Bible Teachings

I haven’t met a person with an aversion to music. The right combination of instruments, voices and lyrics birth a masterpiece that lingers in our minds for hours and days. It is comparable to food; the right recipe produces remarkable taste. What’s worth noting, however, is that the quality of food isn’t solely dependent on its taste but its effect on health. I opine that good food should have good taste and have positive effects on our health. The same reasoning applies to music; true musical satisfaction can only be the effect of a great sound and a message healthy enough for our minds.

Humans like to define and categorize things to ease the complexities of selection. The music industry is one of the victims of the said categorization. The industry denotes its categorization by the word ‘genre.’ Usually, the definitive feature of a genre is its sound and instrumentation, and R&B, Hip-hop, soul, and rock are a few examples. Gospel or Christian music is one of the few if not the only genre defined by its message. The problem this creates for Christians is that it splits the industry into two: gospel and secular. This phenomenon is only problematic because of the tendency for Christians to limit Christian music not just by its message but by its sound too. The apparent segregation of gospel and secular music results in the Christian community associating a particular sound with gospel music, thus neglecting all other music without this sound even when the messages are Christian.

For the sake of clarity, when I refer to Christian music in subsequent paragraphs, I’m not limiting it to music that is sung in church by a choir. I am also not referring to Christian music as music with Christian references and words like ‘Hallelujah, Amen, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Savior, etc. Christian music is music whose message conforms to Christian values, message, and direction. The lack of Christian references isn’t what makes a song secular. Secular music draws you further away from Christian virtues with its message. Songs that promote misogyny, racism, violence, indiscriminate sex, lust are not healthy for consumption.

WHAT CAN WE LISTEN TO

Phi 4:8 KJV

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

As said earlier, music affects the mind. Songs can influence your thoughts and change your perspective on life. Therefore we need to be our own judges of what we can listen to. We shouldn’t categorize songs as gospel just because it is sung in church nor should we write off a song we heard on the street as secular just because the lyrics did not mention God or Jesus.

Our decision on what we can and should listen to must stem from what the word of God says. From what we see in Philippians 4:8, we must endeavor to listen to music that will influence us to think about things that are lovely, pure, virtuous, and of good report. It is safe to listen to music that will influence our thinking in such a manner. Any form of music that does not induce positive thoughts and actions should not be entertained.

THE INFLUENCE

There’s a reason why adverts, rallies, political campaigns, funerals and other programs employ music is to set the mood. Music has the power to make you act in accordance to whatever mood or message the song is propagating. The more you listen to negativity, the more you allow yourself to be engulfed in a negative atmosphere. Listening to music that supports sex, drugs, violence and other vices would in time slave you into practicing the same. Ensure that you listen to positive music, to maintain a positive mentality and the energy necessary for your spiritual well-being to go about your day. Wondering where you can have access to such quality music? Right here on Dominion Tv.

Author

Kobina Oduro Korankye

A father is to be considered the source of one’s life. It takes a man and a woman to produce an offspring therefore it is imperative that we do not overlook the importance of either sex in a conversation that dishes out accolades. So father’s day approaches and it is time for our fathers to receive the adoration and honour they deserve. Let’s take a look at the important roles our fathers play in our lives.

DISCIPLINARIANS

Hebrews 12:7: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”

We are quickly censured by our loving fathers whenever we commit actions that are considered immoral or against accepted norms and standards of our faith. Fathers train us to become respectable persons of the society. They are usually our first encounter with virtues like justice, discipline and temperance. Just like God disciplines us from time to time when our deeds and misdeeds are aberrations to His perfect standards, fathers train us in the way we should go so that we would not depart from it.

BIGGEST FANS

Proverbs 23:24: “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”

A godly father is normally the biggest fan of his children. It is a normal practice in many societies that the children bear the surname of their father. The fact that we bear the names of our fathers make them naturally inclined to rooting for us in the arena of life. Fathers rejoice when their sons and daughters grow up to achieve and become great people in the future. This is because the greatness of a child is the reflection of the effort and training a father had to put in to make her the best s/he is.

THEY NURTURE AND PROTECT

Deuteronomy 1:31: “There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

Our fathers are our protectors. They guide us through the hard times of life. It is through our fathers that a lot of us build character and resilience to face the storms of life. Fathers provide security to their families. Security doesn’t just refer to physical strength and the raw aggression we like to associate with men but security can be spiritual, monetary and even in education. Fathers provide spiritual security and guidance through prayers and instructing us in the ways of God. They give us monetary security when they pay our fees and provide our needs.

20^th June 2021 is father’s day and we ought to honour our fathers. The blessings our fathers speak on us are extremely important for the progress of our lives. God promises that we will have long life when we shall prosper when we heed to the advice of our fathers and honour them. How are you going to honour your father on Father’s day? Leave your answers in the comments.

³⁴ Women should remain silent in the church. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.  1 Corinthians 14:34-35

The above scripture clearly states that women ought not to speak during church gatherings doesn’t it? Does it mean that it is wrong to have women leading worship and preaching during church services? In our quest to understand the scripture, we need to be aware of the fact that the true contexts.

When reading scripture, we have to look at the book or chapter as a whole in order to get a clearer picture or view. This post will show that women were actually allowed to speak during church meetings.

The Old Testament Had Women As Prophets

One of the reasons why it is obvious 1 corinthians 14:34-35 does not mean that women cannot speak and take up leadership roles in the church is that, there are examples of women who were prophets and leaders in the bible. People like Miriam and Deborah were prophetesses who led their people. If God chose them to lead His people at that time, then why would He prohibit women from leading now. Since the old testament contains examples of women who were leaders in their day, it is obvious that God doesn’t want to silence women. So what does 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 really mean?

Paul Acknowledged That Women Can Speak In The Church

4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 1 Corinthians 11:4-5

In Corinthians 11, Paul was talking about things that happen during church service. He clearly states that women and men pray and prophesy during church meetings. Paul here is giving guidelines regarding prayer and prophesy and he didn’t state that women cannot prophesy in church. Paul in this chapter makes it obvious that women can talk in church so what does 1 corinthians 14:34-35 really mean?

What 1 CORINTHIANS 14:34-35 Really Means

1 Corinthians 14:26 – “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

1 Corinthians 14:40 – “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way”

In the 26^th verse of that chapter, we clearly see what Paul’s aim was. His aim wasn’t to tell women to always be quiet but He was trying to make sure that church service was run in an orderly manner.In verse 28, it can be seen that Paul is telling the church that only two or three people should speak in tongues at a particular time and that others at the church must be silent when someone is prophesying.

“If anyone speaks in a tongue, two–or at the most three–should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.” – 1 corinthians 14: 27-28

In conclusion, the scripture was more concerned about things being done in the right manner and not about silencing women. The bible makes it clear that there were women who were prophets and leaders of God’s people. Also, In Corinthians 14:11 we can see that women as well as men prayed and prophesied in the church so women weren’t completely silent.