible truth. But here's something Tim LaHaye misses in these books. He says God's people won't be here for the plagues. We'll be raptured, out of here! We'll be up there in heaven with front row seats looking down on all this.

Look again at the Bible record. The children of Israel didn't get to avoid the plagues. They endured affliction and tribulation before their glorious deliverance from Egypt. They were there when the plagues were falling all around them on the Egyptians.

Revelation clearly says God's church will be here on earth, going through affliction as we witness the outpouring of the seven last plagues on the wicked right before Christ's coming. But just as God delivered His people then, so we'll experience the miracle of being preserved from the plagues by God's angels.

One Final Appeal

Before those plagues begin, the everlasting Gospel will have been preached to all the world. The call of the second angel's message to "come out of Babylon" and false systems of worship will have been given. The third angel's message will have been proclaimed. God makes one final appeal, "Please everyone, you can escape the plagues! Listen!"

"Anyone [who] worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand . . . shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God" (Revelation 14:9, 10).

That's the most awesome warning in all the Bible! It is only when the issues are plainly set before the inhabitants of earth, only when the final crisis forces every individual to make an irrevocable decision--to choose between the commandments of God or the commandments of men--that's the only time anyone receives the mark of the beast and the seven last plagues.

Probation's door closes forever. But God's church is still here on this planet. Which infuriates Satan, who goads the wicked into passing a death decree against everyone who won't accept the mark of the beast. They declare, "Destroy them!" And God responds, "Enough! They've gone too far. It's over, My children! They have rejected My last message of mercy." And the seven last plagues come. That's when Revelation 14:10 says wicked people will "drink of the wine of the wrath of God."

The solemn announcement is made in heaven: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still" (Revelation 22:11, KJV).

Christ's work as our Great High Priest in heaven has ended. Every case has been decided for eternal life or eternal death. The door of God's mercy is shut. And just before Jesus descends in glory, earth's inhabitants are plunged into one final great "time of trouble such as never was," spoken of by the prophet Daniel.

Protected, Not Raptured

According to the Bible, God isn't going to snatch away His people--not until after the plagues are over. We'll be here on earth, right until the end! But we'll be protected, just as were the children of Israel during their plagues. No, we won't be free from difficulties and suffering. It will be a time of trouble for everyone. In fact, our wildest imagination can't comprehend the magnitude of its reality, as the wicked now drink the cup of God's wrath unmixed with mercy!

John was given a sneak preview of this terrible time of trouble. "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God" (Revelation 15:1).

The seven last plagues bear some striking similarities to the ones that fell upon Egypt.

"And the first [angel] went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image" (Revelation 16:2, KJV).

Could these be sores similar to the cancerous boils suffered by the Egyptians? Revelation 13 says this vial specifically targets the United States--and every country where the mark of the beast is legislated and observed.

Imagine the impact such a plague will have on 21st century society! Schools close. Factories shut down. Stores won't be able to open. Hospitals overflow with people seeking emergency treatment, but doctors and nurses are suffering from the same affliction. Millions die. Will we, too? No. Just as the Israelites had the sign of the blood on the doorposts that caused the destroying angel with the plague of death to "pass over" them, so God's people have a sign--a seal--which causes the angel with the vial to pass over them.

Wicked people will still be suffering from their sores when another calamity strikes: "And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea" (Revelation 16:3, KJV).

Creatures of the sea wash ashore. What a stench! People stumble over one another to escape their beach homes. Governments had declared, "You can't buy food for the family or milk for the baby, because you don't have the mark of the beast." Now God turns the tables and no one can get food.

Another plague follows: "And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood" (Revelation 16:4, KJV). Just think! A person turns on the faucet to get a drink, and instead blood gushes out! The angel says all this is God's "strange act," that God's justice is finally being mysteriously vindicated.

"Thou art righteous, O Lord . . . because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink" (Revelation 16:5, 6, KJV).

Good News Amidst Trouble

But in all this there's some good news. While the wicked are perishing of thirst because they have nothing to drink but blood, God's people who walk righteously have a fantastic promise! "Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure" (Isaiah 33:16, KJV).

Then "the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory" (Revelation 16:8, 9, KJV).

But God's people? God promises a cloud will protect them! Air conditioning, like the children of Israel had!

"And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds" (Revelation 16:10, 11, KJV).

It's a total reversal--from solar-atomic heat and global warming big time, to freezing cold! Operation Deep Freeze. Notice, this text reveals something very interesting. Evidently not all the plagues are going to be universal, nor fatal. This plague particularly falls on the seat of the beast power--double intensity for what she measured out to God's saints. Darkness so deep and dark it can be felt!

Then comes the sixth plague--with the great final battle, Armageddon.

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:12-14, KJV).

Revelation 16:16 tells us that's when the whole world gets involved. It's the final conflict. But right in the middle of Armageddon, suddenly it's all over!

"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, 'It is done.' And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake . . . . And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great" (Revelation 16:17-21, KJV).

It's hard to get our minds around the immensity of this disaster, hammering our planet! Hail the weight of a talent? That's 57-pound hailstones! Can you imagine the devastation? What could possibly be left after the seventh plague?

But before everyone is destroyed, Jesus Himself personally interrupts the chaos and conflict, riding forth in majesty and power and glory with all the armies of heaven to deliver His people.

Finally we're rescued. Finally we're raptured! Finally we're home. Thank God, we're home at last! It's all over. Jesus comes to end the saga of sin, sickness, suffering, disease, sadness, and selfishness.

Are you thinking, "Sure hope I'm on God's side then! Can I be certain of God's protection when this great time of tribulation comes and the plagues begin to fall?" There's only one way.

Only Way to Escape

The Bible says it's the very same way people escaped the Flood in Noah's day. The same way the children of Israel escaped from Egypt. The same way it's been throughout all salvation history. Sprinkling the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of our lives!

