More things I thought of

or so I still think.

Too often we look for the big things and miss the little things (which are really the big things).

A church’s autonomy ends where her violation of Scripture begins.

A believer in Jesus marrying an unbeliever is sort of like a cat lover marrying someone who is allergic to cats.

There’s only one “in-crowd” that matters – those who are in Christ.

God is the truth of all true things, the good of all good things, and the beauty of all beautiful things.

To be New Testament Christians, we need to ask New Testament questions and give New Testament answers.

I ran from God as fast and as far as my swift sinful feet and wicked heart would carry me. God outran me. He overtook me.

Truth precedes knowledge, and knowledge precedes feeling.

The priests of Baal did not realize how much Elijah belittled their god, since they had such a little concept of god.

The inspired grammar of the Bible plainly shows that God actively, not passively, changed and/or controlled men’s thoughts and actions – deliberately, not accidentally.

Cappella – as in a cappella – has two a’s, two p’s, and two l’s. Stick a “c” and an “e” in there somewhere and you’ve got it. Capella is a goat.

Marriage, a cross and a crown

Marriage is not just some romantic notion. Man and wife enter a devout covenant for life. Too often, the illusion of perfection and false expectations of “happily ever after” define marriage. (That is what the fairy tales tell us!) No, the valley of love is also a valley of tears. Marriage is not only a blessing to cherish or a crown to wear, but also a cross to bear. Marriage defeats the oneness of you and deposits you in the oneness of two. It attacks self and selfishness, and embraces “the golden rule” – do unto others. The marriage not united to the cross of Christ will not be united at all.

R. L. Vaughn

Sing praise to God who reigns above

“Sing praise to God who reigns above” – “Sei lob und ehr dem höchsten gut” – was written by Johann Jakob Schütz (1640-1690) in 1675. In addition to writing hymns, Schütz was also a lawyer. Frances Elizabeth Cox made the English translation below, and included it in her book Hymns from the German in 1864. The original German text had nine 6-line stanzas, with the theme derived from Deuteronomy 32:3. The 8.7.8.7.8.8.7. meter hymn is usually paired with the tune Mit Freuden Zart.

1. Sing praise to God who reigns above,

the God of all creation,

the God of power, the God of love,

the God of our salvation.

With healing balm my soul is filled

and every faithless murmur stilled:

To God all praise and glory.

2. The Lord is never far away,

but through all grief distressing,

an ever present help and stay,

our peace and joy and blessing.

As with a mother’s tender hand,

God gently leads the chosen band:

To God all praise and glory.

3. Thus all my toilsome way along,

I sing aloud thy praises,

that earth may hear the grateful song

my voice unwearied raises.

Be joyful in the Lord, my heart,

both soul and body bear your part:

To God all praise and glory.

4. Let all who name Christ’s holy name

give God all praise and glory;

let all who own his power proclaim

aloud the wondrous story!

Cast each false idol from its throne,

for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:

To God all praise and glory.

A. T. Robertson, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A. T. Robertson on Women Preaching -- "Baptists are the last people in the world to speak slightingly of the authority of the New Testament on anything or to resort to doubtful and equivocal arguments to defend practices in opposition to the plain meaning of Scripture."
• Amazon pulls books by authors who once identified as gay, lesbian -- "The works of Anne Paulk of the Restored Hope Network and pastoral counselor and author Joe Dallas are among the latest books to be pulled from the online retail giant."
• Computer Virus -- "Cybercriminals aren’t creating new viruses, instead they are focusing their efforts on more sophisticated and lucrative threats."
• Does the Bible Require Wealth Redistribution and Equalization? --"The forced redistribution of wealth demanded in the name of “social justice” is really injustice."
• I Move We Don’t Vote So Much! -- "I would argue that there are really only five things a congregation ought to vote on."
• If You’re Thinking about Leaving A Church... -- "Weigh your motives. Is your desire to leave because of sinful, personal conflict or disappointment? If it’s because of doctrinal reasons, are these doctrinal issues significant?"
• Physician: American Children ‘Immersed in a Culture of Disrespect’ -- "Then Kyle replied, ‘Shut up, mom. You don’t know what you’re talking about.’ ... Kyle is 10 years old."
• Preach to the Non-Christian, Christian, and Church Member -- "Yes, the preacher should be sensitive to the unchurched. But if we target the unchurched alone, the message may be lost or so diluted that God’s people become malnourished."
• Ten Thoughts about the “Billy Graham Rule” -- "I personally believe that the rule is wise and ought to be pursued with rigor by Christians who are serious about holiness and witness."
• That’s My King -- "Sermon by S. M. Lockridge"
• Southern Baptist author removes foreword by Joshua Harris from his book -- "A Southern Baptist pastor and former seminary professor asked a Christian publisher to remove a foreword written by Joshua Harris from future printings of a book...after the well-known advocate of the evangelical purity culture announced he has fallen away from the Christian faith."
• The LGBTQ agenda in kids’ programming is deliberate -- "According to the AP report, GLAAD – a prominent LGBTQ advocacy group – has been working “behind the scenes” to get LGBTQ writers and producers into “positions of influence” in the children’s TV community."
• Why Do We Have Mass Killers? -- "...people love to take these horrible events as validating the political narrative they prefer, but these narratives can keep us from understanding what really happened."
• Woman files $1 million lawsuit against Flower Mound megachurch, alleging neglect in sexual assault case -- "...a woman has accused a Dallas-Fort Worth megachurch of not doing enough to pursue justice when she was molested as a child by a former church pastor."

