The attached You Tube was a cassette that remained in my Walkman for months at a time in college. When my parents first moved to Ohio during my sophomore year of college, the Wide-Eyed Wonder album by the Choir was playing as I went running to explore nearby neighborhoods. Since the lead singer has a distinct sound, it’s hard to determine an identical match to famous secular artists.
O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples! 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them. 3 Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity], Psalm 105:1-3.
What drew me to the Choir was their moving ballads like the ones I played over and over in high school by Boston and Foreigner. While the Choir may not wow you like Amanda by Boston and Hot Blooded from Foreigner, the positive lyrics will leave you snapping your fingers and tapping your toes. In their Chase the Kangaroo album, the Choir released two of their best rock songs in Consider and Cain. Meanwhile, the Choir slows it down with hit ballads Sad Face and So Far Away. I hope you enjoy listening to the attached You Tubes this week.
Two years ago, due to the ailing health of my wife’s mom, plans were made to move to Aiken, South Carolina. Fortunately, we had time to prepare for this transition from Delaware. As I read God’s call to Abram in the passage below, this was immediate. God didn’t say, “take your time.” Rather, Moses suggests that this move was instantaneous based upon the directions from the Lord.
Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. 3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. 4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, Genesis 12:1-4.
In 1993, I lived in 6 different states in the first 6 months of this year. I resigned from a youth ministry position in Maryland so that I could attend a Trade School in Minnesota. While waiting for an interview in South Dakota, I spent a month in Ohio living with my parents. When this ministry opportunity fell through, I accepted a teaching position at a Boarding School in West Virginia. At the end of the school year, a dream job opened up for me in Columbus, Indiana.
Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, Isaiah 43:18-19.
God’s providence during this time of transit helped remove from me the fear of the unknown. The moment one door was shut in my face, another one miraculously opened. I was living the famous poem Footprints without ever realizing it. Just before 1993 came to an end, I met my future wife Leanne at a Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. Thirty years later, God has prepared me by reminding me of the promises in the Bible so that while I’m in transit, the Lord still provides.
As my son Daniel prepares for his wedding day with Anna, a thought popped into my mind recently: “what does marriage really mean?” While the world has its own ideas and stigmas, the Bible is clear about Holy Matrimony. As one first century Pharisee tried to test Jesus’ biblical knowledge, the passage below provides a clear answer. Marriage is a mutual covenant where two people learn to become one flesh.
And Pharisees came to Him and put Him to the test by asking, Is it lawful and right to dismiss and repudiate and divorce one’s wife for any and[a]every cause? 4 He replied, Have you never read that He Who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united firmly (joined inseparably) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate), Matthew 19:3-6.
Before my wife Leanne and I got married back in 1995, we attended a Marriage Encounter in Cleveland, Ohio. While I have been to numerous Christian conferences and retreats over the course of my wife, the wisdom shared by godly couples on staged has stuck with me. Entering into a Christian marriage requires a will to love your spouse. Although feelings come and go, developing a will to love, no matter what happens, is what marriage means to me.
Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body. 24 As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, 27 That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless]. 28 Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, Ephesians 5:22-29.
While writing a first century letter to the Church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul lays out what it means for each new couple to want to become part of a Christian marriage. If Jesus was willing to lay down his life for his friends, Romans 5:8 and John 15:12-14, newlyweds should be willing to serve their soulmate. As two human beings symbolically become one, change can be hard, especially if you struggle with being in control. Yet, if the Lord is Lord of both believers, marriage will become a lifelong journey, where faith guides you through the storms that you must go through together.
Erector Sets was one of the first commercial products made for children to learn how to build things. Legos and Lincoln Logs were later introduced to enhance a child’s creativity and imagination. Based upon the number of items available today, Legos continues to be a popular toy. Throughout the book of Genesis, Israel’s forefathers erected a place for the Lord, often in the form of an altar, monument or well.
When Jacob came from Padan-aram, he arrived safely and in peace at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, and pitched his tents before the [enclosed] town. 19 Then he bought the piece of land on which he had encamped from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel [God, the God of Israel], Genesis 33:18-20.
When my parents moved to Ohio during my sophomore year of college, I had to start over from scratch. While I met new friends at work, my dad was still envisioning what this new property could become. After damming up a small stream into a pond just beyond our back deck, I began to erect my own place for the Lord. Since my concentration in college was Plant Science, I began to grow a fern garden along the banks of this small pond. While I didn’t erect a physical monument, I called this secluded portion of our yard, Rehobeth, a place of rest.
For as I passed along and carefully observed your objects of worship, I came also upon an altar with this inscription, To the unknown god. Now what you are already worshiping as unknown, this I set forth to you, Acts 17:23.
Couples tend to come with up their own song to commemorate a special date, moment or time in their relationship. If human beings do this for their own significant others, why can’t Christians do something similar to remember their personal relationship with Jesus. The Old Testament is filled with symbols designed to keep Israel meditating upon the Lord day and night, Joshua 1:8. Although you should avoid erecting an image to replace the Lord, do something for God’s honor and glory.
A friend from Cleveland, Ohio introduced me to Adam Again. When you listen to their most popular album, Dig, it’s clear that R.E.M. influenced their music. While the attached album doesn’t contain a song like It’s The End of the World as We Know It, Adam Again builds upon this concept in their song River on Fire. This true story about the Cuyahoga River catching on fire occurred June 22, 1969.
A stream of fire came forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him and ten thousand times ten thousand rose up and stood before Him; the Judge was seated [the court was in session] and the books were opened. 11 I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. I watched until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 And as for the rest of the beasts, their power of dominion was taken away; yet their lives were prolonged [for the duration of their lives was fixed] for a season and a time, Daniel 7:10-12.
