NY Times warns of catastrophic climate change

- Canada could be “wiped out”

- lower crop yields could mean “billions will die.”

Cataclysm to come in 1895!

"Journalists have warned of climate change for 100 years, but can’t decide weather we face an ice age or warming..."
check out this article:

Fire and Ice

The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear era, but I have no fear
’Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river
-- The Clash
“London Calling,”

That's My King!

Our church played a video last week (which you can view atthe bottom of this post) with part of the audio from S.M. Lockridge's wonderul message called "My King". Here's the entire message.
You can listen to the audio here

My King was born King.
The Bible says He's a Seven Way King.
He's the King of the Jews - that's a racial King.
He's the King of Israel - that's a National King.
He's the King of righteousness.
He's the King of the ages.
He's the King of Heaven.
He's the King of glory.
He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that's my King.

Well I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him?
Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King?

David said the Heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament show His handiwork.

My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.

Well, well, He's enduringly strong.
He's entirely sincere.
He's eternally steadfast.
He's immortally graceful.
He's imperially powerful.
He's impartially merciful.
That's my King.

He's God's Son.
He's the sinner's saviour.
He's the centrepiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He's honest.
He's unique.
He's unparalleled.
He's unprecedented.
He's supreme.
He's pre-eminent.

Well, He's the grandest idea in literature.
He's the highest personality in philosophy.
He's the supreme problem in high criticism.
He's the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion.
That's my King.

He's the miracle of the age.
He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.

Well, He's the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He's available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He's strong God and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharged debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.

Do you know Him?

Well, my King is a King of knowledge.
He's the wellspring of wisdom.
He's the doorway of deliverance.
He's the pathway of peace.
He's the roadway of righteousness.
He's the highway of holiness.
He's the gateway of glory.
He's the master of the mighty.
He's the captain of the conquerors.
He's the head of the heroes.
He's the leader of the legislatures.
He's the overseer of the overcomers.
He's the governor of governors.
He's the prince of princes.
He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords.

That's my King. Yeah. Yeah.
That's my King. My King, yeah.

His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable. He's indescribable.

Yes. He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.
I'm coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explaining Him.
You can't get Him out of your mind.
You can't get Him off of your hands.
You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him.

Well, Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him.
Pilot couldn't find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn't kill Him.
Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him.
That's my King. Yeah.

He always has been and He always will be.
I'm talking about He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor.
There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him.
You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign.
That's my King! That's my King!

Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
Well, all the power belongs to my King.
We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it's God's power.
Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory.
We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His.
Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the forevers, then,

Amen.


Here's the video we showed:

radio killed the... (or Marconi plays the mamba)

OK - I couldn’t exactly come up with a catchy finish that would mirror the Buggles reference without overstating my point.

Worship songs on the radio. Good, bad or ugly?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

I’m talking about recognizable corporate type worship songs that one would find in any church doing modern music in America / the UK / Australia.

Radio is great. Christian radio stations can be great. One of our local stations does great ministry… well beyond the DJ-ing.

The Good:
Any medium that gets the Church singing the praises of God with Scripturally-sound, engaging, Christ exalting, God glorifying music is a good thing. The truths of the Word and the nature of God’s character on the minds and in the mouths of the people of God is a good thing.

AND we now get to join the Church across the globe in singing songs with one voice.
Worldwide.
For whatever reason my heart seems to resonate powerfully with songwriters from the UK (Redman, Hughes, Beeching, James, Townend, Mark, Cantelon, Layzell & others). 20 years ago, we really wouldn’t be hearing their songs like we do today.

The Bad:
The time constraints – One of the things I really like about the ‘traditional’ hymns is the sense of story conveyed. Now, even I will admit that singing through all 17 (original) verses of “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” on a Sunday morning would get old, but I wonder if content is getting squeezed for the sake of time. So the song will get air time.

Maybe it’s because as a songwriter I know that any song beyond 3 and a half minutes has slim chance of ever being heard on the radio, and therefore being used by the Church at large for worship. (this whole discussion recognizes God’s sovereignty, which does not depend on us, and can overcome anything)

Steve Fee recently articulated this well at 7|22 held at Northpoint Community Church in Alpharetta, GA. I had been mulling over this for some time, when I happened to catch an online video about songwriting and I thought, “good. I’m not the only one thinking this.”

Fee went on to talk about the song of praise that the Israelites sang as they came through the Red Sea. Check it out in Exodus 15:1-18. It’s long. Really long. And who knows how long it took to write, rehearse…. It just says, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD” I’m sure it was Spirit-led in all facets, but that kind of song wouldn’t fly on the radio. It makes “Bohemian Rhapsody” look like “I Wanna Hold your Hand”. And can you imagine singing, “By the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up.” (v. 8) in church on Sunday? Have you EVER sang a song about God’s nostrils?

The Ugly:
With the proliferation of Christian Radio, streaming media and digital downloads, everyone from Matt Redman to Uncle Jim-Bob’s Hillbilly Praise Tabernacle has gained a wider audience.

Sometimes a great musical ‘hook’ overshadows lyrical weakness. (To be fair, this can be true of older songs as well - like “In the Garden”)

Sometimes a song is 90% great and then someone tried to fit in a rhyming word that just made the line trite or cliché, or lame, or just … off.

I love the melody, feel and much of the lyrical content of the song “Above All” – but the chorus – right at the summit – fails:

“Crucified, laid behind a stone
Condemned to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall, and thought of me above all.”

My apologies to Mr. Leblanc... but the glory of the Father was on Christ’s mind above all. Yes, I personally, and the world’s inhabitants individually were on His mind, but it was the Father’s glory that relentlessly motivated Him. It’s a great song, but just that phrase stops it for me.

Or the song “Trading My Sorrows” by Darrell Evans. Again, Darrell has done a great service to the Body through his writing and music, but this song could have done so much more. The bridge is great, the verses could have done a better job explaining that we don’t just “choose joy”, we don’t just trade heartache for happy – God shepherds us through the valley, he shapes and corrects and molds us.

But the chorus?

Yes, Lord.
Yes, Lord.
Yes, yes, Lord
Yes, Lord.
Yes, Lord.
Yes, yes, Lord
Yes, Lord.
Yes, Lord.
Yes, yes, Lord. Amen.

It about as meaningful as the chorus to Geoff Moore’s “Home Run”:
Whoa – oh – oh – oh!
Whoa – oh – oh – oh!
Whoa – oh – oh ! Home run!

Now, these guys must be doin’ something right? Right?

After all, they’re on the radio.

I think with the context tweaked, this song makes a good point.