When it comes to determining the most intriguing guest artist on Coldplay‘s recently-released album A Head Full Of Dreams, you can’t beat the President himself. Barack Obama is featured on Coldplay’s “Kaleidoscope” — and, no, he’s not just talking. Blue Ivy Carter has a cameo as well, on a different song, so it was a tight race there for a second, but, ultimately, the fact that the President is actually singing gave him a slight edge over the daughter of Jay Z and Beyoncé. Anyway, as I said, the song in question is “Kaleidoscope”, and it uses a snippet of Obama, not giving a speech, which would be powerful enough, but singing “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, one of the nine victims of the June 2015 shooting in Charleston, North Carolina.
In lead singer Chris Martin’s own words, speaking to The Sun, “We have a tiny clip of the President singing ‘Amazing Grace’ at that church. Because of the historical significance of what he did and also that that song being about, ‘I’m lost but now I’m found.'” It’s an inspirational message on its own, but is made even more so in connection with the other words that Obama shared during the eulogy for Pinckney, in which he touched on gun violence, racial tension, and the meaning of faith in today’s terrifying world. Here’s the video of Obama briefly breaking into song at the state senator’s funeral on Jun. 26.
President Obama sings Amazing Grace (C-SPAN)
In the Coldplay song, layered over the clip of Obama singing, are spoken lyrics from a poem by the Persian poet Rumi that serve to underscore the message of grace and love even further:
This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival
A joy, a depression, a meanness
Some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor
Welcome and entertain them all!
Be grateful for whoever comes
Because each has been sent as a guide
While “Kaleidoscope” may not be the most danceable track on A Head Full Of Dreams, available now on Tidal and Apple Music — definitely not, in fact — its message is an important one, and I’m glad it made it on the album.
_________ Coldplay – Midnight At the bottom of this post are links to other articles about the spiritual implications of some Coldplay songs. Midnight (Coldplay song) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “Midnight” Song by Coldplay Recorded 2013 at The Bakery and The Beehive (London, England) Genre Ambient, experimental rock,electronic[1] Label Parlophone, Atlantic Writer Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Jon Hopkins, Chris Martin Producer […]
These are some of the most popular posts in the last 30 days about the spiritual quest of Chris Martin of Coldplay that can be found on http://www.thedailyhatch.org: Chris Martin of Coldplay unknowingly lives out his childhood Christian beliefs (Part 3 of notes from June 23, 2012 Dallas Coldplay Concert, Martin left Christianity because of […]
_________________________ (If you want to check out other posts I have done about about Steve Jobs:Some say Steve Jobs was an atheist , Steve Jobs and Adoption , What is the eternal impact of Steve Jobs’ life? ,Steve Jobs versus President Obama: Who created more jobs? ,Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it ,8 things you might not know about […]
Coldplay Live 2003 Backstage Chris Martin revealed in his interview with Howard Stern that he was rasied an evangelical Christian but he has left the church. I believe that many words that he puts in his songs today are generated from the deep seated Christian beliefs from his childhood that find their way out in […]
I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it seems […]
Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]
Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]
Everette Hatcher “I have to admit that tears streamed down my face as my wife Jill, and I sang this song “Christ And Christ Crucified“ today. The truth of these lyrics are what our of hope in Christ is all about!!! Jill and I celebrated 38 years of marriage just a few days ago and have been blessed with 4 kids who are Christians and three daughter-in-laws (who are better than our sons deserve) and four grandkids attending Baptist Prep.”
Worshipping at home, December 31, 2023, while tuning in on 12.31.2023 – 11am Weekend service // Mark Henry FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH LITTLE ROCK, and this song below was played:
Lindy Cofer – Christ And Christ Crucified (ft. Mitch Wong)
————
Originally from Edmond, Oklahoma, Lindy Conant-Cofer is a missionary, singer, songwriter, and worship leader with Circuit Riders.
Lindy Conant-Cofer is married to Chase Cofer, starting family in California, and continuing to follow the calling that God has placed in her life through leading worship for events, tours, missionary outreaches, songwriting, creating, and more.
“I want my life to be a catalyst for mobilizing mission movements in our generation, the way I will do that is through leading worship.”
LYRICS
Verse 1
The wages of my sin was death
You knew I couldn’t pay the debt
You paid it with Your final breath
Oh hallelujah hallelujah
Verse 2
You took the wrath that I deserved
Your holy blood broke every curse
Your mercy had the final word
Oh hallelujah hallelujah
Chorus
We sing Christ and Christ
Crucified In You
We’re raised from death to life
We sing Christ and Christ crucified
Hallelujah hallelujah
Verse 3
No sin is bigger than Your blood
No shame is stronger than Your love
You said it’s finished it is done
Oh hallelujah hallelujah
Verse 4
Death couldn’t keep You in the ground
You rose in power and took hell down
That power’s living in us now
Oh hallelujah hallelujah
Chorus
We sing Christ and Christ
Crucified In You
We’re raised from death to life
We sing Christ and Christ crucified
Hallelujah hallelujah
Bridge 1
And death couldn’t hold You down
Hell couldn’t steal Your crown
There’s resurrection power
In Your Name in Your Name
Bridge 2
Let all the Earth cry out
Lift up a holy sound
Give all the glory now
To Jesus Name
Jesus Name
Bridge 1
And death couldn’t hold You down
Hell couldn’t steal Your crown
There’s resurrection power
In Your Name in Your Name
Bridge 2
Let all the Earth cry out
Lift up a holy sound
Give all the glory now
To Jesus Name
Jesus Name
Bridge 1
And death couldn’t hold You down
Hell couldn’t steal Your crown
There’s resurrection power
In Your Name in Your Name
Bridge 2
Let all the Earth cry out
Lift up a holy sound
Give all the glory now
To Jesus Name
Jesus Name
Chorus
We sing Christ and Christ
Crucified In You
We’re raised from death to life
We sing Christ and Christ crucified
Hallelujah hallelujah
The blinding North Dakota blizzard blasted against Elizabeth Irmen as the young schoolteacher and her troupe of students trudged through the knee-deep snow. The lane that led from their rural North Dakota schoolhouse to the main road was already obscured. They had to move quickly before the whirling winds heaped the snow into mountainous drifts. Otherwise, it would be disastrous.
From behind her, came the drone of a truck engine and turning her face into the whipping wind, she saw the welcome sight of headlights approaching. Hastily, she huddled her students off the highway and watched as the huge truck slid to a stop near the spot where the children had been walking only a few moments earlier. The door flew open, and the driver, Walter Ward, called to them through the storm. “Come on, kids! Pile in. I’ll get you home.”
Gratefully, with teeth chattering, the children clambered aboard the warm vehicle. As Walter assisted the children, he asked the teacher, “And where do you live, honey?” It was an innocent question. She was so young he’d mistaken her as one of the students. “Well, honey-” she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “-I just live around the corner. I’m the teacher.” It didn’t escape her attention that this thoughtful “rescuer” was strong and good-looking. An awkward introduction, but it was a beginning. Walter and Elizabeth fell in love and marriage quickly followed.
Soon their lives revolved almost entirely around children. They had nine of their own. Three of those children – Annie, Nelly, and Matthew – would become the 2nd Chapter of Acts, one of the pioneering groups in contemporary Christian music. Much of what they set in motion continues to influence Christian music today.
To understand the impact of the 2nd Chapter of Acts’ music and ministry, it helps to reflect upon how God called them into relationship with Him, how He filled them with His presence, and how He has worked in and through the lives of three shy, unassuming kids from North Dakota. Where did they come from? How did they get to where they are today? What was God saying through them in the ’70s and ’80s, and what is He saying through them today? Let’s go back to the beginning.
The Early Days
In the 1950’s, Walter Ward worked hard as an itinerant farmer to provide a sparse living for his sprawling family. He was a happy man who loved to dance, sing, and play the harmonica. Though poor, the Wards were rich in love, fun and music. “There were many things we did not have,” Annie recalls. “Things such as indoor plumbing and other ‘luxuries.’ But the one thing we did have was love. No matter what, we always knew Mom and Dad loved us. I never heard my parents argue. They were always very kind to each other, and to us.”
Music was a major part of the Wards’ life. Annie began singing publicly at five years of age, with her older sister, Kathryn and Stephanie. They performed favorites like, “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window,” while their mom accompanied them on piano. “The Ward Sisters” sang for all sorts of rural festivities: farm co-op meetings, the dedication of a new train engine, school openings, and country church picnics.
It was late in 1950 that Elizabeth began to complain of chronic headaches and constant physical weakness. Doctors diagnosed her as having epilepsy. Despite their best efforts, Elizabeth’s condition grew worse year after year. The family moved to California to be closer to relatives who could help in the face of Elizabeth’s deteriorating health.
In 1968, Elizabeth Ward died of a brain tumor. She had been misdiagnosed for more than a decade. Nelly recalls looking at her mom during the funeral and learning an early truth, “When I looked at her body lying there, it was suddenly obvious that the body was not my mother… Only a shell remained.” For Nelly (12 yrs) and Matthew (11yrs), who still remained at home, life became more difficult. Nelly would take on more of the family’s cooking and cleaning duties as Walter tried to continue life without Elizabeth.
Annie was left reeling at her mother’s death. She was dabbling in drugs, searching for the meaning to life in Eastern mysticism and in New Age type religions. Nothing satisfied the inner longings of her heart. The loss of her mother intensified Annie’s sense of loneliness and meaninglessness, and it forced her to face the fleeting, fragile, nature of life.
About this time, Annie’s boyfriend, Buck Herring, committed his life to Jesus Christ. His new faith was about to make Annie face another confrontation.
A “New” Boyfriend
Buck Herring had hopes of steering a rock band into the big-time. One day, while working as a deejay at a Top-40 station, Buck received a frantic phone call from one of his band members. In a panic-stricken voice, he informed Buck that their drug supplier had “gotten religion” and was refusing to deal drugs any more! Buck was intrigued. The dealer told Buck that he’d been “filled with the Spirit,” and it was true, there was an undeniable change. To his own amazement, Buck asked if they could go to church together some time. The moment Buck walked into the church, he realized that these people were Spirit-filled, with a capital “S”. The worshippers were raising their hands to the Lord singing and speaking praise to him out loud! Oh! No! Buck thought. These people are nuts! As he stood there, fighting an urge to leave, Buck also experienced a powerful stirring in his heart. The searching question came to him: Are you willing to be foolish in your own eyes for My sake? He pondered the implications of this query for less than a minute. Then by a simple act of his will, Buck raised his hands in the air and began to speak words of praise to Jesus.
Shortly after surrendering his life to the Lord, Buck began to sense a conflict between his faith in Christ and the lyrics of the songs that he played as a Top-40 deejay. He resigned his position at the radio station, even though he had no idea where he’d find work.
He also parted company with the rock band. He’d purchased some used recording equipment two years before, in hopes of producing demo tapes of the band. Following his commitment to Christ, he packed up the equipment and donated it all- microphones, tape deck, control board, everything- to the church where he’d given his life to Jesus. As he was packing the equipment, Buck found himself saying out loud: “Father, I would love to produce records for Your kingdom.”
One of the first people Buck wanted to tell about his new commitment to Jesus was Annie Ward. They have been involved with each other previously, but the relationship had soured. By now, Annie was living in Los Angeles, working with a singing group and on the verge of breaking into a successful pop music career. Although she considered herself a “seeker of truth,” she really wasn’t interested in “Jesus stuff”. But since the death of her mom, Annie had continued searching for something to take away the haunting pain and emptiness. For two weeks following his spiritual rebirth, Buck prayed for Annie regularly-not about a potential relationship, but out of concern for the fact that she was lost without Christ. One day, he sensed the Lord saying, “Go find her.” He drove to LA and eventually, found Annie living with the members of her singing group at the home of a famous songwriter, who was hoping to launch the group onto the charts. Buck zealously shared his newfound faith with Annie. He briefly told her that she needed to be “born again.” Although Annie didn’t understand what he meant, she was willing to listen.
He also thrust into her hands a copy of the Modern English New Testament, Good News for Modern Man. “Read this,” he said. And after praying, he left her stunned.
For more than a week, the book remained untouched. But there was something about Buck’s prayer…Annie felt as if something profound was happening deep within. Nothing in her life seemed worthwhile- not the drugs, not even the promise of fame.
Several days after Buck’s visit, Annie finally picked up the book he’d left and decided to read it-from the back! The Book of Revelation, amazingly, made sense to her. Perhaps it was the sense of majesty she’d felt as a little girl, but she saw Jesus for who He is-King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Still pondering this Jesus of Revelation, Annie sat down at the piano and started fooling with the keys. She didn’t really know how to play, but as a child she’d learned a few basics by watching her mother play. To her surprise, she began playing and the words to a song rushed in. Puzzled, Annie stared at the keyboard. Okay, she thought. This song did not come from me. Where did this song come from? In her mind’s eye, she pictured Jesus. He was walking toward her, and Annie had the conviction that the song had come from Him. What did this mean? Then Jesus spoke to Annie and His words seared into her heart: The only thing I am asking of you is to give your life to Me and let Me live through you.
The Wild Weekend
The next time Annie saw Buck, something was different about him. She was fascinated when he explained that he’d been filled with the Holy Spirit. What kind of spiritual power could change a guy like Buck? She wondered. That night, Buck asked if he could pray for her. When she consented, he took her hand, and prayed a simple prayer.
The next morning, when Annie got up, she knew she had two items of business to take care of: She quit the singing group, and committed her life to Jesus Christ. Annie’s commitment to Christ was total, even though it meant losing all that she had ever wanted in the music business. “Nobody told me that I had to quit everything in order to become a Christian,” Annie recalls. “Once I had made a decision to follow Christ, it seemed like the only logical choice. It was so clear: I could choose everything that I thought I ever wanted…or I could choose Jesus.” That night, Buck and Annie went to the home of some folks Buck knew, “Jesus people” who claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Annie wanted the same Spirit that had changed Buck to fill her life. A group of “Jesus people” gathered around Annie as she sat on a chair in the center of the group. They began praying for her and singing in the Spirit. Suddenly, Annie experienced a vision of heaven. She describes it like this:
“There was a myriad of people around the throne of God. The dimension was different than anything I had ever seen in this world. I saw myself in front of the twenty-four elders – though I didn’t know who or what they were then. I smelled the incense around the altar. I sensed incredible power…
Suddenly, I saw Jesus. I loved Him so much! I started toward Him, to kiss Him, but I stopped short. Every sin I’d ever committed seemed so real. I just stood there. I could not touch Him. I couldn’t touch Him because of my dirt, my filth, and my sin. Instantly-without ever being taught this-I knew that there was no way that I could ever earn His good favor. There was nothing I could do on my own in order to be acceptable in His sight. I was covered with sin and I kept thinking, ‘How could He love me?’”
To everyone’s surprise, Annie bolted from the room. Outside, she ran into an open field, where she sat down and wept. She recalls, “I felt God could never love me, because I had disobeyed Him and hurt Him so deeply.”
At home that night, she fell asleep still asking, “How could He love me? How could He love me?” Somehow, during the night, something changed inside. “The Lord ministered to me so beautifully and gently, that I woke up asking, ‘How could He love me so much?'” The next night, Buck and Annie attended a Bible study and prayer meeting where the leader asked them to stand and give a testimony. Buck shared a few facts about his and Annie’s spiritual journey. “All I know,” said Annie, when it was her turn, “is that I love Jesus. And Jesus loves me.” It was her first public testimony. Simple words of a new faith.
Simple Faith
It was a simple wedding, held in a backyard with only a few people attending. Buck and Annie married in February of 1969. Annie made her own Irish-linen wedding gown, with white embroidered crosses on the sleeves. Annie’s sister Kathryn was the Maid of Honor, and Buck’s friend Noel Paul Stookey (from Peter, Paul and Mary) was the best man.
The newlyweds became part of an informal prayer group that met regularly on Tuesday nights. They had no pastor or teacher to lead them, so the group shared a meal, sang, discussed scripture and prayed for each other. It was a fresh, free, spontaneous and energetic form of worship.
Trouble At Home
In the summer of 1970, the Ward family suffered a serious blow. Two years earlier, as the grieving family stood around Elizabeth Ward’s gravesite, Annie’s dad had told her, “In two years time, I’ll be right beside her.” Nearly two years to the day, he died of leukemia.
Annie had visited him prior to his death, and as he sat up in bed, racked with pain, Walter Ward prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Then in his first act as a newborn Christian, this warm and loving man prayed for the salvation of his family. He could not have imagined how his prayer would be answered.
Following their father’s funeral, the family agreed that the four youngest children should move in with their older brothers and sisters. Nelly and Matthew were faced with the difficult decision as to where to go. “You decide for us,” Matthew said as Nelly struggled with the choice.
Nelly remembers, “It was difficult choice, because moving to Los Angeles meant I was leaving other siblings.” Jack and Tony went to live with Annie’s oldest brother Irmen. Nelly and Matthew, who were 14 and 12 at the time, decided to move in with Buck and Annie, so they made the trip from Sacramento to their new surroundings in Los Angeles. The Herrings had been married for less than a year-and-a-half. The trauma of losing both their parents, combined with the pressures of being thrust into an “instant” family, took its toll on both the Wards and the Herrings. Life wouldn’t be easy.
From Nelly and Matthew’s perspective, Annie had moved away from home while they were small children. Now there are put in a situation of living together with the 23-year-old sister they hardly knew. And her new husband was a big, brusque, bear of a man whom they’d only just met.
“I think we were both numb,” say Matthew of the decision to live with the Herrings. “We had just buried Dad, and it really didn’t matter after that… It didn’t make any difference where we moved.”
Buck and Annie, however, had been praying for Matthew and Nelly long before their father’s death. Their welcome was a foregone conclusion. Although they had little money to provide for Nelly and Matthew, the Herrings were excited.
At first, Buck and Matthew weren’t so certain. Buck was a strict disciplinarian, “verging on legalism.” Matthew possessed an incredibly quick wit, and Buck too-often mistook his comments for insubordination. Actually, Matthew was merely relating in the only manner he knew. Buck and Matthew’s conflicting personalities made for a volatile mix. Buck’s sternness with Matthew negatively affected Nelly, as well. After all, Matt was her brother; she barely knew the brute that was badgering him. Her compassionate spirit caused her to rise up in sympathy for Matthew, while she inwardly bristled at Buck for being so overbearing.
Nelly and Matthew, as well as Annie and Buck, are quick to credit “the grace of God and the lubricating oil of the Holy Spirit” as their secret to surviving these family frictions. Moreover, the tensions began to ease after both Nelly and Matthew came into a personal relationship with Christ. Still, Buck was often baffled in his attempts to discipline Matthew. “I made innumerable mistakes in my early dealings with Matthew,” recalls Buck. “Finally, I told the Lord this was obviously not working, and He gave me some wisdom in what to do.” The turning point in their relationship came when Matthew brought home a series of pink slips from school, indicating the he’d disrupted the class. Spanking failed, and Buck felt at wit’s end. “How am I ever going to get through to this kid?” he lamented. He needed a new approach, and he prayed for wisdom.
After praying, he took Matthew outside the house and drew a three-foot by six-foot rectangle on the ground. “I want you to dig a hole here,” he pointed to the rectangle, “six feet deep.” Matthew was shocked, but dutifully he began digging. Years later, Matthew recalls, “I thought of running away, but where would I go? I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I didn’t have any money. So I stayed there and dug.” As Matthew was digging, the Lord revealed to Buck that the hole was to be a grave. Finally, Matthew finished. Buck inspected the plot and said, “You’ve done a good job. Now to into your room and write on a piece of paper all the things you want to fix in your life. I don’t want to see the paper. I don’t need to know what’s on it. It’s between you and the Lord. Then bring it out, and I’ll help you bury it.” Matthew retreated to his room to write his “spiritual obituary”. Half an hour later, he and Buck shoveled dirt back into the hole, burying the paper. It was the beginning a healing process in their relationship.
The Gift of Music
One day, Annie sat on a piano stool in front of her piano she named “Brother Bear”, wishing she could have learned to play when she was a child. With nine siblings, lessons were a luxury the family could ill afford. The best she could manage was to fool with the keys. And then, to her amazement Annie found herself playing a melody. But how? The chords and notes flowed out, as if the Lord was literally giving her a gift of music. “At first,” says Annie, “I’d get these beautiful melodies and I’d ask Buck to write the lyrics to go with them.” One day, Buck replied, “Annie, don’t think about writing a song- just sing whatever’s in your heart.” It was this encouragement that opened the way to Annie’s simple, and deeply intimate songs of praise and adoration.
When Nelly and Matthew came to live with Buck and Annie, they discovered a comfort and closeness in joining Annie around the piano after school. Their familial voices blended together in spontaneous, smooth harmonies, so tight, so natural. Was it just that the Ward kids had similar genes or was there another explanation? Matthew offers: “I used to listen to a lot of AM radio when I was a kid, and I learned to do harmony by singing a different note than the guy on the radio. I’d sing with everything. I’d even sing with Mom’s vacuum cleaner as it whirred back and forth across the carpet, changing its pitch. I’d harmonize with anything that oscillated-washing machines, or whatever. You could say I learned to sing harmony from household appliances!”
In addition to Annie’s special gift and Matthew’s offbeat vocalizing, Nelly possessed an amazing ability to find the missing notes between her brother and sister. When this trio sang together, their sound was almost angelic. When they first started singing together, it became obvious to the trio that there was something special. “Because we were brother and sisters, our vocal blend was very close and created a unique sound,” Nelly explains.
The Wards never intended to become a professional singing group. “We were just singing to the Lord,” says Matthew. “It was a way of releasing our pain. We had gone through something tragic but we knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.” Annie agrees, “When we started singing together, there was such a healing, such a joy in our hearts, that we didn’t want to take it outside of our own living room. It was a healing balm to us. Precious. Personal. Something that was ours.” It would seem however, that the Lord had other plans.
A Fresh Start
One day as Annie, Nelly and Matthew were singing around the piano, they stopped to pray, which was a regular practice. As they prayed that day, they sensed there was something new and different. As Annie remembers: “He said we were three small streams, but when we came together to sing we would be a mighty river. That river would uproot things in people’s hearts that had been buried—the way that rushing water uproots things-and cleans things out, and opens things up. He promised that we would sing as one voice.”
Yet, the trio remained shy about performing in public. They sang in church when called upon, and in local Christian coffeehouses at the insistence of friends. But that was the limit. “The last thing we wanted to do was to sing in front of people,” explains Annie. “We never thought ‘Oh, boy! Let’s get out there and do concerts!’ It was always, ‘Oh no! We’ve got to go out there’. We felt that way throughout our years of ministry together. We were scared, shy, and very aware of our inadequacies. The good part was that it forced us to rely upon the Lord.”
About this time, Eddie Overstreet, the Herrings’ former housemate, wanted to record a song he’d written. Buck arranged for some excellent studio musicians, most of who were friends, and they went into the studio to record the music track for a song titled, “Jesus Is.” The track turned out so well that Eddie felt it was beyond his own vocal ability, and he agreed with Buck that they should find someone else to sing the song – but who?
Buck played the track for a number of their friends and all agreed that it was a “fun, happening” song. But who could they get to sing it? “Why don’t we have Matthew sing it!” On Matthew’s 13th birthday, Matthew recorded the lead vocal. Annie and Nelly sang background vocals along with many of their friends. It was a “fun” song, and eventually it caught the attention of Pat Boone, who arranged a contract with MGM Records for the release of “Jesus Is” which would later become a Top10 hit on California secular radio. In 1972, the family’s recording career was officially born.
What Kind of Name Is That?
While working in the recording studio, editing a secular commercial, Buck heard a phrase go through his mind: The 2nd Chapter of Acts. Later, he described it as “the nearest I’ve ever come to hearing God speak in an audible voice”. “It wasn’t like I should go read this chapter,” says Buck. “It was clearly to be the group’s name.” “I had read that passage of Scripture before, but I didn’t have a good idea of what it was about. I didn’t want to forget it, so I took a studio grease pencil and wrote The 2nd Chapter of Acts on the front of the tape machine.” Buck couldn’t wait to get home from work that night to share the name with the family. Their reaction, however, was somewhat less than enthusiastic. “What?” they chorused. “What kind of a name is that?”
“That’s an awful name,” Annie lamented. “It doesn’t even let anyone know we’re a family.”
Matthew objected, “People will think we are a play!”
Buck responded, “Okay, go get your Bibles and go to your rooms and let’s all read Acts, chapter two. Ask God about it. Then come back and let’s meet together in fifteen or twenty minutes.”
The family spread throughout the big house and began to study the passage. When they reappeared, their response was one of resignation rather than overwhelming enthusiasm. They reluctantly agreed, “Okay, if that’s what we’re supposed to be, that’s it. We’ll be the 2nd Chapter of Acts.”
Over the years, the name proved to be both a blessing and an obstacle. True, it had a fresh, contemporary sound. But it also barred them from singing for some of the largest, mainline denominations in America. “People were afraid we’d come in and start speaking in tongues or something,” laughs Buck. “From our viewpoint, being called The 2nd Chapter of Acts didn’t have anything to do with speaking in tongues, or being filled with the Holy Spirit, or any other phenomena commonly perceived as ‘Charismatic’, but it occurred to us, that if you were cast adrift and you had only Acts 2, you’d have it all. The prophecy of Jesus’ coming, the fulfillment of the prophecy, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, the activity of the early Church as it began to function…It’s all there in one chapter. It’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible. “It was never a banner we were waving, concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was meant to portray the whole life and ministry of the Church. And that’s what we felt we were about.”
If their new identity felt awkward to Annie, Nelly and Matthew, it was soon to become a household name to millions of Christian music lovers.
Seeds of Ministry
By the time Barry McGuire met The 2nd Chapter of Acts, he had tasted the best and the worst of the music business. His music had taken his group, The New Christy Minstrels, and their idyllic ballad Green Green to the top of the charts. And then his career skyrocketed with the 1965 solo hit, Eve of Destruction. Unfortunately, Barry’s personal life was also on the precipice of destruction during this time. As John Phillips of the Mama’s and Papa’s song lyrics went.. “McGuinn and McGuire still a-getting higher in L.A., you know where that’s at.”
Barry later described his life as a “triple-X-rated horror story,” filled with alcohol and drugs. McGuire dropped out of the music scene, and spent the next two years with the Agape Force, a group of Jesus People who helped him become established in the Lord. Soon, with new songs to sing Barry began looking for a producer to help record the best, Christ-honoring album possible. His search boiled down to two individuals: one, a highly successful secular producer; the other Buck Herring. Though he became a respected studio engineer, Buck had yet to produce an album. Barry prayed, and then called him.
Buck invited Barry to bring some songs over to the big house in Hollywood. After a few brief formalities, Barry explained how he felt that God had led him to seek Buck’s help in producing his next album. Buck asked Barry if he could hear some of the songs and Barry gladly got out his guitar and began singing. Laughing, Buck recollects, “When Barry started singing, the house shook! He was banging his guitar and thumping out the beat with his foot as he sang, ‘I don’t know what you come to do, but I come to praise the Lord!’ It was great.”
Before long, two pairs of eyes peeked around the corner of the stairway. To Nelly, Barry was larger than life. “He was boisterous and though his outwardly appearance was rugged, he was warm and very inviting.”
Buck motioned for Nelly and Matthew to come down, as Barry sang several more songs. When Barry finished, Buck suggested, “Now that Matthew and Nelly are awake, why don’t you guys sing a song for Barry?” Barry later confessed that he expected the worst. What have I gotten into? He thought. Now this little family is going to sing. Another can-we-have-our-kids-sing-for-you? How many times have I heard that line before? But as he looked at the skinny, bashful kids gathering around the beat-up piano, he though, “Well, praise the Lord anyway.” He settled into a chair and attempted to appear as interested as possible.
Annie, Nelly and Matthew began to sing. Barry was stunned. He’d listened to thousands of singers, but he’d never heard anything like this before! Crystal clear harmonies. Lyrics that sounded inspired in heaven. When the trio finished, tears were streaming down his face. That night, Barry invited them to sing background vocals on his new album. Seeds, was one of the groundbreaking recordings in contemporary Christian music.
Besides working together on the album, 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire agreed to do a series of concerts. The logical place to start was Sacramento, where Buck had been a popular radio personality. It was also there the Acts achieved moderate success, as their second MGM single I’m So Happy soared into the top five on the local charts. And of course, Barry was still well known because of his secular hits. Though they had felt the concert was sure to succeed, they, in fact, lost money. Nevertheless, it was the start of something bigger.
Divine Appointments
In order to have enough material to do their part of the concert, Acts had to hire some musicians and rehearse a few songs. Annie had written several new songs and some members of the band suggested to Buck that they record them. Buck shrugged, “I don’t have any money.” When the band insisted, the whole troupe went into a studio. This recording session gave us some of the 2nd Chapter’s first classics-including Love, Peace, Joy, I Fall In Love, and Going Home. One song from this session seemed to have a special quality. Annie had titled it, Easter Song. Easter Song was one of those that “just came out”. Annie recalls, “At first, I didn’t think it was much of a song. I loved it, but I didn’t think it was a song for us. I thought it was a choir song. I even said to the Lord, ‘Oh Father, that sounds like a song that a lot of people should sing.’ I was talking with our friends Jimmy and Carol Owens one day. We had been on tour with them in ‘Come Together,’ a musical they’d written. I thought Jimmy might be interested and I said, ‘I have this little song. You might not even like it.’”
When Annie played Easter Song, Jimmy Owens was jubilant. “You don’t want to give that song to anybody. You need to record it!” Teeming with confidence, Annie took the song to the band members who, at first, did not share Jimmy’s enthusiasm. Drummer, David Kemper whined, “I don’t hear any drums on that song. I just can’t hear it.”
“David!” Buck’s voice boomed. “You don’t hear any drums on it? Just play! Play something. Do it!” David did. He sat down and put a different drum pattern to the song, taking it out of the choir realm where Annie had first heard it and pulling it into a lilting rhythm that not only 2nd Chapter could sing, but also the whole world could sing.
The song was to undergo a transformation from the way Annie first heard it. Drummer David Kemper added a rhythm and eventually Michael Omartian, another friend of the family, added the lively keyboard track that made the song unforgettable. Omartian’s involvement on Easter Song began a long-term relationship. Throughout the early years of Acts ministry, Annie roughed out the songs, and Michael wrote the charts for the musicians before going into the studio. Buck once said, “When the Lord gives Annie a song, it’s like a rough-hewn diamond, dug out of the ground. We give it to Michael, and he cuts it and polishes it and puts it in the right piece of jewelry.” In Annie’s estimation, “Michael is such a musical genius. He has perfect pitch, and the ability to play almost any instrument. He’s really a virtuoso, and compared to him I could hardly play at all. Back then he’d get so tickled at me. He’d say, ‘This song is wrong. You’re not supposed to be able to do these chords. But I love it! It’s wrong, but it’s great.’ He’d also say, ‘You play the piano wrong, too. It’s wrong, but it’s fine… How do you do that?'”
Another person who was impressed by Easter Song was record executive, Billy Ray Hearn. Hearn had begun Myrrh, a new contemporary Christian record label owned by Word. When he first heard Easter Song he said, “Now that’s what Christian music is supposed to sound like!”
Growing Pains
When Buck sent a copy of the newly recorded Seeds album to Billy Ray Hearn, he immediately recognized the record’s enormous potential. When Billy Ray came out to the Herring home to discuss the deal, Buck played him some of the songs that 2nd Chapter had been working on. One of those songs was Easter Song.
Because of the difficulties Acts had experienced in doing Christian music for a secular record company, Buck had obtained their release from MGM. Within a few months, Hearn had signed them to do their first album for Myrrh. The 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire continued touring together, which was both exhilarating and frightening for the inexperienced trio.
Another factor that contributed to Acts early inhibitions was audience response. During Barry’s set, the audience sang along, clapped and cheered. When 2nd Chapter began singing – Going Home was the opener – the audience grew strangely silent. “We thought everybody had gone home!” Annie jokes. “That would really have shaken our confidence, if we’d had any.” Several concerts into the tour, somebody approached Annie and said, “We’re really sorry we didn’t applaud, but we’ve never heard music like that before!” Many others expressed that they had never before experienced worship so keenly. As Nelly reflects: “One of the reasons people didn’t applaud was because we weren’t singing songs about Jesus, we were singing to Him. When people recognized that, they sensed His Spirit. They could see Jesus, and they fell in love with Him.”
Despite the awkward beginnings, Acts and Barry McGuire continued to tour together intermittently for three years. Through his example, Barry taught the group how to communicate with an audience. “Just be yourselves,” he’d encourage them. “Be who God has called you to be.” Barry’s words fell upon fertile soil. “He taught us so much,” says Annie. “He’s the best communicator I’ve ever known.”
Besides the spiritual power of their music, other factors catapulted Acts into the public spotlight. First, touring with Barry exposed them to a built-in audience each concert. Second, Easter Song was getting airplay on secular radio stations as well as the few contemporary Christian programs that existed them. Too, their album, With Footnotes had taken off. By 1973, they entered the music ministry full-time. For the next twenty years, they would travel across America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Western Europe singing about Jesus.
Bringing the Band Together
Early on, Acts felt the need to have their own band. Nelly’s close friend, Jamie Owens told them about a group of musicians at Church on the Way in Van Nuys. “They practice a lot,” said Jamie. “But sometimes they don’t even play-they just pray.” That was good enough for Buck. He approached the band and asked them to pray about working with 2nd Chapter. “We already have,” they responded. “And the answer is ‘Yes!'”
The result was a joining of forces between Acts and A Band Called David. Perhaps the one person who influenced the Acts more profoundly than anyone else was the unassuming pastor of Church on the Way, Jack Hayford. The group began attending Church on the Way when the congregation was less than one hundred strong. (Today, the congregation numbers in the thousands.) “He helped us understand who we are, how to minister, and how to order our priorities,” says Buck. “Jack Hayford taught us principles of spiritual integrity, and how to avoid trouble.” The 2nd Chapter of Acts and A Band Called David continued to tour together until the end of 1975. Then change was in the wind.
In 1976 The 2nd Chapter of Acts arrived at a crossroads: “Should we or should we not continue?” was the question. Prior to this, the ministry of Acts had grown out of the family relationships. Now, however, as they approached adulthood, Nelly and Matt felt it was time to discern what God’s will and call involved for themselves. They were no longer just family; they had become The 2nd Chapter of Acts. As Nelly explains, “It got to the point where we didn’t know if we were The 2nd Chapter of Acts, or if Acts was us. We were almost becoming a machine. The ministry was taking over the family, instead of being an extension of the family. “
Consequently, Acts took time off to seek God, to grow in their relationships with each other and to clarify the call upon their lives. This did not mean sitting idle, though. For several weeks, Nelly and Matthew toured as part of Jimmy and Carol Owens’s popular, bicentennial musical, If My People tour, which focused on calling the nation to prayer. After three weeks on the road, Buck returned home to produce Phil Keaggy’s album, Love Broke Through.
It was during the ’76 sabbatical that Acts met another singer-songwriter who would profoundly influence their lives. Keith Green and Acts met while working together on a Terry Talbot album. Their friendship blossomed when Keith came to Matthew’s birthday party at the Herrings’ new home in Burbank, California. Buck recalls, “We had a rented harpsichord in the living room, and an antique, grand piano in the bedroom. Keith sat down at the harpsichord and began praising the Lord with some of his high-energy music. Before long, the whole party started doing a sort of spiritual ‘bunny-hop,’ winding around the room. The line danced out the sliding doors of our living room, across the patio, then in through the sliding doors of our bedroom, down the hallway and back into the living room. Keith was playing in the living room, but as soon as the group would go through the sliding doors, he’d jump off the stool, race to the bedroom, and start pounding on the antique piano, just as the group came bouncing through the bedroom doors. He barely missed a measure. That was Keith – high energy.
Back to Work
By the end of the 1976 break, Acts had redefined their ministry. Everyone answered both questions, “Should we continue” and “Do you feel that God has called you to this work” in the affirmative. Furthermore, by taking the year off from touring as a group, they’d learned a number of personal lessons: How to better appreciate each other and how to allow each person freedom to be himself.
Consequently, 1976 marked a major turning point in their ministry. Following their recommitment, Acts went back into the studio to record The Roar of Love. Says Annie, “For the first time we had fun in the studio, and that came from a new sense of freedom and release.” Part of the fun could be attributed to the fact that the studio in which they recorded the vocals did not have a window through which Buck could see the singers. Normally, while recording, Matthew loved to “cut up,” laughing and goofing off until the second the “Record” mode was triggered. Yet because of his incredible vocal ability, he could still hit his notes. Meanwhile, Annie and Nelly would be convulsing in laughter, and Buck would be fuming in the control room. On The Roar of Love, since Buck couldn’t see the singers, he never knew what was going on behind the partition. Although the album was completed, the release date of The Roar of Love would be long delayed by contractual and copyright problems. Yet, the detours proved to be providential.
Birds of a Feather
When friend Billy Ray Hearn left Myrrh to begin building new record company Sparrow Records, Acts was among the first of many artists to sign-on. The albums Through a Child’s Eyes (Annie’s first solo album), Mansion Builder, and The Roar of Love (which they were finally free to release) quickly followed.
Matthew also recorded his first solo album for Sparrow. They intended to title the album Matthew 18, a humorous “take-off” from the name 2nd Chapter of Acts and referring to the fact that Matthew was then eighteen years old. A series of delays held up the album’s release, and it was finally re-titled, Toward Eternity.