If we want those destroying angels with their Patriot missiles to pass over our homes, then you and I have to follow God's explicit instructions and make the one necessary preparation now. Apply the blood!

And just as God spared His faithful people during the plagues in Egypt, just as He rescued them; just as God spared Noah's family in the tribulation days of the Flood; just so when the seven last plagues fall in the final tribulation, we'll be spared and escape only if we've accepted the blood of the Lamb as our sacrifice and allowed His blood to cleanse us from our sins.

Do you see the parallel? We've sprinkled the blood on our doorposts. And just as God delivered His people in Egypt then--He's going to do it again for us.

Have you chosen which side you'll be on: God's side or the side of a rebel angel? Once destruction begins, it will be too late to change sides! Probation's door will close forever. That's why God is pleading with love today. Friend, won't you place yourself on Jesus' side now? Under the protection of His blood? The saddest words men will ever utter will be: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" (Jeremiah 8:20).

Perhaps you've heard the story of a lumberjack in Australia who built a little cabin at the edge of the forest. One day, as he returned home from work, he was stunned to find his little cabin just a heap of smoldering ruins. He walked over to the place where his chicken coop had stood. All he found was a mound of ashes. Some burned wire. Aimlessly he shuffled through the debris.

Then he noticed a lump of charred feathers. Idly, he kicked it over. And four fuzzy, little baby chicks scrambled out, miraculously protected by the wings of a loving mother hen.

Absolute Assurance

In the most beautiful and meaningful language of Scripture, God poetically says that's what He longs to do for every one of His children on earth when the plagues fall: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Psalm 91:1, 4).

Here's the wonderful assurance God gives to those who choose to follow Him: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is thy refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee" (Psalm 91:5-11, KJV).

Could anything be more reassuring? When the time of trouble and tribulation comes and the plagues begin to fall, when there's no place to hide--your Heavenly Father wants to protect you! He wants to save you in the hour of destruction!

He's able to protect you just as a mother hen gathers her little chicks under her wings. The question is, will you let Him? Will you turn your life over to Him?

The choice is up to you. Today, not then. It's too late then. God wants you to be with Him throughout eternity, but He cannot make your decision for you. You are the only one who can make that decision. Don't wait. Do it today.

An Elusive Eternity
A Broadcast Presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
Writer-Producer: David B. Smith


Is salvation conditional? Can we be certain of our salvation one day, unsure the next? Why do many Christians feel like eternity is an elusive prize that often slips away? What does it take to be absolutely confident in the security of salvation?

Can you picture a world where you simply were not afraid about anything? Not one thing? Where there absolutely was never going to be a crime committed ever again? Not one bullet ever fired again. No terrorism. No wars. No crashes of planes, trains, cars, or space shuttles. No sickness.

That's not the world we live in today. But let's step back a bit from the news headlines and reflect on something the apostle Paul wrote: "Do not be anxious for ANYTHING" (Philippians 4:6, NIV, emphasis supplied).

Can you imagine if this promise of Philippians chapter four would suddenly come true? No more fear; no more anxiety.

The Bible has a lot to say about fear and trembling. There's a kind of "fear" or awe that a wise person always has when in the presence of his or her Maker. But the Word of God also assures us that the Christian is supposed to enter into a new relationship where that skateboarding, skydiving, extreme-sports T-shirt kids wear now finds its ultimate fulfillment: "NO FEAR!"

The children in the family of God aren't supposed to be anxious about life or death, about what we will wear or eat or drink . . . and especially about whether or not we are still in the family of God.

Is the Gift Permanent?

Remember the wonderful message of John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (KJV).

So there is the promise. If you believe in Jesus, you will not perish. Eternally, that is. If you have a relationship with the Son of God, you will live forever. "Everlasting life." "Eternal life." "World without end, Amen." And yet, for many of us who sit in Christian pews week by week, eternity is an elusive thing. Do we really have it? Is it ours right now? Could it slip away? Could I slip away? What if I keep sinning and making mistakes? Can the gift be rescinded?

It's ironic, and worth studying, that Paul says to people who have embraced the gospel: "Do not be anxious about anything." And then the #1 thing we're anxious about is the gospel! Are we really saved? Salvation is a free gift, but do we have that gift?

The Most Haunting Fear

If a Christian doesn't have full assurance of salvation, then by default there is going to be some fear in his or her life. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, but there is still a chance that you might be lost someday, then at least on that issue, you're going to be afraid.
The question of being saved or lost--to the Christian--is the most important thing in the world. If you're afraid you might be lost, that's a fear more deadly, more haunting, more unrelenting, than even the fear a mom has in sending her child to school in the very neighborhood where a predator is lurking. Even death by sniper is a temporary loss; to be lost from God's kingdom is forever.

If the child of God has to worry daily about no longer being a child of God, then the words of Philippians 4:6--"Be anxious about nothing"--cannot be fulfilled.

One of my favorite promises in the entire Bible is I John 5:13: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life" (NKJV, emphasis supplied).

Both Paul and John are very courageous in saying that sons and daughters of God should not be anxious about salvation. Our position with the Father should cause us no worry or fear. We can know that we have eternal life; eternity should not be an elusive thing that we have . . . and then don't have . . . and then have . . . and then don't have.

Sharing What You Don't Have

In fact, if you aren't absolutely certain of your own salvation, how do you share God's love and good news with others?

What if you received this offer: "Attend these meetings, and subscribe to this new religion . . . and you will have a 50% chance of being saved." Or: "Join our church, and we guarantee that you might someday, if you're faithful, if you do what we tell you, perhaps, if all goes well, possibly, Lord willing, 'if you endure to the end,' receive a mansion, a harp, and a crown." Does that sound very promising?

