Christian Living

The New Testament has a great deal to say about living as Christians. We will look to the Old Testament for context and background, but focus on the New in these blogs.

DiM | “Your Words (feat. Harvest)” by Third Day

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Presentation1CCM Radio Edition.

January 19, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Your Words (feat. Harvest)” by Third Day which currently sits at #13 on 20thCountdownMagazine‘s top 20 chart.

I find myself somewhat disappointed with this song, though it isn’t a bad song. When I saw the title of the song and that the song was from a “worship” album, I hoped for more meat in the lyric. I appreciate the general call to listen to the Words of God, but find the lack of definition or even application to be a disappointment. The value of this song hinges upon the understanding of what it means to “listen to and speak God’s Words”. The song doesn’t point to God’s Written Word. I have a problem with that.

Third Day Lyric Video

 

Lyrics (via KLove)

Your Words

Above all other voices
Above all the distractions in this world

Let me hear Your words
Above all other voices
Above all the distractions in this world

For Your words bring life
And Your voice speaks promises Lord,
Your love offers more
Than anything else in this world

Your words give us life that’s never ending
Your words bring us love that never fails
Everything else will fade away
But what will remain
Are Your words

Let us speak Your words
More than ours, more than ever
Let us share Your love with all the world

The grass will wither and the flowers will fall
But the word of our God will last forever
The grass will wither and the flowers will fall
But the word of our God will last forever

Publishing: © 2015 DATAMAMA Music (ASCAP)
(admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
Writer(s): Mac Powell, Tai Anderson, Mark Lee, David Carr

Discussion

Okay, so if we come into this song with the clear understanding that “Your Word” is pointing directly at the Written Word of God, given to us by God the Holy Spirit, then the song is not bad. The song points us to reading and studying God’s Written Word, it might even encourage Pastors that the reason we come to church isn’t to hear his creative speeches or anecdotes; rather, we come to hear God’s Word faithfully preached. That is how we hear God’s Words, when they are being preached or read aloud. But that understanding of Your Words has to be imported into the song.

The song becomes instantly problematic once the listener is under the impression that God is speaking fresh words that we are somehow supposed to figure out how to dial into to hear them, or worse, that we need to seek out prophets and apostles to tell us what the Lord is saying for us today. The Bible doesn’t promise us we will hear direct revelations from God in any sort of audible voice, still small voice or thunderous booming from a mountain top. That is simply not what the Bible teaches. There are no more apostles, that office is closed, the foundation of the Church has already been laid with Christ as its cornerstone, and we have the testimony of the Apostles recorded for us in Scripture. God-breathed Scripture. Any so-called fresh word from God must be taken to Scripture to see if it is indeed from God the Holy Spirit… and if it is, then it would be good and it pointed us back to Scripture which is where Christ has revealed Himself to us anyway.

What I find most frustrating, is that this song, written for a worship album, squanders an opportunity to actually preach the Word of God. I mean, we’ve already pointed out that it doesn’t point to the Written Word of God, but why not connect what Scripture says about Jesus Christ being the Word made flesh?

John 1:1-18 (ESV) | The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

There’s plenty of scripture to connected these doctrinal points, such that singing this song might do more than simply extol the virtues of hearing and speaking God’s Word.

Hebrews 1:1-4 (ESV) | The Supremacy of God’s Son

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Singing this song, encouraging ourselves and others to desire to hear and speak God’s Words is much like singing a song that uses the word “Gospel” a lot in it without actually sharing the Good News of the Gospel. There is so little scripture in this song, just a vague praise of the Goodness of God’s Words.