Despite the delays, Matthew’s first solo project produced some outstanding music, including songs like Hold On, It’s Alright, Noah’s Song, Angels Unaware, and Summer Snow. Several songs on the album were written especially for Matthew by renowned songwriters such as Michael Omartian and Keith Green. Beyond that, the album was the first project on which Matthew enjoyed freedom to experiment with his wide-ranging vocal styles. “Some people say I sound like two different people between the Acts albums and my own solo work,” says Matthew. “In a sense, that’s true. In the Acts arrangements, I was always singing the third. And, I wrote very little of the material, especially in the early days. On my own projects, I do a lot of different things.”
Radical Stands
Because they refused to go with the flow, Acts was often perceived as a radical group. Actually, much of their stance just ran counter to the direction they perceived Christian music to be heading, toward commercialism and to a focus on Christian super-stars. “We created real problems for Sparrow in the early days,” Buck recalls. “Because we didn’t want to be interviewed by certain magazines, or be on the cover. We didn’t want to do anything that smacked of self-promotion. We didn’t think it was right to use superlatives, because those drew comparisons. All we wanted our record company to do was to put out the information: The 2nd Chapter of Acts has a new album. That doesn’t make it easy for a company to promote a product. I would much prefer the days of our beginnings to what we have now. There wasn’t anybody clamoring to do what we did, or what ‘Love Song’ or any of the other early ‘Jesus Music’ groups did. There were no charts for us to be number one on. Contemporary Christian music charts didn’t exist. I think it’s sad that, today, Christian music has become an industry rather than a ministry. I don’t really know the answer to this—We used to fight against it continually, and we got ourselves into a lot of hot water. We tried to avoid those things that, in our view, were not edifying to the Body of Christ. Now, we have so many magazines, music charts, and popularity contests, it all has the potential to put ministries in competition with each other, rather than coming alongside and working together for Jesus.”
An Acts concert was designed to usher the audience into a worship experience. Annie notes, “We believed God had called us to be a wooer of the Body of Christ, so they could come and be loved by Jesus and be healed.”
In the early years, the emphasis was primarily upon evangelism, but then the Lord led Acts into a broader ministry, building up believers. Buck contends, “One of the greatest revelations we received from the Lord was that we were not primarily called to preach people into the Kingdom-although we almost always provided some sort of opportunity to meet Him. In most every concert, people did. But we felt He was telling us simply to let people see Him, and let them enjoy His love, and new believers would be born into the Kingdom of God.”
Annual Check-up
Acts sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading was not accidental or peripheral. Throughout their ministry, they would gather each January to pray and seek God’s priorities for that year’s ministry. Annie recalls: “Some years, He’d tell us, ‘You are going to be planting. You will be harvesting in three years, but this year you are going to plant.’ Another year He’d say, ‘This year you are going to be ushering people into the presence of the Holy Spirit,’ or “This year is going to be a year of deliverance.'”
One such “word” came to the family during a time of prayer in 1977. They sensed the Lord telling them that, starting in 1978, they should no longer depend upon ticket sales for support of the ministry, but that they were to return to doing “offering only” concerts. God promised that He would meet all of their needs if they would trust Him. This was no small step of faith, considering the enormous expense of putting twelve people and equipment on the road from city to city, plus supporting the group’s members and families. In addition, Acts determined that the offerings should be divided equally between the local concert sponsors and themselves. If a sponsor did not receive enough to pay expenses, 2nd Chapter would take money from their portion of the offering to reimburse the promoter.
That year, every need was met. Acts ministered to more people than ever, their audiences nearly doubled in number, and more people came to know Jesus than in any previous year of their ministry.
Spiritual Battles
Prayer was an important key to Acts’ success. Each morning while on tour, the group gathered in one of their hotel rooms to read a brief passage from the Bible, to share from their hearts, and to pray together. “One of the reasons we did this in the morning was because by the time we got to the concert hall, there was so much to do, too many distractions,” Annie says.
Still, when the 2nd Chapter of Acts bus and truck arrived at the auditorium, prayer took priority over unloading. “We’d gather in a circle on stage and pray again. We’d asked for protection, so nobody would get hurt. We’d pray over the auditorium, too, to establish the Kingdom of God there,” Annie recounts. “Then right before the concert, we’d have one more short time of prayer-a ‘flare prayer’ we called it. We’d always invite the stagehands to join us, and many of them did. Some of them came to know Jesus.”
On one occasion, Acts was scheduled to minister in a movie theater. The same complex housed several other theaters, in which the owners where showing raunchy films. As Buck recalls, “As was our custom, we took time to seek the Lord before the concert. But as we prayed, we just felt slimy. Then the Lord spoke to us and told us to proclaim the blood of Jesus. We began to pray-loudly, in the name of Jesus, against any evil principalities and powers in that place. That night, the largest number of people to date came to Jesus during the concert.”
Texas Transition
In 1981 Acts moved from California to Texas. The group had been seeking some space where they could build homes, as well as a central headquarters for their ministry. Also, they wanted a more central location, so they could redesign their touring schedule, hoping to cover the country in shorter tours. Nelly and her husband Steve, and some of the band members were beginning to have children, so a new touring strategy was needed.
During the summer of 1980, the group visited their friends, Keith and Melody Green at the new headquarters of Last Days Ministries in Lindale, Texas. A piece of property next to Last Days was for sale, and before long the 2nd Chapter of Acts and Last Days were neighbors.
The group had been living in Texas slightly more than a year when tragedy struck. Their good friend, Keith Green, was killed in a plane crash, along with two of the Green’s children and nine others. Acts was in New York, ministering at a street crusade with evangelist, David Wilkerson, when they heard the news. “Keith’s death rocked us,” says Annie. “We all felt our vulnerability like we never had before. We just wanted to wrap our arms around Melody and the others at Last Days, to let them know how much we cared.”
Looking back, Buck believes a high standard for all of Christian music was lost at Keith’s death. “I think Christian music would certainly be different,” Buck says, slowly and quietly, his love for his friend is obvious. “And probably it would be better had Keith not been killed. The music ministers would be better because Keith held up such a high standard. It required everyone else to raise their level of integrity, to measure up.”
Annie remembers a softer side of their friend. “In 1981, Buck and I lost a baby because of a tubal pregnancy. It was one of the toughest times of our lives. We had to fly home empty-handed, with heavy hearts. When we deplaned at the airport in Dallas, Keith, Melody and another friend Winkey Pratney were there. They’d brought Keith’s bus to pick us up at the airport. When we arrived at our home, there were flowers all over the house, and a huge sign that said Welcome Home!”
Restorative Surgery
In 1983 Acts took a full year off from touring to seek new strength and new direction. This break was far different from the one they’d taken years before. They had no question about continuing as a group; it was a matter of stopping the hectic travel pace long enough for the Lord to do some restorative work.
Although they spent the time at home, 1983 was still a busy year. They built their own recording studio that year. The same morning the studio was finished, Acts began cutting tracts for the album Singer-Sower, which contained songs such as Takin The Easy Way, Spin Your Light, and Room Noise.
For Matthew, 1983 was a very important year; he and Deanne Paul were married in September. For Steve and Nelly Greisen, the rest allowed them time to enjoy parenting their now two boys Andrew and Jesse. As Nelly recalls, her family came to the forefront of her priority list. “The Lord was showing me that He cares about every detail of my life. My ministry to God is not just standing in front of people singing. My ministry to Him is simply to have a heart filled with love and gratitude to Him, expressed in whatever task I’m doing. God is far more concerned about who we are, our character, than what we’re doing, far more concerned with our attitudes than our actions. I think wives and mothers especially need to understand this, because we deal so much with the mundane. Being a mother is very important to God and is a high position in His eyes. We are the hand of Jesus to our children. They learn about God by seeing our commitment to Him, lived out in our homes. We can be pillars of strength to our husbands as we help release the gifts God has placed in them. And we do this by being consistent and available with our love.”
Motivating Messages
When Acts returned to the road in 1984, they felt revived in every sense. “When we went back out in 1984, we were amazed that the arena of Christian music had changed so much since 1982,” says Annie.
For whatever reason, Christian music began to be highly diluted from a spiritual standpoint. And it seemed that the Lord had a distinct message waiting for them. While ministering at an international missions conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Lord spoke to the group through the leaders of the gathering. His instructions were clear, and encouraging:
God will give you prophetic words to restore the foundations of holiness and purity in the church and in the world.
Make your plans large – God is your partner!
As you sing, I will bring new life into existence.
Move as one. Keep ‘short accounts’ with God and with each other.
God will use the group to encourage Christian musicians and to release other musicians in ethics, love, and guidelines.
Keep your eyes open to the ‘small people,’ stage hands, helpers, and others. Some of your most significant work will be done in these areas.
Pray that God would show you how to give the ‘family unit’ time. He will provide time for the families.
Each one of these messages had a deeply personal impact upon the members of the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Interestingly, as their ministry moved into its final stages, every word that was revealed proved to be true.
Ending Up
Acts might never have recorded their best-selling album had they not been sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction. During one of their last tours, three separate individuals approached them in three separate cities. Yet all three had the same message: To consider doing an album of traditional Hymns in the unique vocal style that only Acts could create. “If one person had something such as this,” Buck said later. “We may have missed it. But when all three brought the exact message….”
Besides instructing them to produce one of their most inspiring albums, God was providing a financial resource for them in advance. When the last concert was sung, Hymns I & II would continue to sell briskly. Acts was not the first contemporary group to do an album of great hymns from the past. Nevertheless, everyone involved with the project sensed a special anointing upon the Hymns albums. The arrangements were so fresh, so vital, so filled with life, love, praise, worship-and yes, majesty.
All of the songs that Acts recorded had that “special touch,” or else they never made it onto an album. “Other than the Narnia album, in which the songs came over a period of five years, we’ve never written songs specifically for an album,” says Annie. “We never said, ‘We’ve got to do an album. Let’s write some songs!’ To me, that concept is backwards. That’s not why you do an album. Only when you have something to say, only if God has provided the music-then do an album.” Nelly agrees, “Recording an album isn’t a goal, it is an end result. When I have something I feel that God wants me to say, I’ll say it, but not until.”
One example of the way such inspiration works is the song, “Fight the Fight,” an inspiring anthem that became a rallying cry for the pro-life movement in America. How did it happen? “Melody Green called and asked if we’d sing in Los Angeles for the kick-off of the Walk Across America Campaign in the effort to save unborn babies,” says Annie. “We were praying about whether we could attend. Our schedule was already packed full. One day I was sitting at the piano and “Fight the Fight” just came to me. We felt that was a clear indication from the Lord that we should go. Then Steve Greisen suggested a multi-artist project that would eventually involve over 100 Christian artist on the song and a video. The project was produced by Steve and close friend Dan Collins and all of the music artists donated their time to do the record.” The message of ‘rescue the unborn’ would go around the world with artists doing versions in other countries including Holland and Germany
Calling It Quits
When Acts came together in January 1988, to seek the Lord’s direction for that year, they were stunned but not surprised by the Lord’s instructions to them. The guidance they received was this: “Complete what you have committed to, but don’t take anything new. I have other things I want to do with all of you. We’d all felt for a while that a change was coming,” says Annie. “There’s always a stirring when the Lord is about to do something.” Part of that stirring came several months prior to 1988. The words were simple: “I am going to do something new. Do not be afraid.”
At first, the members of Acts kept the news of their disbanding within the family. Then slowly, they began to share the information with their closest friends. “Once we understood what we were to do,” recalls Buck. “I presented it to Jack Hayford, our pastor and spiritual counselor. Jack confirmed what we were feeling. He said that he’d been feeling the same thing in his heart for some time, as well.” Hayford told Buck, “I was excited when you guys were honored with a Dove Award for the Hymns album, because I felt that you would be winding down soon.”
When Acts met in January, they had concerts booked through the middle of August 1988. They realized that each concert would be their last in that city. To prevent anyone from thinking that they were attempting to exploit or play upon their public’s emotions, they decided to avoid telling their audiences the news until the final tour was close to completion.
Pastor Jack didn’t agree. “If you came to my town and I didn’t get out to the concert, then later discovered that it was your last concert in my area and I had missed it, I would be extremely disappointed. You owe it to your audience to let them know. Otherwise, it’s not fair to all the people who’ve loved and supported you through the years.”
Once the Acts announced their final tour schedule, the response from friends was overwhelming. In every city, they sang to packed auditoriums, and the Spirit of God moved mightily in each concert. “That last time around was unbelievable,” says Buck. “Such an incredible amount of love and support was poured out upon us by the Body.”
“It was heartbreaking, too,” adds Annie, “because we realized that we’d been a part of so many people’s lives.” While Pastor Jack’s reaction to the news of Acts break-up was positive, many others remained unconvinced. “Believe it or not, some people were angry that we were quitting,” says Annie demurely. “They’d say, ‘This cannot be of God, because when we sang they could still sense the anointing. So they assumed that we should continue. But we knew. Most people who came, though, said, ‘Hey, we just want to tell you how much your ministry has meant to us.'”
Nevertheless, knowing that they were doing what God had told them to do did not make the final concert-in Houston, Texas, on August 12-any easier.
As Matthew remembers it: “We finished the concert and the 7500 people attending rose to their feet, and clapped and clapped. Nelly and Annie were crying, and I was losing it. I think it had finally dawned on us: This is our last concert. This is it! We weren’t tired of ministering to people or anything. It was just God’s time for something new.”
Where Are They Now?
All of the members of Acts continue to be active in their own lives. Annie has completed numerous solo albums, and doors have opened for her to have a solo ministry in various churches. “It’s an intimate ministry,” says Annie. ” It’s just me out there.” Is it difficult to sing without her brother and sister? “Sometimes it is,” Annie admits. “I’m so used to them being there. I can hear what they would be singing. Nelly and Matthew have sung backgrounds on some of my albums, though. So in that sense, I still have them out there with me, but I really don’t think we’ll be doing any more tours together, not unless the Lord tells us to do something.”
Ironically, after 20 years of concert ministry, many people do not realize that Annie, Nelly and Matthew are family. People often ask Annie, “Do you know Matthew Ward?” or “Do you know Nelly Greisen?” “Yes,” quips Annie.
Moving to Colorado, Nelly and Steve were able to find a new focus. With their boys grown and on their own, Steve’s film production and distribution company Exploration Films / Reel Productions, LLC has thrived and now ships DVD’s all over the world. They love motorcycling in the mountains and scuba diving around the world. They also serve with the nurmerous opportunities that come their way. Nelly stays active in the local community by participating on non-profit boards, singing in worship teams and volunteering. “My greatest pleasure is enjoying hanging out with my two adult boys, and of course, my loving husband Steve.” Their dog Hudson ensures that both Nelly and Steve also enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors on a regular basis.
Matthew has also recorded solo albums since Acts retirement and has faced and overcome a bout with cancer and also continues to be involved in full time touring and speaking.
Over the years, Matthew has received several offers for a secular music career, all of which he has refused. “I don’t want to sing dead music,” he says. “Singing in front of people is the last things that I’ve ever wanted to do. I was always scared to death, nervous and insecure. But that’s probably one of the things that has kept me honest with what I do and not allowed me to get puffed up. Because I realize where I’ve come from. All the while, I’ve known that God was calling me to use my gift for Him. I look at it as an honor. Matthew and his wife, Deanne, are also busy parents. They have three delightful daughters: Megin, Morgan, and Mattie.
Simple Words
What was the enduring message that God gave to the Acts to share with the world? “Sometimes we feel like an old record being played over and over again,” says Annie. “The message is the same: To see the Body of Christ healed, and to see people’s needs met. There is hope in Jesus. There is no situation too great that He cannot take care of.”
“All we ever wanted,” Buck concludes, “was for people to see Jesus. If anything made us different, it was our fervent desire to please the Lord and to be obedient to Him, regardless of the costs. We only wanted to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”
Some years ago, at the Christian Bookseller’s convention, 2nd Chapter of Acts sang three songs and sat down. Their songs brought a sense of worship, holiness and a sense that, in the vehicle of three human voices, Jesus was exalted. To hear Annie, Nelly and Matthew sing of Him, their Risen Lord, was almost to see Him, almost to feel His touch.
Afterwards, a well-known and respected man of God approached them and said of the 2nd Chapter of Acts ministry, “The frame never out-did the picture.”
“That was our earnest desire in all we did,” Buck finishes. “That the frame would never out-do the picture. And the picture always had to be Jesus.”
THE END
If you are interested in obtaining copies of The 2nd Chapter Of Acts music check out our website at 2ndChaperofActs.com.
Despite suffering a terrible tragedy when she lost her husband, the wonderful composer-singer, Keith Green, and two young children in a plane crash, Melody Green is continuing to keep Keith’s music and ministry alive and available, while moving forward with her own messages, similar to her shared vision with Keith, but in a new season, with her own unique style of wit and wisdom.
Now back in Hollywood, California, her birthplace, she has the chance, as she says, to “sow as I go,” serving whoever God puts in her path, whether they are wealthy and successful, or homeless and addicted.
Melody Green
“I wasn’t bitter but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the loss of her husband Keith and two children in a 1982 plane crash
Melody has continued Last Days Ministries (LDM), which she began with Keith. Much of her time is taken up by speaking and writing, but she always looks for chances wherever she is, to bring comfort to the homeless and needy of Tinsel Town, many of whom had moved there to seek fame and fortune.
She certainly understands pain, as she suffered a terrible blow in her own life when tragically, along with eleven others, Keith Green died at the age of 28, on 28th July, 1982, when the Cessna 414 leased by Last Days Ministries crashed after takeoff from the private airstrip located on the LDM property in Lindale, East Texas.
The small two-engine plane was carrying twelve passengers and the pilot, Don Burmeister, for an aerial tour of the LDM in Lindale, Texas, property and the surrounding area.
Green and two of his children, three-year-old Josiah and two-year-old Bethany, were on board the plane, along with visiting church planters, John and Dede Smalley and their six children. Green’s wife Melody was at home with one year old Rebekah and six weeks pregnant with their fourth child, Rachel, born in March 1983.
In late June, I caught up with Melody the night before she appeared at The Upper Room, a Christian Coffee House in Mission Viejo, California, to share about her life and plans for the future, and I began my interview for my Front Page radio show by asking her to recount that terrible experience of losing both her husband and two of her children.
She said that they had two friends from a Vineyard church in California, John and Dede Smalley and their six children, who were visiting their huge 500 acre LDM ranch, and Keith called their pilot, Don Alan Burmeister, who had been a member of the United States Marine Corps and was the pilot, to prepare the small, two engine plane for takeoff.
“Our old farmhouse was across the road from the ranch property, and Keith came to get me and wanted me to go up with them,” she recalled. “I was six weeks pregnant at the time, and I didn’t want to join them, and I also felt uncomfortable taking the kids – Bethany, two and Josiah, three – up in the plane unless we were really going somewhere.”
Her other child, daughter Rebekah, who just turned one, stayed at home with Melody. “Then Josiah and Bethany ran out the door after Keith before I could stop them,” she said.
Did she watch the plane take off? “No, we lived down the hill from the airstrip so I didn’t,” she told me.
Not long afterwards, she received a phone call from the LDM office, saying that the plane had gone down.
“I didn’t know what it meant so I ran out there and discovered for myself, that all had died,” she said.
In a few short minutes, Melody had gone from being the wife of one of the Christian world’s most famous musicians, and the mother of their three young children, to a widow, with one child left and another on the way.
I asked her how she had been able to deal with such a tragedy, and if she was bitter at God for allowing such a thing to occur.
“I wasn’t bitter,” she said, “but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.
“It would have been selfish too, with Rebekah grieving in her one-year-old way, and two more of her family gone – me and her unborn sister – both girls a remaining gift from Keith and God.
“It has taken years to get through it. It’s not light; it’s not a small thing.”
Courageously, Melody was able to participate in the memorial service at the Agape Force property nearby, for all those who died in the crash, and so I asked her how she was able to do so.
“It was because of the sheer grace of God,” said Melody. “I felt like I was supposed to speak and I did. The Lord just really he helped me and has continued to do so for all these years since.
“A day later, there was a private burial service at a small church cemetery near the Last Days Ministries property.
Has she been able to get over what happened?
“You never get over it,” she replied. “I don’t cry every day and I don’t think of it every day like I did during the first two or three years, but progressively, the Lord’s helped me to go on. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Keith was still here, especially when I watch four grandkids and I see so much of Keith in them. I know he’d just have been bananas over them and his own beautiful daughters that never got to know him, yet are so much like him”
Both Melody and Keith Green are Jewish followers of Jesus, and she told me that they had first met at a video tape recording studio where she worked and he arrived to look around it, sporting a huge beard and a long hair ponytail.
“I gave him the tour and that was that. He just kind of chased me down really,” she laughed.
She said that at that time, neither of them were believers in Jesus, the Messiah.
“We were searching,” she revealed. “Keith had a little cross around his neck – he decided that since most religions thought Jesus was OK in some way, he thought he’d read the Red Letters only to see what Jesus had to say, and I trailed along with him. We did get married and then about a year and a half later we gave our lives to Jesus.
Melody Green with husband Keith.
“We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the change Jesus brought into the lives of Keith and herself.
It was at an early Vineyard Bible study led by Kenn Gulliksen in a home they were house-sitting in the Beverly Hills area.
Later on, this became Bob Dylan’s church, but Melody said, “It was pre-Dylan and we just walked in and Keith raised his hand the first night and I raised my hand the next week. We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
It wasn’t long before both of them were composing incredible new worship music, and Melody’s most well-known songs were There Is a Redeemer, and Make My Life A Prayer. Keith recorded both of them. Overall they co-wrote about 40 songs.
Hit after hit came from Keith, including You Put This Love In My Heart, Soften Your Heart, Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful, Your Love Broke Through, Asleep In The Light, My Eyes Are Dry, So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt, Grace By Which I Stand, Easter Song (written by Annie Herring) and He’ll Take Care Of The Rest, to name just a few of them.
Soon, Keith was performing to huge crowds around the country, with Melody joining him as she operated the sound board until he moved from churches and theaters to arenas when a professional soundman was brought in.
I told Melody that Keith had been described as a prophet by many and I wondered what he thought about that.
“He didn’t like the word prophet and he wouldn’t use it, and he didn’t like it when people used it; he didn’t like that label,” she said. He just wanted to be known as a regular follower of Jesus. “But obviously, looking back, he was very prophetic. Way ahead of his time. There are things I remember he said that have since come to pass. Like the fledgling Christian music industry of that day. He once said, ‘Mark my words. In 25 years Christian music companies will become like every other big music business’. Basically run by the bottom line, is what he meant.”
To start with, the couple began their Last Days Ministries, with seven houses in Woodland Hills, California, which they filled up with some 75 people off the streets that were bikers and pregnant girls, as well as kids coming off of drugs. After leading them to Jesus, they began to disciple them.
“But we felt that it was too tempting for them to do that right in the Valley, so we were looking for land outside the temptation zone and found a log ranch house and barn on 120 acres near Lindale, Texas. We moved, and began discipleship schools and also produced huge amounts of free literature,” she said.
Melody recalled it was quite an area where many Christian ministries, leaders, and musicians, were based.
“We had David Wilkerson and his ranch, Leonard Ravenhill, two very large YWAM properties, one becoming Mercy Ships, Dallas Holm and Praise, Barry McGuire, and Agape Force where Winkie Pratney lived half of the year. 2nd Chapter of Acts even bought land adjoining ours. It was an amazing amount of fun and formed lifelong friendships.”
But then came the plane crash that changed Melody’s life forever, and for a time she moved to Kansas City, but has now returned to Hollywood, where she was born
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green.
Keith Green passed away on July 28th, 1982 almost 39 years ago to the day!!! I want to remember him with a series of posts!!!
You are called to go Keith’s concerts were evangelistic and exhortational. He was the Lecrae of the 70’s. Here is what he has to say about the great commission:
“The world isn’t being won today because we’re not doing it. It’s our fault. This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth. And no where in the world is the gospel so plentiful as here in the United States. No where. And I don’t want to see us stand before God on that day ans say, ‘but God I didn’t hear you call me.’ Here is something for all you to chew on, you don’t need to hear a call, you’re already called. In fact, if you stay home from going into all nations you had better be able to say to God, ‘You called me to stay home God, I know that as a fact.'”
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light (live)
Uploaded on May 26, 2008
Keith Green performing “Asleep In The Light” live at Jesus West Coast ’82
Keith Green was an intense and radical man of God. He was taken from this Earth at a relatively young age. His legacy lives on through his music and his sermons. This video is about his life.
Wayne and I were very close to Keith from 1978-1982. We both served on the leadership of Last Days Ministries, and have many wonderful memories of Keith and those developing years of Last Days Ministries. Here are some inside Keith-facts.
1. Did you know that Keith wore flip flopseverywhere he went?
2. Did you know that Keith always had to share his food with everyone, because if he liked it, he knew you would too? It was the Jewish mother in him.
3. Did you know Keith was a real family man? He couldn’t stand to be separated from Melody or his kids for long.
4. Did you know that Keith was very soul searchingand could be harder on himself then he was on others?
5. Did you know Keith would sometimes cut his own hair; and even played barber shop with some of the other brothers at the ministry?
6. Did you know that Keith was a real night owl? He often got his best revelation late at night and would commonly call people at 2-3am to share his fresh insights.
7. Did you know that Keith used to mow the grassin Texas on a big tractor as a way to relax and to clear his head?
8. Did you know that Keith invited so many family and friends to witness the birth of his children, that it nearly became a public event?
9. Did you know that he always had a team of people praying while he was in the studio? Along with his talent, there were hours and hours of intercession that went into each album.
10. Did you know that Keith had a deep love for people and would get really involved with people he was ministering to?
11. Did you know that Keith would read the bible in the bathroom and got some of his best revelation in there?
12. Did you know that he loved to play racket ball? He also played tennis and ping pong, and was very competitive.
13. Did you know he loved to try new things? He learned to milk a cow, drive a tractor and run a printing press.
14. Did you know that he loved to go to auctions, and was able to furnish our facilities in East Texas saving thousands of dollars?
15. Did you know Keith shaved his beard when we moved to East Texas from California, to avoid offending the locals.
16. Did you know that Keith could type faster with 2 fingers than most of us can with 10?
17. Did you know Keith was really close friends with the famous revivalist, Leonard Ravenhill, and often went to him for counsel and advice?
18. Did you know he was the same off stage as he was on stage? With Keith, what you saw was who he was, he was genuine, sincere and real in all he did.
19 Did you know that Keith once drove the bus off the road in Hell’s Canyon, Utah leaving it dangling over a 2000 foot cliff? It took 2 bulldozers to lift it back onto the road.
20. Did you know Keith borrowed money on his house to sponsor the “So You Wanna Go back To Egypt”album so we could make them available to people for whatever they could afford?
21. Did you know Keith never received a salaryfrom the ministry?
22. Did you know that in spite of his success and popularity Keith lived a very simple life?
23. Did you know Keith loved to walk when he prayed? He could often be seen in an animated prayer walk going along the edge of our ministry property.
24. Did you know Keith led worship every Friday night at a prayer meeting led by Leonard Ravenhill near our ministry in East Texas?
25. Did you know Keith had a vision to do a restaurant that would offer food for whatever you could afford as a ministry outreach to the community?
Did you know Keith wasn’t perfect, but he held nothing back in serving Jesus and bringing others into God’s Kingdom.
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – Easter Song (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “Easter Song” live from The Daisy Club — LA (1982) ____________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer. Here is his story below: The Lord had taken Keith from concerts of 20 or less — to stadiums […]
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light Uploaded by keithyhuntington on Jul 23, 2006 keith green performing Asleep In The Light at Jesus West Coast 1982 __________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer and the video clip above includes my favorite Keith Green song. Here is his story below: “I repent of […]
Keith Green – Your Love Broke Through Here is something I got off the internet and this website has lots of Keith’s great songs: Keith Green: His Music, Ministry, and Legacy My mom hung up the phone and broke into tears. She had just heard the news of Keith Green’s death. I was only ten […]
The Keith Green Story pt 7/7 I remember when I first Keith Green. He had a great impact on me. Below are some quotes on Keith: Quotes “It’s time to quit playing church and start being the Church (Matt. 18:20)” — Keith Green, as quoted by Melody Green in the introduction to A Cry […]
The Keith Green Story pt 6/7 When I first heard Keith Green in 1978 it had a major impact on my life. Below is his story: LEGEND Keith Green CBN.com – When musician Keith Green died in a plane crash on July 28, 1982, the world lost a special man whose heart was aflame […]
Worthy of every song
We could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise
We could ever bring
Worthy of every breath
We could ever breath
We live for You
We live for You
Verse 2
Jesus the Name
Above every other name
Jesus the only One
Who could ever save
Worthy of every breath
We could ever breathe
We live for You
Oh we live for You
Chorus
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love
To those around me
Verse 2
Jesus the Name
Above every other name
Jesus the only One
Who could ever save
Worthy of every breath
We could ever breathe
We live for You
Oh we live for You
Chorus
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love
To those around me
Bridge
And I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Chorus
Holy there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love
To those around me
The blinding North Dakota blizzard blasted against Elizabeth Irmen as the young schoolteacher and her troupe of students trudged through the knee-deep snow. The lane that led from their rural North Dakota schoolhouse to the main road was already obscured. They had to move quickly before the whirling winds heaped the snow into mountainous drifts. Otherwise, it would be disastrous.
From behind her, came the drone of a truck engine and turning her face into the whipping wind, she saw the welcome sight of headlights approaching. Hastily, she huddled her students off the highway and watched as the huge truck slid to a stop near the spot where the children had been walking only a few moments earlier. The door flew open, and the driver, Walter Ward, called to them through the storm. “Come on, kids! Pile in. I’ll get you home.”
Gratefully, with teeth chattering, the children clambered aboard the warm vehicle. As Walter assisted the children, he asked the teacher, “And where do you live, honey?” It was an innocent question. She was so young he’d mistaken her as one of the students. “Well, honey-” she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “-I just live around the corner. I’m the teacher.” It didn’t escape her attention that this thoughtful “rescuer” was strong and good-looking. An awkward introduction, but it was a beginning. Walter and Elizabeth fell in love and marriage quickly followed.
Soon their lives revolved almost entirely around children. They had nine of their own. Three of those children – Annie, Nelly, and Matthew – would become the 2nd Chapter of Acts, one of the pioneering groups in contemporary Christian music. Much of what they set in motion continues to influence Christian music today.
To understand the impact of the 2nd Chapter of Acts’ music and ministry, it helps to reflect upon how God called them into relationship with Him, how He filled them with His presence, and how He has worked in and through the lives of three shy, unassuming kids from North Dakota. Where did they come from? How did they get to where they are today? What was God saying through them in the ’70s and ’80s, and what is He saying through them today? Let’s go back to the beginning.
The Early Days
In the 1950’s, Walter Ward worked hard as an itinerant farmer to provide a sparse living for his sprawling family. He was a happy man who loved to dance, sing, and play the harmonica. Though poor, the Wards were rich in love, fun and music. “There were many things we did not have,” Annie recalls. “Things such as indoor plumbing and other ‘luxuries.’ But the one thing we did have was love. No matter what, we always knew Mom and Dad loved us. I never heard my parents argue. They were always very kind to each other, and to us.”
Music was a major part of the Wards’ life. Annie began singing publicly at five years of age, with her older sister, Kathryn and Stephanie. They performed favorites like, “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window,” while their mom accompanied them on piano. “The Ward Sisters” sang for all sorts of rural festivities: farm co-op meetings, the dedication of a new train engine, school openings, and country church picnics.
It was late in 1950 that Elizabeth began to complain of chronic headaches and constant physical weakness. Doctors diagnosed her as having epilepsy. Despite their best efforts, Elizabeth’s condition grew worse year after year. The family moved to California to be closer to relatives who could help in the face of Elizabeth’s deteriorating health.
In 1968, Elizabeth Ward died of a brain tumor. She had been misdiagnosed for more than a decade. Nelly recalls looking at her mom during the funeral and learning an early truth, “When I looked at her body lying there, it was suddenly obvious that the body was not my mother… Only a shell remained.” For Nelly (12 yrs) and Matthew (11yrs), who still remained at home, life became more difficult. Nelly would take on more of the family’s cooking and cleaning duties as Walter tried to continue life without Elizabeth.
Annie was left reeling at her mother’s death. She was dabbling in drugs, searching for the meaning to life in Eastern mysticism and in New Age type religions. Nothing satisfied the inner longings of her heart. The loss of her mother intensified Annie’s sense of loneliness and meaninglessness, and it forced her to face the fleeting, fragile, nature of life.
About this time, Annie’s boyfriend, Buck Herring, committed his life to Jesus Christ. His new faith was about to make Annie face another confrontation.
A “New” Boyfriend
Buck Herring had hopes of steering a rock band into the big-time. One day, while working as a deejay at a Top-40 station, Buck received a frantic phone call from one of his band members. In a panic-stricken voice, he informed Buck that their drug supplier had “gotten religion” and was refusing to deal drugs any more! Buck was intrigued. The dealer told Buck that he’d been “filled with the Spirit,” and it was true, there was an undeniable change. To his own amazement, Buck asked if they could go to church together some time. The moment Buck walked into the church, he realized that these people were Spirit-filled, with a capital “S”. The worshippers were raising their hands to the Lord singing and speaking praise to him out loud! Oh! No! Buck thought. These people are nuts! As he stood there, fighting an urge to leave, Buck also experienced a powerful stirring in his heart. The searching question came to him: Are you willing to be foolish in your own eyes for My sake? He pondered the implications of this query for less than a minute. Then by a simple act of his will, Buck raised his hands in the air and began to speak words of praise to Jesus.
Shortly after surrendering his life to the Lord, Buck began to sense a conflict between his faith in Christ and the lyrics of the songs that he played as a Top-40 deejay. He resigned his position at the radio station, even though he had no idea where he’d find work.
He also parted company with the rock band. He’d purchased some used recording equipment two years before, in hopes of producing demo tapes of the band. Following his commitment to Christ, he packed up the equipment and donated it all- microphones, tape deck, control board, everything- to the church where he’d given his life to Jesus. As he was packing the equipment, Buck found himself saying out loud: “Father, I would love to produce records for Your kingdom.”
One of the first people Buck wanted to tell about his new commitment to Jesus was Annie Ward. They have been involved with each other previously, but the relationship had soured. By now, Annie was living in Los Angeles, working with a singing group and on the verge of breaking into a successful pop music career. Although she considered herself a “seeker of truth,” she really wasn’t interested in “Jesus stuff”. But since the death of her mom, Annie had continued searching for something to take away the haunting pain and emptiness. For two weeks following his spiritual rebirth, Buck prayed for Annie regularly-not about a potential relationship, but out of concern for the fact that she was lost without Christ. One day, he sensed the Lord saying, “Go find her.” He drove to LA and eventually, found Annie living with the members of her singing group at the home of a famous songwriter, who was hoping to launch the group onto the charts. Buck zealously shared his newfound faith with Annie. He briefly told her that she needed to be “born again.” Although Annie didn’t understand what he meant, she was willing to listen.
He also thrust into her hands a copy of the Modern English New Testament, Good News for Modern Man. “Read this,” he said. And after praying, he left her stunned.
For more than a week, the book remained untouched. But there was something about Buck’s prayer…Annie felt as if something profound was happening deep within. Nothing in her life seemed worthwhile- not the drugs, not even the promise of fame.
Several days after Buck’s visit, Annie finally picked up the book he’d left and decided to read it-from the back! The Book of Revelation, amazingly, made sense to her. Perhaps it was the sense of majesty she’d felt as a little girl, but she saw Jesus for who He is-King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Still pondering this Jesus of Revelation, Annie sat down at the piano and started fooling with the keys. She didn’t really know how to play, but as a child she’d learned a few basics by watching her mother play. To her surprise, she began playing and the words to a song rushed in. Puzzled, Annie stared at the keyboard. Okay, she thought. This song did not come from me. Where did this song come from? In her mind’s eye, she pictured Jesus. He was walking toward her, and Annie had the conviction that the song had come from Him. What did this mean? Then Jesus spoke to Annie and His words seared into her heart: The only thing I am asking of you is to give your life to Me and let Me live through you.
The Wild Weekend
The next time Annie saw Buck, something was different about him. She was fascinated when he explained that he’d been filled with the Holy Spirit. What kind of spiritual power could change a guy like Buck? She wondered. That night, Buck asked if he could pray for her. When she consented, he took her hand, and prayed a simple prayer.
The next morning, when Annie got up, she knew she had two items of business to take care of: She quit the singing group, and committed her life to Jesus Christ. Annie’s commitment to Christ was total, even though it meant losing all that she had ever wanted in the music business. “Nobody told me that I had to quit everything in order to become a Christian,” Annie recalls. “Once I had made a decision to follow Christ, it seemed like the only logical choice. It was so clear: I could choose everything that I thought I ever wanted…or I could choose Jesus.” That night, Buck and Annie went to the home of some folks Buck knew, “Jesus people” who claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Annie wanted the same Spirit that had changed Buck to fill her life. A group of “Jesus people” gathered around Annie as she sat on a chair in the center of the group. They began praying for her and singing in the Spirit. Suddenly, Annie experienced a vision of heaven. She describes it like this:
“There was a myriad of people around the throne of God. The dimension was different than anything I had ever seen in this world. I saw myself in front of the twenty-four elders – though I didn’t know who or what they were then. I smelled the incense around the altar. I sensed incredible power…
Suddenly, I saw Jesus. I loved Him so much! I started toward Him, to kiss Him, but I stopped short. Every sin I’d ever committed seemed so real. I just stood there. I could not touch Him. I couldn’t touch Him because of my dirt, my filth, and my sin. Instantly-without ever being taught this-I knew that there was no way that I could ever earn His good favor. There was nothing I could do on my own in order to be acceptable in His sight. I was covered with sin and I kept thinking, ‘How could He love me?’”
To everyone’s surprise, Annie bolted from the room. Outside, she ran into an open field, where she sat down and wept. She recalls, “I felt God could never love me, because I had disobeyed Him and hurt Him so deeply.”
At home that night, she fell asleep still asking, “How could He love me? How could He love me?” Somehow, during the night, something changed inside. “The Lord ministered to me so beautifully and gently, that I woke up asking, ‘How could He love me so much?'” The next night, Buck and Annie attended a Bible study and prayer meeting where the leader asked them to stand and give a testimony. Buck shared a few facts about his and Annie’s spiritual journey. “All I know,” said Annie, when it was her turn, “is that I love Jesus. And Jesus loves me.” It was her first public testimony. Simple words of a new faith.
Simple Faith
It was a simple wedding, held in a backyard with only a few people attending. Buck and Annie married in February of 1969. Annie made her own Irish-linen wedding gown, with white embroidered crosses on the sleeves. Annie’s sister Kathryn was the Maid of Honor, and Buck’s friend Noel Paul Stookey (from Peter, Paul and Mary) was the best man.
The newlyweds became part of an informal prayer group that met regularly on Tuesday nights. They had no pastor or teacher to lead them, so the group shared a meal, sang, discussed scripture and prayed for each other. It was a fresh, free, spontaneous and energetic form of worship.
Trouble At Home
In the summer of 1970, the Ward family suffered a serious blow. Two years earlier, as the grieving family stood around Elizabeth Ward’s gravesite, Annie’s dad had told her, “In two years time, I’ll be right beside her.” Nearly two years to the day, he died of leukemia.
Annie had visited him prior to his death, and as he sat up in bed, racked with pain, Walter Ward prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Then in his first act as a newborn Christian, this warm and loving man prayed for the salvation of his family. He could not have imagined how his prayer would be answered.
Following their father’s funeral, the family agreed that the four youngest children should move in with their older brothers and sisters. Nelly and Matthew were faced with the difficult decision as to where to go. “You decide for us,” Matthew said as Nelly struggled with the choice.
Nelly remembers, “It was difficult choice, because moving to Los Angeles meant I was leaving other siblings.” Jack and Tony went to live with Annie’s oldest brother Irmen. Nelly and Matthew, who were 14 and 12 at the time, decided to move in with Buck and Annie, so they made the trip from Sacramento to their new surroundings in Los Angeles. The Herrings had been married for less than a year-and-a-half. The trauma of losing both their parents, combined with the pressures of being thrust into an “instant” family, took its toll on both the Wards and the Herrings. Life wouldn’t be easy.
From Nelly and Matthew’s perspective, Annie had moved away from home while they were small children. Now there are put in a situation of living together with the 23-year-old sister they hardly knew. And her new husband was a big, brusque, bear of a man whom they’d only just met.
“I think we were both numb,” say Matthew of the decision to live with the Herrings. “We had just buried Dad, and it really didn’t matter after that… It didn’t make any difference where we moved.”
Buck and Annie, however, had been praying for Matthew and Nelly long before their father’s death. Their welcome was a foregone conclusion. Although they had little money to provide for Nelly and Matthew, the Herrings were excited.
At first, Buck and Matthew weren’t so certain. Buck was a strict disciplinarian, “verging on legalism.” Matthew possessed an incredibly quick wit, and Buck too-often mistook his comments for insubordination. Actually, Matthew was merely relating in the only manner he knew. Buck and Matthew’s conflicting personalities made for a volatile mix. Buck’s sternness with Matthew negatively affected Nelly, as well. After all, Matt was her brother; she barely knew the brute that was badgering him. Her compassionate spirit caused her to rise up in sympathy for Matthew, while she inwardly bristled at Buck for being so overbearing.
Nelly and Matthew, as well as Annie and Buck, are quick to credit “the grace of God and the lubricating oil of the Holy Spirit” as their secret to surviving these family frictions. Moreover, the tensions began to ease after both Nelly and Matthew came into a personal relationship with Christ. Still, Buck was often baffled in his attempts to discipline Matthew. “I made innumerable mistakes in my early dealings with Matthew,” recalls Buck. “Finally, I told the Lord this was obviously not working, and He gave me some wisdom in what to do.” The turning point in their relationship came when Matthew brought home a series of pink slips from school, indicating the he’d disrupted the class. Spanking failed, and Buck felt at wit’s end. “How am I ever going to get through to this kid?” he lamented. He needed a new approach, and he prayed for wisdom.
After praying, he took Matthew outside the house and drew a three-foot by six-foot rectangle on the ground. “I want you to dig a hole here,” he pointed to the rectangle, “six feet deep.” Matthew was shocked, but dutifully he began digging. Years later, Matthew recalls, “I thought of running away, but where would I go? I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I didn’t have any money. So I stayed there and dug.” As Matthew was digging, the Lord revealed to Buck that the hole was to be a grave. Finally, Matthew finished. Buck inspected the plot and said, “You’ve done a good job. Now to into your room and write on a piece of paper all the things you want to fix in your life. I don’t want to see the paper. I don’t need to know what’s on it. It’s between you and the Lord. Then bring it out, and I’ll help you bury it.” Matthew retreated to his room to write his “spiritual obituary”. Half an hour later, he and Buck shoveled dirt back into the hole, burying the paper. It was the beginning a healing process in their relationship.
The Gift of Music
One day, Annie sat on a piano stool in front of her piano she named “Brother Bear”, wishing she could have learned to play when she was a child. With nine siblings, lessons were a luxury the family could ill afford. The best she could manage was to fool with the keys. And then, to her amazement Annie found herself playing a melody. But how? The chords and notes flowed out, as if the Lord was literally giving her a gift of music. “At first,” says Annie, “I’d get these beautiful melodies and I’d ask Buck to write the lyrics to go with them.” One day, Buck replied, “Annie, don’t think about writing a song- just sing whatever’s in your heart.” It was this encouragement that opened the way to Annie’s simple, and deeply intimate songs of praise and adoration.
When Nelly and Matthew came to live with Buck and Annie, they discovered a comfort and closeness in joining Annie around the piano after school. Their familial voices blended together in spontaneous, smooth harmonies, so tight, so natural. Was it just that the Ward kids had similar genes or was there another explanation? Matthew offers: “I used to listen to a lot of AM radio when I was a kid, and I learned to do harmony by singing a different note than the guy on the radio. I’d sing with everything. I’d even sing with Mom’s vacuum cleaner as it whirred back and forth across the carpet, changing its pitch. I’d harmonize with anything that oscillated-washing machines, or whatever. You could say I learned to sing harmony from household appliances!”
In addition to Annie’s special gift and Matthew’s offbeat vocalizing, Nelly possessed an amazing ability to find the missing notes between her brother and sister. When this trio sang together, their sound was almost angelic. When they first started singing together, it became obvious to the trio that there was something special. “Because we were brother and sisters, our vocal blend was very close and created a unique sound,” Nelly explains.
The Wards never intended to become a professional singing group. “We were just singing to the Lord,” says Matthew. “It was a way of releasing our pain. We had gone through something tragic but we knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.” Annie agrees, “When we started singing together, there was such a healing, such a joy in our hearts, that we didn’t want to take it outside of our own living room. It was a healing balm to us. Precious. Personal. Something that was ours.” It would seem however, that the Lord had other plans.
A Fresh Start
One day as Annie, Nelly and Matthew were singing around the piano, they stopped to pray, which was a regular practice. As they prayed that day, they sensed there was something new and different. As Annie remembers: “He said we were three small streams, but when we came together to sing we would be a mighty river. That river would uproot things in people’s hearts that had been buried—the way that rushing water uproots things-and cleans things out, and opens things up. He promised that we would sing as one voice.”
Yet, the trio remained shy about performing in public. They sang in church when called upon, and in local Christian coffeehouses at the insistence of friends. But that was the limit. “The last thing we wanted to do was to sing in front of people,” explains Annie. “We never thought ‘Oh, boy! Let’s get out there and do concerts!’ It was always, ‘Oh no! We’ve got to go out there’. We felt that way throughout our years of ministry together. We were scared, shy, and very aware of our inadequacies. The good part was that it forced us to rely upon the Lord.”
About this time, Eddie Overstreet, the Herrings’ former housemate, wanted to record a song he’d written. Buck arranged for some excellent studio musicians, most of who were friends, and they went into the studio to record the music track for a song titled, “Jesus Is.” The track turned out so well that Eddie felt it was beyond his own vocal ability, and he agreed with Buck that they should find someone else to sing the song – but who?
Buck played the track for a number of their friends and all agreed that it was a “fun, happening” song. But who could they get to sing it? “Why don’t we have Matthew sing it!” On Matthew’s 13th birthday, Matthew recorded the lead vocal. Annie and Nelly sang background vocals along with many of their friends. It was a “fun” song, and eventually it caught the attention of Pat Boone, who arranged a contract with MGM Records for the release of “Jesus Is” which would later become a Top10 hit on California secular radio. In 1972, the family’s recording career was officially born.
What Kind of Name Is That?
While working in the recording studio, editing a secular commercial, Buck heard a phrase go through his mind: The 2nd Chapter of Acts. Later, he described it as “the nearest I’ve ever come to hearing God speak in an audible voice”. “It wasn’t like I should go read this chapter,” says Buck. “It was clearly to be the group’s name.” “I had read that passage of Scripture before, but I didn’t have a good idea of what it was about. I didn’t want to forget it, so I took a studio grease pencil and wrote The 2nd Chapter of Acts on the front of the tape machine.” Buck couldn’t wait to get home from work that night to share the name with the family. Their reaction, however, was somewhat less than enthusiastic. “What?” they chorused. “What kind of a name is that?”
“That’s an awful name,” Annie lamented. “It doesn’t even let anyone know we’re a family.”
Matthew objected, “People will think we are a play!”
Buck responded, “Okay, go get your Bibles and go to your rooms and let’s all read Acts, chapter two. Ask God about it. Then come back and let’s meet together in fifteen or twenty minutes.”
The family spread throughout the big house and began to study the passage. When they reappeared, their response was one of resignation rather than overwhelming enthusiasm. They reluctantly agreed, “Okay, if that’s what we’re supposed to be, that’s it. We’ll be the 2nd Chapter of Acts.”
Over the years, the name proved to be both a blessing and an obstacle. True, it had a fresh, contemporary sound. But it also barred them from singing for some of the largest, mainline denominations in America. “People were afraid we’d come in and start speaking in tongues or something,” laughs Buck. “From our viewpoint, being called The 2nd Chapter of Acts didn’t have anything to do with speaking in tongues, or being filled with the Holy Spirit, or any other phenomena commonly perceived as ‘Charismatic’, but it occurred to us, that if you were cast adrift and you had only Acts 2, you’d have it all. The prophecy of Jesus’ coming, the fulfillment of the prophecy, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, the activity of the early Church as it began to function…It’s all there in one chapter. It’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible. “It was never a banner we were waving, concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was meant to portray the whole life and ministry of the Church. And that’s what we felt we were about.”
If their new identity felt awkward to Annie, Nelly and Matthew, it was soon to become a household name to millions of Christian music lovers.
Seeds of Ministry
By the time Barry McGuire met The 2nd Chapter of Acts, he had tasted the best and the worst of the music business. His music had taken his group, The New Christy Minstrels, and their idyllic ballad Green Green to the top of the charts. And then his career skyrocketed with the 1965 solo hit, Eve of Destruction. Unfortunately, Barry’s personal life was also on the precipice of destruction during this time. As John Phillips of the Mama’s and Papa’s song lyrics went.. “McGuinn and McGuire still a-getting higher in L.A., you know where that’s at.”
Barry later described his life as a “triple-X-rated horror story,” filled with alcohol and drugs. McGuire dropped out of the music scene, and spent the next two years with the Agape Force, a group of Jesus People who helped him become established in the Lord. Soon, with new songs to sing Barry began looking for a producer to help record the best, Christ-honoring album possible. His search boiled down to two individuals: one, a highly successful secular producer; the other Buck Herring. Though he became a respected studio engineer, Buck had yet to produce an album. Barry prayed, and then called him.
Buck invited Barry to bring some songs over to the big house in Hollywood. After a few brief formalities, Barry explained how he felt that God had led him to seek Buck’s help in producing his next album. Buck asked Barry if he could hear some of the songs and Barry gladly got out his guitar and began singing. Laughing, Buck recollects, “When Barry started singing, the house shook! He was banging his guitar and thumping out the beat with his foot as he sang, ‘I don’t know what you come to do, but I come to praise the Lord!’ It was great.”
Before long, two pairs of eyes peeked around the corner of the stairway. To Nelly, Barry was larger than life. “He was boisterous and though his outwardly appearance was rugged, he was warm and very inviting.”
Buck motioned for Nelly and Matthew to come down, as Barry sang several more songs. When Barry finished, Buck suggested, “Now that Matthew and Nelly are awake, why don’t you guys sing a song for Barry?” Barry later confessed that he expected the worst. What have I gotten into? He thought. Now this little family is going to sing. Another can-we-have-our-kids-sing-for-you? How many times have I heard that line before? But as he looked at the skinny, bashful kids gathering around the beat-up piano, he though, “Well, praise the Lord anyway.” He settled into a chair and attempted to appear as interested as possible.
Annie, Nelly and Matthew began to sing. Barry was stunned. He’d listened to thousands of singers, but he’d never heard anything like this before! Crystal clear harmonies. Lyrics that sounded inspired in heaven. When the trio finished, tears were streaming down his face. That night, Barry invited them to sing background vocals on his new album. Seeds, was one of the groundbreaking recordings in contemporary Christian music.
Besides working together on the album, 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire agreed to do a series of concerts. The logical place to start was Sacramento, where Buck had been a popular radio personality. It was also there the Acts achieved moderate success, as their second MGM single I’m So Happy soared into the top five on the local charts. And of course, Barry was still well known because of his secular hits. Though they had felt the concert was sure to succeed, they, in fact, lost money. Nevertheless, it was the start of something bigger.
Divine Appointments
In order to have enough material to do their part of the concert, Acts had to hire some musicians and rehearse a few songs. Annie had written several new songs and some members of the band suggested to Buck that they record them. Buck shrugged, “I don’t have any money.” When the band insisted, the whole troupe went into a studio. This recording session gave us some of the 2nd Chapter’s first classics-including Love, Peace, Joy, I Fall In Love, and Going Home. One song from this session seemed to have a special quality. Annie had titled it, Easter Song. Easter Song was one of those that “just came out”. Annie recalls, “At first, I didn’t think it was much of a song. I loved it, but I didn’t think it was a song for us. I thought it was a choir song. I even said to the Lord, ‘Oh Father, that sounds like a song that a lot of people should sing.’ I was talking with our friends Jimmy and Carol Owens one day. We had been on tour with them in ‘Come Together,’ a musical they’d written. I thought Jimmy might be interested and I said, ‘I have this little song. You might not even like it.’”
When Annie played Easter Song, Jimmy Owens was jubilant. “You don’t want to give that song to anybody. You need to record it!” Teeming with confidence, Annie took the song to the band members who, at first, did not share Jimmy’s enthusiasm. Drummer, David Kemper whined, “I don’t hear any drums on that song. I just can’t hear it.”
“David!” Buck’s voice boomed. “You don’t hear any drums on it? Just play! Play something. Do it!” David did. He sat down and put a different drum pattern to the song, taking it out of the choir realm where Annie had first heard it and pulling it into a lilting rhythm that not only 2nd Chapter could sing, but also the whole world could sing.
The song was to undergo a transformation from the way Annie first heard it. Drummer David Kemper added a rhythm and eventually Michael Omartian, another friend of the family, added the lively keyboard track that made the song unforgettable. Omartian’s involvement on Easter Song began a long-term relationship. Throughout the early years of Acts ministry, Annie roughed out the songs, and Michael wrote the charts for the musicians before going into the studio. Buck once said, “When the Lord gives Annie a song, it’s like a rough-hewn diamond, dug out of the ground. We give it to Michael, and he cuts it and polishes it and puts it in the right piece of jewelry.” In Annie’s estimation, “Michael is such a musical genius. He has perfect pitch, and the ability to play almost any instrument. He’s really a virtuoso, and compared to him I could hardly play at all. Back then he’d get so tickled at me. He’d say, ‘This song is wrong. You’re not supposed to be able to do these chords. But I love it! It’s wrong, but it’s great.’ He’d also say, ‘You play the piano wrong, too. It’s wrong, but it’s fine… How do you do that?'”
Another person who was impressed by Easter Song was record executive, Billy Ray Hearn. Hearn had begun Myrrh, a new contemporary Christian record label owned by Word. When he first heard Easter Song he said, “Now that’s what Christian music is supposed to sound like!”
Growing Pains
When Buck sent a copy of the newly recorded Seeds album to Billy Ray Hearn, he immediately recognized the record’s enormous potential. When Billy Ray came out to the Herring home to discuss the deal, Buck played him some of the songs that 2nd Chapter had been working on. One of those songs was Easter Song.
Because of the difficulties Acts had experienced in doing Christian music for a secular record company, Buck had obtained their release from MGM. Within a few months, Hearn had signed them to do their first album for Myrrh. The 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire continued touring together, which was both exhilarating and frightening for the inexperienced trio.
Another factor that contributed to Acts early inhibitions was audience response. During Barry’s set, the audience sang along, clapped and cheered. When 2nd Chapter began singing – Going Home was the opener – the audience grew strangely silent. “We thought everybody had gone home!” Annie jokes. “That would really have shaken our confidence, if we’d had any.” Several concerts into the tour, somebody approached Annie and said, “We’re really sorry we didn’t applaud, but we’ve never heard music like that before!” Many others expressed that they had never before experienced worship so keenly. As Nelly reflects: “One of the reasons people didn’t applaud was because we weren’t singing songs about Jesus, we were singing to Him. When people recognized that, they sensed His Spirit. They could see Jesus, and they fell in love with Him.”
Despite the awkward beginnings, Acts and Barry McGuire continued to tour together intermittently for three years. Through his example, Barry taught the group how to communicate with an audience. “Just be yourselves,” he’d encourage them. “Be who God has called you to be.” Barry’s words fell upon fertile soil. “He taught us so much,” says Annie. “He’s the best communicator I’ve ever known.”
Besides the spiritual power of their music, other factors catapulted Acts into the public spotlight. First, touring with Barry exposed them to a built-in audience each concert. Second, Easter Song was getting airplay on secular radio stations as well as the few contemporary Christian programs that existed them. Too, their album, With Footnotes had taken off. By 1973, they entered the music ministry full-time. For the next twenty years, they would travel across America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Western Europe singing about Jesus.
Bringing the Band Together
Early on, Acts felt the need to have their own band. Nelly’s close friend, Jamie Owens told them about a group of musicians at Church on the Way in Van Nuys. “They practice a lot,” said Jamie. “But sometimes they don’t even play-they just pray.” That was good enough for Buck. He approached the band and asked them to pray about working with 2nd Chapter. “We already have,” they responded. “And the answer is ‘Yes!'”
The result was a joining of forces between Acts and A Band Called David. Perhaps the one person who influenced the Acts more profoundly than anyone else was the unassuming pastor of Church on the Way, Jack Hayford. The group began attending Church on the Way when the congregation was less than one hundred strong. (Today, the congregation numbers in the thousands.) “He helped us understand who we are, how to minister, and how to order our priorities,” says Buck. “Jack Hayford taught us principles of spiritual integrity, and how to avoid trouble.” The 2nd Chapter of Acts and A Band Called David continued to tour together until the end of 1975. Then change was in the wind.
In 1976 The 2nd Chapter of Acts arrived at a crossroads: “Should we or should we not continue?” was the question. Prior to this, the ministry of Acts had grown out of the family relationships. Now, however, as they approached adulthood, Nelly and Matt felt it was time to discern what God’s will and call involved for themselves. They were no longer just family; they had become The 2nd Chapter of Acts. As Nelly explains, “It got to the point where we didn’t know if we were The 2nd Chapter of Acts, or if Acts was us. We were almost becoming a machine. The ministry was taking over the family, instead of being an extension of the family. “
Consequently, Acts took time off to seek God, to grow in their relationships with each other and to clarify the call upon their lives. This did not mean sitting idle, though. For several weeks, Nelly and Matthew toured as part of Jimmy and Carol Owens’s popular, bicentennial musical, If My People tour, which focused on calling the nation to prayer. After three weeks on the road, Buck returned home to produce Phil Keaggy’s album, Love Broke Through.
It was during the ’76 sabbatical that Acts met another singer-songwriter who would profoundly influence their lives. Keith Green and Acts met while working together on a Terry Talbot album. Their friendship blossomed when Keith came to Matthew’s birthday party at the Herrings’ new home in Burbank, California. Buck recalls, “We had a rented harpsichord in the living room, and an antique, grand piano in the bedroom. Keith sat down at the harpsichord and began praising the Lord with some of his high-energy music. Before long, the whole party started doing a sort of spiritual ‘bunny-hop,’ winding around the room. The line danced out the sliding doors of our living room, across the patio, then in through the sliding doors of our bedroom, down the hallway and back into the living room. Keith was playing in the living room, but as soon as the group would go through the sliding doors, he’d jump off the stool, race to the bedroom, and start pounding on the antique piano, just as the group came bouncing through the bedroom doors. He barely missed a measure. That was Keith – high energy.
Back to Work
By the end of the 1976 break, Acts had redefined their ministry. Everyone answered both questions, “Should we continue” and “Do you feel that God has called you to this work” in the affirmative. Furthermore, by taking the year off from touring as a group, they’d learned a number of personal lessons: How to better appreciate each other and how to allow each person freedom to be himself.
Consequently, 1976 marked a major turning point in their ministry. Following their recommitment, Acts went back into the studio to record The Roar of Love. Says Annie, “For the first time we had fun in the studio, and that came from a new sense of freedom and release.” Part of the fun could be attributed to the fact that the studio in which they recorded the vocals did not have a window through which Buck could see the singers. Normally, while recording, Matthew loved to “cut up,” laughing and goofing off until the second the “Record” mode was triggered. Yet because of his incredible vocal ability, he could still hit his notes. Meanwhile, Annie and Nelly would be convulsing in laughter, and Buck would be fuming in the control room. On The Roar of Love, since Buck couldn’t see the singers, he never knew what was going on behind the partition. Although the album was completed, the release date of The Roar of Love would be long delayed by contractual and copyright problems. Yet, the detours proved to be providential.
Birds of a Feather
When friend Billy Ray Hearn left Myrrh to begin building new record company Sparrow Records, Acts was among the first of many artists to sign-on. The albums Through a Child’s Eyes (Annie’s first solo album), Mansion Builder, and The Roar of Love (which they were finally free to release) quickly followed.
Matthew also recorded his first solo album for Sparrow. They intended to title the album Matthew 18, a humorous “take-off” from the name 2nd Chapter of Acts and referring to the fact that Matthew was then eighteen years old. A series of delays held up the album’s release, and it was finally re-titled, Toward Eternity.
Despite the delays, Matthew’s first solo project produced some outstanding music, including songs like Hold On, It’s Alright, Noah’s Song, Angels Unaware, and Summer Snow. Several songs on the album were written especially for Matthew by renowned songwriters such as Michael Omartian and Keith Green. Beyond that, the album was the first project on which Matthew enjoyed freedom to experiment with his wide-ranging vocal styles. “Some people say I sound like two different people between the Acts albums and my own solo work,” says Matthew. “In a sense, that’s true. In the Acts arrangements, I was always singing the third. And, I wrote very little of the material, especially in the early days. On my own projects, I do a lot of different things.”
Radical Stands
Because they refused to go with the flow, Acts was often perceived as a radical group. Actually, much of their stance just ran counter to the direction they perceived Christian music to be heading, toward commercialism and to a focus on Christian super-stars. “We created real problems for Sparrow in the early days,” Buck recalls. “Because we didn’t want to be interviewed by certain magazines, or be on the cover. We didn’t want to do anything that smacked of self-promotion. We didn’t think it was right to use superlatives, because those drew comparisons. All we wanted our record company to do was to put out the information: The 2nd Chapter of Acts has a new album. That doesn’t make it easy for a company to promote a product. I would much prefer the days of our beginnings to what we have now. There wasn’t anybody clamoring to do what we did, or what ‘Love Song’ or any of the other early ‘Jesus Music’ groups did. There were no charts for us to be number one on. Contemporary Christian music charts didn’t exist. I think it’s sad that, today, Christian music has become an industry rather than a ministry. I don’t really know the answer to this—We used to fight against it continually, and we got ourselves into a lot of hot water. We tried to avoid those things that, in our view, were not edifying to the Body of Christ. Now, we have so many magazines, music charts, and popularity contests, it all has the potential to put ministries in competition with each other, rather than coming alongside and working together for Jesus.”
An Acts concert was designed to usher the audience into a worship experience. Annie notes, “We believed God had called us to be a wooer of the Body of Christ, so they could come and be loved by Jesus and be healed.”
In the early years, the emphasis was primarily upon evangelism, but then the Lord led Acts into a broader ministry, building up believers. Buck contends, “One of the greatest revelations we received from the Lord was that we were not primarily called to preach people into the Kingdom-although we almost always provided some sort of opportunity to meet Him. In most every concert, people did. But we felt He was telling us simply to let people see Him, and let them enjoy His love, and new believers would be born into the Kingdom of God.”
Annual Check-up
Acts sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading was not accidental or peripheral. Throughout their ministry, they would gather each January to pray and seek God’s priorities for that year’s ministry. Annie recalls: “Some years, He’d tell us, ‘You are going to be planting. You will be harvesting in three years, but this year you are going to plant.’ Another year He’d say, ‘This year you are going to be ushering people into the presence of the Holy Spirit,’ or “This year is going to be a year of deliverance.'”
One such “word” came to the family during a time of prayer in 1977. They sensed the Lord telling them that, starting in 1978, they should no longer depend upon ticket sales for support of the ministry, but that they were to return to doing “offering only” concerts. God promised that He would meet all of their needs if they would trust Him. This was no small step of faith, considering the enormous expense of putting twelve people and equipment on the road from city to city, plus supporting the group’s members and families. In addition, Acts determined that the offerings should be divided equally between the local concert sponsors and themselves. If a sponsor did not receive enough to pay expenses, 2nd Chapter would take money from their portion of the offering to reimburse the promoter.
That year, every need was met. Acts ministered to more people than ever, their audiences nearly doubled in number, and more people came to know Jesus than in any previous year of their ministry.
Spiritual Battles
Prayer was an important key to Acts’ success. Each morning while on tour, the group gathered in one of their hotel rooms to read a brief passage from the Bible, to share from their hearts, and to pray together. “One of the reasons we did this in the morning was because by the time we got to the concert hall, there was so much to do, too many distractions,” Annie says.
Still, when the 2nd Chapter of Acts bus and truck arrived at the auditorium, prayer took priority over unloading. “We’d gather in a circle on stage and pray again. We’d asked for protection, so nobody would get hurt. We’d pray over the auditorium, too, to establish the Kingdom of God there,” Annie recounts. “Then right before the concert, we’d have one more short time of prayer-a ‘flare prayer’ we called it. We’d always invite the stagehands to join us, and many of them did. Some of them came to know Jesus.”
On one occasion, Acts was scheduled to minister in a movie theater. The same complex housed several other theaters, in which the owners where showing raunchy films. As Buck recalls, “As was our custom, we took time to seek the Lord before the concert. But as we prayed, we just felt slimy. Then the Lord spoke to us and told us to proclaim the blood of Jesus. We began to pray-loudly, in the name of Jesus, against any evil principalities and powers in that place. That night, the largest number of people to date came to Jesus during the concert.”
Texas Transition
In 1981 Acts moved from California to Texas. The group had been seeking some space where they could build homes, as well as a central headquarters for their ministry. Also, they wanted a more central location, so they could redesign their touring schedule, hoping to cover the country in shorter tours. Nelly and her husband Steve, and some of the band members were beginning to have children, so a new touring strategy was needed.
During the summer of 1980, the group visited their friends, Keith and Melody Green at the new headquarters of Last Days Ministries in Lindale, Texas. A piece of property next to Last Days was for sale, and before long the 2nd Chapter of Acts and Last Days were neighbors.
The group had been living in Texas slightly more than a year when tragedy struck. Their good friend, Keith Green, was killed in a plane crash, along with two of the Green’s children and nine others. Acts was in New York, ministering at a street crusade with evangelist, David Wilkerson, when they heard the news. “Keith’s death rocked us,” says Annie. “We all felt our vulnerability like we never had before. We just wanted to wrap our arms around Melody and the others at Last Days, to let them know how much we cared.”
Looking back, Buck believes a high standard for all of Christian music was lost at Keith’s death. “I think Christian music would certainly be different,” Buck says, slowly and quietly, his love for his friend is obvious. “And probably it would be better had Keith not been killed. The music ministers would be better because Keith held up such a high standard. It required everyone else to raise their level of integrity, to measure up.”
Annie remembers a softer side of their friend. “In 1981, Buck and I lost a baby because of a tubal pregnancy. It was one of the toughest times of our lives. We had to fly home empty-handed, with heavy hearts. When we deplaned at the airport in Dallas, Keith, Melody and another friend Winkey Pratney were there. They’d brought Keith’s bus to pick us up at the airport. When we arrived at our home, there were flowers all over the house, and a huge sign that said Welcome Home!”
Restorative Surgery
In 1983 Acts took a full year off from touring to seek new strength and new direction. This break was far different from the one they’d taken years before. They had no question about continuing as a group; it was a matter of stopping the hectic travel pace long enough for the Lord to do some restorative work.
Although they spent the time at home, 1983 was still a busy year. They built their own recording studio that year. The same morning the studio was finished, Acts began cutting tracts for the album Singer-Sower, which contained songs such as Takin The Easy Way, Spin Your Light, and Room Noise.
For Matthew, 1983 was a very important year; he and Deanne Paul were married in September. For Steve and Nelly Greisen, the rest allowed them time to enjoy parenting their now two boys Andrew and Jesse. As Nelly recalls, her family came to the forefront of her priority list. “The Lord was showing me that He cares about every detail of my life. My ministry to God is not just standing in front of people singing. My ministry to Him is simply to have a heart filled with love and gratitude to Him, expressed in whatever task I’m doing. God is far more concerned about who we are, our character, than what we’re doing, far more concerned with our attitudes than our actions. I think wives and mothers especially need to understand this, because we deal so much with the mundane. Being a mother is very important to God and is a high position in His eyes. We are the hand of Jesus to our children. They learn about God by seeing our commitment to Him, lived out in our homes. We can be pillars of strength to our husbands as we help release the gifts God has placed in them. And we do this by being consistent and available with our love.”
Motivating Messages
When Acts returned to the road in 1984, they felt revived in every sense. “When we went back out in 1984, we were amazed that the arena of Christian music had changed so much since 1982,” says Annie.
For whatever reason, Christian music began to be highly diluted from a spiritual standpoint. And it seemed that the Lord had a distinct message waiting for them. While ministering at an international missions conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Lord spoke to the group through the leaders of the gathering. His instructions were clear, and encouraging:
God will give you prophetic words to restore the foundations of holiness and purity in the church and in the world.
Make your plans large – God is your partner!
As you sing, I will bring new life into existence.
Move as one. Keep ‘short accounts’ with God and with each other.
God will use the group to encourage Christian musicians and to release other musicians in ethics, love, and guidelines.
Keep your eyes open to the ‘small people,’ stage hands, helpers, and others. Some of your most significant work will be done in these areas.
Pray that God would show you how to give the ‘family unit’ time. He will provide time for the families.
Each one of these messages had a deeply personal impact upon the members of the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Interestingly, as their ministry moved into its final stages, every word that was revealed proved to be true.
Ending Up
Acts might never have recorded their best-selling album had they not been sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction. During one of their last tours, three separate individuals approached them in three separate cities. Yet all three had the same message: To consider doing an album of traditional Hymns in the unique vocal style that only Acts could create. “If one person had something such as this,” Buck said later. “We may have missed it. But when all three brought the exact message….”
Besides instructing them to produce one of their most inspiring albums, God was providing a financial resource for them in advance. When the last concert was sung, Hymns I & II would continue to sell briskly. Acts was not the first contemporary group to do an album of great hymns from the past. Nevertheless, everyone involved with the project sensed a special anointing upon the Hymns albums. The arrangements were so fresh, so vital, so filled with life, love, praise, worship-and yes, majesty.
All of the songs that Acts recorded had that “special touch,” or else they never made it onto an album. “Other than the Narnia album, in which the songs came over a period of five years, we’ve never written songs specifically for an album,” says Annie. “We never said, ‘We’ve got to do an album. Let’s write some songs!’ To me, that concept is backwards. That’s not why you do an album. Only when you have something to say, only if God has provided the music-then do an album.” Nelly agrees, “Recording an album isn’t a goal, it is an end result. When I have something I feel that God wants me to say, I’ll say it, but not until.”
One example of the way such inspiration works is the song, “Fight the Fight,” an inspiring anthem that became a rallying cry for the pro-life movement in America. How did it happen? “Melody Green called and asked if we’d sing in Los Angeles for the kick-off of the Walk Across America Campaign in the effort to save unborn babies,” says Annie. “We were praying about whether we could attend. Our schedule was already packed full. One day I was sitting at the piano and “Fight the Fight” just came to me. We felt that was a clear indication from the Lord that we should go. Then Steve Greisen suggested a multi-artist project that would eventually involve over 100 Christian artist on the song and a video. The project was produced by Steve and close friend Dan Collins and all of the music artists donated their time to do the record.” The message of ‘rescue the unborn’ would go around the world with artists doing versions in other countries including Holland and Germany
Calling It Quits
When Acts came together in January 1988, to seek the Lord’s direction for that year, they were stunned but not surprised by the Lord’s instructions to them. The guidance they received was this: “Complete what you have committed to, but don’t take anything new. I have other things I want to do with all of you. We’d all felt for a while that a change was coming,” says Annie. “There’s always a stirring when the Lord is about to do something.” Part of that stirring came several months prior to 1988. The words were simple: “I am going to do something new. Do not be afraid.”
At first, the members of Acts kept the news of their disbanding within the family. Then slowly, they began to share the information with their closest friends. “Once we understood what we were to do,” recalls Buck. “I presented it to Jack Hayford, our pastor and spiritual counselor. Jack confirmed what we were feeling. He said that he’d been feeling the same thing in his heart for some time, as well.” Hayford told Buck, “I was excited when you guys were honored with a Dove Award for the Hymns album, because I felt that you would be winding down soon.”
When Acts met in January, they had concerts booked through the middle of August 1988. They realized that each concert would be their last in that city. To prevent anyone from thinking that they were attempting to exploit or play upon their public’s emotions, they decided to avoid telling their audiences the news until the final tour was close to completion.
Pastor Jack didn’t agree. “If you came to my town and I didn’t get out to the concert, then later discovered that it was your last concert in my area and I had missed it, I would be extremely disappointed. You owe it to your audience to let them know. Otherwise, it’s not fair to all the people who’ve loved and supported you through the years.”
Once the Acts announced their final tour schedule, the response from friends was overwhelming. In every city, they sang to packed auditoriums, and the Spirit of God moved mightily in each concert. “That last time around was unbelievable,” says Buck. “Such an incredible amount of love and support was poured out upon us by the Body.”
“It was heartbreaking, too,” adds Annie, “because we realized that we’d been a part of so many people’s lives.” While Pastor Jack’s reaction to the news of Acts break-up was positive, many others remained unconvinced. “Believe it or not, some people were angry that we were quitting,” says Annie demurely. “They’d say, ‘This cannot be of God, because when we sang they could still sense the anointing. So they assumed that we should continue. But we knew. Most people who came, though, said, ‘Hey, we just want to tell you how much your ministry has meant to us.'”
Nevertheless, knowing that they were doing what God had told them to do did not make the final concert-in Houston, Texas, on August 12-any easier.
As Matthew remembers it: “We finished the concert and the 7500 people attending rose to their feet, and clapped and clapped. Nelly and Annie were crying, and I was losing it. I think it had finally dawned on us: This is our last concert. This is it! We weren’t tired of ministering to people or anything. It was just God’s time for something new.”
Where Are They Now?
All of the members of Acts continue to be active in their own lives. Annie has completed numerous solo albums, and doors have opened for her to have a solo ministry in various churches. “It’s an intimate ministry,” says Annie. ” It’s just me out there.” Is it difficult to sing without her brother and sister? “Sometimes it is,” Annie admits. “I’m so used to them being there. I can hear what they would be singing. Nelly and Matthew have sung backgrounds on some of my albums, though. So in that sense, I still have them out there with me, but I really don’t think we’ll be doing any more tours together, not unless the Lord tells us to do something.”
Ironically, after 20 years of concert ministry, many people do not realize that Annie, Nelly and Matthew are family. People often ask Annie, “Do you know Matthew Ward?” or “Do you know Nelly Greisen?” “Yes,” quips Annie.
Moving to Colorado, Nelly and Steve were able to find a new focus. With their boys grown and on their own, Steve’s film production and distribution company Exploration Films / Reel Productions, LLC has thrived and now ships DVD’s all over the world. They love motorcycling in the mountains and scuba diving around the world. They also serve with the nurmerous opportunities that come their way. Nelly stays active in the local community by participating on non-profit boards, singing in worship teams and volunteering. “My greatest pleasure is enjoying hanging out with my two adult boys, and of course, my loving husband Steve.” Their dog Hudson ensures that both Nelly and Steve also enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors on a regular basis.
Matthew has also recorded solo albums since Acts retirement and has faced and overcome a bout with cancer and also continues to be involved in full time touring and speaking.
Over the years, Matthew has received several offers for a secular music career, all of which he has refused. “I don’t want to sing dead music,” he says. “Singing in front of people is the last things that I’ve ever wanted to do. I was always scared to death, nervous and insecure. But that’s probably one of the things that has kept me honest with what I do and not allowed me to get puffed up. Because I realize where I’ve come from. All the while, I’ve known that God was calling me to use my gift for Him. I look at it as an honor. Matthew and his wife, Deanne, are also busy parents. They have three delightful daughters: Megin, Morgan, and Mattie.
Simple Words
What was the enduring message that God gave to the Acts to share with the world? “Sometimes we feel like an old record being played over and over again,” says Annie. “The message is the same: To see the Body of Christ healed, and to see people’s needs met. There is hope in Jesus. There is no situation too great that He cannot take care of.”
“All we ever wanted,” Buck concludes, “was for people to see Jesus. If anything made us different, it was our fervent desire to please the Lord and to be obedient to Him, regardless of the costs. We only wanted to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”
Some years ago, at the Christian Bookseller’s convention, 2nd Chapter of Acts sang three songs and sat down. Their songs brought a sense of worship, holiness and a sense that, in the vehicle of three human voices, Jesus was exalted. To hear Annie, Nelly and Matthew sing of Him, their Risen Lord, was almost to see Him, almost to feel His touch.
Afterwards, a well-known and respected man of God approached them and said of the 2nd Chapter of Acts ministry, “The frame never out-did the picture.”
“That was our earnest desire in all we did,” Buck finishes. “That the frame would never out-do the picture. And the picture always had to be Jesus.”
THE END
If you are interested in obtaining copies of The 2nd Chapter Of Acts music check out our website at 2ndChaperofActs.com.
Despite suffering a terrible tragedy when she lost her husband, the wonderful composer-singer, Keith Green, and two young children in a plane crash, Melody Green is continuing to keep Keith’s music and ministry alive and available, while moving forward with her own messages, similar to her shared vision with Keith, but in a new season, with her own unique style of wit and wisdom.
Now back in Hollywood, California, her birthplace, she has the chance, as she says, to “sow as I go,” serving whoever God puts in her path, whether they are wealthy and successful, or homeless and addicted.
Melody Green
“I wasn’t bitter but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the loss of her husband Keith and two children in a 1982 plane crash
Melody has continued Last Days Ministries (LDM), which she began with Keith. Much of her time is taken up by speaking and writing, but she always looks for chances wherever she is, to bring comfort to the homeless and needy of Tinsel Town, many of whom had moved there to seek fame and fortune.
She certainly understands pain, as she suffered a terrible blow in her own life when tragically, along with eleven others, Keith Green died at the age of 28, on 28th July, 1982, when the Cessna 414 leased by Last Days Ministries crashed after takeoff from the private airstrip located on the LDM property in Lindale, East Texas.
The small two-engine plane was carrying twelve passengers and the pilot, Don Burmeister, for an aerial tour of the LDM in Lindale, Texas, property and the surrounding area.
Green and two of his children, three-year-old Josiah and two-year-old Bethany, were on board the plane, along with visiting church planters, John and Dede Smalley and their six children. Green’s wife Melody was at home with one year old Rebekah and six weeks pregnant with their fourth child, Rachel, born in March 1983.
In late June, I caught up with Melody the night before she appeared at The Upper Room, a Christian Coffee House in Mission Viejo, California, to share about her life and plans for the future, and I began my interview for my Front Page radio show by asking her to recount that terrible experience of losing both her husband and two of her children.
She said that they had two friends from a Vineyard church in California, John and Dede Smalley and their six children, who were visiting their huge 500 acre LDM ranch, and Keith called their pilot, Don Alan Burmeister, who had been a member of the United States Marine Corps and was the pilot, to prepare the small, two engine plane for takeoff.
“Our old farmhouse was across the road from the ranch property, and Keith came to get me and wanted me to go up with them,” she recalled. “I was six weeks pregnant at the time, and I didn’t want to join them, and I also felt uncomfortable taking the kids – Bethany, two and Josiah, three – up in the plane unless we were really going somewhere.”
Her other child, daughter Rebekah, who just turned one, stayed at home with Melody. “Then Josiah and Bethany ran out the door after Keith before I could stop them,” she said.
Did she watch the plane take off? “No, we lived down the hill from the airstrip so I didn’t,” she told me.
Not long afterwards, she received a phone call from the LDM office, saying that the plane had gone down.
“I didn’t know what it meant so I ran out there and discovered for myself, that all had died,” she said.
In a few short minutes, Melody had gone from being the wife of one of the Christian world’s most famous musicians, and the mother of their three young children, to a widow, with one child left and another on the way.
I asked her how she had been able to deal with such a tragedy, and if she was bitter at God for allowing such a thing to occur.
“I wasn’t bitter,” she said, “but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.
“It would have been selfish too, with Rebekah grieving in her one-year-old way, and two more of her family gone – me and her unborn sister – both girls a remaining gift from Keith and God.
“It has taken years to get through it. It’s not light; it’s not a small thing.”
Courageously, Melody was able to participate in the memorial service at the Agape Force property nearby, for all those who died in the crash, and so I asked her how she was able to do so.
“It was because of the sheer grace of God,” said Melody. “I felt like I was supposed to speak and I did. The Lord just really he helped me and has continued to do so for all these years since.
“A day later, there was a private burial service at a small church cemetery near the Last Days Ministries property.
Has she been able to get over what happened?
“You never get over it,” she replied. “I don’t cry every day and I don’t think of it every day like I did during the first two or three years, but progressively, the Lord’s helped me to go on. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Keith was still here, especially when I watch four grandkids and I see so much of Keith in them. I know he’d just have been bananas over them and his own beautiful daughters that never got to know him, yet are so much like him”
Both Melody and Keith Green are Jewish followers of Jesus, and she told me that they had first met at a video tape recording studio where she worked and he arrived to look around it, sporting a huge beard and a long hair ponytail.
“I gave him the tour and that was that. He just kind of chased me down really,” she laughed.
She said that at that time, neither of them were believers in Jesus, the Messiah.
“We were searching,” she revealed. “Keith had a little cross around his neck – he decided that since most religions thought Jesus was OK in some way, he thought he’d read the Red Letters only to see what Jesus had to say, and I trailed along with him. We did get married and then about a year and a half later we gave our lives to Jesus.
Melody Green with husband Keith.
“We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the change Jesus brought into the lives of Keith and herself.
It was at an early Vineyard Bible study led by Kenn Gulliksen in a home they were house-sitting in the Beverly Hills area.
Later on, this became Bob Dylan’s church, but Melody said, “It was pre-Dylan and we just walked in and Keith raised his hand the first night and I raised my hand the next week. We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
It wasn’t long before both of them were composing incredible new worship music, and Melody’s most well-known songs were There Is a Redeemer, and Make My Life A Prayer. Keith recorded both of them. Overall they co-wrote about 40 songs.
Hit after hit came from Keith, including You Put This Love In My Heart, Soften Your Heart, Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful, Your Love Broke Through, Asleep In The Light, My Eyes Are Dry, So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt, Grace By Which I Stand, Easter Song (written by Annie Herring) and He’ll Take Care Of The Rest, to name just a few of them.
Soon, Keith was performing to huge crowds around the country, with Melody joining him as she operated the sound board until he moved from churches and theaters to arenas when a professional soundman was brought in.
I told Melody that Keith had been described as a prophet by many and I wondered what he thought about that.
“He didn’t like the word prophet and he wouldn’t use it, and he didn’t like it when people used it; he didn’t like that label,” she said. He just wanted to be known as a regular follower of Jesus. “But obviously, looking back, he was very prophetic. Way ahead of his time. There are things I remember he said that have since come to pass. Like the fledgling Christian music industry of that day. He once said, ‘Mark my words. In 25 years Christian music companies will become like every other big music business’. Basically run by the bottom line, is what he meant.”
To start with, the couple began their Last Days Ministries, with seven houses in Woodland Hills, California, which they filled up with some 75 people off the streets that were bikers and pregnant girls, as well as kids coming off of drugs. After leading them to Jesus, they began to disciple them.
“But we felt that it was too tempting for them to do that right in the Valley, so we were looking for land outside the temptation zone and found a log ranch house and barn on 120 acres near Lindale, Texas. We moved, and began discipleship schools and also produced huge amounts of free literature,” she said.
Melody recalled it was quite an area where many Christian ministries, leaders, and musicians, were based.
“We had David Wilkerson and his ranch, Leonard Ravenhill, two very large YWAM properties, one becoming Mercy Ships, Dallas Holm and Praise, Barry McGuire, and Agape Force where Winkie Pratney lived half of the year. 2nd Chapter of Acts even bought land adjoining ours. It was an amazing amount of fun and formed lifelong friendships.”
But then came the plane crash that changed Melody’s life forever, and for a time she moved to Kansas City, but has now returned to Hollywood, where she was born
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green.
Keith Green passed away on July 28th, 1982 almost 39 years ago to the day!!! I want to remember him with a series of posts!!!
You are called to go Keith’s concerts were evangelistic and exhortational. He was the Lecrae of the 70’s. Here is what he has to say about the great commission:
“The world isn’t being won today because we’re not doing it. It’s our fault. This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth. And no where in the world is the gospel so plentiful as here in the United States. No where. And I don’t want to see us stand before God on that day ans say, ‘but God I didn’t hear you call me.’ Here is something for all you to chew on, you don’t need to hear a call, you’re already called. In fact, if you stay home from going into all nations you had better be able to say to God, ‘You called me to stay home God, I know that as a fact.'”
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light (live)
Uploaded on May 26, 2008
Keith Green performing “Asleep In The Light” live at Jesus West Coast ’82
Keith Green was an intense and radical man of God. He was taken from this Earth at a relatively young age. His legacy lives on through his music and his sermons. This video is about his life.
Wayne and I were very close to Keith from 1978-1982. We both served on the leadership of Last Days Ministries, and have many wonderful memories of Keith and those developing years of Last Days Ministries. Here are some inside Keith-facts.
1. Did you know that Keith wore flip flopseverywhere he went?
2. Did you know that Keith always had to share his food with everyone, because if he liked it, he knew you would too? It was the Jewish mother in him.
3. Did you know Keith was a real family man? He couldn’t stand to be separated from Melody or his kids for long.
4. Did you know that Keith was very soul searchingand could be harder on himself then he was on others?
5. Did you know Keith would sometimes cut his own hair; and even played barber shop with some of the other brothers at the ministry?
6. Did you know that Keith was a real night owl? He often got his best revelation late at night and would commonly call people at 2-3am to share his fresh insights.
7. Did you know that Keith used to mow the grassin Texas on a big tractor as a way to relax and to clear his head?
8. Did you know that Keith invited so many family and friends to witness the birth of his children, that it nearly became a public event?
9. Did you know that he always had a team of people praying while he was in the studio? Along with his talent, there were hours and hours of intercession that went into each album.
10. Did you know that Keith had a deep love for people and would get really involved with people he was ministering to?
11. Did you know that Keith would read the bible in the bathroom and got some of his best revelation in there?
12. Did you know that he loved to play racket ball? He also played tennis and ping pong, and was very competitive.
13. Did you know he loved to try new things? He learned to milk a cow, drive a tractor and run a printing press.
14. Did you know that he loved to go to auctions, and was able to furnish our facilities in East Texas saving thousands of dollars?
15. Did you know Keith shaved his beard when we moved to East Texas from California, to avoid offending the locals.
16. Did you know that Keith could type faster with 2 fingers than most of us can with 10?
17. Did you know Keith was really close friends with the famous revivalist, Leonard Ravenhill, and often went to him for counsel and advice?
18. Did you know he was the same off stage as he was on stage? With Keith, what you saw was who he was, he was genuine, sincere and real in all he did.
19 Did you know that Keith once drove the bus off the road in Hell’s Canyon, Utah leaving it dangling over a 2000 foot cliff? It took 2 bulldozers to lift it back onto the road.
20. Did you know Keith borrowed money on his house to sponsor the “So You Wanna Go back To Egypt”album so we could make them available to people for whatever they could afford?
21. Did you know Keith never received a salaryfrom the ministry?
22. Did you know that in spite of his success and popularity Keith lived a very simple life?
23. Did you know Keith loved to walk when he prayed? He could often be seen in an animated prayer walk going along the edge of our ministry property.
24. Did you know Keith led worship every Friday night at a prayer meeting led by Leonard Ravenhill near our ministry in East Texas?
25. Did you know Keith had a vision to do a restaurant that would offer food for whatever you could afford as a ministry outreach to the community?
Did you know Keith wasn’t perfect, but he held nothing back in serving Jesus and bringing others into God’s Kingdom.
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – Easter Song (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “Easter Song” live from The Daisy Club — LA (1982) ____________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer. Here is his story below: The Lord had taken Keith from concerts of 20 or less — to stadiums […]
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light Uploaded by keithyhuntington on Jul 23, 2006 keith green performing Asleep In The Light at Jesus West Coast 1982 __________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer and the video clip above includes my favorite Keith Green song. Here is his story below: “I repent of […]
Keith Green – Your Love Broke Through Here is something I got off the internet and this website has lots of Keith’s great songs: Keith Green: His Music, Ministry, and Legacy My mom hung up the phone and broke into tears. She had just heard the news of Keith Green’s death. I was only ten […]
The Keith Green Story pt 7/7 I remember when I first Keith Green. He had a great impact on me. Below are some quotes on Keith: Quotes “It’s time to quit playing church and start being the Church (Matt. 18:20)” — Keith Green, as quoted by Melody Green in the introduction to A Cry […]
The Keith Green Story pt 6/7 When I first heard Keith Green in 1978 it had a major impact on my life. Below is his story: LEGEND Keith Green CBN.com – When musician Keith Green died in a plane crash on July 28, 1982, the world lost a special man whose heart was aflame […]
Phil Wickham – Hymn Of Heaven (Official Music Video)
——
How I long to breathe the air of Heaven
Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets To look upon the One who bled to save me And walk with Him for all eternity
There will be a day when all will bow before Him There will be a day when death will be no more Standing face to face with He who died and rose again Holy, holy is the Lord
And every prayer we prayed in desperation The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear In the end, we’ll see that it was worth it When He returns to wipe away our tears
Oh, there will be a day when all will bow before Him There will be a day when death will be no more Standing face to face with He who died and rose again Holy, holy is the Lord
And on that day, we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice, a thousand generations Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”
And on that day, we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice, a thousand generations Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” “Forever He shall reign”
So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave Holy, holy is the Lord
So let it be today we shout the hymn of Heaven With angels and the saints, we raise a mighty roar Glory to our God who gave us life beyond the grave Holy, holy is the Lord
Andrews grew up in Wilson, North Carolina, where she started singing when she was six years old.[4]She attended Wilson Christian Academy, where she graduated. Andrews later attended college at Liberty University in Virginia.[4] Though she was born an only child, her parents served as foster parents to many children while she was growing up, three of whom later were adopted by her parents.[5]In 2011, Andrews won two Dove Awards, “Worship Song of the Year” for “How Great Is the Love” from As Long As It Takes and “Praise and Worship album of the Year” for As Long As It Takes.[2][3] On July 31, 2012, Andrews released a new single “Not For a Moment (After All)” on iTunes.[6] It has now been featured in the top 20 songs of 2013.[citation needed]Before taking off as a solo artist, Andrews was a worship leader with Vertical Worship at Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago.[7] Since 2016 she and her family reside in Nashville while she released the album Deeper.[8] Andrews married Jacob Sooter and together they have three children.[9]
You are called to go Keith’s concerts were evangelistic and exhortational. He was the Lecrae of the 70’s. Here is what he has to say about the great commission:
“The world isn’t being won today because we’re not doing it. It’s our fault. This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth. And no where in the world is the gospel so plentiful as here in the United States. No where. And I don’t want to see us stand before God on that day ans say, ‘but God I didn’t hear you call me.’ Here is something for all you to chew on, you don’t need to hear a call, you’re already called. In fact, if you stay home from going into all nations you had better be able to say to God, ‘You called me to stay home God, I know that as a fact.'”
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light (live)
Uploaded on May 26, 2008
Keith Green performing “Asleep In The Light” live at Jesus West Coast ’82
Keith Green was an intense and radical man of God. He was taken from this Earth at a relatively young age. His legacy lives on through his music and his sermons. This video is about his life.
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – Easter Song (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “Easter Song” live from The Daisy Club — LA (1982) ____________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer. Here is his story below: The Lord had taken Keith from concerts of 20 or less — to stadiums […]
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light Uploaded by keithyhuntington on Jul 23, 2006 keith green performing Asleep In The Light at Jesus West Coast 1982 __________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer and the video clip above includes my favorite Keith Green song. Here is his story below: “I repent of […]
Keith Green – Your Love Broke Through Here is something I got off the internet and this website has lots of Keith’s great songs: Keith Green: His Music, Ministry, and Legacy My mom hung up the phone and broke into tears. She had just heard the news of Keith Green’s death. I was only ten […]
The Keith Green Story pt 7/7 I remember when I first Keith Green. He had a great impact on me. Below are some quotes on Keith: Quotes “It’s time to quit playing church and start being the Church (Matt. 18:20)” — Keith Green, as quoted by Melody Green in the introduction to A Cry […]
The Keith Green Story pt 6/7 When I first heard Keith Green in 1978 it had a major impact on my life. Below is his story: LEGEND Keith Green CBN.com – When musician Keith Green died in a plane crash on July 28, 1982, the world lost a special man whose heart was aflame […]
Coldplay – Adventure Of A Lifetime (Official video)
Three times Chris Martin puts in this phrase, “If we’ve only got this life” and I think deep down he truly doesn’t believe we are limited to this one life. Take a look at his previous songs and you can see that.
“Adventure Of A Lifetime”
Turn your magic on
Umi she’d say
Everything you want’s a dream away
And we are legends every day
That’s what she told meTurn your magic on,
To me she’d say
Everything you want’s a dream away
Under this pressure under this weight
We are diamondsNow I feel my heart beating
I feel my heart underneath my skin
And I feel my heart beating
Oh you make me feel
Like I’m alive again
Alive again
Oh you make me feel
Like I’m alive again
Said I can’t go on, not in this way
I’m a dream that died by light of day
Gonna hold up half the sky and say
Only I own me
And I feel my heart beating
I feel my heart underneath my skin
Oh I can feel my heart beating
Cause you make me feel
Like I’m alive again
Alive again
Oh you make me feel
Like I’m alive again
Turn your magic on, Umi she’d say
Everything you want’s a dream away
Under this pressure under this weight
We are diamonds taking shape
We are diamonds taking shape
If we’ve only got this life
This adventure oh then I And if we’ve only got this life
You get me through And if we’ve only got this life
In this adventure oh then I
Want to share it with you
With you
With you
Yeah I do
Woohoo
Woohoo
Woohoo
“Adventure of a Lifetime” is a song by English rock band Coldplay. It was released on 6 November 2015 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams.[1][2]
“Adventure of a Lifetime” is a disco-rock track with pop rock influences. The song revolves around a high-pitched guitar riff. The track is written in the key of A minor at 113 BPM and a chord progression of Dm-G-Am.[citation needed]
Upon its release, “Adventure of a Lifetime” received general acclaim from critics, with praise being drawn towards the previously unseen disco style by the band. Filippo L’Astorina of the British entertainment website The Upcoming rated the song four out of five stars. L’Astorina praised the structure and sound saying “its effortless pop structure lies on a funky groove with electric guitars mimicking Indian sitar sounds”.[3] Writing for Idolator, Bianca Gracie and Robbie Daw rated the song 7/10 and 8/10 respectively, stating that the song is “incredibly vibrant in an almost childlike, blissful way that gives such an energetic rush” and that it is “the best Coldplay single in seven years”.[4]Rolling Stone ranked “Adventure of a Lifetime” at number 41 on its year-end list to find the 50 best songs of 2015.[5]
The official music video was directed by Mat Whitecross. It was released on 27 November 2015. The concept for the video was hatched after Coldplay frontman Chris Martinand motion capture expert Andy Serkis met on a plane and discussed ideas. It took about six months in the making of the music video.[6]
The animated video features a group of chimpanzees that come across a Beats Pill speaker under a pile of leaves. The primates then discover the power of music and form a band that resembles the band members.
_________ Coldplay – Midnight At the bottom of this post are links to other articles about the spiritual implications of some Coldplay songs. Midnight (Coldplay song) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “Midnight” Song by Coldplay Recorded 2013 at The Bakery and The Beehive (London, England) Genre Ambient, experimental rock,electronic[1] Label Parlophone, Atlantic Writer Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Jon Hopkins, Chris Martin Producer […]
These are some of the most popular posts in the last 30 days about the spiritual quest of Chris Martin of Coldplay that can be found on http://www.thedailyhatch.org: Chris Martin of Coldplay unknowingly lives out his childhood Christian beliefs (Part 3 of notes from June 23, 2012 Dallas Coldplay Concert, Martin left Christianity because of […]
_________________________ (If you want to check out other posts I have done about about Steve Jobs:Some say Steve Jobs was an atheist , Steve Jobs and Adoption , What is the eternal impact of Steve Jobs’ life? ,Steve Jobs versus President Obama: Who created more jobs? ,Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it ,8 things you might not know about […]
Coldplay Live 2003 Backstage Chris Martin revealed in his interview with Howard Stern that he was rasied an evangelical Christian but he has left the church. I believe that many words that he puts in his songs today are generated from the deep seated Christian beliefs from his childhood that find their way out in […]
I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it seems […]
Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]
Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]
Got some bad news on 11-17-23 that my PET SCAN found a lot of cancer in my liver too which puts me in stage 4 pancreatic cancer and a life expectancy of 6 months and with possible success from chemotherapy treatments my life may be extended up to 2 years with 5% chance of 5 years. Need all the prayer partners I can get so feel free to tell others!!!
I have read John MacArthur’sbooks and listened to his sermons ever since I heard him speak in person in 1990 at Bellevue Baptist in Memphis where his good friend Adrian Rogers was pastor from 1972-2004. I actually grew up at Bellevue Baptist in the 1970’s and 1980’s before moving to Little Rock in 1983. Then I was privileged to hear Dr MacArthur speak at the Bible Church of Little Rock where my friend Lance Quinn was pastor at the time. My son Wilson Daniel Hatcher actually got his picture taken with Dr MacArthur on one of his trips to California while assisting our family friend Sherwood Haistyin his street preaching missionary several years ago. Sherwood is now working his doctoral degree from Masters Semjnary where Dr MacArthur is the president.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: What happens after we die? Tonight we explore the ultimate mystery with spiritual leaders from many faiths.
Joining us, John MacArthur, evangelical Christian pastor of Grace Community Church in Southern California, best-selling author and host of the Global Medium Ministry Grace to You. Father Michael Manning, Roman Catholic priest, host of the international program “The Word in the World.” Representing Judaism, Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Muslim scholar Dr. Maher Hathout, a retired physician and senior adviser to the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Mary Ann Williamson, best-selling author and lecturer on spirituality. And Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists.
The next world, next on LARRY KING LIVE.
It’s going to happen to everybody. And we all wonder about it. When will it happen, what will it be like? And, of course, what happens after? We’re going to try to piece together those questions tonight, especially with death so much in the news.
Lately the only dying I know that comes back is a comic who dies one night and then the audience respects him and he returns for the second show. Other than that, I don’t know what happens. But these guests might. So we’ll start with John MacArthur and the opinion of each of them, representing their own opinions or their faiths.
John MacArthur, what happens had you die?
JOHN MACARTHUR, PASTOR, GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Well, when you die, you go to one of two places. According to scripture. You go out of the presence of God forever, or you go into the presence of God forever.
KING: Depending?
MACARTHUR: Depending upon your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which is according to the Bible the only way to enter heaven.
KING: So therefore a Jew or a Muslim or a Buddhist will not go to heaven?
MACARTHUR: Christian theology and the scripture says that only through faith in Jesus Christ.
KING: And you — when we say what happened, what happens? Do you go somewhere as a body? MACARTHUR: No, your body stays. We go to the funeral. We see the body. It goes into the grave. It decays. Your spirit immediately goes either in the presence of God or out, waiting the final resurrection. There will be a resurrection of all bodies in the end, a resurrection unto life or a resurrection unto damnation.
KING: Father Manning, what happens when you die?
FATHER MICHAEL MANNING, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST: I think we’re going to encounter God. I find God the one that I’m longing for. I’m longing for truth. I’m longing for honesty. I’m longing for peace. I’m longing for love. And it’s very incomplete in this world. And I believe that moving into heaven into the experience of God will be the fullness of that.
KING: You will meet him in what form?
MANNING: I don’t know. I’m going to be a spiritual form. I’m not going to have a body. It’s — we talk of spirits when we speak of angels and so there’s a reality of something there. We say that I’ll see God and I’m not going to have eyes like I had, but there will be a knowledge. There will be a completeness of all of these longings that I’ve had to be able to be now satisfied in the presence of God.
KING: Rabbi Hier, what will happen when you die?
MARVIN HIER, FOUNDER, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: When you die, God created Adam, escorted him into the Garden of Eden. When he sinned, he took him out of the Garden of Eden. But God never destroyed the Garden of Eden and held up the hope that people who live righteously, with righteous conduct, go to the eternal world, the world of the soul.
And admission to that world is based on righteous conduct and not based on any specific religion. A righteous person of any religion and a righteous person who may, in the fact, be irreligious…
KING: You mean atheist?
HIER: … would be granted because it is determined by deeds.
KING: And what is heaven like?
HIER: Well, to tell you the truth, no one has been there, and it would be all speculation. You know, it’s the world of the soul. And the best expression of that is, you know, my monadi (ph) says that when a person, a young man — a person is born blind, he’s prepared to take an oath that there is no color in the world. But there is color.
But my monadi (ph) says he can’t see it because he’s not in that world and we can’t see the world of the spirit.
KING: Dr. Maher Hut — Maher Hathout, I’m sorry, the Muslim scholar, what do Muslims believe happens when you die?
DR. MAHER HATHOUT, MUSLIM SCHOLAR: We really do believe that when we die, the spirit would be liberated from the limitations of the body.
KING: And?
HATHOUT: And then it will go through eternity after a process of accountability and judgment. And people will go to heaven in eternity or to face consequences of punishment.
KING: Like hell?
HATHOUT: Like hell. And this depends on the good deeds, on the belief in God, and on the belief on accountability, that every person is responsible and is accountable for what he or she will do during this earthly life.
KING: And this going will be in the spiritual sense?
HATHOUT: It has to be because the body is decaying, as we heard. And then the spirit, which is energy, will be unadmitted (ph), uncontained and will be completely liberated.
KING: Mary Ann, what do you think happens?
MARY ANN WILLIAMSON, AUTHOR/LECTURER ON SPIRITUALITY: I agree with what Father Manning said, that all of the love that we’ve longed for all of our lives, we find it. We’re there. I think that only love is real. And we can see it once we’ve died.
I think that this earth is like a veil of illusion. The mortal mind obfuscates the spiritual truth, which is the love of God. And I think that when we die, the veil falls down, the filter is gone, and we’re in that state of pure love which is God.
KING: And it’s not — it’s in a spirit state, right?
WILLIAMSON: Yes, I mean…
KING: Not a physical state.
WILLIAMSON: … You can apply — yes, of course, not the physical state. But all concepts like where do we go, space and time don’t exist in God’s eternity. So it’s a state of awareness and knowledge and experience of pure love, which is God, which is the true life.
I think at death we find that. And I think that we long for that all our lives and at death we find it. It’s a reward. It’s not a punishment.
KING: Ellen Johnson, president of the American Atheists, what do you believe happens?
ELLEN JOHNSON, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ATHEISTS: The atheist accepts the reality that when you die, that is the end. That is it. Therefore when you’re living, life is all we can ever know. We can’t know death. Death is a nonsense word. So we have to do our part now to make this a better life for ourselves and for the rest of humanity and all of the life on this planet.
The only fulfillment, the only joy, the only happiness you will ever know is right now. Now is the time to do your part and to enjoy life. And it’s a very, very good thing, because we don’t take any moment for granted for that very reason.
KING: What do you mean by nonsense word?
JOHNSON: Because we cannot know death. We can only know life. So therefore, what are we talking about?
KING: It is, John MacArthur, is it not a guess on your — an educated guess based on your scriptures, your reading, your faith, but you don’t know. You don’t know know, do you? How can you know?
MACARTHUR: Because the Bible says so.
KING: But you believe the Bible?
MACARTHUR: Well, I believe the Bible, but I believe the Bible can be defended. I believe through the centuries the Bible has stood the test of intense scrutiny, and it is the real and true revelation of God, and it speaks truly about life and death. And someone has been there and come back, and that’s Jesus Christ.
KING: How come only one?
MACARTHUR: How come only one what?
KING: Person ever come back?
MACARTHUR: Well, that’s because the design of leaving this world is to go into the eternal world. The only person who came from the eternal world into this world is Jesus Christ.
There have been a few others, by the way. In fact in the Old Testament, the prophets raised a few from the dead. In the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles raised a few from the dead. And at the death of Christ on the cross, the graves were open and some were raised. And that’s indicative of the fact that there will be an actual physical resurrection to join with the spirits that are with God at death.
KING: Isn’t it true, Father Manning, that all religion is really based — if we didn’t die there’d be no religion. All religion is based on fear of dying?
MANNING: Certainly very important. Not in this…
KING: Be good and you’ll be…
MANNING: The hope of fulfillment of all the things I’m longing for. In many ways I’m trying to get to — I believe what the scripture says. But why am I so afraid of death? And why is there this longing to live forever?
KING: You don’t know.
MANNING: No, no. But I’m just — this urge, this longing that I have somehow speaks of a truth that I can’t deny. I can’t deny that life will go on and on.
KING: We’ll get the comments from everybody. Including your phone calls. We’ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Dr. Hathout, you wanted to add?
HATHOUT: I’d like to say two things. No. 1, we don’t rule out physical selection by any means. It is — it is interest there.
However, I want to comment on death is a nonsense word. It is the most real word of the birth. We know that we are born. We know we are going to die. To just write it off as nonsense is somehow…
KING: Well, because the atheists — I don’t want to put words in her mouth, but they believe it’s all over. It’s a nonsense word in that nothing happens afterward.
HATHOUT: Sure, everybody is entitled to believe whatever they want. But the reality is death is a very real thing. And we have reasons more than the scriptures to believe that this is not the end of the story.
At least scientifically, we know that energy does not disappear. Energy is always there. This is a scientific reality. And if the body is physical and the soul is energy, it cannot disappear.
KING: As a doctor have you seen people die?
HATHOUT: More than what I care for.
KING: Do you have thoughts that they go somewhere when you watch this?
HATHOUT: I always felt that a chapter is over, that we turned off a light on that house that is called the body. And I always felt that is just me. There must be a part of the equation that is not revealed.
KING: Ellen, don’t you want these people in your heart? Don’t you want them to be right? Wouldn’t you like to go somewhere? Do you want it all to just end when you’re 89?
JOHNSON: Yes. I don’t want…
KING: You do want it to end?
JOHNSON: Yes. I don’t want to…
KING: Would you be sad if you woke up somewhere?
JOHNSON: I’d be sad if I what?
KING: You die and suddenly you find you’re somewhere nice and peaceful.
JOHNSON: No, no. That’s…
KING: … you’d be pissed.
JOHNSON: That’s not going to happen. That’s the reality. And I’m not going to live my life in order to, you know — about concerned with death. Life is for living, and I’m not living my life for death.
And I can’t accept something because I think the outcome is — I can’t accept something that’s not believable because I think the outcome is desirable. It’s not believable. It’s not acceptable. When you die, that’s it.
But that’s the reality. It is what it is. So let’s deal with it. Let’s deal with death, the way we deal with everything else in life, with dignity, and move on. And at the same time, try and prolong life so that we can extend what we have.
KING: Do you think, Rabbi Hier, in your heart more people think the way Ellen thinks — they don’t say it. They go to church. They go to synagogue. But in their heart they think she’s right?
HIER: I have no doubt that people contemplate that. People are — you know, human beings are human.
But I would say this: the question was posed before whether we know for sure. Well if God would clue everybody in on all his secrets and he’d say, “Look this is the way the plan works,” then there would be no belief. There would be no faith.
God created an imperfect world and he needed a partner, man. And he said to man, will you help me repair this world? And make it a better world? But he did not tell man all of his secrets as to how does death work. So there will be natural doubt. Of course there will be doubt.
KING: If you could go back to ancient times, that’s a safe thing to say. They asks the seers of the time, what happens when you die? They don’t have an answer.
HIER: No one really has an answer.
KING: So you say it’s God’s — God’s mystery. It’s a copout.
HIER: That’s correct. No, it’s not a copout.
KING: Not a cop-out?
HIER: No. Because God created man from dust of the ground. And dust of the earth. And God can do whatever he wants. But in this world there is a purpose to this world and that is God didn’t want to do it alone. And he wanted man, as I said before, a partner and therefore there’s a mystery. He didn’t clue man in on all of the secrets. Because otherwise there’d be no purpose to believe.
KING: Mary Ann, isn’t that a safe thing to say? It makes you feel good?
WILLIAMSON: Well, first of all, the fact that something makes you feel good hardly means that it’s less true.
All the great religious systems speak about life after death, speak about the fact that the goodness with which we live our lives — you know when Ellen talks about how important it is to live well on the earth, the great religious systems agree with her. Life is for the living.
And it’s not that we are to concentrate on death rather than life. It’s that while we live loving lives and try our best to be the people that God would have us be, then after we die, and also while we’re on this earth, I think that the condition of the state of God’s love isn’t as different after as it is — as we think.
You know, the course of miracle (ph) says birth is not a beginning but a continuation. And death is not an end but a continuation. I think in a very real sense death doesn’t exist. The spirit, the more we are in a consciousness of the spirit, the less we will feel the dropping of the physical body as a fundamental shift in our state of being.
JOHNSON: However — however, to Mr. MacArthur, the price for eternal life and life after death is obedience to church doctrine. So you must live a certain life in preparation for that life after death. That I totally reject. I am not going to…
MACARTHUR: So do I.
KING: What do you think?
MACARTHUR: I reject that completely.
JOHNSON: There is a way to get…
KING: Hold it, hold it, Ellen. What is — you said you have to believe in Christ.
MACARTHUR: Well, yes — the only way to heaven — and at this point I respectfully disagree with the rabbi. Nobody can live a righteous life. The Bible says that no one can obey the law of God. No one.
KING: So no one is going to heaven?
MACARTHUR: So no one can go to heaven on their own merits or on their own works. I don’t care how many good works they do. The New Testament is crystal clear on the fact that…
KING: So a bad guy who believes in Christ, he’s going to heaven, and the good guy who doesn’t is going to hell.
MACARTHUR: But when he truly believes…
KING: That don’t sound just.
MACARTHUR: But when he truly believes — Larry, we don’t want justice. Justice…
KING: You don’t want justice?
MACARTHUR: No. It sends everybody to hell. We need grace. We need forgiveness. We need mercy. Only those who ask…
HIER: When you need grace — first of all, when you take an exam, not everybody has to get 100. It’s preposterous to think that when you say righteous conduct you mean perfect specimens.
Human beings are not perfect specimens. In God’s world, they will be accepted to eternity or eternal heaven if they pass the exam. What’s a passing grade in heaven? I don’t know. Maybe 67 and not 65. But the fact of the matter is if you — if you live the decent life that is credible, you don’t have to be perfect.
KING: Let me get a break and come right back. I hope it’s 51. We’ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Father Manning, if there is a better place a coming why are we so sad when people die? Unless it ‘ just selfish that we miss them?
MANNING: I think it’s selfishness. Because I think I…
KING: We should be happy for them, right?
MANNING: I rely on the conversation that I could have with the person…
KING: It’s you, not them.
MANNING: So I — in the Catholic liturgy, we have two stages of it. One is a wake service, which is really a time for crying. Just opening up our hearts and saying this really hurts me.
But then on the mass of resurrection, which is the mass of burial, everybody wears white. And we sing songs and we say, yes, it’s victory. So it’s a one, two thing.
Yes, I want to — I need to cry. We’ve got to cry. But I’m never going let the crying overcome me because I’ve got to have that victory of life.
KING: How do Muslims explain the death of a child?
HATHOUT: Well, the death, as we said, is not the end of life. So he just finished that chapter early enough. And it is sad for his parents and for his relatives, but I think I agree after a period of mourning and the grieving, we start — because the Koran saying is when it happens, say to God we belong and to God we all shall return. So this is really soothing and very reassuring that this is not the end of that person.
KING: Do you think religion, Rabbi, talks about that too much?
HIER: I think that in Judaism we’re encouraged not to speak too much about death, because we have only a sketch. We don’t have a blueprint. We have a hint about what the world — what the world that follows this is like.
And the fear is that if people concentrate on it, they become like interior decorators that want to design their home and in heaven. And you have a lot of fanatics today in the world, extremists, that they say heaven sounds so good, let’s exit life right now so we can have our palaces and 70 virgins. And that is a tragedy, so therefore we should not concentrate too much about that which we know very little about.
HATHOUT: There is no doubt that the religion is for life, even the Koran says respond to God when he calls you to life. But based on what we do with this life, we hope that our eternity will be determined.
KING: Ellen, what keeps an atheist going if she or he will never be judged?
JOHNSON: Well, we get judged by our fellow human beings. We must obey human laws. We are social animals. And we want to live in a society in which is comfortable to live in it, in a world in which people do terrible things, that would be a terrible place in which to live.
We — the normal healthy human being is happy in the face of happiness and sad in the face of sadness. I don’t think it — you know, I have to ask the question if you think that there is a God who will forgive you for what you have done wrong, how can you be ethical in that sense? We know that we have to do our part right here and now and answer to our fellow human beings.
But I also want to add, when we talk about death, these gentlemen did mention the fact that — you brought it up, why do we fight at the very end to stay alive? We have this will to live. I think we humans know that death is the end of it. We fight it. We all fight it. Religious people fight it, too. And in fact, this will to live, this imperative is part of our genes, our bodies fight to live all the time.
KING: Isn’t that a good point, Mary Ann? Why do we fight it? Why the whole Terri Schiavo story? Why this fight of the life. Death is a good place.
WILLIAMSON: Well, even with the Terri Schiavo story, though, Larry, the idea was was her death part of the natural arc of her existence, which her husband claimed, or was it not, as her parents claimed.
This spiritual position here is that there is an arc of life and we are on the earth for the time that God chooses. And there are many people who die fighting it. And there are many people who die in a state of grace, a state of acceptance and a state of knowing that there is a great light that they’re coming into.
I mean, we are in this mortal body, so of course we have a fear. I think a lot of people, what I felt and I think a lot of people feel is not really a fear of death, but a fear of dying. You know, just abstractly many of us feel it’s a greater life on some level, it’s a clearer spiritual experience, a greater closeness with God. But we are in this mortal body, and it’s the dying itself that I think creates more of a resistance.
KING: Billy Graham told me, sure, if he was going down in an airplane, he’d be scared, scared of pain, but not of dying. Scared of the method of dying.
MACARTHUR: Absolutely.
KING: You’re frightened, aren’t you, of dying?
MACARTHUR: Well, I think the pain is realistic. I don’t want to go through some kind of torturous extreme. But going down in an airplane would be a novel way for me to go immediately to heaven.
And my Bible says absent from the body present with the Lord far better to depart and be with Christ. This is my hope.
I have no fear of dying itself. I have no fear of death. It was five years ago that I was near death in the critical care unit with blood clots all over both lungs. And the truth of the matter is, eight days later when I came out I had a disappointment because I felt like I was ready to see my Lord and I was ready to enter into all that God prepared for them that love him.
And I — not that I don’t love my wife and my kids and enjoy the riches, I was made for social life. I was made for relationships, and that’s why I hang on here. And I was made to be used by God. And I want to serve him as long as he wants me here. But I’m ready to go to heaven whenever he sends the word.
HATHOUT: I’m afraid that this is based on a very serious assumption, that I’m so good, I live the perfect life, when I die I go heaven. I still have to see someone who can make this statement without blinking.
MACARTHUR: Can I respond to you? That is a very good statement to make. And you know what? You’ll never meet that person, because that person who can earn heaven by himself does not exist. Only one person ever lived a perfect life. That’s Jesus Christ. Listen to this. This is Christianity. He imputes his life to the believer in Christian.
KING: All of you believe — all of you believe this. HIER: That what?
JOHNSON: Believe what, Larry?
KING: That you’re going somewhere? All of you believe it except Ellen?
HATHOUT: Yes.
WILLIAMSON: I believe we are.
KING: Do all of you believe God has a plan for when you’re going? God knows when you’re going? So God knew about 9/11?
MACARTHUR: Sure.
KING: He did. OK. When we come back, we’ll ask why did he let it go. We’ll also include your phone calls. Don’t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Let’s reintroduce our panel, answer the question about 9/11, get to some calls. John MacArthur, evangelical Christian, pastor, teacher at Grace Community Church, author and host of “Grace to You.”
Father Michael Manning, the Roman Catholic Priest, Society of the Divine World, host of the “Word and the World.”
Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Dr. Mayor Hathout, retired physician, Muslim scholar, senior adviser to the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
In Detroit, is Mary Ann Williamson, best-selling author, lecturer on spirituality. Her most recent book is “The Gift Of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life.”
And in New York City is Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists.
Before we go to some calls, we’ll start with Father Manning. If God knows when it is going to happen, why he did let 9/11 happen?
MANNING: I’m not sure that in my mind God has this overall plan that that was there. I believe that God is a God of now. And he was continually working with these people that were ready to fly into that plane, trying his best as he could with all of the grace that he had to avert them from something terrible like that.
I don’t see God saying, oh, yes, OK, let’s teach those people in that building, or let’s get something out of this. No. God is continually working for justice and power with every human being at every moment, pushing us on to something more.
KING: Mary Ann, why did they die, those innocent people?
WILLIAMSON: Well, I agree with what was just said, that God was working with all of the people who perpetrated the act. But I also believe that God gave us free will. And God himself will not violate that law.
At the same time I think that 9/11, and any tragedy such as that, does not come out of a vacuum. And there are many ways that all of us have to look into our hearts about what each of us might have contributed to create a world in which such things as this are happening at all.
So I think that all of us have to ask a little bit more about the darkness in our own hearts. And how we might not do everything we can to make this world what it should be.
KING: Rabbi Hier, if it is possibly a better place why is death a tragedy?
HIER: Well, we feel as human beings — a great Jewish philosopher, Joseph Albo said the following, “a human being is on a vessel in turbulent seas. And he’s tremendously frightened, because of the conditions of the ocean. And he sticks close to the vessel until the vessel hits — until the vessel docks. When the vessel docks, he says the man walks right off the vessel and perfectly adjusts to a new environment and lost his fear.” We fear that which we do not know. But when the vessel docks, and we’re shown that world we’ll just walk off there and say, wow.
KING: Don’t you question it, John MacArthur — when 9/11 occurs — don’t you question your faith?
MACARTHUR: No, I don’t question my faith.
KING: The guys who took the plane into the building didn’t question theirs either. And they….
MACARTHUR: I don’t like that association too well.
KING: Wait a minute. They didn’t give their ultimate gift?
MACARTHUR: No because…
KING: They did not give their life?
MACARTHUR: I understand that God allows death. That does not mean that I take the side of a perpetrator of murder and slaughter.
KING: I’m not telling you to take their side. I’m saying is, did they have a belief?
MACARTHUR: Oh, sure. Sure. A misguided, a severely misguided one.
KING: In our opinion it was misguided, of course. But why is the death tragedy if death is good? Why is tragic used in the word death.
MACARTHUR: I’ll answer that very simply. Nobody died in those towers that wasn’t going to die anyway. Death is a reality. And the message is
Jesus told the story, he said there were some people worshipping in the temple: pilots — soldiers came in, sliced them up, their blood mingled with the sacrifices, it was Passover. They said to Jesus, were they worse than anybody else? Jesus said you better repent or you will also die and perish.
And they said, a tower fell and killed 18 people in Saloam (ph), were they worse than everybody else because they were crushed? And Jesus said, you better repent or you’ll likewise perish.
The Bible says you die and after this the judgment and then heaven and hell. And you’re not going into eternity as energy, you’re going as a person.
KING: Ellen, how does an atheist view 9/11?
JOHNSON: If you are a person who thinks that there is a creator who is — it is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and then you make excuses for this all-powerful being for allowing 9/11 to happen, for allowing TWA flight 800 to plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, for allowing over 100,000 people to die in — with the tsunami. If you can then excuse your God for being asleep on the job, then when a member of the clergy, the same members of the clergy ask you to pray, to pray for anything because God answers prayers, forget about it. These people…
JOHNSON: I don’t think we’re going to forget about it.
JOHNSON: There was no God to save them.
Human beings have to solve human problem. We take care of each other. We watch out for each other or it doesn’t get done.
KING: Isn’t the term free will an easy thing to say when bad things happen? Free will?
HIER: It is free will. But the truth of the matter is — look, God created this world. And he wanted this — this is a world for human beings. And human beings are not perfect.
Now God does did not create 9/11. God is not the author of evil. If man is God’s partner, man performs or he doesn’t perform.
And the tragedy about 9/11 as far as the murderers and perpetrators are concerned is that unlike in their minds, they, of course, they think they’re going to heaven. Whatever the opposite of heaven is where went first class. But in terms of God’s world, you know when Mary spoke about evil, God is not the author of evil. And it is — everything bad in this world was caused by man, not God.
KING: What about tsunami, man had nothing to do with that? HIER: Well, man had nothing to do with the tsunami.
KING: So, why didn’t answer it?
HIER: Well, we answer it follows, that if — for God to create an imperfect world, in order for man to be his partner, the world has to be imperfect. If the world is perfect, then man knows all his clues.
KING: So, he gets no blame.
HIER: He’s not — when God created an imperfect world…
KING: If somebody kills someone, they killed him. If a tsunami occurs, it is an imperfect world. What did he do wrong?
HIER: Man doesn’t pay attention to the traffic. If man doesn’t pay attention to the traffic, we’re not — in other words, human beings, perhaps is 100 years now, 500 years from now, will be able to measure tsunamis better than — we will have scientific methods of measuring them that are not available to us now.
KING: Don’t help the 2-year-old…
HIER: But God is not going to interfere in his world.
KING: I’ll take a break.
KING: I’ll get to get a break, we’ll pick right back up. We’ll take some calls too. Don’t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We’ll pick up again on death and natural tragedies versus man made tragedies. But let’s include some calls. Clovis, California, hello.
CALLER: Hello?
KING: Hi.
CALLER: If Jesus is the only way to get into heaven, was heaven empty and devoid of souls before Jesus came to Earth.
KING: John?
MACARTHUR: Oh, that’s a very good question, and the answer is absolutely not. We know way back in the Book of Genesis, Enoch (ph) didn’t die. He walked right into the presence of god, and the prophet Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind. And David said that when he died, he would see god face to face. And Job said when he died, he would see god face to face. And the prophet Daniel spoke about a resurrection unto life.
There was clearly in the Old Testament an indication that they were going to go to heaven. But they went to heaven because god provides for those Old Testament saints, the same way he does for people on this side of the life of Jesus, resurrection life for those who believe in him. Jesus paid the penalty for their sins, and his righteousness was applied to them, past and future. But Jesus Christ, nonetheless, was the one who bore their punishment even though he had not yet come.
KING: Richmond, Virginia, hello.
CALLER: Good evening, Larry. My question is about our beloved pets. I recently lost mine, can’t find any specific scriptures that say our pets are in heaven with us. Your thoughts on that, please. Thank you.
MANNING: I don’t know that I do believe there is a spirit there. Why not? Why not?
HIER: No, I don’t, because there are many things in life that we’re not supposed to know.
KING: Dr. Hathout?
HATHOUT: The fact that we don’t know something doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. We didn’t know that there is — interesting, by the way, a few years ago or few centuries raise go — we didn’t know the phenomena of gravity. We didn’t know so many things. So we — people have a tendency to be arrogant enough to say, if I don’t know it, if I didn’t touch it, it does not exist, which is not true.
KING: Mary Ann, you have a thought on pets?
WILLIAMSON: I think all living things are held tenderly in the hands of god.
KING: And I imagine, Ellen, you believe that a pet like a human just comes and goes?
JOHNSON: We just come and go. Yes.
KING: Sad, though.
JOHNSON: Yes. It is. Yes.
KING: Bloomfield, Connecticut, hello.
CALLER: Hi, Larry. My question is for Dr. Hathout. What about the claim of suicide bombers that there’s virgins waiting for them on the other side. Is that in the Koran?
HATHOUT: No, it is not, and it is…
KING: Where does that come from?
HATHOUT: Well, I — the notion of suicide is absolutely — the only thing that is inexcusable in Islam is suicide. There’s no excuse for it. So suicide is completely prohibited, and the suicide to kill others is even worse. It is totally unacceptable. KING: What of this virgin story?
HATHOUT: This virgin — it is coming from certain traditions of literists (ph) and hearsay stories, but it is not in the Koran. The Koran is not available in any library. I challenge anyone to tell me there is a Koran…
KING: So, where did they come up with this?
HATHOUT: Well, as you know, religion have been subject to people who are galvanize people and mobilize people who are gullible, and the religion have been terribly misused. By all religions, by the way, by people who are Christians, or Jews, or whatever. And they highlight certain stories and bring them to the forefront to play on the ignorant and the gullible, and to lead them to death, which is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KING: Mary Ann, do you think religion is a failure?
WILLIAMSON: No, I do not religion is a failure, and I think when you talk about religious extremists, it is — you don’t blame a religion for the fact that there are extremists in its name. Religious extremism is not religion. It is pathology, it is insanity. So, religion — you know, god remains god, regardless of the fictions that might be proclaimed in the name of god. I think god is love, and so when people do things and use the word god that don’t have love in it, they might use the words god, but god is an experience, it’s not just a belief and it’s not just a word.
I think there is some people who conspire with god who don’t believe in him, who live loving lies and are of god, and I think there are people who proclaim him all over the place and live lives of hate. So, I think that the real religious experience goes beyond doctrine, even goes beyond belief; it goes to an experience of our love for each other, love for our creator, love for this earth, and love that emanates outward from who we are and makes all things right. That’s the religious experience, and it is hardly a failure.
KING: Rabbi, because we revere life so much, doesn’t it amaze you when someone kills them self?
HIER: Absolutely. Life is regarded as holy in Judaism, and, for example, any law in Jewish tradition, observance of the Sabbath, fasting on Yom Kippur, any law is violated — may be violated — in order to save a life, because there is nothing more sacred than a human life.
And I think that, in terms of those fanatics today who want to say that somehow god justifies killing others and killing themselves, I mean, nothing could be further from the will of god than that.
HATHOUT: This is identical to the Islamic concept, also. Nothing more important than life.
KING: We’ll take a break and be back with more. Don’t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We’re back with our panel.
Lake City, Colorado. Hello.
CALLER: Hey, there, Larry.
KING: Hi.
CALLER: Many of your guests have said that after we die we either go to heaven or hell, and that’s on the basis of whether we have faith in Jesus Christ or if we have done enough good deeds. My question is, what about the baby, the infant who has not been able to come to an understanding of Jesus or not lived enough to do the good deeds to merit heaven?
KING: Or John, someone who doesn’t know about Jesus, an aborigine.
MACARTHUR: I have written a book which has been widely received and very encouraged by it by nursing associations and hospitals called “Safe in the Arms of God,” and it takes an old testament-new testament look at what happens to babies that die. And as I told you, when we met the first time after 9/11, and you said, what happened to that baby at the bottom of that tower? And I said, instant heaven. And I said that in just that fast order because I had just prepared that book and I think the weight of scripture is very clear that infants that die, or people who are mentally unable to make decisions and operate in faith toward god, god gathers to himself, and scripture is clear on that.
KING: Do all of you agree on that, Father Manning?
MANNING: I think it’s really important — I agree certainly. But I think there is an important thing as a Christian for me to understand, in my understanding of Jesus, that although I believe Jesus is the son of god and he is the source of salvation of all, I believe that he can be able to be expressed in ways far beyond what I can understand. And so for me to condemn a person who loves the father — a Jew or a Muslim that loves the father and say, well, Jesus is not…
KING: How do you view Jesus, rabbi?
HIER: I would say that Jesus was a great teacher. I do not believe he was divine. I do not believe he was the son of god, and I might add, if Moses would claim to be that he is the son of god, I would reject that as well.
KING: What does Dr. Hathout believe?
HATHOUT: I think our stand is almost identical to the rabbi. However, we believe that Jesus Christ is very special in a way because he is born to the Virgin Mary, so…
KING: And you believe she was a virgin? HATHOUT: Oh, yes.
KING: The Muslims believe…
HATHOUT: The Muslims believe — there is a whole chapter on — called Mary, to highlight that. So, we believe that he is described as the word of god and the spirit from him to the Virgin Mary.
KING: Mary Ann…
HATHOUT: But we don’t believe he’s the son of God.
KING: Mary Ann what do you believe?
WILLIAMSON: I believe that we’re all the sons of God. And I believe Jesus was and is a fully actualized — he was a fully actualized human being who now has the function of helping others, who choose — who feel he is their way, to help them rise as well.
But I was so glad to hear the father say that he had acknowledges as a Christian that there are those who experience that vortex as it were without the name Jesus on it. And I find it very unfortunate, and a slightly offense this notion that if someone does not proclaim the name Jesus, you’re talking about Jews, you’re talking about atheists, you’re talking about agnostics, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, who somehow, even if they aren’t babies, if they do not proclaim the name Jesus, to me that is an incorrect understanding of Jesus himself.
MACARTHUR: I appreciate what she is saying. The bottom line is that this is an authority issue. The Bible says neither is their salvation in any other name other than Jesus Christ.
KING: Why do you believe that is the only word?
MACARTHUR: Because I believe the Bible is true.
KING: But he believes the Koran was true.
MACARTHUR: Well, I understand that. But I believe the Bible is true. I believe the Bible stands up scientifically, historically, prophetically, I believe every test to the scripture yields that.
KING: There’s no hypocrisy.
There are contradictions.
MACARTHUR: There are hypocrites described in the Bible, but the Bible itself…
KING: We got to take a break. Ellen, what do you believe about Jesus Christ?
JOHNSON: Well, I’m here to give the reality point of view, I guess. Because the reality is there is not one shred of secular evidence there ever was a Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and Christianity is a modern religion. And Jesus Christ is a compilation from other Gods: Horas, Mithra, who had the same origins, the same death as the mythological Jesus Christ.
KING: So you don’t believe there was a Jesus Christ.
JOHNSON: There was not. It is not what I believe. There is no secular evidence that JC, Jesus Christ, ever existed.
KING: We’ll take a break. And come back with more moments and subject that deserves more attention which we shall give it in the future, don’t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Toronto, hello.
CALLER: Hello. How are you doing?
KING: Fine.
CALLER: Yes, my question is, how can there be eternal hell when the Bible clearly teaches that the result of sin is death?
KING: What do you mean?
MACARTHUR: Well, I think I understand what he means. If you take the view that death is the end of existence, then how can there be hell? When the Bible talks about death it is not the end of existence, death either ushers you into heaven or it ushers you into hell.
KING: Staten Island, New York, hello.
CALLER: I had a near fatal car accident. And I had an out of body experience. I was hovering over my own physical body and I was surrounded by a beautiful white, white light. And while there, there was a sense of peace. And there was no knowledge of my loved ones or anything here on Earth.
Then there was a vacuum that pulled me back into my physical body again. And then I had the awareness that I was dying.
And my feelings of my family members, my loved ones were so forceful with me. I believe I — God gave me a second chance to live. And I would like to have an opinion on your panel.
KING: Mary Ann, what do you think happened?
WILLIAMSON: Well, you know it is interesting because her story is repeated so many times by people who had extraordinary near death experiences. There is a man named Tom Melon Benedict who has written an incredible piece which embellishes on what this woman just said.
I think she entered the realm of the light. She saw the light that is described. And I believe that when she said is true, God felt that for her she need to complete here in some other chapters in her soul’s journey here on this Earth before she goes permanently. But I think what a gift she received in a way to have seen that light. KING: Ellen, if you accept her story, how do you explain it?
JOHNSON: Have an atheist go through the same thing. She was on obviously a believer before it happened. So, she will have a particular and cultural and religious interpretation. But there are physiological explanations for what happened.
There is no evidence that there is life after death. So theists rely on this kind of experience to try to prove there is life after death. It really doesn’t prove there is life after death.
KING: Other than the Christ story, Dr. Hathout — there is no proof, is there? Other than the Christ story? There’s no proof. You don’t know anybody who died.
HATHOUT: Nobody died and came back. We, as Muslims — we believe that Jesus has yet to come. So we believe that once you go through the door, you are not going to come back until after the day of judgment.
However, as I said, not everything we believe in we have to see. How do you believe that water is oxygen and hydrogen? Somebody told you. If you have been told that fact by some source you trust, whether in the case of here is the Bible or in our case the Koran or the Torah, or your mother or your father or whatever, or your science teachers, you believe things without seeing them happening otherwise, our scope would be extremely limited.
JOHNSON: No, we don’t. We don’t accept that — we accept them when we finally have the evidence for them. But if somebody tells me something when there is no evidence for it, I’m in the obligated to accept it.
HATHOUT: No. Nobody is obligated for anything. Everybody is completely entitled to his or her beliefs according to their ability to…
king: I believe most of our faith are faiths of our parents? We didn’t go out and study comparative religion, right? Your father was Protestant, I’ll bet.
MACARTHUR: Yes. My father was actually a pastor and still alive.
KING: You’re Catholic, you’re Jewish. You’re from Muslims. Mary Ann, what was your father?
WILLIAMSON: I’m Jewish. I’m Jewish. I’m Jewish.
KING: You’re Jewish. Ellen, were you raised Jewish, Ellen?
JOHNSON: No, my parents were not religious, of course.
KING: Why of course?
JOHNSON: If the panel at all fits. KING: They could have been and you could have broken away.
JOHNSON: Because everybody going down the panel there — if they’re religious this, they he had a religious upbringing. I’m an atheist and I was brought up in a nonreligious household.
HATHOUT: However you can be brought up in certain religions, but certain things happen in your life to either confirm or do away with your religion. So, it is not just the box that we are born within.
All of us are exposed to experiences that might make them live the religion or get…
KING: I’m running out of time.
MANNING: One of the most important thins about religion is an encounter with God. It has to be a personal relationship with God. If I’m Muslim, if I’m Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, I encounter the Lord and this is real. And this reality — no, to the person that experiences God, you can’t take this away from me because I’ve experienced it.
KING: I’ll close with the words from “Fiddler on the Roof” “to life, to life lachaim.” Lachaim, lachaim to life.
We thank our guests. We hope we have explored this situation well. We look forward to doing more programs on it.
Stay tuned now for a very special edition of “NEWSNIGHT” with Aaron Brown. A look back at the 507 squad of two years ago. Don’t go away.
Larry King – Dr. John MacArthur vs. “father” Manning
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I have seen John MacArthur on Larry King Show many times and I thought you would like to see some of these episodes. I have posted several of John MacArthur’s sermons in the past and my favorite is his sermon on the Tyre prophecy.
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And I included a very appropriate poster from Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership to emphasize how gun control often has been a go-to policy for the world’s most despicable tyrants.
What’s now happening in Israel underscores that message.
In a report from the Washington Post, Claire Parker, Jon Gerberg, Judith Sudilovsky, and John Hudson explain that October 7 was a wake-up calls for both lawmakers and citizens.
Since Hamas rampaged through Israeli communities on Oct. 7, the government here has promoted a simple message: Guns save lives. Using rhetoric redolent of gun rights advocates in the United States, hard-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has pushed to loosen strictfirearm licensing requirements and create more civilian “standby teams” to harden communities against a repeat of the deadly surprise attack. …Under an expedited processing system, Ben Gvir’s ministry in the past two months has received more than 256,000 applications to carry private firearms… Jewish Israeli volunteers across Israel and West Bank settlers are arming themselves, training and forming groups to patrol the streets… Private gun ownership was rising before the war. But since Oct. 7, interest has exploded… Before the war, to be considered for a gun license civilians had to live or work in an area deemed to be under heightened security risk, be interviewed in person, submit a health declaration signed by a physician, undergo training and demonstrate they knew how to use a gun safely. The license limited bearers to one gun and 50 bullets. Now residents of more cities have been made eligible. They can be interviewed by telephone. It’s easier to renew licenses that have lapsed. And licensees are permitted 100 bullets.
The article also notes that armed Jews saved many lives on October 7.
The army took hours to respond, leaving men, women and children largely defenseless against the militants. In the aftermath, accounts emerged of volunteer security teams in some kibbutzim fending off Hamas attackers and saving lives. The teams, known in Israel as “kitat konenut,” have long been active in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and in Israeli communities near the Gazan border, where they act as first responders to security threats. For advocates of wider access to gun ownership, the accounts served as vindication of their cause — and helped build support for lowering barriers to firearms access.
In the New York Times, Aaron Boxerman and Talya Minsberg wrote about the expansion of private gun ownership in Israel.
…in the aftermath of Oct. 7, Israelis have submitted at least 256,000 applications for gun licenses, including many who had never before considered owning a weapon. Israel’s current far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has long pushed for an expansion of gun ownership, and in mid-October, lawmakers signed off on eased gun ownership regulations promulgated by his office. Young adults with assault rifles slung over their shoulders are a common sight in Israel, where hundreds of thousands are soldiers on active duty or reservists with weapons stashed at home. But despite decades of insecurity, private gun ownership never approached the levels seen in the United States, where surveys show about one-third of adults own firearms. …national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has long pushed for an expansion of gun ownership…told a meeting…“If there had been more guns in the Gaza border area, more emergency response teams, more lives could have been saved.”
This passage is especially relevant.
Maayan Rosenberg-Schatz, said that like so many other Israelis, she no longer believed the Israeli military — which took hours to arrive at some embattled communities on Oct. 7 — would reach them in time in a crisis…said Ms. Rosenberg-Schatz, 42, who applied for a gun license along with her husband. “But in the end, there’s no replacement for having a weapon.”
P.S. Some American Jews also understand this issue. In a column for the Daily Wire, written nearly four years before the October 7 Hamas attack, Josh Hammer wrote about gun ownership among American Jews.
A Jew who is trained, armed, and proficient in the use of firearms is necessarily a Jew who the anti-Semites fear the most — which makes this Jew the very best kind of Jew. This is a Jew who is ready, willing, and able, if need be, to heed the Talmudic principle that one must rise to take the life of someone who is trying to take his/her own life. …This is a Jew who is physically capable and emotionally prepared to take down an active shooter, if need be. …I live in Texas, and it is hardly the least bit unusual for Jews here to pack heat while attending synagogue or attending any other kind of Jewish-themed event. …Why on Earth would Jews, the most systemically persecuted group of humans to have ever lived, delegate responsibility for their own lives to third-party actors?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in New York, September 25, 2016 (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
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In this handout photo provided by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets former U.S. President Bill Clinton, on November 8, 2010 in New York City. | Getty
BIBI AND OBAMA DISAGREED ON PALESTINIAN QUESTION!!!
We had a policy clash. Though our personalities were decidedly different in many respects, it was noted by some commentators that in one sense they were oddly similar. We both tended to the cerebral, and we came to politics to realize ideological convictions, viewing political power as a means to achieving our ends. But given our ideological divide, we differed sharply on what those ends should be. We clearly differed on the Palestinian issue, which Obama viewed through the distorted prism of the Palestinian narrative. He truly believed the Jews of Israel were neocolonials usurping the land from native Arab inhabitants, when the facts not only of ancient history but of modern times showed that things were the other way around. The Palestinian Arabs joined five Arab armies in their attempt in 1948 to uproot the Jews from their ancestral homeland and since then opposed any arrangement that would leave the Jewish state in place. In the extreme, Obama’s espousal of the Palestinian narrative manifested itself not only in flawed policy but also in personal attacks. He disregarded our history and disrespected Israel’s elected leader, who dared to disagree with him. I doubt that he applied the language and tactics he used against me to many, if any, other world leaders. In this I differed from him. No matter how deep the disagreement, I tried as best I could to avoid showing personal disrespect to democratically elected leaders.
Nine Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., demand that the Biden administration refreeze $6 billion intended for Iran, following Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel. Pictured: Blackburn listens at a July 19 press conference at the Capitol. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Senate Republicans called Tuesday for the Biden administration to refreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds amid the Israel-Hamas war, citing indications that Iran helped Hamas plan its Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the Jewish state.
“You can’t be pro-Israel and pro-Iran,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said.
“Joe Biden is the most pro-Iranian president we’ve ever had,” Marshall said. “Think about it. It goes way beyond the $6 billion we are talking about. Under this administration, the Iranian oil reserves went from $6 billion to $60 billion. How come? Since the moment [President] Joe Biden got into office, he turned his head to the [economic] sanctions we’ve had.”
Marshall was among nine GOP senators, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who gathered Tuesday on Capitol Hill to demand that the Biden administration refreeze the $6 billion used as ransom for five American hostages held by Iran. That amount was to be released after being frozen under U.S. sanctions; the deal also included U.S. release of Iranian prisoners.
Blackburn and the other Senate Republicans spoke at a press conference called one day before Biden is set to arrive in Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Also Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to hold a confirmation hearing for Jacob Lew, a former treasury secretary in the Obama administration who Biden nominated to be ambassador to Israel.
For his part, Biden denounced Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel and compared the terrorist group to the Islamic State, a terrorist army also known as ISIS. Biden administration officials have insisted that Iranians have yet to get any of the $6 billion.
However, Marshall said the anticipated access to the $6 billion was likely enough for the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.
“I have a hunch the moment the Biden administration unfroze the $6 billion was the signal moment when the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard told Hamas, ‘Let’s go forward with this plan we’ve had going,’” Marshall said.
Blackburn said senators learned Biden’s trip to Israel was intentionally not announced until Secretary of State Antony Blinken received assurances from Netanyahu on a humanitarian aid package for Palestinians displaced by the war as the Israel Defense Force prepares to move into the Gaza Strip.
“The U.S. should not be placing conditions on our support for Israel because of demands made by the Squad,” Blackburn said, referring to a far-left group of pro-Palestinian House members that includes Reps. Illhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
The Tennessee Republican said the United States also learned that Hamas accessed United Nations funding for Palestinian humanitarian relief, aid backed by U.S. tax dollars.
Blackburn warned about the dangers to the United States.
“As long as Biden allows our border to be open, an attack on our own soil isn’t a matter of if. It’s a matter of when,” Blackburn said. “Protecting our homeland and preventing Hamas sympathizers from entering our country is paramount, and the egregious actions of Hamas must not go unpunished.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., suggested U.S. intervention in the Hamas-Israel conflict.
“Not only should we cut off the money, we should put on the table that if there is a second front opened against Israel by Hezbollah, [which] has 100,000 precision-guided rockets pointed at Israel, if that happens, there will not be a two-front war, there will be a three-front war,” Graham said.
“There is either going to be one front or three fronts. I’m begging the Biden administration to be clear. Just don’t say ‘Don’t,’” the South Carolina Reopublican said, referring to President Joe Biden’s recent warning to Hezbollah and other potential combatants not to join the conflict.
“Spell out what happens if Hezbollah is used to try to expand this war and destroy Israel,” Graham told reporters. “I believe the people behind me would rise to the occasion and I hope the people on the other side would rise to the occasion if this war escalates.”
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The Bible and Archaeology – Is the Bible from God? (Kyle Butt 42 min)
We live in a world that, for the most part, has no absolute standard for life and behavior. We are under a system of morality by majority vote—in other words, whatever feels right sets the standard for behavior.
That philosophy, however, runs contrary to everything we know about our world. For example, in science there are absolutes. Our entire universe is built on fixed laws. We can send satellites and other spacecraft into space and accurately predict their behavior. Science—whether biology, botany, physiology, astronomy, mathematics, or engineering—is controlled by unalterable and inviolable laws.
Yet in the moral world many people want to live without laws or absolutes. They try to determine their points of reference from their own minds. However, that is impossible. When we move from the physical to the spiritual realm, fixed laws still exist. We cannot exist without laws in the moral and spiritual dimensions of life any more than we can do so in the physical dimension. Our Creator built morality into life. Just as there are physical laws, so there are spiritual laws. Let me give you an example.
People have asked me whether I believe that AIDS is the judgment of God. My response is that AIDS is the judgment of God in the same sense that cirrhosis of the liver is the judgment of God or that emphysema is the judgment of God. If you drink alcohol, you’re liable to get cirrhosis of the liver. If you smoke, you’re liable to get emphysema or heart disease. And if you choose to violate God’s standards for morality, you’re likely to contract venereal disease—even AIDS. It is a law that the Bible describes in terms of sowing and reaping.
We can explain this principle in another illustration. Gravity is a fixed law. You may choose not to believe in gravity, but regardless of what you choose to believe, if you jump off a building you’ll fall to the ground. You don’t have an option. It’s not a question of what you believe; it’s a question of law. The law will go into effect when you put it to the test. That is true in any other area of physical law.
The same thing is true in the moral and spiritual dimension. To segment life into a physical dimension in which fixed laws cannot be violated and a moral or spiritual dimension in which laws can be violated is an impossible dichotomization. The same God who controls the physical world by fixed laws controls the moral and spiritual world.
Where, then, do you find the laws of morality? How do you determine what is right and what is wrong? Has our Creator revealed such standards to mankind in a way we can understand?
The Bible claims to be the revelation of God to man. Although I have spent many years of my life studying the Bible, I wasn’t always committed to it. That commitment developed after my freshman year in col lege, when I came to grips with my life and future and wanted to know the source of truth. I discovered several compelling reasons for believing that the Bible is God’s Word. Five basic areas, which go from the lesser to the greater, help prove its authenticity.
The Authenticity of the Bible
Experience
First, the Bible is true because it gives us the experience it claims it will. For example, the Bible says God will forgive our sin (1 John 1:9). I believe that, and I can truly say that I have a sense of freedom from guilt. The Bible also says that “if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ). That’s what happened to me when I came to Jesus Christ. The Bible changes lives. Someone has said that a Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t. That’s true because the Bible can put lives together. Millions of people all over the world are living proof that that is true. Maybe you know one or two of them. They’ve experienced the Bible’s power.
That’s an acceptable argument in one sense, but it’s weak in another. If you base everything you believe on experience, you’re going to run into trouble. Followers of Muhammad, Buddha, and Hare Krishna can point to various experiences as the basis for their beliefs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their beliefs are correct. So although experience can help validate the power and authority of the Bible, we will need more evidence.
Science
The Bible also presents a most plausible, objective understanding of the universe and the existence of life. It presents a God who creates. That makes more sense than believing that everything came out of nothing, which is essentially what the theory of evolution says. I have an easier time assuming that someone produced everything. And the Bible tells me who that someone is: God.
The study of creation helps explain how the earth’s geology became the way it is. The Bible tells of a supernatural creation that took place in six days and of a catastrophic worldwide flood. These two events help explain many geological and other scientific questions, some of which we will soon explore.
You will find that the Bible is accurate when it intersects with modern scientific concepts. For example, Isaiah 40:26 says it is God who creates the universe. He holds the stars together by His power and not one of them is ever missing. In this way the Bible suggests the first law of thermodynamics—that ultimately nothing is ever destroyed.
We read in Ecclesiastes 1:10: “Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’?” The answer immediately follows: “Already it has existed for ages which were before us.” Ancient writers of the Bible, thousands of years before the laws of thermodynamics had been categorically stated, were affirming the conservation of mass and energy.
The second law of thermodynamics states that although mass and energy are always conserved, they nevertheless are breaking down and going from order to disorder, from cosmos to chaos, from system to non-system. The Bible, contrary to the theory of evolution, affirms that. As matter breaks down and energy dissipates, ultimately the world and universe as we know it will become dead. It will be unable to reproduce itself. Romans 8 says that all creation groans because of its curse, which is described at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis 3). That curse—and God’s plan to reverse the curse—is reflected throughout biblical teaching.
The science of hydrology studies the cycle of water, which consists of three major phases: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Clouds move over the land and drop water through precipitation. The rain runs into creeks, the creeks run into streams, the streams run into the sea, and the evaporation process takes place all the way along the path. That same process is described in Scripture. Ecclesiastes 1 and Isaiah 55 present the entire water cycle: “All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again” (Ecclesiastes 1:7). “For . . . the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth” (Isaiah 55:10). Also, Job 36:27-28 speaks of evaporation and condensation—centuries prior to any scientific discovery of the process: “He [God] draws up the drops of water, they distill rain from the mist, which the clouds pour down, they drip upon man abundantly.”
In the 1500s, when Copernicus first presented the idea that the earth was in motion, people were astounded. They previously believed that the earth was a flat disc and that if you went through the Pillars of Hercules at the Rock of Gibraltar you’d fall off the edge. In the seventeenth century, men like Kepler and Galileo gave birth to modern astronomy. Prior to that, the universe was generally thought to contain only about one thousand stars, which was the number that had been counted.
However, in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, the number of the stars of heaven is equated with the number of grains of sand on the seashore. God told Abraham, “I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore” ( 22:17 ). Jeremiah 33:22says that the stars can’t be counted. Again God is speaking: “As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David.” Today several million stars have been cataloged, though hundreds of millions remain unlisted.
The oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job, pre-dates Christ by about two thousand years. YetJob 26:7 says, “He hangs the earth on nothing.” In the sacred books of other religions you may read that the earth is on the backs of elephants that produce earthquakes when they shake. The cosmogony of Greek mythology is at about the same level of sophistication. But the Bible is in a completely different class. It says, “He . . . hangs the earth on nothing” (emphasis added).
Job also says that the earth is “turned like the clay to the seal” (38:14, KJV*). In those days, soft clay was used for writing and a seal was used for applying one’s signature. One kind of seal was a hollow cylinder of hardened clay with a signature raised on it. A stick went through it so that it could be rolled like a rolling pin. The writer could, therefore, roll his signature across the soft clay and in that way sign his name. In saying the earth is turned like the clay to the seal, Job may have implied that it rotates on its axis. The Hebrew word translated “earth” (hug) refers to a sphere.
It’s also interesting to note that the earth maintains a perfect balance. If you’ve ever seen a basketball that’s out of balance, you know that it rotates unevenly. You can imagine what would happen if the earth were like that. The earth is a perfect sphere, and it is perfectly balanced. The depths of the sea have to be balanced with the height of the mountains. The branch of science that studies that balance is called isostasy. In Isaiah 40:12, centuries before science even conceived of this phenomenon, Isaiah said that God “has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales.”
English philosopher Herbert Spencer, who died in 1903, was famous for applying scientific discoveries to philosophy. He listed five knowable categories in the natural sciences: time, force, motion, space, and matter. However, Genesis 1:1, the first verse in the Bible, says, “In the beginning [time] God [force] created [motion] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter].” God laid it all out in the very first verse of Scripture.
The Bible truly is the revelation of God to mankind. He wants us to know about Him and the world He created. Although the Bible does not contain scientific terminology, it is amazingly accurate whenever it happens to refer to scientific truth. But someone might say, “Wait a minute. The Old Testament says that the sun once stood still, and if that happened, the sun didn’t really stand still; the earth stopped revolving.” Yes, but that statement is based on the perception of someone on earth. When you got up this morning, you didn’t look east and say, “What a lovely earth rotation!” From your perspective, you saw a sunrise. And because you permit yourself to do that, you must permit Scripture to do that as well.
Miracles
A third evidence for the authenticity of the Bible is its miracles. We would expect to read of those in a revelation from God Himself, who by definition is supernatural. Miracles are a supernatural alteration of the natural world—a great way to get man’s attention.
The Bible includes supportive information to establish the credibility of the miracles it records. For example, Scripture says that after Jesus had risen from the dead more than five hundred people saw Him alive (1 Corinthians 15:6). That would be enough witnesses to convince any jury. The miraculous nature of the Bible demonstrates the involvement of God. But to believe the miracles, we must take the Bible at its word. So to further validate its authenticity we must take another step and consider its incredible ability to predict the future.
Prophecy
There is no way to explain the Bible’s ability to predict the future unless we see God as its Author. For example, the Old Testament contains more than three hundred references to the Messiah of Israel that were preciselyfulfilled by JesusChrist (Christ isthe Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah).
Peter Stoner, a scientist in the area of mathematical probabilities, said in his book Science Speaks that if we take just eight of the Old Testament prophecies Christ fulfilled, we find that the probability of their coming to pass is one in 1017. He illustrates that staggering amount this way:
We take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas . They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly. . . . Blindfold a man and tell him he must pick up one silver dollar. . . . What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them come true in any one man. ([ Chicago : Moody, 1963], 100-107)
And Jesus fulfilled hundreds more than just eight prophecies!
The Bible includes many other prophecies as well. For example, the Bible predicted that a man named Cyrus would be born, would rise to power in the Middle East, and would release the Jewish people from captivity (Isaiah 44:28—45:7). Approximately 150 years later, Cyrus the Great became king of Persia and released the Jews. No man could have known that would happen; only God could.
In Ezekiel 26 God says through the prophet that the Phoenician city of Tyre would be destroyed, specifying that a conqueror would come in and wipe out the city. He said that the city would be scraped clean and that the rubble left on the city’s surface would be thrown into the ocean. The prophecy ended by saying that men would dry their fishnets there and that the city would never be rebuilt.
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Tyre three years after the prophecy was given. When he broke down the gates, he found the city almost empty. The Phoenicians were navigators and colonizers of the ancient world; they had taken their boats and sailed to an island a half mile offshore. They had reestablished their city on the island during the years of siege. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city on the mainland, but since he didn’t have a navy, he was unable to do anything about the island city of Tyre . This left the prophecy partially unfulfilled.
About 250 years later Alexander the Great came into the area of Tyre needing supplies for his eastern campaign. He sent word to the residents of the island city, but they refused his request. They believed they were safe from attack on the island. Alexander was so infuriated at their response that he and his army picked up the rubble that was left from Nebuchadnezzar’s devastation of the mainland city and threw it into the sea. They used it to build a causeway, which allowed them to march to the island and destroy the city. That exactly fulfilled what Ezekiel had predicted hundreds of years previously.
If you travel to the site of Tyre today, you’ll see fishermen there drying their nets. The city was never rebuilt. Peter Stoner said that the probability of all the details of that prophecy happening by chance is one in 75million.
The Assyrian city of Nineveh is another example. It was one of the most formidable ancient cities, which reached its apex during the seventh century b.c. Yet the prophet Nahum predicted that it would soon be wiped out. He said an overflowing river would crush the gates and that the city would be destroyed (Nahum 1:8; 2:6).
In those days when people walled in their cities, they tended to build gates down into the rivers nearby. The water could flow through the bars of the gates and keep out intruders. In the case of Nineveh , a great storm came and flooded the river, carrying away a vital part of the city walls. That permitted besieging Medes and Babylonians to enter the city and destroy it, just as the prophet predicted.
The Life of Christ
Additional evidence for the authenticity of the Bible is Christ Himself. As we have already seen, He fulfilled many detailed prophecies and did many miracles. It is important to note that He also believed in the authority of the Bible. In Matthew 5:18 He says, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.”
If you would like to read more about the life of Christ and other evidences for the Bible’s reliability, try Evidence That Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell (Here’s Life Publishers).
The Power of the Bible
The Bible is an amazing book. It’s amazing in that it stands up to many tests of authenticity. But beyond that, it’s particularly amazing when looked at from a spiritual and moral perspective.
The Bible claims to be alive and powerful. That’s a tremendous statement. I have never read any other living book. There are some books that change your thinking, but this is the only book that can change your nature. This is the only book that can totally transform you from the inside out.
There’s a section in Psalm 19 that is Scripture’s own testimony to itself. This is what it says:
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. (vv. 7-9)
Let’s look at each aspect separately.
The Bible Is “Perfect”
First, “the law of the Lord” is a Hebrew term used to define Scripture. Psalm 19 specifies that it is “perfect”—a comprehensive treatment of truth that is able to transform the soul. The Hebrew word translated “soul”(nepesh) refers to the total person. It meansthe real you—not your body but what is inside. So the truths in Scripture can totally transform a person.
You may say, “I’m not interested in being transformed.” Then you probably aren’t interested in the Bible. The Bible is for people who have some sense of desperation about where they are. It is for people who don’t have the purpose in their lives they wish they had. They’re not sure where they are, where they came from, or where they’re going. There are things in their lives they wish they could change. They wish they weren’t driven by passions they can’t control; that they weren’t victims of circumstance; that they didn’t have so much pain in life; that their relationships were all they ought to be; that they could think more clearly about things that matter in their lives. That’s who this book is for: people who don’t have all the answers and who want something better.
The Bible says that the key to this transformation is the Lord Jesus Christ. God came into the world in the form of Christ. He died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine, and rose again to conquer death. He now lives and comes into the lives of those who acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior, transforming them into the people God means for them to be. If you’re content with the way you are, you’re not going to look to the Word of God for a way to change. But if you’re aware of your guilt, if you want to get rid of your anxiety and the patterns of life that desperately need to be changed, if you have some emptiness in your heart, if there’s some longing that has never been satisfied, and if there are some answers you just can’t seem to find, then you’re just the person who needs to look into the Word of God to determine if it can do what it says it can. It can transform you completely through the power of Christ, the One who died and rose again for you.
The Bible Is “Sure”
Second, Psalm 19 says that the Scripture is “sure”—absolute, trustworthy, reliable—”making wise the simple.” The Hebrew word translated “simple” comes from a root that speaks of an open door. Ancient Jewish people described a person with a simple mind as someone with a head like an open door: everything comes in; everything goes out. He doesn’t know what to keep out and what to keep in. He’s indiscriminate, totally naive, and unable to evaluate truth. He doesn’t have any standards by which to make a judgment.
The Bible says it is able to make such a person wise. Wisdom to the Jew was the skill of daily living. To the Greek it was sheer sophistry—an abstraction. So when the Hebrew text says it can make a simple person wise, it means it can take the uninitiated, naive, uninstructed, undiscerning person and make him skilled in every aspect of daily living.
The Bible touches every area of life, including relationships, marriage, the work ethic, and factors of the human mind and motivation. It tells you about attitudes, reactions, responses, how to treat people, how you’re to be treated by people, how to cultivate virtue in your life—every aspect of living is covered in the pages of the Bible.
How does the Bible transform one’s life? It does so when you read it and Commit your life to Jesus Christ, the Teacher and the Author of Scripture. He comes to live in you and applies the truth of the Word to your life.
The Bible Is “Right”
Third, the Word of God—called “the precepts of the Lord—is right. In Hebrew, that means it sets out a right path or lays out a right track. And the result is joy to the heart.
I look back at times in my own life when I didn’t know what direction to go, what my future was, or what my career ought to be. Then I began to study God’s Word and submit myself to His Spirit. Then God laid out the path for me. As I’ve walked in that path, I’ve experienced joy, happiness, and blessing. In fact, I find so much satisfaction in life that people sometimes believe something’s wrong with me. Even difficulty brings satisfaction, because it creates a way in which God can show Himself faithful. Even unhappiness is a source of happiness. In John 16, Jesus compares the disciples’ sorrow at His leaving to the pain of a woman having a baby. There’s joy through any circumstance. I know you want a happy life. I know you want peace, joy, meaning, and purpose. I know you want the fullness of life that everybody seeks. The Bible says, “[Happy] are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). Why? Because God blesses their faithfulness and obedience. You can have a happy life without sin, without sex outside of marriage, without drugs, and without alcohol. God is not a cosmic killjoy. He made you. He knows how you operate best. And He knows what makes you happy. The happiness He gives doesn’t stop when the party’s over. It lasts because it comes from deep within.
The Bible Is “Pure”
Fourth, the psalmist says the Word of God is pure, enlightening the eyes. The simplest Christian knows a lot of things that many scholarly people don’t know. Because I know the Bible, some things are clear to me that aren’t clear to others.
The autobiography of English philosopher Bertrand Russell, written near the end of his life, implies that philosophy was something of a washout to him. That’s shocking. He spent his life musing on reality, but was not able to define it. I don’t believe I’m Russell’s equal intellectually, but I do know the Word of God. Scripture enlightens the eyes, particularly concerning the dark things of life, such as death, disease, tragic events, and the devastation of the world. Scripture deals with the tough issues of life.
I can go to a Christian who is facing death and see joy in his heart. My grandmother died when she was ninety-three years old. She was lying in bed, and the nurse told her it was time to get up. My grandmother said, “No, I’m not getting up today.” When the nurse asked why, my grandmother said, “I love Jesus, and I’m going to heaven today, so don’t bother me.” Then she smiled and went to heaven.
Do you have that kind of hope?
When I was a boy I used to go to Christ Church in Philadelphia and read epitaphs written about Americans who have had a great impact on our country. Benjamin Franklin wrote his own epitaph:
The body of
Benjamin Franklin, printer,
(Like the cover of an old book,
Its contents worn out
And stript of its lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms!
Yet the work itself shall not be lost,
For it will, as he believed, appear once more
In a new
And more beautiful edition,
Corrected and amended
By its Author!
Can you look death in the eye and say, “This is not the end; it is but the beginning for me”? What can you say to someone who loses a child? What can you say to someone who loses a spouse to cancer or heart disease? Are you roaming around in the confusion in which many people find themselves? Where do you go for the dark things to be made clear? I go to the Word of God, and I find clarity there.
The Bible Is “Clean”
Further, Psalm 19:1 says that the Word of God is “clean, enduring forever.” The only things that last forever are things untouched by the devastation of evil—another word for sin. The word of God is clean. It describes and uncovers sin, but it is untouched by evil. And even though it is an ancient document, every person in every situation in every society can find timeless truth in this book. Here’s a book that never needs another edition because it’s never out of date or obsolete. It speaks to us as pointedly and directly as it ever has to anyone in history. It’s so pure that it lasts forever.
When I was in college I studied philosophy. Almost every philosophy I studied was long dead. I also studied psychology. Almost every form of psychotherapy I read about is now obsolete or has been replaced by more progressive thinking.
But there’s one thing that never changes, and that is the eternal Word of God. It is always relevant.
The Bible Is “True”
Finally, and most pointedly, Psalm 19:9 says that the Word of God is true. Today it seems there’s no longer a premium on truth. But that was true even in Jesus’ day. Pilate, when he sent Jesus to the cross, said, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). The context makes clear that he was being cynical.
I remember meeting a young man on drugs who was living in an overturned refrigerator box by a stream in the mountains of northern California . I was hiking through the area and asked if I could introduce myself. We talked a little while. It turned out he was a graduate of Boston University . He said, “I’ve escaped.” I asked, “Have you found the answers?” “No,” he said, “but at least I’ve gotten myself into a situation where I don’t ask the questions.” That’s the despair of not knowing the truth.
Scripture describes some people as “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). That’s not referring to intellectual truth; it’s referring to the truth of life, death, God, man, sin, right, wrong, heaven, hell, hope, joy, and peace. People can’t find it on their own.
What Is Truth?
To look at things philosophically, we live in a time-space box we can’t get out of. We cannot go into a phone booth and come out Superman—we cannot transcend the natural world. We are locked into a time-space continuum.
And we bounce around in our little box trying to figure out God. We invent religions, but they’re self-contained. The only way we’ll ever know what is beyond us is if what is on the outside comes in. And that’s exactly what the Bible claims. It’s a supernatural revelation from God, who has invaded our box. And He invaded it not only through the written word, but also in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel Nausea lays out an existential view of life. Its main character, Antoine Roquentin, is horrified by his own existence. He tries to find meaning in life through sex, humanitarianism, and other avenues but is left with a nauseating feeling of meaninglessness, never really finding genuine answers.
Where do you find truth that eluded Roquentin? I believe it is in the Word of God, the Bible. Consider its attributes.
The Attributes of the Bible
The Bible Is Infallible and Inerrant
The Bible, in its entirety, has no mistakes. It is flawless because God wrote it—and He is flawless. It is not only infallible in total, but also inerrant in its parts. Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God is tested. . . . Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” Every word of God is pure and true. The Bible is the only book that never makes a mistake—everything it says is the truth.
The Bible Is Complete
Nothing needs to be added to the Bible. It is complete. Some today say the Bible is incomplete and simply a product of its time—a comment on man’s spiritual experience in history—and that we now need something else. Some believe that preachers who say, “The Lord told me this or that,” are equally inspired, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or any of the other prophets. That is essentially to say that the Bible is not complete. However, the last book of the Bible, Revelation, warns, “If anyone adds to [the words of this book], God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (22: 18-19).
The Bible Is Authoritative
Since the Bible is perfect and complete, it is the last Word—the final authority. Isaiah 1:2 says, “Listen, Oh heavens, and hear, Oh earth; for the Lord speaks.” When God speaks, we should listen, because He is the final authority. The Bible demands obedience.
John 8:30-31 reports that many of the people Jesus preached to came to believe in Him. Jesus said to them, “If you continue in My word, then are you are truly disciples of Mine.” In other words, He demanded a response to His word. It is authoritative. Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” That’s a tremendous claim to absolute authority. In James 2:10 we read, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” To violate the Bible at one point is to break God’s entire law. That’s because the Bible is authoritative in every part.
The Bible Is Sufficient
The Bible is sufficient for a number of essentials:
Salvation . Jesus said, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Salvation is the greatest reality in the universe—and the Bible reveals the source of that salvation. Acts 4:12 says regarding Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Instruction . Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” The Bible can take those who don’t know God and introduce them to Him. Then it will teach them, reprove them when they do wrong, point them to what is right, and show them how to walk in that right path.
Hope . Romans 15:4 says “Whatever was written in earlier times [a reference to the Old Testament] was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” The Bible is a source of encouragement, giving us hope now and forever.
Happiness . James 1:25 reveals the key to happiness: “One who looks intently at [Scripture], and abides by it . . . this man will be [happy] in what he does.” Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, devotes all 176 verses to describing the Word of God. It begins, “How [happy] are those who walk in the law of the Lord.”
How Will You Respond?
Your response to the Bible determines the course of your life and your eternal destiny. First Corinthians 2:9 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (NIV). Man could never conceive of all that God has to offer on his own!
Every time we pick up the Bible, we pick up the truth. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). What did He mean by that? Think of the person who is working diligently on a math problem. As soon as he finds the answer—he’s free. Or consider the scientist in the lab pouring different solutions into test tubes. He stays with it until he says, “Eureka, I found it!”—then he’s free. Man will search and struggle and grapple and grope for the truth until he finds it. Only then is he free. The Bible is our source of truth—about God, man, life, death, men, women, children, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, friends, and enemies. It shows us how to live. The Bible is the source of everything you need to know about life on earth and the life to come. You can trust the Bible. It is God’s living Word.
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline […]
I have posted many of the sermons by John MacArthur. He is a great bible teacher and this sermon below is another great message. His series on the Book of Proverbs was outstanding too. I also have posted several of the visits MacArthur made to Larry King’s Show. One of two most popular posts I […]
I have posted many of the sermons by John MacArthur. He is a great bible teacher and this sermon below is another great message. His series on the Book of Proverbs was outstanding too. I also have posted several of the visits MacArthur made to Larry King’s Show. One of two most popular posts I […]
Prophecy–The Biblical Prophesy About Tyre.mp4 Uploaded by TruthIsLife7 on Dec 5, 2010 A short summary of the prophecy about Tyre and it’s precise fulfillment. Go to this link and watch the whole series for the amazing fulfillment from secular sources. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvt4mDZUefo ________________ John MacArthur on the amazing fulfilled prophecy on Tyre and how it was fulfilled […]
John MacArthur on the Bible and Science (Part 2) I have posted many of the sermons by John MacArthur. He is a great bible teacher and this sermon below is another great message. His series on the Book of Proverbs was outstanding too. I also have posted several of the visits MacArthur made to Larry […]
John MacArthur on the Bible and Science (Part 1) I have posted many of the sermons by John MacArthur. He is a great bible teacher and this sermon below is another great message. His series on the Book of Proverbs was outstanding too. I also have posted several of the visits MacArthur made to Larry […]
Adrian Rogers – How you can be certain the Bible is the word of God Great article by Adrian Rogers. What evidence is there that the Bible is in fact God’s Word? I want to give you five reasons to affirm the Bible is the Word of God. First, I believe the Bible is the […]
Is there any evidence the Bible is true? Articles By PleaseConvinceMe Apologetics Radio The Old Testament is Filled with Fulfilled Prophecy Jim Wallace A Simple Litmus Test There are many ways to verify the reliability of scripture from both internal evidences of transmission and agreement, to external confirmation through archeology and science. But perhaps the […]
I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is […]
Here is some very convincing evidence that points to the view that the Bible is historically accurate. Archaeological and External Evidence for the Bible Archeology consistently confirms the Bible! Archaeology and the Old Testament Ebla tablets—discovered in 1970s in Northern Syria. Documents written on clay tablets from around 2300 B.C. demonstrate that personal and place […]
The John Lennon and the Beatles really were on a long search for meaning and fulfillment in their lives just like King Solomon did in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon looked into learning (1:12-18, 2:12-17), laughter, ladies, luxuries, and liquor (2:1-2, 8, 10, 11), and labor (2:4-6, 18-20). He fount that without God in the picture all […]
______________ George Harrison Swears & Insults Paul and Yoko Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds- The Beatles The Beatles: I have dedicated several posts to this series on the Beatles and I don’t know when this series will end because Francis Schaeffer spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles and talking […]
The Beatles in a press conference after their Return from the USA Uploaded on Nov 29, 2010 The Beatles in a press conference after their Return from the USA. The Beatles: I have dedicated several posts to this series on the Beatles and I don’t know when this series will end because Francis […]
__________________ Beatles 1966 Last interview I have dedicated several posts to this series on the Beatles and I don’t know when this series will end because Francis Schaeffer spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles and talking and writing about them and their impact on the culture of the 1960’s. In this […]
_______________ The Beatles documentary || A Long and Winding Road || Episode 5 (This video discusses Stg. Pepper’s creation I have dedicated several posts to this series on the Beatles and I don’t know when this series will end because Francis Schaeffer spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles and talking and writing about […]
_______________ Francis Schaeffer pictured below: _____________________ I have included the 27 minute episode THE AGE OF NONREASON by Francis Schaeffer. In that video Schaeffer noted, ” Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band…for a time it became the rallying cry for young people throughout the world. It expressed the essence of their lives, thoughts and their feelings.” How Should […]
Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 ___________________________________ Today I will answer the simple question: IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE AN OPTIMISTIC SECULAR HUMANIST THAT DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR AN AFTERLIFE? This question has been around for a long time and you can go back to the 19th century and read this same […]
____________________________________ Francis Schaeffer pictured below: __________ Francis Schaeffer has written extensively on art and culture spanning the last 2000years and here are some posts I have done on this subject before : Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 10 “Final Choices” , episode 9 “The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence”, episode 8 […]
A man whose dedication to selling brooms in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood earned him national attention and legions of customers in his adopted hometown has died.
Melvin Pickens, 84, died Sunday night in June of 2017 at a Little Rock nursing home after health issues in recent years slowed — but didn’t stop — his longtime business model. Over the course of several decades, Pickens would buy up brooms from Little Rock Broom Works and then sell them to individuals for $10 apiece at Shipley Donuts, Ozark Country Breakfast, Cheers in the Heights, Terry’s Finer Foods and other spots. He was affectionately nicknamed the “Broom Man.”
Everette Hatcher, president of Little Rock Broom Works, first met Pickens when Hatcher started working at the company in 1983. He still remembers an encounter around that same time at the donut stand when Pickens tried to sell him a broom for $6.
“I said, ‘I’m the one that sold it to you for a dollar fifty,'” Hatcher said with a laugh. “And he was like ‘keep it down!’”
Back then, Pickens would go to the Little Rock broom factory each afternoon and buy up discounted models that had minor scratches or other blemishes and then take them to the Heights, where he would offer them for sale.
The key to his success, in part, was an attitude that won over his customers, Hatcher said.
“Melvin was so positive,” he said. “Anytime you talked to him. His wife had passed away; he had cancer; he suffered from partial blindness. But he was always positive. It’s amazing to me.”
Several years ago, Pickens had a stroke, Hatcher said, and that slowed him down and stopped him from carrying his inventory over his shoulder. But his caretaker would still come by and pick up brooms, and they’d set up at some of his usual locations in the Heights and offer them for sale. More recently, Pickens was living in a rehabilitation center in midtown Little Rock, Hatcher said.
In 2013, Pickens was profiled on the national CBS Evening News, which featured him in its “On the Road” series and noted he’d been selling brooms since around 1950. That was about the time he moved to Little Rock, Hatcher said.
“You can’t quit,” Melvin, then 81, told the CBS reporter. “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits, you know.”
Jill Hatcher, Everette Hatcher’s wife, met Pickens for the first time at the Shipley Donuts shop when she was in junior high school. And she would come to know him again later in life after she married his supplier.
It was easy to see why he found success in his chosen trade, Jill Hatcher said.
“I think the reason that everybody bought brooms from Melvin is really the best reason of all: He was very lovable,” she said. “I enjoyed seeing him, all my friends bought brooms from him, and half my friends don’t even use brooms. … He’s a piece of Little Rock history. He really is.”
June 19, 2017 2:23 p.m.
——
Melvin Pickens,
On the Road: 81-year-old salesman sweeps customers off their feet
Published on Sep 20, 2013
As part of our continuing series “On the Road,” Steve Hartman meets an 81-year-old salesman who’s been in business for over six decades selling one simple product that everyone needs.
___________
Here is a picture that appeared in Ark Times today:
ON THE JOB: Melvin Pickens strolls Kavanaugh in a 2011 photo.
Melvin Pickens has shown up at Little Rock Broom Works almost every afternoon for about 60 years to purchase brooms and then a few months ago he went into the hospital. I visited him there and he seemed to be in good spirits and was hopeful that he hit the street again. However, he is going to have do his business from his home from now on. Lots of people across the USA are wondering what red handle broom Melvin Pickens sells in Little Rock and it is the Airlight made by Little Rock Broom Works! There is a website, http://www.theairlightbroom.com that tells all about the Airlight Broom. Max Brantley of the
Arkansas Times was nice enough to run a story on him and encourage people to get in touch with Melvin. Max noted, “Friends ask that I say a word about a familiar Little Rock person — Melvin Pickens, the Broom Man. He’s walked the streets of Little Rock selling brooms and mops since I came to town 40 years ago. A Facebook page post reports that health problems have confined him to his apartment in Cumberland Towers, though he welcomes well-wishers and, at this writing, still had a supply of brooms on hand for those who’d like to drop by and purchase one.”
Here is an article on Melvin Pickens that appeared a few years ago but the link to Carti no longer works:
SELLING BROOMS WITH STYLE by Mark Carter, Perspective Writer * Photos by Bob Ocken
12 * CARTI Perspective * Fall 2005 Fall 2005 * CARTI Perspective * 13
An entire generation – maybe even two – of
Little Rock residents knows the Broom Man. He’s been
a fixture at the Smokehouse, at Shipley’s Donuts, and at
shops up and down Kavanaugh in the Heights for years.
It’s second nature to him now, so much so that
even he’s not sure how long he’s been selling brooms.
“How long?” he said.”It’s been a long time, let’s put
it that way.”
Customers at the Smokehouse on a Wednesday
morning in August remembered the Broom Man from
their childhoods. Estimates come in at 40 years on the
job, at least as far as they can remember Pickens
roaming the neighborhood with his brooms.
Pickens made a bit of a detour in March – he and
his brooms found their way to CARTI/St.Vincent.
Although he hadn’t experienced any symptoms, a
routine check-up revealed something was wrong. His
urologist discovered the cancer and referred him
to CARTI.
“I’m really grateful she did,” Pickens said. “CARTI
has been really, really good to me.”
He completed treatment in eight weeks, and the
prognosis so far is good.
“I know the Lord’s gonna deliver me from
cancer,” Pickens said.”When you put your trust in God
and do what you’re supposed to do, everything’s
gonna be all right.”
Pickens, a grandfather of 10, is completely at
ease talking about his faith. It’s helped him endure
blindness – both his own partial blindness and that of
his wife of 46 years, Dorothy, who is legally blind – the
loss of two of his five children,and now cancer. His faith
has been a source of strength.
“Now I can tell people who have cancer, don’t
worry,” Pickens said. “Just accept it, and let God’s
will be done.”
Pickens credits God for his ongoing recovery from
cancer, but is quick to praise his entire treatment team
at CARTI/St.Vincent, including drivers Levi Mackey and
Albert Strickland, who picked him up at his house each
day of treatment.
“I give CARTI a lot of the credit,” he said.”They were
so nice to me. If I had to do it over again, I’d do the
same thing.”
Pickens arrived in Little Rock in 1957 from his
hometown of Hope, six years after high school. He
attended the Arkansas School for the Blind for a time,
and soon became involved with the non-profit
organization Lighthouse for the Blind, an advocacy
group for the blind and partially-sighted. And it was
through Lighthouse that he began selling brooms.
These days, the brooms come from Little Rock
Broomworks. Pickens gets a cut of each one sold. He
starts out at the Smokehouse, where the staff often feeds
him breakfast, then walks around the corner to Shipley’s
Donuts. It’s not uncommon on a
Saturday morning to see folks
leaving Shipley’s with a box of
donuts in one hand and a broom
in the other.
From there, he catches the
bus and takes the short ride over
to Kavanaugh, where he stops by
Sully’s Barber Shop and other
neighborhood haunts. And
where, after all these years, Pickens is as much a part of
the landscape as the old Heights Theater building.
Many homes in that part of town can boast an
impressive cache of brooms.Depending on the weather
and the pace of sales, Pickens may call it a day on
Kavanaugh. Or, if the weather is good and there are
brooms left to sell, he may wind up over at Parker
Cadillac in west Little Rock.
“Some days are pretty good,” he said.”Some days I
don’t sell nothing. But everybody is always so nice to
me. I don’t have any problems at all. I try to carry myself
a certain way – I give respect and get respect. If you do
the right thing, you’ll make it all right.”
That approach to life has served Pickens well. He
has volunteered on numerous city
committees and been active in
community affairs.
Watching him interact with
people, it’s clear his kindness
is contagious.
“If I can say a kind word to lift
somebody up in spirit, that’s all I
want to do,” he said. “It’s not what
people can do for you, but what you
can do for somebody.”
In his own way,Pickens has etched out a special place
in the heart of an entire Little Rock generation, or two.
“I don’t mind the sight or the cancer,” he said.
“There’s a place in society for everybody if you
apply yourself.”
I give CARTI a lot of
the credit,” he said.
“They were so nice to
me. If I had to do it
over again, I’d do the
same thing.”
42 Interview – Chadwick Boseman (2013) – Jackie Robinson Movie HD 42 Trailer 42 Interview – Harrison Ford (2013) Jackie Robinson Movie HD 42 Official Trailer #2 You can find more movies and pictures from this link: http://42movie.warnerbros.com/ ’42′ Jackie Robinson Movie Releases New Images Posted on March 22, 2013 by Shawn S. Lealos Great […]
This is the pregame broadcast of the Arkansas-Texas game at Razorback Stadium in 1985. It features both the Razorback and Lonhorn bands and the 1964 punt return by Ken Hatfield. I got to hear former Arkansas Razorback Football Coach Ken Hatfield speak and it was very encouraging and enjoyable. The “Zone Luncheon” is held the […]
The blinding North Dakota blizzard blasted against Elizabeth Irmen as the young schoolteacher and her troupe of students trudged through the knee-deep snow. The lane that led from their rural North Dakota schoolhouse to the main road was already obscured. They had to move quickly before the whirling winds heaped the snow into mountainous drifts. Otherwise, it would be disastrous.
From behind her, came the drone of a truck engine and turning her face into the whipping wind, she saw the welcome sight of headlights approaching. Hastily, she huddled her students off the highway and watched as the huge truck slid to a stop near the spot where the children had been walking only a few moments earlier. The door flew open, and the driver, Walter Ward, called to them through the storm. “Come on, kids! Pile in. I’ll get you home.”
Gratefully, with teeth chattering, the children clambered aboard the warm vehicle. As Walter assisted the children, he asked the teacher, “And where do you live, honey?” It was an innocent question. She was so young he’d mistaken her as one of the students. “Well, honey-” she replied with a twinkle in her eye, “-I just live around the corner. I’m the teacher.” It didn’t escape her attention that this thoughtful “rescuer” was strong and good-looking. An awkward introduction, but it was a beginning. Walter and Elizabeth fell in love and marriage quickly followed.
Soon their lives revolved almost entirely around children. They had nine of their own. Three of those children – Annie, Nelly, and Matthew – would become the 2nd Chapter of Acts, one of the pioneering groups in contemporary Christian music. Much of what they set in motion continues to influence Christian music today.
To understand the impact of the 2nd Chapter of Acts’ music and ministry, it helps to reflect upon how God called them into relationship with Him, how He filled them with His presence, and how He has worked in and through the lives of three shy, unassuming kids from North Dakota. Where did they come from? How did they get to where they are today? What was God saying through them in the ’70s and ’80s, and what is He saying through them today? Let’s go back to the beginning.
The Early Days
In the 1950’s, Walter Ward worked hard as an itinerant farmer to provide a sparse living for his sprawling family. He was a happy man who loved to dance, sing, and play the harmonica. Though poor, the Wards were rich in love, fun and music. “There were many things we did not have,” Annie recalls. “Things such as indoor plumbing and other ‘luxuries.’ But the one thing we did have was love. No matter what, we always knew Mom and Dad loved us. I never heard my parents argue. They were always very kind to each other, and to us.”
Music was a major part of the Wards’ life. Annie began singing publicly at five years of age, with her older sister, Kathryn and Stephanie. They performed favorites like, “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window,” while their mom accompanied them on piano. “The Ward Sisters” sang for all sorts of rural festivities: farm co-op meetings, the dedication of a new train engine, school openings, and country church picnics.
It was late in 1950 that Elizabeth began to complain of chronic headaches and constant physical weakness. Doctors diagnosed her as having epilepsy. Despite their best efforts, Elizabeth’s condition grew worse year after year. The family moved to California to be closer to relatives who could help in the face of Elizabeth’s deteriorating health.
In 1968, Elizabeth Ward died of a brain tumor. She had been misdiagnosed for more than a decade. Nelly recalls looking at her mom during the funeral and learning an early truth, “When I looked at her body lying there, it was suddenly obvious that the body was not my mother… Only a shell remained.” For Nelly (12 yrs) and Matthew (11yrs), who still remained at home, life became more difficult. Nelly would take on more of the family’s cooking and cleaning duties as Walter tried to continue life without Elizabeth.
Annie was left reeling at her mother’s death. She was dabbling in drugs, searching for the meaning to life in Eastern mysticism and in New Age type religions. Nothing satisfied the inner longings of her heart. The loss of her mother intensified Annie’s sense of loneliness and meaninglessness, and it forced her to face the fleeting, fragile, nature of life.
About this time, Annie’s boyfriend, Buck Herring, committed his life to Jesus Christ. His new faith was about to make Annie face another confrontation.
A “New” Boyfriend
Buck Herring had hopes of steering a rock band into the big-time. One day, while working as a deejay at a Top-40 station, Buck received a frantic phone call from one of his band members. In a panic-stricken voice, he informed Buck that their drug supplier had “gotten religion” and was refusing to deal drugs any more! Buck was intrigued. The dealer told Buck that he’d been “filled with the Spirit,” and it was true, there was an undeniable change. To his own amazement, Buck asked if they could go to church together some time. The moment Buck walked into the church, he realized that these people were Spirit-filled, with a capital “S”. The worshippers were raising their hands to the Lord singing and speaking praise to him out loud! Oh! No! Buck thought. These people are nuts! As he stood there, fighting an urge to leave, Buck also experienced a powerful stirring in his heart. The searching question came to him: Are you willing to be foolish in your own eyes for My sake? He pondered the implications of this query for less than a minute. Then by a simple act of his will, Buck raised his hands in the air and began to speak words of praise to Jesus.
Shortly after surrendering his life to the Lord, Buck began to sense a conflict between his faith in Christ and the lyrics of the songs that he played as a Top-40 deejay. He resigned his position at the radio station, even though he had no idea where he’d find work.
He also parted company with the rock band. He’d purchased some used recording equipment two years before, in hopes of producing demo tapes of the band. Following his commitment to Christ, he packed up the equipment and donated it all- microphones, tape deck, control board, everything- to the church where he’d given his life to Jesus. As he was packing the equipment, Buck found himself saying out loud: “Father, I would love to produce records for Your kingdom.”
One of the first people Buck wanted to tell about his new commitment to Jesus was Annie Ward. They have been involved with each other previously, but the relationship had soured. By now, Annie was living in Los Angeles, working with a singing group and on the verge of breaking into a successful pop music career. Although she considered herself a “seeker of truth,” she really wasn’t interested in “Jesus stuff”. But since the death of her mom, Annie had continued searching for something to take away the haunting pain and emptiness. For two weeks following his spiritual rebirth, Buck prayed for Annie regularly-not about a potential relationship, but out of concern for the fact that she was lost without Christ. One day, he sensed the Lord saying, “Go find her.” He drove to LA and eventually, found Annie living with the members of her singing group at the home of a famous songwriter, who was hoping to launch the group onto the charts. Buck zealously shared his newfound faith with Annie. He briefly told her that she needed to be “born again.” Although Annie didn’t understand what he meant, she was willing to listen.
He also thrust into her hands a copy of the Modern English New Testament, Good News for Modern Man. “Read this,” he said. And after praying, he left her stunned.
For more than a week, the book remained untouched. But there was something about Buck’s prayer…Annie felt as if something profound was happening deep within. Nothing in her life seemed worthwhile- not the drugs, not even the promise of fame.
Several days after Buck’s visit, Annie finally picked up the book he’d left and decided to read it-from the back! The Book of Revelation, amazingly, made sense to her. Perhaps it was the sense of majesty she’d felt as a little girl, but she saw Jesus for who He is-King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Still pondering this Jesus of Revelation, Annie sat down at the piano and started fooling with the keys. She didn’t really know how to play, but as a child she’d learned a few basics by watching her mother play. To her surprise, she began playing and the words to a song rushed in. Puzzled, Annie stared at the keyboard. Okay, she thought. This song did not come from me. Where did this song come from? In her mind’s eye, she pictured Jesus. He was walking toward her, and Annie had the conviction that the song had come from Him. What did this mean? Then Jesus spoke to Annie and His words seared into her heart: The only thing I am asking of you is to give your life to Me and let Me live through you.
The Wild Weekend
The next time Annie saw Buck, something was different about him. She was fascinated when he explained that he’d been filled with the Holy Spirit. What kind of spiritual power could change a guy like Buck? She wondered. That night, Buck asked if he could pray for her. When she consented, he took her hand, and prayed a simple prayer.
The next morning, when Annie got up, she knew she had two items of business to take care of: She quit the singing group, and committed her life to Jesus Christ. Annie’s commitment to Christ was total, even though it meant losing all that she had ever wanted in the music business. “Nobody told me that I had to quit everything in order to become a Christian,” Annie recalls. “Once I had made a decision to follow Christ, it seemed like the only logical choice. It was so clear: I could choose everything that I thought I ever wanted…or I could choose Jesus.” That night, Buck and Annie went to the home of some folks Buck knew, “Jesus people” who claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Annie wanted the same Spirit that had changed Buck to fill her life. A group of “Jesus people” gathered around Annie as she sat on a chair in the center of the group. They began praying for her and singing in the Spirit. Suddenly, Annie experienced a vision of heaven. She describes it like this:
“There was a myriad of people around the throne of God. The dimension was different than anything I had ever seen in this world. I saw myself in front of the twenty-four elders – though I didn’t know who or what they were then. I smelled the incense around the altar. I sensed incredible power…
Suddenly, I saw Jesus. I loved Him so much! I started toward Him, to kiss Him, but I stopped short. Every sin I’d ever committed seemed so real. I just stood there. I could not touch Him. I couldn’t touch Him because of my dirt, my filth, and my sin. Instantly-without ever being taught this-I knew that there was no way that I could ever earn His good favor. There was nothing I could do on my own in order to be acceptable in His sight. I was covered with sin and I kept thinking, ‘How could He love me?’”
To everyone’s surprise, Annie bolted from the room. Outside, she ran into an open field, where she sat down and wept. She recalls, “I felt God could never love me, because I had disobeyed Him and hurt Him so deeply.”
At home that night, she fell asleep still asking, “How could He love me? How could He love me?” Somehow, during the night, something changed inside. “The Lord ministered to me so beautifully and gently, that I woke up asking, ‘How could He love me so much?'” The next night, Buck and Annie attended a Bible study and prayer meeting where the leader asked them to stand and give a testimony. Buck shared a few facts about his and Annie’s spiritual journey. “All I know,” said Annie, when it was her turn, “is that I love Jesus. And Jesus loves me.” It was her first public testimony. Simple words of a new faith.
Simple Faith
It was a simple wedding, held in a backyard with only a few people attending. Buck and Annie married in February of 1969. Annie made her own Irish-linen wedding gown, with white embroidered crosses on the sleeves. Annie’s sister Kathryn was the Maid of Honor, and Buck’s friend Noel Paul Stookey (from Peter, Paul and Mary) was the best man.
The newlyweds became part of an informal prayer group that met regularly on Tuesday nights. They had no pastor or teacher to lead them, so the group shared a meal, sang, discussed scripture and prayed for each other. It was a fresh, free, spontaneous and energetic form of worship.
Trouble At Home
In the summer of 1970, the Ward family suffered a serious blow. Two years earlier, as the grieving family stood around Elizabeth Ward’s gravesite, Annie’s dad had told her, “In two years time, I’ll be right beside her.” Nearly two years to the day, he died of leukemia.
Annie had visited him prior to his death, and as he sat up in bed, racked with pain, Walter Ward prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Then in his first act as a newborn Christian, this warm and loving man prayed for the salvation of his family. He could not have imagined how his prayer would be answered.
Following their father’s funeral, the family agreed that the four youngest children should move in with their older brothers and sisters. Nelly and Matthew were faced with the difficult decision as to where to go. “You decide for us,” Matthew said as Nelly struggled with the choice.
Nelly remembers, “It was difficult choice, because moving to Los Angeles meant I was leaving other siblings.” Jack and Tony went to live with Annie’s oldest brother Irmen. Nelly and Matthew, who were 14 and 12 at the time, decided to move in with Buck and Annie, so they made the trip from Sacramento to their new surroundings in Los Angeles. The Herrings had been married for less than a year-and-a-half. The trauma of losing both their parents, combined with the pressures of being thrust into an “instant” family, took its toll on both the Wards and the Herrings. Life wouldn’t be easy.
From Nelly and Matthew’s perspective, Annie had moved away from home while they were small children. Now there are put in a situation of living together with the 23-year-old sister they hardly knew. And her new husband was a big, brusque, bear of a man whom they’d only just met.
“I think we were both numb,” say Matthew of the decision to live with the Herrings. “We had just buried Dad, and it really didn’t matter after that… It didn’t make any difference where we moved.”
Buck and Annie, however, had been praying for Matthew and Nelly long before their father’s death. Their welcome was a foregone conclusion. Although they had little money to provide for Nelly and Matthew, the Herrings were excited.
At first, Buck and Matthew weren’t so certain. Buck was a strict disciplinarian, “verging on legalism.” Matthew possessed an incredibly quick wit, and Buck too-often mistook his comments for insubordination. Actually, Matthew was merely relating in the only manner he knew. Buck and Matthew’s conflicting personalities made for a volatile mix. Buck’s sternness with Matthew negatively affected Nelly, as well. After all, Matt was her brother; she barely knew the brute that was badgering him. Her compassionate spirit caused her to rise up in sympathy for Matthew, while she inwardly bristled at Buck for being so overbearing.
Nelly and Matthew, as well as Annie and Buck, are quick to credit “the grace of God and the lubricating oil of the Holy Spirit” as their secret to surviving these family frictions. Moreover, the tensions began to ease after both Nelly and Matthew came into a personal relationship with Christ. Still, Buck was often baffled in his attempts to discipline Matthew. “I made innumerable mistakes in my early dealings with Matthew,” recalls Buck. “Finally, I told the Lord this was obviously not working, and He gave me some wisdom in what to do.” The turning point in their relationship came when Matthew brought home a series of pink slips from school, indicating the he’d disrupted the class. Spanking failed, and Buck felt at wit’s end. “How am I ever going to get through to this kid?” he lamented. He needed a new approach, and he prayed for wisdom.
After praying, he took Matthew outside the house and drew a three-foot by six-foot rectangle on the ground. “I want you to dig a hole here,” he pointed to the rectangle, “six feet deep.” Matthew was shocked, but dutifully he began digging. Years later, Matthew recalls, “I thought of running away, but where would I go? I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I didn’t have any money. So I stayed there and dug.” As Matthew was digging, the Lord revealed to Buck that the hole was to be a grave. Finally, Matthew finished. Buck inspected the plot and said, “You’ve done a good job. Now to into your room and write on a piece of paper all the things you want to fix in your life. I don’t want to see the paper. I don’t need to know what’s on it. It’s between you and the Lord. Then bring it out, and I’ll help you bury it.” Matthew retreated to his room to write his “spiritual obituary”. Half an hour later, he and Buck shoveled dirt back into the hole, burying the paper. It was the beginning a healing process in their relationship.
The Gift of Music
One day, Annie sat on a piano stool in front of her piano she named “Brother Bear”, wishing she could have learned to play when she was a child. With nine siblings, lessons were a luxury the family could ill afford. The best she could manage was to fool with the keys. And then, to her amazement Annie found herself playing a melody. But how? The chords and notes flowed out, as if the Lord was literally giving her a gift of music. “At first,” says Annie, “I’d get these beautiful melodies and I’d ask Buck to write the lyrics to go with them.” One day, Buck replied, “Annie, don’t think about writing a song- just sing whatever’s in your heart.” It was this encouragement that opened the way to Annie’s simple, and deeply intimate songs of praise and adoration.
When Nelly and Matthew came to live with Buck and Annie, they discovered a comfort and closeness in joining Annie around the piano after school. Their familial voices blended together in spontaneous, smooth harmonies, so tight, so natural. Was it just that the Ward kids had similar genes or was there another explanation? Matthew offers: “I used to listen to a lot of AM radio when I was a kid, and I learned to do harmony by singing a different note than the guy on the radio. I’d sing with everything. I’d even sing with Mom’s vacuum cleaner as it whirred back and forth across the carpet, changing its pitch. I’d harmonize with anything that oscillated-washing machines, or whatever. You could say I learned to sing harmony from household appliances!”
In addition to Annie’s special gift and Matthew’s offbeat vocalizing, Nelly possessed an amazing ability to find the missing notes between her brother and sister. When this trio sang together, their sound was almost angelic. When they first started singing together, it became obvious to the trio that there was something special. “Because we were brother and sisters, our vocal blend was very close and created a unique sound,” Nelly explains.
The Wards never intended to become a professional singing group. “We were just singing to the Lord,” says Matthew. “It was a way of releasing our pain. We had gone through something tragic but we knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.” Annie agrees, “When we started singing together, there was such a healing, such a joy in our hearts, that we didn’t want to take it outside of our own living room. It was a healing balm to us. Precious. Personal. Something that was ours.” It would seem however, that the Lord had other plans.
A Fresh Start
One day as Annie, Nelly and Matthew were singing around the piano, they stopped to pray, which was a regular practice. As they prayed that day, they sensed there was something new and different. As Annie remembers: “He said we were three small streams, but when we came together to sing we would be a mighty river. That river would uproot things in people’s hearts that had been buried—the way that rushing water uproots things-and cleans things out, and opens things up. He promised that we would sing as one voice.”
Yet, the trio remained shy about performing in public. They sang in church when called upon, and in local Christian coffeehouses at the insistence of friends. But that was the limit. “The last thing we wanted to do was to sing in front of people,” explains Annie. “We never thought ‘Oh, boy! Let’s get out there and do concerts!’ It was always, ‘Oh no! We’ve got to go out there’. We felt that way throughout our years of ministry together. We were scared, shy, and very aware of our inadequacies. The good part was that it forced us to rely upon the Lord.”
About this time, Eddie Overstreet, the Herrings’ former housemate, wanted to record a song he’d written. Buck arranged for some excellent studio musicians, most of who were friends, and they went into the studio to record the music track for a song titled, “Jesus Is.” The track turned out so well that Eddie felt it was beyond his own vocal ability, and he agreed with Buck that they should find someone else to sing the song – but who?
Buck played the track for a number of their friends and all agreed that it was a “fun, happening” song. But who could they get to sing it? “Why don’t we have Matthew sing it!” On Matthew’s 13th birthday, Matthew recorded the lead vocal. Annie and Nelly sang background vocals along with many of their friends. It was a “fun” song, and eventually it caught the attention of Pat Boone, who arranged a contract with MGM Records for the release of “Jesus Is” which would later become a Top10 hit on California secular radio. In 1972, the family’s recording career was officially born.
What Kind of Name Is That?
While working in the recording studio, editing a secular commercial, Buck heard a phrase go through his mind: The 2nd Chapter of Acts. Later, he described it as “the nearest I’ve ever come to hearing God speak in an audible voice”. “It wasn’t like I should go read this chapter,” says Buck. “It was clearly to be the group’s name.” “I had read that passage of Scripture before, but I didn’t have a good idea of what it was about. I didn’t want to forget it, so I took a studio grease pencil and wrote The 2nd Chapter of Acts on the front of the tape machine.” Buck couldn’t wait to get home from work that night to share the name with the family. Their reaction, however, was somewhat less than enthusiastic. “What?” they chorused. “What kind of a name is that?”
“That’s an awful name,” Annie lamented. “It doesn’t even let anyone know we’re a family.”
Matthew objected, “People will think we are a play!”
Buck responded, “Okay, go get your Bibles and go to your rooms and let’s all read Acts, chapter two. Ask God about it. Then come back and let’s meet together in fifteen or twenty minutes.”
The family spread throughout the big house and began to study the passage. When they reappeared, their response was one of resignation rather than overwhelming enthusiasm. They reluctantly agreed, “Okay, if that’s what we’re supposed to be, that’s it. We’ll be the 2nd Chapter of Acts.”
Over the years, the name proved to be both a blessing and an obstacle. True, it had a fresh, contemporary sound. But it also barred them from singing for some of the largest, mainline denominations in America. “People were afraid we’d come in and start speaking in tongues or something,” laughs Buck. “From our viewpoint, being called The 2nd Chapter of Acts didn’t have anything to do with speaking in tongues, or being filled with the Holy Spirit, or any other phenomena commonly perceived as ‘Charismatic’, but it occurred to us, that if you were cast adrift and you had only Acts 2, you’d have it all. The prophecy of Jesus’ coming, the fulfillment of the prophecy, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church, the activity of the early Church as it began to function…It’s all there in one chapter. It’s the Reader’s Digest version of the Bible. “It was never a banner we were waving, concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was meant to portray the whole life and ministry of the Church. And that’s what we felt we were about.”
If their new identity felt awkward to Annie, Nelly and Matthew, it was soon to become a household name to millions of Christian music lovers.
Seeds of Ministry
By the time Barry McGuire met The 2nd Chapter of Acts, he had tasted the best and the worst of the music business. His music had taken his group, The New Christy Minstrels, and their idyllic ballad Green Green to the top of the charts. And then his career skyrocketed with the 1965 solo hit, Eve of Destruction. Unfortunately, Barry’s personal life was also on the precipice of destruction during this time. As John Phillips of the Mama’s and Papa’s song lyrics went.. “McGuinn and McGuire still a-getting higher in L.A., you know where that’s at.”
Barry later described his life as a “triple-X-rated horror story,” filled with alcohol and drugs. McGuire dropped out of the music scene, and spent the next two years with the Agape Force, a group of Jesus People who helped him become established in the Lord. Soon, with new songs to sing Barry began looking for a producer to help record the best, Christ-honoring album possible. His search boiled down to two individuals: one, a highly successful secular producer; the other Buck Herring. Though he became a respected studio engineer, Buck had yet to produce an album. Barry prayed, and then called him.
Buck invited Barry to bring some songs over to the big house in Hollywood. After a few brief formalities, Barry explained how he felt that God had led him to seek Buck’s help in producing his next album. Buck asked Barry if he could hear some of the songs and Barry gladly got out his guitar and began singing. Laughing, Buck recollects, “When Barry started singing, the house shook! He was banging his guitar and thumping out the beat with his foot as he sang, ‘I don’t know what you come to do, but I come to praise the Lord!’ It was great.”
Before long, two pairs of eyes peeked around the corner of the stairway. To Nelly, Barry was larger than life. “He was boisterous and though his outwardly appearance was rugged, he was warm and very inviting.”
Buck motioned for Nelly and Matthew to come down, as Barry sang several more songs. When Barry finished, Buck suggested, “Now that Matthew and Nelly are awake, why don’t you guys sing a song for Barry?” Barry later confessed that he expected the worst. What have I gotten into? He thought. Now this little family is going to sing. Another can-we-have-our-kids-sing-for-you? How many times have I heard that line before? But as he looked at the skinny, bashful kids gathering around the beat-up piano, he though, “Well, praise the Lord anyway.” He settled into a chair and attempted to appear as interested as possible.
Annie, Nelly and Matthew began to sing. Barry was stunned. He’d listened to thousands of singers, but he’d never heard anything like this before! Crystal clear harmonies. Lyrics that sounded inspired in heaven. When the trio finished, tears were streaming down his face. That night, Barry invited them to sing background vocals on his new album. Seeds, was one of the groundbreaking recordings in contemporary Christian music.
Besides working together on the album, 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire agreed to do a series of concerts. The logical place to start was Sacramento, where Buck had been a popular radio personality. It was also there the Acts achieved moderate success, as their second MGM single I’m So Happy soared into the top five on the local charts. And of course, Barry was still well known because of his secular hits. Though they had felt the concert was sure to succeed, they, in fact, lost money. Nevertheless, it was the start of something bigger.
Divine Appointments
In order to have enough material to do their part of the concert, Acts had to hire some musicians and rehearse a few songs. Annie had written several new songs and some members of the band suggested to Buck that they record them. Buck shrugged, “I don’t have any money.” When the band insisted, the whole troupe went into a studio. This recording session gave us some of the 2nd Chapter’s first classics-including Love, Peace, Joy, I Fall In Love, and Going Home. One song from this session seemed to have a special quality. Annie had titled it, Easter Song. Easter Song was one of those that “just came out”. Annie recalls, “At first, I didn’t think it was much of a song. I loved it, but I didn’t think it was a song for us. I thought it was a choir song. I even said to the Lord, ‘Oh Father, that sounds like a song that a lot of people should sing.’ I was talking with our friends Jimmy and Carol Owens one day. We had been on tour with them in ‘Come Together,’ a musical they’d written. I thought Jimmy might be interested and I said, ‘I have this little song. You might not even like it.’”
When Annie played Easter Song, Jimmy Owens was jubilant. “You don’t want to give that song to anybody. You need to record it!” Teeming with confidence, Annie took the song to the band members who, at first, did not share Jimmy’s enthusiasm. Drummer, David Kemper whined, “I don’t hear any drums on that song. I just can’t hear it.”
“David!” Buck’s voice boomed. “You don’t hear any drums on it? Just play! Play something. Do it!” David did. He sat down and put a different drum pattern to the song, taking it out of the choir realm where Annie had first heard it and pulling it into a lilting rhythm that not only 2nd Chapter could sing, but also the whole world could sing.
The song was to undergo a transformation from the way Annie first heard it. Drummer David Kemper added a rhythm and eventually Michael Omartian, another friend of the family, added the lively keyboard track that made the song unforgettable. Omartian’s involvement on Easter Song began a long-term relationship. Throughout the early years of Acts ministry, Annie roughed out the songs, and Michael wrote the charts for the musicians before going into the studio. Buck once said, “When the Lord gives Annie a song, it’s like a rough-hewn diamond, dug out of the ground. We give it to Michael, and he cuts it and polishes it and puts it in the right piece of jewelry.” In Annie’s estimation, “Michael is such a musical genius. He has perfect pitch, and the ability to play almost any instrument. He’s really a virtuoso, and compared to him I could hardly play at all. Back then he’d get so tickled at me. He’d say, ‘This song is wrong. You’re not supposed to be able to do these chords. But I love it! It’s wrong, but it’s great.’ He’d also say, ‘You play the piano wrong, too. It’s wrong, but it’s fine… How do you do that?'”
Another person who was impressed by Easter Song was record executive, Billy Ray Hearn. Hearn had begun Myrrh, a new contemporary Christian record label owned by Word. When he first heard Easter Song he said, “Now that’s what Christian music is supposed to sound like!”
Growing Pains
When Buck sent a copy of the newly recorded Seeds album to Billy Ray Hearn, he immediately recognized the record’s enormous potential. When Billy Ray came out to the Herring home to discuss the deal, Buck played him some of the songs that 2nd Chapter had been working on. One of those songs was Easter Song.
Because of the difficulties Acts had experienced in doing Christian music for a secular record company, Buck had obtained their release from MGM. Within a few months, Hearn had signed them to do their first album for Myrrh. The 2nd Chapter of Acts and Barry McGuire continued touring together, which was both exhilarating and frightening for the inexperienced trio.
Another factor that contributed to Acts early inhibitions was audience response. During Barry’s set, the audience sang along, clapped and cheered. When 2nd Chapter began singing – Going Home was the opener – the audience grew strangely silent. “We thought everybody had gone home!” Annie jokes. “That would really have shaken our confidence, if we’d had any.” Several concerts into the tour, somebody approached Annie and said, “We’re really sorry we didn’t applaud, but we’ve never heard music like that before!” Many others expressed that they had never before experienced worship so keenly. As Nelly reflects: “One of the reasons people didn’t applaud was because we weren’t singing songs about Jesus, we were singing to Him. When people recognized that, they sensed His Spirit. They could see Jesus, and they fell in love with Him.”
Despite the awkward beginnings, Acts and Barry McGuire continued to tour together intermittently for three years. Through his example, Barry taught the group how to communicate with an audience. “Just be yourselves,” he’d encourage them. “Be who God has called you to be.” Barry’s words fell upon fertile soil. “He taught us so much,” says Annie. “He’s the best communicator I’ve ever known.”
Besides the spiritual power of their music, other factors catapulted Acts into the public spotlight. First, touring with Barry exposed them to a built-in audience each concert. Second, Easter Song was getting airplay on secular radio stations as well as the few contemporary Christian programs that existed them. Too, their album, With Footnotes had taken off. By 1973, they entered the music ministry full-time. For the next twenty years, they would travel across America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Western Europe singing about Jesus.
Bringing the Band Together
Early on, Acts felt the need to have their own band. Nelly’s close friend, Jamie Owens told them about a group of musicians at Church on the Way in Van Nuys. “They practice a lot,” said Jamie. “But sometimes they don’t even play-they just pray.” That was good enough for Buck. He approached the band and asked them to pray about working with 2nd Chapter. “We already have,” they responded. “And the answer is ‘Yes!'”
The result was a joining of forces between Acts and A Band Called David. Perhaps the one person who influenced the Acts more profoundly than anyone else was the unassuming pastor of Church on the Way, Jack Hayford. The group began attending Church on the Way when the congregation was less than one hundred strong. (Today, the congregation numbers in the thousands.) “He helped us understand who we are, how to minister, and how to order our priorities,” says Buck. “Jack Hayford taught us principles of spiritual integrity, and how to avoid trouble.” The 2nd Chapter of Acts and A Band Called David continued to tour together until the end of 1975. Then change was in the wind.
In 1976 The 2nd Chapter of Acts arrived at a crossroads: “Should we or should we not continue?” was the question. Prior to this, the ministry of Acts had grown out of the family relationships. Now, however, as they approached adulthood, Nelly and Matt felt it was time to discern what God’s will and call involved for themselves. They were no longer just family; they had become The 2nd Chapter of Acts. As Nelly explains, “It got to the point where we didn’t know if we were The 2nd Chapter of Acts, or if Acts was us. We were almost becoming a machine. The ministry was taking over the family, instead of being an extension of the family. “
Consequently, Acts took time off to seek God, to grow in their relationships with each other and to clarify the call upon their lives. This did not mean sitting idle, though. For several weeks, Nelly and Matthew toured as part of Jimmy and Carol Owens’s popular, bicentennial musical, If My People tour, which focused on calling the nation to prayer. After three weeks on the road, Buck returned home to produce Phil Keaggy’s album, Love Broke Through.
It was during the ’76 sabbatical that Acts met another singer-songwriter who would profoundly influence their lives. Keith Green and Acts met while working together on a Terry Talbot album. Their friendship blossomed when Keith came to Matthew’s birthday party at the Herrings’ new home in Burbank, California. Buck recalls, “We had a rented harpsichord in the living room, and an antique, grand piano in the bedroom. Keith sat down at the harpsichord and began praising the Lord with some of his high-energy music. Before long, the whole party started doing a sort of spiritual ‘bunny-hop,’ winding around the room. The line danced out the sliding doors of our living room, across the patio, then in through the sliding doors of our bedroom, down the hallway and back into the living room. Keith was playing in the living room, but as soon as the group would go through the sliding doors, he’d jump off the stool, race to the bedroom, and start pounding on the antique piano, just as the group came bouncing through the bedroom doors. He barely missed a measure. That was Keith – high energy.
Back to Work
By the end of the 1976 break, Acts had redefined their ministry. Everyone answered both questions, “Should we continue” and “Do you feel that God has called you to this work” in the affirmative. Furthermore, by taking the year off from touring as a group, they’d learned a number of personal lessons: How to better appreciate each other and how to allow each person freedom to be himself.
Consequently, 1976 marked a major turning point in their ministry. Following their recommitment, Acts went back into the studio to record The Roar of Love. Says Annie, “For the first time we had fun in the studio, and that came from a new sense of freedom and release.” Part of the fun could be attributed to the fact that the studio in which they recorded the vocals did not have a window through which Buck could see the singers. Normally, while recording, Matthew loved to “cut up,” laughing and goofing off until the second the “Record” mode was triggered. Yet because of his incredible vocal ability, he could still hit his notes. Meanwhile, Annie and Nelly would be convulsing in laughter, and Buck would be fuming in the control room. On The Roar of Love, since Buck couldn’t see the singers, he never knew what was going on behind the partition. Although the album was completed, the release date of The Roar of Love would be long delayed by contractual and copyright problems. Yet, the detours proved to be providential.
Birds of a Feather
When friend Billy Ray Hearn left Myrrh to begin building new record company Sparrow Records, Acts was among the first of many artists to sign-on. The albums Through a Child’s Eyes (Annie’s first solo album), Mansion Builder, and The Roar of Love (which they were finally free to release) quickly followed.
Matthew also recorded his first solo album for Sparrow. They intended to title the album Matthew 18, a humorous “take-off” from the name 2nd Chapter of Acts and referring to the fact that Matthew was then eighteen years old. A series of delays held up the album’s release, and it was finally re-titled, Toward Eternity.
Despite the delays, Matthew’s first solo project produced some outstanding music, including songs like Hold On, It’s Alright, Noah’s Song, Angels Unaware, and Summer Snow. Several songs on the album were written especially for Matthew by renowned songwriters such as Michael Omartian and Keith Green. Beyond that, the album was the first project on which Matthew enjoyed freedom to experiment with his wide-ranging vocal styles. “Some people say I sound like two different people between the Acts albums and my own solo work,” says Matthew. “In a sense, that’s true. In the Acts arrangements, I was always singing the third. And, I wrote very little of the material, especially in the early days. On my own projects, I do a lot of different things.”
Radical Stands
Because they refused to go with the flow, Acts was often perceived as a radical group. Actually, much of their stance just ran counter to the direction they perceived Christian music to be heading, toward commercialism and to a focus on Christian super-stars. “We created real problems for Sparrow in the early days,” Buck recalls. “Because we didn’t want to be interviewed by certain magazines, or be on the cover. We didn’t want to do anything that smacked of self-promotion. We didn’t think it was right to use superlatives, because those drew comparisons. All we wanted our record company to do was to put out the information: The 2nd Chapter of Acts has a new album. That doesn’t make it easy for a company to promote a product. I would much prefer the days of our beginnings to what we have now. There wasn’t anybody clamoring to do what we did, or what ‘Love Song’ or any of the other early ‘Jesus Music’ groups did. There were no charts for us to be number one on. Contemporary Christian music charts didn’t exist. I think it’s sad that, today, Christian music has become an industry rather than a ministry. I don’t really know the answer to this—We used to fight against it continually, and we got ourselves into a lot of hot water. We tried to avoid those things that, in our view, were not edifying to the Body of Christ. Now, we have so many magazines, music charts, and popularity contests, it all has the potential to put ministries in competition with each other, rather than coming alongside and working together for Jesus.”
An Acts concert was designed to usher the audience into a worship experience. Annie notes, “We believed God had called us to be a wooer of the Body of Christ, so they could come and be loved by Jesus and be healed.”
In the early years, the emphasis was primarily upon evangelism, but then the Lord led Acts into a broader ministry, building up believers. Buck contends, “One of the greatest revelations we received from the Lord was that we were not primarily called to preach people into the Kingdom-although we almost always provided some sort of opportunity to meet Him. In most every concert, people did. But we felt He was telling us simply to let people see Him, and let them enjoy His love, and new believers would be born into the Kingdom of God.”
Annual Check-up
Acts sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading was not accidental or peripheral. Throughout their ministry, they would gather each January to pray and seek God’s priorities for that year’s ministry. Annie recalls: “Some years, He’d tell us, ‘You are going to be planting. You will be harvesting in three years, but this year you are going to plant.’ Another year He’d say, ‘This year you are going to be ushering people into the presence of the Holy Spirit,’ or “This year is going to be a year of deliverance.'”
One such “word” came to the family during a time of prayer in 1977. They sensed the Lord telling them that, starting in 1978, they should no longer depend upon ticket sales for support of the ministry, but that they were to return to doing “offering only” concerts. God promised that He would meet all of their needs if they would trust Him. This was no small step of faith, considering the enormous expense of putting twelve people and equipment on the road from city to city, plus supporting the group’s members and families. In addition, Acts determined that the offerings should be divided equally between the local concert sponsors and themselves. If a sponsor did not receive enough to pay expenses, 2nd Chapter would take money from their portion of the offering to reimburse the promoter.
That year, every need was met. Acts ministered to more people than ever, their audiences nearly doubled in number, and more people came to know Jesus than in any previous year of their ministry.
Spiritual Battles
Prayer was an important key to Acts’ success. Each morning while on tour, the group gathered in one of their hotel rooms to read a brief passage from the Bible, to share from their hearts, and to pray together. “One of the reasons we did this in the morning was because by the time we got to the concert hall, there was so much to do, too many distractions,” Annie says.
Still, when the 2nd Chapter of Acts bus and truck arrived at the auditorium, prayer took priority over unloading. “We’d gather in a circle on stage and pray again. We’d asked for protection, so nobody would get hurt. We’d pray over the auditorium, too, to establish the Kingdom of God there,” Annie recounts. “Then right before the concert, we’d have one more short time of prayer-a ‘flare prayer’ we called it. We’d always invite the stagehands to join us, and many of them did. Some of them came to know Jesus.”
On one occasion, Acts was scheduled to minister in a movie theater. The same complex housed several other theaters, in which the owners where showing raunchy films. As Buck recalls, “As was our custom, we took time to seek the Lord before the concert. But as we prayed, we just felt slimy. Then the Lord spoke to us and told us to proclaim the blood of Jesus. We began to pray-loudly, in the name of Jesus, against any evil principalities and powers in that place. That night, the largest number of people to date came to Jesus during the concert.”
Texas Transition
In 1981 Acts moved from California to Texas. The group had been seeking some space where they could build homes, as well as a central headquarters for their ministry. Also, they wanted a more central location, so they could redesign their touring schedule, hoping to cover the country in shorter tours. Nelly and her husband Steve, and some of the band members were beginning to have children, so a new touring strategy was needed.
During the summer of 1980, the group visited their friends, Keith and Melody Green at the new headquarters of Last Days Ministries in Lindale, Texas. A piece of property next to Last Days was for sale, and before long the 2nd Chapter of Acts and Last Days were neighbors.
The group had been living in Texas slightly more than a year when tragedy struck. Their good friend, Keith Green, was killed in a plane crash, along with two of the Green’s children and nine others. Acts was in New York, ministering at a street crusade with evangelist, David Wilkerson, when they heard the news. “Keith’s death rocked us,” says Annie. “We all felt our vulnerability like we never had before. We just wanted to wrap our arms around Melody and the others at Last Days, to let them know how much we cared.”
Looking back, Buck believes a high standard for all of Christian music was lost at Keith’s death. “I think Christian music would certainly be different,” Buck says, slowly and quietly, his love for his friend is obvious. “And probably it would be better had Keith not been killed. The music ministers would be better because Keith held up such a high standard. It required everyone else to raise their level of integrity, to measure up.”
Annie remembers a softer side of their friend. “In 1981, Buck and I lost a baby because of a tubal pregnancy. It was one of the toughest times of our lives. We had to fly home empty-handed, with heavy hearts. When we deplaned at the airport in Dallas, Keith, Melody and another friend Winkey Pratney were there. They’d brought Keith’s bus to pick us up at the airport. When we arrived at our home, there were flowers all over the house, and a huge sign that said Welcome Home!”
Restorative Surgery
In 1983 Acts took a full year off from touring to seek new strength and new direction. This break was far different from the one they’d taken years before. They had no question about continuing as a group; it was a matter of stopping the hectic travel pace long enough for the Lord to do some restorative work.
Although they spent the time at home, 1983 was still a busy year. They built their own recording studio that year. The same morning the studio was finished, Acts began cutting tracts for the album Singer-Sower, which contained songs such as Takin The Easy Way, Spin Your Light, and Room Noise.
For Matthew, 1983 was a very important year; he and Deanne Paul were married in September. For Steve and Nelly Greisen, the rest allowed them time to enjoy parenting their now two boys Andrew and Jesse. As Nelly recalls, her family came to the forefront of her priority list. “The Lord was showing me that He cares about every detail of my life. My ministry to God is not just standing in front of people singing. My ministry to Him is simply to have a heart filled with love and gratitude to Him, expressed in whatever task I’m doing. God is far more concerned about who we are, our character, than what we’re doing, far more concerned with our attitudes than our actions. I think wives and mothers especially need to understand this, because we deal so much with the mundane. Being a mother is very important to God and is a high position in His eyes. We are the hand of Jesus to our children. They learn about God by seeing our commitment to Him, lived out in our homes. We can be pillars of strength to our husbands as we help release the gifts God has placed in them. And we do this by being consistent and available with our love.”
Motivating Messages
When Acts returned to the road in 1984, they felt revived in every sense. “When we went back out in 1984, we were amazed that the arena of Christian music had changed so much since 1982,” says Annie.
For whatever reason, Christian music began to be highly diluted from a spiritual standpoint. And it seemed that the Lord had a distinct message waiting for them. While ministering at an international missions conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Lord spoke to the group through the leaders of the gathering. His instructions were clear, and encouraging:
God will give you prophetic words to restore the foundations of holiness and purity in the church and in the world.
Make your plans large – God is your partner!
As you sing, I will bring new life into existence.
Move as one. Keep ‘short accounts’ with God and with each other.
God will use the group to encourage Christian musicians and to release other musicians in ethics, love, and guidelines.
Keep your eyes open to the ‘small people,’ stage hands, helpers, and others. Some of your most significant work will be done in these areas.
Pray that God would show you how to give the ‘family unit’ time. He will provide time for the families.
Each one of these messages had a deeply personal impact upon the members of the 2nd Chapter of Acts. Interestingly, as their ministry moved into its final stages, every word that was revealed proved to be true.
Ending Up
Acts might never have recorded their best-selling album had they not been sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction. During one of their last tours, three separate individuals approached them in three separate cities. Yet all three had the same message: To consider doing an album of traditional Hymns in the unique vocal style that only Acts could create. “If one person had something such as this,” Buck said later. “We may have missed it. But when all three brought the exact message….”
Besides instructing them to produce one of their most inspiring albums, God was providing a financial resource for them in advance. When the last concert was sung, Hymns I & II would continue to sell briskly. Acts was not the first contemporary group to do an album of great hymns from the past. Nevertheless, everyone involved with the project sensed a special anointing upon the Hymns albums. The arrangements were so fresh, so vital, so filled with life, love, praise, worship-and yes, majesty.
All of the songs that Acts recorded had that “special touch,” or else they never made it onto an album. “Other than the Narnia album, in which the songs came over a period of five years, we’ve never written songs specifically for an album,” says Annie. “We never said, ‘We’ve got to do an album. Let’s write some songs!’ To me, that concept is backwards. That’s not why you do an album. Only when you have something to say, only if God has provided the music-then do an album.” Nelly agrees, “Recording an album isn’t a goal, it is an end result. When I have something I feel that God wants me to say, I’ll say it, but not until.”
One example of the way such inspiration works is the song, “Fight the Fight,” an inspiring anthem that became a rallying cry for the pro-life movement in America. How did it happen? “Melody Green called and asked if we’d sing in Los Angeles for the kick-off of the Walk Across America Campaign in the effort to save unborn babies,” says Annie. “We were praying about whether we could attend. Our schedule was already packed full. One day I was sitting at the piano and “Fight the Fight” just came to me. We felt that was a clear indication from the Lord that we should go. Then Steve Greisen suggested a multi-artist project that would eventually involve over 100 Christian artist on the song and a video. The project was produced by Steve and close friend Dan Collins and all of the music artists donated their time to do the record.” The message of ‘rescue the unborn’ would go around the world with artists doing versions in other countries including Holland and Germany
Calling It Quits
When Acts came together in January 1988, to seek the Lord’s direction for that year, they were stunned but not surprised by the Lord’s instructions to them. The guidance they received was this: “Complete what you have committed to, but don’t take anything new. I have other things I want to do with all of you. We’d all felt for a while that a change was coming,” says Annie. “There’s always a stirring when the Lord is about to do something.” Part of that stirring came several months prior to 1988. The words were simple: “I am going to do something new. Do not be afraid.”
At first, the members of Acts kept the news of their disbanding within the family. Then slowly, they began to share the information with their closest friends. “Once we understood what we were to do,” recalls Buck. “I presented it to Jack Hayford, our pastor and spiritual counselor. Jack confirmed what we were feeling. He said that he’d been feeling the same thing in his heart for some time, as well.” Hayford told Buck, “I was excited when you guys were honored with a Dove Award for the Hymns album, because I felt that you would be winding down soon.”
When Acts met in January, they had concerts booked through the middle of August 1988. They realized that each concert would be their last in that city. To prevent anyone from thinking that they were attempting to exploit or play upon their public’s emotions, they decided to avoid telling their audiences the news until the final tour was close to completion.
Pastor Jack didn’t agree. “If you came to my town and I didn’t get out to the concert, then later discovered that it was your last concert in my area and I had missed it, I would be extremely disappointed. You owe it to your audience to let them know. Otherwise, it’s not fair to all the people who’ve loved and supported you through the years.”
Once the Acts announced their final tour schedule, the response from friends was overwhelming. In every city, they sang to packed auditoriums, and the Spirit of God moved mightily in each concert. “That last time around was unbelievable,” says Buck. “Such an incredible amount of love and support was poured out upon us by the Body.”
“It was heartbreaking, too,” adds Annie, “because we realized that we’d been a part of so many people’s lives.” While Pastor Jack’s reaction to the news of Acts break-up was positive, many others remained unconvinced. “Believe it or not, some people were angry that we were quitting,” says Annie demurely. “They’d say, ‘This cannot be of God, because when we sang they could still sense the anointing. So they assumed that we should continue. But we knew. Most people who came, though, said, ‘Hey, we just want to tell you how much your ministry has meant to us.'”
Nevertheless, knowing that they were doing what God had told them to do did not make the final concert-in Houston, Texas, on August 12-any easier.
As Matthew remembers it: “We finished the concert and the 7500 people attending rose to their feet, and clapped and clapped. Nelly and Annie were crying, and I was losing it. I think it had finally dawned on us: This is our last concert. This is it! We weren’t tired of ministering to people or anything. It was just God’s time for something new.”
Where Are They Now?
All of the members of Acts continue to be active in their own lives. Annie has completed numerous solo albums, and doors have opened for her to have a solo ministry in various churches. “It’s an intimate ministry,” says Annie. ” It’s just me out there.” Is it difficult to sing without her brother and sister? “Sometimes it is,” Annie admits. “I’m so used to them being there. I can hear what they would be singing. Nelly and Matthew have sung backgrounds on some of my albums, though. So in that sense, I still have them out there with me, but I really don’t think we’ll be doing any more tours together, not unless the Lord tells us to do something.”
