Reuben Bidez

Adam - Behind the Song

2012-01-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

First, let me start off by laying down a few ground rules and make sure I am clear on a few important things. The point of recording "The Signs of God" was to take a look at the 7 major stories that the Qur'an and Bible both share. The purpose is to start conversations between Christians and Muslims beginning with what we have in common. There will be absolutely no attacking of either religion or holy book. There will also be no attempting to convert Muslim to Christian or Christian to Muslim. We want to first celebrate what we share. No lasting relationships are ever formed out of argument, they are formed out of Honor. Now that we have that clear, let's begin.

So, let's start off at the beginning...way back...all the way to the beginning! Most of us are familiar with Adam (Adem) (peace be upon him) and Eve (Hawwa) (pboh) and the garden of Eden. What an amazing place Eden must have been! Paradise on earth! Unfortunately for us, the father and mother of humanity messed up. Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh) sinned. They were commanded to not eat of one tree in the whole garden. But, there was a tempter in the garden known as Satan or Iblis. Let's first look at the generous Qur'an and read the account of this moment.

And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers. (35) But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time. (36) Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful. (37) We said: Go down, all of you, from hence; but verily there cometh unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. (38) - Al-Baqara 2:35-38

We can see that God is merciful! Praise be to God that He is the relenting and the merciful. If He was not, we would surely be lost! We also see that God gives a guidance and those that follow God's guidance will not fear or grieve. So what exactly happened when Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh) ate of the tree?

Therefor we said: O Adam! This is an enemy unto thee and unto thy wife, so let him not drive you both out of the Garden so that thou come to toil. (117) It is (vouchsafed) unto thee that thou hungerest not therein nor art naked, (118) And that thou thirstest not therein nor art exposed to the sun's heat. (119) But the Devil whispered to him, saying: O Adam! Shall I show thee the tree of immortality and power that wasteth not away? (120) Then they twain ate thereof, so that their shame became apparent unto them, and they began to hide by heaping on themselves some of the leaves of the Garden. And Adam disobeyed his Lord, so went astray. (121) - Ta-Ha 20:117-121

Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh) did not know of their nakedness. They were without shame, thirst, or hunger! But when they ate of the tree, they suddenly were full of shame. They immediately tried to cover their own shame by heaping leaves upon their nakedness. Let's now look at the Old Testament's (Tawrat) account of this moment.

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
- Genesis 3:6-10

Adam's (pboh) nakedness and shame caused him to fear God and hide. This was not the way God interacted normally with Adam (pboh). Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh) had been naked the whole time they were in the garden, but have never experienced shame until they disobeyed God.

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity [hatred]
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring [seed] and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.” -Genesis 3:13-15

God places a curse upon Satan as his punishment for tempting Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh) to sin. God says that there will be hatred between Satan and the descendants of Eve. (pboh) There is something very important here. The offspring of Eve (pboh) will crush the head of Satan, and Satan will strike the heel of the offspring of Eve (pboh). Let us come back to this another time.

So, now here we stand with Adam (pboh) and Eve (pboh). Still covered in the shame of their nakedness. What can be done to resolve this? Let us look at the generous Qur'an once again!

They said: "our Lord! we have wronged our own souls: if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy we shall certainly be lost." (23) (Allah) said: "Get ye down, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood― for a time." (24) He said: "therein shall ye live and therein shall ye die; but from it shall ye be taken out (at last)." (25) O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment [a garment] upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you, But the raiment [garment] of righteousness,― that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition! (26) - Al-Araf 7:23-26

Adam (pboh) knew that if God did not forgive him and show him mercy, he would be lost forever! But God the merciful gave him and his wife a garment to cover their shame. We see this in the Old Testament account as well.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. - Genesis 3:21

God gave them a temporary covering for their shame and nakedness. Many scholars believe that this is the first account of a sacrifice being made to forgive sins. We will take a look later at the story of Abraham (peace be upon him) as it involves a sacrifice being made. Most Muslims will be familiar with The Blessed Feast عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īd al-’Aḍḥá that celebrates Abraham's (pboh) obedience to God. But, for now, we will save that story for later! Let's look one more time at the passage from Al-Araf.

