The Ides of March

The Ides of March became famous as the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, a date that became cemented in history as a result of the play by William Shakespeare: 

  CAESAR
      Who is it in the press that calls on me?
      I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
      Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.

  Soothsayer
    Beware the ides of March.

  CAESAR
    What man is that?

  BRUTUS
    A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

  CAESAR
    Set him before me; let me see his face.

  CASSIUS
    Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

  CAESAR
    What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.

  Soothsayer
    Beware the ides of March.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Vincenzo Camuccini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fast forward 2019 years.

The Ides of March, 1975

It was Saturday, and on that evening, as I had most Saturdays for the previous two months, I was with a bunch of young people in the Fellowship Hall of the Baptist Church of Cheshire. As per usual, there was a time of singing, after which someone would share a devotional (though I would not have known or used that term in that point of my life) and afterwards would be some kind of activity followed by a trip to Napoli's Pizza in Wallingford—the latter two things being the main reasons I was there.

The person who gave the devotional that evening was a young man by the name of Ed Kenerson. Ed had been around these Saturday evening get-togethers in its early years, and he had returned to share that evening. At one point, he asked if anyone would like to receive Jesus into their lives. I did not totally understand what that meant, only that we often recited a verse about it in one of the songs we would sing:

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12)

I raised my hand. I thought it was a relatively minor thing. In my mind I thought to myself, "it's time to stop running from God." I did not know how the trajectory of my life was about to make a major change, like pointing a canon in a totally different direction than what it had been pointing to previously.

That was 50 years ago today. It's easy for me to remember because we had been reading Julius Caesar in English class, and so the phrase "Ides of March" was stuck in my brain.

As for some of the ways that decision affected my life, I wrote more about that here.

I don't regret that decision to follow Jesus. There was a time I thought about turning back, which I mentioned in another blog. There are times I get fed up with churches, but not The Church. Sometimes, the way other Christians behave makes me think, "If that is what being a Christian is about, then I don't want to be one." But I never made a decision to follow other people, I made a decision to follow Jesus. It's His life we are to emulate, not the lives of others. Over the course of the last half-century, people have often failed me. Jesus has not.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 - ESV)

Through all the good times and hard times of the last 50 years, Jesus has brought consistency to my life. His light—His presence—brings me peace even in times of inquietude. And I especially need that these days, when so many people seem to seek after false messiahs.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 - ESV)

God, give me grace and strength and wisdom to stay the course, until such time that you call me to be with You.

I Worship You

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 ESV)

I Worship You

© Edd Russell

Bakersfield 9/19/2000

 

Song Order: C-C-1-C-2-C

 

CHORUS:

D                     G   D                      G

    Lord my God,      Lord my Love,

D                      G                       D

    Lord my God, (I worship You.)—repeat before verses

                                                            3x at end.

 

VERSE 1:

                 A           G

And You are the One

              A              G

Who shines above

                  A         G

Giving Light to all

                   A                   C

With the light of Your love:

                      D  G                       D

I worship You.       I worship You.

 

VERSE 2

                   A         G

And You give to me

                  A               G

Such abounding grace,

                  A               C

Sending Your only Son

       A                  C

To die in my place:

                     D   G                      D

I worship You.       I worship You.

 

 

Come and Set Me Free

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Romans 7:15 KJV

I remember reading Romans 7:15 as a new believer and finding the KJV wording both amusing and intriguing. (We didn't have such a great selection of Bible translations in those days.) I remember thinking that if Paul, who had been a believer for some time AND who wrote a good chunk of the New Testament couldn't get it together, then what hope is there for me as a new believer? But, at the same time, if there was hope for Paul who still struggled with sin even after many years as a believer, then there is also hope for me! After being a believer for about 20 years, this was my musical take on this.

COME AND SET ME FREE

© Edd Russell

(January 1995, Bakersfield)

 

CHORUS:

 G - A    D                           Bm

Jesus, come and set me free

                   G              A                       D

from the things that bind me to the world.

 G - A     D                         Bm

Jesus, come and set me free

                  G                A                     D

from the things that keep me from You.

 

VERSE 1:

D              G   -   A         D

I want to love You, O Lord...

     G             A                  D

to love You as You love me.

          G            A

But I find I cannot,

                    D                              Bm

there are things that make me stop--

         G                     A         D

that keep me from loving you.

 

VERSE 2:

D               G   -   A          D

I want to serve You, O Lord...

       G             A                   D

to serve You as You serve me.

          G            A

But I find I cannot,

                    D                              Bm

there are things that make me stop--

         G                     A         D

that keep me from serving you.

 

TAG:

                   G                A                      D

From the things that keep me from You,

                   G                A                      D

From the things that keep me from You,

G - A     D                         Bm

Jesus, come and set me free

                  G                A                     D

from the things that keep me from You.

Morning Prayers

I am a morning person, a topic I address in a humorous fashion here. (I am one of those who refer to the practice of changing time in the spring as DST—Daylight Stealing Time—because the night people steal daylight from the morning people. But tonight we get to claim our morning hour of daylight back!) As such, my best time to try to connect with God is the morning. These three songs are from morning prayers.

