“I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:” (Psalm 104:33 NKJV).
At my Fitness 19 gym, they often play loud and, to me, horrible music! I wear headphones while I work out so I can listen to my favorite music, podcasts, or the Bible read out loud. There is a wonderful renewal going on in the body of Christ. It involves worship and music. But the difference from one church’s approach to worship and music and another can be profound. To be honest, the worship services in some churches fill me with praise, and others make me hope they end soon! Some churches have a “traditional” service with hymns (for older people, like me), and then offer a more youthfully appealing service with more “modern” music (and guitars and drums instead of organs).

It is my heart’s desire for a healing crusade at my high school, Chaffey, in Ontario, CA!

I envision 3 services. One is for the older generation (calling it a special healing service for those who can’t walk well) with favorites from centuries past or the 50s and 60s. Then, one service will have Country and Western music (a lot of bar hoppers love C&W.) I’ll talk that night on how we must repent of fornication and drunkenness to be saved). You should hear some of the great songs I plan for the worship team to sing! Sinners will love the service, until I preach!

And one service will feature the present generation’s favorites (but NOT RAP! I hate it! I’ll have my earphones with me! Ha, ha!). It is just my dream, but I am fighting the fight of faith to see it fulfilled. Recently, I believe, the Lord gave me a revelation…

I believe there will be many types of music in heaven! But we will all be doing what Ps. 104:33 above commands…“sing unto the LORD” You won’t be forced to worship, but will have different venues to join with your favorite type of music to help you enjoy worship the most! I call them… “Heavenly Singspirations” (Remember singspirations, old timers?) Imagine…

The Wesley brothers, John and Charles, leading music favorites of the 18th century! Aimee Semple McPherson, the founder of the Foursquare Church, leading us in the many songs she wrote in the 1920s and 30s. Bill Gaither, personally leading songs from the 1970s and 80s, with a massive choir! Forrest Frank and his dance team showing the youth and young adults of the 21st century how to sing unto the Lord and dance!

If my revelation is true…Heaven is going to be so much fun, especially for those who prefer… Different Music in Heaven!

I learned further about music at revival services recently in Houma, LA… A young blind woman came, led from the hand by a friend, and using her white cane (the universal indicator of someone who is visually impaired). She wore a nice dress, her hair was so nice looking, I wondered if she combed it herself, or? She was a Christian and had a very pleasant demeanor. When we prayed for her healing at the altar service, there was no change (I have never seen the totally, born blind healed yet in our healing services…But I’m gonna see it!). Surely she had been prayed for many, many times. (She was used to no immediate results, so didn’tact disappointed) At the end of the last service, her friend led her up to me. I took her hand expecting her to ask me to pray for her again, when her friend told me,

“She wants to sing for you” …”I can only Imagine”

I continued holding her hand and turned my ear towards her lips. She sang the whole song to me in a very pleasant voice (and it is a long song!). I had preached portions of the gospel to her. She wanted to share a portion of the gospel with me in return.

As I write, I am now on a jet returning home from the revival. As I recounted the above experience in my mind, I realized a beautiful truth…The first verse of the song includes:  “

I can only imagine What my eyes would see When Your face is before me” The song is the best-selling Christian single of all time! I don’t know how many times I have listened to it myself. I have some idea of what Jesus looks like (The shroud of Turin, paintings by many through the years, and reports of visions and visitations some have had of Jesus). But the blind have no idea! They truly “can only imagine.” Yet, I guarantee you that whatever I have imagined the Face of my Lord will look like, and whatever joy I have imagined that I would experience when I get to heaven is not worthy to be compared to a blind woman’s first glimpse of the Face that not only saved her soul, but opened at last her blind eyes. Jesus doesn’t want the blind to wait until they get to heaven to see. He wants their eyes to be opened now. And he wants to use us to help open them! Seek his power to be manifested in your life. Keep praying for the blind, as I have many times. But know that an anointing is soon to fall, empowering the body of Christ to open blind eyes as a last-day sign, drawing people to Christ.

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened” (Isaiah 35:5 NKJV). And to help the blind, not only to see, but so their hearts will be so full of joy that…the blind can Sing! Not just in future heavenly Singspirations, but joyfully in your church…. this side of heaven!

Nathan Warford’s report from Japan…

Spring is in full bloom here in Japan as we just finished cherry blossom season. “Sakura” or cherry blossoms, as we know them, only bloom for about two weeks and then fade away, not to return for another year. To the Japanese, they represent the beauty and brevity of life and how temporal things are. However, through prayer I realized Jesus is the eternal cherry blossom: always present, beautiful, and “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

It’s this hope and promise of what’s eternal that compels me to share the gospel here in Japan. I do this through events such as English cafes, hosting other mission’s teams, or on campus university ministry. In the past month, I’ve been involved in all three. I’ve met and shared more of my faith with people at English cafes and was even able to lead a lesson at one particular event. The teams we host come from all over the world and recently we have been hosting a team from Germany. They share their testimonies and evangelize at events we help lead. Then recently I was able to visit a university to the south and connect with students on property. Student ministry is a big heart of mine, so I was blessed for the open door. I made connections with a group of male students who had an American football team. I plan to return and possibly play a game or two with them. Japanese love sports and it is a great way to connect with local communities. Just yesterday I played indoor soccer with many people from the city and through it some come to church and have even accepted Christ. This week, I’ll be visiting a church in need alongside the Foursquare pastor. The goal is to pray for them, learn more about them, and find new ways to support them. Many churches like this one have no pastor, no youth group, no children’s ministry, and in some cases not even a worship team. Sometimes, one pastor will oversee 5 or 6 churches because of the lack of help. So, my prayer is we can truly be a blessing. I’ll also be MCing for a worship and prayer night this Friday night. We’ll have many visitors, both Christian and non-Christian, so pray that connections are made and Holy Spirit opens hearts to the Gospel.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this ministry. Recently, I read that in Osaka alone, a city of 8 million+ people, there are only about 70 missionaries. That’s 1 missionary for every 100,000+!  So, you can see the harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few. Japan must be reached for Christ, but it takes those who go (like me) and those who send (like you). You can be a huge part of what God is doing here. Pray for more open doors, favor, and laborers!

Your missionary evangelist from Osaka,
Nathan Warford