Passage

[Isaiah 43:21]
"The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise."

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who has blessed us to have 2009 Performing Arts Committee Devotional Service.
I also give thanks to all the devotees who have prepared for this service with all your hearts, minds, and souls.
Dear devotees, the title of today's message is 'Praises that God Accepts'.
Today's reading passage Isaiah 43:21 says, "The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise." And God rejoices over praises very much.
God said the reason why He created man was to receive their true praise.
God, however, does not accept all praises.
It has to be acceptable in His sight.
People are supposed to praise God with their talents, but some write music for their personal enjoyment and pleasure.
They write melodies and lyrics that are sensual and that stimulate lust.
Also, Lucifer loves to receive worship, and He also incites people to create music that contains darkness.
He receives worship through such music and culture. He leads such people into deeper darkness.
The praise that God accepts is completely different from the worldly music in its qualities of grace and beauty.
So, even though a very good vocalist sings a hymn with a beautiful and resonant[] voice, it doesn't mean God will accept it.
It doesn't mean the most talented song-writer will write the best-quality praise song with which God is most pleased.
Yes of course, it's better if the praise singers are more talented and skillful, and there is always room for self-improvement.
But the more important thing is the aroma produced by the heart of the singer.
The praise that pleases God must produce an aroma that is clean, clear, pure and holy.
Such praises will open the gateway so the people can receive the fullness, inspiration, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The spirituality of the song writer who writes the song of praise, the kind of heart that produces it, and with what kind of heart it is sung all decide whether or not God will accept it.
When I use the expression 'song of praise' today, it is not only about songs, but it also applies to playing musical instruments, dancing, and all of our performing arts.
But in some cases, performers focus on demonstrating their talents and skills rather than worshiping God.
Some may say that they are touched by lyrics and melodies that are not pleasing to God. But in fact, there is no moving of the Holy Spirit in them.
They seem to be passionately singing, but they are just singing with their own emotions rather than the inspiration and grace of the Holy Spirit.
They say they are praising God, but the worldly culture has profoundly influenced them, and so, God finds it distasteful rather than pleasing Him.
At times it's so detestable to Him that He turns His face away.
Those lyrics and melodies do not purify the heart but rather they make people fall more deeply into the flesh, or they open the way to accept darkness in their hearts.
This is the spiritually corrupt world of end time, and God called you people to receive glory through true praise.
He is giving us such great grace to let us give Him true praise; He is giving us the praise songs Himself.
Since you have received such great grace, you should be able to discern between the right and wrong by the clear inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
You shouldn't participate in the worldly trends but give God the kind of praise that He wants.
You have received such an important duty, and I hope you will renew your hearts once again in this devotional service.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you of the Performing Arts Committee will glorify God with pure praise and worship and also lead the Christian culture of the whole world.

