I Beg Your Pardon...

Ken Andrews • Aug 08, 2022

I Never Promised You...

Recently I was thinking about the impact inflation, recession, crime (shall I go on?) has had on each of us. It hasn’t been pretty, has it?

 

Oddly, that got me thinking on my past, and experiences in broadcasting over the years that began in 1968 when I was freshly graduated from high school. Do the math and you’ll know I’m a white-haired old codger. You probably didn’t know that before I embarked on my “career” in Christian radio, I worked in formats like rock, country, news, easy listening and beautiful music. It may even surprise you that my favorite format was beautiful music! That was an eye opener for an 18-year-old raised on country and rock music.

 

So much for history, however not interesting. But, back to my point. As I was considering our times, and the Scripture’s words about future times, an old (and I do mean old) country song popped into my brain. (Do old songs strangely pop into your mind too?) If you are old enough, you might remember Lynn Anderson’s hit “I Beg Your Pardon - I Never Promised You A Rose Garden.” (Circa 1970.)

 

A recent series on “Turning Point” from Dr. David Jeremiah pointed out that God’s Word tells of future times when things get worse and worse. Like what the Apostle Paul said in Second Timothy 3:1 - “…mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” What follows is a grim list of conditions that look an awful lot like these days. And, our LORD detailed in Matthew 24 what the last days would look like. Again, much like our days.

 

In another narrative, in John 16:33 Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!”

 

Hopefully, that reminder will be a key for us…a promise on which we can rely. If you are like me, you don’t see conditions getting much better. The world certainly does not offer much hope, does it?

 

But,the LORD DOES offer hope! Jeremiah (you know, the Weeping Prophet!) watched the horrifying destruction of his country. It broke his heart. However, even as he lamented that destruction, he could say: “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him, it is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26.) As we eagerly await the LORD’s return, we have hope. I guess the waiting in these times is the hard part! It’s real character builder!

 

Jesus encourages us to endure. Not to falter. To trust in Him. He assures us He has overcome the world. And, He will never leave or forsake us. And, oh yes! From Matthew 28: “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That’s great news, because on our own we can’t make it.

 

Finally (about time, right?) Jesus exhorts us at His coming to “…be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” That is a promise! He will come!

 

OK, now, finally, for real. King David gives us hopein Psalm 40, as we wait on Jesus return:

 

“I waited patiently for the Lord;
     he turned to me and heard my cry.
 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
     out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
     and gave me a firm place to stand.
 3 He put a new song in my mouth,
     a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
     and put their trust in him.”

 

It may not always be a rose garden, but He IS with us, with a purpose, as we wait on Him.


-Ken Andrews, United Ministries VP

Share The Light Tips of the Day

By Dave Andrews • 04 Apr, 2024
Our annual Spring FriendRaiser is underway for the month of April; and as a part of that, our theme this year is Share The Light. As you share the Gospel and the Light of Christ, KJOL has compiled 30 tips for every day of the month. Here they are:

Songs that say THANK YOU!

By Kurt Neuswanger • 04 Apr, 2024
During KJOL’s April “Friendraiser” month, we want to say THANK YOU to our faithful supporters. And THANK YOU to everyone who makes a first-time donation. And finally THANK YOU to God, the giver of all good gifts in our lives, starting with Jesus Christ! KJOL has a lot of new songs that say THANK YOU. I hope you enjoy them! That Thank You Song! Citizen Way Thank God Stars Go Dim Thank You Life.Church Worship I Thank God Housefires Thanks Giver Crowder Thanks and Praise Lucy Grimble and Vineyard Music A Thousand Thank Yous Sarah Kroger Thankful VERSES Thank You Jesus For The Blood Charity Gayle

Four More New Artists

By Kurt Neuswanger • 07 Mar, 2024
In January, we told you about four new artists at the KJOL music blog . This month, we have four more new artists. Jordan Smith “This Is Jesus” Jordan Smith is a 30 year old Kentucky native who grew up singing in the church choir. In 2015, he won NBC’s The Voice. He sang “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and "Mary Did You Know." Natalie Layne “Amen” Natalie Layne is a 24 year old Colorado Springs native, where she was a worship leader at New Life Church. She received a masters degree in piano from Belmont University in Nashville. In 2019, she won Belmont’s Christian Showcase. She continues to serve as a worship leader at her church in Nashville. Terrian “Big God” Terrian (Woods) is a singer/songwriter from Memphis. She is also a member of TobyMac's band Diverse City. And she serves on the staff of AngelStreet in Memphis, which mentors girls as part of an all girls choir. Seph Schleuter “Counting My Blessings” Seph Schlueter ( pronounced “seff shleeter”) spent 7 years as a missionary. In 2020 he formed the worship collective Damascus Worship, in conjunction with the organization “Damascus” which conducts two-year programs to develop leaders who will impact their generation for Christ with the aim of bringing revival to the Catholic Church.

Oh The Many Repairs...

By Dave Andrews • 04 Mar, 2024
He had noticed we had been off the air on 94.5 FM in Delta…and I related to him it was one of “those” weekends for our poor equipment. Not only did our AM 1400 Delta transmitter go down causing us to make a very expensive replacement only weeks before, but our FM transmitter in Delta went down at the same time as our Montrose 91.9FM transmitter, and only hours after our whole network went down across the Western Slope!

February Update

By Dave Andrews • 05 Feb, 2024
The other day a kindly woman knocked on my door asking for a donation to help build the local swimming pool. I came back with a glass of water. Doesn’t it feel great to give to a good cause??

"How Great Thou Art" 75th Anniversary Edition

By Kurt Neuswanger • 31 Jan, 2024
The English version of the hymn “How Great Thou Art” turns 75 years old in 2024. To mark the anniversary, a new recording has been released, including a brand new verse by Matt Redman. First a little history… Swedish pastor Carl Boberg wrote the original lyrics in 1885. Boberg said that after a strong thunderstorm passed by, he opened his window and heard church bells ringing. He immediately was inspired to write his poem, set to the tune of a Swedish folk melody. It was translated into Russian, where English missionary Stuart Hine heard it while in Ukraine in 1931. He wrote two new verses (3 & 4) and translated it into English in 1949—which is the 75 th anniversary. British missionaries around the world soon began to spread the song. Eventually it reached Billy Graham and George Beverly Shea , who performed it during Graham’s 1957 New York Crusade. The audience liked it so much, they asked Shea to sing it over and over. Graham then used it every week on his Hour Of Decision radio program. Fifteen artists have now collaborated to record the 75th anniversary edition, called “How Great Thou Art (Until That Day)” . When you hear the song on KJOL, the first two voices are from Chris Tomlin and Hillary Scott . The remaining voices include: Kari Jobe and her husband, Cody Carnes Naomi Raine (Maverick City Music) Taya (formerly with Hillsong) Blessing Offor (from Nigeria) Matt Maher (who also plays piano) Matt Redman For the 75 th anniversary, the Stuart Hine Trust commissioned Matt Redman and Mitch Wong to write a new fifth verse: Until that day When heaven bids us welcome, And as we walk this broken warring world, Your kingdom come, Deliver us from evil, And we’ll proclaim our God how great You are! And we’ll proclaim, our God how great You are Redman said they wanted to tie the verse to Stuart Hine’s work in Ukraine, especially in light of the current conflict there. “I wanted the word ‘war’ in there,” said Redman . “It’s kind of a gritty word. But we have to sing about both the everyday and the eternal.” Time will tell if the fifth verse becomes a staple in hymnals. But few will argue that “How Great Thou Art” is one of America’s favorite hymns. And with this new rendition, hopefully it will continue to be loved by future generations.
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