I remember when I was much younger, not so much now,  always being sensitive to music.  I remember when I was young my parents took me to different churches, and I returned from a Christian summer camp one year I believe I was in the sixth or seventh grade and my parents had purchased me the latest Michael Jackson tape. I not being a Christian yet, however just coming from a Christian camp where things like this were worldly music was condemned I felt it necessary to convey my disgust to my parents for their purchase of such a worldly musical piece.  What had effectively happened is that a little Music pharisee was molded from those experiences before I understood the gospel, often knowing the right answer and yet not compelled toward it by my heart from truly being born again, but being more compelled by my pride.  This chapter is anything but that…. It is again assuming that you are a Christian, that you love Christ with your whole heart, and that the purpose of being ware or being aware of our music habits is to be proactive against  the schemes of the devil has this is one of many ways Satan lures men away by the use of their heart for music.

We have learned through the process of reading the first two chapters that worldliness is when our heart’s affections attach to something other than God or what glorifies God and attempts to carve out an idol of what was intended for God’s Glory, worshiping the creation of man over the creator God.   Always must we be careful draw lines in the sand and put up expectation of people to meet these lines, this is where more pharisee’s are born, but it was some time later when I realized after I had truly become saved how much music play an heavy influence in my life.

This chapter specifically probably was the least impactful for me personally. It wasn’t for lack of trying however, and if you have a heart that listens to a lot of music this will have the same affect that the chapter on media had on me originally, it will prick your heart.  It’s a bold chapter beginning with understanding what the purpose of Music is and how often Music fits into the manifestation of Christ through music and culture representing countless forms of Music which are a demonstration of God’s immense and divine variety in both people and culture.

However even with these expressions of culture men have perverted the truth and one of the first sections say, ” It’s just music, or is it?”  In this section he describes not that Music in itself is evil in the slightest but how much it affects our emotions and our hearts.

Then he gets into the bold pricking of heart by the word of God.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. – Pillipians 4:8

Then follows the next quote from page 74.

These biblical standards instantly bring into question much of the music that’s currently popular and available to us.  When I don’t even consider ungodly lyrical content in the songs I listen to, I’m allowing music to seduce me.

He then goes on to speak boldly and plainly that the effects of ignorance is compromise.  This is a profound section which challenges the every day listener of casual listening on secular venues via the radio or download to examine themselves to see if they truly are listening for what would honor and glorify God, or what would dishonor or shame God.

So the question is do we play too close to the edge, are we taking in worldly music and its lyrics on accident not realizing that just like all other forms of media these things grasp and grab the heart stealing away the use of God’s tool for rejoicing  and singing praises to God?

I pray we guard our hearts from these snares, and although this isn’t one that captures me now much, I pray that it’s beneficial for so many!!!

I finished the book over the weekend. I don’t believe I’ve read a book so easy to read with so many compact nuggets of truth. This was truly an easy and enjoyable read, but goes without saying don’t consider reading a book on humility if you don’t care to be humbled. That I have been in my reading of this book. I will just point out some impacting highlights. I believe the whole book to be of great value and one that should be meditated upon, not just read, I am going to give points of the chapters which most touched me.

These are the chapters I found most helpful.

9. Study the attributes of God.

The emphasis which I must keep focused on lest I think I am something, is to study the attributes of God and not only God himself but also the cross.

10. Study the doctrines of grace.

Nothing so puts man and God into perspective as to take the focus off of man and place it properly upon God, it is an assault on our ability, our self decieved goodness, and it places control, purpose, and power, in God’s sovereignty.

11. Study the doctrine of sin.

We must never get so comfortable with our own sin that we do not see it, we must study it and know it, as we study sin and this doctrine the cross itself becomes all the more precious. The need for our savior becomes all the more clear.

14. Identify evidences of grace in others

This one was one that someone like myself needs to definitely meditate upon. As we learn at FCC it is often said that modus operandi for sinful men is to “Justify Self” and “Blame Others.” This section of the book put me to my knees in my lack of identifying evidences of Grace in all people, and confronted the pride in me.

16. Invite and pursue correction.

This was eye opening and as he related this to small groups. It is one thing to sit in a room and bear the burdens of others, or even listen to them but it is another thing to take the time to pursue correction. This is a full on assault of pride and a healthy searching out of humility, very strong words in this chapter, one point is to come to the realization that you need God’s people to see the faults you have, that you are blind to in your own pride, not that everyone has 20/20 vision when it comes to your faults but that you genuinely seek out corrections and reproofs in order that you may be further sanctified and further humbled before God.

