Thoughts on VRC

Acts 2:40-42
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

More thoughts about what a true Recovery Church would look like. Not so much the aesthetics of the meeting, but more of the dynamics and purpose behind it. In other words....why it exists and what should be the business of a recovery church.

Those who would become family and community in a Recovery Church would be spiritual "babes" or "children." The common bond in the group should be a hunger for God as we increase in understanding and wisdom in His word. A hunger for Him to come as we worship. A hunger or desire for His presence in our meetings. It is my estimation that when such a dynamic is at work in a group of people, God will honor it with His presence. From this place, our theology will be birthed and formed as we all grow in Him. 

We desire to have meetings that are raw, real and profoundly holy. We do not seek after a spiritual "feeling" or experience, but we should not shy away from such either when God does manifest Himself in a meeting. The basic feature that we would want to pass on to those who come would be the idea of "You should come expecting!" Every time we gather, we should come with the expectation that God is going to reveal Himself and we are going to leave that meeting changed. 

I want to see a "people" who grow in Christ. Who are moving and living under the unction (guidance)of God's Holy Spirit. The one thing that God has been dealing with me is the idea of salvation. Every church has as its mandate the call to see people come to Christ and be saved. But if the truth were really shown, not much happens after that event. Those who are saved are kind of left to flounder on their own. Join a Sunday School class....take on a leadership role in the church.....give your tithe. I think God expects more of us than this. To me, when someone is brought to the Cross of Christ, the battle has just begun.  Now the real work begins. Now that new babe in Christ has to learn how to live in a new way. They need to be taught how to pray. They need to be taught how to hear the "voice" of God. How to read and study the word. If we don't help with the cultivation of being hungry for God in the life of a new believer, they will wither and die spiritually. To them, relationship with Christ will simply be attending a meeting, singing some songs and putting $5.00 in the plate when it is passed.

If you read the verse from Acts 2, you'll see that after these were saved, a new dynamic took place in their collective lives. A hunger to learn was birthed among this group as the studied the Apostles "doctrine". Sounds dull doesn't it. When we think of doctrine or theology we almost cringe with the thought of "Oh no...there is not way I could do that." Well, the study of God's word is to find the life...the direction God desires for you. It isn't a dissection of the Greek and Hebrew (not that there is anything wrong with that). It is learning how to live a new way surrounded by others who are on the same journey.

To me, the downside of most recovery meetings is that Jesus has become a means to an end. He is the medicine I take to move on in my sobriety. Come to Jesus and have my sin slate (record) wiped clean. While this is true, Jesus is the Power we have been searching for, the means opens the door to a greater reality and way to live. I never want to push or peddle Christ as medicine. I want to always point to Jesus as the only one who can save us or as the 12 steps so aptly states...Jesus is the POWER greater than myself who could restore me to sanity. Jesus is not just an answer to our problem, but rather a new way to live, breath, eat, sleep and work in this old world that has sought to devour and kill us. That through the salvation that Jesus offers to all who would accept, not only do we have a new life, but we get to participate in the Kingdom of God. Or as John Wimber put it..."We get to Do The Stuff!" 

God on you....
mb

Jesus Laughed?

Laughing..........

Smiling.................

Joyous...................

These are not emotions that most would assign to Jesus.
After all, He was fully God and fully man.

I really don't want to credit the devil with humor (although he does take it and put it in the gutter sometimes).

I think God created humor and laughter and giggles and guffaws and chortles and other assorted displays of human emotion.

I know that Jesus was here for a reason.
I know there was a seriousness to His life, but I also know that I read in Scripture where little children went to him without any prompting. 

He took the children unto himself. Little children are very astute as to human conduct and nature. They are stand offish if they perceive you to angry or solemn or grumpy (not one of the dwarf's from Snow White).

God exhibits all the emotions because He created them.

Please do not get me wrong, I am not trying to bring God down to a human level and portray Him as operating in the same manner that you and I do. Scripture clearly states that "His way are not like mine and His thoughts are higher than mine."