Conclusion

We need God’s Word in our hearts, in our minds, and without hearing the Words of Christ there is no hope of saving faith, for faith comes by hearing the Words of Christ. Saying the word “gospel” isn’t the same thing as actually sharing the Gospel, and singing a song that says we should long for God’s Words and how important it is to have God’s Words doesn’t actually accomplish the goal of hearing God’s Word or Preaching it. I think this song was a huge missed opportunity, lyrically. Point the listener to the Written word, or the Preached Word, but don’t leave such open space in the lyric for false teachers, false prophets, and false apostles to step in and supplant the Word of God for their own dreams, imaginations, and machinations.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV) | Preach the Word

4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

 

Gospel Wednesday | Mark 2

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Last week we began working through the Gospel According to Mark. This week, we’ll continue by working through Mark 2.

Mark’s Gospel Account begins rather quickly and is off to the races, so to speak, recording the great things Jesus did. Chapter 1 ended with the account of Jesus taking pity on a leper, touching him, and healing him. Jesus is still telling those He ministers to to keep His identity quiet, though they rarely obey. While it is unmistakable, even at this early point in His ministry, that Jesus is the Christ, the children of Israel were not clear on what the Christ had come to accomplish. That largely due to the false doctrine of the chief priests and elders… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let us continue reading in the second Chapter of the Gospel According to Mark.

Mark 2 (ESV)

Jesus’ fame preceded Him, such that He could not longer openly enter into a town with a mob forming. Fame is largely a thing unto itself, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the famous one is godly (though in this case there can be no doubt of the Godliness of God the Son) nor does it indicate that the throngs of fans are gathering for the right reasons. Mark tells us that shortly after His healing ministry began, He had to spend much of His time in desolate places and entered cities discretely.

Mark 2:1-12 (ESV) | Jesus Heals a Paralytic

2 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark gives us specific details here of an account that must have covered hours of Jesus’ preaching. Firstly, He was preaching the Word to those gathered. The false teachers in our day, those holding healing-crusades (not in hospitals or hospices… go figure) will spend a great deal of time talking… but not preaching the Word. They’ll be preaching themselves, their experiences, their escapades, and they’ll be priming the emotional pump of the gathered people so that they can get lots of money from them. Here, Jesus is Preaching the Word… and upon seeing the faith of the men who went to great lengths to get the paralytic to Jesus… Jesus forgives the man of his sins. That is the Greatest gift we sinful, fallen creatures can receive… the forgiveness of our sin. The people there understood the gravity of His claim, though they weren’t ready to accept the claim as anything but blasphemous at the time. Jesus then heals the paralytic as a demonstration of His authority to forgive the paralytic’s sin. The Greater gift, was that of forgiveness. Notice that no one accused Jesus of blasphemy for healing… but they were worried by the Absolution pronounced by Christ. The greater gift, is that of the forgiveness of sin… for that paralytic, though healed, would still die a mortal man, and afterward face the Judgement. But having been forgiven of his sin… Praise the Lord for His Mercy and Grace.

Mark 2:13-17 (ESV) | Jesus Calls Levi

13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The scribes weren’t merely questioning Jesus’ choice of dining establishment… they were questioning Jesus’ willingness to make himself ceremonially unclean, according to the tradition of the Elders. The Pharisees added much to the Law, and demanded ceremonial washing in their home just from having been in the market, for fear of having been made unclean by the sinners in the market. Now, this Jesus is eating in the home of a sinner at the table surrounded by sinners… how is He so comfortable making with risking becoming ceremonially unclean?? Jesus makes His point abundantly clear… He didn’t come to the Earth to avoid sin… He came to heal sinners, for He is the Great Physician. Again, in Mark’s brevity there is no detailed account of what conversation took place at this meal, but I’m confident that the LORD Jesus Christ was again preaching the Word to them.

