It must be hard to keep television new, fresh, and able to retain eyeballs. Even in this day, when the landscape has been shattered from three or four standard networks into a thousand pieces, multiple specialty channels that cater to each individual viewing preference, sometimes those specialty channels have to re-invent themselves to survive.

Take The History Channel (now called just “History”) as an example. Although it started with programs that were more of a documentary nature, it has morphed into a combination of non-historical reality shows (Ice Road Truckers, for example), and it’s most populars programs, those dealing with antiques. Although the format was preceded by the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow,  History’s Pawn Stars, which started in 2009, features the various unusual items that are brought into a Las Vegas pawn shop, often discussing the background and value of the merchandise. It is amazing how much people expect to get for the items they bring in, and sometimes it is amazing to see what is actually paid for the items that the pawn shop does purchase.

A parallel program that History began to run in 2010, American Pickers, chronicles the experiences of two midwestern (Iowa!!) antique dealers who travel across the United States looking for “rusty gold” stored away in old warehouses, garages, and outbuildings. These “pickers” know from experience what types of items are likely to be valuable to collectors, and what it will be possible to re-sell for a profit.

The latest offering from History in this fascination of antiques is American Restoration, which began to air in 2011. Featured originally on the Pawn Stars show as a resource for fixing up and restoring items purchased by the Las Vegas pawn shop, this spin-off show goes into some detail as to how they take an old item and restore it to look like it is new.

History went further with one special in which they combined the three shows, calling it “The Pick, The Pawn, & The Polish”. Rick, of Pawn Stars contacts Mike and Frank of American Pickers to find a specific old car he wanted to give to his father. With some difficulty, they locate one, bring it to Las Vegas, dicker a price with Rick, who then turns it over to Rick’s Restorations (the American Restorations tie-in), who does the full restoration to bring it back to like-new goodness.

The fascination with these shows lies, I am sure, in seeing all of the old stuff that people have in storage. It also brings to mind the thought that there just might be something really valuable up in the attic. It’s part of the appeal that antique stores have had for many years, and online stores like eBay have been able to use to create an online powerhouse.

So what is the “Joy” connection?  Wayne Watson’s song featured here today is about an auction with a “rusty gold” violin that nobody wants to buy, until an expert with a trained eye takes it and shows the audience that it truly is valuable, despite its appearance. I am getting more battered and old myself as time passes, and I could end up in a heap of other old battered people, looking valueless. But Jesus knows about the “rusty gold” in all of us. He can come, see the value that I have, wipe the sin and grime off of me, and show me off as the beautiful person that He gave His life to redeem. And it does not happen because of anything that I can do. Just like the violin could not clean itself off, tune itself off, or even play itself, it is totally the work of the Master to show off what each of us can be and do.

Although the audio is not as good as I would like (I cannot find a new copy of the original Wayne Watson song to use), this old antique song was dusted off from its “download” from the radio, way back in 1982.

Well, it was battered and scarred
And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin
But he held it up with a smile

“It sure ain’t much, but it’s all we got left
I guess we ought to sell it too.
Now who’ll start the bid on this old violin?
Just one more and we’ll be through.”

And then he cried, “One, give me one dollar
Who’ll make it two?
Only two dollars? Who’ll make it three?
Three dollars twice, well that’s a good price.
But who’s got a bid for me?

Raise up your hand and don’t wait any longer
The auction’s about to end
Who’s got four, just one dollar more?
So bid on this old violin.”

Well the air was hot, and the people stood around
As the sun was settin’ low
From the back of the crowd
A grey-haired man came forward, picked up the bow

He wiped the dust from the old violin
And he tightened up the strings
Then he played out a melody pure and sweet,
As sweet as the angel sings.

And then the music stopped.

And the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
He said, “What is my bid for this old violin?”
Then he held it up with the bow

Then he cried out, “One, give me one thousand
Who’ll make it two?
Only two thousand? who’ll make it three?
Three thousand twice, well that’s a good price.
But who’s got a bid for me?”