We read in Romans 2:4 reads, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

It's not the anger or wrath of God that leads to repentance.

It's not the power and might of God that draws people to repentance....
It is the almighty, ever lasting heart of Father God in kindness that draws mankind to a place of salvation.

I like the picture of "laughing" Jesus.

I take comfort in it, even if it is a painting down to be representative of an idea someone had as to the nature and character of Jesus.

I don't disqualify or choose not to see the side of Jesus as pictured in Rev. 19. as a returning King to bring judgement to the world. There is more to Jesus than anger and wrath.

I am grateful for that.

God on you........

mb

(Originally posted / April 6, 2010)

Agape

I have been thinking about the heart of God.
The heart of God being that part of him that is intellect and will and emotion and intent and behavior and so on and so on....The very thing that makes God.....God.
I don't want to attribute to God in any shape form or fashion the idea that he is on a human level. In truth, we are created in the image of him, not him in the image of us.
That image being that we are a 3 fold being........body, soul, and spirit.


We house a sin nature, whereas God does not. He is free from sin.
Did you ever truly think about that?
God has no sin.
Oh, as Jesus walked this earth, he experienced the force and tug of sin through temptation, but never gave in.
But where God is, sin is not a problem.
Imagine what it is going to be like to live everyday free from the influence of sin. 
Free from the emotional strain of the battle of dealing with sin.
To be able to think, act and feel free from the presence of sin, the power of sin. That is cool times 10.
It is going to happen. Scripture says that Jesus has prepared a place for me to dwell with him.
Can't wait to see it.

I guess the big thing I think of when I think about God's heart, is his capacity to love.
Why love?
Because it absolves me of the wrong I've done.
It is this part of God that kept the judgement side from coming down on me by providing a way for him to have relationship with me, a sinner. he reached out to mankind, when mankind could not reach Him.
God solved his own problem of dealing with the payment for sin.
He made the payment himself.

I think the greatest example of God's love for us is found in Genesis 3.
Now I've never really read this chapter and saw it as God's love. I tended to lean toward "They-messed-up-boy-is-God-mad-or-what" kind of deal. But if you read the chapter you will not see any anger at all.
You see a God who comes down and deals with the problem that is beyond dealing with if you were the man or the woman in the garden.
Even though Adam and Eve and have sinned and have fallen prey to the serpent's schemes, God shows up in the garden just like he did every afternoon (are at least that is what I am reading into it). God must have come down as day was changing over to night and would walk with the couple. Well, God shows up just like he did time after time, knowing full well what has taken place yet he gives the couple an opportunity to repent. You know, If it had of been me...........I'd probably stormed into the garden yelling and screaming, "O.k.! O.k.! Every body out of the pool! That's it...you blew it."  Aren't you glad that I didn't get the job of being God? Me too.

But God shows up....speaks to each of the guilty parties...
Man.....You're going to work and sweat and it is not going to be fun.
Woman....You're going to have a lot of pain when you give birth.
Serpent......It's on now. There is going to be someone on down the line that is going to crush your head.
Then with every one standing there God did something that they (the man and woman) had not been able to do do. God killed animals.........shed their blood (Hebrews 9:22 --without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness for sin) and made clothing and coverings for the man and the woman. God instituted an act that brought forgiveness to them. 
No where in this entire chapter do we see God hating on the couple.
Berating them or casting them aside. You know it would have been easy to just take them out and create two more, but that isn't God's way. He met the problem head on and instituted the answer to the sin question. God's love complimented the judgement side. For that, I am grateful!

It is this part of God, his heart and capacity to love his creation, that stirs me to follow him...to live for him.
I see John 3:16 in new light this morning....
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
God is in the business of working and carrying out his plan to rescue and restore his creation.
That is why we turn to Jesus as our higher Power.
He alone is the answer to every addiction battle we face.
He alone is the love we so desperately need to be overwhelmed by.
He is the completeness for every thing we lack to face this day.
Why?
Because he loves.....
That is why.