Deuteronomy 15:11

For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Deuteronomy 15:11 sits intriguingly in the midst of the context of Deuteronomy 15, which seems to hint in verse four of a time when there would be no poor among them.[i] It is noteworthy how well the statement in verse 11 intersects with the statement of Jesus in John 12:8.

First, as background, we understand that all Israelites became property owners after the conquest of Canaan and division of the land. Joshua divided the land of Canaan by lot to each of Israel’s twelve tribes (e.g. Joshua 19:51; see Joshua 13—21),[ii] as determined by God (Cf. Proverbs 16:33).

The first part of Deuteronomy 15 mentions the seven-year release. God placed this and other things within the legal system of the Law of Moses. The seven-year release and the year of jubile,[iii] in at least one of their effects, helped the poor and needy. These events recalibrated the scale to recreate just weights and balances and at least temporary relief. Verse 5 of Deuteronomy 15 suggests faithful adherence to these principles would fulfill that purpose.[iv] Yet God knew Israel would disobey the law of God, and that the poor would never cease out of the land. Verse 11 acknowledges that. It is a bare statement of fact, and makes inexcusable the attempt to excuse oneself from helping the poor and needy on prior grounds (verses 1-6). But for the nature of man, which we always have with us, poverty might be eradicated. So, like our sin nature, the poor we always have with us also.

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[i] The Pulpit Commentary states, “This statement [v. 11] is not inconsistent with that in ver. 4, for there it is the prevention of poverty by not dealing harshly with the poor that is spoken of; here it is the continuance of occasion for the relief of the poor that is referred to.” John Gill says, “There would be always such objects to exercise their charity and beneficence towards, John 12:8, which is no contradiction to Deuteronomy 15:4 for had they been obedient to the laws of God, they would have been so blessed that there would have been none; so the Targums; but he foresaw that they would not keep his commands, and so this would be the case, and which he foretells that they might expect it, and do their duty to them, as here directed…”

[ii] Though the Levites did not have a political division of land, they received cities and land within the divisions of the other tribes.

[iii] Leviticus 25:8-28

[iv] There is difference of opinion whether the seven-year release meant a permanent release from the debt, or a year-long release for relief and rest from the debt. In comparison, the release of the land itself was only for the year, and was brought back into cultivation the next year (Cf. Exodus 23:10-11). Regardless, I don’t think the seven-year release or the year of jubile can be used to support the redistribution of wealth ideas that some think should be by secular governments. For example, the jubile return of the land was a fact known and accounted for in business dealings. The land could not, according to the Law of Moses, be sold in perpetuity (Cf. Leviticus 25:23-24). Most proposed current ideas for redistribution of wealth to alleviate “social injustice” would just create a different social injustice.

The Least of These

Kevin DeYoung on Matthew 25:31-46

In verse 45 Jesus uses the phrase “the least of these,” but in verse 40 he uses a more exact phrase: “the least of these of my brothers.” The two phrases refer to the same group. So the more complete phrase in verse 40 should be used to explain the shorter phrase in verse 45...Matthew 25 equates caring for Jesus’s spiritual family with caring for Jesus. The passage does not offer the generic message: “care for the poor and you’re caring for me.” This doesn’t mean God is indifferent to the concerns of the poor or that we should be either. It simply means that “the least of these” is not a blanket statement about physical deprivation.

