D.S. al Coda: Go to the Sign of the Cross, Then proceed to the End

Do you remember Alfred E. Newman?   He was Mad Magazine's poster child for the perennial adolescent who's motto for life was "What, me worry?"   The only thing wrong with Alfred was that the reason he never worried about anything was because he was in ignorant bliss.   He was his own boss as a cartoon, not answerable to anyone.   He was created with no obligations whatsoever, so what did he have to worry about?   The real challenge for anyone seeking to live a godly life in a world where Satan goes about seeking whom he may devour is to follow the Lord's instructions to die to self and live a life trusting God for everything. Our natural inclination is to not trust anyone but ourselves.   But that's why someone came up with the phrase, "If someone represents himself in court, he has a fool for a lawyer."   The Biblical equivalent of that is Proverbs 28:26, "He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoever walks wisely, he shall be d

This is the view today from Seabrook Island below Charleston.  Looks like a storm is coming, but there is a real peace and calmness from this vantage point! That's how I feel about the upcoming presidential election.  A storm is indeed brewing, and we have no idea what lies ahead, but it doesn't look good.  Yet, I am at peace only because I know that I am safe under the protective wings of my Savior's presence.  I urge you all to draw near to the Father through the Son, and make sure you are part of the Covenant People of YHWH. Psalm 27:5   For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His sukkah , conceal me in the shelter of His tent, and set me high upon a rock.

This summer of 2016 has been a whirlwind of adventure for Julie and me.   From a Joyful Noise bell tour to WAM kids at the beach to giving guitar lessons in Nazareth, Israel to making a change in careers here at Lexington Baptist!   Packing up (and throwing out some!) 40+ years of Music Ministry books, college music books, resources, CD’s, VHS tapes of past performances, cassettes of solo tracks, and a lot of memorabilia has been a slow process for me.   I feel like I’m moving out, but then I keep reminding myself that I am really not going anywhere!   So, it’s definitely not like saying goodbye to anybody, just goodbye to “the neighborhood” and what many of us cherish together as memories of worshipping God through great songs that have touched our souls.   28 years of cantatas and dramas and creative Passion Play productions that have allowed us to tell God’s wonderful Redemption Story of Christ’s great love for us are strong ties of love that bind us together.   It has been an

Proverbs 3:6 A simple verse, yet enormous in its truth and application.   The King James Version, which most of us learned at an early age says, " In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."     All that we know of these great proverbs for living is what has been translated from the Hebrew into English.   Different translations and paraphrases of scripture help us in our attempt to fully understand the deepest insights to fully understand what the Father is communicating to us, His children.   So, here are a few other renditions: New Living Translation - Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. New American Standard Bible - In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.   Holman Christian Standard Bible - think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.   So, meditating on this verse, you can ask yourself, "Am I truly acknowledging   and seeking Yahwey ou

As a young person I think I was overly impressed with the Biblical teaching that salvation is a free gift of God, and that there was nothing we could do to earn our salvation.   While these are true statements, for the sake of high volume evangelism it was not often enough stressed to new converts that there are conditions which God the Father requires of us if we truly want to be a part of His Kingdom.   The "taking up your cross" and "dying to self" parts were actually de-emphasized (though unintentional I'm sure) when the main pitch was "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" if you just pray the sinner's prayer asking God's forgiveness.  The repentance from sin part and behavioral issues were just growth concerns for those wanting to  go deeper and perhaps get fanatical about their faith. Many Christian converts of the "Jesus Movement" of the late 60's/early 70's were invited to join the Everlasting Thr

And Moses gathered (Vaya - K'hel or Kahol - gather an assembly) all the congregation (Edah) of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them. Speaking of "WORDS", let's stop here and consider a few words that have been used and misused in the past which have created a heap of confusion today. 1. CHURCH - (Old English word "Circe")   What does this word mean to people today? a) Pertains to Christians b)  Predominant mental picture is a building to which Christians go to on Sundays c) The world-wide Body of Christ that was birthed after Jesus rose from the dead     The word meant "pertaining to a lord" and later "Belonging to The Lord."    2. SYNOGOGUE - (Gr. sunogoge - came about during Babylonian exile) First Thought? a) Pertains to Jews b) Predominant mental picture is a building to which Jews go on Saturdays 3. TE

When you get down to it, There’s a God who created us and desires a relationship with us, but the functionality of that relationship hinges on OBEDIENCE on our part. Here is where the cart and horse thing comes into play: when your obedience to the commands of God as spelled out in His Holy Word is a legalistic means to an end in order to expect God’s blessings and to escape damnation, your RELATIONSHIP with God will not be at all be what He desires for you. In this condition, you are really still in control of your life and destiny, or so you think and act. Yet, when you have a RELATIONSHIP with God based upon the love He has shown you, in which you understand that He gave His Son to save you from death and destruction and has delivered you, then your OBEDIENCE becomes your greatest desire because there is no greater way to show your love to Him!   In this condition, you have given up your rights and you are not in control of your own destiny— God is in control of your life and yo

Here I raise mine ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I've come!  These familiar words are from the hymn "Come. Thou Fount of Every Blessing" written by Robert Robinson in 1758.   I guess what has been surprising to me through the years is that this single phrase has been used to declare why we should not sing the old hymns because singing "Christianeze" words that the world doesn't understand does not help evangelize the lost and only turns off the modern generation.   Well, did it ever occur to anybody that if you come across a word you don't understand, it might be a good idea to look it up or even ask someone what it means?   Good grief, you can Google it and find the answer in about one minute! This phrase was penned because the author knew his Bible enough to know the word "ebenezer".   It is found in 1 Samuel 7 where the prophet Samuel and the Israelites found themselves under attack by the Philistines. Fearing for their lives, the