God on you......
mb

Genesis 1:2
The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Here we read where God confronts chaos. The unruly, disorganized behavior and functions that identified His creation. God did not intend for it to be this way, and He is not about to let it remain in this state.

What do we know from Genesis 1:2?
The face of the deep was present.
The face of darkness was and chaos was also present.
The rule of that day was chaos...running rampant and taking upheaval everywhere it went.
But the Spirit of God was there confronting the chaos.
The word "VOID" from the Hebrew, also means "meaningless" or with out meaning. God not only creates life but it is His good pleasure to give purpose and meaning to life.

God is the creator, not the inventor.
Inventor's make machines and then stand back to watch them run.
God has poured Himself into his creation.
Just as today, for those who receive Jesus as Lord over their very lives, have the Holy Spirit of God poured into them.
This presence of God's Holy Spirit creates a new life and a new dynamic that runs contrary to the dictates and demands of this world.
No longer am I tied to my sin nature.
I have been set free from the penalty, the power and the presence of sin.
Does this mean the battle is over between my flesh (sin nature) and my spirit?
No, the two will battle till I draw my last breath or Jesus comes to take me home.
But I am no longer a slave to the sin.
I no longer must act on its behalf to do its bidding.
The chaos of sin in my life has been replaced with a sense of peace.
Not the peace that comes when all my circumstances and situations around me have been stilled, but peace that lives deep within that centers me even when everything is shaking and up in the air. When I think to myself, "I should be worried and upset over this situation, but I'm not." A peace from God that bypasses my brain and goes deep within my heart.

As I look around at our country and our government, I see more and more chaos.
I see darkness (spiritual) covering towns and cities.
But even in all of this, I know that the Spirit of God is hovering and moving to work the plans and purposes of God so that His Kingdom will be brought in.
I rest in the assurance that no matter what happens, God is in control and that all things that are happening are working for the good of the Kingdom.
I can rest in this thought.

God on you.......
mb

My Jesus is not a republican....
He is not a democrat....
He has no political affiliation except to His Father's Kingdom rule.

He is not a capitalist..
Neither is He a communist...socialist...Fascist.
He stands alone above such divisions.

He is no respecter of persons....
His love is not directed to any one particular socio-ethnic group.
He does not love based on the color of a person's skin.
He loves simply because that is His nature.

He does hold a standard that is not lessened for anyone.
That standard is sin....
Sin separates all from God.....
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My Jesus knew the darkness that is in every man and woman's heart. He doesn't measure the evidence of a dark heart by the behavior. In other words....He doesn't look at the crook any different than He does at the person who told a lie. He doesn't hold the cheater in higher regard than He does the heroin addict. 
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All?
Yes, all?
That includes me. Such is the reason I follow Jesus today. His Holy Spirit convicted me of what I had done by showing me who I was...a sinner. The longer I pondered my fate, the more I realized that I was doomed to hell. There wasn't any get-out-hell free cards to be distributed to a luck few. There was simply what Jesus did on the cross when He died....and what Jesus accomplished when He was resurrected, and stepped out of that tomb on the first Easter Morning. 

All have sinned?
Who falls under "ALL"?
Everyone.
Everyone is in need of this gift of eternal life with God.
So how do I get this "life" thing?
Go to K-mart?
Surely Walmart has it. They have everything.
I know....
Amazon or Ebay!

Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:12-13 - For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

So...how's your heart this morning?
Is it still weighed down by the presence of the sin darkness?
Or has it been changed by my Jesus?
Do you truly know where you will spend eternity when you die...?
Or does that thought scare you to death?
It's a good day to turn to God...
He's there...
He's waiting to hear you.