The people called out, “What made the change?
We don’t understand!”
Then the auctioneer stopped,
And he said with a smile,
“It was the touch of the Master’s hand!”

Now you know, many a man with life out of tune
Is battered and scarred with sin
And he’s auctioned cheap to a thankless world
Much like the old violin

Then the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
They never understand
The worth of a soul when then change is wrought
Just by the touch
Of the Master’s hand

Again, he cried out, “One, give me one thousand
Who’ll make it two?
Only two thousand? who’ll make it three?
Three thousand twice, well that’s a good price.
But who’s got a bid for me?”

The people called out, “What made the change?
We don’t understand!”
Then the auctioneer stopped
And he said with a smile,
“It was the touch of the Master’s hand!”

It was the touch of the Master’s hand
It was the touch
Of the Master’s hand

Go here for the artist’s web site

It is so easy to spend time working on various things to try to make me happy, whether they are related to music, or computers, or entertainment, or anything else. What I’ve seen over and over is that all of these things, though perhaps innocent themselves, are not ultimately satisfying. You would think that hours spent doing something wonderful that I enjoy would make me happy, happy, happy! Right?

But sometimes, after spending a long time doing what I enjoy, I come out of it not feeling happy, not feeling fulfilled. And I may go on to the next activity, hoping and expecting that to make me happy.

C.S. Lewis put it well in one of his writings. He felt that the things in this world that make us happy and give us joy do so because they are a dim reflection of the real joy that is in the life to come, the life that will be eternal with Jesus. (In the same way, Lewis wrote that things that cause despair or sadness are just a small taste of what eternity apart from Jesus will be like, if that is your destination.)

If my joy in Christmas is from it being a “perfect” Christmas, one in which all of my plans follow through perfectly, I likely will not be satisfied. But if I focus on Jesus and His coming, then all these peripheral things that we’ve added to the season will fade to the background, and I can get that real joy, the joy that does not leave.

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

I’ve made this same mistake before
Too many malls, too many stores
December traffic, Christmas rush
It brings me to the push and shove

Children are cryin’
While mothers are tryin’
To photograph Santa and sleigh
The shopping and buyin’
And standing forever in line
What can I say?

I need a silent night
A holy night
To hear an angel voice
Through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear
A little peace right here
To end this crazy day
With a silent night

December comes and disappears
Faster and faster every year
Did my own mother keep this pace?
Or was the world a different place?

Where people stayed home
Wishin’ for snow
Watching three channels on their TV
Look at us now
Rushin’ around
Trying to buy Christmas peace

I need a silent night
A holy night
To hear an angel voice
Through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear
A little peace right here
To end this crazy day
With a silent night

What was it like
Back there in Bethlehem?
With peace on earth
Good will toward men?

“There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said, ‘Fear not! For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.’ ”

I need a silent night
A holy night
To hear an angel voice
Through the chaos and the noise
I need a midnight clear
A little peace right here
To end this crazy day
With a silent night

To end this crazy day
With a silent night

One of the failings that I experience in life is the tendency to forget God and His work in my life when everything is going well. I would think that when the world is sunny and bright that my first response would be to give thanks and rejoice in what God has brought to me. And yes, there are times when that is on my mind. But I regret to admit that it is way too easy to just blindly go forward and enjoy that day with an easy work schedule, the sunny weather, the happy family gathering, and forget He who made it possible.

This blog mostly focuses on the classic Jesus music of the 70s and 80s. Sometimes, however, there is something newer that simply deserves to be played. Today, this song was sung in my church, and it reminded me of how God sometimes talks to me more loudly in my trials than in my successes. It also renewed my faith that no matter how far God may seem to be from me, no matter how deep the pit I may be in, I must remember that He is deeper still.

My feelings don’t dictate the reality of God; He is real and is there constantly, even if I am unaware if Him.

