Music and the Road...Part one
This weekend I traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas for my cousin's wedding. I really didn't want to go because of all that going on right now. I had to miss the UBC fall retreat and that was sad. It was good, however, to see my mom for the first time in like six months. It was also a pretty drive and the leaves were pretty. By that I mean they were about 20 different shades like they always are at home in Mississippi and not two different shades like they are in Texas.
It was really good to be on the road with my music. On the way there, I listened to lots of Coldplay. In my mind, I know that Chris Martin wrote most of those songs for Gwyneth Paltrow, but right now, it seems like so many of them are just for us ubc folks. Kyle Lake loved Coldplay, and it's almost eerie how some of those songs are so appropriate for us now. Some lines haunt me....
Nobody said it was easy
Oh itÂs such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said that it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start
- The Scientist, Rush of Blood to the Head, 2002
And we live in a beautiful world,
Yeah we do, yeah we do,
We live in a beautiful world.
Oh, all that I know,
ThereÂs nothing here to run from,
Âcause everybody hereÂs got somebody to lean on.
-Don't Panic, Parachutes, 2000
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
High up above or down below
When you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
-Fix You, X&Y, 2005
Steal my heart and hold my tongue.
I feel my time, my time has come.
Let me in, unlock the door.
I've never felt this way before.
The wheels just keep on turning,
The drummer begins to drum,
I don't know which way I'm going,
I don't know which way I've come.
Hold my hand inside your hands,
I need someone who understands.
I need someosome oneeone who hears,
For you, I've waited all these years.
For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come.
Until my day, my day is done.
And say you'll come,
and set me free,
Just say you'll wait,
you'll wait for me.
In your tears and in your blood,
In your fire and in your flood,
I hear you laugh, I heard you say,
"I wouldn't change a single thing."
The wheels just keep on turning,
The drummers begin to drum,
I don't know which way I'm going,
I don't know what I've become.
For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come,
Until my days, my days are done.
Say you'll come and set me free,
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
- Til Kingdom Come, X&Y, 2005. (this was our "offertory hymn" today. haha. oh how I love my church!)
Typically, I hate it when people post song lyrics on their blogs. I guess it's because I would rather hear about their lives on their blog and listen to songs on the radio, but sometimes, songs are poetry. Poetry, as defined by Terry York, is truth on the surface that points to a deeper truth still. It 's good that there are things around us, like music and poetry, to help us express our feelings when we can't do it on our own. Yes it's secular, but like a friend said the other day, for Kyle there wasn't much of a line between the sacred and the secular. Where Kyle saw truth and beauty, he saw fingerprints of the Almighty. Now it seems that we are comforted in the fingerprints of God in the music that Kyle loved so much. For that, I am grateful.
posted by Janalee | 4:04 PM
6 Comments:
hey doll, hate to but want to share this with you. It's sorry and sad how some in the Christian community believe they've the authority to call others un-Christian or blasphemers. I do believe such judgment and arrogance is blasphemy itself. Try not to spit nails.
WDC MEDIA NEWS
Christian News and Media Agency
THE DEATH OF PASTOR KYLE LAKE: A TRAGEDY AND A WARNING!
By Pastor Joey Faust
2005-11-12 -- On Sunday morning, October 30, 2005, Texas pastor, Kyle Lake (1972-2005), died while performing a baptism. He was only 33 years old, and he left behind a wife and children. He commonly used a microphone for such baptisms at University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. But on this morning, he was electrocuted. The woman he was baptizing was not hurt. The reason for the electrocution at this time is a mystery to investigators.
Christian blog sites are filled with e-mails from confused, hurting people associated with this church or pastor. Some express frustration, and some others have even expressed irreverent anger with God. Why this young husband and father? Why a pastor? Why did he die performing such a holy duty? Why did 800 people in church (homecoming week at Baylor) happen to see his death?
My heart especially broke upon hearing the news of his little ones (a five-year old daughter, and two three-year old sons). And I also desired to know why it happened at this time, to this man, seeing he has left behind a young family. I was also grieved that the enemies of God will likely use the fact that he was a professed Baptist as an occasion to mock, blaspheme and reproach the truth. Some have already reported articles from the world like the following: "So what exactly is God expressing when he electrocutes a fundamentalist preacher in the middle of performing a baptism?...As always, when something bad happens to them, it’s God’s testing their faith. When something bad happens to you, it’s God punishing your misdeeds." ("The Stranger," Seattle). To start with, this pastor was far from being a fundamentalist. But the world does not understand this.
I have no ultimate answers, since the Lord is the King of kings, and He can do as He wills in heaven and earth: "...the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD"..."Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?" (Job 1:21, 9:12). Nevertheless, in the face of this tragedy, I think it would be healthy and proper for every Christian pastor to tremble before the Lord. Aaron was a godly man. And certainly we would expect his sons (i.e. Nadab and Abihu) to be godly, respected ministers. Yet, when they offered "strange fire" while ministering, "there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD" (Leviticus 10:1-2). At this, Aaron wisely held his peace. I am sure the fear of God came upon the whole camp at that time, just as it would later come upon the early church at Jerusalem when Ananias and Sapphira suddenly died: "and great fear came on all them that heard these things" (Acts 5:5). Pastors, teachers, etc., are liable to greater punishments than those who are not in full-time ministry and authority: "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1). Yet, this does not mean that the fire of God cannot come down upon others in the congregation (Numbers 26:10).
