Ray Fowler .org

Sunday’s message in the The Road to Jerusalem series was called Rest Stop on the Road to Jerusalem, taken from Luke 10:38-42.

Luke 10:38-42 – 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV)

The main idea of the message was that we must take time to be with Jesus on the road of discipleship. Here is a brief summary of the message:

I. We must take time to listen to Christ. (38-39)

Jesus and his disciples made a rest stop at Martha and Mary’s house in Bethany. But this was also a rest stop for Mary. Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” It was common in those days for pupils to sit at the feet of their teachers. By sitting at Jesus’ feet Mary was showing a desire to learn and demonstrating respect for Jesus as her teacher.

We too must take time to listen to Jesus. A rest stop is not just a break from the daily routine of life. It is a refueling for the journey. We must take time daily to draw near to Jesus, to sit at his feet and let him teach us. We do this through careful reading of God’s Word and through prayer.

II. We must beware of distractions. (40)

Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. The Greek here literally says, “she was distracted by much service or ministry.” Can ministry distract us from Jesus? It sounds strange at first, but it can happen. It is possible to get so wrapped up in serving the Lord that we can forget to love the Lord.

Martha wasn’t involved in wrong things. She wasn’t engaged in sinful activity. She was serving. In fact, she was serving Jesus! Martha’s problem was that she was distracted in her serving. She was missing what Jesus wanted for her that afternoon. She was missing the joy of sitting at Jesus’ feet, enjoying his presence, hearing his word which is life itself. She was traveling the road of discipleship without taking time for the rest stops.

III. We must choose the one thing necessary. (41-42)

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” The truth comes out. Martha was not just upset about Mary. She was worried and upset about many things. And yet Jesus said only one thing was really necessary — to sit at His feet and hear his word. Before we can truly give to others, we must receive from the Lord. We must have fellowship with the Lord in prayer and in his word.

Jesus told Martha, ““Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” There is a time to serve and a time to sit, and sitting takes priority. Service must grow out of sitting. Those who sit at Christ’s feet and learn from him will not serve him less, but they will serve him better.

Note: To read the complete message, go to the Sermons tab at the top of the blog.

In case you are not familiar with Larry Norman or his music, here is Larry singing some of his songs:

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?
(Video length: 2:51)

 

Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation
(Video length: 3:47)

 

Also:

• You can view more Larry Norman videos here: Larry Norman Videos
• You can listen to more of Larry’s music here: Larry Norman – Multimedia
• You can buy Larry Norman CDs/DVDs here: The Solid Rock Shoppe

So, what are your favorite Larry Norman songs?

Related posts:

• Larry Norman Funeral Video Montage
• Larry Norman’s Funeral/Memorial Service
• Larry Norman on NPR
• My Tribute Song to Larry Norman
• Larry Norman Sings Goodbye Farewell
• Larry Norman Passes Away (1947-2008)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (1)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (2)

“Song for a Small Circle of Friends” (rewrite)
Click here to play.

One of my heroes died today. It is hard to put into words the impact Larry Norman’s music and ministry had on my life. All I know is that through his music and witness, I grew to love Jesus more and desired to serve God better. That’s not a bad legacy to pass on to another person.

Music has always been an important part of my life, and no musician has had a greater influence on me than Larry. I remember long hours as a teenager blasting his music at full volume on the stereo, just enjoying the energy of the music and the depth of the lyrics. (Thanks Mom and Dad for understanding!) When I worked landscaping during summers in college, I used to play Larry’s blues album, “Something New Under the Son,” while driving to work early each morning. It always put a smile on my face and a lift in my step.

Larry’s music helped me to develop a Christian world view long before I ever heard the term. Larry didn’t just write “Christian” songs. He wrote about everything. He wrote about God, love, current events, relationships, politics, the environment, and more. He did not feel compelled to write specifically about Jesus in every song, nor was he ever afraid to mention the name of Jesus in concert or in song. He understood that all of life belonged to God and wrote accordingly. His influence on me is even apparent in the tagline and general style of my blog: “Thoughts on God and life from a Christian perspective.” When I started to blog, I didn’t want to write just about specifically “Christian” topics. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and I wanted to write about all of life under God’s care. (Note: Larry also introduced me to the writings of Francis Schaeffer, which continued to shape my thinking and Christian walk in profound ways.)

Larry was an honest songwriter and performer. He wrote and talked about the joys of life as well as the sorrows and disappointments. He had a heart for the disadvantaged and poor, and a sincere desire to share Christ others. He also had a wickedly sharp sense of humor. There are few people who have made me laugh so hard over the years as Larry with his music and at his concerts.

