"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory!" (Matthew 24:30)
I cannot wait for that Day!
That glorious day, on which, Jesus Christ; The King of kings and the Lord of lords will come back to earth, coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory.
And all human beings alive on the earth at that time will bend their knee and bow to Him, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Do you believe that?
I do. Jesus said it. The Bible records it. And I believe it.
There are no "New Years Resolutions" on my list for 2014. However, what I am doing, is starting off this new year right. My focus is, and always will be, on God, and on how great He is. I trust in Him completely, to manage my life, and to provide for me. He is my only source of peace and joy.
I want to share a story from back when I was newly saved. It involves my former musical tastes and my personal CD collection. Around the mid-1990's, I had amassed a fairly large collection of over 200 discs. That may not be a lot to you. But for me it was.
One day after spending a couple of hours listening to some of my old CD's, I could not seem to find anything that moved me the way it once had. I used to perceive myself by the kind of music that I liked. Those styles and genres were what I self-identified with. But as I sat there looking at the rows of discs on my book shelf, it all just kind of felt like dead weight to me now. It wasn't part of me anymore.
Something had changed.
I was not that person anymore. My 'old man' did not exist any longer.
Now, I didn't feel like it would be "evil" for me as a new Christian to listen to my non-Christian music. It's not like it was Devil worship or anything like that. It was popular stuff on the radio at that time. However, it was completely lifeless and worthless to me now.
I simply no longer had any desire for it.
So as I sat there staring at my huge stacks of CD's, I pondered what to do with them.
And then, without a doubt in my mind, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
I put everything in some boxes and went to a music store downtown. They bought a large portion of them for pennies on the dollar. I didn't make much cash, but it sure was great to unload them. And with the short stack that they wouldn't take, as I walked back to my car near the alley, I saw a dumpster, and just felt totally free to toss the rest of them in the trash.
All except one.
I had this one disc that was my favorite. I had learned several of the songs on it. And this music and particular artist was who I most identified with in my "former life." I wanted to write and record the kind of songs that this guy had.
Then, as I was on my way out to see my wife at work to tell her about my experience, as I drove, I kept staring at that one remaining CD that I couldn't quite bear to part with.
After a few minutes of thinking about that CD, and why I did not want to give it up, without hesitation, I grabbed it, and threw it as hard as I could out my open passenger window, at the cement retaining wall of the overpass. That CD shattered into a hundred pieces of silver. It was gone.
Forever.
Now I was really free.
I can't fully describe the incredible feeling of lightness and freedom that I felt at that moment. I shouted for joy like a crazy man as I drove down the highway. A huge weight had finally come off my shoulders. That last little piece of myself that had never really brought me any true peace or satisfaction, had been cast off. I no longer had any desire for that part of my old life—my old self—that part of me was now dead and gone.
And I have never looked back.
Look, I am not judging anyone who is a Christian who still likes and listens to secular music. You're free to do as you wish. If you like Foreigner, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marely, The Eagles, Nirvana, or AC/DC, I could care less. It's between you and God.
But I would like to encourage you to do some soul searching, and pray about it. Do you love music that does not directly bring glory to God? Just think it over. Again, it's between you and God. I'm not judging anyone.
And just so we're clear, this is not some legalistic, "Thou shalt not listen to secular music" rant. I am sharing my personal story here—my personal journey—of what God has done in my own heart and in my life. I am not telling you what you should do.
But, for me... if the message of any music is not clearly about Jesus, or if it fails to totally glorify God, I'm just not interested in it anymore.
And I love it, and am thankful to Jesus, that I have been set that free in Christ that I am no longer bound by the same old stuff that I was bound by in my "former life" (smile).
Again, I am free. Totally, amazingly free! \o/
I remember my Mom once told me that being a follower of Jesus didn't demand that she give up things in her life. Rather, it was that God had set her free from them.
Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)
And now I am free.
Here is the first song that God put on my heart for 2104. It should be the anthem of worship to our God, today, and forever more:
"How Great Is Our God."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b69CcVs8pMc
The splendor of a king
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice
How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead Three in One
Father, Spirit and Son
Lion and the Lamb
Lion and the Lamb
How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
—God is Love and Love Never Fails.
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