The Lord Jesus teaches us that those who suffer great disasters and tragedies should not be presumptuously reckoned to be greater sinners than others: "think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?" (Luke 13:4). However, even in such cases where there is no direct evidence of sowing and reaping, our Lord teaches us that we should use such occasions for self-examination, repentance and fear: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5). It is, therefore, proper for every pastor (as well as every Christian), upon hearing of the tragedy of Pastor Lake, to use this time to repent (if need be) and move with fear.
Although Pastor Kyle Lake was not known for fire and brimstone, terror of the Lord sermons, by the providence of God he preached one that final morning by his death. Suffer the word of exhortation. It is a sermon in few words (Hebrews 13:22). This is a sermon for preachers. And will you not hear the sermon, Christian? Are liberal churches "fun"? Do you pretend to be called by God to be a "liberal church missionary," while immersed among them? Is this your justification for having fellowship with apostasy?
If you are not yet motivated to repent and fear God, perhaps the following information will help you reconsider. The death of Pastor Lake "took place just minutes after the 800 members in attendance had prayed aloud, ’Surprise me, God’" (WND). Pastor Lake was a rising leader in the "Emerging Church Movement." He was influenced by Brian Mclaren (the popular ECM leader/author). The EC movement takes the "seeker friendly movement" one more step away from the Bible to the door of a "new age" spirituality. As the "new evangelicals" historically shied away from the word "fundamentalist" due to its associations, the modern, emerging church leaders now shy away from "evangelical" due to its associations! The EC movement leaders had high hopes for Kyle Lake. Pastor Lake often used rock bands and wicked, Hollywood movies for his sermon texts. The very morning of his death, Pastor Lake had planned a sermon that would be the first in a series this year. Notice some excerpts from the sermon he was about to preach:
PASTOR LAKE: "This morning we’re launching our 7th annual GOD IN THE MOVIES SERIES."
[This was the 7th year that Pastor Lake had been pastor of this church. As you can see, this was the FIRST sermon, of the SEVENTH year, of a SERIES that actually shows clips from rated-R movies in church, and tries to "find God" (i.e. "moral" themes) in these filthy, bloody, sensual, unclean, blasphemous movies. Pastor Lake died directly before he entered the pulpit to again begin this series which would highlight many rated-R movies and show their clips in the church. On the 7th day, after being circled 7 times, God brought down the walls of Jericho. On the 7th day, the glory of the Lord shined out of the cloud in devouring fire before all of Israel. At the 7th Trump, the wrath of God will fall in fullness upon sinners. And in the 7th year, just before the first sermon of the annual "God in the Movies" series, Pastor Lake lost his life in front of his church and many visitors.]
PASTOR LAKE: "Would you believe we began this series way back in the day when the very FIRST MATRIX MOVIE came out? In fact, I think that was the very first movie that we tried to examine through the lens of a Christian worldview. And every year, about this time of year, we’ve been doing this because WE FEEL it provides a little microcosm into our church’s mission - that is, to live immersed in the world without becoming a product of it."
[Any pastor that is showing clips from bloody, fornicating, antichrist movies, and actually teaching his church that these movies have moral themes, and can actually teach the saints, is simply deceived! He and his church were certainly immersed in the world, and they did become a product of it! The Bible teaches that we are to have NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Yet, this was the start of the 7th annual series, where fellowshipping with darkness and sin will be "sanctified" by the pastor from the pulpit. This pastoral example casts stumbling stones before hundreds of young people who will be encouraged to fornicate, lust, and become desensitized as they gaze upon nudity and gore, and pick up the worldly spirit of recklessness before God. It is the opposite of being filled with the Spirit. It is a worldly spirit of throwing caution and prudence to the wind, and drinking of the wine of this world.]
PASTOR LAKE: "So let’s KICK OFF THIS YEAR’S SERIES with some Zach Braff, shall we? With a movie that was one of the biggest hits of the year among the twentysomething crowd - I’m talking about GARDEN STATE. When it was released a year ago, it never came to Waco and still, it seemed like 20 different ubcers were asking me if I’d seen Garden State. Well, let’s just DIVE IN HERE - with the very first scene of the movie. So CHECK OUT THIS FIRST CLIP...(Clip #1. –00:45-03:39 -no edits needed)"
[According to reviewers of this movie, it is "Rated R for language, drug use and a scene of sexuality." What the world calls "R" in 2005 would have been labeled far worse only decades ago. Welcome to "modern church" for the "perverse generation." May the Lord have mercy on us all. Laodicea is drunk with the wine of the world. She is blind and NAKED.]
