Psalm 100

Ok, so here is the next song, verbatim from Scripture. Who do you think will be the winner, Isaiah or David?

I have always loved this Psalm, and it is still teaching me. If you learn the straight forward statements of this Psalm, it will continue to teach you for many years as you contrast its truth with the false teachings of this world. The Psalm contains truths such as, "the Lord is good" and "We are His" and "It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves". It also teaches us how we should approach the Lord.

Question: What should you do when you enter into the presence of the Almighty God?

Answer: You should be singing like this Psalm teaches us, imagine that.

Colosians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

How can we sing the Psalms, if we do not know the Psalms?

Now, that does not mean that we should all run out and learn Hebrew, but it would not hurt! Strive with the Lord, and He will provide you with more than the Psalms in Hebrew, and that is no small treasure. The Lord's provision for us is exceedingly abundant. Enjoy.

Here are the Lyrics:

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,
all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he [is] God:
[it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves;
[we are] his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
[and] into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him,
[and] bless his name.

For the LORD [is] good;
his mercy [is] everlasting;
and his truth [endureth] to all
generations.

Note: Performed with the following chords in order: C, Am, F, G
on a soprano ukulele. Verses verbatim from the King James Version.

Can you guess why some words are in bold?

UPDATE: Here is a link some of the lyrics and chords I've been using ... Enjoy.

Isaiah 40 verses 27-31

Going back in time, and recording songs written by my father has been refreshing for me, and now we are going back again to some songs written by my Father ... in Heaven. We are going back about 3 -- thousand years.

There is something exciting about songs that come directly from the Bible. That's why I chose this song. Learning this is easier than memorizing scripture. And it makes me jealous of all those folks who can sing the psalms in Hebrew. The trace of power that comes through in the English translation of this song is awesome. It is unmistakable evidence of God's provision for us. Try writing something, and see if it is still this vibrant and alive after a thousand years ... enjoy.

Here are the Lyrics:

Isaiah 40 verses 27-31

[Chorus]
G         D                   C
Do you not know?  Have you not heard?
              D           G
The Lord is the everlasting God,
          D                  C
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
       D                G
He will not grow tired or weary,
D               C
... and His understanding ...
  D                  G
... no one can fathom.   ... He gives
              D           C
strength to the weary and increases
  D            G
the power of the weak.
  D            C          D
 ...          ...        ...

[Verse 1]
Em                       D
Why do you say, O Jacob,
D                  Em
and complain, O Israel,
Em                       D
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
Em                       D
( Why do you say, O Jacob,
D                    Em
and complain, O Israel, )
Em                       D
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
  Em                     D
Even youths grow tired and weary,
  Em                    D
and young men stumble and fall;
  Em                     D
Even youths grow tired and weary,
  Em                    D
and young men stumble and fall;

[Bridge]
   G        D           C
but those who hope in the Lord
     D                  G
will renew their strength.
         D      C
They will soar on wings
   D                    G
like eagles;             ...
        D       C
they will run and not
D                        G
(not) grow weary,
         D              C      D
they will walk and not be faint.

[Chorus]

Note: I recorded this song in the key of C, but the chords above are in G. If I hired a real singer it would be better, but in the mean time ... wow, this is fun. All verses taken verbatim from the New International Version (NIV).

UPDATE: Here are some more lyrics and chords I've been using. Hope that helps.

Yes, we have a parade ...

.
One annotation, that has stuck in my mind, since my post about the hotdog church, was made by the Eritrean cabby that took me to my hotel on Market St. in San Francisco last June. As we passed a group of SF policemen preparing, he said, "The rainbow parade will go by this hotel tomorrow." His accent was thick, he had only been in the states for a year.

Then I asked, "Where you come from, do they have parades for them, in Eritrea? Does the government spend your tax money on security for the parade?" He paused for a moment, glanced back at me, and then responded solemnly, "Yes. We have a parade, but it ends much differently."

You see, there are only six or seven countries in the world that carry the death penalty for homosexual acts, and every one of them justify this punishment with sharia law.

Sniff kiss and tell

I love to smell the crown of someone's head. Each crown has its own unique smell. -- Robin Atwood

When I went a courtin' my wife, it became clear that Vietnamese folks do not kiss on the lips too much. They prefer to smell as they press their nose against the crown of your head, or in your hair, and sniff inhale as they pull back.

The Lord has provided us an abundant variety of ways to be affectionate. People need to understand this! Let's "sniff kiss and tell" everyone about it.

I love my wife :-)