| Message in the Music |
There's a Message in the Music
"Music is the bridge between the soul and the spirit."
This phrase lit up my mind one late afternoon in October 1971 while I was coming home from work. Many other drivers joined me as we slowly made our way through the busy streets.
Music is the bridge...this was a revelation, an answered prayer. As a young Christian years before, I prayed, "Father, why did You make music?"
Years went by, and on that wonderful day those ten words re-focused and re-energized the course of my life.
"Music is the bridge between the soul and the spirit."
Music is a gift. Music expresses the deepest human needs and emotions. Music, for the believer, is the bridge to God's Presence.
Some time later while working with my eldest son on a house-painting job, more ideas came together using the visual connection of color.
My recent reading included a study of colors and their symbolism.
Primary colors from which all tints are developed are yellow, blue and red. Another name for red is crimson. The words, "Yellow, blue, crimson: faith hope and love", began to play over and over again in my mind.
Excited with this creativity, I continued dipping the paintbrush into the bucket, spreading the paint, stroke by stroke, and the song grew within me as a gift from the Father. That evening I picked up my guitar and worked out the chords. The next day the song was fine-tuned, and has not changed since.
It's called, "Rainbow Dancin'."
This was not an unusual event because music has been an integral part of my life. Yet, this was special. It became the title song and finale to a musical play that's "in the works." It expresses so well the reality of praise to God as the bridge to His Presence.
Ah, but there is someone else who understands the power and purpose of music and knows well how to pervert it for his evil purposes. He was the archangel Lucifer who led the angelic praise and worship in heaven.
He was so beautiful and gifted that he became proud and wanted to unseat God Himself and take His place. Not content with his own exalted position, he declared war. This once glorious creature was cast down to planet Earth and its atmosphere, bringing with him one-third of the heavenly host which had joined in the rebellion. (The reader may want to check out the 14th chapter of Isaiah, Holy Bible.)
Jesus is quoted in Luke 10:18 as saying He had seen satan cast down from heaven like lightning. This was in Jesus' spiritual state, before human birth.
The devil still works to trick mankind into worshipping him.
Depending on the personality and cultural orientation of the person, he uses trickery, manipulation and/or intimidation to get his way. Since all disobedience to God is sin, satan brings doubt and unbelief into the human soul, separating that person from God's gracious Presence.
Today the devil's devices are spreading across every communication medium and infecting with deadly disease every soul not anchored in Jesus Christ and His gospel of the kingdom. The believer who is determined to be counted worthy at the Lord's Second Coming, mounts constant guard over eyes, ears, mouth and affections. The straight and narrow way denies self-will, period.
Not all satanic deceptions are blatant however. The obvious ugliness of MTV and emotional manipulation of the songs in the Top 40 list each week, aren't the whole story.
PBS Television recently featured a musical concert which was a masterpiece of contemporary music composition and performance.
It displayed with eye, ear and emotion-pleasing appeal, the music of Yanni, composer-pianist, who mixed electronic and orchestral effects in the style known as "new age music."
We can appreciate a soothing melodic and harmonic flow for they are restful to the mind and emotions. On the flip side, they can work hypnotically to prepare the mind to receive satanic propaganda.
The question we need to ask is: What spirit is motivating the writers and performers of the music we hear? Is it a gift of God to us, or is it a seductive piece of deviltry? Remember Lucifer's original position?
He was heaven's choir leader. He knows all about music and its power. He has had many centuries to perfect his deceptions toward mankind, musical and otherwise.
Yanni's concert was filmed at the Acropolis in Greece, Yanni's homeland. (Let's note: Ancient Greece was home to thousands of "gods.") Sitting beside Yanni's mother in the audience was actress Linda Evans, close friend of Yanni and known to be highly influenced by a lady guru who channels an ancient "spirit-guide" (read that, "demon").
Yanni left his cheering audience with a few words which expressed his creative philosophy. He spoke of ideas all coming from the same mind. He said, "We are all the same."
This PBS program was broadcast during the Christmas season.
There was no reference to, or reverence for, the God of the Scriptures. It was as if Jesus Christ had never lived and died on Earth to redeem us from our sins.
The signs of the times are clearly calling us to leave the babylonian domain of satan's worldly kingdom. Let us come out from among them and be separate and not touch the unclean thing. Time is getting short and our souls and those of our loved ones are at stake.
As we reflect on the first coming of Jesus Christ as a Babe,
be assured that at His return He will be both King and Judge.
(This article was originally published in The News, Christiansburg, Blacksburg & Radford, Virginia, Sunday, December 25, 1994)