Singing in a choir, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Singing in a choir could be ‘the new exercise’—here’s the surprising science behind why -- "These aren’t simply effects of singing. “People who sing in a group report far higher well-being than those who sing solo,” he notes."
• A Guide to The Meter of Hymns -- "If you ever went to a Christian camp, you probably know that you can sing "Amazing Grace" to a lot of different tunes."
• Jury: Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ copied Christian rap song -- "The case now goes to a penalty phase, where the jury will decide how much Perry and other defendants owe for copyright infringement."
• My Congregation Barely Sings; How Can I Help? -- "Just because a Christian artist has created something wonderful does not mean it is appropriate for the congregation. The melody may not be very melodic. It may be too high, too low, or wide of range."
• Shouting Song (1982) -- "A documentary by Jean Youngblood Albright on Sacred Harp singing, white and black, in Alabama."
• Why Is It Your Business How Other People Worship -- "...worship in the church is not some lifestyle decision to be made. It is not a place to mind ones own business."
• 9 Choices for a Healthy Music Ministry -- "...I would like to point out several choices that we’ve made, that I think contributes to the healthy constraint and expression of music in our congregation."
• 3 Ways Hymn Meters Provide Meaning -- "Meter is a force that allows for variation, which provides new context."

We get to the finish line, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

"We get to the finish line at the exact time we are destined to cross it." -- Deshauna Barber

"If you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you." -- Unknown

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as an historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history." -- Attributed to H. G. Wells

"A pregnant woman and her baby are not radically separate individuals with isolated human rights “at war” with one another. A woman and her baby are a “unity of two persons” interconnected in love with everyone and everything. Whatever harms the baby harms the mother, whatever harms the mother harms the baby, and whatever harms either of them harms us all." -- Sue Ellen Browder

"Real change is an inside job." -- Copied

"Loyalty to Scriptural truth and authority is a higher consideration than momentary and sensational excitement." -- A. T. Robertson

"Everybody who belongs to Jesus belongs to everybody who belongs to Jesus." -- Steve Brown

Lips and slips

“If your lips would keep from slips, 

Five things observe with care:

To whom you speak, of whom you speak,

And how, and when, and where.”

- William E. Norris

Why Not Now?

Too few are the garlands we weave for the living,

Too many the wreaths that are laid on the bier;

If someone has flowers or praise to be giving,

’Tis wrong to withhold while the loved one is here.

When once the dear soul from the cold clay doth vanish,

What use the sweet blossoms so lavishly spread?

One kind, loving word that the teardrops will banish,

Is better than loudest applause to the dead.

This poem “Why Not Now?” was written February 12, 1924 by Elsie Lister Ross, the paternal grandmother of Sacred Harp singer Leland Ross.

The meter is 12s.11s.D., and it can be sung to The Ash Grove or Eden of Love (#39 in The Sacred Harp, Cooper Edition), among others.

The gold and the temple, swearing

Matthew 23:16-22 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Jesus chides the religiously blind, pointing out the hypocrisy of certain traditions.[i] James Burton Coffman writes, “The Pharisees’ punctilious preoccupation with trifles appears in all its ridiculous pettiness in this passage.” These traditions made “big deals” out of the “little deals” and prized the little things over the big things. For example, the temple, as a place of religious worship, is more important than the gold in it. Apparently, an oath sworn on the temple could be invalidated – one was not held responsible – while an oath sworn on the gold of the temple was absolutely binding. Nevertheless, their tradition ignored swearing by the temple, while making swearing by the gold of the temple an egregious offense.[ii] This indicates they thought more of the gold than they did of the temple. They had a misplaced view of what was more important, and codified that in the way they applied their traditions. The follow up regarding tithing (Matthew 23:23-24) also illustrates the obsession with trivial things.[iii] In spite of plain truth, these “blind guides” became fools who were princes of pettiness.

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[i] To the previous appellation of “hypocrites,” Jesus added another – “blind guides.” They were not only personal hypocrites, but in their blindness led others into hypocrisy. Thinking themselves guides of the blind, they themselves were blind. “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14.

[ii] On swearing see also Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12.

