I just uploaded the new Praise Songs Database code. I still have to tweak some things, and figure out why sessionging isn’t working, but it should be somewhat useful for now, and a little better oraganized in any case.
If you get a chance, check it out and let me know what you think. I would appreciate any feedback.
Filed under Music & Songs
Anyone who spent much time in Sunday School, upon reading through my list of Praise Songs might just come back thinking I’ve forgotten a certain popular kid’s song in the list.
One of the most popular songs in jr church when I was growing up was one that went something like this:
Now, we all know that songs that incorporate actions are very good at keeping the attention of children, and a simple song like that will be remembered for years to come. I’m also certain that the original intent was probably very good. However, there’s a reason that song never made it to my songs list…
Jude 1:9-10 (NRSV) reads:
But when the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a condemnation of slander against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct.
We are told to “resist the devil and he will flee”, this is right and good. However, much like the song I quoted above, and other songs (“Demon Killa” comes to mind), it is popular in some circles to go around provoking the devil…
When I see this, my mind immediately flashes to a standard scene in every horror and creature movie where some horrible monster or villain, who has been harassing some character through most of the movie, has finally been outsmarted and trapped by the character. The overconfident character then stands there taunting the monster and bragging about their wit. Anyone who’s seen one of these movies knows that this is the point at which the monster or villain shows it’s true power, and the overconfident character almost always ends up eaten, killed, or severely injured.
Christ has conquered death and won the victory, but until His return, the earth is still Satan’s domain. Satan is not some pathetic, broken and chained monster that we should taunt and provoke for kicks. He’s an angel, albeit a fallen one, and because he has been defeated he is even more determined to bring as many of us down with him as possible. Take care not to underestimate him, lest you wind up like the sons of Sceva.
When face to face with the devil, never allow yourself to stoop to foolishness or arrogance. — do not slander or insult, rather, say a prayer, and allow the Lord to do the rebuking. Romans 16:20 says that the God of peace will soon crush satan underneath your feet, but that does not mean we should act like he’s there already.
Filed under Bible Study, Music & Songs
I felt I needed to post something today… I haven’t had much to say lately, but not for lack of reading. I have spent a great amount of time reading, studying and discussing the scriptures this week, and I just haven’t been up for blogging about most of it.
I have also been working on updating my praise songs database so that hopefully I can roll out a new version fo the list of praise songs soon. Once I get it up, it will be indexed, organized by topics, and all that stuff. I’m also considering getting a midi generator and uploading soundclips for the melodies, but I’m thinking that will have to be a “down the line” thing.
I’ve read through most of the New Testament now, and will be starting with Jude tomorrow. Hopefully this will lead to more useful blog entries :)
Filed under Bible Study, Personal
“It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory it is joy unspeakable and full of glory and the half has never yet been told” (from a hymn that’s based on 1 Peter 1:8).
Filed under Music & Songs
I’m post-dating this one because I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday.
I haven’t been feeling all that well lately, have been really run-down for whatever reason, and Saturday night I fell asleep on the couch intending to take a short nap and then getup and go to bed like I usually do.
Instead, I woke up around 1pm when my brother banged on the back of the couch I was sleeping on. Apparently, I had left my garage door up. Since I hadn’t called him to let him know the time my uncle’s cookout was going to be (which I didn’t know the time for yet — my uncle finally called after my brother showed up), he had decided to just drive down. Since he apparently had beat on my front door for a while to no avail, he came in the garage and yelled at me on his way in, and since after all that I still hadn’t heard him, he decided to bang on the back of the couch to wake me up.
I was so out of it, that I didn’t even know he’d banged on the couch… I thought I’d woken up when he opened the door. I should really be more careful…
In any case, we went and saw Superman Returns before going to the cookout. I wasn’t really excited about it but I sometimes enjoy that kinda stuff. It was really long. It was ok as far as movies go, but it had a LOT of ridiculous plot issues, mostly relating to scientific impossibilities. All in all, that was expected.
