TG Here again!
Now where did I leave off...Oh yeah...
I just got my marching orders to write Christian music. That is to say, God spoke to my spirit and directed my path immediately to compose songs for His glory and kingdom purpose. I was still quite young and living at home at the time I finished my BS degree. I had the summer "off" so-to-speak. Through the mess and muddle of preparing for more schooling, teaching, and helping my folks move, the Lord sat me down at my father’s keyboard and then it happened. With my bible open to Psalm 23 the music came to me as if whispered to my spirit, more importantly, my heart was open to hear what the Holy Spirit was saying to me. It was beautiful and I knew I'd never be the same. Preachers, Pastors, and spiritual educator's often say that whatever sermon or lesson the Lord gives them to share, it applies to them first in many ways. It's no different for psalmists either. I heard the words of the psalm and knew God was asking me to trust Him more.
Well, jumping ahead years later, needless to say I was tempted to stay down on the ground all the times I stumbled over low-self esteem and fear, and tested in ways that stretched me to grow the entire time. In the last few years, there were moments of overwhelming joy and times of great sorrow. Doing everything to remain steadfast in the Lord and continuing to study his Word were the only requirements. Everything else I did, was really Him working through me including the jobs I'd have, the people I'd meet, and the tasks set in front of me. God was working out his wonderful plan for my life, so I put my life in His hands. I prayed to the Father in heaven through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ and the miracle of salvation and a purpose driven life unfolded before my eyes. Now, I had done a lot of things that didn't seem to have any bearing on what I thought the Lord wanted me to do, but I knew it wasn't for me to figure out, just to be obedient and faithful in this learning season. My parents love and Emmanuel Community Church, my church as an adult, was the background centerpiece for most of this learning...and I was inspired to compose all the time.
To make a shortened story even shorter, after a wonderful wedding to my patient and longstanding girlfriend/fiancé, I was shown that the preparation time was over. It was time to get truly started and another conversation took place...
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Me: Lord I hear your call. I thought that I was suppose to do this another way, but that avenue is gone. Lord, I'm being drawn toward many new musical styles. They are very non-traditional and I don’t know if anyone will take me seriously? What should I do, Lord?
"What a great question. *What should I do Lord?* I wish everyone would ask me that. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it, MORE abundantly. Do all the styles that you have a passion to do. I put that passion there and I will place people in your path to help you. (John 10:10 ) By the way.
Me: Even that electronic music stuff? A lot of people...don't understand that music with all the bleeps-and-blips and cross-fades, and techy stuff.
"Why shouldn't that praise MY name too? A lot of people don't understand me either. There is a dying generation that was raised on sex in the media, indulgencies in pleasure, drugs, extreme and pointless violence, murder, apathy, and greed--and that was just the 60's. Change "clubbing" to "rave parties" and not much else has changed except the speed at which their lives can come to ruin and their soul can go to the pit. They need to hear my message again and again. You are to reach the least and the lost. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150)
Me: Lord, I don't know if I'm ready, there's so much uncertainty in my life right now with my job and illness and everything. So much evil in this world.
"I appreciate your caution and I know that you don't want to represent me wrong, but if you drag you feet any longer, you'll forget how to use them to walk for me. Get up! There are things happening that you won't understand. There are some hard lessons ahead, but I AM what you need now and always. Don't you feel the doubt creeping up on you? (Acts 22:10 and all over the bible)
Me: Lord, I'm wanna be, I mean...I'm gonna be strong for you! I love you.
"Yes, I know, and you will. But that won't mean you won't start to doubt when the pain in this world reaches you. Consider David's fear of Saul. Consider Peter's diminished faith walking on the water with Christ. You are to trust me. The sorrow is nigh even at the door, but stand fast...joy will come in the morning. (Oh boy let’s see...1 Sam 27:1, Matthew 14:30, & Psalm 30:5)
Me: ??
"(smiling) Take heart my son, and trust my Son. You are a willing instrument of the Kingdom. The insults, The blows, the whips, the thorns, the nails, the spear...they were for you. Your spiritual healing is in your darkest hours. Greater is He that I placed in you, than he that is in the world. And there is something that you have forgotten, something deep in your heart that will let you know all this is true. (Matt 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19, 1 John 4:4...whew!)
Me: What is it Lord?
"I loved you first." (Whole bible...but specifically 1 John 4:18-20)
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With this in mind, I set out to do in music, all for that God would teach me to do starting with electronic, then jazz and R&B Gospel and from there...only God could know.
CXI is well underway on getting all the rights issues worked out and their first CD has gone
to press. Next blog, we're going to spend sometime talking about the gear they use and some
of the techniques applied, but we won't get too, too technical on ya!
(P.S. Much thanks to BibleGateway.com)