[iii] Jesus does not condemn the practice of tithing, which was commanded under the law of Moses, but their careful and detail-oriented practice of tithing while ignoring judgment, mercy, and faith.

The Two Keys

From The Organ, Saturday, June 28, 1856

These excerpts are from a piece titled “LESSON—NO. 4” over the name INSTRUCTOR.

…Ans. We have two keys in music called major and minor key, or scales…What is the difference between the two keys?The difference between the two keys is, that in the major mode the semitones occur between the third and fourth, and 7 and 8 sounds from the key, and in the minor mode, between No. 2 & 3, and 5 & 9 from the key of the same. (sic, the printer apparently inverted the 6 as a 9, rlv)Has the semitones natural locations in the scales?They have, and their natural places are between the letters B & C, and E & F; and always occurring between the me faw, and law faw, in each transposition of the me.What are the semitones?They are half degrees or steps in the voice.

Christian doctor FIRED, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Adam’s Original Sin -- "Many of my friends that I call brother and sister still hold to the traditional calvinistic understanding of Adam, his sin, and the imputation of sin.  I’m ok with that.  This is what we were all taught, and for some reason or another, God has given me the understanding that I have, and not the rest."
• Black pastor tells CNN’s Lemon that Trump doesn’t ‘just attack black people.’ -- "President Trump does not pick the people he attacks because of color. He attacks anybody he feels needed."
• Boys Today Aren’t Getting Enough Time Around Men -- "And if you want your boy to grow up to be a good man, he should spend a large portion of his childhood years around good men."
• Christian doctor FIRED for saying gender is determined at birth… the anti-science assault on biological reality goes ballistic -- "I believe that gender is defined by biology and genetics, and that as a Christian the Bible teaches us that God made humans male or female."
• Feel free to hate Briles and Baylor, but make sure to do your homework on the subject -- "As critical as we [media] are to your community and a democracy, we can be a lazy judgmental pack of self-important blowhards."
• Geronimo in San Antonio -- "Midday, September 10, 1886, a special train from Fort Bowie, Arizona, arrived at San Antonio’s Sunset Depot."
• Kentucky tells church giving away used glasses to homeless it is breaking law -- "For 16 years, a Kentucky church member has been giving away prescription glasses to the poor."
• ‘Major distraction’: school dumps iPads, returns to paper textbooks -- "Teachers also found the iPads were distracting and did not contribute to students’ technology skills..."
• Native Soil -- "How a simple bag of Texas dirt connects distant newborns to a beloved land."
• The First Hamburger -- "Amid uncertainty over the sandwich’s origin, Athens, Texas, holds firm to its claim."
• Trump hosts African American pastors and faith leaders at the White House -- "I have been here five different times in four or five months, so it was not damage control."
• What Lies Beneath -- "To understand Houston, one must understand Buffalo Bayou. This muddy waterway flows through the heart of the city and once drove Houston’s economy. Simply put, without Buffalo Bayou there would be no Houston."
• Yes, American Religious Liberty Is in Peril -- "Today’s administrative state is on a collision course with traditional religious communities, and the key battleground is sexual morality."
• ‘You Always Have a Friend at the White House’: Trump Sits Down With Faith Leaders -- "President Donald Trump met with inner city pastors Wednesday to discuss prison reform, workforce development and partnering with the faith-based community."
• 16 Things You Should Do To Save Money In July -- "If you’re paying more than $63 per month for auto insurance, this auto insurance comparison tool can help you check to see if you’re overpaying in a few minutes."
• 10 Cemeteries to See Before You Die -- "You know, I actually really like going to cemeteries. I know that sounds strange, but I do."

Accursed from Christ

I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ

Romans 9:1-5 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

This text expresses a sentiment (an impulse, a desire) of the heart of the not possible – that Paul might be accursed, devoted to destruction, in the stead of his kinsmen.[i] It is reminiscent of Moses’s intercession for his people, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:32). Matthew Henry writes, “Being about to discuss the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and to show that the whole agrees with the sovereign electing love of God, the apostle expresses strongly his affection for his people.” His affection for his people is even more striking when we see the animosity of Paul’s people for him.

The religious Jews’ attitude and actions toward Paul.

After the young persecutor (Acts 9:2; 22:19) was converted on the road to Damascus, religious Jews[ii] began to persecute him and continued throughout his ministry.