Mark 2:18-22 (ESV) | A Question About Fasting

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting according to tradition. Jesus’ disciples were not fasting, and the accusation here is that they were guilty of sin for disregarding the fast. Notice how Jesus responds by declaring Himself greater than the fast. His presence is likened to that of the Bridegroom… wedding guests don’t fast while with the Bridegroom! What we learn from the other Gospel Accounts and the Epistles (Hebrews in particular) is that the Mosaic Law was a shadow of the Perfect that was to come, that being Jesus, God the Son. Jesus assured them that once He would be taken away from them, His disciples would indeed fast. The reference to the patch and the wineskins is often taken out of context and used to justify a “god is doing something new” theology where people are encouraged to let go of tradition and orthodoxy in order to embrace whatever wind of doctrine begins to blow. That’s reckless and abominable teaching. Jesus is indicating to them that His Advent, His very Presence on this Earth as the Messiah, the Son of Man, will bring an end to the Mosaic Covenant and He will be establishing a New Covenant, one established by His Blood shed and His Body broken for us. New Wine (Christ’s Blood) in a New Wineskin (New Covenant for peoples of all Nations, Tribes, and Tongues).

Mark 2:23-28 (ESV) | Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Praise the Lord. In a short chapter, Mark has demonstrated Christ’s Authority to Forgive Sin, His identity as the Messiah, the Bridegroom, and His Lordship even over the Sabbath.

Until Next Week

Next week we’ll be working through chapter 3. This will not be an exhaustive study, we’ll only be scratching the surface of the text, but we will work through the text each week. I pray it serves you even if only by prompting you to read the text and skip my comments.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Amen, indeed.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Live On Forever” by The Afters

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Today is “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship
(2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)).

January 12, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Live On Forever” by The Afters which currently sits at #16 on the 20theCountdownMagazine top 20 chart.

Today we get back to working through our original context for DiM, that of the casual listener playing CCM radio in their home, work, or vehicle. Today’s song was a bit of a disappointment, I was hoping we could get an “approved” song before we start having to “disapprove” songs for 2016, but this one simply couldn’t be avoided. There is nothing in this song that is particularly Christian in any way. Christianity is not the only religion that holds to an after life, or a heaven. It’s an eerily spiritual/mystical song with a gnostic feel to the lyric. I don’t like it, and I’m concerned that it is on the top 20 chart.

The Afters VEVO Official Lyric Video

Lyrics (via KLove)

Live On Forever

Dark days are gonna go away
They won’t have the final say
These bones were always gonna fade
Cause we were made for another place
The moment of our final breath
When all our fears are put to rest
Every tear will disappear
Heaven is real

We’re gonna live on forever
Forever
Forever
We’re gonna live on forever
Forever
Forever
We are not where we belong
We have a hope that we’re going live on
Forever
Forever
Forever

Breathing air we have never breathed
We’ll see colors we’ve never seen
Every sound like a symphony
Rising up as the angels sing
The arms of grace are open wide
The face of love before our eyes
Where every tear will disappear
Heaven is real

Our hearts have been set in motion
For something more, for something more
Than we could ever imagine
There’s so much more, there’s so much more

Publishing: The Secret Parade / Simply Complex Songs / Songs From The Indigo Room (SESAC); Nashvistaville Songs / Light The Night / Songs of the Casbah (BMI); Vistaville Music / Bad Nacho Music / Music from the Casbah (ASCAP); Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / Open Hands  Music (SESAC)
Writer(s): Josh Havens; Matt Fuqua; Jordan Mohilowski; Dan Ostebo; Jason Ingram

Discussion

There is no mention whatsoever of Law and Gospel, Sin and Grace, Repentance or the Forgiveness of Sin.  There is no mention of God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. The song simply tells the listener he/she will live forever… which is true… but it doesn’t say why, doesn’t indicate there are 2 options, eternal Life or eternal punishment, and doesn’t in any way point to the Gospel of Jesus Christ… not even in part.

Verse 1. So, yes, Heaven is real. So is Hell. It is true that everyone will die, and then comes the Judgement.

Hebrews 9:22-28 (ESV)

22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

John 3:16-18 (ESV) | For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

The first verse is odd and empty. For those without Faith, death will not put to rest their fears, they will become unfathomably increased for they will be judged without the LORD Jesus Christ as their advocate, their covering, their Savior.