God on you...
mbb

False Belief's

be·lief

biˈlēf/

noun

1. 1.

   an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

   "his belief in the value of hard work"
2. 2.

   trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

   "a belief in democratic politics"

One of the cornerstone of recovery for us is what we refer to as the "Four False Belief's".  A world view or belief system that has been adopted by an individual and governs the way they interact  with society, and make decisions.

I would like to take a look at the first two of the Four False Belief's. Keep in mind that these false beliefs occur in everyone's life to some degree or another. They are not relegated simply to those who struggle in addiction. These false belief's affect the way we view God, and interact with Him.

False Belief # 1

I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.

Sounds innocent enough doesn't it?
Well, what happens when all you've ever done is fail?
What happens to your thinking if you never measure up to standards that you or others have set for you? Now, throw in some drugs and alcohol on a daily basis and the failures grow and multiply. This false belief will cause you to not even try anymore. After all, why should you? You fail at everything. This is one of the obstacles we create in our own hearts and minds when we succumb to the spiritual, mental and physical darkness of addiction.

False Belief #2

I need the approval of others to feel good about myself.

In this case, our own self worth is so low that we seek to manipulate those around us to tell us how wonderful we are. We thrive on their opinion. We bask in their adulation. And when we don't receive it, we wither and die inside. We have created an equation to define who we are.

Person = Performance

We have bought into a lie that who we are, as person, is defined by what we have done (Our behavior / or our performance). Looking at our track record, we haven't done too well, have we? Yet, most of us were raised to gauge ourselves this way. When we were small, and we did something really nice for our Mother's......Mom would tell us, "Oh my you are a good boy!" But turn that around. Maybe we broke her favorite vase or some of her good china. What did we hear? "You're a bad boy."  So we slowly build a belief system that told us our worth comes from what we have done. Not simply from who we are.

I see a number of people who continue to live like this.
Who even try to serve God this way......

"If I do good...the Jesus will love me!"

or....

"How can Jesus love me, I am a total mess up."

To counter this false belief, we have to address the issue or our person. Salvation puts me in the place where God sees me as perfect.

Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Did you catch that?
"He has perfected."
Not "He will perfect" nor  "He is in the process of perfecting."

But has perfected.
So when God see me, He sees my person/spirit as being perfect because of the blood of Jesus.

Is my behavior/ performance perfect?
Nope!

But we're working on it by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts to bring about HIS changes.

God on you..

mb

There Is A War!

(Reprint From February 2012)

Spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday on the phone talking with people who were struggling.
Not with addiction, as most would think, but with attacks by the enemy.
The enemy we know as the devil. Yes, there is a devil and his desire is to devour you. Not in the sense of physical teeth tearing and consuming your flesh, but by bringing your life down through situations and circumstances. He comes at you whispering and accusing you. He brings doubt and fear and seeks to have you turn away from God, looking to your own ability to get you out of situations.He is called the accuser of the brethren in Scripture. These that I talked to and prayed with, were under severe oppression by forces of darkness.

One in particular who called was being visited by two demonic spirits who gave their names. They were bombarding this poor man's mind with all manner of anguish and accusation. He was trying to hold firm to the word of God,but had allowed these demonic spirits into his life through sin. In other words, when we sin, we open ourselves up to being oppressed by demonic spirits. To put it another way, through sin, we give these spirits legal right into our lives. It takes a greater authority to break their power and bring freedom and healing to the one who is suffering. That greater authority? The Lord Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 6:10 we read: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be strong! Not in our own ability. Not in our own wisdom or strength, but in the Lord. Be strong in the truth about our relationship we have through the shed blood of Jesus. That it is a relationship that can never be broken by the powers of hell. So we rest in the knowledge of our position in Christ, and in His ability to battle any forces of darkness that comes to us. 

