Healing Melody Publishing

When singing in a choir, togetherness is more powerful than individuality. An excellent choir carefully hears one another to make a perfect harmony while a poor choir cares more about their own individual voice than others. Togetherness is power because it adds up strength and energy to push forward further than oneself. Abundant joy comes along in the process of fulfillment of purpose together. “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. . . . And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 Togetherness with God and Others Togetherness brings forth power which is required to hold everything together in perfect harmony. Togetherness does not exist by nature because our adversary makes an effort to disrupt the unity of every group and divide every relationship in our daily lives as Christians. Our enemy, the devil is not omnipresent but is at his work to deceive, divide, and destroy every relationship with God, family, marriage, community, church, and nation. Therefore, we need to be alert, work together to stay strong, focus on the primary goal of the group, and stand firm against the wiles of the wicked one (Ephesians 6). God is real and Satan is also real (Ezekiel 28:17). The Bible clearly says that the heavenly Father has given His children authority over all the powers of the enemy (Luke 10:19) and shows us what to do with the devil: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Also it warns us about the devil’s tactics: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Awareness of the Satan’s schemes is a first step to achieve unity. 2 Corinthians 2:11 states, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” If we are ignorant of his cruel plans, we lose the battle everyday. Satan’s strategies are similar to the predators’ in the animal kingdom. Lions prowl around with schemes into effect and unexpectedly pounce on preys. Their next move is to chase the herd to scatter the group into individuals and attack the ones that are young, weak, wounded, and struggling. The herd that was at rest on the green pastures now loses all power as the individuals are separated from the group by fear of the lions. Likewise, the devil’s easy target is the one who is spiritually weak, wounded, and struggling in the relationship with God and other Christian fellows. Satan’s primary goal is to separate us from God’s presence forever and His blessings in our life. In order to distract our focus from God, Satan, “the father of lies” (John 8:44), utilizes doubts, pride, and unforgiveness toward God and others. He tempts us with all the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17-21) and deceives our mind with doubts about God and others. When dividing relationships with a spouse, family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, the devil, who seems to be on your side at first, whispers that you are the one that matters most in the world; your feelings, views, and needs are more valuable than any other including God’s Word and other’s perspective. He sows a seed of pride, hurt, blame, and hatred toward others into your mind. The devil wants you to stumble and asks to you blame God for difficult times and others for your unhappiness. When the slanderer sees that you have strayed from God’s way or/and are discorded from others, he begins to condemn you with self-pity, shame, and guilt. Please remember that God is for you: “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 5:1). God only convicts us by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Satan, the accuser continues to remind you of your past hurt, worries about present, and uncertainty of future so that you may be emotionally and spiritually paralyzed and be alone. As mentioned earlier, togetherness is not borne by nature but through seeking God’s council first, praying for it, and working on it together. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Togetherness is strong but can not prevail completely without determination and dedication to inseparableness with God’s will as Ephesians 4:3 encourages us to “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In other words, we need to strive for close friendship to God and others. The most robust power in the universe is in God who is love (1 John 4:8). There is no wisdom, council, understanding, and knowledge that can avail against God (Proverbs 21:30) because He is all powerful, all knowing, all good, and present everywhere. We should not forget that God is for us, in us, and behind us. Yet He gives you a choice to decide which voice you want to follow in life. When we have an intimate relationship with God through meditating the Word of God daily and praying without ceasing throughout the day, God’s power is constantly manifested in us. God’s goodness and blessings are in us as we walk with Him in Spirit. Togetherness with God gives us ability to distinguish between His voice and the enemy’s voice. It also opens up our spiritual eyes to see essential part of togetherness with others that build up power against our adversary. Loving others through acceptance of differences, forgiveness, encouragement, gentleness, and patience yields to perfect harmony (Ephesians 4:1-2). Togetherness is abundantly produced as we “put on love” since love “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). The Primary Source of Power is Love Because Love Binds All in Perfect Harmony.

