DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Seven

What is our Christian responsibility regarding the redemption of our country?

Let's Get Upset

Leviticus 18:24-28 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. (25) Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. (26) But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, (27) for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. (28) And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Psalms 33:8-12 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. (9) For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (10) The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. (11) But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Colossians 3:1-14 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (3) For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (5) Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (6) Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (7) You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. (8) But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (9) Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices (10) and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (11) Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (12) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (14) And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 Let's Get Upset Lyrics

I was raised in America when streets were safe and children learned to pray, learned to pray,
Things have changed and it's not the same: the hand of God that we felt has gone away, gone away.

Let's get upset, and turn this country upside down,
Let's get upset,
With Jesus' help we'll turn this land around

We used to blush at vulgarity; now we watch while the TV plays all night, plays all night,
Used to stand with our backbones strong, now the drugs turn our courage into fright, it's not right.

Let's get upset, and turn this country upside down,
Let's get upset,
With Jesus' help we'll turn this land around

If we, as Christians, pray, the Lord will clear the way,
We are examples to the rest,
And if we place God first he will heal all our hurts,
And we will see our country blessed, yeah.

Let's get upset and turn this country upside down,
Let's get upset,
With Jesus' help we'll turn this land around.

Let's get upset, (got to get upset, yeah)
Let's get upset,
Let's get upset,
Let's get upset,
Let's get upset,
Let's get upset.

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Six

Who is life in the present so-called “New Age” as sinful as ever?

Life in the New Age

Matthew 24:4-14 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. (5) For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. (6) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. (7) Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (8) All these are the beginning of birth pains. (9) Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. (10) At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, (11) and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (12) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, (13) but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (14) And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:36-39 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (37) As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (38) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; (39) and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. (2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, (4) treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (6) They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, (7) always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Matthew 25:41-46 Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (42) For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, (43) I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' (44) They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' (45) He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' (46) Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Deuteronomy 18:10-14 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, (11) or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (12) Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. (13) You must be blameless before the LORD your God. (14) The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

Romans 1:18-25 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, (19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. (20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. (24) Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (25) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

Life in the New Age Lyrics

The condor sleeps safe in the wild...we can't save an unborn child,
That's life in the new age, life in the new age,
Can't stop drugs, can't stop AIDS, can't undo the mess we made,
That's life in the new age, that's life in the new age,
And children around the world will starve, while we sit in a seminar,
That's life in the new age, life in the new age,
Mum reads astrology, the kids are raised by MTV
That's life in the new age, life in the new age,
God is self, self is God - I can see why you're so odd,
That's life in the new age, life in the new age,
Children 'round the world will starve, while we sit in a seminar,
That's life in the new age, life in the new age.

Could this be the end we're seeing, racing toward that final page?
If it is, we'll soon be leaving.

So pack up your bags, get ready to go out of the world, out of the New Age, yeah.

Life in the new age,
It's life in the new age,
It's life in the new age,
In the new age,
In the new age,
In the new age,
(fade)

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Five

What must each of us do to receive eternal life? Take...

The Pledge

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:20-26 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (21) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (22) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (25) God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- (26) he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Philippians 3:7-16 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (10) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (11) and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (12) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (13) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (15) All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. (16) Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Acts 2:37-39 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (38) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (5) Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (6) These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. (7) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (8) Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (9) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

The Pledge Lyrics

He died for me, I'll live for him.

It's a world of choices, patterned to confuse,
Distracting, little voices whisper what to do,
Searching for the pieces, one step from the edge,
Turn your heart to Jesus, make this solemn pledge...

He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him.

Above all lords and regents, he is king of kings,
I'm pledging my allegiance through these words I sing,
Take this oath of service, write it on your wall,
It's our only purpose for living life at all.

He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him.

He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
He died for me, I'll live for him,
(fade)

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Four

How do you feel knowing that friendships in Christ last forever?

Hand in Hand

Matthew 22:34-40 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. (35) One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: (36) Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? (37) Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

John 17:20-23 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (21) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (22) I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: (23) I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. (26) If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (27) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Romans 12:4-8 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, (5) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (6) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. (7) If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; (8) if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

1 John 3:16-18 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (17) If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (18) Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:7-11 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (9) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (10) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (11) Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 Hand in Hand Lyrics

When you look out of your window late at night, whisper a prayer for the friends you made in life,
Do you remember the ones that helped you make it through?
Are you ready to lend a hand when others need you too?

