The World is Gonna Change Tonight

Here is a Christmas song written and mixed by my daughter Heidi, age 14.  Hope you enjoy it.  The lyrics are Arminian, of course. Merry Christmas!

 

Lead Me to the Lost – by Heidi Jackson

A song by my daughter Heidi, about telling the lost about Jesus. I hope you enjoy it.

Christmas Carol Quiz

A little Christmas carol trivia quiz.  See how well you do! Answers are given at the end of the post.

1) An American Negro spiritual that dates back to at least 1865.  Author and musician are unknown.

2) First song to be broadcast over radio.  It became popular in the North during the American Civil War. Originally a French carol, but later denounced by the church in France when it was discovered that the lyrics were written by a communist.

3) This tune was first recorded by Gene Autry, and was  based on a children’s story that was written by a Montgomery Wards employee.

4) An Episcopal priest from Philadelphia was inspired to write this song after making a visit to Palestine.

5) Charles Wesley published the original lyrics, which were subsequently modified by George Whitfield.  We sing Whitfield’s version today.

6) This famous song is based on Psalm 98.  Trios of nocturnal canines have nothing to do with it.

7) This is probably the best known Spanish holiday tune (in the USA).  It wishes you a prosperous new year.

8) A priest from a small Austrian town wrote this for his parish.  Legend has it that the church did not have a working organ, so the song was written to be accompanied by guitar.

9) This children’s tune hit #1 on the billboard charts in 1958, and required some innovative engineering to produce the unique vocal sounds.

10) This song may date back to the 15th century.  In Dickens’ “Christmas Carol”, Scrooge makes threats against someone who tries to sing it to him.

11) This old secular tune was  banned by Oliver Cromwell (who wasn’t keen on Christmas celebrations).  In the lyrics the carolers make some blunt demands upon the rich hosts that they sing to.

12) This song was written in part to celebrate the 400th birthday of Martin Luther.  It is a lullaby to baby Jesus.

13) You are supposed to rise if you hear this tune performed live.  Legend has it that King George II stood the first time he heard it.

14) This song by Bing Crosby is the best selling single of all time. It was popular during World War II.

15) Written by an English Jacobite who fled to France to avoid persecution.  The original version is in Latin, “Adeste Fideles, Laeti triumphante”

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Answers:

1) Go Tell it on the Mountain
2) O Holy Night
3) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
4) O Little Town of Bethlehem
5) Hark the Herald Angels Sing
6) Joy to the World
7) Feliz Navidad
8) Silent Night
9) The Chipmunk Song (Christmas don’t be late)
10) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11) We Wish You a Merry Christmas
12) Away in a Manger
13) The Hallelujah Chorus
14) White Christmas
15) O Come All Ye Faithful

Scoring:
10-15 = Choir Director
5-9 = Lead Tenor
0-4 = Backup Camel in the Christmas play

Come Home – by Heidi Jackson

A song by my daughter Heidi. There’s some pretty good Arminian theology in there.  :)

Verse 1
Look at your reflection on the wall
Look at your reflection in the mirror
This is who you are. This is you.
This is the one God has chosen
This is the one God loves
God loves you, God loves everyone

Pre Chorus
And if you want to be forgiven,
forgiven of all your sins
Then you can ask to be forgiven
‘Cause you know the answer is
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Chorus
So come home. Come as you are
Come Home, comes as you are
God doesn’t care what you have done
So come home

Verse 2
Don’t look back at what you may have done.
Don’t look back at what you have done wrong.
That’s not who you are, that’s not you.
God is always waiting for you
God will not stop loving you.
God loves you, God loves everyone.

Let the Sun Shine In

Good advice from Pebbles and Bam Bam, even if it is a little bit Pelagian.  This wouldn’t be broadcast today.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Here’s a great old Holiness hymn about the grace of Jesus.   I  like how it illustrates how rich the Arminian concept of grace is.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus
by Haldor Lillenas
(Verison on YouTube here)

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden,
Setting my spirit free,
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious Name of Jesus,
Praise His Name!

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching to all the lost,
By it I have been pardoned,
Saved to the uttermost;
Chains have been torn asunder,
Giving me liberty;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
Reaching the most defiled,
By its transforming power,
Making him God’s dear child,
Purchasing peace and heaven,
For all eternity;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

The Meaning of "The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash

“The Man Comes Around” is a song about judgment day. It was released in 2002, and was the title song for Johnny Cash’s last album. The song has numerous Biblical references, many of which are cryptic.

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: “Come and see.” And I saw. And behold, a white horse.

This is a quote from Revelation 6:1-2. It references John’s vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, who bring disaster at the end of the world.

There’s a man going round taking names. And he decides who to free and who to blame. Everybody won’t be treated all the same. There’ll be a golden ladder reaching down. When the man comes around.

The “man going round taking names” has double meaning. It is a reference to a song by folk singer Lead Belly. It is also a reference to Jesus and the Book of Life where the names of believers are recorded (Revelation 20:12, 15).

God decides who to free and who to blame. Those who believe in Jesus will be saved and will escape punishment. The ladder reaching down could refer to Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:12), or it could also refer to Jesus (John 1:51).