Regardless of one’s age, gender, race, education, social status, financial condition or faith level, every single one of us faces storms in life. A storm does not warn us when or where it will turn. Some storms have the ability to destroy our well being. This is something that we cannot control or understand. The Bible never says that Christ’s followers will escape all storms of life, but it does teach us how to handle them. God’s promises are crystal clear: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isiah 41:10). We cannot defeat the storm with human reason or logic, but we can rest in His faithful promises and have peace in His mighty power. In other words, the only way to have a total peace and hope with assurance is to trust God by faith and submit ourselves to Him even when we do not understand completely the reason for the storm (Proverbs 3:5-6, Isiah 55:8-9). The question is not what kind of storm we currently face or how big the gales are in front of our eyes, but how we respond to it. People try to search for answers, especially in suffering. There are two different responses we may see when severe storms arrive at the door of life. Some people might give full vent to their rage and say, “Why me?” “If He is a living God, if He is a loving God, if He is a good God, why does He allow this storm in my life?” They express anger out of hurt, fear, injustice, or frustration. Others might say “Why not me?” “I do not understand, but I trust in You, Lord.” “What are you up to, Lord? What do you want to tell me through this?” “I cannot go through this by myself so help me and strengthen me.” “Thank you for teaching me Your ways through these trials” (Psalm 119:71). “Give me an added measure of faith in this difficult time.” The total peace of God does not come until we have peace with Him. When a storm comes, it is not wise to go out to confront directly the high stormy gale, but it is time to kneel and pray. Come inside, humble ourselves, and give to God all our requests. The Heavenly Father knows and understands what we are going through. When something threatens us, many of us seem to forget who He is and who we are as children of God. Because of overwhelming fear, our focus becomes narrow. Many of us do not think about God’s promises and faithfulness at first. However, the first thing to do when a storm strikes is to come to the sovereign God who is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing). How can we live at peace with Him? Is it even possible to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says? Let the heavenly Father be the Lord. There is no trouble, problem, or disease that is beyond His capacity to resolve. As we read Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:17, “cast” all your cares, emotions, and thoughts such as anger, bitterness, resentment, fear, anxiety, worries, and doubts “on Him for He cares for you." He will sustain you with His righteous and strong hands. He will never forsake you but strengthen you in times of trouble and give you peace and rest as we patiently wait for Him and hope in Him (Psalm 62:5). The life of Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) offers us a good example of living in suffering that eventually leads to the light of hope as Romans 5:3-5 says “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” She is credited as the most prolific hymn lyricist in history, writing about 10,000 hymns and having 100 million copies sold. At the age of 23, she was the first woman to address the Senate and Congress. When Crosby was six weeks old, a botched treatment on her eyes with mustard caused her to lose her sight. Her father died of pneumonia when she was six months of age. Later in life, she lost her daughter not long after birth. In spite of all these tragedies, she had never expressed anger, bitterness, or resentment toward God or the false doctor who took her sight. Instead, she chose to trust in Him: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation.” She also remarked that "when I get to heaven, the first face that I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior.” After the loss of her baby, she wrote a hymn “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.” It says “Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me. Firm on the Rock of Ages, Ever my trust shall be. Here let me wait with patience, Wait till the night is o’er; Wait till I see the morning, Break on the golden shore.” In another popular hymn called “Blessed Assurance,” she wrote “perfect submission, perfect delight” “perfect submission, all is at rest.” The lyrics reflect her total trust in Him. These faithful statements would not be made if she did not have an intimate relationship with Jesus who rose again victorious. Her burning desire to seek the Savior was the key to overcoming the difficult times throughout her life. She also helped the poor and the sick with compassion. Her faith would not have been refined if she did not have peace with God (1 Peter 1:6-7). Because of standing on the promise of God through the blessed Savior and having a solid relationship with Him, she was able to earn complete serenity, tranquility, and strength even in the midst of trials. Crosby’s Christ-like character was formed through total agreement with the sovereign God of the universe through suffering, perseverance, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). Peace with God is the best way to have peace of God, which enables us to rise above hardship. Let us cast all to Jesus who died on the tree for everyone of us and conquered the death. The peace of God is absolutely different from the peace of the world (John 14:27). It surpasses all understanding and guards our “hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We have a choice in trials: Either we stay in bitterness or get better daily by having a peaceful relationship with God in Jesus Christ by faith and submission by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, Proverbs 9:10). God will give you peace that the world can not offer as you come to Him. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

We are currently facing such a difficult time in the Church family. I am aching for those who have lost a loved one, which there have been several recently. Our God is the God of comfort and peace. The peace He gives the world does not give. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27). There is no word that can comfort this hard time but it is very important to remember that as the body of Christ we share in each other's sorrow as Romans 12:15 says "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." When Jesus shall come with trumpet sound, we all will meet and rejoice together in His presence. This is the time that the Bible says that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4). Until then we continue to pray that God's peace be with all those who suffer and mourn.