The apostles Paul and John didn't believe in that kind of religion, and neither should we. You know, Paul came to a moment where he wasn't just walking in a neighborhood where a sniper might be lurking; the man with the executioner's ax was literally staring him in the face. Paul knew he was going to be killed for his faith. It wasn't a "maybe, hope so, if I'm lucky-and-good" kind of faith either. Note what he writes to his friend and protégé, Timothy: "For I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that HE IS ABLE to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (KJV, emphasis supplied).

All through his voluminous writings, Paul sometimes described himself as the "chief of sinners," but he expressed absolute confidence that Jesus his Savior was able. That when he, Paul, died, he would experience the immediacy of being "with Christ." He didn't hope it; he didn't wish it; he didn't wonder it . . . he knew it.

Paul believed in confident Christianity; so did John. And a street preacher named Jesus seems to as well: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32, NIV).

A person locked in fear is anything but free. And what truth is Jesus talking about here? Just one verse earlier, He explicitly says: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

Set Free by Adoption

So being a Christian, accepting the gospel, should banish a person's fear. He or she has joined a new family, the family of God, and is free from their past. They receive a new name, "Christian." They enjoy the privileges and benefits of belonging. But how permanent is this situation? Is this child of God permanently adopted or is he just a foster kid? If he's picked up for some misdemeanor and hauled off to jury, will he forfeit the name and the mansion?

Note what Paul says in Romans 8:15, 16: "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we ARE the children of God" (KJV, emphasis supplied).

Let's notice several things here. First. the Bible says we're adopted. It's not supposed to be temporary. Second, this adoption should take away our fear. The children of God should know that they are in the family, that they carry with them that "new name written down in glory," as the gospel song says. And that they can keep the name, the mansion, and the eternity. Third, we should be aware that the Holy Spirit is present to always remind us of our safe position in God's family, that we are--and always will be--sons and daughters. We don't have to continually worry or be anxious about it.

What About Obedience?

Immediately some very real--and hard--questions come into our minds. What if I fall into apostasy? Or serious sin? Can a person just join God's family and then blatantly do as he or she pleases, and still stay?

Well, does a kid who's adopted into a new home need to live in a new way? Of course he does. Does the new home have rules? Certainly. No loving parent would set things up otherwise. But before obedience can happen, the child has to feel safe. The permanency of his new family needs to settle in.

Both Paul and John, who write about adoption and security, are also extremely voluminous about obedience and good works! They both emphasize sanctification and a changed life. But obedience and growth will never happen in a fragile, fearful, spiritually insecure person.

Let's rejoice in the news that "adoption" is a biblical model, a teaching model that was inspired by heaven itself. Paul didn't have to say "adoption." If salvation and our position as Christians depended on what we do or on how we perform or on how correct our theology is or how strong our faith is at all moments in time, God could just as easily have inspired Paul and John to present the gospel message more as a conditional contract. But very clearly, God wants His sons and His daughters to think of themselves as exactly that, and to also have in their hearts at all times these ideas: Permanence. No fear. Confidence. Security. Trust. Safety.

Let's accept what the Bible plainly tells us about when God first planned to have us in His family. Not when we were baptized. Not when we were born again or even born. Not when the news first came from the doctor's office and your mom began to pick out names and a bassinet.

No, Paul writes, God chose you "before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4, NIV). Yes, you have free will--and always have and always will. You finalized the adoption when you accepted Jesus. But God could look down in time, through His infinite, unlimited foreknowledge, and see that you would accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. And so your adoption has its roots in the loving mind of God long before He cleared His throat in Genesis one, verse three, and said "Let there be light."

Knowing How It Ends

We need to remember the perfect foreknowledge of God whenever we entertain a picture of God writing our name in His book, then erasing it, then writing it in again, then taking it out, back and forth, using up a gallon of white-out or floppy disks keeping track of your revolving-door status. Friend, it doesn't happen that way because God knows the end from the beginning. And so can we.

Charles Ellis is a sports fan. When important competitions take place while he's at work, he makes sure his VCR is programmed to record them so he can watch them later. Arriving home, he rewinds the tape just far enough so he can watch the final moments of the game. If his team is the loser, he just puts the tape away. But if his team is the winner, he'll rewind to the beginning and view the whole game . . . with a few snacks in hand, of coruse.

While he watches the game it doesn't matter how many times his team fumbles the ball or loses a top player because of a pulled tendon. They can be 20 points behind in the last half of the last quarter. Charles can still enjoy the game. He doesn't worry a bit. He knows how the game will end. His team will win.

As Christians we'd do well to keep in mind that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. So we don't have to worry. Because we've put our faith in Him, our Substitute, we don't have to die the second death. We're treated as though we never sinned. And if we get discouraged about our Christian walk or about our hope for the future, we can just rewind the tape and be reminded that, in Christ, we're winners.

Jesus Himself said this about those who come into His family: "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24, NRSV). The NIV says, "He has crossed over from death to life."

"You have crossed over," Jesus declares with great joy. And as far as He is concerned, it's a one-way bridge.


Left Behind in a Dallas Parking Lot

A Broadcast Presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
Writer-Producer: David B. Smith

It may be Jesus' most controversial parable: the Rich Man and Lazarus. The poor beggar on the street corner goes to heaven, the hotshot millionaire with a red Jaguar ends up in hell. How the tables turn sometimes at the end of life. What lessons can we learn from this upside-down story?


The April sun gleamed off the high-rise glass towers of Dallas, kicking the air-conditioning units at Lazarus Communications into high gear. A small but thriving tech company snugging up next to the big boys populating the so-called "Telecom Corridor" along Route 75, Lazarus had carved out an impressive niche for itself, sometimes outsmarting Nortel and Fujitsu for lucrative contracts. And after Dubya had departed for D.C., incoming Governor Perry had even sent some state business their direction.