Main

Dear devotees, and other members,
The first thing that you have to check to be able to give God-pleasing praise is 'love'.
The aroma of your prayer can please God only when you sing with true love for God in your heart.
Of course, you came to have this duty because you love God in one way or the other.
But, is your love really spiritual love?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says, "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
If there is nothing in these verses that finds fault with you, then your praises can always be great joy to God.
If you feel it is such a great task to cultivate the spiritual love chapter in you, I would like you to check just one thing.
Is your love unchanging and truthful love?
Some people begin wanting to praise God greatly. But when they lose the fullness of the Spirit, they want to quit the duty of praising God.
Some initially confess with tears, "Father, and Lord, You are my everything. I will praise You all the days of my life!" but soon they change their minds.
They began to see the things of the world that look good. Now, they are filling their hearts with the worldly things.
The kind of love that God talks about is not this kind of fleshly love.
It is not extemporary or emotional love; He wants to share true love that stems from the depth of our heart, and that becomes deeper and deeper.
If you have such love in your heart, it is only a matter of time before cultivating all the characters of spiritual love.
You know very well about Paul and Silas. They praised God even when they were beaten and were jailed.
They were beaten with rods and were bruised all over their bodies. But when Paul thought of the cross of Jesus, he was ashamed of himself even to say that it hurt.
Even when he was mocked and despised by many people, he didn't get discouraged, but instead he gained courage thinking about the grace of the Lord who had forgiven him.
From the moment he met the Lord until he was beheaded, his love only grew stronger and stronger.
I hope you will have this kind of love in you, too.
With this love in you, I hope your praises will always be accepted by God as a beautiful and moving aroma.
Dear devotees and other members,
In order to give God-pleasing praise, the second thing that you have to check is 'faith'.
Usually, faith that is full and complete is likened to pure gold.
Suppose you are giving God a vessel made of gold as an offering.
It could be (24 Karat) pure gold, or less-than-pure gold that is 80%, 50%, or 25% gold.
Or, it could only be a cheap plated metal vessel or ceramic with gold plating.
We can say they are all golden vessels, but the value is totally different according to the purity.
Now, what kinds of offerings would you like to give to God?
Obviously you would want to give Him pure gold.
Then, I would like you to check how faithfully you believe the Word of God and how much you are trying to practice the Word.
I suppose all the devotees here faithfully do the basic things of a Christian life, such as attending worship service and praying.
Also, you listened to a lot of sermons and you know how to discern between the truth and untruth.
On the outside, most of you seem to be in the third level of faith.
But in fact, some of you are still in the second level of faith, or even lower.
You may mistakenly think your faith is great because you heard and know many things while the level of practicing the Word is just like that of a new believer.
Of course, if you commit evident works of flesh, you can realize your measure of faith is little.
But we cannot conclusively say that your faith is good only because you don't commit such sins.
Let me give you some examples.
Suppose, when others are recognized and praised more than you, you get a feeling of uneasiness.
You then speak words that pierce their heart, but you cover it as if you are giving advice with good intentions.
If a leader scolds you, your face flushes, and you complain that she is giving a hard time to her people.
Also, you speak bad things about others in your own righteousness and frameworks, but you don't even realize it is wrong.
You just think you are speaking the truth.
You look gracious on the altar, but your facial expressions, words, and actions change very much according to the emotion of each moment.
If things don't go as you want, you don't like it and you don't gather your heart.
I would like you to check the words on your lips too.
Some of you mostly talk about good restaurants, good sight-seeing places, new movies, dressing up and make-up, stories about celebrities, people you want to date, rumors going around, and you use popular expressions of the world.
When you face somebody you don't like, you just show a cold attitude.
You break promises easily. Even when you decide something in your heart, you change it often according to your benefit.
Moreover, I would like you to check how you are perceived by others in your cell groups or small groups.
Will they say, "She is so busy doing her duty, but she tries her best to keep her position and shares grace with testimonies. She is a lovely worker who serves others with humbleness"?
Or, might they say, "We only see her a couple times a year. Having her in our group is meaningless. As a small group leader, I don't feel comfortable asking her to work with us on something or help us."
If you are like the example in the latter group, it is a shameful thing to even say you have faith.
No matter how well you sing, the aroma of that praise you sing will not be good when you sing without faith.
Even if you sing a song that directly quotes Bible verses, or even if you see angels dancing and dance just like them, it is just like earthenware vessel with low-quality silver plating.
Only when you long for the Word of God and try to obey it can your praises be accepted as an aroma with faith.

