American Reformation Church Prayer Journal 90
This past Sunday, we continued in our Christmas series, “A World without Christmas” or in the case of Narnia, “Always Winter and Never Christmas.” We covered chapters 7-9 in D James Kennedy’s book “What if Jesus had never Been Born?” Chapter topics included our Lord’s impact upon science, enterprise, and human sexuality and how it has benefited men and nations.
This next Sunday we will conclude the series with a summary of the rest of the chapters in D James Kennedy’s book, which include an emphasis on Christ’s impact upon art and music.
Without George Bailey being born, Bedford Falls in the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” turns from a wholesome community into a debauched cesspool of immorality. It is reflected in the area of the arts of that community. Theatres of refined art become dens of iniquity. In the Chronicles of Narnia, the creative impulse of its creatures is frozen, until Aslam appears and the thaw of creative juices flow to renew Narnia.
God’s Word states that the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalms 19:1a). Creation itself stirs the souls of men to be artistic. Isaiah 64:8 declares, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” Here the prophet acknowledges through prayer our magnificent Lord as the master artist and craftsman. Since this is true, men cannot help but be inspired and express themselves through works of art.
After I got saved, one of the first things I did in a creative way was to write a poem from my heart unto the Lord. With great gratitude, I thanked the Lord for saving my wretched soul. It just rose up and bubbled forth. Once, I woke up with an inspiration to write. I wasn’t sure what to write, I just knew I had to write. I was 3 pages in the work, before I realized I was writing a play. It was pure inspiration from the Lord that saved many souls once produced. The play was called “Come Alive.”
Throughout redemptive history God has anointed individuals for certain creative tasks. When it came to the construction of the Tabernacle and eventually Solomon’s Temple, the requests remained the same. Moses and Solomon needed men who were endowed with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding with the expertise to build these dwelling places for the Lord Almighty. They were to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with creative abilities to become master craftsmen in service to God.
In the realm of music, we read of King David of crafting musical instruments specifically to worship Jehovah 24/7. He, himself, played skillfully and was highly anointed by our Lord. When he played before Saul, the distressing sprit that tormented the unfaithful king departed granting temporary relief. David also danced with all his might and told his wife that he would become more undignified than this when it came to his expression of worship before the Lord. Most today would find this expression of worship appalling, chalk it up as emotionalism, and condemn it. God’s Word, however, has a different view than men.
In the final Psalm, 150 David concludes with this admonishment, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Handel’s Messiah anyone?
