Red Rover Red Rover Let ___________ Come On Over!
Last year I was blown away to find out that Brian “Head” Welch the guitarist for Korn got saved and now is rocking for Jesus. In the 90’s I freakin loved Korn. They were kickin it. I would have never guessed at that time that the guitarist would just up and walk away from all that, turn his life over to Jesus and start a new career singing about his addictions and through the power of Jesus Christ he over came.
You can find videos all over youtube with him explaining his conversion. Here’s one.
After I found this out I wanted to learn more and so I came across his book he wrote, “Save Me From Myself”.
What an encouraging story. You are truly a witness for Christ my man.
So now, as I was looking into a “Conference In a Box” to help my worship team learn more about the ins and outs of doing worship ministry, I came across a name I knew I knew too well. But I just couldn’t believe that who I thought it was would be part of a training material for worshipping Jesus. But I was wrong when I looked more into it. It was the guy I thought it was and he was all about some Jesus. WOW! His name?
Dave Ellefson
So this guy was the stuff. Probably still is. I got to see him in action during his Megadeth days and he freakin rocked my face off. Front rown, right up under him. It was great. But now, he leads worship and he’s teaching bass players in worship bands. How cool is that. Here’s a video of him, obviously a promo, but he’s doing his thang around minute marker 1:27.
Is this not the coolest thing. God is winning all around us. God is in control and He’s taking his earth back. He’s taking His people back.
Red rover red rover, let _______________ come on over. Who would you like to see filled in the blank?
DC*b and Eisley
Oh stinkin yeah. Eisley is singing backup on David Crowders new cd. I am so looking forward to that. I got to see Eisley in concert at a theatre in Nashville and the rocked. They done this acoustic thing. I’ve loved that band ever since I first heard them on Skyangel years ago. I love their voices. They’re so unique and have great harmonies.
I can’t wait!
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*This is the video I filmed at their concert.
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Kevin Runs on Duncan
I’m sure you’ve heard the famous ad, “America Runs on Duncan”. Well so does Kevin. I don’t mean to speak in third person but… he does. So I have figured the best dang donut of all time is the Boston Creme Donut. I love this donut. I could eat one every day. Come to think of it, I probably do. There is a Duncan Donuts basically in the every vicinity I work in most of the time.
There’s nothing like that creme just oozing out of that little hole on the side. You reach in your bag to find the donut upside down on the chocolate (I don’t understand why they do that EVERY time). You take one bite and creme just rolls down your chin. You lick the creme away from the side of the donut and taste the creme mix with the chocolate. Mm Mm good! It’s a taste of it’s own.
It all started in Columbia, Tn. They opened one up and I passed it everyday till I broke down and tried them. I gotta have a Duncan Donut all the time now. All the time!!!! So if I end up fat, I will sue Duncan Donuts. I will sue!!! SUE!!!!! If the coffee lady can sue McDonalds, I can sue Duncan.
But until then, I will enjoy my Boston Creme Donut. The only bad thing about that certain donut is it had to bear the name of the home town that swept my beloved Cardinals in the 2004 World Series to break the curse of the Bambino. It’s a bitter sweet thing here.
So here’s to ya Boston Creme Donut. But the Boston Redsox can suck an egg. Go CARDINALS!!!!!!!!!
Life
It’s been a few days since I posted anything and since I had a few minutes in my life to kill I thought I would bless the small few who subscribe to my blog and fill them in on “life” here in C-town as some call it. It simply is still called Clarksville!
I have been pretty busy with the worship ministry at Xtreme Ministries (www.xtremeministries.com). I am taking the ministry to levels the church has never seen before with adding computers and projector screens and running announcements and videos and all sorts of media. We are real excited to see how the church is growing in this area. We are also growing in numbers. People are coming to Jesus and they are coming to Xtreme from all places. We have met alot of people by doing street ministry at festivals and we will continue to do this through out the year with the likes of using the full contact women’s foot ball them, The Clarksville Fox.
Tonight I will be heading to a football game to run P.A. for the half time show. In a few weeks I will get to sing the National Anthem (something the Nasahville Sounds didn’t think I was good enough to do) and do the half time show so I am looking forward to that.
Next Sunday I will be returning back home to lead worship at my home church, Lifesong Family Church. I am excited about that. Get to see some familiar faces and see family as well.