True Worship 1 - The Primary Purpose of Worship In worship, God wants us to give Him praise for His works with undivided attention. In worship, more than anything else, our God wants us to come to Him and acknowledge Him as the Most High. John 4:23 indicates that “the Father is seeking such people [the true worshipers] to worship him.” The book of Jeremiah presents a key to finding Him: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). Worship is not optional but indispensable in Christian life. Whether we worship corporately or individually, worship is to bring the highest “worthship” to God in Jesus Christ and give Him the glory by acknowledging the Persons’ (the Trinity's) works as we bring ourselves to His presence by His grace through faith and the work of the Holy Spirit. In Putting an End to Worship Wars, Elmer L. Towns addresses what is the chief purpose of worship and the true meaning of worship: “The Evangelistic model is not worship; it’s evangelism. The Bible Expositional model is not worship; it’s teaching. The Renewal model is not worship; it’s revival. The Body Life model is not worship; it’s fellowship. The Liturgical model is not worship, for worship is internal. The Congregational model is not worship; it’s an assembly of the church. . . . let us return to our definition of worship: ‘giving the worship to God’”

True Worship 2 - True Worship Requires Faith in Christ by God’s Grace More than a Personal Experience ( Feeling ). The relationship of worship to faith in Jesus is essential for true worship. Some may believe that worship is the heart of religious experience by implementing of the theory of experientialism, empiricism, and personalism to their perspective on worship, which presents a person’s experience as a true knowledge of worship. Some also may argue that personal experience is necessary in order to believe that God exists, and embrace the self in relying on an individual experience. However, Jesus said to His disciples “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Jesus did not ask them to bring themselves and still follow Him, but “deny” themselves first. True worshipers and disciples of Jesus leave everything of “self” but take up the cross and follow Him: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Without faith, it is not possible to deny ourselves and follow Him. It is impossible to worship Him without faith. Wells explains the repository of faith and worship in No Place for Truth and states that “it is only by faith that the knowledge of God is first arrived at and only by faith that it is sustained.” Also Henry Blackaby accentuates that “God is the only One who can cause you to experience His presence.” True worship requires faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit more than a personal feeling of God’s presence. Experiencing God demands faith first in the Spirit. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Worship is not mainly a person’s experience of God’s presence but it is God’s calling to draw us to Himself (John 6:44), which requires our faith in Jesus Christ by God’s grace alone (Eph 2:8–9).

True Worship 3 - True Worship Gives God Glory by Acknowledging His Works . Worship is not a human-made work for God. God is the One who initiated worship; He is the One who sent His only Son for His redemptive work in order to have a relationship with humans who cannot come to God without an atonement. The Bible clearly says: No one can come to God except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6); No one can come to Jesus “unless the Father who sent me [Jesus] draws him” (John 6:44); Salvation does not come by human works but only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8–9); God and Jesus are always at work “until now” (John 5:17); Jesus’ teaching is from the Father (John 5:19, John 12:49); and the Holy Spirit reveals all truth according to the Father’s will (1 Cor 2:11, John 16:13, Rom 8:26–28, Eph 3:16–19). It may be essential to stress administrative work for pastors, staff, and church leaders to accomplish efficient ministry and urge church leaders to take training and teaching church programs seriously to enhance church services. Some also may believe that orderly planned worship is necessary through human effort and evaluation. Therefore, it could be argued that worship is indeed the work of people and service of people. However, their overemphasis on the work of man might dilute the focus on the work of God. Our Creator made everything for His glory (Col 1:16), His own purpose (Prov 16:4), and His praise (Isa 43:21, Ps 19:1–4). God created heaven and earth including people for His purpose and glory. Throughout the Bible, God initiated the call of worship for Himself. Paul writes in the book of Philippians that “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil 2:13). Why do we worship? Isaiah 43:21 offers an answer to the question: “the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