Verse 11 reads: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (or plans) of the devil. God provides us protection in the form a armor. But there is a command that comes for this protection to be applied to our lives. We have to put it on. That means that I prepare myself mentally, spiritually and physically each day to walk in the instruction of the Lord. The armor consist of the following:
1.) Truth
2.) righteousness
3.) gospel of peace
4.) faith
5.) salvation
6.) Word of God (the Bible)

Truth holds everything in place. Without truth, we have nothing. Without truth, we are battling on the enemies terms and turf. When Jesus went into the wilderness after his baptism and encountered the devil, it wasn't a demonstration of power between these two. It was a battle of truth. The devil quoting half truths from Scripture trying to get Jesus to choose wrongly, and Jesus who was quoting the whole truth of the Word of God. Truth reveals my old sin nature when it seeks to thwart the things of God in my life. Truth keeps me pointed and walking in the right direction.I think it is pretty net that the list of the armor of God begins and ends with truth. It bookends all the other peaces of the armor. If you remember, in John 8:32, Jesus says, "And you shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free. The truth that Jesus is indeed the power, the authority and the only person who can deliver us from this world of darkness and spiritual death.
In John 14: 6, Jesus goes on to say, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. This is a pretty bold statement. No one...anywhere, anytime, any place can come to God the Father, except through Jesus. You know what? There aren't too many ways you can slice that statement. Boil it down to the basic message and what Jesus said is either the truth or its a lie. Call me crazy, but I tend to fall on the side that Jesus is speaking the truth.

So if you are struggling today, turn to the Word of God.
Pray out loud and call on the name of Jesus to come and rescue you.
You might be surprised as to what happens.

God on you.....
mb

William Andrews Encounter

Psalm 69:1-2
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing (footing); I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

William Andrews was a top notch fullback back in the late 70's. Playing for Auburn, William was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round. Played 8 years, was selected by his peers to play in the pro-bowl four times.

William Andrews fell prey to the lure and empty promise that drugs and alcohol whisper to those who are looking for something that will ease the pain of life.

His story isn't any different from any other individual that has started down that slippery slope of addiction. I am just proud to say that William Andrews had an encounter with God. His journey began when He turned will and live over to the care of God.

The video I've posted today is only 5+ minutes long. If you can, take a few moments and watch it. A true testimony to the POWER than only God can bring to an empty live.
Thanks for dropping by the Greene Street Letters.

God on you...
mbb

Reflections On The Weekend

O.k.....truth time.
I'm writing this on Sunday evening...5:42 p.m.
It's been a good time for me....it's been a good weekend.
All last week, I was reminded of a question John Wimber use to ask at the church staff meeting that was held every Monday morning.
John would gather the folks and ask them:
#1 - "What's our business?"
and
#2 - "How are we doing?"
These simple questions became the basis for my teachings this weekend.
First at Vineyard ReCovery Church, and then this morning at Northside Baptist.

I believe there are two applications to these two questions.
First as members of a corporate group....a church family....
As a church, how are we doing? Are we being true to the call God has given to us.
As a part of Vineyard ReCovery, I have always said that we were downtown for a reason. Let me take that one step farther. We are downtown on Saturday night's for a reason.
We get folks who walk in off the streets from time to time. They come in for a lot of different reasons. Some have thought we were a restaurant. Some just knew we were a bar....they saw the worship team on the stage, and people standing as worship was going on, so they thought "Hey! Let's check out this new place."

So why are on Broad Street? To serve.
Serve how? However we need to. Each person we come in contact with is different. So we try to use a blanket approach to ministering and serving them. Our basic premise is that whoever comes through our doors on Saturday night, should leave knowing that God loves them and so do we. In this love, we pray that God will open their hearts and minds to the truth of the Gospel. That this Jesus we speak of can do more than make you sober. He can give you life. Real life. Abundant life.

Sunday morning @ Northside Baptist I taught from I Corinthains 13, starting the message off by reading the last verse of chapter 12. Paul writes that after all this discussion about the power gifts given by the Holy Spirit, "I will show you a more excellent way." Paul then begins to list the importance of love for God, for others, and for self as being the fuel that drives these gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit. So, are we running around "doing" without "loving"? Are we trying to bake apple pies for Jesus in our strength, only to discover he never really cared for apple pies?