Ironically, after 20 years of concert ministry, many people do not realize that Annie, Nelly and Matthew are family. People often ask Annie, “Do you know Matthew Ward?” or “Do you know Nelly Greisen?” “Yes,” quips Annie.
Moving to Colorado, Nelly and Steve were able to find a new focus. With their boys grown and on their own, Steve’s film production and distribution company Exploration Films / Reel Productions, LLC has thrived and now ships DVD’s all over the world. They love motorcycling in the mountains and scuba diving around the world. They also serve with the nurmerous opportunities that come their way. Nelly stays active in the local community by participating on non-profit boards, singing in worship teams and volunteering. “My greatest pleasure is enjoying hanging out with my two adult boys, and of course, my loving husband Steve.” Their dog Hudson ensures that both Nelly and Steve also enjoy the beautiful Colorado outdoors on a regular basis.
Matthew has also recorded solo albums since Acts retirement and has faced and overcome a bout with cancer and also continues to be involved in full time touring and speaking.
Over the years, Matthew has received several offers for a secular music career, all of which he has refused. “I don’t want to sing dead music,” he says. “Singing in front of people is the last things that I’ve ever wanted to do. I was always scared to death, nervous and insecure. But that’s probably one of the things that has kept me honest with what I do and not allowed me to get puffed up. Because I realize where I’ve come from. All the while, I’ve known that God was calling me to use my gift for Him. I look at it as an honor. Matthew and his wife, Deanne, are also busy parents. They have three delightful daughters: Megin, Morgan, and Mattie.
Simple Words
What was the enduring message that God gave to the Acts to share with the world? “Sometimes we feel like an old record being played over and over again,” says Annie. “The message is the same: To see the Body of Christ healed, and to see people’s needs met. There is hope in Jesus. There is no situation too great that He cannot take care of.”
“All we ever wanted,” Buck concludes, “was for people to see Jesus. If anything made us different, it was our fervent desire to please the Lord and to be obedient to Him, regardless of the costs. We only wanted to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”
Some years ago, at the Christian Bookseller’s convention, 2nd Chapter of Acts sang three songs and sat down. Their songs brought a sense of worship, holiness and a sense that, in the vehicle of three human voices, Jesus was exalted. To hear Annie, Nelly and Matthew sing of Him, their Risen Lord, was almost to see Him, almost to feel His touch.
Afterwards, a well-known and respected man of God approached them and said of the 2nd Chapter of Acts ministry, “The frame never out-did the picture.”
“That was our earnest desire in all we did,” Buck finishes. “That the frame would never out-do the picture. And the picture always had to be Jesus.”
THE END
If you are interested in obtaining copies of The 2nd Chapter Of Acts music check out our website at 2ndChaperofActs.com.
Despite suffering a terrible tragedy when she lost her husband, the wonderful composer-singer, Keith Green, and two young children in a plane crash, Melody Green is continuing to keep Keith’s music and ministry alive and available, while moving forward with her own messages, similar to her shared vision with Keith, but in a new season, with her own unique style of wit and wisdom.
Now back in Hollywood, California, her birthplace, she has the chance, as she says, to “sow as I go,” serving whoever God puts in her path, whether they are wealthy and successful, or homeless and addicted.
Melody Green
“I wasn’t bitter but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the loss of her husband Keith and two children in a 1982 plane crash
Melody has continued Last Days Ministries (LDM), which she began with Keith. Much of her time is taken up by speaking and writing, but she always looks for chances wherever she is, to bring comfort to the homeless and needy of Tinsel Town, many of whom had moved there to seek fame and fortune.
She certainly understands pain, as she suffered a terrible blow in her own life when tragically, along with eleven others, Keith Green died at the age of 28, on 28th July, 1982, when the Cessna 414 leased by Last Days Ministries crashed after takeoff from the private airstrip located on the LDM property in Lindale, East Texas.
The small two-engine plane was carrying twelve passengers and the pilot, Don Burmeister, for an aerial tour of the LDM in Lindale, Texas, property and the surrounding area.
Green and two of his children, three-year-old Josiah and two-year-old Bethany, were on board the plane, along with visiting church planters, John and Dede Smalley and their six children. Green’s wife Melody was at home with one year old Rebekah and six weeks pregnant with their fourth child, Rachel, born in March 1983.
In late June, I caught up with Melody the night before she appeared at The Upper Room, a Christian Coffee House in Mission Viejo, California, to share about her life and plans for the future, and I began my interview for my Front Page radio show by asking her to recount that terrible experience of losing both her husband and two of her children.
She said that they had two friends from a Vineyard church in California, John and Dede Smalley and their six children, who were visiting their huge 500 acre LDM ranch, and Keith called their pilot, Don Alan Burmeister, who had been a member of the United States Marine Corps and was the pilot, to prepare the small, two engine plane for takeoff.
“Our old farmhouse was across the road from the ranch property, and Keith came to get me and wanted me to go up with them,” she recalled. “I was six weeks pregnant at the time, and I didn’t want to join them, and I also felt uncomfortable taking the kids – Bethany, two and Josiah, three – up in the plane unless we were really going somewhere.”
Her other child, daughter Rebekah, who just turned one, stayed at home with Melody. “Then Josiah and Bethany ran out the door after Keith before I could stop them,” she said.
Did she watch the plane take off? “No, we lived down the hill from the airstrip so I didn’t,” she told me.
Not long afterwards, she received a phone call from the LDM office, saying that the plane had gone down.
“I didn’t know what it meant so I ran out there and discovered for myself, that all had died,” she said.
In a few short minutes, Melody had gone from being the wife of one of the Christian world’s most famous musicians, and the mother of their three young children, to a widow, with one child left and another on the way.
I asked her how she had been able to deal with such a tragedy, and if she was bitter at God for allowing such a thing to occur.
“I wasn’t bitter,” she said, “but I was very mad at Keith for taking the kids and I think that was probably a deflected anger at the Lord. I don’t remember consciously being mad at the Lord. It’s just one step at a time. I was glad that I had the Lord because for quite a while, I wanted to die and might have done something about it if I wouldn’t have known Jesus and had supportive friends.
“It would have been selfish too, with Rebekah grieving in her one-year-old way, and two more of her family gone – me and her unborn sister – both girls a remaining gift from Keith and God.
“It has taken years to get through it. It’s not light; it’s not a small thing.”
Courageously, Melody was able to participate in the memorial service at the Agape Force property nearby, for all those who died in the crash, and so I asked her how she was able to do so.
“It was because of the sheer grace of God,” said Melody. “I felt like I was supposed to speak and I did. The Lord just really he helped me and has continued to do so for all these years since.
“A day later, there was a private burial service at a small church cemetery near the Last Days Ministries property.
Has she been able to get over what happened?
“You never get over it,” she replied. “I don’t cry every day and I don’t think of it every day like I did during the first two or three years, but progressively, the Lord’s helped me to go on. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if Keith was still here, especially when I watch four grandkids and I see so much of Keith in them. I know he’d just have been bananas over them and his own beautiful daughters that never got to know him, yet are so much like him”
Both Melody and Keith Green are Jewish followers of Jesus, and she told me that they had first met at a video tape recording studio where she worked and he arrived to look around it, sporting a huge beard and a long hair ponytail.
“I gave him the tour and that was that. He just kind of chased me down really,” she laughed.
She said that at that time, neither of them were believers in Jesus, the Messiah.
“We were searching,” she revealed. “Keith had a little cross around his neck – he decided that since most religions thought Jesus was OK in some way, he thought he’d read the Red Letters only to see what Jesus had to say, and I trailed along with him. We did get married and then about a year and a half later we gave our lives to Jesus.
Melody Green with husband Keith.
“We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
– Melody Green, speaking about the change Jesus brought into the lives of Keith and herself.
It was at an early Vineyard Bible study led by Kenn Gulliksen in a home they were house-sitting in the Beverly Hills area.
Later on, this became Bob Dylan’s church, but Melody said, “It was pre-Dylan and we just walked in and Keith raised his hand the first night and I raised my hand the next week. We both changed dramatically. It was just insane. It was so exciting and we had been looking and searching through everything for so long and both of us, even before we met, had been through all kinds of spiritual stuff – mostly New Age. Knowing Jesus was like getting shot out of a cannon.”
It wasn’t long before both of them were composing incredible new worship music, and Melody’s most well-known songs were There Is a Redeemer, and Make My Life A Prayer. Keith recorded both of them. Overall they co-wrote about 40 songs.
Hit after hit came from Keith, including You Put This Love In My Heart, Soften Your Heart, Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful, Your Love Broke Through, Asleep In The Light, My Eyes Are Dry, So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt, Grace By Which I Stand, Easter Song (written by Annie Herring) and He’ll Take Care Of The Rest, to name just a few of them.
Soon, Keith was performing to huge crowds around the country, with Melody joining him as she operated the sound board until he moved from churches and theaters to arenas when a professional soundman was brought in.
I told Melody that Keith had been described as a prophet by many and I wondered what he thought about that.
“He didn’t like the word prophet and he wouldn’t use it, and he didn’t like it when people used it; he didn’t like that label,” she said. He just wanted to be known as a regular follower of Jesus. “But obviously, looking back, he was very prophetic. Way ahead of his time. There are things I remember he said that have since come to pass. Like the fledgling Christian music industry of that day. He once said, ‘Mark my words. In 25 years Christian music companies will become like every other big music business’. Basically run by the bottom line, is what he meant.”
To start with, the couple began their Last Days Ministries, with seven houses in Woodland Hills, California, which they filled up with some 75 people off the streets that were bikers and pregnant girls, as well as kids coming off of drugs. After leading them to Jesus, they began to disciple them.
“But we felt that it was too tempting for them to do that right in the Valley, so we were looking for land outside the temptation zone and found a log ranch house and barn on 120 acres near Lindale, Texas. We moved, and began discipleship schools and also produced huge amounts of free literature,” she said.
Melody recalled it was quite an area where many Christian ministries, leaders, and musicians, were based.
“We had David Wilkerson and his ranch, Leonard Ravenhill, two very large YWAM properties, one becoming Mercy Ships, Dallas Holm and Praise, Barry McGuire, and Agape Force where Winkie Pratney lived half of the year. 2nd Chapter of Acts even bought land adjoining ours. It was an amazing amount of fun and formed lifelong friendships.”
But then came the plane crash that changed Melody’s life forever, and for a time she moved to Kansas City, but has now returned to Hollywood, where she was born
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green.
Keith Green passed away on July 28th, 1982 almost 39 years ago to the day!!! I want to remember him with a series of posts!!!
You are called to go Keith’s concerts were evangelistic and exhortational. He was the Lecrae of the 70’s. Here is what he has to say about the great commission:
“The world isn’t being won today because we’re not doing it. It’s our fault. This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth. And no where in the world is the gospel so plentiful as here in the United States. No where. And I don’t want to see us stand before God on that day ans say, ‘but God I didn’t hear you call me.’ Here is something for all you to chew on, you don’t need to hear a call, you’re already called. In fact, if you stay home from going into all nations you had better be able to say to God, ‘You called me to stay home God, I know that as a fact.'”
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light (live)
Uploaded on May 26, 2008
Keith Green performing “Asleep In The Light” live at Jesus West Coast ’82
Keith Green was an intense and radical man of God. He was taken from this Earth at a relatively young age. His legacy lives on through his music and his sermons. This video is about his life.
Wayne and I were very close to Keith from 1978-1982. We both served on the leadership of Last Days Ministries, and have many wonderful memories of Keith and those developing years of Last Days Ministries. Here are some inside Keith-facts.
1. Did you know that Keith wore flip flopseverywhere he went?
2. Did you know that Keith always had to share his food with everyone, because if he liked it, he knew you would too? It was the Jewish mother in him.
3. Did you know Keith was a real family man? He couldn’t stand to be separated from Melody or his kids for long.
4. Did you know that Keith was very soul searchingand could be harder on himself then he was on others?
5. Did you know Keith would sometimes cut his own hair; and even played barber shop with some of the other brothers at the ministry?
6. Did you know that Keith was a real night owl? He often got his best revelation late at night and would commonly call people at 2-3am to share his fresh insights.
7. Did you know that Keith used to mow the grassin Texas on a big tractor as a way to relax and to clear his head?
8. Did you know that Keith invited so many family and friends to witness the birth of his children, that it nearly became a public event?
9. Did you know that he always had a team of people praying while he was in the studio? Along with his talent, there were hours and hours of intercession that went into each album.
10. Did you know that Keith had a deep love for people and would get really involved with people he was ministering to?
11. Did you know that Keith would read the bible in the bathroom and got some of his best revelation in there?
12. Did you know that he loved to play racket ball? He also played tennis and ping pong, and was very competitive.
13. Did you know he loved to try new things? He learned to milk a cow, drive a tractor and run a printing press.
14. Did you know that he loved to go to auctions, and was able to furnish our facilities in East Texas saving thousands of dollars?
15. Did you know Keith shaved his beard when we moved to East Texas from California, to avoid offending the locals.
16. Did you know that Keith could type faster with 2 fingers than most of us can with 10?
17. Did you know Keith was really close friends with the famous revivalist, Leonard Ravenhill, and often went to him for counsel and advice?
18. Did you know he was the same off stage as he was on stage? With Keith, what you saw was who he was, he was genuine, sincere and real in all he did.
19 Did you know that Keith once drove the bus off the road in Hell’s Canyon, Utah leaving it dangling over a 2000 foot cliff? It took 2 bulldozers to lift it back onto the road.
20. Did you know Keith borrowed money on his house to sponsor the “So You Wanna Go back To Egypt”album so we could make them available to people for whatever they could afford?
21. Did you know Keith never received a salaryfrom the ministry?
22. Did you know that in spite of his success and popularity Keith lived a very simple life?
23. Did you know Keith loved to walk when he prayed? He could often be seen in an animated prayer walk going along the edge of our ministry property.
24. Did you know Keith led worship every Friday night at a prayer meeting led by Leonard Ravenhill near our ministry in East Texas?
25. Did you know Keith had a vision to do a restaurant that would offer food for whatever you could afford as a ministry outreach to the community?
Did you know Keith wasn’t perfect, but he held nothing back in serving Jesus and bringing others into God’s Kingdom.
My favorite Christian music artist of all time is Keith Green. Sunday, May 5, 2013 You Are Celled To Go – Keith Green Keith Green – (talks about) Jesus Commands Us To Go! (live) Uploaded on May 26, 2008 Keith Green talks about “Jesus Commands Us To Go!” live at Jesus West Coast ’82 You can find […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt” live at West Coast 1980 ____________ This song really shows Keith’s humor, but it really has great message. Keith also had a great newsletter that went out […]
Keith Green – Easter Song (live) Uploaded by monum on May 25, 2008 Keith Green performing “Easter Song” live from The Daisy Club — LA (1982) ____________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer. Here is his story below: The Lord had taken Keith from concerts of 20 or less — to stadiums […]
Keith Green – Asleep In The Light Uploaded by keithyhuntington on Jul 23, 2006 keith green performing Asleep In The Light at Jesus West Coast 1982 __________________________ Keith Green was a great song writer and performer and the video clip above includes my favorite Keith Green song. Here is his story below: “I repent of […]
Keith Green – Your Love Broke Through Here is something I got off the internet and this website has lots of Keith’s great songs: Keith Green: His Music, Ministry, and Legacy My mom hung up the phone and broke into tears. She had just heard the news of Keith Green’s death. I was only ten […]
The Keith Green Story pt 7/7 I remember when I first Keith Green. He had a great impact on me. Below are some quotes on Keith: Quotes “It’s time to quit playing church and start being the Church (Matt. 18:20)” — Keith Green, as quoted by Melody Green in the introduction to A Cry […]
The Keith Green Story pt 6/7 When I first heard Keith Green in 1978 it had a major impact on my life. Below is his story: LEGEND Keith Green CBN.com – When musician Keith Green died in a plane crash on July 28, 1982, the world lost a special man whose heart was aflame […]
Great controversy has just arisen—but with the Middle East it always does, doesn’t it?—about the land of Israel and who should be living there. Today, all of us have a feeling we’re looking into the muzzle of a loaded cannon. The storm clouds of Armageddon are gathering, with central focus on the land of Israel and her people.
Peacemakers scramble, pundits pontificate, and politicians plot about what will be in their own personal best interest as the world continues to wrestle with the problem of the Holy Land.
As Christians, we know there is only One voice that truly matters. What does the God of the Bible, who created the earth and owns it all, have to say about this unending conflict? After 2,000 years of the diaspora, the Jews at last returned in 1948 to their original homeland—God-given—but now reduced to a little sliver of that land. Is God through with the Jews? Has the church eclipsed Israel in God’s affections?
In Romans chapter 11, we find answers to these questions. It’s a convoluted passage of Scripture but a great blessing awaits those who examine it.
This month on radio we are in the middle of a study of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. As you’ve heard Adrian Rogers say, Romans is the “Constitution of Christianity”—a solid Word for our unsure age, and in chapters 9-11, Paul talks about his people, the Jews.
Did you know that almost 100% of Bible prophecies are related to the land and people of Israel? Israel is the focal point of headlines in every newspaper, not only in America but around the world. The world’s eyes are focused on the little nation—and well they should be, for Israel is the land and people of destiny. As the Jew goes, so goes the world. Israel is God’s yardstick, God’s outline, God’s blueprint, God’s program and God’s prophecy for all other nations.
Israel is the geographic center of the world. “I have put you in the midst of the nations” (Ezekiel 5:5). Israel is a land bridge between three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is a great military and economic crossroads.
The spiritual center. By and large, the Bible itself was written in that land by Jews. In Israel, Moses and the prophets gave us the Word of God. Jesus was born in, lived, taught, was crucified, buried, rose and ascended from the land of Israel. And when He returns, He’s coming back to the Mount of Olives beside Jerusalem.
The prophetic center. If you want to understand Bible prophecy and know what God is doing in the world, you’ll never understand it apart from understanding what God is doing in Israel.
The storm center. As we’ve said, the clouds of Armageddon are gathering.
But thank God, it will be the peace center. The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There will never be peace in our world until there’s peace in Jerusalem, and there won’t be peace in Jerusalem without Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
The glory center. One day “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as waters that cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).The law shall go forth from Zion. God is going to rule and reign on this earth from His capital city, the city of David, Jerusalem.
It is said that Frederick the Great once asked his court chaplain, “Can you give me proof that the Bible is inspired and infallible?” His chaplain gave one answer: “The Jew, sire.”
The Bible is clear: God is not done with the Jewish people! Romans chapters 9-11 confirm that the Jews are still His chosen people. Of course that doesn’t mean all of them are devoutly following the God of the Old Testament or that they are saved (except those who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, Lord and Savior), but their failure to receive Jesus as their long-foretold Messiah doesn’t mean God is done with them. Remember, the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:2-3, 15, and 17:7) was—and is—an unconditional covenant. Many Old Testament covenants had conditions, but this one had none. It rests not on man’s performance but on God’s character—and His eternal plan.
Throughout history, God’s dealings with Israel prove it is a God-created, God-decreed, God-loved, God-called, God-elected, and God-protected people. Significantly, not Washington, Moscow, London, Paris, or Tokyo, but Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, is the most important city on earth. That should surprise none of us who are students of Scripture.
Zechariah 12:3 says, “In the last days Jerusalem will be a burdensome stone for all the nations of the world.” More pressure today is being put on Israel to sacrifice her sovereignty and make her capital—decreed so by God, “the city of David”— an “international city” rather than the capital of God’s ancient people and lands.
Before Romans chapter 11, Paul has been teaching about God’s plan and how it includes the Gentile. Jewish believers in Rome, reading his letter, might well have asked, “What about us? What about the promises God made to us?” So Paul asks the rhetorical question in Romans 11:1, “I say, then, hath God cast away His people?” He immediately answers his own question: “God forbid,” then quickly gives five proofs that God has not. He is not finished with the Jew, cast away His people, been unfaithful nor broken His promises, altered His covenants, or forgotten His Word. God forbid He would ever do that.
PROOF #1 The Convicting Power of God
Paul says, “For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” (11:1) “I’m Exhibit A that God is not through with the Jews.” While Paul was actively persecuting Christians, the Lord appeared to him personally on the road to Damascus. He became a missionary to the Gentiles. “For I speak unto you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles” (v. 13).
God used Paul, a Jew, to evangelize the pagans of this world. That is just what God is going to do with Israel. A day is coming when God will supernaturally appear to Israel. They will see Jesus as Paul saw Jesus—glorified on high—and a nation will be born again in a day. Zechariah chapter 12 describes that time. One day, at the beginning of Armageddon, all nations of the world will come against Jerusalem, gathered in the Valley of Megiddo, prepared for a final assault. God says, when it looks dark for His people, as the noose tightens around Jerusalem:
“In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the house of David shall be as God and the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (v.8-9).
But watch this:
“and I will pour upon the house of David [the Jews] and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications. And they shall look upon Me, whom they have pierced…” (v.10).
How did Jesus die? Upon a cross, for the sins of the world, His hands and feet pierced.
And just as Paul was converted, they shall turn and embrace their Messiah, the Lord Jesus,
…and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son,
Just as the Apostle Paul saw the resurrected, glorified Lord Jesus, the Jews in that day will see Him.
Just as Paul became a witness to the nations of the world, the Jews will become a witness. “…A hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of Israel, they are sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads” (Rev. 7:4). One day there will be not just one Paul, but 144,000 Apostle Pauls, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Then Revelation 7:9 reveals such “a great multitude of all kindreds, tribes, peoples, nations”—so great that no one can number them—of people who “washed their robes white and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14), people who had never heard the Gospel but then were witnessed to by these 144,000 Jews.
Paul asserts, “God is not finished with the Jews! I am an example of what God is going to do with the His people.” If you don’t think Israel can come to Christ, you don’t understand the power of God. The same power that convicted the Apostle Paul will bring them to Jesus.
The Bible is clear on this. But what are the other four proofs that God is not done with His people—or the land of Israel? In Part Two we will examine:
Proof #2 The Careful Preservation of God
Proof #3 The Controlling Plan of God
Proof #4 The Continuing Promise of God
Proof #5 The Culminating Purpose of God
As the controversy about the land of Israel continues to heat up, you will want to read Part Two of this message, “Is God Through with the Jews?” which will be published here by February 16.
To hear this message in its entirety, with added information not included due to space limitations, please tune in to the radio broadcast of Love Worth Finding on Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17, or any time afterward at http://www.lwf.org/broadcasts
You may also want to order this CD to have in your own library or to share with a friend. Call us at 1-800-274-5683 and ask for message #2070, “Is God Through With the Jews?”
Given the current political climate and actions recently taken at the United Nations against the State of Israel, the question this article asks is important. In Part One, we saw the first of five proofs that God still has a place, purpose and ministry for His people, the Jews, and is actively carrying out His plan for them. If you missed Part One, you will first want to read it: Part 1
In our current broadcast series on the book of Romans, we arrived at chapters 9-11, where the apostle Paul addressed the subject of his fellow Jews and their standing with God. Like Paul had first done, as a group they rejected their Messiah, though many individuals placed their faith in Him and became the foundation of the Early Church. But a majority had not.
Two thousand years after rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, is God really through with the Jews, as some are now teaching?
With 5 proofs in Romans 9-11, Paul asserts that indeed, God has not. Proof #1, as we examined in Part One, is the convicting power of God, still at work among His people. We now examine 4 additional proofs God has not abandoned the Jews.
PROOF #2 The Careful Preservation of God
Just as God preserved 7,000 Israelites in Elijah’s day who never bowed the knee to Baal, Romans 11:2 and following teaches He likewise has reserved a remnant in Israel by His grace.
‘Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.’ (9:27)
There has always been a remnant of believing Jews and there always will be, because God is the one who preserves Israel.
The Jews are not God’s chosen people because of their faithfulness and they won’t be rejected because of their unfaithfulness. God says the Jewish nation is indestructible. Psalm 89, one of the greatest passages in Scripture, in my estimation, bears this out:
27Also I will make him [David], my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep with him for evermore and My covenant shall stand fast with him. 29His seed [descendants] also will I make to endure forever [note: forever]. And his throne, as the days of Heaven.
God goes on to say about David’s descendants,
30 “If his children forsake My law and walk not in My judgments” (and they did forsake God’s law), 31 “and if they break My statutes” (and they have broken His statutes), “and keep not My commandments” (and they have not kept them), God says, 32 “then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.”
God said He would take them to the woodshed. How that has happened over the last 2,000 years! Persecution and pogroms have pursued them wherever they went. But note an important “nevertheless” in v. 33:-37
33 “Nevertheless, My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. 34My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that has gone out of My lips. 35Once have I sworn by My holiness and I will not lie to David. 36 His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me. 37It shall be established forever as the moon and as a faithful witness in Heaven.”
Then He says, “Selah”—“pause and just ponder that.”
God says “I will” three times in this passage and “forever” twice. “I made a promise to David. If his descendants break My laws, they’re going to be punished, but I’m going to keep My Word.”
They would be disobedient, disbursed and discredited, but they would not be destroyed. Egypt’s king could not diminish them, the Red Sea could not drown them, Jonah’s whale could not digest them, the fiery furnace could not devour them, Haman’s gallows could not hang them, the nations of the world couldn’t assimilate them, and the world’s dictators cannot annihilate God’s ancient people, the Jews. His preserving power provides a remnant according to His grace.
PROOF #3 The Controlling Plan of God
Remember, Israel was not simply to be a reservoir into which God poured His blessings, but His pipeline through which He would disperse His blessings. God said to Abraham, “through you all the nations of the world shall be blessed.”
Romans 11 explains that when the Jews rejected their Messiah, God sent the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles, whose salvation, godly lives, the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the joy, love, faith, and victory they have in Him, would provoke His own people to jealousy. They would want that same relationship.
In verse 12 God reasons, “If I have prophesied that the Gentiles would be saved, how much more, then, will I keep My Word to Israel and bring them back to Me?” A fullness is coming for Israel. Romans teaches that God is doing all of this according to a magnificent plan. They fell away but they will be received. If He could take pagan Gentiles and bring them to Israel’s Messiah, how much more can He bring Israel to her own Messiah?
PROOF #4 The Continuing Promise of God
God made an unbreakable covenant with Abraham. If Abraham, the root, so to speak, of this race is His, then the whole tree is His. God will not break His covenant promise.
We who are Gentiles have simply been grafted in to this tree and entered into Israel’s blessings. If God can take unbelieving pagans and graft them to the true olive tree, Israel, He can bring His own people, in His time, back to their true Messiah.
PROOF #5 The Culminating Purpose of God
God’s culminating purpose is for both Jew and Gentile to be saved. In God’s mysterious plan, “25 Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles [the Church] be come in.” If you want to get a blessing sometime, just study the “untils” in the Bible.
He’s going to do this…
In His time. God is visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name until the church is complete. When will that be? When will the last soul be saved? That number is known to God alone. When that last Gentile soul is saved, the Bible says that will be “the fullness of the Gentiles.”
Through His Son. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, it shall come out of Zion, the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”
Who is the Deliverer? Jesus. We covered this in Part One—that in Israel’s darkest hour, God will destroy all nations coming against Jerusalem and will pour upon the house of David and Jerusalem’s residents the spirit of grace and supplication. Then that marvelous moment occurs when “they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.” (Zechariah 12:9). “In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13:1). What is that fountain? A fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins.
According to His Word. “This is My covenant [unbreakable promise]… they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:27-29). God keeps His Word. God is not a liar. If God says He’s going to do it, He’s going to do it.
By His grace (verses 30-36). Never get the idea that God only wants some people saved. God says, “All are unbelievers,” and “I want mercy upon all.” God is going to do this out of sheer grace. Remember Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” The sovereign God is going to do this purely by His grace.
For His glory. By the time Paul reaches the end of chapter 11, I can imagine him wiping his tears, throwing up his hands and saying, “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”
If you don’t understand predestination, election, and foreknowledge—neither do I. No one does. How do I know that? Because the Apostle Paul didn’t know. He says, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him and it should be recompensed unto him again? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
When the Bible says, “Whosoever will may come,” “God wants to have mercy upon all,” “Christ died for the whole world,” believe it. Just say, “Who can understand the ways of God, the mind of God?”
For His purpose. “So all Israel shall be saved.” This doesn’t mean every Jew will be saved; it means those who trust in Him are the true Israel.
God is not finished with the Jew. The same power that convicted Paul, will one day convict the Jews. The preservation of God that kept the remnant in Elijah’s day is preserving them today. In God’s incredible plan, although the Jews turned from Paul’s message, God sent him to the Gentiles, who got saved. The Jews are going to come back; a great number of them will be saved. God made a covenant with Abraham, the root of the tree. God will not break His covenant.
We are now living in the most exciting time in the history of God’s chosen people. All the prophecies concerning Israel, since the creation of the state of Israel, May 14-15, 1948, are being fulfilled. Over the past 60 years, God has time and again dramatically appeared in the life of His beloved nation and land. His prophetic promises are becoming reality.
According to the Word of God, three major events will occur in the end times prior to the Second Coming of the Messiah, the Son of David.
1. Re-establishment of the state of Israel and the land of Israel.
2. Regathering of the Jewish people from all over the world to the promised land.
3. Rebuilding of the temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, on the same spot
as the first and second temples.
My heart almost explodes when I think of Jewish people who will see Him and say, “What are those wounds in Your hands?” And the Lord Jesus will say, “These are they where I was wounded in the house of My friends.” And in that day there will be a fountain open for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for cleansing and for sin.
Is God through with the Jew? God forbid, and He’s not through with you, either.
❧
To hear this message in its entirety, with added information not included due to space limitations, please tune in to the radio broadcast of Love Worth Finding on Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17, or any time afterward at http://www.lwf.org/broadcasts
You may also want to order this CD to have in your own library or to share with a friend. Call us at 1-800-274-5683 and ask for message #2070, “Is God Through With the Jews?”
For added teaching from the messages of Adrian Rogers concerning God’s plan for the Jews, the nation, and the land of Israel, see the e-book on our web site, “Israel and Bible Prophecy — What Does the Future Hold?”
_______
Bill Kristol
Published on Jul 20, 2014
The Weekly Standard editor and publisher Bill Kristol discusses Clintons, Pryor-Cotton and 2016.
On Friday July 18, 2014 I had the opportunity to visit personally with Bill Kristol who is the founder of THE WEEKLY STANDARD MAGAZINE. I told him that I had the privilege to correspond with both his father, Irving Kristol, and his father’s good friend Daniel Bell back in 1995. I actually gave him a copy of both letters I received back from them and he read them both as we stood there. I told him that those copies were his to keep, and he thanked me for that.
I went on to explain how the correspondence started. I had come across several quotes from Daniel Bell when I was reading the books HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE? and WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE? by Francis Schaeffer (and this second book was co-authored by Dr. C. Everett Koop). Dr. Koop’s name caught Mr. Kristol’s attention and he said he found that interesting. I pointed out those quotes by Bell led me to eventually begin a correspondence with both Bell and Kristol’s father Irving on the subject of what the Old Testament scriptures have to say about the Jews being returned from all over the world back to the land of Israel.
Finally, I asked how his mother was doing and he said that she was doing very well in fact. I told him how much I respected her work as a historian.
Let me make a few observations about Irving Kristol who I was very fascinated with because of some of his comments in the 1990′s. First, isn’t it worth noting that the Old Testament predicted that the Jews would regather from all over the world and form a new reborn nation of Israel.Second, it was also predicted that the nation of Israel would become a stumbling block to the whole world. Third, it was predicted that the Hebrew language would be used again as the Jews first language even though we know in 1948 that Hebrew at that time was a dead language!!!Fourth, it was predicted that the Jews would never again be removed from their land.
The Weekly Standard founder, publisher and editor Bill Kristol says Arkansas is “almost” a must-win for Republicans if they are to take back the U.S. Senate. Appearing on this week’s Talk Business & Politics TV program, Kristol said the Mark Pryor-Tom Cotton U.S. Senate battle is high on national political watch lists and that a Cotton victory is crucial to GOP ambitions. “If Republicans want to win the Senate in November, this one is almost a must-win,” said Kristol, who was in Arkansas as a keynote speaker at the Arkansas GOP’s Reagan-Rockefeller dinner. Kristol said he expects a close race this fall in the high-profile match-up and that there are two reasons why the contest is so tight. “Incumbents are hard to beat and, I gather from my friends in Arkansas, that a Pryor is hard to beat,” Kristol said. He added that outside Democratic group attacks have been effective in tainting Cotton, although he disagrees with their accuracy. Kristol offered his take on why Arkansas has not shifted into a Republican stronghold like other Southern states such as Mississippi, Alabama or Texas. One reason, he said, is the political power of Bill Clinton whom he described as a “very different kind of Democrat” as governor and as president. Clinton “tacked to the center” often unlike President Barack Obama. “Barack Obama is not the kind of Democrat that traditional Arkansas Democrats are interested in supporting,” Kristol said, citing Clinton’s bipartisan budget deals, welfare reforms, and foreign policy efforts. ARKANSAS IMPORTANCE Kristol also said that Arkansas has always carried much sway in U.S. politics owing to its larger-than-life, influential state politicians who’ve made big impacts on the national stage. “Arkansas has always been a state of outsized interest and importance nationally,” he said. Kristol grew up studying Sen. J. William Fulbright, and he’s long watched the careers of other politicians like Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee. “For a small state, it has always produced nationally significant politicians. I think people in Washington kind of remember that,” said Kristol.
While 2014 will be a monumental election year, it’s hard not to think about 2016. Kristol said it’s too early to predict the GOP Presidential nominee, but he sees a reversal of fortunes in what he describes as a “wide-open” Republican field. “Republicans used to nominate the next in line, the second place finisher from four or eight years before. Democrats usually have interesting wide-open races,” he said. “It looks like this time, the Democrats are nominating the next in line — the person who ran second in 2008, Hillary Clinton. Republicans are having more of what looks like a classic Democratic primary — governors, senators, former candidates. A lot of them young, a lot of them untested nationally. As a Republican, I like that.”
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While he voted for Dole, McCain and Romney, he said those Presidential nominees weren’t the best match-ups versus Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. “The irony in 2016 is the Republicans will have the younger, fresher face and the Democrats will be nominating someone whose been around for awhile,” he said.
___________________ Dr. Francis schaeffer – The flow of Materialism(from Part 4 of Whatever happened to human race?) Norman Podhoretz – Reflections of a Jewish Neoconservative Jews and Christians should both support the State of Israel and also the pro-life view!!!! I understand that Francis and Edith Schaeffer were good friends with like minded Jews such as Norman […]
____________ __________________________________ ___________________________________ In light of recent developments in the news the future fulfillment of Revelation chapter 12 does not look so far-fetched. Obviously Israel is the mother that produced the Messiah (verse 1) and Satan is the dragon that dragged 1/3 of the angels out of heaven with him. Jesus is the child who […]
Zechariah 12:3 (KJV) notes, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” It is amazing how up to date the Bible can be in many ways. […]
Irving Kristol pictured below: In 1980 I read the books HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE? by Francis Schaeffer and WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE? by both Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop and I saw the film series by the same names. In those two books Daniel Bell was quoted. In HOW SHOULD WE […]
The Birth Of Israel (2008) – Part 1/8 I can’t say I agree with every word from Chuck Colson’s words below but it is a good article though. Covenant and Conflict Israel’s Place in the World Today By Chuck Colson|Published Date: February 18, 2003 When our BreakPoint Managing Editor Jim Tonkowich returned from this year’s […]
One News Now reports on Friday Obama’s comments a ‘gross error’ GOP lawmaker and Tea Party Caucus founder Michele Bachmann says President Obama has defined his Middle East policy: “blame Israel first.” Supporters of Israel are expressing outrage over President Barack Obama’s call yesterday that Israel give back territory it gained when attacked by Arabs […]
Michele Bachmann released this statement yesterday: Washington, May 19 – Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-06) released the following response after President Obama’s speech today on his Middle East policy, which included a dramatic shift away from support of Israel: “Today President Barack Obama has again indicated that his policy towards Israel is to blame Israel first. […]
“Drink Your Energy Drink & Away We Go!” Michele Bachmann Federal Spending & Jobs Summit Michele Bachmann Wikipedia notes: She married Marcus Bachmann in 1978.[17] They have five children (Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia), and have also provided foster care for 23 other children.[18][19] Bachmann and her husband own a Christian counseling practice in […]
President Barack Obama addresses an audience during a campaign fundraising event, in Boston, May 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton greets President Obama before his speech at the State Department. Clinton introduced Obama, who joked that she has been accruing quite a few frequent-flier miles. Below is […]
The chords and notes flowed out, as if the Lord was literally giving her a gift of music. “At first,” says Annie, “I’d get these beautiful melodies and I’d ask Buck to write the lyrics to go with them.” One day, Buck replied, “Annie, don’t think about writing a song- just sing whatever’s in your heart.” It was this encouragement that opened the way to Annie’s simple, and deeply intimate songs of praise and adoration.
Although the album was completed, the release date of The Roar of Love would be long delayed by contractual and copyright problems. Yet, the detours proved to be providential.
We live in a world that, for the most part, has no absolute standard for life and behavior. We are under a system of morality by majority vote—in other words, whatever feels right sets the standard for behavior.
Melvin Pickens,
The Daily Hatch 