Chorus. There is nothing of value here. These are half-thoughts repeated in a bit of a chant. Again, not being where we belong is too vague to be a truth. Unbelievers are born into this world under common grace, so that they might hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, come to Faith and be born-again. At birth, we are dead in sins and trespasses, we “belong” to be judged, but God’s grace delays the judgement and He grants Grace upon grace in opening our eyes and ears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, washing away our sins, and creating in us a new creature, an adopted child of God. The saints of God, those who are of the household of Faith, do not belong to the world, are not OF the world, this world is not our home, but God has us here by His Will, for His purposes, and for His Glory. Christianity is not spiritual escapism from an ugly temporal existence.

Verse 2. While some of this imagery might hold true if it were connected to the Gospel, as it stands here it is whip cream piled on a plate with no dessert on it. Just whipped cream… no pie, no cake, no fruit, nothing. This imagery is sugary fluff. Nothing more.

Bridge. Melodically interesting change, still utterly lacking in substance. It’s not like being born again is like we’re a wind-up toy being released into a completely foreign world to figure things out on our own. Such nonsense. We are awakened to new life IN CHRIST. It’s not some blank-check “so much more that we can never fathom”… we are brought to life IN CHRIST, to grow IN CHRIST, to be the Body OF CHRIST, the Church.

Conclusion

I won’t listen to this song. I’d rather go channel surfing or turn off the radio to listen to the road noise in my ’02 Elantra. Careful, now… don’t covet my awesome ride, lol. It grieves me that this song is on the top 20 charts… it truly does. Sure, if you like the song it’s because you’ve poured in your own meaning for the song and are somehow encouraged by it. How long does such effort last? The song, on its own, has no value.

Romans 16:24-27 (ESV) | Doxology

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | Expanding the Concept for 2016

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trebleclefIn reviewing the blog stats, feedback we’ve received throughout 2015, and the limited polling we did over the Christmas break, it was abundantly clear that we need to focus more on expanding our Discernment in Music (DiM) coverage. The problem of poor theology in music is far bigger than what we can cover in our small blog, but we can try to do more by God’s Grace. We will be expanding in two directions, first we will be looking to address Evangelical Worship Songs… songs that are being heavily marketed to church worship leaders for inclusion in their services. We’ll also be shifting our attention over to what is being purchased on iTunes, since this has become the predominant metric for music popularity and penetration.

Evangelical Worship Songs

For now, we’ll be dedicating our Thursday posts to DiM work reviewing the most popular/promoted Evangelical Worship Songs. Our primary source for song selection will be WorshipTogether.com. They have been in the business for a very long time… since I was a keyboardist in the praise and worship band of an NAR church. They are partnered with CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing International), Hillsong, Passion, and Jesus Culture. What a winning collection of questionable theology we have driving the evangelical music-for-contemporary-church-worship train, eh? If you search through the page, you’ll find that this is likely a go-to site for every “contemporary worship service” leader in the country… regardless of denomination.

In doing some preliminary research for today’s post, I was worried that I would be starting completely fresh. I’m not sure why, but the fear was there. I found a top new songs for 2015 list on the website, and to my surprise, we have already covered one of the songs on the list, and at least two others I saw pop up on the top 20 charts last month. I didn’t realize churches were playing so many CCM Radio songs in their church services. Let’s look at the list from 2015:

Touch The Sky (DiM Post)
Good Good Father (DiM Post)
O Praise The Name (Anastasis) (DiM Post)
He Shall Reign Forevermore (DiM Post)
This Is Living (DiM worship edition) (DiM CCM edition)
It Is Well With My Soul (DiM Post)
One Thing (DiM Post)
Unbroken Praise (DiM Post)
Heart Like Heaven (DiM Post)
Shout Hosanna (DiM Post)

What this means for our DiM posts is that for the most part very little will change in our format for covering these songs. I will need to be more explicit in the evaluation of these songs within the context of corporate worship, so I’ll have to work out how we go about that. We will work through chart over the next week in an attempt to play a bit of “catch-up” on the new year and to work out how we might distinguish the corporate worship context to that of individual listening that has been our paradigm.