The hairs on your arm will stand up. At the terror in each sip and in each sup. For you partake of that last offered cup, Or disappear into the potter’s ground. When the man comes around.

The hairs on your arm will stand up: This may be a reminder of the fear that God will command on judgment day. The terror in each sip and sup may refer to the to the body and blood of Christ which one takes during communion (Matt 26:26-28). To partake of the last offered cup is to be saved from damnation at your last opportunity.  The potter’s ground is a reference to the field that the chief priest bought with Judas’ betrayal money (Matt 27:5-7).

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers. One hundred million angels singing. Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum. Voices calling, voices crying. Some are born and some are dying. It’s Alpha’s and Omega’s Kingdom come.

Hear the trumpets: In ancient times important news was announced with trumpets. Revelation records seven plagues which are all hailed by trumpets. Trumpets also announce Christ’s new kingdom, and the raising of the dead (1 Cor 15:52).

Angels singing: Cash’s brother Jack died in a terrible accident at a young age. His brother had a vision of angels while he was dying, and Johnny remembered this throughout his life. The Bible records that there will be angels singing in heaven: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;” (Rev 5:11). The multitudes marching probably refers to Revelation 5, where multitudes are worshiping God.

Voices calling, voices crying: One must follow Jesus in this life. It is too late to turn on judgment day (Matt 7:22-23 , Heb 9:27).

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and are a name for God. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Rev 22:13). Kingdom come refers to when Jesus will return and establish his kingdom on earth (Rev 21). It is also part of the Lords prayer. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…” (Matt 6:10).

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree. The virgins are all trimming their wicks. The whirlwind is in the thorn tree. It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

The whirlwind and thorn tree is a self reference. Cash had a dream where he saw Queen Elizabeth. She said to him, “Johnny, you’re like a thorn tree in a whirlwind.” Job 38:1 also references a whirlwind. The virgins trimming their wicks are a reference to a parable told by Jesus in Matthew 25. There are wise and foolish virgins. The wise ones have their wicks trimmed and wait for the bridegroom. The foolish ones miss out. The point of the parable is to be ready for Jesus’ return or you will miss out.

“It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks” may be a self reference, about how it was hard for Cash to follow God, but God kept calling him back. It is also a reference to the apostle Paul’s conversion experience on the Damascus road (Acts 9:5 , 26:14). A prick (or goad) is a sharp stick used to prod livestock. The phrase in context means that it’s hard for Paul to fight back against what Jesus is calling him to do. Cash identified with Paul, and wrote a book about Paul’s conversion experience.

Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom. Then the father hen will call his chickens home. The wise men will bow down before the throne. And at his feet they’ll cast their golden crown. When the man comes around.

Armageddon is a location in Israel, and according to Revelation 16, a site of a huge battle that will take place before Christ returns to earth . Shalom is a Hebrew word that means peace. Shalam is a variation that probably means the same thing. There will be no peace until Jesus returns after Armageddon.

Then the father hen will call his chickens home. This echos Jesus’ lament in Luke 13:34: “how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”. Jesus wanted to gather the people of Jerusalem up to follow him, like a hen gathers her chicks, but they would not. In the end, God will call his followers home. The chickens come home to roost. :)

The wise men bow down and cast their crowns. This is a reference to Rev 4:10: “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…”. The wise men may represent the church.

Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still. Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still. Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still. Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around.

Whoever is unjust…. This is a quote from Revelation 22:11: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” This portion of Rev 22 refers to the coming of Jesus. When he comes people will be found as they are, there will be no time for them to change at that point.

Listen to the words long written down. A reference to the Bible – which was written long ago.

 In measured hundredweight and penny pound. When the man comes around.

In measured hundredweight… refers to Rev 6:6: “…A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny…” A penny is what a person made in a day, and a measure of wheat is how much one would need for a loaf of bread.  There is severe famine in the last days. A person has to work all day for a loaf of bread.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, And I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.

The song closes with with the last of the four horsemen recorded in Revelation 6:7-8: ⁷And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. ⁸And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

If you are interested in more about Cash’s Christian faith, see this article from Christianity today.

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Una persona ha traducido la entrada del blog aqui en Español.

Life is Hard – by Heidi Jackson

Here is a song written and sung by my daughter Heidi. I hope it blesses you as it has me.

Life is hard ‘cause we make mistakes.
Life is hard ‘cause we sin.
Life is hard ‘cause we have bad days.
And it’s hard ‘cause we’re far from God.

But God gave us a gift.
For whoever believes in him,
Shall not die, but have eternal life.
There’s no doubt when God’s around
‘cause he loves us, and he’s with us.

Life is hard ‘cause we’re getting sick.
Life is hard ‘cause we’re sad.
Life is hard, cause we’re getting mad.
And it’s hard ‘cause we’re far from God.

Life is hard, cause we get bullied.
Life is hard, cause we’re scared
Life is hard, cause we lose our friends.
And it’s hard ‘cause we’re far from God.

By Your Side – Tenth Avenue North

This song has a great message.