Hand in hand, we walk together,
Hand in hand,
We'll serve the Lord forever, hand in hand.

Our only treasure that won't rust of fade are friendships that stand on love given away,
So love one another, and love the Lord with all your heart, 'cause that's the way that friendships last and the place that we should start.

Hand in hand, we walk together,
Hand in hand,
We'll serve the Lord forever,
Hand in hand, we walk together,
Hand in hand,
We'll serve the Lord forever, hand in hand.

Love one another and love the Lord with all your heart, 'cause that's the way that friendships last and the place that we should start.

Hand in hand, we walk together,
Hand in hand,
We'll serve the Lord forever,
Hand in hand, we walk together,
Hand in hand,
We'll serve the Lord forever, hand in hand.

(Hand in hand)
We walk together,
(Hand in hand)
Hand in hand,
(Hand in hand)
We walk together,
(Hand in hand)
As we serve the Lord together.

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Three

How should the fact that Jesus died for us affect our self-esteem?

I'm Accepted

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Galatians 3:26-28 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:6-9 But godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (8) But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. (9) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Romans 5:8-11 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (10) For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (11) Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (2) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, (4) in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

 I'm Accepted Lyrics

I may not be rich
Don’t wear fashion clothes
Don’t live in a mansion
Don’t have much that shows
Never won a contest in popularity
Don’t have much to offer
But Jesus loves me
I’m accepted, accepted
I’m accepted by the One who matters most
Never set a record in sports agility
Never was magnetic in personality
That don’t really matter
I’ll do the best I can
‘Cause there’s a God above me
Who loves me like I am
I’m accepted, accepted
I’m accepted by the One who matters most
If you think you’re a loser
When you fail it seems at everything you do
Just remember there’s a Savior
And you are worth enough
He gave His life for you
I’m accepted, accepted
I’m accepted by the One who matters most

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics Day Two

The closer we grow to Christ, the more we feel like....

Aliens & Strangers

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Peter 2:9-12 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (10) Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (11) Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. (12) Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (9) By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. (10) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Lyrics - 

Sunday morning, the pews are filled with friends of mine, yea, friends of mine
And for the first time, I look around and I realize, I realize My closest friends are aliens and strangers, travelers here, living with danger
My closest friends are aliens and strangers, travelers here, living with danger

I used to wonder why they act so strange
Now I know, yea, now I know
I heard the preacher say
This world we’re in is not our home, it’s not our home
My closest friends are aliens and strangers, travelers here, living with danger
My closest friends are aliens and strangers, travelers here, living with danger
They’re pilgrims just passing through
Heroes from their homeland
And since I’ve discovered the truth
I look at my friends
And I can’t help but think that
All my friends, they’re aliens
Just passing through, yea, they’re aliens

DeGarmo & Key "The Pledge" Verses & Lyrics

Back when I was in college I discovered the Christian band, "DeGarmo & Key". One of their albums (The Pledge) remains one of my favorite albums to this day. Recently I came across the cassette that I used to listen to, discovered in the notes several verses to each song. I decided to look up each verse and save it to a text document. For the next ten days I'll publish the verses for one of the songs off the album, plus the lyrics.

All Scripture taken from NIV version 1984, because that's the version I was using at the time I was first listening to this cassette.  

 

From the words to the Word...

What can we do to make an eternal difference in someone's life?

Boycott Hell

1Peter 4:7-10 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. (8) Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (9) Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Ephesians 4:2-7 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (7) But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (13) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. (14) Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Revelation 20:14-15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. (15) If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. (2) I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. (4) He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

DeGarmo & Key - Boycott Hell

We've got the strength to win
Standing arm in arm together.
Forget our differences,
We can change the world forever.
Bury your foolish pride.
We've gotta unionize.
Boy, don't you think it's
Time to boycott hell?

Don't let a neighbor go,
Form a holy picket line.
We've gotta let them know.
Don't you think it's time
To boycott hell.

Don't let a neighbor go,
Form a holy picket line.
We've gotta let them know.
Don't you think it's time
To boycott hell.

We've got a job to do.
We're running out of time to do it.
You've got a gift to use.
Get out in the world and use it.
Bury your foolish pride.
We've gotta unionize.
Boy, don't you think it's time
To boycott hell.

Boycott hell.

More rain for Oklahoma City!

Another round of storms moved through the metro last night. Supposed to be tornadoes, but they fell apart once they got past Chickasha and turned into straight line storms. Lots of rain this season, that should be it for the drought!