Welcome Back

 

The sixth song on Love Song's debut album is "Welcome Back." It is a soft ballad directed toward those who once were believers, have stepped away from the faith, and are now feeling the love of Jesus drawing them back to belief.

via GIPHY

Welcome back to the things that you once believed in

Welcome back to what you knew was right from the start

All you had to do was to be what you always wanted to be

Welcome back to the love that is in your heart

I know that you thought you could turn your back

And no one could see in your mind

But I can see that you know better now

You never were the untruthful kind

Yeah, and I'm so happy now to welcome you back

Sometimes you just don't know what you're missin'

'Til you leave it for a while

Woooh-Welcome back

Welcome back

Welcome back (Welcome back to Jesus)

Chuck Girard

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Truth is...Just like the prodigal son's father, Yahweh is always willing to welcome a person back into his loving arms. There is no such thing as being beyond the reach of forgiveness.

Freedom

 

For the young hippies who listened to the album Love Song when it was first released in 1972, their search for meaning and truth and freedom was real.

The group that made that album was also called Love Song and they had recently found the source of all the answers. All they wanted to do was tell their friends what they had found.

Jesus is the One that makes me never, ever want to spend another day without Him

Jesus is the One who shows me every time I turn around that I could never doubt Him

Jesus is the One that makes me want to shout the news above the rooftops

Shout the joyful news and let the people know that Jesus is the Lord!

Jesus is the One who changes slowly, all the evil things that dwell so deep inside me

Jesus is the One who cares forever, never let me down and never failed to guide me

Jesus is the One that makes me want to shout the news above the rooftops

Come on, let's shout the joyful news, and let the people know that Jesus is the Lord!

He's the Lord!

He'll do the same for you! (He'll give you freedom)

He's reaching out for you! (He'll give you freedom)

He's the only One who's true! (He'll give you freedom)

He'll set you free...

All He wants to do is to show you His love

and to comfort you

All you gotta do is take Him at His word

(Chuck Girard)

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Truth is...Hippies weren't, and aren't, the only ones desiring a sense of meaning and freedom from guilt. In the words of another song, "All the world over, so easy to see; people everywhere just wanna be free." The good news is, Jesus is still the answer.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

Little Country Church

 

Sad to say, it has probably been true throughout most of the history of the church that some church people have had an attitude that directly opposed the heart of God. Namely, there have been those who have said, either inwardly or right out loud, "We don't want that kind of people here."

The good news is that Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California did not have that attitude back in 1970 when four "long-haired freaky people" walked into the church building and asked if they could play some songs the Lord had been giving them as part of their brand new commitment to Jesus.

The foursome called themselves "Love Song" and they were not the only hippies coming to Christ. History was made as the church welcomed them all with open arms and loving hearts.

It was so noteworthy, Love Song put together several notes and words to come up with the song, "Little Country Church."

Little country church on the edge of town

Doo-do-do-dn-do-do-do

People comin' every day from miles around

For meetings and for Sunday school

And it's very plain to see it's not the way it used to be

Preacher isn't talkin' 'bout religion no more

He just wants to praise the Lord

People aren't as stuffy as they were before

They just want to praise the Lord

And it's very plain to see it's not the way it used to be

They're talkin' 'bout revival and the need for love

That little church has come alive

Workin' with each other for the common good

Puttin' all the past aside

Long hair, short hair, some coats and ties

People finally comin' around

Lookin' past the hair and straight into the eyes

People finally comin' around

And it's very plain to see it's not the way it used to be

(Chuck Girard - Fred Field)

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Truth is...The church still needs to love God and love people...all people. We can still make history!

Two Hands

 

If you haven't noticed yet, we're taking a lyrical tour through an album that set several standards for musical artists involved in the Jesus movement of the late Sixties and early Seventies. It's by a group called Love Song and is titled Love Song.

My personal connection to this song is that it's simple enough for me to play on guitar, which I have done on more than one occasion. One particularly memorable performance was with a ministry co-worker named Bob Damon, with whom I worked for several years, encouraging church members to live out the truth found in these words.