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family
Protection while we sleep

We pray for healing
For prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand
To ease our suffering

And all the while
You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much
To give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger
When we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness
We doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word
Is not enough

And all the while
You hear each desperate plea
But long that we’d have faith
To believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not
This is not our home –
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

At my church, King Of Kings, Pastor Mark Zehnder delivered a great message on September 11, 2011. It was not focused, as I had half-expected it to be, on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attacks on Washington and New York. That event was mentioned, but the major focus of the sermon time was on the importance of prayer. Specifically, prayer for our leaders. It recalled to me this comment on the Scott Ross Show over 30 years ago:

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Here is the text of what Ross said here:

First of all, Paul the apostle says, I urge that entreaties (requests) and prayers and petitions (that’s asking) and thanksgiving – thanksgiving! – be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority (no matter what you think of his politics) in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. That’s 1st Timothy 1, I’m sorry, 1st Timothy 2, one through three.

Right now, we need to be praying for the president of the United States; for the vice-president; for the cabinet; for the Supreme Court; for Congress. Lord Jesus, we pray for our leadership, and we pray, Lord, that you raise up godly men and women, that this country would be turned from its ways. Lord we turn to You, we look to You to deliver this nation. In Jesus’ name, thank you Lord, Amen.

Consider the context of the time when he spoke those words. We had just come out of the Watergate scandal, President Ford was in the White House, and we were facing the 1976 elections. Ross, using this scripture from 1st Timothy, points out that all of our leaders are in need of our prayers, even if you disagree with part of all of what he stands for. Pastor Zehnder, when discussing this verse, pointed out the context in which Paul originally wrote those words, during days in the Roman Empire when Christians were being actively persecuted and imprisoned for their beliefs. And yet, despite these evil actions, Paul here urges his readers to pray for those in authority.

Pastor Zehnder reminded me of this important truth, and brought it up to the present. Whether I am a fan or or a critic of President Obama and his policies, this scripture urges me to pray for him, for his wife and family. The same applies to leaders of my local community, or church council, or club board, etc. And he pointed out that this command applies not only to leaders, but can be extrapolated to other people in my life. Pastor Zehnder found an excellent commentary about the 1st Timothy 2:1-3 passage, and read from it. This is from The Expositor’s Bible, and the volume The Pastoral Epistles, edited by  W. Robertson Nicoll, M.A., printed in 1900. From “Elements of Christian Worship“, pages 91-92, consider these words:

Only in the attitude of mind which makes us pray and give thanks for our fellowmen is the tranquillity of a godly life possible. The enemies of Christian peace and quietness are anxiety and strife. Are we anxious about the well-being of those near and dear to us, or of those whose interests are bound up with our own? Let us pray for them. Have we grave misgivings respecting the course which events are taking in Church, or in State, or in any of the smaller societies to which we belong? Let us offer supplications and intercessions on behalf of all concerned in them. Prayer offered in faith to the throne of grace will calm our anxiety, because it will assure us that all is in God’s hand, and that in His own good time He will bring good out of the evil.

Are we at strife with our neighbors, and is this a constant source of disturbance? Let us pray for them. Fervent and frequent prayers for those who are hostile to us will certainly secure this much – that we ourselves become more wary about giving provocation; and this will go a long way towards bringing the attainment of our desire for the entire cessation of the strife.

Is there anyone to whom we have taken a strong aversion, whose very presence is a trial to us, whose every gesture and every tone irritates us, and the sight of whose handwriting makes us shiver, because of its disturbing associations? Let us pray for him. Sooner or later, dislike must give way to prayer. It is impossible to go on taking a real interest in the welfare of another, and at the same time to go on detesting him. And if our prayers for his welfare are genuine, a real interest in it there must be.

Is there anyone of whom we are jealous? Of whose popularity, so dangerous to our own, we are envious? Whose success – quite underserved success, as it seems to us – disgusts and frightens us? Whose mishaps and failures, nay, even whose faults and misdeeds , give us pleasure and satisfaction? Let us thank God for the favour which he bestows upon this man. Let us praise our heavenly Father for having in His wisdom and His justice given to another of His children what He denies to us; and let us pray Him to keep this other from abusing His gifts.