• Jews at Damascus tried to kill him. Acts 9:22-25 
• Jews in Jerusalem sought to kill him. Acts 9:28-30
• Jews at Antioch Pisidia had Paul expelled from the region. Acts 13:45-50
• Jews at Iconium stirred up an attempt to stone Paul and Barnabas. Acts 14:1-5
• Jews from Antioch Pisidia and Iconium persuaded the people at Lystra to stone Paul. Acts 14:6-7,19
• Jews at Thessalonica caused an uproar, and Paul and Barnabas were sent away for their safety. Acts 17:1-5
• Jews from Thessalonica stirred up trouble in Berea. Acts 17:13-14
• Jews at Corinth brought Paul before the judgment seat of Gallio. Acts 18:12-13
• Jews at Ephesus spread an evil report against Paul. Acts 19:8-9
• Jews in Greece tried to accost him. Acts 20:2-3
• Jews at Jerusalem assaulted Paul with the intention to kill him. Acts 21:27-31
• Jews at Jerusalem rejected his testimony and called for his execution. Acts 22:22-23 
• Forty Jews at Jerusalem bound themselves under an oath with a curse to kill Paul. Acts 23:12,30
• Jews accused Paul in legal proceedings before the governor, Felix. Acts 24:1-6
• Jews informed Festus against Paul and asked he be brought back to Jerusalem. (Paul was still in Caesarea.) Acts 25:1-3
• Jews from Jerusalem come to Caesarea to (falsely) accuse Paul. Acts 25:6-7
• Paul related how they caught him and sought to kill him, and why. Acts 26:20-22

Paul’s attitude and actions toward the religious Jews.

God gave Paul an unique apostleship to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), but he always loved and preached to Jews as well.

• Paul preached Christ at Damascus. Acts 9:20-22
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Salamis. Acts 13:5
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch Pisidia. Acts 13:14-16
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Iconium. Acts 14:1
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Thessalonica. Acts 17:1
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Berea. Acts 17:10
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Corinth. Acts 18:4
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Ephesus. Acts 18:19
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Ephesus (again, when he came back). Acts 19:8
• Paul preached repentance and faith to the Jews (as well as the Gentiles). Acts 20:21
• Paul claims he did nothing wrong to the Jews. Acts 25:10
• Paul preached repentance and turning to God. Acts 26:20
• Paul preached to the Jews in Rome. Acts 28:17,23

Biblical considerations and conclusions

• Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
• Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
• Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Without question, Paul was a better man than I. Paul was called of God, he endured persecution from the beginning of his calling until the end, he was faithful to his calling in much tribulation, and he never lost his love for those who hindered and persecuted him. Who couldn’t use a dose of that? Many American Christians, under the first sniff of opposition, quickly lose their love for their enemies, for their fellow-citizens, and for their kinsmen according to the flesh. “Help us, O Lord our God… Help us, O God of our salvation.”

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[i] αναθεμα, rendered accursed, (used here and in Acts 23:14, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Galatians 1:8-9), signifies that which is devoted to destruction (damned, under a curse), and is equivalent to the Hebrew word חרם, cherem.

[ii] I struggled to find an apt description of these Jews. I chose this term because Paul described them as having a zeal toward God, but not according to knowledge. It was not all Jews that persecuted Paul. The apostles and most early disciples were Jews as well. Paul was a Jew himself, and he calls his persecutors his “kinsmen according to the flesh.” Certain zealous Jews who adhered to the Old Testament and rejected Jesus as the Messiah are those who opposed Paul.