PASTOR LAKE: "...But this party scene feels different than some of the others you’ve seen in movies, right? I mean, at this party you have people smoking pot, ecstasy, coke lines, alcohol being abused, and casual sex being alluded to. So while watching the party scene, someone may well say, ’Oh, it’s just like Hollywood to glorify the party scene.’ But that’s Missing The Point!...And then the next day, Largeman meets someone who revolutionizes his life. Sam. Played by Natalie Portman. She is the exact opposite of everything he’s been. If Andrew walks through life numb, practically sterile, and cautious. Sam walks through life greeting every moment with feeling, with color, with vulnerability, throwing caution to the wind...I think you’ll see that in this clip…"
[Of course, the movie is a sick, perverted theme, about a young man who pushed his mother down when he was 9, so that she became paralyzed, and he has been numb ever since, until he meets this girl. This is the world’s darkness. It makes heroes and role models out of people who do not know God. Part of enjoying a movie or story is identifying with the characters. But the Bible teaches that a companion of fools will be destroyed!]
PASTOR LAKE: "In our final clip of the morning, a large group of them are at Jesse’s huge mansion SWIMMING one night - there’s about 12 of them. And everyone dives in except for Largeman. He’s still standing there on the edge of the pool while everyone’s just jumped in and Sam asks him, ’Can’t you swim?’ And he says, ’Of course I can swim.’ (Clip #3. –57:40—59:36 - edit [cuss word])."
[Before this preacher died, he was going to show a "pool scene" from a rated-R movie before the whole congregation. He never got the chance to show this scene. After the whole church prayed aloud to be surprised by God, the pastor died a horrible death. May the Lord have mercy on this church, on this man’s family, and on all of us in these last days. Christian, will you not fear God? Will you continue to have pleasure in the wicked works of darkness? Preacher, will you continue to make light of Hollywood, as if viewing such movies is neutral? Will you continue to use such movies for sermon outlines, simply because this is what you are "filled with," and this is what have been doing with your time? Will you continue to offend the little ones by your example? Did not the Lord say that it was better that a millstone be hung from such a neck and he drowned in the depth of the sea? (Matthew 18:6).]
PASTOR LAKE: "...BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now...Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD...and if you crash then crash well....At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then [you] might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift" [The End].
On November 6th, 2005, Pastor Lake’s church read this sermon (of which the above is only an excerpt). One person from his church, after hearing his sermon for the first time, wrote:
"It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing my ears have ever heard. As one of the LEADERS in our church said, ’I think that’s the best [four letter cuss word deleted here] he’s ever written.’" (http://janaleeshadburn.blogspot.com/)
As you can see, it is obviously normal for this church LEADER to use the same language he has heard in all the worldly movie watching.
While there is certainly some value in teaching people to enjoy their portion under the sun, since death is approaching, the wise preacher will also give the cautions that Solomon gave:
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Sadly, I believe that Lake’s planned sermon was "strange fire." God teaches us NOT to throw caution to the wind in these perilous times of deception and immorality. Notice how different Paul’s admonitions to walk in joy are from the above sermon by Pastor Lake:
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore PARTAKERS WITH THEM.
11 And have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather REPROVE them.
12 For it is A SHAME even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
15 See then that ye WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
Christian joy is not found in immersing ourselves in the world’s shameful, dark entertainment. The wrath of God will soon fall upon the children of darkness, and every preacher should be an example by not being a partaker with them. Preachers have been called to preach a sober message of godly separation, that DOES exhort believers to look to the FUTURE (not the present):
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and WORLDLY LUSTS, we should live SOBERLY, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 LOOKING for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
15 THESE THINGS SPEAK, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Increasingly, churches are losing their fear, losing their sobriety, losing godliness, losing their view of the Second Coming, and MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE PASTORS who are not speaking these things, and rebuking with all authority!
All numerical growth is not godly; cancer also grows! Leaven will puff up a congregation. Let’s win and train as many as we can, but we must strive lawfully, or there will be no crown (2 Timothy 2:5).
God’s reasons for taking Pastor Lake’s life are known only to Him. But we would be great fools if we did not take this opportunity to examine our own lives, and trembling, beseech God for mercy, as we repent and flee the ways of the world:
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
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KINGDOM BAPTIST CHURCH
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All articles are by Joey Faust unless otherwise stated. The Kingdom Alert Update is a ministry of Kingdom Baptist Church. Please tell your friends about this newsletter, and please pray that the Lord would use it for His glory.
READ PAST ISSUES OF THE KINGDOM ALERT:
(All issues searchable online)
http://www.KingdomBaptist.org
Media Contact
Pastor Joey Faust
Kingdom Baptist Church
700 Cordes Dr., Venus, Texas, 76084
pastor@kingdombaptist.org
Cell: 469-658-6046
btw it's me, jen A. (ubc)
This is disturbing. Sometimes I forget that there are actually people like this. As awful as this is, and as many bad things that there are I could be thinking about this man right now, I am praying for him. I hope he will "get it" just as he is hoping I will repent and never say nice things about Kyle and watch these antichrist movies. I pray that he will actually understand how much God loves us all, even those of us who watch R rated movies and use them as sermon illustrations. Sad, (slow head shake).
that makes me angry.
i knew it would.
I would rather be in fellowship with "liberals" who know how to love Jesus by loving others than in fellowship with "evangelicals" who think they know the will of God while they really only know their own self righteousness.
Of course we must all repent daily.
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