Jane enjoyed her work and her small but comfortable condo not too far from University Park and the SMU campus. She had to work a second job weekend nights at an UrgentCare center in Richardson in order to be able to afford her day care bills for Lucy, but her two bosses at Dallas were always understanding if she was a few minutes late on Monday morning.

"When we go completely fiber-optic," Luke often said at their midweek planning sessions, "this is going to be a whole new business." And of course, despite the many dot.com failures that were spoiling the New Economy, e-business was promising a bright future for Lazarus Communications, and both Luke and Howard were on the phone late into most evenings, trolling for deals.

Often, as she pulled her seven-year-old Honda Civic into the employee parking lot, Jane struggled with envy as she saw Shannon's gleaming new Jag. The high-powered blonde made nearly double what Jane took home even with two jobs. She went to a spa three days a week during lunch, she had an active social life, hinted that she was dating one of the stars of The West Wing, and enjoyed a lakeside view from a split-level estate home overlooking Mountain Creek Lake, just east of Grand Prairie. She and Jane were both in customer relations, but Shannon had been with the firm longer, and was part of Dallas' "old money" crowd anyway.

The two women had little to do with each other; in fact, Jane remembered with a flushed face the time she had timidly asked Shannon if she would buy a couple of two-dollar candy bars just to help Lucy's school raise money for some athletic equipment.

"Oh, give me a break," the other woman had snapped impatiently. "I haven't got time. Next you'll be wanting me to get the Reader's Digest and Golf magazine just to help your kid out."

A minute later, her conscience hurting her, she had thrust two dollars into Jane's hand. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that." But when Jane fished in her purse for the candy bars, the blonde had sighed again. "No! I don't want the candy! Just . . . let's get back to work."

It was interesting, though: the memo that changed Jane's life came the very day her VISA card was canceled because she'd missed two payments in a row. "Important!" the heading from Luke read. "Arrange now to attend our Employee Upgrade seminar!"

Lazarus Communications had arranged for Jane and Shannon to go down to Houston at company expense and attend a one-week seminar from a dynamic specialist in the field of fiber-optics. Jesús Mendoza, one of the best consultants in the Midwest, was running hugely successful programs, and the graduates almost always came back home to major promotions in their home companies.

The memo strongly urged that both women sign up immediately. The handwritten note at the bottom said: "We've got high hopes for you!" Then Luke, with his usual sense of humor, played off the name "Lazarus," and scribbled a P.S.: "This could really RESURRECT your career. Ha!"

Jane got up her courage to ask Shannon if she was attending, but the young socialite shrugged. "Got a wedding in Martha's Vineyard next week," she said. "I'll get to it later."

The very next Monday, Jane was in a Day's Inn in Houston, attending the workshop, taking notes, picking up the daily syllabus materials which were included in the registration fee. And this guy Mendoza was everything his website had promised. She and two other women from Ft. Worth had car-pooled down I-45 together, and they talked excitedly over lunch at Arby's about the newly fattened paychecks they hoped might be waiting back home. Jane returned to the skyscraper jungle late Friday evening, picked up Lucy, and collapsed into bed. Monday morning things were like always at Lazarus: Shannon still had the bigger paycheck, the bigger car, the bigger hairdo, everything.

Week after week, the wealthy social butterfly kept putting off her own trek to Houston. "It's too hot to drive down there," she grumbled. Plus her calendar was bulging full: wine-tasting parties, courtside seats at Wimbledon with her dad, four-day weekend jaunts to Padre Island and Monterrey. Who had time to go sit in a classroom and listen to some PowerPoint guru named Jesús?

And then one day--in fact, the Tuesday right after Memorial Day nearly a year later--Lazarus Communications . . . was . . . gone. Simply gone. Shannon squealed into the parking lot in her cherry-red Jaguar, and there was nothing there. No company. No other employees. No Luke, no Howard, no Jane, no anybody. It was like the firm had just vaporized into thin air above Six Flags Over Texas.

It took her a good five hours on her cell phone to track down Luke, and by the time he got on the line, she was about to throw a hissy-fit. "Where in the world is everybody?" she said through gritted teeth, trying to control her anger.

"Moved." Her former boss was chewing on a carrot stick and sounded very laid-back. "Over the weekend we got our big all-digital deal, the one me and Howard been chasing, with a five-million-dollar bonus, and we took it. The whole firm moved to San Mateo, overlooking the San Francisco Bay."

"Just like that?" Shannon couldn't believe her ears.

"Yeah." Luke put her on hold for a moment, then returned. "Yeah, we put everyone on planes, had an agency stake out some offices for us right on the edge of Coyote Point, and here we are. Weather's nice too."

Shannon took a deep breath, trying to curb her temper. "Well, what about me? Did you leave a airline ticket for me someplace? When do I come out?"

There was an uncomfortable pause. She could hear talking in the background, and thought she almost could pick out Jane's quiet Midwestern accent. Luke cleared his throat awkwardly, and then came out with it: "Look, Shannon. The deal is . . . we're set out here. Howard and me and a couple of California contacts he had from college. And Jane. I'm afraid that's it."

"Jane?!" The blonde spat out the name. "You're taking her instead of me? I run circles around her and you know it. What's going on here, Luke?"

Her former boss decided to level with her. "I'm sorry," he said. "But Jane went out and got the training we asked her to get. I told both of you to get connected up with this Jesús fellow, that seminar leader, and Jane was the only one who went."

"Well, can't I still attend?" Shannon was desperate now. Her lifestyle, her car, her five-bedroom estate home, her racquet-ball membership . . . were all evaporating before her eyes. "Tell me where he's doing seminars now, and I'll go right this minute."

"He's not doing them anymore," Luke explained carefully. "They ran until Thanksgiving last year, and that's it."