Some more words

• bada din, noun. A notable or significant day, esp. one on which an important festival or momentous event takes place.
• brujo, noun. Originally and chiefly in Spanish-speaking contexts: a sorcerer, wizard, or witch doctor; a man who practises magic.
• credencive, adjective. Disposed to give credence; ready to believe. Also: of or relating to a disposition to give credence.
• decisory, adjective. That settles or determines a matter; decisive, determinative.
• dégringolade, noun. A quick or rapid decline or breakdown, as of a situation or circumstance; Cf. Downfall.
• doggo, adverb. Chiefly in to lie (also play) doggo: to lie flat, remain hidden; to lie quietly. Also in extended use: to keep a low profile, lie low.
• duckety, adjective. Designating a drab nondescript colour, esp. a dull brown resembling the colour of mud; of such a colour.
• ease off, verb. To become less severe or unpleasant; also ease up.
• fellifluous, adjective. Flowing with bile; (figurative) bitter, rancorous.
• footfast, noun. A prisoner in shackles.
• gamphrel, noun. A stupid or foolish person; a fool, a blockhead, an idiot.
• hashery, noun. A cheap restaurant, a hash house.
• havey-cavey, adjective. English regional (northern and north midlands). Uncertain, doubtful, wavering. Now rare.
• highball, verb, transitive. Railways slang. To give (a train or train driver) a signal to proceed. Also in extended use: to alert. Also and in earliest use intransitive.
• kif, adjective. As a general term of approval: admirable, excellent, cool.
• mono no aware, noun. In Japanese art, literary criticism, etc.: a capacity to be, or the experience of being, deeply and spontaneously moved by various poignant manifestations of nature, including human nature; esp. a sense of pathos arising from intense awareness of the impermanence of earthly things.
• oxter, noun. The armpit; (also more generally) the underside of the upper arm; the fold of the arm when bent against the body. Also: the armhole of a coat, jacket, etc.
• prepper, noun. A person who or thing which prepares or readies something; a preparer.
• tautegorical, adjective. Of a symbol (usually in mythology or religion): signifying only itself, as opposed to representing or standing for something else.
• wayfinder, noun. A person skilled in finding the route or way; a navigator. Also in extended use: a person who opens up new ways; an innovator, a trailblazer
• yolker, noun. With modifying word. An egg with a specified number of yolks, as double-yolker, triple-yolker.

Reprise of blog quotes

Hope you are still reading the blog. Since you liked these “weird and disturbing” quotes so much, I decided to post them again, plus one more from the Bible. Enjoy!

If your mind goes blank, don’t forget to turn off the sound.

Many things are opened by mistake, but none so frequently as the mouth.

Two types of people who don’t say much: (1) those who are quiet, and (2) those who talk a lot.

One way to save face – keep the lower half of it shut.

If you get into deep water, keep your mouth shut.

The typical sermon is a swimming lesson on dry land! – Frank Viola

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. – Proverbs 21:23

Let us love one another

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

“Love is of God.” I can have no satisfaction, real satisfaction, that I am a partaker of the Spirit and grace of Christ except I feel some measure of the love of God shed abroad in my heart. I may have hopes, expectations, and evidences, fainter or brighter; but I have no sure, clear evidence in my own soul that I have the Spirit and grace of Christ there, except I am blessed with the love of God; for until love comes, there is fear which hath torment. And whilst we have fear which hath torment, there is no being made perfect in love.

You have no clear assurance in your own breast that God has loved you with an everlasting love; nor have you any bright testimony that the Spirit of God makes your body his temple until this love comes into your soul. But when the crowning blessing comes of the love of God experimentally felt and enjoyed by his own shedding of it abroad in the heart, with the communication of the Spirit of adoption to cry “Abba, Father,” that is the sealing testimony of your possession of the true spirit; for it is “a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;” and where there is this, there is also a spirit of love and affection to all the family of God.

J. C. Philpot (1802 – 1869)

Jesus, once for sinners slain

The name Joseph Hart is not as well-known as Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, but in my opinion Hart wrote some great experiential Christian hymns. Among my favorites are the Dialogue between a Believer and His Soul. Other Hart hymns I have posted are found HERE, HERE, and HERE. On Tuesday I wrote a 7s meter tune and paired it with Hart’s “Jesus, once for sinners slain,” No. 830 in William Gadsby’s A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. The tune is HERE. Hart evidently wrote this for use with communion.

“Shew the Lord’s death till he come.” 1 Corinthians 11.26, 7s.

1. Jesus, once for sinners slain,
From the dead was raised again,
And in heaven is now set down
With his Father in his throne.

2. There he reigns a King supreme;
We shall also reign with him;
Feeble souls, be not dismayed;
Trust in his almighty aid.

3. He has made an end of sin,
And his blood has washed us clean;
Fear not, he is ever near;
Now, e’en now, he’s with us here.

4. Thus assembling, we, by faith,
Till he come, show forth his death;
Of his body bread’s the sign,
And we drink his blood in wine.

5. Bread, thus broken, aptly shows
How his body God did bruise;
When the grape’s rich blood we see,
Lord, we then remember thee.

6. Saints on earth, with saints above,
Celebrate his dying love,
And let every ransomed soul
Sound his praise from pole to pole.