Things are starting to warm up around here and my work with Ortex Guarantee is picking up. Termites are starting to get busy so I gotta take em out. I love the people I work with. Everybody is so cool with each other. I have never worked somewhere like that where in 5 months I have heard no bickering or backstabbing or fighting. It’s a really cool place to work at. The work sucks but hey, the people make it all well.
I started on my second cd and had hoped to be finished by June but I have been busy with ministry plus these dumb allergies are starting to kick back up, so it’s starting to slow me down. But to those who are excited to hear the new music, it will be done. I will finish. The good thing is these allergies aren’t near as bad as they were last year. But bad to say the least. I guess when you get old, these things happen. I never wanted to get old but…
So this is life in Clarksville. Church keeping me busy with worship teams and media stuff. Daytime job keeps me running or should I say crawling… under houses. Extra-curricular activities that are still ministry based run my life after work and still trying to balance time to keep my wife loved and my pets petted and my home… well… a home.
So this is life in Clarksville!
What’s with me?
To say the least worship has not been right the past couple of weeks. Last week I burnt Amazing Grace by starting in 3/4 (traditional) and I meant to start it in 4/4. This week, we couldn’t get the tempo right for Beautiful One in the first service and the second service I burnt How Great Thou Art. Geez!
So I told the congregation that I figured after service Pastor John was gonna make a visist to the house to fire me and send me back home to Lewisburg. (Which I’m sure folks back home would love that). In a weird twisted kinda way, it wouldn’t bother me either, but I digress.
But what followed after that was truly touching to say the least. I was talking about how we cannot do enough or too little to earn the love and grace of God. It has been abundantly handed out evenly to everyone. I have received as much as even the best christian or the lowliest. Praise God for that. So when I told them about being fired and sent back home, they all spoke up in the middle of worship. They all told me that wasn’t gonna happen, gave me a word of encouragement and gave me a standing ovation. Well… they were standing all ready. They just applauded.
I don’t know what’s going on with worship. I have never bombed songs this much so often. As a band, were gonna have to step up our game and get our focus right. Something’s not working right. My problem is I’m easily distracted and many little things can take my focus. I definitely need to pray about that.
So if you pray, help a fella cracker out and pray for our ministry over here at Xtreme Ministries. God is doing a good thing. and sometimes it hurts to be humbled. But on the flip side, it sure feels good to be encouraged by your fellow bros and sis’s in Christ. It’s really awesome to do a face plant on the pavement and your church walk over and grab you by the collar and pull you up. God has blessed Carrie and I with a great family in Christ. I was so overwhelmed by the love yesterday morning. Like I told one friend that is such an encourager, “I only hope I can love back with the same caliber of love shown to me!”
Whoosh!!!!!!!
Pastor Riner
I’ve heard of worship leaders being considered pastors simply because they also lead the congregation on Sundays. So when I moved to Clarksville, I’ve heard myself being called pastor a couple of times but it never really hit me till I received this letter today in the mail.
Mr. Pastor
So you can see my surprise. I busted out laughing causing MY pastor to look at me inquisitively with one eyebrow raised and lips puckered.
“What’s so funny.”
I showed him and he said, “Well, you are a pastor!”
Pastor Riner
Top Ten reasons for Opposing the New Music Trend
1. It’s too new, like and unknown language.
2. It’s not so melodious as the more established style
3.There are so many new songs that it’s impossible to learn them all.
4.This new music creates disturbances and causes people to act in an indecent and disorderly manner.
5. It places too much emphasis on instrumental music rather than on godly lyrics.
6. The lyrics are often worldly, even blasphemous.
7. It is not needed, since preceding generations have gone to Heaven without them.
8. It is a contrivance to get money.
9. It monopolizes the Christian’s time and encourages them to stay out late.
10. These new musicians are young upstarts, and some of them are lewd and loose persons.
These ten reasons are adapted from a 1723 statement directed against the use of—— hymns!
excerpt from Exploring worship-Bob Sorge pg.136-137
Stressed OUT!!!!!
Lack of posts can be chalked up to stress. At least that’s my story and I’m gonna try to stick to it. So let me name a few reasons that the stress bug has been a pest that I can’t seem to kill.
1. Home- While this was on my mind, Carrie had yet to find a job. A thousand resumes and applications and a few phone calls back and nada, niente, nothing, zilch, zero, zip! BUT, (Behold the Ultimate Truth) today Carrie got a phone call and today they hired her as she walked in the door. So stress level has gone down… a tad. But before that, Carrie was really starting to get cabin fever and the lack of funds has definitely caused a stretch crack in the bank account. Needless to say though, the church has taken amazing care of us, given us money, gift cards and even taken us out to dinner numerous times to make sure we had our bellies full. In some way, I have actually gained a couple of pounds.
