The Hills are alive with the sound of music
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the LORD with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:6-9 NKJ)
Hello Saints,
For those of you who don’t know, I just returned from visiting Eastern Europe via the Danube River, aboard a cruise ship with 130+ passengers and 40+ crew members. Our journey started in Budapest, Hungary and ended in Prague, Czechia. Along the way we were treated to incredible views of hills and valleys, castles and villages, orchards and vineyards. The river winded us through five countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany and Czechia. I praise God for the opportunity to have witnessed God’s marvelous creation and seeing such awesome sights.
As I reflect on all that I observed in the last two weeks, there are many conclusions that I could draw. On the one hand, I could view the trip as a picture of the sinfulness of humanity. The beautiful buildings are really a coverup for the hundreds, even thousands of years of fighting and conquering, injustices and atrocities committed by the ruling class against the poor peasants. For instance, every city has a Jewish quarter where God’s chosen fell prey to hatred and evil. Hitler’s wickedness is well on display through bombed buildings and Jewish graveyards. But he was only one of many tyrants that tarnished Europe’s past. Every castle has a story of being occupied by numerous kings as they defeated one another in battle. In reality, the majestic hills and valleys, and the Danube River itself have become the resting place for hundreds of thousands who have perished in the quest for power and supremacy. One cannot even guess the number of dry and wet bones that lie in this valley. One moving scene is of that in Budapest, where the shoes of those slain by Hitler’s criminal madness line the shore of the Danube, including the shoes of little children who fell over dead into the river. Sadly, the majestic churches and their leadership provided no hope as they preached a false gospel of works and indulgences to buy salvation. In many instances, the popes and bishops were the means by which lunatic leaders coerced the people into submission. Humanity’s history is not pretty…just read your Bible!
But Hey! We are supposed to, “fix our thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” So let’s get beneath the façade of the beautiful buildings and magnificent churches. Let’s talk about being in the land of The Reformation where God called His people into action and raised up people like Jan Hus (1370-1415), a Czech priest influenced by the writings of his English predecessor, John Wycliffe (1328-1384). Hus was a leading reformer who challenged the errant doctrines of the medieval Catholic Church. He brought Bible truth to bear on the corrupt church leadership, initiating a reformation in the church, and laying the groundwork for Martin Luther (1483-1546), his successor in Germany. Jan Hus’ Memorial monument graces the magnificent plaza right in the heart of Prague reminding everyone that God can make light and truth shine in the middle of darkness. Let’s talk about the myriad of true Jesus followers who sheltered persecuted Jews, whereby many Jews encountered their Messiah. Let’s talk about the countless true Christians throughout the centuries who remained true to the faith and gave their lives trying to preach truth and righteousness. Lets talk about the incredible music that came out of this area by the likes of Mozart, Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Franz List, etc. Music, ballet and theatre became a means of escape from what was happening at the time, even a way of criticizing and laughing at the leaders and their foolishness. Let us not forget that God is ultimately the inventor of music and has put in the heart of His creation a need/desire to worship. Much of the classical music was first and foremost church music, performed in grandiose churches where the acoustic design was to inspire a spiritual experience with the Holy One. God never sleeps nor slumbers and is always working. Even when the world seems at its darkest, Holy Spirit has a means by which the light of Christ can shine through and arrest a wayward sinner and lead him/her home.
The Danube River to me is a picture of Holy Spirit winding His way through the darkened land, moving through a tarnished history, inspiring people to look up to the surrounding hills full of greenery, vegetation, food and beauty, ultimately drawing our attention away from the darkness unto the majesty and glory of the Creator. In this land where darkness seems to be prevailing and belief in God is at an all-time low, there is music in the air, not made by man, but by a God who desires that none should perish. And that music is finding its way into the ears of those who desire to hear God’s symphony announcing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Like Handel’s Messiah that has inspired so many great classical composers (even Mozart and Beethoven), God’s sound is turning hearts towards Him. On the ship upon which we sailed, I met beautiful Christians from opposite ends of the world, reminding me that God is in control, covering the darkest history with the light of His love: “The LORD shatters the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the LORD's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken” (Psalm 33:10-11). One day all of creation will sing His praises for, “The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations” (Ps. 98:2). Let us be those who lend our voices to the chorus, joining the hills and the rivers in joyful sound to our Lord and king. (Read Psalms 33, 96, 98)
Be Blessed!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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