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Music equipment for worship

This is the equipment I currently use, semi acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, Fender " sidekick"amplifier for guitars and Hertke "kickback" bass amplifier. I use chorus pedal and Zoom b708 for bass effects.

What I would like to do is add midi bass pedals with an octave of foot keys to complement the playing. Bass pedals that generate sounds as opposed to effect pedals are not that familiar. I think there is scope with them especially now that you can assign sounds or rhythm's to the individual pedals. I don't fancy lugging an extra keyboard to drive the bass pedals though!

Some one must know an easy way to coordinate bass pedals for a non keyboard player?

Recent storm damage

From a few weeks ago storm damage a few days before we picked the tatties!

Comfort of home

After a long day its good to return to the warmth of home. Especially when winter arrives. I have wondered how many centuries ago people survived without central heating. Yes it was a hard life and the human frailty seemed less. The Romans had their comforts with central heating. They liked their comforts.

The human race with all its different shades longs for contentment "to be at home!"...And God stands with his hands open. Home ...The fathers embrace.

Read the story of the lost son....again. What does it say to you about the father?

Old friends..

It has been good to catch up with old friends from 30 years ago.
H, has been on the e mail a few times this week.

Now what has been consistant in 30 years.
The government, Church, Music, Politics, Media, Me You the family ..

Our God

First minister second term...

First Minister wants to be in the role for a full new term.-To make the Scottish Education system the best in the world again....

Denominations How many?

How many denominations in the world ?


here are some click here

More

MacRae spoke at one meeting of the Free Church Stornoway on the:

Unusual features of the present religious movement in Lewis.
He was convinced there was a revival in Lewis and a work of God. But he wanted people to consider some of the peculiar features of it.

In particular MacRae wished the meeting to consider that in Park... convulsive fits.
Grimshader ...Trembling or tremors...With crying.
At Point and Shader trances and women praying and exhorting ( ...and a good deal of disorder).
He noted further
Those or some could not give an explanation to what was happening. Rather than looking for the work of the Holy Spirit people were disappointed if there was no manifestations.
Secondly MacRae saw a sense of superior order of Christians taking hold with those who had experienced some of the manifestations.
He felt that matters might lead to unscriptural extravagances.
He also talked and reported on other happenings in the country, quoting Kilsyth and Cambuslang.
He concluded that the manifestations were neither good or evil but hysteria.

He quoted the medical observations for hysteria.

Highly strung people mainly young women
Infectious
Associated with convulsions tremors and trances
Attacks are always in an audience never alone.
Those effected say they could not help themselves.
If wanted to those effected could have controlled themselves.
Delusions and hallucinations
Consciousness not lost.

MacRae was concluding that mass hysteria was happening in Lewis and his concern was separating it from the work of the Holy Spirit.
Hi did specifically acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit at that time.
Quoting the action of McChenye from Dundee. He was supporting the need to have religious meetings closed by 11.00 pm. "Lest Good be evil spoken".

It is clear from MacRae there is a need to discern what is of God and a work of the Holy Spirit and what is not. While he saw the Lewis revival as of God, not all was his making. It is easy to be tricked in times of revival to assume all phenomena are in connection with the spirit of God, and to question it is to hinder that Revival. There is a more discerning Church today- but a good warning nevertheless.

MacRae on Revival

Kenneth MacRae, someone who took a keen interest in revival felt that a careful discrimination needed to be exercised in evaluating revivals.

He noted in revival there was :

Increase zeal and devotedness to Christ among believers.
The spread of conviction and alarm among the spiritually careless.
This change is spiritual condition may be gradual or as suddenly as a thunderbolt.
The existence of numbers who are awakened some who unfortunately fall back while others try to drown conviction and fail.
Converts are established in a good hope of their salvation although the manner of their conversions differ considerably some are slowly brought to a sense of peace and cannot identify a time then they first came to Christ; others are suddenly changed and may experience immediate joy and ecstasy.

During the Lewis revival of 1936 he wrote "Matters seem to be definitely improving" he was cautious about reports. By 1939 a wide revival work was present in Lewis. At the Free Church Assembly he recorded "evidences... that the Lord is effectively working in the hearts of men".

Concern over certain phenomena presented itself. At Point meetings were reverent and with solemnity. There was elements of excitement and hysteria. Yet clear evidence of lasting conversions.
By 1938 the phenomena of swooning, of out cries, of temporary paralysis of limbs and muscular spasms or jerks drew much attention. The press searched for stories. People would collapse, others rise together, some weep or call in Gaelic on their relatives. Some lost all power to their limbs and would be carried to other rooms to recover. These things caused controversy. Some ministers affirmed the physical effects as god's. In their thinking All the phenomena was linked to revival. Others were concerned how the media were presenting the situation.

Why is it?

Why is it..?
I have noticed some things over the years.
One is that people look for the easy route!
The path of least resistance is the one that many knowingly or without noticing take.
Now before you go off looking at the Bible and stories about the blessing of the smooth road and how God has blessed many with a trouble free journey, before you look at all the references quoted for prosperity theology- a doubtful theology until the late eighties- are we not to take our lot as it happens?
Has strict Calvinism got it right ?
Why is it?
Stay with it.
Are some, to find that their road is tougher than others.
So in our subconscious are we looking for the blessing sign be looking for the path of least resistance? It is easy to do this.When I read Michael Faraday's biography its not like that. Bruce and the spider story is not about that either! (No its not in the Bible).
Why is it?
Esther's road was not plain sailing and she spent a whole year preparing for one day with the King! Is it a wrong way to travel the broad road looking for the easy bit and collate that, as the narrow way fit for King servants?
The narrow way may be less broad by definition but it is more than likely a more troublesome way than the “broad way”.
Why is it then?
Because we are lazy be human nature?
Because we want all “nice” things to come our way!
Perhaps we need to redefine “Good things that come our way”-
As the things that God purposely puts our way to improve our relation with Him- Be it a new car or a broken leg!
The culture of today is about success measured by accumulation of wealth seen in goods and the ability to buy goods at any cost, modern or post modern.
Yet the real success is the ability to be in a strong relation with the Father and the ability to worship him...at what costs? Preparing for the oneday to be with the King.
Seeking the Kingdom first is becoming more obscure to the society we live in.
The behaviour of “pleasing” the neighbour at the expense of one self's destiny/Zoe life/walk/seeking God's will, is as strong as before.
So how are you going to be determined to walk the talk of the glorious journey set out before you ( and maybe made before you!) The choice is there in a strict Calvinistic way!
If nothing is going to separate you from God then that is a struggle worth winning.
So seek the narrow way whatever that means and be aware that it may mean struggle rather than the stream that seeks the easy path through the hard ground to the river, to the sea.