Songs For The Shepherd

Although there have been several Keith Green albums released since his death, "Songs For The Shepherd" was the last recording released in his lifetime.



I remember I was living in South Lake Tahoe at the time the record was released. I went to the only place you could buy christian music in Tahoe (at least back then), the local Calvary Chapel church, which had a tiny bookstore. Of course, like his previous album, I could have written Keith and gotten it for free, but I could afford to pay for it, and so I did.

I got home, put it on the stereo and was a bit disapointed. Nothing seemed to reach out and grab me as his music had before. I put the album up and did not listen to it for many, many years later.

I don't know exactly why, but over the years it has grown on me to where I consider it to be my favorite of all of Keiths' albums. Maybe it took some time in the pigpen of the world before I could appreciate it. Maybe it was that when it was released, albums of praise and worship type music were not very big. Whatever the case, I am absolutely in love with this album today.

Three of the songs are adaptations of scripture from the book of Psalms. One is a cover of the old hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy". It also contains what I feel is the best song that his wife Melody has ever written, "There Is A Redeemer".

Here are some of the lyrics to this album:

"Draw Me"
Draw me, oh, draw me, please draw me, my Jesus.
Into your presence, where I cannot lie.
My soul is so thirsty, I cannot endure it.
And if I can't get closer, I surely will die.

Take me, oh take me, please take me, my Jesus.
Quickly, before I forget that I'm lost.
For so many times, my mind has deceived me,
That I really don't have to carry the cross.

I just need to know how to pray.
My wicked desires block the way,
Sometimes i have grieved you away,
I don't want to do that today.

Help me, oh help me, please help me my Jesus.
Save me from sins that I thought were all gone.
Kill me with kindness, and break through my blindness.
I know till i'm dead, I can never live on.

I just need to know how to pray.
My wicked desires block the way,
Sometimes i have grieved you away,
I don't want to do that today.

Draw me, oh draw me, please draw me my Jesus.

"There Is A Redeemer"
There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One,

Jesus my redeemer, Name above all names,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah,Oh, for sinners slain.

Thank you oh my father, For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done.

When I stand in Glory, I will see His face,
And there I'll serve my King forever, In that Holy Place.

Thank you oh my father, For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done.

There is a redeemer, Jesus, God's own Son,
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One,

Thank you oh my father, For giving us Your Son,
And leaving Your Spirit, 'Til the work on Earth is done.

And leaving Your Spirit, 'Till the work on Earth is done.

"Until That Final Day"
My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.

My mind is full of many thoughts
That clutter and confuse.
But standing firm, I will prevail,
In faith that I'll be used.

Amen! I'm asking once again.
Won't you help me my friend, Lord Jesus.
Holy Lord Spirit, set us free,
From chains we cannot see,
Come release us.

I wrestle not with flesh and blood,
My fight is with the one,
Who lost the keys of hell and death,
To God's most precious son.

One sleepless night of anguished prayer,
I triumphed over sin.
One battle in the Holy war,
God's promised me to win.

Amen! I'm asking once again.
Won't you help me my friend, Lord Jesus.
Holy, Lord Spirit, set us free,
From chains we cannot see,
Come release us.

My flesh is tired of seeking God,
But on my knees I'll stay.
I want to be a pleasing child,
Until that final day.

Keith Green died in July, 1982, and while some might say I'm being over-dramatic here, I feel as if a large part of the integrity of christian music died with him. I know of very few like him today, and the christian music industry has turned into a monster of frankenstien proportions.

I would reccomend you pick up the latest Keith Green albums, especially if you don't have any of his music. There is a new Greatest Hits cd:



And a live cd, called "The Live Experience",



that also comes in a deluxe edition with a dvd, which in my opinion is worth far more than the few extra dollars it will cost over the cd only edition.

In closing, if you like the music of Keith Green, I would reccomend you check out the music of Steve Camp, Rich Mullins and Todd Agnew. All three of these artists seem to have a little bit of Keith in their music.

Until the day when I can hear Keith sing at the foot of Jesus myself, I will continue to listen to his music and enjoy it as it convicts me, inspires me, moves me and energizes me to serve my Lord and my God with all that I am.

Because of Him,
Pastor Dave

So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt

Ok, it has taken a few days, but here we go in the continuing series of posts about Keith Green and his music.

