The Daily Word of Righteousness

Preparing the Way for the King

I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. (Daniel 6:26)

Let us think about some of the changes that even now are entering some of the forward-looking churches—changes that are required because of the nature and closeness of the Divine redemption.

Our music is changing. The worship leaders are beginning to prophesy through their music of the day of redemption, of the warfare we are facing.

It used to be "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and "When the Roll Is Called up Yonder." Now it is "He Is the Living God Enduring Forever," the chorus composed by King Darius when Daniel survived the night of the lions.

"He Is the Living God" is a stirring chorus and speaks of the Kingdom of God rather than how safe we are in the arms of Jesus or how we will meet each other on that beautiful shore. If you have not heard some of the songs of war as yet, get ready to be stirred to arm yourself for the battle. The conflict of the ages is upon us.

My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. (Jeremiah 4:19)

Tambourines are especially important today. Much effective worship can be accomplished with tambourines, especially when played in unison. Uniform movements with tambourines require an instructor, discipline, and practice.

While we do not as yet have people acting out prophecy, as we often read in the Old Testament, we do have mime. Mime, if performed by consecrated Christians living in holiness and obedience to God, can be an effective portrayal of truth, including to those people who do not speak our language.

Sometimes people say they can't find mime in the Bible. This is true. Neither will they find blackboards or overhead projectors. These are all tools to portray Gospel truth.

The acting out of prophecy would be a blessing to the assemblies and perhaps the Holy Spirit will graciously restore this manifestation to us.

Several forms of pageantry are springing up in the assemblies. These include the waving of banners and marching with flags. The banners and flags are announcing the coming of the King and are a part of spiritual war and worship.

Sometimes the joy of the Lord is expressed in dancing. How much dancing should be included, what forms it should take, must be under the discipline of the church elders. All art forms, including music, are of the soul of man. They lead to spiritual worship if conducted properly. They lead to adultery and fornication if they are not under the authority of godly elders.

Mime and other art forms, such as painting scenes given by the Spirit during the time of worship, can be a blessing if it is kept in mind that our purpose is to worship God. Mime, painting, and other artistic expressions can form a valuable part of the worship program.

To be continued.