It was uncomfortably warm out in the parking lot of the former Lazarus Communications, and Shannon tried to move into a little shady area, hoping her cell phone wouldn't cut out on her. "Luke," she pleaded, "you owe me! Come on!"

"I'm sorry," he responded. "But Lazarus is really in a whole new game now. We have to have people who got this training from Mendoza."

Shannon racked her brain. What can I do? What can I do? It was preposterous to think that just because she skipped some do-gooder Houston seminar, she was going to be left out in the cold. Make that HOT! she angrily thought to herself. It was really roasting out there in that Dallas parking lot; the sun seemed to blast off the dark asphalt and right into her eyes.

"Wait!" she said, an idea forming in her head. "That Jane girl . . . she got all the training from that what's-his-name, right?"

"Yeah," he answered. "And lemme tell you, it paid off for her. We had to start her at one-thirty-five out here, going to one-fifty by the end of the year. What's your point?"

Shannon's mind reeled. What?! Little mousy Jane making 135 grand a year? But she was too frantic to think just now about how the tables had turned. "Let me get with her and have her show me what she learned."

It was agony to grovel, to chew miserably on the humble pie--and she remembered with shame how she had treated the lower-paid girl over those candy bars. And how she'd never once invited the struggling single mother to lunch.

"Please, Luke. Send Jane out here to teach me the stuff. Or I'll come there. Or anywhere. Just don't leave me in this roasting parking lot!" She almost added: And have her bring a fan and an ice-cold Coke, please! I'm dyin' out here!

A trickle of sweat formed a slow-sliding puddle down the small of her back as the phone line gently went dead.


When Music Splits Churches

A Broadcast Presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
Writer-Producer: David B. Smith

Four words are ripping through churches today--four words that pit one Christian against another, dividing parent and child, husband and wife, youth group and senior citizens. And the four words are these: "I hate that music!"

All across North America, and around the world, music has become the great dividing line for Christian churches. Congregations have multiple services based on the style of music--traditional, praise and worship, contemporary--and the type of accompaniment--piano and organ, or synthesizers, guitars, and drums.

Churches are splitting down the middle. Members are yelling at each other and at their pastors. Some believers leave--for a church that has their preferred music, or they simply stay home and enjoy the music they like on their own CD players.

Bill Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review, recently led into an insightful editorial on this subject: "If there's a topic guaranteed to make young saints angry and old saints apoplectic, it's this one--contemporary Christian music."

Dr. Michael S. Hamilton, professor of history at Notre Dame University, writes in Christianity Today, "American churchgoers no longer sort themselves out by denomination so much as by musical preference" (cover article, July 12, 1999).

More and more people aren't deciding to attend a particular church because of its teachings and doctrinal perspectives, but because of the kind of music it does or doesn't have.

In fact, if you check the newspaper religion section or leaf through the Yellow Pages in many communities, you'll see at the very top of display ads: "Lively contemporary music," or "We sing the traditional favorites."

Will There Be Two Heavens?

One of these days, in the sweet by and by, will there be two heavens--one for those who want stained glass and a pipe organ, the other for those who want to play electric guitars on the sea of glass?

Let's note a couple of points from probably the most musical book in the Bible. King David has this to say in Psalm 147: "How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!"

We can't argue with that. Music in the sanctuary is meant to give praise to God. Whether it's by Fanny Crosby or Jars of Clay, religious music should say to God, "We love You. We worship You. We adore You. We want to live our lives in obedience to You, Jesus." Music in church should give us joy and happiness; it should satisfy our souls and give us a spirit of heaven.

If music at church is making you angry, then something is seriously wrong.

But now go back just 14 verses to another psalm, also by David. This is Psalm 133, and he opens with this observation: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"

What about that? A church may prayerfully decide to split its worship six ways and allow different praise styles and musical genres in those six new mini-congregations . . . but that decision, that vote, should be made in a spirit of happy, cheerful unity.

Three Questions and Responses

How should you relate to worship services that feature music you really dislike? I want to share three responses to the issue of: "I hate that music." More specifically, let's think about this very human reaction: "That music is wrong because I hate it." Or "evil." Or "should be banned."

All around the world, good, sincere Christians are convinced that music being played in their church is displeasing to God and that the amps ought to be unplugged.

The first point is a concession. I can only speak for me as I read my Bible and spin my CDs and go to my church. But yes, I'm convinced that there is music being played today that is antithetical to, or against, the principles of true Christian worship.

Is there music that is wrong, that is tainted by sinfulness? I believe there is. Is there music that displeases God? I believe there is. Is that music sometimes played in church? Sometimes, yes. Music is not a neutral thing; not all forms of music can be baptized and brought into the sanctuary. I believe there is music that belongs in worship, and music that doesn't.

After reaching out to persons with various views on music, Johnsson concedes in the Adventist Review: "I have no doubt that some music . . . has gone beyond the bounds." And he goes on to say that some of the "praise music" being sung today in churches is "shallow . . . in both tunes and words."

A much stronger opinion is being registered right now by another book floating around in my own denomination just now. According to this writer: "Rock and roll is not just a musical style, but a revolutionary religious movement." A bit later: "Rock music is not just another musical genre that can be sanitized to worship God and proclaim the Gospel. A closer look at the rock scene reveals that rock and roll embodies an endtime apostate religious movement of open rebellion against God and the moral principles revealed in His word."

Later in the same volume comes this criticism: "The mixture of good and evil in rock music may well represent an effective Satanic strategy to use the good lyrics to lead some Christians to accept more readily the evil ones."

We can't solve the issue of what music ought to, or ought not to, be played and sung in our churches in this article, or in ten years of articles and radio programs. But what do we do when we hate some kinds of music in church, and is it possible that some music ought to be hated?

From where I'm sitting today, the answer to that first question must prayerfully be a yes. There is music that does not belong in a Christian setting, a worship experience where we want Christ to be uplifted, God to be exalted, and the Holy Spirit to be present.