I have just finished the newest edition of the biography of Keith written by his wife Melody. This is an expanded and updated edition, and it is excellent. Even though this is the fourth time I have read this book, and I knew how it was going to end, it still moves me emotionally every time I read it. This is a book that needs to be read by every believer who wants to fully commit themselves to their Lord and Savior.

Ok, now on to the music.

The third album that Keith recorded was called, "So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt".


The most unique thing about this album was this: Keith gave it to you for whatever you could afford. Even if you couldn't afford anything, he would send it to you for free. At his concerts he would let you have it for whatever you could afford, even if it was nothing. You couldn't find it in the bookstores at first. All they would have is an order blank, you filled out the order blank, sent it in with whatever you could afford (even if it was nothing) and Keith would send you the album and send the bookstore a dollar for having the order forms available. Even if you could not afford to pay Keith anything for the album, he still sent the bookstore a dollar for carrying the order forms. Eventually he let the bookstores carry the album, but only with a sticker that said, "If you cannot afford to pay the full price for this record, write to the address below and send whatever you can afford to pay, even if it is nothing and we will mail you an album." When interviewed by a christian magazine who gave Keith a hard time for giving the album away, he was confronted with a statement along the lines of, "Well, if they can't afford to buy the album, they probably don't have anything to listen to it on anyway, what will you do about that?" Keith's response was that while he would not buy anyone a fancy sound system, he would send someone a protable cassette player and a tape (for whatever they could afford....even if it was nothing) in order for them to be ministered to by the music. Is that a radical idea or what? Does anybody do this in music ministry today? While pastors are paid a salary (hopefully), the salary is paid out of the offerings the church collects, which is strictly on a voluntary basis. While that is considered the norm for pastors, Keith is the only christian musician I have ever known who did this with his music.

As for the songs on the album, they reflected the growth and maturity that comes with walking with the Lord. Keith was still very outspoken, but he was starting to understand the grace of God and how that works in our lives as beleivers. This was reflected in many of the songs, and yet he still confronted lukewarm and apathetic beleivers.

This quickly became my favorite Keith Green album of all, and stayed that way until just recently (more about that, hopefully, tomorrow). Just a little bit of trivia about this album, it featured a rock legend, who said that he loved to listen to Keith's albums. He played harmonica on at least one song, and maybe more. His name is Robert Zimmerman, but you probably know him better as Bob Dylan.

Anyway, here are some lyrics to some of the songs on this album.

"So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt"

"So you wanna go back to Egypt
Where it's warm and secure
Are sorry you bought the one way ticket
When you thought you were sure
You wanted to live in the land of promise
But now it's getting so hard
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert
Instead of your own back yard

Eating leaks and onions by the Nile
Ooh what breath for dining out in style
Ooh, my life's on the skids
Building the pyramids

Well there's nothing do but travel
And we sure travel a lot
'Cause it's hard to keep your feet from moving
When the sand gets so hot
And in the morning it's manna hotcakes
We snack on manna all day
And we sure had a winner last night for dinner
Flaming manna souffle

Well we once complained for something new to munch
The ground opened up and had some of us for lunch
Ooh, such fire and smoke
Can't God even take a joke? Huh? NO!

So you wanna to back to Egypt
Where your friends wait for you
You can throw a big party and tell the whole gang
Of what they said was all true
And this Moses acts like a big shot
Who does he think he is?
Well it's true that God works lots of miracles
But Moses thinks they're all his

Oh we're having so much trouble even now
Why'd he get so mad about that c-c-c-cow (that golded calf)
Moses seems rather idle
He just sits aound, he just sits around and writes the Bible!

Oh, Moses, put down your pen!
What? Oh no, manna again?

Oh, manna waffles....
Manna burgers
Manna bagels
Fillet of manna
Manna-cotti?
BaManna bread!"

"You Love The World (And You're Avoiding Me)"

"I want you here with me.
But you've been keeping other company.
You can't sit still, it's plain to see.
You love the world and you're avoiding me.

My word sits there upon your desk.
But you love your books and magazines the best.
Prefer the light of your TV.
You love the world, and you're avoiding me.

You used to pray, you were so brave.
Now you can't keep even one appointment we've made.
Oh I gave my blood, to save you life.
Tell me, tell me is it right?
Will you leave me here along again tonight?

Well I love you, still more and more.
But you're fighting everything I'm working for.
You're acting like my enemy.
You love the world and you're avoiding me.

These other loves, they're hurting you.
If you end up losing me, then what will you do?
Oh, I gave my blood, to save your life.
Tell me, tell me is it right?
Will you leave me here alone again tonight?