In the words of this commentator, I see one of the most important basics of prayer itself that I find myself forgetting from time to time. It points out that prayer intends, even expects, that I pray for others, whether they deserve God’s help or not. And the result of that pray may be that the other person changes, and it may be that it results in a change in me. The important thing is that I need to pray.

On this Easter Sunday 2011, we again remember and celebrate the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the promise of a new life. All of this accomplished by the sacrifice and death of Jesus on that cross, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day.

He is risen indeed!
[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Swallowed into earth’s dark womb
Death has triumphed
That’s what they say
But try to hold him in the tomb
The Son of Life
Rose on the third day

Look! The gates of hell are falling
Crumbling from the inside out
He’s bursting through the walls with laughter
Listen to the angels shout

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus Christ
Has won it!

His plan of battle fooled them all
They led him off to prison to die
But as he entered Hades hall
He broke those hellish chains with a cry

Listen to the demons screaming
See him bruise the serpent’s head
The prisoners of hell redeeming
All the power of death is dead

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus Christ
Has won it!

Look! The gates of hell are falling
Crumbling from the inside out
He’s bursting through the walls with laughter
Listen to the angels shout

It is finished
He has done it
Life conquered death
Jesus christ
Has won it!

Starting in high school, I began to long for close friendship with a woman. Being somewhat shy and introverted, I had acquaintances with girls, but few situations came up where a real “date” occurred, even into the college years. At college, the topic of one Bible study I attended happened to be about waiting for a mate. A written essay about this was passed out as a hand-out for that study, and for years I kept it in a file amongst my papers. Today I cannot locate my copy, but with a little effort I was able to find it on the Net. Apparently, it was used far beyond that small Bible study I attended, and was widely copied long before there was such a thing as the Internet to aid in its dissemination. Here is the text of that hand-out:

On His Plan For Your Mate

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God says to a Christian, “No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by Me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with Me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

“I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can’t imagine. I want you to have the best! Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

“Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry. Don’t look around at the things others have received. Don’t look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you’ll miss what I want to show you.

“And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me … and this is perfect love.

“Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied.”

–Author Unknown

I found these words to be incredibly comforting back in the days when I was wishing for, longing for a relationship that would lead to marriage. I wanted that special friendship. And at one time I thought I had found that relationship, but it didn’t work out as I had though it would. Instead, as this anonymous writing points out, God had something better in mind for me, specifically the wonderful woman I eventually married. That “something better” did not happen for many years. Every so often I would pull out this “letter from God”, and reassure myself that He had it all under control. And eventually he did bring me to that “love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine”. The point of that essay was to remind me to focus my eyes on Jesus and on my relationship with Him, and to leave the rest of my life up to Him.

Clearly, it is possible to run ahead of God, and to dive into a relationship and a marriage without waiting for Him to give the green light. It is possible to frantically seek out that mate, to be “looking for love in all the wrong places”. But that can lead to heartache and pain, when you find yourself mis-matched with someone who, in the long run, is really incompatible with you (and possibly with your beliefs). I have always maintained that for a couple, if they both work at staying close to God, they will stay close to each other.

This concept was also expressed in song by Kenny Marks in today’s song. It’s a reminder to learn to be single-minded in my love for Jesus, regardless of my marital status.

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

All my friends are getting married
Still I go to hear them say,
“I will cherish you forever,
For today’s our wedding day”

Then I see them walk the aisle
They walk right out of my life
Being single has those moments
That can cut just like a knife

Being single has those times when
Independence needs a friend
Times when loneliness takes over
Times of doubt that never end

There’s a tension deep inside of me
And the struggle won’t relent
Thoughts of singleness forever
Doesn’t make my heart content

Give me single-minded love
That will make my life complete
‘Cause I don’t wanna worry any more
About the one the I might meet

Oh, Lord, I know You have a plan
Though at times it’s hard to see
Just give me single-minded love
Lord, I give you all of me

Being single is exciting
At least that’s what it’s supposed to be
And being married seems so stable
It’s a balance of extremes