Filed under Personal
Today I was kicking myself for not keeping a closer watch on my garden, and for not taking the time to pull the weeds when they first sprung up and would have been more manageable. There are so many weeds in my garden at the moment I’m afraid they’re going to choke out some of my vegetables. After spending a half hour or so fighting with a hoe and trying (unsuccessfully) to rid my garden of the weeds, I gave up for a while and came in to read…
It was only appropriate, I guess, that I was reading James today. The NASB version of James 1:21 reads:
“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
I was reminded of several parables about fertile soil and such, and together with the day’s experience my mind started to wander…
A new Christian is much like a patch of land that has been freshly tilled – when we come to Christ our slate is wiped clean – our soil, as it were, is prepared. If we are faithful, the Word takes root and begins to grow. Reading, prayer and worship can be compared to the the tasks involved with tending a garden, and eventually, if we have been a good caretaker, we begin to bear fruit.
Much like a freshly tilled garden though, sin, like weeds, is bound to spring up, and if we allow it to get a foothold it takes over and chokes out the fruit.
Hebrews 6:7-8 (NASB) says, “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”
My garden got out of hand quickly because I neglected it during a week of storms. Hopefully, with some extra attention over the coming weeks, I’ll be able to salvage most of my crop, but how much easier would it have been if I’d pulled the weeds when they had first taken root?
Filed under Bible Study, The Great Outdoors
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hebrews yesterday, so much so that I called a friend to talk about it rather than writing the journal entry I had started. I will do here what I have done in the past, and just use this post as a note-to-self on what to look into further later.
(scriptures linked are from the NRSV)
Filed under Bible Study
Titus 3:1-11
3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
3:2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone.
3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.
3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
3:5 he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
3:6 This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
3:8 The saying is sure. I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone.
3:9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
3:10 After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions,
3:11 since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.
Filed under Bible Study
I was compelled to read three books today. I started out with 2 Thessalonians and felt like reading on, so I went ahead and read 1 Timothy, after which I just had to read 2 Timothy.
This has left me with an over-abundance of scripture to think about, but I’m anxious to finish reading through so that I can start really digging in. It’s been too long, though, and I really have to read everything through first.
In any case, I have too much swimming in my brain now to concentrate on one particular thing. I did notice a few things during this read-through that are worth mentioning for later scrutiny…
Filed under Bible Study
I was brought up in churches where the Spirit of God, and the workings of the Spirit were held in high intellectual regard. Passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:18-22: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” were read with a kind of wonder and awe, while thinking “if He ever chooses to use me, I definitely won’t quench it!”.
However, rarely, if ever, were the fruits manifest. Once in a while, at revivals or summer camps, He might show up and be allowed to move, but those cases were few and far between. Services were always pre-scripted and setup in such a way that God rarely had the opportunity to move, and if He tried, someone would usually interrupted with “Oh, look at the time!”, or something with an equivalent effect.
I’ve had a problem with this for quite a while, and scriptures like this mean a lot more to me now than they once did. It occurs to me that Paul did not write this to a congregation who would be looking at their watches to make sure the letter didn’t take more than the allotted 15 minutes to read. He didn’t write it to a group of people who thought the Spirit sounded pretty cool, but who weren’t quite sure if the Spirit still bothered to move anymore. He was writing to a group of people who had all spoken in tongues. He was writing to people who saw the Spirit move in mighty ways on a daily basis. He was writing to a group of people who were under constant persecution.
If he needed to remind THESE people not to quench the Spirit, how much more do we need to hear that message today? If you have been sitting on the fence, thinking that it would be great to be used but not really giving the Lord opportunity to move, I would like to challenge you…
Take some time to read through 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians 14, but read them with the intention of seeing what Paul was taking for granted… and after you’ve read those, seek after the gifts — Paul encouraged the Corinthians to seek after the greater gifts, but perhaps we need to start by seeking after the lesser…
Filed under Bible Study