Well, I want you, here with me.
But you've been keeping other company.
Prefer the light, of your TV.
You love the world, and you're avoiding me.
You love the world, you love the world,
You love the world and you're avoiding me.
Oh, you love the world.
You love the world and you're avoiding me."

"I Want To Be More Like Jesus"

"As each day passes by,
I feel my love run dry.
I get so weary, worn,
And tossed around in the storm.
Well I'm blind to all his needs,
And I'm tired of planting seeds.
I seem to have a wealth,
Of so many thoughts about myself.

I want to, I need to, be more like jesus.
I want to, I need to, be more like him.

Our father's will was done,
By giving us his son,
Who paid the highest cost,
To point us to the cross.
And when I think of him,
Taking on the whole world's sin,
I take one look at me,
Compared to what I'm called to be.

I want to, I need to, be more like jesus.
I want to, I need to, be more like him.
Remember, there's no greater love,
Then to lay down your life for a friend.

The end of all my prayers,
Is to care like my lord cares.
My one and only goal,
His image in my soul.
Yes my weakness is revealed,
When by his stripes I'm healed.
He's faithful and he's true,
To complete the work he begins in you."

"Lies"

"When I was young I used to believe everything that I heard, just what I heard.
But now the only thing that I can believe is god's word, his holy word.
But even now my doubts will open up for me a world that I just despise.
And then the shades come down, the light turn off,
And I'm left alone with my helpless cries.
When I hear all his lies. all of the devil's wicked lies.
If you believe and your faith just dies.
Don't you be a fool, don't you even open up,
Or expose yourself to just one of his wicked lies.

I want to go around the world and prove jesus lives, you know he lives.
And we're not only friends, we're family, we're relatives, relatives.
But when I'm far from home and so alone, and my imagined fears get so oversized.
That's when I listen to the one no one should listen to, and get fooled by his disguise.
Feeling weak from his lies, all of his bad wicked lies,
If you believe and your faith just dies.
Don't you get fooled, don't you even open up,
Or expose yourself to just one of his wicked lies.

If you're well read, you probably know how the story goes.
That wolf can look so good especially dressed in the right clothes, the wooly clothes.
And as he starts to knit the counterfeit he'll totally make you feel like you're paralyzed.
He'll keep you spun around and looking down,
Just when you should be looking straight to the skies.
Pleading help from his lies, all of the devil's wicked lies.
If you believe and your faith just dies.
Don't you be a fool, don't you even open up, or expose yourself,
To one of his wicked lies, to one of his wicked lies."

"Romans VII"

"The very things I hate, I end up doing,
The things I want to do, I just don't do.
Lord it seems do sad, why am I so bad?
When in my heart I only want to be like you.

The very ones I love I end up hurting,
The ones I want to help I pass right by.
Now I want to be, finally set free
The grace you've shown, the love I've known,
Please let it shine through me.

I want to love them, the way you do,
I want to serve them, by serving you

Lord how I know your tender heart must be broken,
By all those unkept promises I've made,
The question still prevails, please take away the doubt,
About how you forgive, and still you live inside when I fail

I want to love them all, the way you do,
I want to serve them, by serving you.
I want to be like you - Jesus I do

I want to love them all, the way you do,
I want to serve them, by serving you."

And lastly, here is my all time favorite Keith Green song. I have posted the lyrics on another blog here back in April 2007. I'll share the story behind why this song is so important to me at a future date. But the bottom line is this, without the grace of God, we are all hopeless. Our salvation is one huge, enormous, gigantic, unfathomable act of grace.

"Grace By Which I Stand"

"Lord, the feelings are not the same,
I guess I'm older, I guess I've changed.
And how I wish it had been explained, that as you're growing you must remember,
That nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I'm saved.
Lord, I remember that special way,
I vowed to serve you, when it was brand new.
But like Peter, I can't even watch and pray, one hour with you,
And I bet, I could deny you too.

But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I'm sure that my whole life would waste away, except for grace, by which I'm saved.
But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I'm saved."

If things go well, tomorrow I will post about the last album that was released before Keith was taken home to be with Jesus. "Songs For The Shepherd" was released April 12, 1982 and Keith along with two of his children and several others would die in a plane crash just a few months later on July 28, 1982.

Pastor Dave

No Compromise

I just finished reading chapter four in the new updated & expanded edition of the book about Keith Green. Even though this is my fourth reading of this book, all I can say is "WHEW!"