Speak to Me

Speak to Me

© Edd Russell

Fresno 8/2006

 

 

CHORUS

C                        Em

In the morning, Lord

Dm                     G

When my heart is tender;

C                     Em

As the dawn awakes,

Dm                     G

When my mind is fresh,

 

 

VERSE 1

Dm          G

Speak to me, Lord.

Dm        G

Let me hear Your voice.

Dm          G

Speak to me, Lord.

Dm         G

Let me know Your truth.

 

 

VERSE 2

Come to me, Lord

Fill me with Your Spirit.

Come to me, Lord,

Fill me with Your pow’r.

Take Away

Take Away

© Edd Russell

Bakersfield 2001

AM7                      DM7

    Lord, I want to follow You today,

AM7                                 DM7

    You’re the One Who knows the only way;

AM7                          DM7

    And I know I can trust and follow You,

AM7                                 DM7

    So take my will, I surrender it to You.

 

Bm7        C#m

    Take away

Bm7        C#m

    Take away

                               Bm7

    The things that take

                              C#m

    Me away from You

                       Bm7

   Away from You. 

Take This Day

Take This Day

© Edd Russell

Fresno 8/2006

 

 

G     D              C2

   In this, Your day, Lord

G        D             C2

   We give You praise.

G       D         C2

   We wish  to live, Lord

G        D               C2

   For You all our days.

 

 

Em7   D       C2

   For You alone

Em7      D         C2

   Know all our needs,

Em7   D              C2

   We cry out to You

Em7   D             C2

         Oh, Lord, please

 

G   D/F#        Em7   C2

     Take this day

G          D/F#      Em7      C2

     You made for us that we might

G   D/F#     Em7   C2

     Go Your way

 

Vamp: C2      D

 

End: Fade on  G D C2

 

Holy Flame

This song is about the church being a light to the world. It is not enough that we be good evangelists. We need to demonstrate to love of God to a needy world.

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)

This is another song I introduced while at Fellowship Bible Church. This is the first song I wrote that required two parts, though in this version I am doing both parts myself.

Holy Flame

© Edd Russell, 1997

 

Song Order: Intro-A-B-A-B-End

 

Intro

E-A-E-B-E-A-E-B

A

E   A   E         A   E

Je  -  sus, Je  -  sus

A          B                    E                                  B            A

    We long for Your passion

                                                     (Set our hearts on fire)

             B                E                    B      A

Please renew our vision 

                                 (Make us a holy flame)

                        B               E                              B             A

To touch the hurting around us

                                                         (to light up the world)

                     B    

With Your Love

                               (with Your Love)

B

E   A   E         A   E

Je  -  sus, Je  -  sus

C#m           A              B

Set    our hearts on fire.     ↓

C#m           A ♫       B

Make us a ho-ly flame         ↑

C#m          A           B

To    light up the world       ↓

                    E-A-E-B

With Your love         (2x) (3x-second time)

C

E   A   E         A   E         A   E

Je  -  sus, Je  -  sus, Je  -  sus

You Reign on High

I have usually tended to prefer mellow music. Most of my early guitar playing was finger-picking as opposed to strumming. But when we moved back to the US from Haiti, and I started to get involved leading worship in church settings, I had to broaden my horizons. This short song was one of my attempts at a non-mellow piece. I would still consider it atypical from what I would usually play. I introduced it at the church we were attending in Bakersfield (Fellowship Bible Church). Kenny, even though just a young teenager did a great job with the drums, and my fellow team members did a great job with the vocals, but I have no recording of that. So here it is with just me. For this song, I use a slightly softer pick than I usually use as it helps with the rapid up-strums. (Usually I use a hard pick because I like the cleaner sound, though I hold it a little more loosely when necessary. But I had trouble holding onto my typical pick this way with the more rapid, hard strumming, so I used something closer to a medium pick.)

(https://www.clipartmax.com/download/m2i8K9m2K9b1Z5N4_praise-the-lord-clipart-lord-reigns-over-all/)

You Reign On High

© Edd Russell

Bakersfield (5/97)

 

(Note: Most E chords below are actually E-A/E(no3) repeated)

 

E                          D     A        E

Jesus, You are Lord of my life.

              D     A            E

Jesus, You reign on high.

                             D         A        E

Jesus, You are Lord of Everything.

                            D              A           E

You reign over earth and sea and sky.

 

                G                     A                      E

You are Lord, You are King, You are God.  (2x)

 

           D             A            E

And I worship You, my Lord   (3x)

 

               G-A-E

Forever more      (2x)

Teach Me Within

I've always been a better thinker than a doer. I'm better with the theoretical than the practical. It doesn't help that I lack coordination. So it is easier for me to design or plan something than it is for me to execute the plan or design. I remember one time while we were living in Haiti. Ingrid's parents were visiting and we thought it would be a good time to finally put up some curtains in the dining room. I made the pattern. Ingrid and her mom made the curtains and her dad hung them. We were each operating in our own gifting.