Wrong vs. Disliked

But question number two is this: Is it possible to believe that music is wrong, or sinful, or inappropriate--not because we know enough to know that for sure--but simply because we don't like that music? Is it possible to quickly go from "I don't like that music" to "Everyone should dislike that music because it's bad music"?

In the very well-written Christianity Today article I mentioned previously, entitled "Triumph of the Praise Songs: How Guitars Beat Out the Organ in the Worship Wars," Michael S. Hamilton makes this point: "Every complaint about worship music, no matter which style, claims to be rooted in theological principles. Yet in every critique, the theology aligns perfectly with the critic's own musical taste."

What's he saying here? A critic says: "The rap music genre is inherently evil. It has no place in church." Question: "Do you personally like rap music?" Answer: "Heavens, no. I hate it." Is that a coincidence? The point is that not liking something and condemning it may often go hand in hand. But the opposite may also be true: liking something and defending it often go together, too.

Right here I might argue just a bit with Dr. Hamilton. I have no doubt that there are musicians who--to pick an example--have succeeded in the rock-and-roll culture. For years they've liked it, performed it, lived and breathed it. And then, as God moves upon their heart, they feel led to reject at least some forms of the very music that all their lives they have enjoyed and had an affinity for. In their inward souls, they like it still . . . and yet they see the fruits, the results, of some kinds of rock music, and they ask God to help them put it out of their lives. That would be a tough battle, and yet one we all should consider in our own lives.

Having said that, though, we might do well to reflect on the words of C. S. Lewis: "Just because I don't like this music . . . isn't an ironclad guarantee that it's wrong everywhere, every day, for everyone."

Bill Johnsson, in his editorial, writes about the new music in churches: "This is sound from somewhere else, which I do not understand and but faintly appreciate." But then he adds: "What I appreciate is the fervent love for Jesus that I see in the young people who do understand and appreciate it. I covet their spirit of commitment to Christ and His mission. Seeing them, knowing them, I cannot write off their music, dismiss it with simplistic taglines."

Is "Strange" Always Wrong?

Our third and related point is this: It doesn’t always hold true that anything you or I might find to be "strange" is necessarily out of place in Christian worship.

In John Stott's book, The Contemporary Christian, he writes with a bit of bemusement about how his own Anglican Church tried to take the gospel message to some of the countries of Africa. He was baffled to find the native clerics perspiring in agony, dressed "to the nines" in the full robes and regalia the priests back in England were wearing. Out in the desolate reaches of Africa were these tall, stone spires, these cathedrals that looked as if they belonged on the Thames River. Stone cathedrals. Scarlet robes. Pipe organs. And all around them, in the 95-degree heat, was Africa. The simple, pure joy, the elementary faith of good African men and women . . . being smothered by the "correct" forms of worship imported from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Would the tunes and instrumentations of Africa have sounded strange to Stott? Probably so. On the other hand, did the funereal sounds of the pipe organs sound strange to the farmers and the goat herders from the little villages? Of course it did. And what both sides had to realize, and what we all have to realize, is that if something seems "strange" to us, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is universally wrong for everyone.

Have you ever taken along your little portable radio on a trip to a very foreign country? Maybe in your overseas hotel room, eight time zones away, you managed to figure out the voltage converter and you plugged in your own radio from back home and tried to scan the dial to see what was on there in that distant place?

The way the world is shrinking, and the way people everywhere can pull the latest hits right off the Internet, you might hear the exact same songs they're playing on the radio in your hometown. On the other hand, I've done enough traveling around this globe of ours to know that there's a lot of music in other countries that sounds just plain other-worldly to this California native.

Music from South America has its own unique rhythm. The hill tribes of Northern Thailand play songs on rather interesting instruments with rather interesting scales. Around the world, there are radio hits, and cassettes, and CDs, and MP3 recordings of music that, unless you live in that culture . . . well, you can hardly make heads or tails out of it. In a word, it is strange to you.

On the one hand, you might like it because it's strange. You're adventuresome; you try new music the way you try new restaurants. But I suppose there are many of the rest of us who get back to Los Angeles International Airport, get back to our car, flip on the radio, lean back in the seat and say: "Aaaaah. Now that's music!"

Everything Isn't Appropriate

Well, friend, what does this have to do with our music discussion? Christian churches everywhere are being sliced right down the middle by what they call the "praise-and-worship" music wars. Contemporary music is invading the territory of the saints; amplifiers and drums and overhead transparencies are replacing pipe organs, choir robes, and hymnals. And while some of those who are resisting the tidal wave of change are simply sighing: "I hate that music!" there are others who are using the "S" word for it, and the "S" doesn't stand for "synthesizer" or "Steven Curtis Chapman." To them, "S" is for sin, and S is for Satanic, and S is for "Someone please get those drums out of my church."

And you know something? I do not make light of that feeling. Here at the Voice of Prophecy, we’ve wrestled on our knees for 70 years over what music is acceptable to play here in this cathedral we call Christian radio. We've put some songs on the shelf because we didn't think they would please the Lord. In our recent Family Reunion concerts, which are pure joy to participate in, there have been endless hours of discussion about this song or that one. Would God be honored or not honored by the contemporary track on such-and-such musician's chosen solo? The question of "sin" when it comes to Christian music is one every believer needs to honestly face up to in his or her own walk with the God who created the gift of music.

In the Adventist Review, Bill Johnsson has this to say about his study of the so-called worship wars: "I learned much: that sincere Christians . . . respond to music in sharply divergent manners. That music that sounds strange to my ears may become a vehicle for devotion, adoration, and praise to Jesus as Savior and Lord."

Let me ask myself a question right here: How can I be sure that something "strange" is also inappropriate and wrong? Have my views over what is "strange" ever changed? As a Christian, are there things that seem perfectly normal and wonderful to me which, to an outsider looking in, might seem strange?