What an intense person Keith was. His passion for searching for the truth was intense. He kept plowing through all of the mystical, religious garbage of the world, never satisfied, always searching for the truth...until he found it in Jesus. He doesn't find Jesus in chapter four, that happens in the next chapter, but the intensity of his search has just about reached it's peak in this chapter.

Where others would settle, Keith would continue to dig. Where others would be satisfied, Keith would be uncomfortable. Where others would be complacent, Keith would be fired up. When others would look at themselves, satisfied with what they saw, Keith always wanted more.

This intensity spilled over into his life as a believer also. He had searched for so long to find the truth that he was overjoyed when he found it. His first album relfects that newfound joy....and even that in a more intense way than it is for many of us.

By the time the second album came around, he had witnessed many who claimed the name of Christ, but did not walk the way of Christ. For someone who had seached high and low, under every spiritual rock he came in contact with, this was something that was baffling to Keith. How could people treat the truth, the one who gave His life for them in such a casual, flippant way. The songs on his second album relfected his boldness in calling Christians to live like Christians.

The album was called "No Compromise"


The album was a wake up call to the church, starting with the cover and straight on thru to the lyrics. It's hard to imagine any of these songs being played on christian "feel-good" raido these days.

Here's a sample of some of the lyrics from that album:

"ASLEEP IN THE LIGHT"

"Do you see? Do you see?
All the people sinking down?
Don't you care? Don't you care?
Are you gonna let them drown?

How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
and pretend the job is done

"Oh, bless me, Lord! Bless me, Lord!"
You know, it's all I ever hear!
No one aches, no one hurts,
no one even sheds one tear
But, He cries, He weeps, He bleeds,
and He cares for your needs
And you just lay back,
and keep soaking it in

Oh, can't you see such sin?!
'Cause He brings people to your door,
and you turn them away
as you smile and say:
"God bless you! Be at peace!"
And all Heaven just weep,
'cause Jesus came to your door,
you left Him out on the streets

Open up! Open up!
And give yourself away
You see the need,
you hear the cries,
so how can you delay?!
God is calling,
and you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
but you keep holding it in

Oh, can't you see such sin?!
The world is sleeping in the dark,
that the church just can't fight,
'cause it's asleep in the light!
How can you be so dead?!
When you've been so well famed
Jesus rose from the grave,
And you!
You can't even get out of bed!
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead!
Come on, get out of your bed!

How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
You close your eyes,
and pretend the job is done!
Don't close your eyes,
don't pretend the job is done

Come away! Come away!
Come away with Me, mMy love!
Come away from this mess,
Come away with Me, My love!
Come away from this mess!
Come away with Me, My love!
Come away,
Come away with Me My love!"

"MAKE MY LIFE A PRAYER TO YOU"

"Make my life a prayer to You, I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies, No token prayers no compromise

I wanna shine the light You gave, Thru Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair, It comforts me to know You're really there

Chorus
Well I wann thank you know For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust And just believe what You say
Oh you're coming again Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let You give, Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave me, The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there, You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head, You're God the Son and You've risen from the dead

Chorus

I wanna die and let You give,Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave me, The love that set me free"

"MY EYES ARE DRY"

"My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood"

"TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE"

"To obey is better than sacrifice
I don't need your money
I want your life
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon
But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat
And I can't help weeping of how it will be
If you keep on ignoring My words
Well you pray to prosper and succeed
But your flesh is something I just can't feed

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights
Cause if you can't come to Me every day
Then don't bother coming at all
La,la,la etc.

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want hearts of fire
Not your prayers of ice
And I'm coming quickly
To give back to you
According to what you have done
According to what you have done
According to what you have done"

Can you feel the intensity in the lyrics there?

I heard someone call Keith a "whack-job nut" because of the lyric in the song "To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice" where Keith sings (speaking for God), "Cause if you can't come to me every day, then don't bother coming at all." I realize this is a very bold statement and it makes people squirm. Would God really say something like this? I don't know, but I feel Keith was trying to make a point, just as Jesus was trying to make a point when he told us to cut off our hands or pluck our eyes out if they cause us to sin. Jesus was trying to tell us to deal with sin in a radical way in our life...not to literally maim ourselves. In the same way I feel that Keith was trying to shake us out of our complacency into a radical commitment to follow Jesus.