O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment [a garment] upon you to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you, But the raiment [garment] of righteousness,― that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah, that they may receive admonition! (26) - Al-Araf 7:26

We see that there is another raiment [garment] that God gives. Something better than a temporary covering. Something that can cover our shame and make us beautiful in God's sight again! It is the raiment [garment] of righteousness. This is a sign from God. This is a warning and advisement from God. This is a great mystery! We should ask God to reveal something more from this. What is this garment of righteousness that only God can give?

It is important for us to continually ask for God's guidance as we study His Word! We never want to make inferences and decisions based only on our own preconceptions and opinions!

O God, guide us as we search for Your Truth! Reveal to us what You want us to see!

Lastly, here are the lyrics to the song "Adam" Feel free to listen to the song while reading the lyrics. The music player should be to the left. Just click on Adam and it should play.

Enjoy!

-Reuben

Oh Adam, where have you gone,
where have you gone?
We used to walk together...
Oh Eve, what have you done,
what have you done?
Is paradise lost forever?

But this is what I'll do to make this right,
To make you beautiful in my sight

I will give you a garment of Righteousness
that will cover up all your shame
This is a sign to you, this is a sign of God

Oh Children what have you heard,
what have you heard?
Why did you question my Word?
Oh Satan what have you done,
what have you done?
I'm placing this curse upon you.

The seed of the woman will be against you,
you will strike his heel but He will crush your head

He will give them a garment of Righteousness
that will cover up all their shame
This is a sign to you, this is a sign of God

I will give you a garment of Righteousness
that will cover up all your shame
This is a sign to you, this is a sign of God

Song by Song

2012-01-18T15:49:00.001-05:00

So, I thought I would take the next few weeks to post details and explanations for each song from the new album. Many Muslims and Christians will probably listen to the songs and immediately be familiar with the story. I think it would be great to take a look at each story and what the Qur'an and the Bible both say about these amazing moments in God's story. It would be great to begin with the common ground we share and see what God shows us through these moments of reflection on God's mercy!

First we will begin with the story of Adam/Adem (peace be upon him). I hope to post in the next day or so.

Thanks for reading

-Reuben

Album Available Now

2012-01-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

The Signs of God is now available on iTunes and Amazon!

One Week Away!

2011-12-20T14:19:00.002-05:00

"The Signs of God" will be available 1 week from today, December 27th! Hayley and I have been counting down the days! In order to keep everyone's interest, here's another sneak peak with some behind the scenes footage.

2011-12-13T14:29:00.011-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at the upcoming album "The Signs of God" releasing on iTunes December 27th. Make sure to spread the word!

A Special thanks to Drew Kaiser with Southern Lights Productions for the fabulous video work!

2011-12-06T20:39:00.010-05:00

So the release day is finally set! My next album will be available on iTunes December 27th. I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally share this work with all of you!

Two years ago I started writing songs for this record. It's a concept record covering the 7 major stories that both the Qur'an and the Bible share. For years Christians and Muslims have fought and argued over their differences without ever looking at what they have in common. Most Christians would be surprised to know that many of the Bible stories we've been taught since childhood are also found in the pages of the Qur'an. But both Muslims and Christians know that these are not just stories. These are expressions of God's mercy for mankind!

As you read these stories in the Qur'an you find a theme running throughout. The writer refers to these moments in time as "Signs of God". I love this terminology. It is as if God is saying, "look at this moment, there is something of great importance here." This phrase "Sign of God" became a motif throughout the songs I wrote, hence the title of the project, "The Signs of God".

This album is an expression of peace through music. My hope is that it will be a catalyst for conversations to begin between Muslims and Christians; conversations that lead to relationships of honor and peace.

Pastoring Through Song - A Response

2010-07-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

I was reading over on my friend Shannon Lewis' (Saint Lewis) blog the other day and he posed a question about leaning more toward worship pastoring than just worship leading. Here's his entry.

"I had a very thought provoking conversation with a friend earlier this week in which we discussed the difference between being merely a "worship leader" and a "worship pastor". One of the things suggested was that as a "pastor" we need not focus on leading/teaching the songs that everyone is familiar with/loves, but rather the songs that - as a pastor, spiritually gauging our congregation - they NEED to be singing in order to grow, not choosing to leave them where they are - comfortable - but continually pushing them forward, from milk to meat, so to say.