Our Dining Room Curtains

Unfortunately, this mental thing had also affected my spiritual life. I was good at Bible study. I enjoyed finding out things about God. But I was feeling spiritually dry because my knowledge about God did not always translate into a better relationship with God. When we returned to the US, I decided to place more emphasis on actually developing my relationship with God as opposed to just learning more things about Him. It was during this period in my life I wrote this song. It has more of a country-western feel to it as I felt that style was appropriate for the topic at hand.

Teach Me Within

© Edd Russell (Fall 1994)

 

C                                  F

I've read a lot of books, Lord,

                    C                           G

but that doesn't fill my soul.

       C                        F 

I know a lot of things, Lord,

                     C                                   G

But that doesn't make me whole.

 

CHORUS

F                  G                         C

   What I need, Lord, is You 

F                              G               C

    to come and fill me anew;

         F                        C              F                          G

To teach me within, and keep me from sin,

          F                                        G               C

That I may know what's right and true. (2X)

 

 

I can do a lot of things, Lord,

But that doesn't make me smart;

I've even done some good deeds,

But that doesn't set me apart.

 

I own a lot of things, Lord,

But that doesn't give me wealth;

I can eat well and exercise,

But that doesn't give me health.

 

 

 

Songs from Psalms

Below are three songs adapted from Psalms

Rock of Refuge

Psalm 31:1-3; 14-16 (NIV)

¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
²Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
³Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
¹⁴But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
¹⁶Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.

Rock of Refuge

© Edd Russell (9/98)

Psalm 31:1-3, 14-16

(Song Order: Intro-A-B-C-D-A-B-A/2)

Intro  G - D - C - G - D - C - G

 A

      G                             D   C   G

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge

                              D   C     G

Let me never be put to shame.    (End here)

                                 D       C     G

Deliver me in your righteousness,

                                                   D          Dsus-D-D2

Turn Your ears to me-- come rescue me.

B

G           C          D

Be my Rock of Refuge,

G              Em               C    D

A strong fortress to save me.

G                 C          D

Since You are my Rock

                                  G-Em-C-D

And my (You're my) for  -  tress. 

C

                Em        D            C

But I       trust in You, O Lord;

                    Em  D           C

I say,        "You are my God."

                      Em         D              C

And my       times are in Your hands.

D

     D2                          C2 - C

Deliver me from my enemies.

D2                                             C2   -   C

Let Your face shine on Your servant.

D2                                          C2 - C

Save me in you unfailing love...

How Great is Your Goodness

Psalm 31:19, 20 (ESV)

  Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
  in the sight of the children of mankind!
  In the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
  from the strife of tongues.

One time when reading through this Psalm, I was reminded what Jesus taught us about heaven in John 14:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;1 believe also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
John 14:1, 2 (ESV)

I combined the two thoughts in the following song.

How Great Is Your Goodness

© Edd Russell

Bakersfield 12/2000

CHORUS

           Em                D                    Em

How great is Your goodness, O Lord. 

           Em                D                    Em

How great is Your goodness, O Lord.

              C                 D              Em

Which You    have laid up for me.

      C             D              Em

Because    I fear Your Name.

VERSE 1

C                         D

    You have prepared for me

G      Em

    A secret place;

C                    D

    And I shall rest secure

G                Em

    In Your presence,

     C             D              Em

Because    I   trust in You, 

     C             D              Em

Because    I   trust in You.

VERSE 2

You are preparing

A heav’nly mansion;

I long to be with You

In that dwelling

Because    I love you,

Oh, how I love You

Forever With You

This next song is loosely based on the following text:

Psalm 84:1-4, 10 (NIV)

¹How lovely is your dwelling place,
  O LORD Almighty!
²My soul yearns, even faints,
  for the courts of the LORD;
  my heart and my flesh cry out
  for the living God.
³Even the sparrow has found a home,
  and the swallow a nest for herself,
  where she may have her young—
  a place near your altar,
  O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
  they are ever praising you.
¹⁰Better is one day in your courts
  than a thousand elsewhere;
  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
  than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Forever With You (Psalm 84)

© Edd Russell

Abbotsford 10-11-98

 

INTRO:

D-Bm-G-A-D-Bm-G-Asus-A

 

CHORUS

D                Bm

Lord, I desire

      G                A

To be forever with You;

                  D                     Bm

In Your courts, in Your house

        G                    A                  (End  G-A-D)

Is where I long to be.  (2x)

 

V1

G                D               G                 A

My heart cries out to be in Your Presence;

G             D                          G                           Asus-A

Blessing is found in the place where You dwell.

G                D                 Asus-A

So shall I praise You, Lord.

G              D          Asus-A

In You, I put my trust.

 

V2

G                D                   G                       A

O Lord, Almighty, how lovely is Your dwelling:

G                  D                          G                                   Asus-A

Better one day there than a thousand somewhere else.

G                D                 Asus-A

So shall I praise You, Lord.

G              D          Asus-A

In You, I put my trust.