Let's be honest with ourselves. How many people do we come into contact with, day in and day out, who are on their way to hell, and we say NOTHING! I know I am guilty of this very thing.

How many hours do we spend watching tv, listening to the radio, reading books, blogging, etc, compared to how much time we spend with the Almighty, Jehovah, Elohim, El Shaddai, God!

I pray for the intensity that Keith had in my own walk with the Lord. I pray that I will no longer be lethargic, anemic, complacent and satisfied with where I am in my relationship with Jesus. While I know that the work of my salvation was completed on calvary, and sealed at the resurrection, I also know that work that my Savior has called me to do will not be completed until that day when He calls me home.

Let us be satisfied with our salvation, but intense in our relationship with the Lord. May we one day read about what Keith did and find it "no big deal", because it has become the norm for those who claim to follow Christ.

Ok, now I'm off to read chapter five. Tomorrow, I'll post some about the third album that Keith made.

Pastor Dave

For Him Who Has Ears To Hear

I love to read. I have a ton of books that I have read, and many that I have bought, but don't read. Unlike my wife, who reads books over and over again, there are only three books that I have read more than once. They are "Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn (read three times), "In The Footsteps Of Jesus" by Bruce Marchiano (read three times), and the book I am currently reading, "No Compromise: The Life Story Of Keith Green" (currently on my fourth time reading, but this one is the new "Legacy Edition-Updaed and Expanded").

Keith was only 28 years old when he died in a plane crash in 1982. At the time of his death he had only released four albums (remember them...the large round peices of black plastic with little hole in in the middle....you put them on this box and played the music with a thing called a needle?...talk about the middle ages). And yet I cannot think of any Christian musician that has had a bigger impact on my life, and the life of many others than Keith Green.

I had embraced Jesus at the age of 10 as my Saviour, but somewhere around the age of 15 as trouble brewed at home and I was exposed to many of the temptations the world has to offer, I began a slow decline down a slippery slope that would eventually last for ten years and leave me a broken man in many ways.

When I cried out to the Lord he heard me. He restored me into a sweet fellowship with Himself. My initial prayer inlcuded words that went something like this, "Lord, I want to start all over again. I don't want to take anything I've ever known about you for granted, teach me about yourself like I have become newly born again."

He used the music of Keith Green to do just that. Although I had heard Keith's music several years before, I had not really listened to his music. Now, Keith was with the Lord and I went out and purchased those first four albums that he released. I began to really listen to the lyrics that he was singing.

Let me share some of those with you from his first album, "For Him Who Has Ears To Hear".


"You Put This Love In My Heart"

I found it hard to believe
Someone like you cared for me
You put this love in my heart...

...Well I know
the loneliness I had before
Is gone now
I'll never feel it anymore

Cause your love has released me
From all that's in my past
And I know I can believe you
When you say I'll never be forsaken
Your love is gonna last"

"When I Hear The Praises Start"

My son, My son, why are you striving
You can't add one thing to what's been done for you
I did it all while I was dying
Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you

For when I hear the praises start
I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are my child and you know me
To Me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done remains
Only what you do for Me

My child, My child, why are you weeping
You will not have to wait forever
That day and that hour is in My keeping
The day I'll bring you into Heaven

For when I hear the praises start
My child, I want to rain upon you
Blessing that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child and you know me
To me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done remains
Only what you do in Me

My precious bride, the day is nearing
When I'll take you in My arms and hold you
I know there are so many things that you've been hearing
But you just hold on to what I have told you

For when I hear the praises start
My bride, I want to rain upon you
Blessings that will fill your heart
I see no stain upon you
Because you are My child, and you know Me
To me you're only holy
Nothing that you've done will remain
Only what you do for me

"He'll Take Care Of The Rest"

You know it ain't no use, banging your head, up against that cold stone wall,
Cause nobody's perfect, except for the Lord, and even the best bound to fall,
Remember He is de vine, and you are de branch,
He'd love to get you through it if you'd give Him a chance,
Just keep doing your best,
And pray that it's blessed,
And Jesus takes care of the rest.
Yes the Lord said that He'd take care of the rest, He's gonna do it,
He'll take care of the rest, He'll see you through it,
He'll take care of the rest, the devil blew it,
He'll take care of the, He'll take care of the rest.