Dear devotees and other members,
In order to give praises pleasing to God, the third thing you have to do is to check your 'hope'.
In the world, many want to become entertainers.
Probably it's because they can become wealthy and gain fame. But it is also because they want to show their talent.
But the reason why you became praise singers is not to gain money or fame.
It's not to boast of your talents or appearances in front of others.
It is only to give glory to God.
It is with the hope that you will glorify God alone on this earth and also be able to praise Him forever before the throne of God in New Jerusalem.
If you are really filled with this kind of hope, then you will always picture Heaven in your heart.
You will imagine the colors, mood, and the aroma of Heaven, and you will think about things that are holy, spiritual, pure and clean.
Then, the glitter of your faces, words on your mouths, your appearances, hairstyles, make-up, and dresses will give out the aroma of Heaven.
You can also share with others the fullness of the hope of Heaven through your praises.
Of course, it is important to learn the techniques or other skills of the world to improve your skills.
You should have the basic training to stand on the stage, and you also have to adorn yourself on the outside because you are praising God.
You should have talent, skill and ability comparable to worldly entertainers or even better.
You can take those things from the world, but you also have to discard what you have to discard.
You must never be stained by the world.
Even when you take what is necessary from the world, you should always check what kind of attitude and heart you have.
If you are not awakened enough, you may take the flesh as you like giving the excuse that it is for 'praising God'.
You may have interest in the trend of the world and take in the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and boastful pride of this life.
Yet, you justify yourself saying it is to make your praising ministry better.
Who do you sing for, and why do you make your appearances so beautiful?
Of course most of you will say you sing for the Lord and make your appearances beautiful to look beautiful in the sight of God.
But, I would like you to check once again what you really have deep in your hearts.
You should be able to discern whether it is to look beautiful in the sight of people, or you are doing it with pure heart to be offered to God.
Of course, you should diligently improve your skills, but if you are full of the hope of Heaven you will long for spiritual things more.
And in the works of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to discern between spiritual things and spiritually corrupt things.
For example, suppose you learned to sing or gained skill in playing instruments.
When you want to apply this to praise songs, those who are praying and have hope for Heaven will be touched by the Holy Spirit.
By the Holy Spirit, you will be able to discern whether such a sound will become a clear and beautiful aroma before God or it will become a sensual and fleshly sound.
Even the worldly people will shed tears or joyfully clap their hands and dance according to their feelings.
Therefore, you should be able to discern what kinds of melodies will really give the people inspiration of the Holy Spirit or touch their fleshly emotions.
You should discern whether even just a motion of the hand is offered with a clear and pure aroma or if it conveys some worldly feelings.
The same goes for your hairstyles, outer appearances, and make-up.
You may look modern and charming by the standards of this world, but your appearances may make the angels frown.
Or, your singing seems to be excellent, but in your heart you have more pride in your talent than you have desire to give glory to God.
Such singing cannot become God-pleasing praises.
The reason why God Himself is giving us the praise songs is to let you give Him praises that are not stained by the world.
God said He would purify through these songs the lips and hearts of those who sing with true heart.
As your hearts are more and more purified, God can give us the songs that are closer to the praises of Heaven.
God also says He would teach us the dances of the Heaven.
As your hearts are purified more, the Father will more increasingly give us the praise songs that He really wants us to sing.
I once said there were praise songs that the Father gave to me right after the opening of this church.
I was always sorry that I couldn't record them or make the musical scores.
God said He would give me praise songs when the time would come, but these songs are a little different.
The songs that have been given until now are for us to glorify the Father, but there are other kinds of songs, too.
They are the songs that the Father sings for His children.
How happy we would be if we can hear the song that the Father is singing for His beloved sons and daughters, for you people!
When the praises of our church are purified again and again and reach a certain level, He will give us these songs, too.
And there is an instruction that God gave us about distributing these songs.
It is that these songs must not be rearranged and the lyrics must not be changed.
This is to prevent the songs given by God from going off the original flow when He gave them to us.
It is to prevent any melody or expression that God doesn't want to be added to the songs.
One may have thorough understanding of music, but if he doesn't understand and express the melody that God wants, God cannot use his talent.
We may think we can improve the songs with the most sophisticated techniques, but then it is meaningless for God to give us the songs if we add worldly melody.
God will only hate them and turn His face away.
So, God designated a certain person who can understand and interpret the original melody and arrange the songs as He wants, in case it's needed.
God has trained this person until now so that she can arrange them in a way that the songs will stay in the melody that God wants and nothing God dislikes will be added.
But there are some people who are uncomfortable with this.
Some people object to it saying, "For this, this is better, and for that, that is better."
But those who are uncomfortable with this are only revealing their shortcomings, showing they don't understand what the Father wants.

They are only causing trials upon themselves because they are not participating in the flow of spirit.
I urge you to try to understand once again that it is so important to be one heart with God as you praise Him.
I urge you to have fullness of the hope of Heaven and clean and pure hearts that are clearly distinguished from the world.
In doing so, I hope you will not be stained by the scent or color of the flesh but only give glory to God with the clear and shining aromas of Heaven.

Conclusion

Let me conclude the message.
Dear devotees and other members, you know very well about Jehoshaphat[dzhee-HAHSH-uh-fat] the king of Judah when he had a major battle.
He didn't have a special force armed with swords and shields; he had a choir praising God on the front!
However, have you ever put yourself in the shoes of that choir in the battle? They were actually in a real war.
Praising God on the battlefield while marching towards the enemy forces that were trying to kill them is a completely different story from singing in the Temple.
Also, even very well-trained and equipped soldiers would have to think about being killed if they stand on the frontlines in a battle.
They are completely open to the enemy attack and become targets for arrows.
Now, if you are to go to a battle field without any weapons or armament and sing praises, what kind of aroma of praise would you offer up to God?
Wouldn't your mouths freeze and your voices shake because of fear?
Each of the choir members of Jehoshaphat had the firm faith based on God's promise of victory given through His prophet.
They also had the love for God and the hope to enjoy the glory, and that is why they risked their lives and praised God.
How pleasing this choir was in the sight of God!
2 Chronicles 20:22 says, "When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir[], who had come against Judah; so they were routed."
The army of God began to move when the singing began, and the result of the battle was decided at that very moment.
How amazing this scene is! I hope your praises will be one like the above.
I urge you to praise God with faith, hope, and love, and with your life, and win the victories in all of your spiritual battles on this earth.
I hope you will open the gate of the spiritual realm, move the army of God, and accomplish the providence of God at the end time.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will also give glory to God forever on the glorious stage of New Jerusalem!

[Amen]