iTunes Top 100 Gospel & Christian Songs

The other area in which we’d like to expand is that of the top iTunes songs being purchased and downloaded. This is the metric that drives the industry because this connects the questionable theology to real dollars for the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) Industry. There will undoubtedly be some overlap between what is the most popular music on the radio and the most played music in “contemporary worship services”, but keeping an eye on these charts is important for understanding not only what “those who should know better” are pushing onto the public, but for seeing what the public has bought into, both literally and figuratively. This approach will also expose us to cross-musical-genre metrics that we don’t get when we track pop station lists alone. We won’t be going to iTunes directly, we’ll be using a site called popvortex for their Top 100 Gospel & Christian Songs chart. Let’s take a look at the top 40 songs on the list to see how much of it we’ve covered thus far:

1. Good Good Father – Chris Tomlin (DiM Post)
Release Date: October 2, 2015

2. The River – Jordan Feliz (DiM Post)
Release Date: October 2, 2015

3. Just Be Held – Casting Crowns (DiM Post)
Release Date: January 24, 2014

4. How Can It Be – Lauren Daigle (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 14, 2015

5. First – Lauren Daigle (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 14, 2015

6. This Is Amazing Grace – Phil Wickham
Release Date: September 24, 2013

7. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong UNITED (DiM Post)
Release Date: February 26, 2013

8. Holy Spirit – Francesca Battistelli (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 22, 2014

9. Trust In You – Lauren Daigle
Release Date: April 14, 2015

10. Same Power – Jeremy Camp (DiM Post)
Release Date: February 3, 2015

11. My Story – Big Daddy Weave (DiM Post)
Release Date: September 18, 2015

12. Alone (feat. TRU) – Hollyn (DiM Post)
Release Date: October 16, 2015

13. Flawless – MercyMe (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 8, 2014

14. Touch the Sky – Hillsong UNITED (DiM Post)
Release Date: May 26, 2015

15. Come As You Are – Crowder (DiM Post)
Release Date: May 27, 2014

16. Tell Your Heart to Beat Again – Danny Gokey
Release Date: June 23, 2014

17. Fix My Eyes – for KING & COUNTRY (DiM Post)
Release Date: September 16, 2014

18. Wanna Be Happy? – Kirk Franklin (DiM Post)
Release Date: November 13, 2015

19. He Knows My Name – Francesca Battistelli (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 22, 2014

20. We Believe – Newsboys (DiM Post)
Release Date: May 27, 2014

21. Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains) – Crowder (DiM Post)
Release Date: May 27, 2014

22. Feel It (feat. Mr. Talkbox) – tobyMac (DiM Post)
Release Date: August 7, 2015

23. No Longer Slaves (Live) – Bethel Music, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser
Release Date: January 26, 2015

24. I Can Only Imagine – MercyMe
Release Date: December 31, 2000

25. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong UNITED (DiM Post)
Release Date: September 10, 2013

26. Salvation’s Tide (feat. Kristian Stanfill) – Passion
Release Date: January 1, 2016

27. Soul On Fire (feat. All Sons & Daughters) – Third Day (DiM Post)
Release Date: February 27, 2015

28. 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) [Live] – Matt Redman
Release Date: December 31, 2010

29. Redeemed – Big Daddy Weave
Release Date: April 17, 2012

30. Guilty – Newsboys
Release Date: September 25, 2015

31. Grace Wins – Matthew West (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 28, 2015

32. Live On Forever – The Afters
Release Date: August 28, 2015

33. At the Cross (Love Ran Red) – Chris Tomlin (DiM Post)
Release Date: October 27, 2014

34. Even So Come (feat. Kristian Stanfill) [Radio Version/Live] – Passion (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 28, 2015