If you appreciate the distinct and unique sound of R.E.M., you won’t be disappointed by Adam Again’ music. My favorite Adam Again song is Dig which shines insight on the origin of their name. The lyrics refer to a lazy lie just like the one the Serpent convinced Adam and Eve to believe about God holding them back in Genesis 3:4-6. Adam Again is justifying wrong actions like Adam’s excuse for not obeying God’s only rule in the Garden of Eden. I hope that you’ll grow to love Adam Again as you listen to their music this week.
Following my freshman year of college, I wasn’t satisfied with the Christian music that was playing on local Christian radio stations. The only thing I could find that was decent aired on Saturday nights from 8-11pm. When my parents moved to Ohio, I was directed to a warehouse on the east side of Cleveland. This is where I finally found what I was looking for: a Christian band with that classic sound of rock and roll.
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! – Psalm 95:1-2
Due to the lack of money and support for Christian rock music, bands like Legend Seven never got the air time that their music deserved. Perhaps, listening to the attached full album will remind you of groups like Bon Jovi, Cinderella, and Def Leppard. Nonetheless, songs like After the Fall, Carry Me and Don’t Believe It still speak to me. May this weeks featured group speak to your heart and soul as you listen to Legend Seven’s debut album.
Since I was born in the Summer of 1969, appreciating Bryan’s Adam’s music has been easy. When I first started attending Karaoke nights in college at Rick’s Cafe, the Summer of 69 was one of my go to songs to perform along with Can’t Fight This Feeling by Reo Speedwagon and You Might Think by the Cars. As Bryan Adams was releasing hit singles year after year, a friend from Ohio introduced me to another Canadian artist, a Christian band called the Kry.
Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. 14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air], James 4:13-14.
The Kry is rock group from Quebec, Canada who have been ministering to audiences for thirty years. While not every song sounds like Bryan Adams, their ballads remind me of Everything I Do, the theme song from one of the Robinhood films. The one song from the Kry which has left a lasting impression is When You Die. One You Tube Channel uses dramatic videos to illustrate how fragile life can be on earth as this song is playing. As you take this next week to familiarize yourself with the Kry, I pray that you will be touched by the numerous songs on the attached You Tube video.
Whenever God calls you to do something, following this by faith will often require details beyond your comprehension. When I was single, I didn’t have to consider how obeying God’s call was going to impact my wife. Subsequently, I lived in six states in the first six months of 1993, following God’s prompting to leave Delaware to attend a youth ministry trade school, moving back to Ohio before teaching a semester at a boarding school in West Virginia. When a position in South Dakota fell through, another door opened at a church in Columbus, Indiana to finish this spiritual journey.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. 3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves], Genesis 12:2-3.
This wasn’t the case for Abram who just moved to Haran with his wife Sarai. Just when they were about to settle down, God interrupts their plans. As I recently read the passage above, one thing must have perplexed Abram as God promised that he would become the father of a great nation. The one little detail that Moses doesn’t mention in God’s call is that Sarai is barren and has been unable to have any children. While the Bible is silent on this obvious barrier, at some point in his life, Abraham began to trust God to figure out the details.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths, Proverbs 3:5-6.
King Solomon writes about a similar concept, trying to teach his children about faith. Faith is something that Abraham didn’t pick up until God tested his allegiance in Genesis 22. After decades of waiting for a son who would start the family tree of Israel, God threw Abraham a curve ball. “You want me to sacrifice the child Sarah and I have been waiting to arrive for decades?” Some scholars believe that Abraham thought that God would raise Isacc from the dead which persuaded him to finally go through with it. This ia a perfect example of how trusting God with all your heart is believing God will figure out all of the details.
As someone who has moved multiple times in life, true friends are hard to find. Whether it was moving from New Jersey to Delaware in Elementary School or from Delaware to Ohio in college, when you do finally relocate, you will find out who your real friends truly are. When none of them reach out to you after your departure, your friendship was more of an acquaintance than anything else. Perhaps, this is the inspiration behind Hawk Nelson’s song Friend Like That.
The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, Proverbs 18:24.
King Solomon wrote about what a true friend meant to him in the passage above. Through the years, Christian artists have reflected upon this topic with songs by Geoff Moore, Michael W. Smith, and Steven Curtis Chapman. When a friend does stick closer than a brother, this kind of relationship becomes a spiritual treasure. As a new year begins, may the Holy Spirit inspire you to find a friend like that in 2023.
My last year that I was a single man, I lived with an attitude I have nothing else to lose. In 1993, I spent the first six months of this year living in six different states. I began the New Year in Delaware before spending 7 weeks at a Youth Ministry Trade School in Minnesota. While waiting for an interview in South Dakota, I spent some time in Ohio working odd jobs. After my job offer in Rapid City fell through, I worked a semester at a boarding school in West Virginia before being offered a full-time youth ministry position in Columbus, Indiana. This is the closest I’ve ever come to living the abundant life, John 10:10.
Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward, Philippians 3:12-14.
Perhaps Mat Kearney had a similar experience in his own life to inspire the lyrics to Nothing Left to Lose. Mat’s song reminds me of the words of the apostle Paul in the passage above. Paul didn’t want to be an idle or stale Christian. Therefore, his mindset on earth turned toward heaven, making sure his own motives aligned with God’s will for his life. As you listen to Nothing Left to Lose, may you become embolden to live 2023 with your eyes fixed upon Jesus, Hebrews 12:2.
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