When the Spirit of God takes Over our Music

SDAH 584 There’s a Spirit in the Air

SDAH 266 Spirit of God descend upon my heart

Ephesians 5:18-19

New King James Version

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord

Prayer: Sovereign God, unto you, all flesh shall come. To you we give praise. We adore you and we lift up Your name on High. Glory be to your Holy name. We bring our thanks to You because you deserve it. We ask you Holy Father, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us to the brim with the power of the Holy Spirit. Awake O Lord as in Ancient times. Move among us and Keep back all the forces of evil. Bind every power of Satan and Let the blessing of your word fall on us. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen and Amen.

When Charles and John Wesley were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, they preached Christ fearlessly amidst persecution. With the power of the Holy Spirit in control, the music they wrote and sang electrified Britain and the world with power and manifested miracles. A time came when Charles preached in Parish in Ireland; a mob charged towards him. He ran to a farmhouse where an old lady hid him. When the mob got to the farm house, the old lady entertained them with a meal. Whilst Charles hid, he heard the angry voices of the mob. He was in great danger, but the Lord was with him. The Spirit of God touched him as he hid in the barn. He wrote the song:

Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly,

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is high!

Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,

Till the storm of life be past;

Safe into the haven guide,

Oh, receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none,

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;

Leave, ah! leave me not alone,

Still support and comfort me!

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from Thee I bring;

Cover my defenseless head

With the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call?

Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?

Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—

Lo! on Thee I cast my care:

Reach me out Thy gracious hand!

While I of Thy strength receive,

Hoping against hope I stand,

Dying, and, behold, I live!

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;

More than all in Thee I find:

Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,

Heal the sick, and lead the blind.

Just and holy is Thy name;

I am all unrighteousness:

False and full of sin I am;

Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,

Grace to cover all my sin;

Let the healing streams abound,

Make and keep me pure within.

Thou of life the fountain art

Freely let me take of Thee:

Spring Thou up within my heart,

Rise to all eternity!

Until today, the Spirit of God has kept this hymn and many like these. The Holy Spirit moves behind this song any time it is sung. During the American Civil war, a soldier was detailed to shoot another soldier of the opposing army who was exposed. When the detailed soldier got near the exposed sentry soldier, he heard the sentry singing “Jesus Lover of my soul.” When he lifted his gun to shoot, he heard the words in the second stanza:

“Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.”

The hidden soldier who was detailed lowered his gun saying: “I can’t kill that man, though he was ten times my enemy.” He quickly stole away. Historical accounts record that many times, the sick got healed as John and Charles Wesley Ministered in songs. The Holy Spirit was in charge.

When the Holy Spirit takes over our music, we experience miracles and God himself descends in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit. As individuals, as a Church, can we confidently declare that the Holy Spirit controls our music, our musicians, and our congregations as we sing during worship?

Does God not Have a Special reason for Creating Music?

There is nothing so golden a gift God has given to his children than the wonderful gift of music. In the scriptures, we read that Our God is the giver of all good gifts. Our God almighty is the origin of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) and He is the source of all knowledge (Job 21:22; Psalm 94:10; Proverbs 2:6). In Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 71. The Spirit of Prophecy says: “Music (rightly employed) is a precious gift of God, designed to uplift the thoughts to high and noble themes, to inspire and elevate the soul.”—Education, p. 167. “Song is one of the most effective means of impressing spiritual truth upon the heart.”—Evangelism, p. 500. “Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 594.

In the scriptures, we read of the host of heaven bowing before the Father’s throne in songs of Praise (Revelation 5:8-11). Thousands of Angels sing the worthiness of Christ. The spirit of prophecy confirmed it saying: “I was pointed to the glory of heaven, to the treasure laid up for the faithful. Everything was lovely and glorious. The angels would sing a lovely song, then they would cease singing and take their crowns from their heads and cast them glittering at the feet of the lovely Jesus, and with melodious voices cry, “Glory, Alleluia!” I joined with them in their songs of praise and honor to the Lamb, and every time I opened my mouth to praise Him, I felt an unutterable sense of the glory that surrounded me. It was a far more, an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Said the angel, “The little remnant who love God and keep His commandments and are faithful to the end will enjoy this glory and ever be in the presence of Jesus and sing with the holy angels.” The evidence above tells that Holy unfallen angels engage in music as they praise the father, organized in reverence as they bow to Him.

Knowing who our God almighty is; knowing the power of His mighty hand, and reckoning His infinite wisdom, there is no doubt that our God made music to be employed in worship for a Holy purpose. In reality, God did not create music by any accident but for a Holy purpose. As children of God, it is important to note that for us to make our music in worship reach efficacy, there can be no other way than to have music take its place under the control of the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the conversation with the woman at the well (John 4:24), Christ Jesus told her, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” If our objective is to employ music in worship of our God in heaven, we cannot do it carnally. We cannot just come to church and start singing or playing. If we come to play or sing in the presence of God because we want the church pastor, or church elders, or members to see our prowess at singing or performing, we are mistaken and we have entirely lost focus on who we worship. If we really are before the Lord to sing His praise and worship Him, twe must understand that God is a spirit and we must bring music before him in Worship, in Spirit and in Truth. It is not an option. It is an instruction to do music before God in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We are instructed to do music in truth and not in deception. We must come before God to do music when we are filled with the Spirit of God and with pure selfless hearts.

In Paul’s fifth letter to the believers in Ephesus, he writes: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” In this, we decipher clearly how the Lord wants us to groom ourselves. That we be not drunk with wine which will destroy us but be filled with the Spirit of God is the instruction. The instruction does not halt but continues that after having been filled with the spirit of God, we should continue to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, to sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord. When we come to the presence of God to perform music with the power of the Holy Ghost we will uplift others and Glorify our God in Heaven.

