The Ancient Scriptures

Prayer And Music.
In addition, the Bible tells us to pray and study the Scriptures when we come together as a group as well (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:13). God also expects our money. . .This ought to be nothing new to anyone who has studied Scripture. God has always called upon his people to give and to give generously to support the work he expects us to do. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Paul tells the Corinthians that he has already order other congregations to give on the first day of the week and he expects them to do the same. This command is not new. Christians had been giving for the congregational work from the very beginning (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32). I realize that some reject this passage and believe that you can gather funds by all sorts of different means on any day. There is simply no authority for such actions. Others will argue that these funds were only to help the Christians mentioned in verse two. This conclusion is due to misunderstanding all the Scriptures have to say on this subject. The fact is, this passage is authority for the Lord’s communities in the 21st Century to command God’s people to give of their means to the local congregation. Others argue that Christians are to tithe. Tithing was commanded under the Law of Moses and we do not live under that law. Our giving today is more a free-will contribution which is based on the Lord’s sacrifice for us (2 Corinthians 8:9) and a cheerful, thankful heart for all Jesus has done for us (2 Corinthians 8:3). The heart of what we give is determined by and will determine just how much we have truly given ourselves to Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:5).

God also expects us to worship him through music. The type of music God expects under the New Covenant is accapella. It is true that Israel used instruments in their worship but they did so because they were commanded to do so (2 Chronicles 29:25). It is true that Jesus also used instruments in his worship because he lived and died under the Law (Galatians 4:4). The only reference to mechanical instruments in the New Testament is in Revelation 14:2. But this reference is about what will happen in heaven not what is to be done on earth. But there is an instrument which Christians are to use to musically worship God. It is the heart (Ephesians 5:19). It is the only instrument which God will accept in our worship. So, faithful Christians do not use mechanical instruments in their worship but the heart!