Saturday, February 28, 2015

Oscar Peterson Trio - Hymn to Freedom

Written in 1962 in support of the Civil Rights movement, a wonderful combination of gospel and jazz performed by the man who Duke Ellington called 'The Maharaja of the Keyboard' with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums

Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II & Derek Trucks - Little Wing - LIVE

Thursday, February 26, 2015

What Is Your Only Comfort In Life And Death?

The Heidelberg Catechism written in 1563 begins with a profound first question and answer worth meditating on and absorbing.

Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?

A. That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. 

This is the most important question you will ever face. What enables you to endure life and face death unafraid? This question shapes our whole existence. The first thing we are to know as a Christian is that we belong to Jesus and not ourselves.

John Scofield Plays Ray Charles, "You Don't Know Me", at Berklee College of Music

I Don't Need No Doctor John Scofield & John Mayer

Great song I love this cover

John Scofield Trio - Chicken Dog [2010]

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Great Academy Awards Humor - Pearls Before Swine


Stevie Ray Vaughan - Pride and Joy 09/21/85

Oscar Peterson - You Look Good To Me

'The Three Kinds of Good Life for the Instruction of Consciences"

In 1521 the Martin Luther preached a sermon called 'The Three Kinds of Good Life for the Instruction of Consciences,' found in vol. 44 of LW. This goes along with what I posted by C.S.Lewis:

Luther says there are 'three kinds of conscience and three kinds of sin, as well as three kinds of the good life with three kinds of good works' (235). The first kind 'is concerned only with outward works' (235). 'As a result of this kind of teaching, people become hardened and blind' (236). '[T]heir holiness is circumscribed by their five senses and their bodily existence. And yet, this very holiness shines brighter in the eyes of the world than does real holiness' (238). This is the Pharisee, the person who does the right things but with a rotten heart.

The second kind of person has a well-developed conscience. It understands 'humility, meekness, gentleness, peace, fidelity, love, propriety, purity, and the like'(239). Such people, however, 'set about them in the wrong way' (240). They 'maintain a pious posture not out of their own desire, but because they fear disgrace, punishment, or hell. . . . And this false ground is so deep that no saint has ever fathomed its bottom.' Such people have a sensitive conscience, unlike the first kind, but they follow it not from godliness but self-love. Luther then prepares to transition into the third kind of person. 'God does not just want such works by themselves. He wants them to be performed gladly and willingly. And when there is no joy in doing them and the right will and motive are absent, then they are dead in God's eyes' (240). Luther explains that none of us can rise above this second kind of person of our own ability.


The third kind of person is different not in externals but is qualitatively different in the heart--this person wants to obey. They are characterized by two realities, says Luther: self-denial and the Holy Spirit. He then concludes: 'When the Spirit comes . . . look, he makes a pure, free, cheerful, glad, and loving heart, a heart which is simply gratuitously righteous, seeking no reward, fearing no punishment. Such a heart is holy for the sake of holiness . . . and does everything with joy' (241-42).

Diana Krall - Desperado

Diana Krall - California Dreamin'

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Gospel Transformation

The gospel transforms us from the inside out. This is completely different than moral reformation which starts on the outside, trying to change you through will power and legalism. Paul’s message is that Jesus “GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS TO DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE” (Gal.1:5). The gospel is once you have believed in Christ you are justified and no matter what you have done your sins can never bring you into condemnation again. You are children of Abraham, heirs of God and you have been adopted into God’s family and set-free.
The problem religious people have is that they don’t see how in the world it’s possible to tell people that God accepts them in Christ no matter what they do. In Christ they are forgiven and free and the result of knowing that will produce the kind of incentive needed to live a godly life. This is grace plus nothing. I want 200 proof grace straight up with no mixture.

Alison Krauss - Can't Find My Way Home

Eric Clapton - Steve Winwood - Can't Find My Way Home

Thursday, February 12, 2015

This Makes All The Difference

*KEY* It’s what Christ has done that makes all the difference. His righteousness is given to me and now I know that my Father will always be my Father and I will always be his child and God is working in me to remind me of the hope, the surety of my righteousness and acceptability before Him. He never loves me because I did good, I did good because he loves me. He never doesn't love me because I did bad. Even the bad thing I did God is weaving into a pattern for my life out of his love. Every day you fill your heart with the certainty of who you are in Christ and that will remove fear.

NBC Lies


Old Love - Otis Rush - From the album "Blues Power : Songs Of Eric Clapton"

Muddy Waters - I'll Put A Tiger In Your Tank (Live at Newport)

Joe Bonamassa "Just Got Paid" and "Dazed and Confused" Live at The Royal Albert Hall 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The Question Everyone Wants Answered


What Faith Is

Charles Spurgeon said in “All of Grace” — “Faith is chosen by God to be the receiver of salvation because it does not pretend to create salvation, nor to help in it, but it is content humbly to receive it. Faith is the tongue that begs pardon, the hand which receives it and the eye which sees it; but it is not the price which buys it. Faith never makes herself her own plea, she rests all her argument upon the blood of Christ. She becomes a good servant to bring the riches of the Lord Jesus to the soul, because she acknowledges whence she drew them and owns that grace alone entrusted her with them”.

B B King - Dust My Broom (1960) Blues Guitar Legend

Eric Clapton - Traveling Riverside Blues

Eric Clapton "When You Got a Good Friend" - a Tribute to Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Eric Clapton, Doyle Bramhall II, Derec Truck (Little Queen of Spades)

What Decides Whether You Are A Christian

What decides whether we are Christian or not is neither what we do or what we are, it’s our relationship with God. Paul says you were “BROUGHT NEAR” not “you have now improved” or “you are living a better life”. What makes you a Christian is that “YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR”. The distinction and the difference has nothing to do with our morality or conduct or behavior but our relationship with God.
This is the point I am making concerning being a Christian. I am not asking if you have been living in the gutters of life or in a wealthy neighborhood. I’m not asking if you’re rich or poor, tall or short, weak or strong, I’m not asking about your race or sex. The question is — “Have you been brought near to God? Do you know God? Have you entered into the holiest of all?” Everything else is irrelevant.
You didn't bring yourself near to God Christ brought you near by his blood, by his work on the cross. You were "far off" that means you were so far away from God there was no way you could make the journey, no way you could bring yourself near to God. It was and is utterly and completely impossible to bring yourself to God, so God sent Jesus who died for your sins and shed his blood, defeated death and the devil and sin He rose from the dead and is the only one who has the ability to bring people who are far away from God back to God. Period.

LEON RUSSELL: JESUS WILL TAKE ME HOME