17. Respond humbly to trials.

This is the part which is always strong, but to change operation from your sin nature to the new nature, and from the transforming of the mind in Romans 12:2 be different, be Christ like.

Needless to say there are many more worth while chapters but these things bring a humbling to your spirit, and now to seek after them in prayer, and in life, I pray God grant it.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of Luke Hausmann. This family from the outward fruit and countenance continue to demonstrate Christ, even in this incredibly difficult time in their lives. One person described the “accident” that took place as, “unbelievable, one moment there and the next moment something falling from the sky to take his life.” This is a bit of a paraphrase.What I saw in this young man’s life from his funeral is a young man who had an “Uncommon” obedience to his father. A passion and love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a personal genuine desire to see the gospel of Jesus Christ extended to the ends of the earth. It was noticeable, in the upwards of five to six hundred attendees at the funeral that Luke was well loved, and had impacted many lives in his short 23 years.

At 23, this young man had been used by God to completely help transform another young man who otherwise would be on a very different path. Luke also started his own painting business in town and in this endeavor he saved up his money not for the things of this world but to spend the money to build schools and bring the love of Christ into other countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Thailand.

So as I was wrapping my mind around a 23 year old entrepreneur/missionary’s life being taken and in my reading this morning my mind did a backdrop, and of the state of “The visible Church” in America, even in our own doctrinally oriented congregation, as compared to what this young man not only was doing, but was living before men.

We have much to be made aware of in our continual seeking and attempting to be satisfied in this life by the things of this world.

It makes Luke’s life and yes even his death in this life seem all the more inspiring to me. Either we will truly remember what God has done in our lives and what he’s doing, and we will fill ourselves with the living waters of Jesus Christ and be moved to action by Christ and who Christ is, or we will continue to hew out broken cisterns for ourselves which hold no water, and we will never be satisfied.

So I’m reading this morning in a lesson:

Jeremiah 2:13

For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

God was Israel’s fountain of living waters, where God delivered them from Egyptian bondage; He led them through the wilderness wanderings and also brought them into the land of milk and honey – Jeremiah 2:6-7

We have such short memories, and we forget what God has done, why is it we need reminded so often? From the beginning with their own priests and rulers they forgot, and as we can tell our leaders today have forgotten their God. Although they are still acknowledging God they aren’t acknowledging that you can know Him, or how to lead, by the true standard of the living God.

And from one generation to the next, each generation passes and we forget unlike other nations that were true to their gods – Jeremiah 2:8-11 I think how loyal so many of the others are to their God’s who are creations of man. The J.W.s in the city, the Mormons, the Buddhist, and last but not least the Muslims are plenty, and faithful to their congregations in the inner city, and I imagine the burbs as well. I mourn sometimes that we worship the one true living God the creator, and not the creation of man and yet we show ourselves not strong, and often not even weak (that the Lord may be shown strong), but we do not show ourselves at all.

We are careful to wrap our worldly idols, (overeating, covetousness, materialism etc) in sweet small Christian looking justifications as to ease our conscience but in doing so we are “commonly disobedient” to our Father in Heaven.

We forsake our God, the fountain of living waters hewing for ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no water, cisterns were tanks for rain water, hewn (cut) out of stone, at best, they could only offer stagnant water.

Consider this Spurgeon quote:

“Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights of sin, and, finding them all to be vanity and emptiness, they will become very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them. They turn to another and another of earth’s broken cisterns, hoping to find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet.” — C.H. Spurgeon

This to me as a backdrop to Luke Hauseman’s physical death unto “gain” (Phil. 1:21), shows the sinfulness of fallen man, and absolute beauty of the redeemer to use Luke’s life to touch hearts of men. Luke unlike so many of the youth and adults of this day who try to drink out of these broken cisterns, obeyed his father Dave Hausmann and His Father in Heaven, so much so that in his life, Dave was speaking to his pastor even before this tragedy had occurred, in admiration of his own son. This is a testimony, which is dear, that a Father would see the value of a son’s life and his love for Christ marvel the handy work of his Father in Heaven.

We as a nation and in the “said” community of Christendom in the U.S. continue to forget our God, and seek after that which does not satisfy, it makes Luke Hausemann’s obedience to his father and His heavenly father that much more brilliant like a diamond against a black velvet backdrop that sparkles for the whole world to see. May Christ be Glorified in Luke’s death and may we remember Luke’s example as he pointed others to Christ.

Please Continue to Pray for the Hausmann Family.