Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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A letter from Brother Gary.
I had a thought about something the other day, and you touched on it recently. The thought was, “We don’t sow in two fields”. It’s all one.
Last week I was going through some old videos and found one of when I first got the holy Ghost. Less than a year after I got the holy Ghost (1979 I believe), I was playing in a gospel band, and somehow we ended up getting invited to appear on TBN broadcasting in Los Angeles. We did several songs on TV, which I had the video tape of, and I never did appreciate how good those singers and musicians really were. I was the weak link in the bunch, musically speaking. But to my knowledge, none of them are serving the Lord today. Maybe one, I don’t know. I observed though, that one reason they are all gone now was that some in that group thought there were TWO fields. One that you serve the Lord with (music), and another that you live in (your other day-to-day life). There’s no such thing. Only those that realized that “holy living” and “music” were “one field”, actually survived. Those that were not attentive to holiness are now backslidden and gone – despite their musical abilities, which they probably still have. And for what good?
I used to tell musicians that I met in the Assembly of God and elsewhere that it didn’t matter how good they played if they did not live holy. I don’t think it was that I was all that wise as much as I just saw it prove itself over and over again. The ones that had a spiritual depth and a faithful life, day in and day out, survived. The ones who wanted to play music on Sunday and live another life at other times, did not. It WILL catch up, one way or the other – good or bad.
We are not going to “make music” or do something else to seemingly bless people, and then disobey our parents, or not be faithful in our schoolwork, or have an explosive temper, or be slothful, etc. etc., and reap just the “music-related” part. They are together – one field. If we are not doing right in our day-to-day living, our music or our other gifts will not prosper in our hands for long. But when our gifts are balanced with a life of holiness, that music is SURE to be a blessing (as well as all else we do), because it is just “us.” It’s just who we are – and even if we aren’t the “best” at what we do (according to worldly musical standards). The effect we have on people will be sure and lasting. There’s nothing better than music that has a testimony behind it, a testimony of a faithful life. I love music that comes from those sources. I can picture the person singing or playing, and I can enjoy it, because I can say, “they walk holy day in and day out . . . they are true to their words everywhere they are.” It makes it so much better.
Anyway, those were just some thoughts I had after watching those videos. It made me more zealous to be obedient to the holy Ghost in all areas of my life, so that what I do has substance. Glory to God, I pray to keep walking that way.
Gary