Five years ago I had the opportunity to record a song for a tribute CD for Larry. It is a re-write of a song Larry wrote called “Small Circle of Friends.” In the original version, Larry mentions the names of various musical friends and influences in his life. So in my version, I wrote the song back to Larry, thanking him for his influence in my life. Although the CD was never released, I know Larry at least got to hear the song, and that was more important to me anyways. When I saw Larry in concert last summer in New York, I mentioned the song to him, and told him, “I hope you didn’t mind!” and he just laughed.

So here is my tribute song to Larry. God bless you, Larry, and thank you for your ministry in my life. It is so good to know that you are free from pain, free from sorrow, safe in the arms of your Heavenly Father – “a better life begins.”

“Song for a Small Circle of Friends”
  – Original words and music by Larry Norman; Revised lyrics by Ray Fowler
  – Recorded and performed by Ray Fowler in March of 2003
Click here to play.

Well my life is filled with songs,
But I just could not get along without my friends.
And I’m happy now but when this good life ends,
I know a better life begins.

And love to you, dear Larry
With your guitar full volume on your amp.
You’re so crazy, but you know it,
And we love you as we all crawl toward the lamp.

With Jon Linn on guitar,
And Randy singing harmony,
Your brother Charles plays everything,
Your music means so much to me.

Dear brother, watch your fears all hide
And disappear while love inside keeps growing.
You’re older but less colder than the jokes and folks
You spent your childhood snowing.

And Jesus died for all your friends,
But even better yet he lives again.
And if this song does not make sense to you,
I hope his Spirit slips on through,
He loves you.

He loves you. He loves you.
And if these words do not appeal to you,
I hope his Spirit slips on through,
You know he loves you.

Related posts:

• Larry Norman Funeral Video Montage
• Larry Norman’s Funeral/Memorial Service
• Larry Norman on NPR
• Some Larry Norman Videos
• Larry Norman Sings Goodbye Farewell
• Larry Norman Passes Away (1947-2008)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (1)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (2)

Death Comes to Us All (Larry speaking)
[audio:LarryNorman_ DeathComesToUsAll.mp3]
Click “►” button to play | Length: 1:24

“When we’re young, growing up, we don’t think about death. We think death is for our grandmother. Death is for the old man down the road. But death comes to all of us, at a time when most of us do not expect it. We’re not looking for it, and then it is there. And sometimes people are not ready to die. They’re unprepared. They haven’t thought about getting their life together. But I’ve had this opportunity. I’ve had three heart attacks in the last year and a half. And I’ve had a lot of time to think about life and death and what’s important. And I’m glad that I have some time to talk to God, to talk to my friends, to think about what’s important, and get ready for my end, my death. We should live each day as though it might be our last day, because it might.”

Goodbye Farewell
[audio:LarryNorman_GoodbyeFarewell.mp3]
Click “►” button to play | Length: 4:03

Goodbye, farewell, we’ll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will walk with God,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

The light grows dim, but in this hour
I have no tears to cry.
My heart is full, my joy complete,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

I feel no loss of hope as I’ve grown older,
Only this world’s weight upon my shoulder.

My heart beats to a slower song,
So softly in my veins.
The night is warm, but in my sleep
I dream of heaven’s reign.

Everything I am I’ve tried to show you;
In this life I’ve been so blessed to know you.

Goodbye, farewell, we’ll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will walk with God,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Related posts:

• Larry Norman Funeral Video Montage
• Larry Norman’s Funeral/Memorial Service
• Larry Norman on NPR
• Some Larry Norman Videos
• My Tribute Song to Larry Norman
• Larry Norman Passes Away (1947-2008)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (1)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (2)

Memorial Service Update: Click here for photos and a description of Larry’s funeral/memorial service. The service was held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 1st at The Church on the Hill, 2707 Maranatha Ct., Turner, Oregon, just south of Salem. Here is a mapquest link. For more information, contact Charles Norman at charles@slackertone.com
______________________________________________________________

Christian musician Larry Norman passed away at 2:45 this morning. Larry was a huge influence on me as a young Christian, and I am grateful for his life and ministry. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Here is the message from Larry’s brother, Charles, at Solid Rock Records:

MESSAGE FROM SOLID ROCK:

Hello everybody.

Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art …

Yesterday afternoon he knew he was going to go home to God very soon and he dictated the following message to you while his friend Allen Fleming typed these words into Larry’s computer:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God’s hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won’t be here much longer. I can’t do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I’d like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

    Goodbye, farewell, we’ll meet again
    Somewhere beyond the sky.
    I pray that you will stay with God
    Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Thank you to all of you who were so nice to my brother over the years. Kristin and I will post funeral information in the next day or two. Right now we’re not able to function very well, but the whole family is here … our mother Margaret, our sisters Nancy and Kristy, Mike Norman and his new wife Tiffany, and Silver.

We miss him beyond words. Thank you for everything.

Peace to you all in Christ,

Charles Norman

_______________________________________________________

Feel free to share your memories of Larry in the comments.