My question is this: is there a Biblical balance, and if so, where is it to be found? Is worship ever to be "seeker friendly"? Even if not "seeker friendly", is there ever a proper time to use songs because they are comfortable or familiar?

This is a genuine question, so I would love for you to chime in... How DO we effectively pastor through song?"

Here is my response:

"I'm reminded of the Eastern style of learning. It's cyclical. You establish something then move forward. But then return to where you started and review. Cover what you just learned and then move on to something even newer. It's a process of pressing forward but still returning to what has already been established. I think this is a good way to handle most learning processes. In worship, start with something familiar. It's also a good way to set the heart right for worship. To use an example, you don't run a marathon without stretching and warming up... Then move into something a bit more challenging and new. The Bible has accounts of people singing familiar songs, such as hymns (the Last Supper) and also times where they are told to sing a new song to the Lord (Isaiah 42). I don't think the "new song" has to always be a prophetic, spur of the moment song, but can also be a song recently written or unfamiliar to the congregation. In regard to seeker friendly churches, it should be handled the same way. If someone is new to the church, pretty much every song you do is going to be new to them. So are you really doing them a favor by doing a song that your church has been doing for the past 10 years? Probably not. Now, if the person has some experience in the church, then perhaps an older song, maybe even an updated hymn could work. But, you're not going to be able to pick 4-5 songs that every first time visitor is going to know. So, keep new people in mind, but continue press on to new songs and areas of worship. I don't think you have to sacrifice the growth of your pre-existing congregation to make new-comers comfortable. It's not your choice of worship songs that make new-comers feel comfortable...it's your people..."

I'd love to hear some feedback. Please chime in!

American Idol

2009-01-29T00:13:00.003-05:00

So, many of you have asked about my American Idol experience, and I thought this would be the easiest way to answer everyone.

1. Yes, I was on American Idol for a split second Tuesday night...

2. No, I'm pretty sure I rewound it and watched it more than you...

3. No, I'm not gonna be going to Hollywood...(no golden ticket)

4. I made it to the 3rd round before being cut by the executive producers (Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe, etc...)

5. They told me that I "wasn't what we're looking for"...

6. Yes, I will most likely try again next year...hopefully it will be closer than Jacksonville!

Thanks so much for everyone's excitement, it made the moment that much more memorable for me!

New CD

2009-01-19T21:01:00.004-05:00

Well, the rumors are true...I am recording a worship record. And if everything goes as planned, I'm hoping that it will be done by Summer 09. It's been really great taking these things that God has been teaching me and putting them to music. I feel like a young David before he was King, just sitting in the fields writing Psalms to the Lord. I've already started sharing some of the songs at different worship settings and the response has blown me away. It's such an amazing thing to see the youth of America lifting praises to God. It leads me to believe that THE REVIVAL HAS ALREADY BEGUN! I'm seeing it take place among the highschoolers and the college-age. And because of their zeal and passion, it is rubbing off on the generations before us. They tell me things like, "it is such a blessing to see the young people worshiping the Lord...it is something we have prayed for a long time!" The generations before us are seeing the fruit of their labor. Now our generation must continue this culture of praise and holiness. We don't have to just pray that the next generation "get's it", but we get to teach them and raise them up in it their whole lives. My prayer for this CD is that it brings some fresh songs to the table that establish truth in the believer's heart, provide practical responses for everyday pursuit of Spirit led life, and become the anthems of a generation that is after God's heart!

Trip to Charlotte

2008-12-06T22:43:00.003-05:00

So, I'm writing from my hotel room in a town right outside of Charlotte called Matthews. Nice little-big town. I drove up here with my piano playing buddy Dan Snyder in dreary weather, but still a nice drive...my car must have an alignment problem because any speed between 70-80 mph makes my car shake...kinda annoying when everyone else wants to go that speed...but, nevertheless we got here. Had some Five Guys and Fries. We got directions from the concierge who had a very interesting accent. We couldn't tell where she was from, we think maybe Jersey, but at times it sounded like it had a Spanish flare, but at other times...well you get the picture.