What I really want is both of these
The fulfillment and the fun
So for now I place my trust in You
You complete what You’ve begun

Give me single-minded love
That will make my life complete
‘Cause I don’t wanna worry any more
About the one the I might meet

Oh, Lord, I know You have a plan
And I’m beginning now to see
Just give me single-minded love
Oh, Lord, I give you all of me

All of me (single-minded)
I give you me (single-minded)
All of me (single-minded)

Have you ever had that feeling that something was just not right, but you could not really specify just what it was that was wrong? Maybe it was just a vague unease with life; maybe it was a culmination of many different things that were not in tune in life. You feel wrong, maybe even feel an ache or pain in your heart and you can’t make it better.

The pain is no less when the person who is hurting is not you yourself, but is a friend or someone in your family who has this problem. They are moping around; maybe that person looks sad, or maybe he is trying to cover up his feelings with activities other things to hide it. You plainly see what the problem is, but he does not seem to have a clue.

I am in the business of trying to help people. And it is hard when there is no solution to the problem that is brought before me. But it seems even harder when I have an answer, and the person in pain decides that answer is not for them.

At those times, all one can do is to put that person into the hands of Jesus, knowing that He loves him or her more than anyone, and that He knows how to penetrate their shell. Today’s song shows that, and also shows Him beginning to make a breakthrough. If you as the reader of this find yourself in the position of being in need and don’t know what to do, seek out what the Lord can do for you!

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

I got a call from an old friend
We laughed about how we had changed
But I could tell
Things weren’t going as well
As he claimed

He tried to hide his feelings
But they only gave him away
The longer I listened,
The more I kept wishing
That I knew the right words to say

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know you love him
Make him understand
Can You reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart to You

We talked for more than an hour
And I smiled when he mentioned Your name
I said that I knew You
And told him the difference You’ve made

He never thought he would need You
But maybe he’s changing his mind
As we said goodbye, Lord
He told me that I had found
Something that he’d like to find

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know You love him
Make him understand
Can you reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart,

‘Cause

Maybe he’s ready tonight
Lord, he said that he might
Need to call on You

Can You reach my friend?
You’re the only One who can
Lord, I know You love him
Make him understand
Can you reach my friend?
Bring his searching to an end
Help him give his heart to You

Help him give his heart to You

A couple of posts before this, I talked about holy fire, that passion for God. It has the unique properties of being ignited and sustained by God Himself, and yet its flames spread out to give glory back to God as well as giving warmth to others around me.

It takes passion to make it through life. You need it to help give you the desire to get out if bed in the morning and go to work or school or whatever it is that is your function in life. The passion can be for something that you love to do (and you are indeed blessed if you are one of those who get paid to do what you love to do). It could be a passion about caring for your family.

But even your passion can burn you out unless something is continually stoking the fire. That “something” is a relationship with God through Jesus. Daily making the connection with God renews your mind, restores your energy, reinvigorates your your passion. And making the Lord of Heaven your passion is a double blessing!

As in the message in today’s song, that desire for the fire of God in your life is what I wish for you!

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity

So free the fire in me
Let it show
Like glowing devotion
Let it go
Like flames hot in motion
For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire in me

A man’s true temperature is tested by his wealth
Love only flickers if it’s just to warm himself
My treasure lies in You and fans the zeal of all I do
It’s rising and growing
It can’t be shared with just a few

Everybody needs the light
In my heart it’s always burning bright
So let the heat climb ever higher
And free the fire in me

Free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity

So free the fire in me
Let it show
Like glowing devotion
Let it go
Like flames hot in motion
For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire in me

All by myself I don’t know where I could begin
I’m just a spark the quenches
Like a candle kindles in the wind

Not by my ability
Only by His Spirit can it be
I’ll do all that you require
And free the fire in me

Oh, free the fire in me
Let it be
Ignited in power
Let me be
Ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity
Free the fire

For the world set free is my burning desire
So free the fire
I said, free the fire (free the fire)
I said, free the fire (free the fire)
I said, free the fire,
Free the fire in me
Yeah, let it be, Ignited in power
Let me be ablaze in this hour
Like a torch that’s passed for eternity
Free the fire