35. Call It Grace – Unspoken
Release Date: April 1, 2014

36. It’s Not Over Yet – for KING & COUNTRY
Release Date: September 16, 2014

37. Worth (Full Version) – Anthony Brown & group therAPy (DiM Post)
Genre: Gospel

38. God’s Not Dead (Like a Lion) – Newsboys
Release Date: November 11, 2011

39. Greater – MercyMe (DiM Post)
Release Date: April 8, 2014

40. Broken Together – Casting Crowns (DiM Post)
Release Date: January 24, 2014

Conclusion

Looking back, we’ve covered a lot of ground… but as I look ahead I see there is a lot more work left to be done. It is my sincere prayer that this work will be a blessing to the Body of Christ, not in simply following our recommendations here, but in employing the methodologies demonstrated. Practicing biblical discernment in reviewing a song you already love is probably the most difficult thing to do fairly. I don’t recommend starting there. It is best to start with an unfamiliar song by an unfamiliar artist. Listen to the song, then read the words, then listen while reading the words and then open up your bible to see if what the song says falls inline with what is written in Scripture. Pray for us as we look to focus our efforts more on the DiM work here at FaithfulStewardship. As I indicated before, we’ll be posting updates as they are completed, and we’ll probably need to update the DiM Archive page and Resources page as well.

Romans 15:8-13 (ESV) | Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Gospel Wednesday | Mark 1

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Welcome to our first Gospel Wednesday of 2016.

We’ll be starting the year off by working through the Gospel according to Mark. With only 16 Chapters, the Gospel according to Mark is the shortest of the Gospels and we’ll probably work through it in roughly as many weeks. As we work through the text, please remember that I’m merely a lay person with no formal seminary training. I’m open to Biblical discussion and even disagreement on interpretation, particularly in the application of the text. I will avoid making arguments based on extra biblical materials and ask that you do the same. If what we discuss here conflicts with your church’s doctrine in any way, I encourage you to take the discussion to your pastors and elders, that is the purpose of their office and calling.

Summary of the Gospel According to Mark

Before we begin in the first chapter of the Gospel According to Mark, I recommend reading through the summary of the book put together by the folks at BibleStudyTools.com. I’d like to quote some of the sections from their page here:

Author

Although there is no direct internal evidence of authorship, it was the unanimous testimony of the early church that this Gospel was written by John Mark (“John, also called Mark,” Ac 12:12,25; 15:37). The most important evidence comes from Papias (c. a.d. 140), who quotes an even earlier source as saying: (1) Mark was a close associate of Peter, from whom he received the tradition of the things said and done by the Lord; (2) this tradition did not come to Mark as a finished, sequential account of the life of our Lord, but as the preaching of Peter — preaching directed to the needs of the early Christian communities; (3) Mark accurately preserved this material. The conclusion drawn from this tradition is that the Gospel of Mark largely consists of the preaching of Peter arranged and shaped by Mark (see note on Ac 10:37).

Occasion and Purpose

Since Mark’s Gospel is traditionally associated with Rome, it may have been occasioned by the persecutions of the Roman church in the period c. a.d. 64-67. The famous fire of Rome in 64 — probably set by Nero himself but blamed on Christians — resulted in widespread persecution. Even martyrdom was not unknown among Roman believers. Mark may be writing to prepare his readers for such suffering by placing before them the life of our Lord. There are many references, both explicit and veiled, to suffering and discipleship throughout his Gospel (see 1:12-13; 3:22,30; 8:34-38; 10:30,33-34,45; 13:8-13).

Special Characteristics

Mark’s Gospel is a simple, succinct, unadorned, yet vivid account of Jesus’ ministry, emphasizing more what Jesus did than what he said. Mark moves quickly from one episode in Jesus’ life and ministry to another, often using the adverb “immediately” (see note on1:12). The book as a whole is characterized as “The beginning of the gospel” (1:1). The life, death and resurrection of Christ comprise the “beginning,” of which the apostolic preaching in Acts is the continuation.

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Mark 1 (ESV)

The Gospel According to Mark does not recount the birth of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Luke cover His birth and John summarizes the significance of the incarnation of the Christ, the Son of God in human flesh. Mark’s account begins by introducing us to John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah.