On the way up here, I called my friend Caleb who goes to school in Clemson. He's also the leader of one of the house churches at Clemson. He was on his way back with some buddies from Nashville. They had just heard Bill Johnson speak at some sort of conference. Over the phone, Caleb and I were able to pray for each other and catch up. His friends with him had some great prophetic words for me that really hit home and were related to what I had been seeking God about during the week. So, really encouraging!

I've been reading in Acts this week, and it's been great. It's always cool to read about the early church. A passage that really hit home with me is "The Believers' Prayer".

23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One. 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Acts 4:23-31

This is such a powerful prayer, and a prayer I think every Kingdom minded Christian needs to pray on a regular basis. Think how often we know what God is telling us to do, but we buckle under the pressure of fear. This is not the spirit we are supposed to operate in. Why are we still using our old spirit. Maybe this will give you a new perspective on the gift of The Spirit of God.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

How are we fanning into flame the gift of God? We have to allow God's Spirit to be what it is intended to be...powerful, loving, and self-disciplined. So, let's ask God, even now, to stir up the fire burning inside of us. That we may step out and "speak the Word of God with boldness". It's the only thing worth our time on this earth! When will we start taking God seriously? The Kingdom of God is here!

The Presence of God

2008-10-30T23:57:00.002-05:00

I've just recently began to realize the importance of the Presence of God. Not only it's importance, but also our lack of appreciation for It. A "good" Christian could go weeks even months without thinking twice about whether or not they had spent any time in the Presence of God. We take it for granted. We don't even realize what people we could become if we began spending time in His Presence. In the Old Testament, the High Priest was the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies which was where the Presence of God dwelled. When Christ died, the curtain was ripped and the Presence was "released" into the world. There is no excuse (no curtain) for us not taking every opportunity we have to spend it with God. There are moments in scripture where faces would glow (Moses) because of the time they spent with God. Men would tremble in His Presence (Isaiah). What if His people would slow "their" lives down and just wait on God to make Himself known. Sometimes it simply takes you asking Him to be with you. A lot of the time it's a matter of waiting.

Psalm 37:7 says "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..."

...He will show up...

What I've talked about so far is personal experiences which I believe is where it is most important. But, there is also a huge problem with our worship services. I know that it's important to respect peoples' time and all. But, I really think that if we just took some time and waited on the Lord, we would see a huge transformation in our services. I don't have the answers to all this on how to make it happen logistically, but it should be the most important part of the service. Maybe building in some more margin for the services and between the services. From the traditional to the contemporary, we need the Presence of God in our churches! Apart from it, we are worthless.

Some may say, "But God is omnipresent...He's everywhere". This is completely true...He is everywhere. But there are places that God "dwells" and that's where His work is happening. That's where we want to be.

With all of this in mind, let's try it. Let's see what happens when we take time and wait on the Lord. Let's see what happens when we ask God to meet with us. Let's see what happens when God shows up to our worship services and we are able to worship in the Presence of the King!

GraceFULL

2007-08-30T00:46:00.000-05:00

I am daily astounded by grace. And the more I think about it, the more intricate it becomes. From the outside, grace is beautiful. Someone covered by grace is seen in God's eyes as perfect and flawless. Now, I may be thinking about this backwards...but this seems to make sense to me. Grace covers every wrong thing we've done. And as we continue doing wrong everyday, grace covers that too. So, grace is increasing every time we do wrong. So, does someone that does a lot of wrong have more grace than someone that does very little wrong. Meaning, someone that makes countless mistakes and lives a horrible life is more graceful than someone that tries to live a perfect life... However, I don't believe God is not in the quantitative business; keeping track of our every mistake. You are either His or not His. But enough about flipping grace around...

It's funny, but this talk of grace reminds me of my little sister. When she was younger, she would trip and fall down all the time. Even when she got older she was a bit clumsy. And to be funny, every time she would fall down, my dad would call her Miss Grace...which is ironic since she was anything but graceful...

I seem to get more graceful everyday...and I don't mean in a good way... And hear me out, I in no way endorse doing wrong only for grace to abound...I don't believe that's the point of it...if anything,

Grace is there for us as we learn to walk...
...and it becomes our name when we fall down...
-Reuben Bidez