Related posts:

• Larry Norman Funeral Video Montage
• Larry Norman’s Funeral/Memorial Service
• Larry Norman on NPR
• Some Larry Norman Videos
• My Tribute Song to Larry Norman
• Larry Norman Sings Goodbye Farewell
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (1)
• Larry Norman Concert in New York City (2)

Binary decoder. “The binary number system (aka base 2) represents values using two symbols, typically 0 and 1. Computers call these bits. A bit is either off (0) or on (1). When arranged in sets of 8 bits (1 byte) 256 values can be represented (0-255). Using an ASCII chart, these values can be mapped to characters and text can be stored. It’s not magic, it’s just math!”

Ray Pritchard offers some advice to the discontented. “You are where you are right now because God wants you there. You may be happy about your current circumstances or you may be miserable. Most likely you are somewhere in between. It doesn’t matter. You are where you are at this moment because God wants you there. How do I know that? Because if God wanted you somewhere else, you’d be somewhere [else], and when he does want you somewhere else, that’s where you will be. If God is God, that must be true.”

Thabiti Anyabwile expresses appreciation for Samuel Rutherford’s ministry as described by Andrew Bonar. “The parish of Anwoth had no large village near the church. The people were scattered over a hilly district, and were quite a rural flock. But their shepherd knew that the Chief Shepherd counted them worth caring for; he was not one who thought that his learning and talents would be ill spent if laid out in seeking to save souls, obscure and unknown … Anwoth was dear to him rather as the sphere appointed him by his Master, than because of the fruit he saw of his labours.”

Mark Dever shares wise counsel concerning the bondage of guidance. “The way many Christians practice seeking God’s will before they make a decision amounts to spiritual and emotional bondage. Christ has died to give us liberty and freedom (Rom. 6; Gal. 5; I Peter 2). We can only know the truth about God’s will by what His Spirit reveals to us. He has revealed God’s mind authoritatively in His Word. We should give ourselves to study what He has revealed. Personal reading, meditation, sermons, friends and books are all available to us to help us to better understand God’s revealed will.”

Bryan McWhite quotes Jerry Bridges on disobedience vs. defeat in the Christian life. “It might be good if we stopped using the terms ‘victory’ and ‘defeat’ to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms ‘obedience’ and ‘disobedience.’ When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me. We may, in fact, be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.” (Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness, pp. 80-81)

Old math. Scientists have finally figured out how a 2,000-year-old mechanical computer salvaged from a Roman shipwreck actually works. The ancient device with 80 pieces of gear wheels, dials and clock-like hands was used to track the precise positions of the sun, several heavenly bodies and the phases of the moon. Computer scans show that the machine used a differential gear, which was previously thought to have been invented in the 16th century.

NFL reverses call. The National Football League has decided that churches may show the Super Bowl on large screens after all. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league would no longer object to “live showings – regardless of screen size – of the Super Bowl” by religious organizations. Many churches across the country cancelled their planned Super Bowl gatherings this past year when the NFL cracked down on churches showing the game on screens larger than 55 inches.

Working your way up. In a test of the American Dream, Adam Shepherd entered a homeless shelter with only twenty-five dollars and the clothes on his back. His goal was to have a furnished apartment, a car and $2,500 in savings within a year. After ten months he had moved into an apartment, bought a pickup truck and saved close to $5,000.

This question came up in church last week:

How much did Jesus know about the cross? How much did he know about what would happen when he arrived in Jerusalem? Did he know about all the events that would take place between Palm Sunday and Easter, or did he just have a general knowledge that he was going to suffer and die?

The person asking the question felt that Jesus’ determination to walk the road to Jerusalem would mean that much more to us if we could say with confidence that Jesus knew everything that lay ahead for him.

It is an interesting question, and theologically delves into the mystery of the incarnation. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became fully man without ceasing at the same time to be fully God. Jesus possessed both a divine nature and human nature in one person. So how does one reconcile Jesus’ omniscience as God with his growth and development as a human being?

The Scriptures indicate that Jesus retained his divine omniscience even in the incarnation but chose not to exercise it at certain times. So where did Jesus get his knowledge of things to come? Some of his knowledge of future events may have come through his personal study of Scripture, some by direct revelation from the Father in prayer, and some by his divine attribute of omniscience. We find examples of all three of these avenues in Jesus’ life, and it may be that various combinations of the three contributed to his knowledge at different times.

As Jesus made his way toward Jerusalem and the cross, the Scriptures tell us that he knew many details of what lay ahead for him. He knew that he must suffer and be rejected, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (Luke 9:22) He knew that he would be betrayed. (Luke 9:44) He knew that he would be handed over to the Gentiles and that they would mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. (Luke 18:31)

Many of these things Jesus could have known simply from his study of the Scriptures. But Jesus also knew other details that would have required a different type of knowledge. For example, Jesus knew from the beginning who would not believe and who would betray him. (John 6:64) Jesus knew in advance that Peter would deny him three times. (John 13:38) And when the soldiers came for him in the garden, John tells us that Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. (John 18:4) He could only have known such things by direct revelation from the Father or by drawing on his omniscience as the Son of God.

