Friday, November 29, 2013

THOUGHTS ON THANKSGIVING BY G.K. CHESTERTON

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—G. K. Chesterton
“The aim of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things; and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less appreciation of them.”—G. K. Chesterton
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”—G. K. Chesterton
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”—G. K. Chesterton
“When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?”—G. K. Chesterton

The Magic of Christmas Time - Tommy Emmanuel

Johnny Shines Blues Band - Dynaflow Blues

Johnny Shines & Walter Horton - Evening Sun

Big Walter Horton- Walter's Blues

ROCK MY PLIMSOUL (1968) by the Jeff Beck Group

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gorden Lightfoot

A tribute to the 29 men who died November 10, 1975, aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. I forgot to post this on November 10th but I am posting this now. I love this song by Gorden Lightfoot it is a haunting tribute to this tragedy and it is part of the Great Lakes legend which we Michiganders have an interest in.

Performance or Grace?

My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace. If we’ve performed well—whatever ‘well’ is in our opinion—then we expect God to bless us. If we haven’t done so well, our expectations are reduced accordingly. In this sense, we live by works, rather than by grace. We are saved by grace, but we are living by the ‘sweat’ of our own performance. Moreover, we are always challenging ourselves and one another to ‘try harder’. We seem to believe success in the Christian life is basically up to us; our commitment, our discipline, and our zeal, with some help from God along the way. The realization that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of Christ instead of on my own performance is very freeing and joyous experience. But it is not meant to be a one-time experience; the truth needs to be reaffirmed daily.
(by Jerry Bridges, in Transforming Grace)

My whole theology of gospel preaching rests on the foundation of truth that this quote illuminates. I am placing my entire eternal existence on the merit of Christ alone I do not trust in myself, my works, my achievements or my performance. Every day I reaffirm who I am in Christ, what Christ has done for me leading me to worship and be grateful for my salvation, for my being adopted into God's family and permanently being made a child of God.

Pinetop Perkins & Madeleine Peyroux - He's Got Me Goin'

Madeleine Peyroux - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - Great Dylan Cover

Madeleine Peyroux - Smile

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Luther's Thoughts On Free Will

I frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want free-will to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand my ground; but because even were there no dangers I should still be forced to labor with no guarantee of success But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Furthermore, I have the comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of my works, but by reason of His merciful favor promised to me; so that, if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying of all the saints in their God.
- Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1957), 313-314.

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Rude Mood

Jiminy Glick Interviews Tom Hanks

JIMMY REED HONEST I DO

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The Law Has Never Loved You

Did the Law ever love me? Did the Law ever sacrifice itself for me? Did the Law ever die for me? On the contrary, it accuses me, it frightens me, and it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me from the Law, from sin and death unto eternal life. That somebody is the Son of God (Who loved me and gave Himself for me). Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant, no lawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior, full of mercy….. Visualize Christ in these His true colors. I do not say that it is easy. Even in the present diffusion of the Gospel light, I have much trouble to see Christ as Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the diseased opinion that Christ is a lawgiver sunk into my bones. You younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old. You have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I suckled all my youth, until at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered with fear. You, I say, who are young may learn to know Christ in all His sweetness. For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a Lover of poor sinners and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now if this is true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own righteousness.
–Martin Luther

To anyone who is stuck on the law and on your own personal performance I ask you to think about this until Christ becomes joy and sweetness to your soul.

Martin Short as Nathan Thurm 1985 Special

Melvin Taylor- Blue Jeans Blues

Luther Allison - It Hurts Me Too - Recorded in Montreal by Canadian Television July 4th 1997

Otis Rush - Gambler's Blues - Live at Montreux (1986)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Eric Clapton - Driftin Blues HD

Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

HEART - STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN in HD - The Kennedy Center Honors LED ZEPPELIN, 2012.

Lyle Lovett - White Boy Lost In The Blues (Bing Lounge)

In Christ Your Sin Is Publicly and Legally Cancelled, Nailed Up for All to See

In Christ Your Sin Is Publicly and Legally Cancelled, Nailed Up for All to See
Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him.
There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted again as an evidence.
What court among men would admit of evidence that has been publicly cancelled and nailed up for all to see it?
So has Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so, but also he puts that upon us for which we are received into favor.
He makes us comely through his beauty; gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord.
This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin and imputation of righteousness does it consist; from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment—from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the law, does it arise.
The great product it is of the Father’s righteousness, wisdom, love, and grace—the great and astonish-able fruit of the love and condescension of the Son—the great discovery of the Holy Ghost in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.
—John Owen, Communion with the Triune God, 290-91.

Read this and believe it, read it until you believe it, Owen says "There is not any thing to charge us with" Paul said "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." (Rom. 8:33) The answer is no one! Once God declares you not guilty and all charges against you have not only been removed they have been nailed to the cross, publicly cancelled legally cancelled never to be used as evidence again. You are free, enjoy it.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

The Way It Is

When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt. I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.
To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God's grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, "A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God."
Brennan Manning

Oh to know the grace of God in its fulness and to live by it and rest in it and to know God for who he really is. Lord deliver me from my self serving religious ideas and ways that keep me from your grace.

Eric Clapton - Kind Hearted Woman, Sessions for Robert Johnson

Eric Clapton "Stop Breakin' Down Blues" (Sessions 2004)

Eric Clapton "If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day" (Sessions 2004)

Honest Trailers - Thor - Watch This Before You See Thor: The Dark World