Yeah, I wanna let it show
Oh, I wanna let it go
Just let it go
For the world set free is burning desire
So free the fire,
Free the fire in me
Free the fire
Free the fire
Free the fire in me

I have been recently impressed with the importance of, the supreme value of God’s holiness. He is so far above my low place. It is like comparing a burning match with the blazing inferno of the surface of the sun, like comparing a single celled amoeba with the complexity of a grown human. As creature to Creator there is no possible way that I could have ever on my own been able to come near to the standards of perfection and the white-hot holy nature of God. Just a single blemish, a single spot of sin in me, no matter how tiny, is sufficient to make me unworthy, unable to be in His presence.

And yet, in the immense depth of God’s love for all people, He made a way for the sin in my heart to be blotted out. In 1 John 1:9, it is promised, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus Himself made that forgiveness possible, taking on Himself the punishment for the sin of us all. When I repent of my sins and forsake them, His forgiveness is then given to me. The result is that the immense gap between God and myself is removed, and I can be in His presence, now on earth in prayer, and later in heaven directly.

A part of the presence and the holiness of God is His Name. As He Himself is higher than anything else in all of heaven or earth, so also is God’s Name higher, more important, than any other name. And years ago, Chuck Girard was given the words and music that I’ve posted here today, as a reminder of that on aspect of he nature of God. Girard performed the song on his own album, The Name Above All Names in 1983, but the first time I heard it was when it was sung by Debby Boone four years later, and that version has stuck most with me. Listen here, and revel in the That Name!

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

It’s the Name above all names
And we will declare it,
We will declare it
It’s the Name above all names
And we will shout it to a dying world!

Who will declare My Name?
Who will shout My Name
In the midst of the nations?
Who will take the shield of faith
And the sword of My Word,
And declare My Name to a dying world?

He who has declared Me thus far,
Will walk in even greater power
For the sands of time are running out,
But My Name will be declared in this final hour

I am Jehovah!
I Am that I Am!
And My trumpet shall soon call out
I formed the worlds with a whisper
But I’m getting ready,
I’m getting ready,
I’m getting ready to shout!

It’s the Name above all names
And we will declare it,
We will declare it
It’s the Name above all names
And we will shout it to a dying world!

It’s my will to possess all of your life
I’ll take it all
So surrender to Me
For I’m building an army,
To go in My Name
And My words in your mouth
Shall set the captives free

I am Jehovah!
I Am that I Am!
And My trumpet shall soon call out
I formed the worlds with just a whisper
But I’m getting ready,
I’m getting ready,
I’m getting ready to shout!

It’s the Name above all names
And we will shout it to a dying world!
(Oh, the name of Jesus!)

It’s the Name above all names
And we will declare it,
We will declare it
It’s the Name above all names
And we will shout it to a dying world!

©1992 Sea of Glass Music/ASCAP

The pain of aloneness can be unbearable. And anyone who feels truly alone knows the truth of the phrase, “alone in a crowd”. It is more than being apart from people; it is being apart from people even when they are in the same room with you. That feeling of isolation, when you don’t have the connection with others that you need.

It doesn’t matter how or why it happens. It might be your fault, it might be the fault of your friends, it may have no clear cause. But the reality is that you do not know how to fix things, and you do know that the loneliness is so hard to go through.

You try to put a good face on it. You put up walls to make it appear that you don’t care, when inside you feel like you are dying. And the longer you live with it, the more hard your heart becomes, scar tissue that you try to build on to make it hurt less.

Sometimes you know of things you can or should do to fix it, but you feel unable. Sometimes you have tried and tried to fix things, but your efforts failed, or were rejected. And still you are alone.

The presence of a friend who cares for you is what you want, but even in the best of circumstances, this is not guaranteed. That friend is just as flawed as you yourself are, and the failure of a friend may be worse than the lack of a friend in the first place.