So, how much did Jesus know about the cross as he walked toward Jerusalem? Did he know every single detail that would take place that week? Possibly, but we cannot say for sure. It is all part of the mystery of the incarnation.

But if we step back further in time, before his incarnation, Jesus most certainly knew every detail that would take place leading up to the cross. Drawing fully from his omniscience in his pre-incarnate state, Jesus knew everything that he would suffer in Jerusalem. Yet he still chose to come and die for lost sinners like you and me. He is “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8) How much did Jesus know about the cross? We may rest assured that when Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to earth, he did so with full knowledge of the cross and all that it would entail.

The Desiring God site has posted an excellent list of books on the theme of “Believing the Bible.” This is a list that John Piper put together for students in his Why We Believe the Bible seminar for The Bethlehem Institute.

The books are divided into the following three categories:

• The Canon of the New Testament
• The Reliability of the New Testament
• Responses to Recent Critics

I am familiar with most of the books on the list and would highly recommend them to you. Let me encourage you to check the list out and perhaps read one or two books from each category. You will most certainly grow in your faith and in your confidence in the Scriptures.

Related posts:

• Books to Help You Read Through the Bible
• 8 Great Books on Christianity, Culture, Creativity and the Arts

“The Moon glows orange as it is seen above the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, during a total eclipse early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurred Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.” (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Click here for more photos of the lunar eclipse over at Yahoo Photos.

HT: BiblePlaces Blog

Click links below for more Moon related posts:

• Mississippi Moon (Great song about the June solstice moon!)
• Solstice Moon Illusion
• Full Moon Rising over Saguaro National Park

Click here for more Space related posts.

This is a follow-up to last month’s post: The Size of the Earth Compared to Other Objects in Space. The pictures in that post showed the relative sizes of the planets to each other (and the sun and beyond). But what about the actual distances in the solar system? Is there any way to visualize the vast amount of empty space between the planets and the sun? Here is a helpful illustration which reduces the sizes and distances involved by a factor of one billion (English and metric versions follow).

English measurement version:

One way to help visualize the relative sizes in the solar system is to imagine a model in which everything is reduced in size by a factor of a billion. Then the model Earth would be about 0.5 inches in diameter (the size of a grape). The Moon would be 11.8 inches (about a foot) from the Earth. The Sun would be 5 feet in diameter and 500 feet (about a city block) from the Earth. Jupiter would be 6 inches in diameter (the size of a large grapefruit) and 5 blocks away from the Sun. Saturn (the size of an orange) would be 10 blocks away; Uranus and Neptune (lemons) 20 and 30 blocks away. A human on this scale would be the size of an atom but the nearest star would be over 25,000 miles away.

Metric version:

One way to help visualize the relative sizes in the solar system is to imagine a model in which everything is reduced in size by a factor of a billion. Then the model Earth would be about 1.3 cm in diameter (the size of a grape). The Moon would be about 30 cm (about a foot) from the Earth. The Sun would be 1.5 meters in diameter (about the height of a man) and 150 meters (about a city block) from the Earth. Jupiter would be 15 cm in diameter (the size of a large grapefruit) and 5 blocks away from the Sun. Saturn (the size of an orange) would be 10 blocks away; Uranus and Neptune (lemons) 20 and 30 blocks away. A human on this scale would be the size of an atom but the nearest star would be over 40,000 km away.

Source: An Overview of the Solar System

Related posts:

• The Size of the Earth Compared to Other Objects in Space
• Powers of 10 Video
• Our Place in God’s Creation (Psalm 8:1-8)
• Sunday Morning SoundBytes – 1/13/2008

Don’t miss the total lunar eclipse tonight. The entire event will be visible from North and South America tonight (Feb 20) and from Western Europe, Africa, and western Asia early tomorrow morning (Feb 21). You can expect the moon to change dramatically in color during the eclipse, from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and perhaps a very dark gray.

A lunar eclipse takes place when the moon passes through a portion of the earth’s shadow. A total lunar eclipse takes place when the earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon. A lunar eclipse can only take place when the moon is full.

Here is the schedule for tonight’s eclipse (Eastern Standard Time):

08:43 pm – Partial Eclipse Begins
10:01 pm – Total Eclipse Begins
10:26 pm – Mid-Eclipse
10:51 pm – Total Eclipse Ends
12:09 am – Partial Eclipse Ends

You can find more information on the eclipse plus a schedule for other time zones at the NASA Eclipse Home Page.