True Worship 4 - True Worship Does Not Primarily Rely on a Human Formula or Method. Some may argue that increasing number indicates a success of worship because it exposes a greater number of people to the Gospel. Gaines S. Dobbins believes that “we can bring in Christ’s kingdom by management and device.” Attractive methods and marketing systems may bring potential worshipers, seekers, and consumers to worship services. It may inspire people when there are a large number of attendees, beautiful facilities, intellectual teaching, excellent music performance, cordiality, and a clean environment. However, Dobbins’s heavy reliance on the “efficiency method” and individual evaluation by observation (scientific study) for efficient church ministry may discourage the undivided focus on the work of God and invitation of the grace of God (Gal 2:21) in worship (Phil 2:12–13). Dobbins’s focus on scientific method is actually opposed to the real meaning of worship. Measuring the success of worship by the world’s standards is simply not agreeable in the eyes of the Lord. The success of worship does not depend on a method by a human logic, which is not sufficient for God’s glory. Pleasing God and understanding God’s work is far more important than the outward components in worship. In public and private worship as well as Christian living, God is more interested in our obedient hearts than our sacrifices (1 Sam 15:22) and our desire for Him more than religious offerings (Hosea 6:6). In other words, He is more interested in who we are (pure and holy) than what we do for Him or what services we do for His church. It does not mean that our sacrifices and works for worship are not significant but emphasizes a pure motivation for worship. Salvation does not come by a particular formula, method, or system, but it is the gift of God by the grace of God. The Gospel of John clearly states that “no one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). God is the only One who can draw people to Jesus. Faith comes only by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Confessing sins is made by inviting God’s grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:15–17), and conversion is offered only through faith and the revealing power of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:19). All of these miracles are the result of God’s work and activity in worship as well as living. The miraculous and mysterious work of God is beyond human knowledge and understanding. Worship is to give Him glory and ascribe the highest worth to God for who He is and what He has done. Jesus did not give us a method or a way, but He is the Way and He is the Truth (John 14:6). Therefore, it is not through a particular method or program but through Jesus that we can come to the Father. As Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Salvation comes only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not by any human means. Henry Blackaby claims that pursuing a “successful” method or an attractive program without knowing His will, inviting God’s work, and hearing the guidance of the Holy Spirit is “spiritual adultery”: The method is never the key to accomplishing God’s purposes. The key is your relationship with a Person. When you want to know how God wants you to reach your city, start a new church, or be involved in His work, ask Him. Then when He tells you, don’t be surprised if you can’t find any church that is doing it that same way. Why? God wants you to know Him. If you follow someone else’s plan, use a method, or emphasize a program, you tend to forget about your dependence on God. You leave the relationship with God and go after a method or a program. That is spiritual adultery.

True Worship 5 - True Worship in His Way Is More Significant than Any Other Way. Some authors have employed progressive methodologies including Harrington Emerson’s twelve principles of efficiency and Arthur Flake’s doctrine of efficiency to magnify results with a minimal effort, which reflects their pragmatic understanding of worship. Adopting business methods to church ministry and worship in order to maximize an outstanding outcome of human work, the necessity of studying church efficiency seem to be considered as vital as studying biblical languages for pastors and ministers. Through vitalizing church programs to elevate the quality of worship services, believers and non-believers may come and fill the sanctuary. The argument can be made that these methods can be useful for enhancing worship and making it desirable to would-be congregants. However, the first appropriate question is not what responsibilities or works of Christians are for worship, but what God’s will is for worship. Understanding what the will of the Lord (Eph 5:17) is and what pleases God (Eph 5:10) is more significant than searching for what methods or systems we can use for Him in worship. Along with Matthew 6:33, Paul pronounces that “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” and then “teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16).1 The book of Ephesians indicates what the will of God is in worship. The first thing to do is to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:18). When being filled with the Holy Spirit, we abundantly bear the fruit of the Spirit in worship Gal 5:22–23). Without acknowledging the work of God in His way, worship services are a failure. Solomon wrote in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” A worldly outlook, including affirmation of self-confidence, reliance on human abilities, and dependence on person’s circumstances as a measure of truth, is opposed to a God-centered life and Jesus-focused worship. When God’s work reveals His power in His way, God is the One who gets glory. God’s revelation of Himself to people is to invite them to His work by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and achieve His purpose (John 5:17). Peter’s answer that “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” was “not revealed to you [Peter] by man but by my Father in heaven.” God’s works are revealed in true worship. Whatever we do in worship, we should give Lordship and “worthship” to Him by faith in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.