By a special grace from the Lord, Adrian and I were able to get front row seats to the St. Louis Symphony last night, Fri. March 19. Front row seats at the Symphony Hall might not be enjoyed by everyone because you are only about 7 feet away from the base of the stage! You have to “look up” to see the players! Although you can see the soloists up close, it is difficult to see the Orchestra as a whole entity so some of the viewing is lost. However, the minute detail of the fingerings on the violin, cello, and the intensity of the conductor’s baton are brought into microscopic detail from this vantage point! There were moments when I felt like I was in the midst of all the players and they were playing all around me! I was truly “enveloped” by the sounds of the stringed instruments! And from this little “perch” where I was sitting, I was acutely aware of certain aspects of the music and players that I had never noticed before. It always helps to “see” something afresh and anew from a different perspective than what we are used to! We can come away with an entirely new respect for a thing when we see it from another perspective! There were some very special compositions being played! A violin concerto by Hartmann was the center theme. This concerto was written in 1939…and was a musical expression of the observations of the composer during the time of Nazi rule in Germany. Hartmann was sickened by the Nazi regime and all its horrors. He was not a composer who easily “fit in” to the traditions and fads of his day. He was not a follower of the modern turns and twists of the atonal music being composed and produced by his peers.

He had on his heart a bone bending concerto of intense movement which musically expressed his heart, his thoughts and feelings during this horrific episode.

Hartmann said, “I wanted to write down all that I thought and felt and this determined the works’ form and tone.”

As I listened to this work on the violin and its deeply dark tone, I began to sense a prophetic voice coming out of the music itself. It seemed to be declaring that “The end of all things is at hand”. What I sensed was mostly the stark reality of the truth of that statement. This seemed to be a prophetic work of music that was declaring a time of darkness in the earth and even a warning to people to AWAKEN to the truth!! Who knows what God has planted in the decades before some of us were even born that He intends to bring forth at THIS TIME!!!

Of one thing I am convinced!

It was God who caused me to hear this violin concerto!

It was God who spoke to me in the music of the violin the truth stated above!

I Peter 4:7 says, “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithful administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

God gives us specific instructions for the End Times.

As the first portion of the program came to an end and Intermission began, I could see on the faces and by the actions of the people in attendance there at Powell Symphony Hall that they were deeply moved, even disturbed by the violin concerto they had just heard. It was a truly awesome piece of music and for long time symphony goers, I believe it was not “just another great work of music!”….but that there was a stirring up among the people.

As I walked around the coffee and dessert bar, the drink bar, and the little groups gathered here and there in the symphony hall, I felt a deep urgency to pray in the spirit, to intercede in prayer for these people to come to truly know Jesus Christ.

All I could sense coming from the Throne Room were these words: IT IS TIME TO ENTER IN!!!!

It is time.

We must become single minded, with clarity of thought, purpose and focus! We must set our faces toward the work of the ministry God has given each of us to do, just as Jesus “set his face toward Jerusalem!” We must go forth in boldness that comes from God after we have submitted to His purpose and His plan, after we have lain our hearts on the altar of His Forgiveness and Mercy!

We must close the door on every distraction, every single thing that would vie for our attention or try to move us off the chosen path!! We must jealously guard our time and our energies so that our focus will be direct and straight ahead, so that nothing will be lost!

I walked through the lobby of the Powell Symphony Hall in silent prayer for some time.

Then, I heard the chimes.

Every time there is an intermission, there is an allotted time during which people are allowed to eat cake, drink coffee or whatever, and then the little chimes start to ring. There are a series of little chimes. They are a signal that the dessert and drink bar is closing and the program is going to resume. They gently remind the symphony goers to “please enter in to the auditorium and take your place.”

As I listened to the chimes ringing once and then twice, I thought to myself “How like God this is!” He is gently reminding us!

He gives us a certain sound, like the sound of the chimes at the intermission of the symphony performances!

He also gives His People a Certain Sound!

I Corinthians 14:8 says, “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”

A “Shofar” is a type of ram’s horn trumpet blown by the Hebrews in battle and high religious observances and used in synagogues.