Deciding With Care and Prayer

In a very well-written book a few years ago entitled Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, author Jack Deere discusses very frankly some of the controversial facets of today’s charismatic movement. He is the first one to confess that abuses do happen; things take place that God doesn't direct or control. We need to be careful and prayerful. But then he adds this observation, which has huge relevance as all of us--carefully and prayerfully--try to decide what kinds of music we should admit to the House of God: "Strangeness is not a criterion for truth. Nor is it a criterion we would want to use in order to decide whether something is scriptural or unscriptural."

Then he adds this: "There is much in Scripture that is exceedingly strange. The prophet Isaiah, for example, went naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush (Isaiah 20:3). The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry a prostitute (Hosea 1:2). The dead bones of Elisha actually raised the dead (2 Kings 13:21). Peter's shadow healed the sick person on which it fell (Acts 5:15). Handkerchiefs and aprons that touched Paul's body healed the sick and drove out demons (Acts 19:12)."

Pastor Deere goes on to take us into the mysterious book of Revelation: "Suppose I were to tell you that I had a vision in which I saw the throne of God. In my vision there were four living creatures resembling a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle, each of whom had six wings and were filled with eyes all around and within them. These creatures were saying, 'Holy, holy, holy' as they flew around the throne of God day and night. Who would believe that this was a legitimate vision if it had not already been written in Revelation 4:6-8?"

Then he adds this: "I am not saying that we ought to believe every strange thing that is told to us." We could add: "Or accept as sacred every strange tune that someone brings into the front door of the church." But Pastor Deere concludes: "I am saying, however, that nothing should be discounted as untrue or unscriptural simply because it is strange."

Think with me about just one scenario. A totally secular person, an atheist, let's say, who has lived his whole life apart from the symbols and the trappings of church, peeks in through a window. Inside, he sees people dunking one another in a little pool of water. "What in the world is that?" he wonders. A moment later, he sees whole rows of people, all holding the tiniest little cups of what looks like root beer. Or something. And it looks like they have little crackers. They are muttering something over these tiny, insignificant, inadequate snacks. Then they eat them, their eyes closed, their lips moving. Now friend, if you're a born-again Christian like me, the Lord's Supper, or Communion, is a wonderful blessing. It's not strange! It's the body and blood of Jesus shed for us, for our sins. It has meaning. It has value. But to that Wall Street tycoon, that scientifically-trained atheist looking through the window, it is weirdness of the highest magnitude.

It's no wonder that Jack Deere closes out his essay with this quiet observation from the great John Wesley: "From this time, I trust, we shall all suffer God to carry on His own work in the way that pleaseth Him."


Glorifying God Through Music

A Broadcast Presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
Writer-Producer: David B. Smith

A few months ago, a couple of our staff members decided to attend a contemporary Christian concert. They were perhaps 30 years over the targeted teenage audience demographic, but they looked in the mirror and said: "We're still cool. Let's go." So they did.

After about three songs, they left--because, as one of them admitted in frustration later, it was nothing but noise. You simply could not decipher words coming through the wall of sound. There were just three instruments--guitar, bass, drums--but all three were cranked up to "high," and the words of the songs, which might well have had a gospel message, just did not penetrate people's minds. And those Voice of Prophecy staff members crept out to the parking lot feeling very old and even a bit discouraged.

But as we explore the difficult and divisive subject of music, let's not pit one generation against another. Let's not exclusively condemn the musicians with the Fender guitars, and the people who attend their concerts.

What about the times you and I sit in church where the music is quiet and reflective . . . but we allow our minds to wander out the window? You can be a zombie just as quickly around a pipe organ as you can at a concert by the Christian rock group, Audio Adrenaline. The congregation is singing the opening hymn, but we're still reading the church bulletin, and don't join in until the last verse. Or we don't sing the opening hymn, because we're not even at church yet! We slept in, dawdled in the shower, got there late, and didn't really get to our pew until after the offering was collected.

Did the message of the opening hymn reach our mind? Obviously not; our mind was still out with our body somewhere on the freeway. My point is that all of us, whatever our musical tastes, need to make a commitment to God--that we'll offer Him our brains as well as our born-again hearts.

Energy in Worship

We sometimes criticize today's music because it's loud; and certainly there is a thing as too loud . . . when the sound waves simply overwhelm the human mind. That can happen; it's occurred to me and probably to you. That doesn't mean that energy in worship is wrong; in fact, I would suggest to you that energy in worship is consistently Scriptural, if you read through the book of Psalms.

Some Internet criticisms of what we call "Christian rock" have been drifting into our offices. On the loudness issue, this one writer observes: "If the volume or dissonance of the music are such that the words cannot be heard clearly, then the whole performance is an exercise in futility."

True enough. He continues: "Unfortunately, the energy released by rock music engages feelings rather than reason."

This is the challenge we face as we go to church, or as we crank up the volume on the CD player in the car. Where does the energy in our music take us? What happens as that miracle mix of notes, rhythms, beat, lyrics, chords, etc., embeds itself inside of us? Bill Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review, makes this startling assertion in a recent editorial: "Energy is key. Energy doesn't necessarily mean loud; it means intensity and focus, giving God our best."

Isn't that what you want? Friend, it's what I want. Good energy. I want the Christian music I hear to have energy, and to stir energy inside of me . . . energy of intensity in my worship. Energy of intensity and focus in my thinking. Energy in my enthusiasm, that my participating will give worship up to God in a thinking, comprehending--but still mysterious and miraculous – kind of way. I want to sing like I mean it, and sing like I care.

Music and the Mind

Some verses of Scripture have a direct bearing on the issue of music. Probably the most potent is found in 1 Corinthians 14. Christians tend to debate about this chapter in the Bible, because the apostle Paul is writing about the controversial practice of speaking in tongues in church. But in verse 15 he addresses music: "I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind."