Mark 1:1-8 (ESV) | John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism of John was the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is important to recognize that this was indeed a real baptism for what it was… repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But this baptism is lesser than the Baptism we know in Christ, for even John said that the Christ will baptize with the Holy Spirit. We see this play out later in Acts.

Acts 18:24-26 (ESV) | Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 19:1-5 (ESV) | Paul in Ephesus
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

I point this out to demonstrate that what John was doing was proper and necessary, but it was superseded by baptism in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let’s continue in Mark.

Mark 1:9-11 (ESV) | The Baptism of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Here we have the Trinity displayed in the text. Jesus fresh out of the water, the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove and the Voice of God the Father. Modalism refuted. Jesus had nothing to repent of. No sin. No need to repent. So why the baptism? For our sake. We need repentance and the forgiveness of sin, and we are joined with Him in baptism. Not just His baptism, but into His death and resurrection, too. The beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that by faith we are joined with Christ, in His baptism, sealed by the Holy Spirit and declared righteous before God the Father because of the Righteousness of His Son, Jesus.

Matthew 3:13-17 (ESV) | The Baptism of Jesus
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

1 Peter 3:18-22 (ESV) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Praise the LORD for His Grace and Forgiveness. As we continue in Mark, let us remember that the Life and Ministry of Jesus is to be taken as a whole, for He IS the Messiah, not just someone who did Messianic things or taught Messianic principles. That is not to say that we cannot look at the smaller events in light of the whole, but we dare not rip a singular event out of the greater context and build a theology around it… As John wrote in his gospel account, Jesus is the Word made flesh.

Mark 1:12-13 (ESV) | The Temptation of Jesus

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

It is so encouraging to me to know that while He committed no sin in any way, He is familiar with temptation and weakness. We serve a God who knows and understands.

Mark 1:14-15 (ESV) | Jesus Begins His Ministry

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Even in Mark’s brevity, we see clearly both Law and Gospel in Christ’s preaching. Repent and believe in the Gospel.

Mark 1:16-20 (ESV) | Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Jesus calls His people to Him. The Holy Spirit that has been poured out on those who believe and are baptized now draws men unto Jesus through the preached Word. The multitudes that gathered throughout His earthly ministry was fickle… eventually calling for His crucifixion. Jesus preached to the crowds and performed many signs and wonders in fulfillment of prophecy, but He wasn’t playing to them. The Church, the Body of Christ is not called to play to the crowds.

Mark 1:21-28 (ESV) | Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit,convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

From the beginning, we see that Jesus is different in every imaginable way. Mark’s Gospel makes it intellectually dishonest to limit Jesus as a merely a “good teacher”. He has Authority… Divine Authority.

Mark 1:29-34 (ESV) | Jesus Heals Many

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

There is good reason why Jesus didn’t permit the demons to speak. For they were not speaking to confess Jesus as the Messiah of God; rather, they sought to derail His ministry. Israel was looking for a Messiah who would establish an earthly ministry, they were waiting for the next King David who would establish an earthly kingdom. Jesus came to do much, much more and far greater… He came to heal us from our sin and eternal judgement.

Mark 1:35-39 (ESV) | Jesus Preaches in Galilee

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him,“Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

It is sad that our modern-day evangelicalism down-plays the preaching ministry. Jesus preached. He also performed signs and wonders that served as a testimony to Who He Is… we’ve been called to preach the Word.

Mark 1:40-45 (ESV) | Jesus Cleanses a Leper

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

We serve a God who takes pity on our brokenness. He forgives our weakness and heals us by taking upon Himself our sins, our iniquities, our transgressions.

Until Next Week

Next week we’ll be working through chapter 2. This will not be an exhaustive study, we’ll only be scratching the surface of the text, but we will work through the text each week. I pray it serves you even if only by prompting you to read the text and skip my comments.

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Amen, indeed.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge