Tuesday, November 13, 2012

When the Lord stops him, that'll be it !! Too late . . .


I don’t care what anyone says, this is a great song! (From 1976-1977)  I don’t exactly know where Phil Keaggy is spiritually today, but he seems like a mild Charismatic Christian.  I like his music and sometimes he has some great music with really good Biblical words and concepts. His pro-life song, "Who will speak up for the little ones?" is also really great and beautiful.   Last time I posted a song of his, some one commented that they thought he had converted to Roman Catholicism.  I cannot find substantial evidence of that; although he seems to lean to a more “ecumenical” type of thinking when the issue comes up. 
I am not Charismatic nor third wave nor a Reformed "continualist" on miraculous sign gifts (Wayne Grudem, Samuel Storms; John Piper to a lesser emphasis, it seems to me), but I do like good classic Rock n Roll music (stuff like this would be great for a Friday night outreach to youth with Biblical preaching of the gospel; but no, I don't want this on Sunday morning); and I wish there was more of it, in quality that is; of it with Christian words.  Keith Green was another really good classic rock Christian song writer and singer.   I don't want heavy Rock for worship; but I like good hymns that have been updated with acoustic guitars and flutes; and I also like the good hymns of worship with just piano.  Lots of variety with quality performance and making a joyful noise is good.  If we don't update a little, we loose young people.  (Just my opinion, as I see worship leaders now using 70s and 80s praise choruses that were considered anathema by them at that time, that are using them today.  (30 years too late!)  
Anyway . . .
This is a great rock n roll song that communicates the truth of Hebrews 9:27 – “and in as much as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes the judgment.”
Time is running out for all of us; one day each one of us will die, and we will have to face God, the Holy One, in the judgment.   One day, time will stop; “When the Lord stops him, that’ll be it!” – God is sovereign and controls time, and one day He will bring it to an end. 
Repent and believe in Jesus Christ, before it is too late.  (Mark 1:15; Matthew 3:8; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2; Isaiah 55:6; Acts 17:30-31; Psalm 90)
Time
By Phil Keaggy
Well He hasn't always been around
And He won't always be.
But He's on the move at this moment
Measuring life for you and me.

I fear we all submit to him
Existing anxiously,
And no one is able to turn him off
Except the Lord who holds the key.

When the Lord stops him, that'll be it,
Too late for apologies.
Too late to forgive your brother,
Too late to get on your knees.
When the Lord stops him, that'll be it,
Too late to help the needy
And worst of all it's too late to turn
You must face eternity.

His name is time and he's coming to an end.
His name is time where will you be my friend?
His name is time and he's coming to an end.
His name is time where will you be my friend?

Most people think he'll never stop
He'll go on perpetually,
But old man time is running out
And he'll cease eventually.

When the Lord stops him, that'll be it,
Too late for apologies.
Too late to forgive your brother,
Too late to get on your knees.

When the Lord stops him, that'll be it,
Too late to help the needy
And worst of all it's too late to turn
You must face eternity.

His name is time and he's coming to an end.
His name is time where will you be my friend?
His name is time and he's coming to an end.
His name is time where will you be my friend?


Addendum:
I fully agree with James and Steve Camp's assessment of the Contemporary Christian Music Industry - artists need to be in submission and membership of a good evangelical Biblical Church and have accountability. 

7 comments:

James Swan said...

Someone tried to say Phil went Romanist. I searched around at the time and couldn't verify that.

I've seen Phil a number of times, probably the earliest I saw him was around 1980.

I saw him sometime within the last 10 years, and I was surprised his special guests were two guys from King Crimson.

Very recently I listened to a joint album he did with 2nd Chapter of Acts (yes, it' vinyl), and Annie Herring told a story about how God gave her the Easter Song, and dialogued with her about it . It's a great song, but I could've lived without that story!

Ken said...

I like 2nd Chapter of Acts also - and I appreciate their sincerity and love for the Lord; but I agree with you on their subjective experiential stories.

Was the Album "Who the West Was One" ? Great Album!!

Especially "Yahweh" and Matthew Ward's voice and Phil Keaggy's guitar work - I showed it to my musician son a couple of years ago and he said, "Wow. How come we do any cool songs like that at church?"

Ah youth . . .

Ken said...

Who the west was One

should have been

"How the west was one"

Amazing how more and more I go back and look at something and see mistakes that I never saw before.
I am getting old.

Rhology said...

The guitar and bass work are great.

I much prefer the drum sounds and mixes of modern music.

And don't get me started on the hair. :-)

Ken said...

The words are really great too !!!

Algo said...

James, you might send Steve Camp a p.m on FaceBook. He might know where Phil is these days. I have a friend that knew him 10 yrs ago who told me that Phil's wife was a R.C. and that he attended church with her.

PeaceByJesus said...

I liked 2 chapter of Acts also, esp. their rendition of classic hymns, if not all they exampled. And most music today is too rockish, and with the words being secondary to the instruments as in the world, while musicians themselves are too high and lifted up (even literally) in the church today. And few songs are free to share (Don Francisco, and very few others),