"Your Love Broke Through"

Like a foolish dreamer, trying to build a highway to the sky
All my hopes would come tumbling down, and I never knew just why
Until today, when you pulled away the clouds that hung like curtains on my eyes
Well I've been blind all these wasted years and I thought I was so wise
But then you took me by surprise

Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed
Until your love broke through
I've been lost in a fantasy, that blinded me
Until your love broke through

All my life I've been searching for that crazy missing part
And with one touch, you just rolled away the stone that held my heart
And now I see that the answer was as easy, as just asking you in
And I am so sure I could never doubt your gentle touch again
It's like the power of the wind

Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed
Until your love broke through
I've been lost in a fantasy, that blinded me
Until your love, until your love, broke through

These are all from the first album Keith Released, "For Him Who Has Ears To Hear". You can get it, and much more information about Keith as well as resources to help you in your walk with Christ at http://www.lastdaysministries.org/

In I Corinthians 1:11 Paul writes, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." I'm glad that the Paul only asks us to imitate the part of him that imitates Christ, because Paul also called himself the chief of sinners, and I'm sure he would not want us to imitate that part of his life.

In the same way, I have reached a point in my spiritual walk where I desire to imitate Keith Green, as he imitated Christ. Keith had many faults, just like we all do, but there is no denying his passion and love for his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There is no doubt of his love and zeal for the Word of God, and there is no getting around the fact that this man was also passionate about reaching out to a lost and dying world with the love of Jesus.

Thank you Keith, for allowing yourself to be used by God.
I'll see you at home one day.

Tomorrow I will post some lyrics and thoughts about Keith's second album.

Because of You, Jesus.
Pastor Dave

Spectacular Sins

John Piper makes my brain hurt.

Whenever I read a book by Piper, it takes me longer than any other book, by any other author. Piper puts so much into his books that I find myself reading lines on the page over and over again just so I can understand the point he is trying to get across.

Now this is not a bad thing; it's just that it means that reading a book by Piper is different than reading books written by anyone else.

Having said that, I have just finished reading my first "headache free" Piper book, and what a book it is!

"Spectacular Sins And Their Global Purpose In The Glory Of Christ"



is one amazing book. In it, Piper answers some of the hardest questions that have ever been posed about the God of the Bible and about Christianity.

I'm not going to go into detail about what is in this book; you just need to read it. After all, any book with an introduction that has a sub-title of "When The Bruised Heart Needs A Tire Iron" is a different type of book.

This book answers the question about sin and the devil & how can any "good" come from these two...as well as addressing particular sins of the scripture, such as David's fall and the sin of Judas.

I will leave you with a few quotes from the book to whet your appetite. One thing is for sure, you won't hear this preached in many churches in the good ol' USA.

"Christians in the West are weakened by wimpy worldviews. And wimpy worldviews make wimpy Christians. God is weightless in our lives. He is not terrifyingly magnificent. His sovereignty is secondary (at best) to His sensitivity."

And then there is this one:

"What is missing is the Bible. I mean the whole Bible, with its blood and guts and sins and horrors...and all of it under the massive hand of God. The hand whose fingers flick stars into being. The hand that gives life and takes it. The hand that rules everything. Everything. What we need is to know the great things about God. Knowing great things about God will help make us ready not to collapse under cataclysmic conflict and personal catastrophe."

And finally:

"I am writing this book to build a vision of God into our lives that will not let us down in the worst of times. I mean really bad times. Horrific times. Who is prepared to meet the agony that is coming? Our worship services and our preaching too often pamper us. They coddle."

Believe it or not, the above quotes come from the first six pages of the introduction. That's right--the introduction. And it only gets better from there.

I want to leave you with one last quote. This is where Piper states his reason for writing this book:

"My aim is to show that sin and evil, no matter how spectacular, never nullify the decisive, Christ-exalting, purposes of God. No, my aim is more than that. These spectacular sins do not just fail to nullify God's purpose to glorify Christ, the succeed, by God's unfathomable providence, in making His gracious purpose come to pass."

I cannot say it enough. This is an amazing book. It is a small book (only 112 page of reading, plus some with notes), but the information inside of it is BIG.

Do yourself a favor, pick up "Spectacular Sin" by John Piper...it will make you think but I promise, you won't get a headache.

Now I'm off to read some Tozer.

Pastor Dave

Have You Got It?

I have just read a book that has greatly impacted my life, not only as a pastor, but as a follower of Jesus.

The name of the book is: it


The author is: Craig Groeschel


The content is phenomenal.

It is a "church growth" book, but not your typical church growth book.
What I like the most about it is that Craig doesn't give us his secret to success, or his formula to build a church.