However, with the reception to the TV sucking, and the winter keeping the house cold and the bills rising, it’s been tough. The Lord has sustained us to say the least. It’s been tough to live in a rental, away from family, and in a neighborhood where the neighbors look crazy shady. So the home front has been crazy but hopefully it will get better.
2. Work-Oh yeah, what a biggie. Lesser pay, more work, and harder work at that. I would give to go back to A-1 if only for the work. The guys and gals I work with are crazy awesome, but the work sucks. I could go into details but you wouldn’t understand the ins and outs of the job per se. Today we had a year end meeting and they want me to do sales. I am totally not a seller. I hate sales. But this year, I have to at least sale $5000 worth of pest control. I know it’s not much. But it’s the sales part I don’t like. I’m debating going and getting my wood destroying insects license so I can get a little more money on my paycheck. But I work for salary and I’ve never done that. I get paid basically by the job and I’ve never done that. So it’s definitely a stretch in the work dep’t.
3. Church- I love my church. I love everyone I go to church with. Let me say this up front in case anybody from church reads this “It’s not you, It’s me”. I know. So cliche. But it’s true. Here’s the dirt. I am used to a church where I was a “leader” and I was a worship leader that said all things right. I really felt like I knew how to lead that congregation in worship. I played with a semi-pro band that knew how to play their instruments VERY well. And the music was VERY full. Now I only have a drummer and struggling to find a bass player to make it a three piece. And I feel I have been stripped down to a student again. Where I was looked upon to make decisions and highly regarded to subject matter, I have fallen to be a learner again. Which is not all a bad thing. But it does suck!
At Xtreme, I sometimes feel lost. I haven’t learned the people very well. I’m trying, really I am. However, the church has a totally different personality. The church has a totally different feel. There are songs that doesn’t fit at this church. I think this happens at every church. Every church has a different personality and feel. You have to take each church where they are at and use the songs that fit that church or write some that will fit. So Xtreme can’t necessarily worship with all the same songs that Lifesong could.
I come from a church that had a nice sanctuary with near 400 people to a church where we meet in a coffee shop with 2 services and the first service might have 15. But the other service is too packed. So it’s definitely different. Lifesong was a church of worshipers and Xtreme is a church of worshipers that hasn’t figured out how to express it yet. The church is growing, slowly but growing. This is where I need patience.
4. Life in Clarksville-Traffic sucks. LITERALLY. I have seen more wrecks here than I have in my lifetime. Even had to wait on the cop at one cause I actually witnessed it. Army life is interesting. There are plenty of military people here to see the life they live. Definitely different. I have everything I ever wanted within five minutes of my house but no money to enjoy them. A coffeehouse for java and writing atmosphere. Three bookstores with no money to buy a book. Some of my favorite restaurants. Hmm. Cool places to sing but I can’t do that just yet. I’ll get to that in a moment. Cool places to go but it’s been to cold to go.
5. Music/Artistry- I have my own cd to push. I have my own music to sing. I have my own agenda to sell. And God says NO!!!! I can’t find time to practice, write, or just sing. I am too wrapped up in trying to study for work, trying to study for my theology classes on Saturdays, and trying to put together a decent worship set for Sundays. Man, I just can’t find time to work on my own material. I got some great musical ideas but don’t have time to work on them. I feel guilty all the time cause my beautiful wife works hard around the house and I do nothing. She cooks, cleans, washes, feeds-does it all. And I am so thankful for such a wonderful wife.
6. Writing-I am trying to write a book called When Dogs Howl. It has a great premise but I can’t find time to write it. I dabble at it and have finished the rough draft of seven chapters. I’m working towards 21-25 chapters. But I am so wrapped up in trying to take care of other things, writing has basically been set to the side.
7. weight loss-I use to love going to the gym. Now, my church actually has one in the back of the building and it’s free. I can’t find the time to go. I feel fat. My blubber is hangin over my jeans. I use to be fit and had a six pack. Now, I have a keg. Sometimes, I wonder how my wife can love me and all my jiggle. But she’s way better than that thank God. But I really seriously need to lose 25 pounds.
