Grace Classics: Escape to Reality Greatest Hits, Volume 2 by Paul Ellis Page A
Authors: Paul Ellis
Tags: Chistian Grace
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Scripture quotations marked “ AMP” are
taken from the Amplified Bible. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scriptures quotations marked “GNB” are taken from the
Good News Bible.
Copyright © 1994 published by the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
UK,
Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the King James
Version of the Bible (1611).
Scripture quotations marked “MSG” are taken from The
Message . Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked “ NKJV” are
taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked “YLT” are taken from Young’s
Literal Translation of the Bible (1898).
Please note that KingsPress’ publishing style capitalizes certain
pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may
differ from some publisher’s styles.
Cover layout and design by Brad Wallace of bradwallaceimaging.com.
Any Internet addresses printed in this book are offered as a
resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by
KingsPress, nor does KingsPress vouch for the content of these sites for the
life of this book.
Version: 1.0 (February 2015)
Dedication:
This is for Escape to Reality readers whose kindness and patience over the
years have helped me sharpen my message.
A Word Before
When I was about fourteen years
old I was involved in a number of school bands. I wasn’t a very good musician,
but what I lacked in talent I made up for in volume.
One time
the head of the music department asked me and a couple of friends to perform at
a Christmas party at a home for intellectually-handicapped people. I was
reluctant to go. “We only know two songs.” I wasn’t joking. Of course, the
other band members and I each knew more than two songs, but there were only two
songs we knew how to play together. One was Herbie Hancock’s classic
“Watermelon Man” and the other was the theme to The Pink Panther. It wasn’t much of a repertoire, but we were just kids.
“Well,
just play those two songs,” said the head. “You’ll be fine.” So we went to the
home for intellectually-handicapped people and played “Watermelon Man” followed
by “The Pink Panther” and then “Watermelon Man” again followed by “The Pink
Panther” again and we did this for two straight hours. We tried to mix it up by
throwing in extended solos and dramatic finishes, but there was no hiding our
limited repertoire.
To our
surprise and delight, the audience loved us. Every time we began a new song we
heard murmurs of excitement ripple through the crowd. “I know this one!” Maybe
they were being kind or perhaps they had genuinely forgotten that we had just played
the same song five minutes earlier, but we made a great impression. We were the
band that plays the songs everybody knows.
It’s
possible that the people in that home had not heard “Watermelon Man” or the
theme to The Pink Panther before that night, but I guarantee those two
songs were not quickly forgotten. I like to think they became Christmas
classics which are replayed every year.
This
experience reminds me of something the apostle Paul said:
Further,
my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write
the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you… Rejoice in the
Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 3:1, 4:4)
When it came to singing the
praises of a good God, Paul was not afraid of playing the same songs again and
again. He may have been the smartest guy in the Roman Empire but wherever he
went he preached the same simple
Scripture quotations marked “ AMP” are
taken from the Amplified Bible. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scriptures quotations marked “GNB” are taken from the
Good News Bible.
Copyright © 1994 published by the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
UK,
Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the King James
Version of the Bible (1611).
Scripture quotations marked “MSG” are taken from The
Message . Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked “ NKJV” are
taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked “YLT” are taken from Young’s
Literal Translation of the Bible (1898).
Please note that KingsPress’ publishing style capitalizes certain
pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may
differ from some publisher’s styles.
Cover layout and design by Brad Wallace of bradwallaceimaging.com.
Any Internet addresses printed in this book are offered as a
resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by
KingsPress, nor does KingsPress vouch for the content of these sites for the
life of this book.
Version: 1.0 (February 2015)
Dedication:
This is for Escape to Reality readers whose kindness and patience over the
years have helped me sharpen my message.
A Word Before
When I was about fourteen years
old I was involved in a number of school bands. I wasn’t a very good musician,
but what I lacked in talent I made up for in volume.
One time
the head of the music department asked me and a couple of friends to perform at
a Christmas party at a home for intellectually-handicapped people. I was
reluctant to go. “We only know two songs.” I wasn’t joking. Of course, the
other band members and I each knew more than two songs, but there were only two
songs we knew how to play together. One was Herbie Hancock’s classic
“Watermelon Man” and the other was the theme to The Pink Panther. It wasn’t much of a repertoire, but we were just kids.
“Well,
just play those two songs,” said the head. “You’ll be fine.” So we went to the
home for intellectually-handicapped people and played “Watermelon Man” followed
by “The Pink Panther” and then “Watermelon Man” again followed by “The Pink
Panther” again and we did this for two straight hours. We tried to mix it up by
throwing in extended solos and dramatic finishes, but there was no hiding our
limited repertoire.
To our
surprise and delight, the audience loved us. Every time we began a new song we
heard murmurs of excitement ripple through the crowd. “I know this one!” Maybe
they were being kind or perhaps they had genuinely forgotten that we had just played
the same song five minutes earlier, but we made a great impression. We were the
band that plays the songs everybody knows.
It’s
possible that the people in that home had not heard “Watermelon Man” or the
theme to The Pink Panther before that night, but I guarantee those two
songs were not quickly forgotten. I like to think they became Christmas
classics which are replayed every year.
This
experience reminds me of something the apostle Paul said:
Further,
my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write
the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you… Rejoice in the
Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 3:1, 4:4)
When it came to singing the
praises of a good God, Paul was not afraid of playing the same songs again and
again. He may have been the smartest guy in the Roman Empire but wherever he
went he preached the same simple
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