It was the Jewish custom to sound the Shofar for a battle cry! There was a “certain sound” that went forth! There were different kinds of sounds that were given on the shofar to ANNOUNCE things! The battle cry, the Alarm was a series of short blasts on the shofar to tell the people to prepare for battle! I believe God is desiring to ‘SOUND AN ALARM ON MY HOLY MOUNTAIN” in this hour! He desires to bring forth a CERTAIN SOUND that will pierce our hearts and spirits with the Truth of AWAKENING!!!

The sound will be HIS SOUND! It will speak to us! It will prevail in our Worship (for those of us who will RECEIVE it!) It will prevail in our homes! (for those of us who will ALLOW it!) It will prevail in the streets (for those of us who will take it there!)…

God is saying today, “It is TIME TO ENTER IN!!”

We answer, “HOW, LORD, Do we Enter in?”

His Answer is: BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!

Hebrews 10:19-22, “Therefore, brethren, having BOLDNESS to enter the Holiest BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS….by a NEW and LIVING WAY Which HE CONSECRATED (prepared) for us THROUGH THE VEIL, that is, His Flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us DRAW NEAR with a TRUE HEART, in FULL ASSURANCE of OUR FAITH, having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water!!”

There is a place God desires to TAKE US!…He’s calling us now to ENTER IN…BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!! He’s calling us to receive cleansing, to say “YES! and AMEN!” to the promptings of the Holy Spirit! To TRUST and OBEY!! To ALLOW GOD to work in us and to do in us what we cannot do!

He desires us to ‘ENTER IN”…..

Can you hear the sound of Angels? Can you hear the Calling of the Lord?

Can you trust Him for cleansing and healing?

Can you believe Him for lost loved ones and to touch your neighbors and friends? It is TIME! NOW is the TIME! GOD IS CALLING US TO DRAW NEAR TO HIM AND BE CLEANSED THAT WE MIGHT ENTER IN TO THE HOLY OF HOLIES WITH HIM!!!

God desires to create His own Symphony!!
Psalms 147, 148, 149 and 150 all testify to His deepest desires!

“Praise the Lord!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem!
He gathers together outcasts of Israel!
He heals the broken hearted!
Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving!
Sing to the Lord a NEW SONG!
Praise Him in the Heights!
Praise the Lord from the Earth!
Both young men and maidens
Old men and children
Let them Praise the name of the Lord
His Glory is above the Earth and Heaven!
Praise Him for His Mighty Acts!
Praise God in His Sanctuary!
Praise Him with the sound of trumpet!
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with LOUD CYMBALS!!
Praise Him with the Dance!
LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE LORD!!!

HE IS CREATING HIS OWN SYMPHONY OF PRAISE IN THE EARTH!

The Father seeks “those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!” (John 4:23)

ARE YOU ONE OF THEM? WILL YOU WORSHIP HIM? WILL YOU ENTER IN BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB TO THE HOLY PLACE?? CAN YOU HEAR HIS CALL TO ENTER IN? CAN YOU HEAR THE “CHIME” OF HIS CERTAIN SOUND, HIS ALARM GOING OFF IN YOUR SPIRIT TELLING YOU THAT IT IS TIME TO LAY DOWN EVERY DISTRACTION?

Prayer: Father God, open our ears to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is speaking to the church today! Open our hearts to UNDERSTAND and to HEARKEN to YOUR WORDS! Lord, we know we are living in serious times and that only YOU can help us walk through these difficult days. Help us to hear your gentle reminder and hearken and obey you to receive the cleansing and the deliverance from all our distractions that you would desire to bring, so that we might ENTER IN to the Holy of Holies, into the place you have consecrated and prepared for us. Give us the heart of Mary who sat at your feet and listened to all you had to say, Lord! Help us to lay down all our “business” at your feet, to “humble ourselves” and simply become your children once again, for that is the place you are calling us to. The place of simply “Being a Child of God” once again.

Do it, Lord! Once again, do it Lord! Help us to enter in. We know it is Time.
We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Article is copyrighted by Sondra Stallman.
May not reprint without permission from author.