We're all gathered here because we all believe

If there's a doubter in the crowd, we ask you not to leave

Give a listen to His story

Hear the message that we bring

Feel the faith swell up inside you

Lift your voice with us and sing

Accept Him with your whole heart

And use your own two hands

With one reach out to Jesus

And with the other, bring a friend

Many know Him well, others just by name

If you don't know for what He stands

You've really much to gain

With faith you can move mountains

These are common words but true

We aren't quite a mountain

But He's moved us here to you

Accept Him with your whole heart

And use your own two hands

With one reach out to Jesus

And with the other, bring a friend

(Tom Coomes - Chuck Butler)

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Truth is...Our marching orders from Jesus are to do just this. Love God and love people enough to make sure they aren't missing out on His great love for us.

Changes

 

The second song on Love Song's groundbreaking first album, also called Love Song, is titled "Changes," and it's a testimony about having found in Jesus the source and empowerment of a lasting life-change.

(Shout out to friend and pioneering Jesus music disc jockey, Rob Whitehurst, for using this song as the theme music for his show!)

I try so hard each day to shed a little light

To keep each moment of my life both full and bright

Believing in the feeling that I know is right

And here's the reason why I feel so good tonight

I'm doing what I want to and it's part of me

Keeping close to Jesus, that's the way it's got to be

Knowing that this feeling will flow eternally

And what I am, is all I have to be

I'm goin' through changes

Changes in my mind

Holding on to good things that I find

I'm goin' through changes

Changes in my mind

And I'm leaving all my emptiness behind

Yes, I'm leaving all my emptiness behind

(Chuck Girard - Dennis Correl)

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Truth is...if knowing Jesus hasn't changed me for the better, maybe I don't really know Jesus.

Love Song

 

Love Song is not only the name of one of the very first Christian rock bands, but it is also the title of their first album AND the first song on that album. With this month being the 50th anniversary of its release, it is high time this album gets the Truth Is track-by-track treatment.

The group broke the trail for all the Jesus musicians and Contemporary Christian Music artists that would follow. The song set the standard for artistry and evangelism that the group always kept at the center of their focus.

Lend an ear to a love song

Oooh a love song

Let it take you, let it start

What can you hear in a love song?

If you can feel it

Then you’re feelin’ from the heart

All the emotions, true feelings of life

is what music of love is about

If you are listening with peace in your heart

and no doubt

So listen now to a love song

If you can hear it

We will never be apart

(Chuck Girard - Jesse Johnston)

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Truth is...Take this song on its own, and you could be excused for thinking this is just another romantic attempt at getting a song on Top 40 radio. (In fact, my Beloved and I sang it to each other as part of our wedding vows!) But in the context of the whole album and the band's whole career, it's easy to see that Jesus is the love song they want everyone to hear.

Joy or Cynicism. You Choose.

 

Whether you're basically happy or generally discontented may very well be a matter of choice.

Allow me, please, a pair of paragraphs from The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J. M. Nouwen:

I don't have to wait until all is well, but I can celebrate every little hint of the Kingdom that is at hand. This is a real discipline. It requires choosing for the light even when there is much darkness to frighten me, choosing for life even when the forces of death are so visible, and choosing for the truth even when I am surrounded with lies. I am tempted to be so impressed by the obvious sadness of the human condition that I no longer claim the joy manifesting itself in many small but very real ways. The reward of choosing joy is joy itself. Living among people with mental disabilities has convinced me of that. There is so much rejection, pain, and woundedness among us, but once you choose to claim the joy hidden in the midst of all suffering, life becomes celebration. Joy never denies the sadness, but transforms it to a fertile soil for more joy.

For me it is amazing to experience daily the radical difference between cynicism and joy. Cynics seek darkness wherever they go. They point always to approaching dangers, impure motives, and hidden schemes. They call trust naive, care romantic, and forgiveness sentimental. They sneer at enthusiasm, ridicule spiritual fervor, and despise charismatic behavior. They consider themselves realists who see reality for what it truly is and who are not deceived by "escapist emotions." But in belittling God's joy, their darkness only calls forth more darkness.

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Truth is...I hope you consider this a call to "choose you this day" what lens to view the world through. As for me and my house, I'm on Jesus' side when he said "I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!"  - John 15:11 (NLT)