Maybe if we get this "love" think down, we'd see a greater advancement in the Kingdom. Who knows? So maybe today you can take a moment and ask yourself...."What's my business..and how am I doing?"

God on you....
mbb

"What's Our Business And How Are We Doing?"

What is so important about February 8th, 9th and 10th?
What is really the reason behind Vineyard ReCovery Church's existence?
What's up with the worship style that is at VRC?
Why does VRC meet on Saturday night? Seems like it would be better to meet on some other night.
Is there a structure of government to VRC, or is it simply a free-for-all?

These are some of the questions we are going to try and answer at tonight's gathering. I believe that from time to time we need to step back and assess the going's on at VRC.  John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard, use to meet with his staff every Monday morning and ask two questions.

#1 - "What's our business?"
#2 - "How are we doing?"
Such questions keep us focused on the original call given to VRC to be a recovery church, not a recovery meeting. It is really easy to deviate from the direction God has called us to, so we do need to take a "group" inventory to see where we are spiritually as a church.

Come out and join us tonight....
We begin at 7 p.m. and are located on Broad Street, Downtown Gadsden between 4th and 5th streets.
Hope to see you there, and by the way.....

God on you...
mb

X.....LI.....CXX.....Q....U....I...C....K

Roman Numerals....

Believe it or not, when I was in Elementary school, we had to learn how to

count by Roman Numerals.
A few months of this torturous activity and I quickly discovered why

the Roman empire fell.

It was too hard too count....

Scene: A Tent when Roman commanders gather to discuss strategy for the

upcoming campaign against the Visigoths.

General # 1 (Maximus Ventus) "What is the strength of the enemy...number wise?"

Peon # 1 : "Well....it's, let's see....uh....er....XXL, no that's not right."

"I'm sorry sir, what comes after LLXX MC?"

General: "Er....humph.....cough...Just guess, man, just guess!"

Peon #1 - There's a whole bunch of 'em.

I remember struggling to learn how to count.
I remember thinking to myself, "What good is this? I'll never use it."

Truth is, I haven't used Roman numerals much outside of figuring out when movies were made or what year a particular television show came one.
(read the credit's...watch for the Roman Numerals! Voila')

Maybe what didn't make sense at the time had a greater benefit than I could comprehend.

Isn't that like God?

He asks us to do something or leads us in a particular direction and we just don't get it.
We kick against the directives from Him and we whine and we gripe.
All the while He is trying to get us to see the bigger picture.

Genesis 6:14-- God commands Noah to make himself (interesting choice of words)

an ark of gopher wood.

Build a boat but it will be for you and your family.
God goes on to give the instructions on how and why to do this.

Noah's must of thought this is going to be a lot of work.

It wasn't like the ark came in pre-fabricated form.
Drop on down to the local Home Depot and pick yourself up an "ark" kit.

There were trees to be cut down.

Then shaped.
Cut into boards..

It was hard.

Do you think Noah, at any point, stopped and thought, this is crazy.
"When am I going to need such a boat?"
Years went by. Noah remained faithful.

Then came the day the animals showed up.
God told everyone to get inside the ark,

and the rain began to fall.
And it fell some more.

And it kept on falling.

30 days, 31 days....on and on.

38 days, 39 days....40 days.

Finally Noah understood why God had directed him to build the ark.

That is the way I want to be.
Not quibble about the "why" of God's directive,

and simply do.

Lesson Learned.

I want to get it the first time around.

If God has given Twelve Steps that create a path that provides me

the discipline I need to move from my life of destruction.....

Then I think I follow His instructions and build me an ark!

God on you....

mb

The Day The Music Died....And Then Was Resurrected

Music has been an important part of my life for more years than I care to think about.
Earliest memories I have is listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford sing "16 Tons" on the radio. Could a clarinet be any more spooky than the intro to this song. I remember the feeling I had the first time I heard Duane Eddy play those first notes of Rebel Rouser. Still get the same feeling even after all these years when I catch that song on the Oldie Station.