Death Shown Forth, 7s.

164th Anniversary of the East Texas Convention

The 164th Anniversary meeting of the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention will occur next weekend (d.v.), August 10-11, at the Henderson Civic Center in Henderson, Texas. Singing starts at 9:30 both days. For more information see HERE.

The Convention was organized in 1855 as the East Texas Musical Convention, but is now usually called the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention because of its exclusive use of The Sacred Harp.

Restoration 268a, at 2012 East Texas Convention

Sing with the spirit and with understanding

Baptist preacher and Sacred Harp composer Henry Smith Rees wrote the following letter to The Musical Million journal. The copy I have is dim in a number of places. Brackets [ ] enclose words of which I was less than certain, and the ellipsis (...) represents a word on which I would not even guess.

COWETA CO., GA., Sept. 7, 1896

                Dear Editor: — The book and other musical matter came duly to hand, but owing to my absence from home at the time, and desiring to examine the book, I have delayed answering. I am still engaged in preaching and serving churches, so that much of my time is taken up in that way and off from home.

                As to the book—CROWNING DAY—so far as I have had opportunity to examine it, I consider it splendid, and a book of rare merit. I intend to exhibit and recommend it to my churches and congregations, and if possible, induce them to order a supply. I [have a thought that if your publications] could be introduced in this section they would supplant others that are being [distributed] to some extent in these parts.

                How you get up a paper of [such ... as] the MUSICAL MILLION for the price at which you offer it is somewhat of a puzzle to me. I regard it, judging from the past and the specimen copy sent me, as among the [best] journals of the day, and worthy of reception in any community or family.

                Through this section but little teaching of music is being done, save instructional teaching in connection with literary schools, and this often by young ladies or girls with but little experience. The most of our singing is learned or caught by the ear, and when such is the case the standard is [apt] to be inaccurate or imperfect. So you can infer that we have but little trained singing in this part of the sunny South. It is true that this is an age of much singing, but whether it accords with Paul’s admonition, when he urges to sing “with the spirit and with understanding,” is a question that should be seriously pondered. I think it well to sing for recreation, but let the music correspond with that end; but when the aim is praise, let it be done in solemn form, with an uplifted heart to God.

Yours fraternally,             H. S. REES.

The tribute money

Q. What is the meaning of the tribute money in Matthew 17?

Text: Matthew 17:24-27 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

A. The tribute here is a sort of tax. Probably it is the half shekel “temple tax” of Exodus 30:11-16.[i] “Tribute” is a didrachma (δίδραχμα), which Strong’s says is equal to one-half a shekel.

Peter was often quick to answer. Here his quick answer was that, yes, his master did pay tribute.[ii] However, Jesus stops him and questions him making him think more deeply about it. If this supported the worship of the temple or synagogue, and he was really who Peter believed he was – the Son of God (Matthew 16:16) – Jesus would not actually owe or pay the tribute. It is his Father’s house! Nevertheless, Jesus said he would pay the tribute because it could be an offense or obstacle. Not all would understand why he should be exempt.

The money in the fish’s mouth is an obvious miracle.[iii] It demonstrates that, though Jesus has the position not to pay, but he has the passion and power to pay anyway – confirming what he told Peter. Interestingly, the piece of money is the Greek statera (στατῆρα), which is equal to a Jewish shekel. Therefore, it was enough to pay a half-shekel for Jesus and a half-shekel for Peter, who owed the tax. The piece of money was just enough to pay the tribute, accenting our Lord’s moderation. He had no love for temporal things, and they had no hold on him (Proverbs 15:27).

Finally, the owner of all silver and gold (Haggai 2:8) did not have the money to pay the tax. Rather he borrowed it from his creation (Genesis 1:20-23)! This reminds us that “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

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[i] It is not the Roman civil tax, discussed elsewhere (see footnote 2), but for religious service; the point of the story depends on that fact.

[ii] On another occasion, Jesus supported paying the taxes of a temporal government, Matthew 22:15–22.

[iii] Though perhaps only a miracle of omniscience rather than a miracle of creation. That is, Jesus knowing the money was in the fish’s mouth and providing that Peter catch that particular fish, as opposed to creating the coin in the fish’s mouth as Peter caught it. It matters little, in that the God who can do one can do the other. Compare Matthew 9:5.