How can there be a solution to this problem? The place to start is by not depending on other people. Instead, you need to turn to that friend who truly will never leave you. In Hebrews 13:5b, we are promised by God, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” This is a promise that you can be sure of. Jesus will always be there for you, even when every other friend has turned away.

Wayne Watson tells this so well in the song featured today. Listen to it, feel the words, hear the truth of what is said. Ask Him to reach into that wounded heart you carry within you, and touch it with His healing and His love. Ask to have your heart made new.

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Smile
Make ‘em think you’re happy
Lie
And say that things are fine
And hide
That empty longing that you feel
Don’t ever show it
Just keep your heart
Concealed

Why
Are the days so lonely?
I wonder where
Where can a heart go free?
And who will dry the tears that no one sees?
There must be someone
To share your silent dreams

Caught like a leaf in the wind
Looking for a friend
Where can you turn?
Whisper the words of a prayer
And you’ll find Him there,
Arms open wide
Love in His eyes

Jesus!
He meets you where you are
Oh, Jesus!
He heals your secret scars
All the love you’re longing for
Is Jesus
The friend of a wounded heart

Joy
Comes like the the morning
Hope
Deepens as you grow
And peace,
beyond the reaches of your soul,
Comes blowing through you,
For love has made you whole

Once like a leaf in the wind
Looking for a friend
Where could you turn?
Oh, you spoke the words of a prayer
And you found Him there
Arms open wide
Love in His eyes

Jesus!
He meets you where you are
Oh, Jesus!
He heals your secret scars
All the love you’re longing for
Is Jesus
The friend of a wounded heart…

He meets you where you are
Oh, Jesus!
He heals your secret scars
All the love you’re longing for
All the love that you need
Is Jesus
The friend of a wounded heart

Oh, the friend of a wounded heart
Oh, the friend of a wounded heart
Oh, the friend of a wounded heart
Oh, the friend of a wounded heart

As amateur bee-keepers, my wife and I have learned many of the skills needed to manage bees. One of these tricks is the use of smoke to calm the bees, and keep them under control when it is necessary to work on the hives. To use this smoke, you need to know how to create the right kind of fire, and how to make it keep burning.

There are many methods of getting a smoker going. You have to start by igniting paper, then adding twigs, then progressively larger sticks, until you have hot coals. To this, you add a material that will create lots of smoke to keep the bees in line.

What fails to keep this fire going? Several things can happen. If you don’t put the right kind of fuel in the smoker, it will burn quickly, and the fire will go out too fast. If you pump the smoker too much, it also burns hotter and faster. Don’t pump it enough, and the lack of oxygen smothers the fledgling fire. Adding too much of the material that creates the smoke may also smother the fire. Starting the fire and then ignoring it will also cause the fire the die too soon.

The work of God in my life can be likened to starting and maintaining a fire. The flame that ignites the fire comes from the Holy Spirit. However, I need to continue to come back to the Spirit to keep that flame hot – a lack of prayer and praise in my life restricts His work, and the flames can get low. Neglecting church attendance (corporate worship with other believers) can also have a detrimental effect on my fire. Both of those issues are like taking a coal out of a fire and setting it aside, by itself. It will be hot for a while, but it will burn low and it may go out.

Maintaining a fire also can involve adding fuel to it. In beekeeping we add pine needles or compressed cotton to the fire, to produce the desired amount of smoke. In the Christian life, the source of the added fuel can be study of the Bible, or spending time in prayer, or even putting my faith to work by serving others.

The smoker, the fuel, the pine needles, the twigs, and the flames are all individual components that are needed to get the desired result in beekeeping. Leave out one of these parts, and the result will not be what is needed. The same applies to the work of God in my life; I need to make use of all of these components of maintaining my own fire, in order to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit hot!