He simply talks about churches that have "it", and how you know if you are in a church that has "it".

What's great about this book is that it drives you into the word of God, it drives you into a deeper relationship with Jesus, it drives you to a deeper prayer life.

I'm not a book reviewer, that would be my lovely wife. You can check out her blog here: http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/

But I know if I like a book, and this one is keeper. It has yellow highlighter all over the page. It avoids the cookie-cutter approach to church growth, which I like because the last thing we need is more "McChurches" in our country. He writes that one of the things that a church needs to have in order to have "it", is a desire to reach the lost. Craig says that his church will do anything short of sin to reach the lost. Just imagine if every church, if every believer lived their life in this way! Imagine the difference we could make!

This is why I beleive that even though this book is directed towars pastors, it should be read by every one who wants to leave a spiritual leagcy. It needs to be read by everyone who claims the name of Christ.

We are in the process of ordaining three men as decons in our church, and this book will be required reading for each one of them.

I could not think of just one portion of the book to quote from in this blog. This is the AM/PM of church growth books, there is just "too much good stuf" in this little book. So, I will leave one little quote from the book. In trying to explain what "it" is, Craig says this:

"The best explanation i can give you is this: "it" is what God does through a rare combination of thse qualities found in his people:
* Passion for His presence
* A deep craving to reach the lost
* Sincere integrity
* Spirit-filled faith
* Down-to-earth humility
* Brokenness"

While reading I began to realize how many of these 6 points are missing in a lot of churches. I began to realize how many of them are missing in my church. I began to realize how many of them are missing in my life! I began to weep, and shout and pray as never before. Without a doubt, this little book (it is only 188 pages long)has impacted my life in a huge way.

What else can I say? Do you have it? Does your church have it? If not, then go out and buy "it" by Craig Groeschel...and read "it" and then live "it"!

Ok, that's it for now (pun intended)

Pastor Dave

36 Minus One

A few posts ago, I shared how in the short time it took to read a blog, 36 people had died without knowing Jesus as their Savior.

I talked about the growth of our church, and how although it has been growing, it has not been growing due to new births.

Well, yesterday that all changed.

A man came forward yesterday and embraced Jesus as his Lord and Savior!!!
His wife had been praying for him for many years, and as he shared with me, his heart was heavy and you could see the emotion in his face, especially in his eyes.

His prayer was simple, yet moving. Among other things he said, "God I've been running from you for a long, long time. I'm lost. I want to be found."

He shared with the church what had happened and said, "I was lost, but I've been found!"

There was shouting....especially from his wife....and clapping and cheering!

Please join me in prayer that he will be the first of many. We also need prayer abut space (we are now having more people coming to services than we have seats for), and for me to no longer be bi-vocational. It is getting harder and harder to pastor this group of brothers and sisters, and continue to put in 40 hours a week as an eligibility worker for the Welfare Department.

Oh, and in case you didn't get the title of this blog....it's very simple, 36 people may have died without Jesus normally during the time it took you to read this blog, but this time, it is one less.

I leave you with the lyrics of a favorite song of mine (I will list the author of the lyrics at the end of the post....it just might surprise you.)

"SAVED"

I was blinded by the devil
Born already ruined
Stone-cold dead
As I stepped out of the womb
By His grace I have been touched
By His word I have been healed
By His hand I have been delivered
By His spirit I Have been sealed.

I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
Saved
And I'm so glad
Yes, I'm so glad
I'm so glad
So glad
I want to thank you, Lord
I just want to thank You Lord
Thank You Lord.

By his truth I can be upright
By his strength I do endure
By His power I've been lifted
In His love I am secure
He bought me with a price
Freed me from the pit
Full of emptiness and wrath
And the fire that burns in it.

I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
Saved
And I'm so glad
Yes, I'm so glad
I'm so glad
So glad
I want to thank you, Lord
I just want to thank You Lord
Thank You, Lord.
Nobody to rescue me
Nobody would dare
I was going down for the last time
But by His Mercy I've been spared
Not by works
But by faith in Him who called
For so long I've been hindered
For so long I've been stalled.

I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
By the blood of the lamb
Saved
Saved
And I'm so glad
Yes, I'm so glad
I'm so glad
So glad
I want to thank you, Lord
I just want to thank You Lord
Thank You, Lord.

(Courtesy of Mr. Robert Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan, from his album "Saved".

Ok, so there's that.
Pastor Dave