8-Original Limu/Blu Frog-This is our home based business. You can check these things out at www.discoverlimu.com/riner and www.BluFrogEnergy.com/riner. If you have ever owned a business before, then you know where I’m coming from. If you haven’t I’ll give you the chance. Holler at me or just get signed up on the websites.
So… I will say, my mind has so much going on that I can’t think straight and I’m wiggin out. So please forgive me for the lack of posts around here. Hopefully, it will get straightend out soon.
Bad Economy-Awesome Grace
It got us. Just when you think your gonna make it through, it gets you. We have finally felt the blow from a blown economy. Carrie (my wife) lost her job today cause they weren’t getting enough patients to keep her on the payroll. So we are finally experiencing what many Americans are going through. Since we just moved to Clarksville, we used most of our money to get up here and we are living from paycheck to paycheck. This is not good news for her to lose her job.
BUT
I was coming home today from work, since I still have one, and I felt the Lord put something on my heart. It was really cool. I thought about how Jesus was a King in Heaven. The “attitude adjusting” scripture says
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8
So he stepped out of eternity into time and became like us,
Hebrews 4:15
15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
So we have a high priest that actually stepped out of his perfectness and lived like us to better relate to us that He may become the ultimate sacrifice. He also said that the birds have nests and foxes have dens but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Once again, a king on high stepped down into the lowly of lows voluntarily.
I can’t find anywhere in the bible where God said that life would be a bed of roses. Nowhere can I find that if we just give our 10% that we would have it made. But all through out scripture I find that we will suffer for His name’s sake. all through out scripture I find that be hated because He was hated.
With that in mind, it has been said by Carrie and myself that full time ministry would be option to take if it was an option that existed. Sorry for chasing rabbits but I finally make it to my point of my drive home. As God was pouring these scriptures into my heart, he was telling me that if we want to do full time ministry, we are going to have to learn a few things.
1. We are going to have to fully trust in Him
2. We are going to have to relate to those we are going to minister to.
3. That His grace is sufficient and all we truly need
4. That greatness is not to be considered to be grasped but that lowliness and servant hood is.
We have a long way to go, and He has alot to do in us. This is only the beginning. I don’t believe that God brought us to Clarksville to fall on our face. It has been a huge stretch for us firstly to move out of our comfort zone, secondly to endure the things we see and hear, and we will continue to be stretched. May God be blessed and glorified. This is why we are here.
Heb 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered;
H.R. 1592 Matthew Shepard National Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
I was listening to the radio and the Bill H.R.1592 was brought up and it was mentioned that becasue of the Democratically ran congress, they might stand a chance re-proposing this bill and that homosexuality might be added to the Hate crime legislation act.
Here’s the dealio. This bill was proposed back in 2007 and Bush vowed to veto this bill if it made it through the House and the Senate. It pass the House by 54% but did not pass the Senate.
Now that we have a Democratic president, Mr. Barack Obama, a Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and a Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, along with a democratic controlled Congress, this leaves me with two thoughts. One, that if this H.R. 1592 is brought back up it will probably pass, and two, that the Democrats have power. They better do something or the Republicans will drive them in the dirt. If they think their all taht and a bag of chips, it better be the best dinner we’ve ever had. I digress.
So here’s the dealio with the bill. Many religious people have often said that this bill will silence the scriptures as well as those who preach it. At this point unless I can be proven wrong, I disagree. Although, I disagree with the passing of this bill simply because I do believe it is the beginning or perhaps the continuance of the downfall of our legislative system, it simply does not discipline those for speaking and preaching what the bible says. That would be a form of suppressing the freedom of speech in the 1st Amendment.
What the bill does say is
Sec. 249. Hate crime acts
SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
- Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Basically, what these two pieces are saying is that there has to be bodily harm in order to prosecuted of a hate crime and that it does NOT suppress our freedom of speech.
Also, Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs at Liberty Counsel, believes the bill is unnecessary… “The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law,” he explains. “Hate crimes legislation is a prima fascia violation of the Fourteenth Amendment in that it elevates one class of citizen based upon their chosen sexual behaviors above other people. It creates a two-tiered justice system where there are first-class victims and second-class victims.”
So here we have it, an amendment that already provides equal protection to all citizens, a proposed bill that says bodily harm has to take place before prosecution and freedom of speech stays intact. This means I can and will continue to preach the scriptures that sin is sin whether I am a liar of a homosexual, or just a down right greedy person. Sin is sin!!!!!!