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Prayer is a passion, incense upon the flame
Worship is battle no enemy can tame
Lord, your breath is a righteous fire
A zeal we need and we desire
Your Holy Spirit we require

Holy, holy fire, holy jealous light
Holy coals of cleansing, purest holy white
Holy, holy flame, a holy God’s desire
Wholly purify me, all-consuming holy fire

Praise is His Spirit, a sacrifice to thee
Consuming the wicked, all of the wicked in me
Answer us with atoning fire
Without the flame we can’t acquire
A heart fulfilling Your desire

Holy, holy fire, holy jealous light
Holy coals of cleansing, purest holy white
Holy, holy flame, a holy God’s desire
Wholly purify me, all-consuming holy fire

There are fires for warming
And fires to comfort man
In Your comfort I’ve been sleeping
GIve me burning zeal again!

Holy, holy fire, holy jealous light
Holy coals of cleansing, purest holy white
Holy, holy flame, a holy God’s desire
Wholly purify me, all-consuming holy fire

Yesterday, June 6, 2010, Dana Key died suddenly. He was a founding member of the Jesus music duo Degarmo & Key, along with friend Eddie DeGarmo. At the time he died, he had been pastor of a church in Cordova, Tennessee. Along with many others, I am saddened by the news of this loss.

As I myself get older, the news of someone’s death in my age group (Key was 56, just two years older than I) seems to have greater impact than it did in the past. I’ve always had the attitude of “that could be me” when I hear such news, as I have no illusions to my own immortality or indestructibility. Working as a physician, I see disease and death often happen to people who are not “old”.

If you’ve read past entries in this blog, you know that one of my fond dreams is about Heaven, and what it will be like. That threshold we all have to cross, however, is that of Death. It can happen unexpectedly (auto accident) or after a known illness (cancer), but it comes to all.

What Dana Key knew, and what all believers in Jesus should know, is that the life that will be there for us after death is completely outside of our imagination. As written in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” And as much as this life has things in it that are beautiful, enjoyable, or wonderful, the things in heaven will be way beyond anything that we know here.

To commemorate the passing of Dana Key, I am not playing one of his songs. I am picking one by Wayne Watson that seemed appropriate. It deals with the concept of the second coming of Jesus, but is just as applicable to the transition from earth to heaven that happens to us one at a time.

[ please go to the post to hear the audio! ]

Changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye
Taken up into Glory
Seated at the feet of God the Father
Singin’ with the angels, Allelujah!
Any moment now, we could be changed!

I have heard it for some time now
This life will soon be done
That our striving will be over
And the world will soon be one
That the Lord Himself will call us
That the trumpet blast will sound
And the graves will all be opened
And holy feet will leave the ground

Changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye
Taken up into Glory
Seated at the feet of God the Father
Singin’ with the angels, Allelujah!
Any moment now, we could be changed!

Oh, I remember praying
In the happy days of youth
For the world to keep on turning
There was so much left to do
There were battlefields to conquer
There were mountains left to climb
And dreams to be realized
But now I’ve changed my mind

Some of the goals that seemed unreachable
Are finally in my grasp
Some of the dreams most unbelieveable
Have come to be at last
And although I’ve had a better life
Than I ever thought could be
There is a better day a-comin’
When He comes back for you and me!

Changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye
Taken up into Glory
Seated at the feet of God the Father
Singin’ with the angels, Allelujah!
Any moment now (any moment now)
Any moment now (any moment now)
Any moment now, we could be changed!

Any moment now, we could be changed!

Any moment now, we could be changed!

Any moment now, we could be changed!

To celebrate the resumption of a functioning Downloads section, I have added three new JM tapes:

Enjoy!

Bob & Jayne's home, the day before the flooding washed away everything

Jerry Bryant made me aware of one couple who lost everything in the flood: Bob and Jayne Farrell — better know to the CCM community as Farrell & Farrell. They started in music in 1973, in the group Millennium, continued through 1976 in the group Dove, and then started as a duo with their first album on NewPax records in 1978, Farrell and Farrell. They continued to release albums and toured extensively until 1991, when they retired from active performing.

According to the Facebook group “Save Farrell and Farrell“, the extend of the damage to their home and property was total, and they made it out with only the clothes on their backs. If you want to help them out, you can go to their web site and purchase one or more CDs, both old and some new music.