In the late 50's my brother got a High Fidelity Stereo Record player. O.k. It was on now. We had our own personal Juke box there in the Bynum household. Well, he had the juke box, but I got to listen to it. Everything went up a notch when my brother brought home a 45 rpm record of a group from Lubbock Texas. Young man named Buddy Holly was making his move in the music world. My brother put that 45 on the spindle, turned the knob as the 45 dropped to the platter and began to spin. The needle arm raised up like some kind of futuristic Robot.......swung over the record and slowly descended to the point where needle met vinyl. Suddenly the room was filled with the sound of an electric guitar.  A voice proclaimed from that Stereo...."Well, that'll be the day". I was hooked.

There would be other bands that came in and out of my life as time passed. Some made an everlasting impact on this ol boy. The Beatles....The very reason I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Procol Harum....a British attempt at being a blues band. Not Delta blues....but British blues.

Things changed again for me in 1979.
Vicki and I had returned to our roots and had started attending church. During this time, I was made aware that my love for music had actually turned into a worship of music. It was the most important thing in my life. I had amassed a huge collection of albums, 45's, 8-track tapes as well as cassette tapes. Even had a room in my house that was totally devoted to stereo equipment and my collection of music. You see my heart had placed all of this "stuff" to a level of importance that was not healthy. It had become my god so to speak. One evening, while sitting in my music room, God spoke to me and asked me "which do you love the most? Your music? Or me? What was I going to say? I love you, Lord. But that wasn't the truth. He revealed my heart to me and I was totally ashamed of what I saw. I did love the music and everything associated with it more than I loved God. The next part was something I did not want to hear. "If you truly love me, then rid yourself of these things." Get rid of my albums....my 45's....my 8-tracks!"

I wrestled with this for days, until finally one Sunday night I could not stand it any longer. I back the car up to the door of the house, raised the trunk and began to fill it with all my "Stuff". I would love to say that the heaven's parted and I heard God say..."Well, done my faithful servant". I didn't. I was angry that God would ask me to do this. So a little over a thousand albums filled that car,  and I drove to the mall where I worked. Found a secluded trash dumpster and began to transfer the albums to the dumpster.

I remember going home thinking, "Now what am I going to listen to?" Gospel music? Oh no....4 white guys in matching leisure suits, slicked back hair and wing tips, belting out harmony!" But God knew best. It wasn't the type of music that offended him (as some wanted to teach us the evil's of rock and roll). It was the simple fact that music had replaced God as #1 in my life. My love now laid in a dumpster at the Gadsden Mall.

Weeks passed by and I felt like an addict who needed a fix. During this time, I met a young man, Bill Anderson, who also worked at the mall. We hit it off from the start, both having a love for music. Bill shared his story and his Jesus with me. But the best part was to come. He invited me over to his apartment one night to play me an album he thought I might like. Little did I know that this night was going to change me for the better. He placed the album on the turntable, place the needle onto the vinyl, and once more what came out of those speakers caught my heart and my attention. The album? How The West Was One". The musician? Phil Keaggy. Never had I heard such guitar playing before. But this time, the music...as well as the musician... all pointed to the God of the universe.

My first encounter with "Jesus Music"....
IT was new...it was fresh...it was something that stirred my soul, and the best part....it was God-given to my generation. There would be other albums to follow this one......
Larry Norman.....
2nd Chapter of Acts.....
Mark Heard......
Malcom and Alwyn....
Barry McGuire......
Honeytree....
Sweet Comfort Band...
Bethlehem.......
Dogwood......

What an incredible God. He had asked me to give up the very thing I loved the most, and yet returned to me something that fed my soul and my love for music. Guess what? That love continues to this day, but it resides in its proper place. God is first in my life for now and always.
Just wanted to share a bit of my story....hope I didn't bore you too much.

God on you....
mbb