When the Holy Ghost takes over our Music

For our music to find favor in the eyes of God, for our music to heal the sick, for our music to bind demons and the agents of the forces of darkness, it must be controlled by the power of the Holy Ghost. Only then can God control our music. Unfortunately, God cannot control the music of Christians whose hearts are not yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit. With hearts that are not fully surrendered to the power of Christ, our music will be fully carnal and for carnal gratification. We must understand that our music as seventh day Adventists is not for entertainment. It is not for self-gratification. Choirs, singing bands, quartets, soloists and other singing groups should note that their vocation is not for self, for competition or for fame. It is strictly for the upliftment of souls to Christ and for the Glorification of our mighty God in Heaven.

Again, we have no option than to be only yielded to the Holy Ghost because the scriptures tell us that “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 18:14). Won’t you be yielded to the Holy Ghost? Won’t you give your whole self to Christ? Only then shall we see more power released as we sing to worship. Only then shall we see chains broken as we worship before the almighty father with our music.

The Lord instructed David categorically on music. To him music was a serious business before God. God’s presence physically came down during the performance of music in worship. How about us today? To David, Music in the tabernacle was not a display of talent but a service connected to prophesying. Their worship was inspired by God. Their ministry in music was not merely to show good musicianship; it was a gift of the Holy Spirit being exercised through them. The scriptures record “Moreover David and the captains of the army separated to the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. (1Chron 25:1). Music in worship was no joke and the spirit of God moved mightily. They separated themselves into prayer before the service. They sanctified themselves so the Lord could use them. Yes! The Lord revealed himself mightily.

Can we today allow the holy Spirit to fill us? Can we ask the Lord daily as musicians to fill us and use us mightily? Can we separate ourselves to prayer so the Lord can use our music mightily? We cannot keep fornicating as choristers, we cannot keep fighting each other. We cannot wear the robes in filth. We cannot sing in our quartets, sing as soloists, and sing as whoever we are with the filth of sin. Many times we find people who will not sing anymore because they are hurt. Many times we find musicians and elders at loggerheads. Many times, we find choristers and singers not committed. Many times we find members in the church who stand together to sing hymns not talking to each other. Pitifully, it is a signal of demons at work and not the Holy Spirit and so our music will not be controlled by the Spirit of God. In the same way our worship will be lacking because as a people we have not really encountered God.

The Lord calls on us to allow His Spirit to take over our music and our lives and the yokes will be broken. Our burdens will be lifted. The devil will flee. The Lord says: I can only do this when you have yielded and surrendered yourselves fully to me. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we receive power to overcome sin. We receive power to minister before God. Heaven inhabits our Praise in songs and power is released. As Adventists, our message to the world is to proclaim the saving grace of Christ. Our message to the world is of the cross of Christ and His love. Our message must go to all the world in this generation. Our music is one of the most wonderful channels for the proclamation of the gospel. O how we forget that the Holy Spirit has led many to the Adventist faith through our music. O have you forgotten? When two men(Paul and Silas) bound in chains in the dungeons began to sing the praise of God, the Holy Spirit shook the dungeons; many were unshackled, and souls were brought to Christ that night. The two men were filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, in effect their music brought heaven down. O think of what will happen in our country when the Seventh-day Adventist church saturates music with the power of the Holy Spirit! O how we shall invoke the spirit of the early church if we shall let the Holy Spirit take over! It is only music that is controlled by the power of that Holy Ghost that can carry this Holy message (most hated by the enemy) to our dying world. As the Wesley brothers changed Europe with their music and preaching by the power of the Holy Ghost, we must be filled with the Holy Ghost to send the message of Christ. Let’s allow the Spirit of God to fill us and to control our music to God. The Lord’s Call to the Church

As members of this congregation, as singers, as musicians, we have not allowed the Lord to lead us under the power of Christ through His Holy Ghost. Many times, we are guilty as a Church. Romans 8: 9b tells us categorically: “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” If we have walked in this church all along, singing, preaching, coming to church, professing to be Christians , but did not have the Spirit of God leading us, we have not belonged to Christ and do not belong to him. Today, the Lord calls us. It is time to yield our lives to Him. Are you filled with the Spirit of God? If yes, let’s pray for more anointing. If not, let’s pray now to yield ourselves to Christ and the Power of His Spirit.

Prayer: Sovereign God we are sinful and we do not deserve your presence. Forgive our sins as a church, and as individuals. Wash us and cleanse us. We confess our sins and ask for your cleansing in the name of Christ Jesus. Fill us with the power of the Holy Ghost. Give us the Spirit because you promised, that if we ask for it you will give it to us. Change our hearts and take control of our music that we may worship you in truth. In the name of Christ Jesus we Pray. Amen.

Prayer Points

Let’s pray for the forgiveness of sins and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the local church, conference, the Union and the church body on the entire globe
Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to take control of the music and all other doings in the church
Let’s pray for the Lord to help us to truly give ourselves to Him in true repentance and surrender.
Pray for the choir, singing band, quartets, soloists choir masters, organists, congregation and other instrumentalist, that the Lord will open our eyes to see the sacred and Holy duty of singing and performing in His Holy presence so we can please Him and not man
Pray that the Lord will use music to draw and prepare many souls even in these last days for the Kingdom of Heaven

Daniel Dickson Boateng Ph.D

[email protected]

Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary

Andrews University, Michigan