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Psalms 150 : 3-6 says, "Praise the Lord with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let EVERYTHING that breaths praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
This verse points out that we should praise the Lord with any instrument we can find! Also it says to use LOUD clashing cymbals, which mean you don't have to listen to old songs with none for example.
Ephesians 5:19 and 20 say, "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father."
Here Paul clearly says to give thanks to God through: Psalms, hymns, and Spiritual songs. This doesn't mean you have to just sing Psalms, hymns or Spiritual songs, but anyone or all of them; it also clearly says to always give thanks to our Lord Jesus through these. I hope this clears up any agrument about Songs of Praise, for it did for me. Seek the truth from the word of God and the Holy Spirit, if you have a feeling a song is wrong ask him!
"17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; 18 they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; 19 they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness."
This is telling us to no longer live as we have in the past; we have the freedom that was brought forth from the Blood of Christ, so we are no longer bound by our old ways. We need to be praying and reaching out to the lost, because: ignorance, hardness of heart and greed will destroy them.
"22 Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. "25 Therefor, putting away falsehood, let everyone speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need."
This section is very clear on what we must do in our lives, although I feel that once the Holy Spirit starts moving in your life many of these things happen in his time. God gives us new life through Jesus Christ and we need to change many of the things we do because of this.
"29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouth, but only such as it good for edifying, as a fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear."
This is something we need to do in our lives, for if we speak evil to others what kind of example do we set for Christ?
"30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."
I pray that you find all this scripture helpful in your walk with Christ, may He give you the strength to fight your daily battles of the life here on the Earth. May God bless you all,
Your Brother in Christ
Rob