Paul was a great believer in thinking Christianity. Well-reasoned faith. He didn't write the Old Testament verse, "Come, let us reason together," but I imagine he quoted from it in his sermons. He believed and taught that spiritual gifts, properly used in the church, should impact the mind, purify the thoughts, elevate the powers of decision.

The Adventist Review editor uses 1 Corinthians 14:15, as a lead-in to his editorial. In fact, his title is "Singing With My Mind." And after taking us through some of the pros and cons of the "music wars," he returns to the same point at the end: "Loud music that drowns out the words misses the mark. I want to sing with the spirit, but also with my mind. That also means that if the choir sings in Latin, I need a translation."

Another frequent criticism of contemporary Christian music is that many of the performers are just that--performers.

You've been to a concert--or seen one on television--I'm sure, where a truly gifted musician put on a real performance. He or she played; you listened. And at the end, the audience applauded, and the musician stood there bowing. The world of secular entertainment works that way, and there's nothing inherently evil about it.

What about in church, though? When musicians play in church, when they participate in a Christian worship service, is it also a performance? Is there a place for a worship leader to point to the trombone player and cry out to the congregation: "Sammy 'The Slide' Simpson, everyone! Give 'im a hand! All right, Sammy!" How much of that should go on in our churches?

A great article in the magazine Ministries Today a couple of years back gave guidelines to worship leaders as they direct congregations in today's contemporary song services. It referred to the keyboards, the guitars, the drums, the mikes and the overhead transparencies, and all the rest. And then it shared with these would-be leaders how to select songs, how to create a flow that would prepare a congregation for the sermon, prepare them for the invitation to accept Christ, get them ready to be touched by the Holy Spirit. There really is a science to the study of Christian music, and this well-written article was clear in explaining how a carefully chosen song menu can be a powerful tool in preparing people's hearts for salvation.

A Goal for All

But toward the close of the article was a warning. The chief objective for that worship leader, the author suggested, was that the congregation should completely forget that he or she is up there on the platform. There would be no "All right, Bill! Great worship set!" None of that. Whether the congregation sang two songs or nine, whether it was upbeat or quiet, contemporary or reflective, the goal would be that all traces of a worship leader's personality would recede into the background. The Holy Spirit would be front and center; the singer and his backup vocalists, the bass player, the keyboard artist, the drummer, the trumpet players . . . all would fade into the wallpaper, so to speak.

What do you think of that? And of course, we would want this same concept to apply in our traditional services, in our "high church" moments. A great choir director and his 150-voice choir, our finest cathedral organists, our high-quality brass ensembles . . . fading into the background. Our soloists . . . fading into the background. Everything about us . . . fading away.

I'm aware, certainly, that sometimes people clap after special music in church. I've had TV makeup put on my face, and I've felt the tug of faint pleasure at standing in a spotlight. I confess--I've had to fight this thing too. There's something very pleasant about being a star, about even a trace of celebrity status. I can get to liking it, seeking it, using it. Some of that just happens, and you deal with it. But I know in my own life that there's a difference between "Here's Pastor Melashenko; let's give him a warm welcome" and "Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for . . . heeeeeere's Lonnie! And he's available for autographs!" God help me to avoid seeking or wanting or expecting the slightest bit of that.

Who Gets the Glory?

Did you know that the word "glorify" or "glorified" happens in the Word of God a total of 25 times. There's one verse where God talks about bringing glory and honor to His house, His temple. And one verse, Jeremiah 30:19, where God says He will glorify His people. But in all of the other 23 references, do you know who the subject is of that verb "glorify"? It's God Himself, of course. Friend, our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him, to bring honor to Him, to bring worship and praise to Him. I have no problem at all with "praise and worship" music, if it properly and appropriately gives the praise and the worship to the place it belongs: the throne of heaven.

Probably my favorite of those 25 verses is Matthew 5:16. It's an invitation from Jesus Himself, and what good counsel for anyone who plugs in a guitar at church, or adjusts the stops on the pipe organ. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works [or music], and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Isn't that beautiful? Listen, that verse encompasses our lives on a 24/7 basis, but it certainly hits the one hour on Sabbath or Sunday morning at church. If the congregation applauds after your number at church--fine, acknowledge it. But pass it right along to God. If they say amen, or compliment you, or lift you up in any way, deposit the glory at God's throne.

Bill Johnsson's editorial affirms much of what young people are doing in churches these days, but lists as Number One this guideline: "In church, singing and all music should be worship, never a performance. Anyone who seeks to draw attention to themselves by gyrations or organ theatrics is out of place."

I'm thankful for the kindred expression of interest in mindful worship from a young musician named Steven Curtis Chapman, whose concerts sometimes penetrate the stadium’s top deck in terms of decibels. But in his new book entitled Speechless: Living in Awe of God's Disruptive Grace, he reveals this about his deepest goal:

"Just last night after performing a concert, I met a woman who explained through her tears how God had used one of my songs to 'save her life' after the deep despair arising from the untimely death of her husband. Each time I hear a story like that I am astonished. Never do I take such testimonies for granted because I know it has nothing to do with me. God has allowed me to see firsthand how tenaciously and tenderly He pursues the weary and brokenhearted, and somehow, through a combination of the right lyric and the right melody He accomplishes things of eternal worth."

Notice how Chapman acknowledges the power of the words to change a life. Now, what responsibility does this put upon him? Here's a bit more: "This is why I work so hard at songwriting, to achieve that delicate balance. The marriage of words and melodies is a gift that God has entrusted to me, and I have no greater joy than watching God use the fruit of my craft for His glory."

Those three words tell it all, don't they? "For His glory."


Making It in Hollywood

A Broadcast Presented by E. Lonnie Melashenko
Writer-Producer: David B. Smith


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