Track 1:  Twilight of the Gods

I had written this song several years ago and was glad it could finally find a voice.  Ragnarok in Norse mythology was the twilight of the gods and the end of all things.  It was to be triggered when the god Balder was slain by the only thing that could kill him, mistletoe.  Loki guided the hand of the blind god Hoder, who innocently laid Balder low.

The gods of Greece were weak
They were petty, cruel, and mean
In the lines that Homer wrote
This can all be clearly seen

Even gods from out the north
Were fated all to die
Once Balder had been slain
By Hoder with no eye
 
Yet the twilight of the gods
Was not Ragnarok
It came when Jesus Christ
Pushed aside that rock
And strode forth from the grave
To prove that He could save
And every false delusion
Would wither in His light
As the gods of our illusions
Faded back into the night
 
The Roman gods were false
And with the senate’s say
Any man could be a god
To whom you’d have to pray
 
And the twilight of the gods
Was not Ragnarok
It came when Jesus Christ
Pushed aside that rock
And strode forth from the grave
To prove that He could save
And every false delusion
Would wither in His light
As the gods of our illusions
Faded back into the night
 
The gods that we now serve
Known as Money, Time, and Fame
Are crying from the darkness
And calling you by name
 
Will you worship what is weak
What is false and doomed to die?
Or will you now serve Him
Who ascended to the sky?

For the twilight of the gods
Was not Ragnarok
It came when Jesus Christ
Pushed aside that rock
And strode forth from the grave
To prove that He could save
And every false delusion
Would wither in His light
As the gods of our illusions
Faded back into the night
 
As the gods of our illusions
Faded back into the night

Track 2:  Blood in the Garden

This song is based on what Jesus experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The end of the song, however, could be heard from the perspective of Jesus or it could be the cry of the soul in each one of us.

He knew that it was coming
Long before first light
And felt the darkness gather round
As His friends slept in the night
 
My God, won’t You take this cup
Let this pain pass away from me
Faith says it will all work out
But it’s something I just can’t see
 
The sweat poured down his face
And fell like drops of blood
For pain that came from below
Was ordained by One above

Then the soldiers came with swords
And fire to light the gloom
They circled like a pack of wolves
Prepared to seal his doom
 
His friend drew his own bright steel
That flashed with a lurid gleam
He slashed at the soldier’s head
And watched the red blood stream
 
My God, won’t You take this cup
Let this pain pass away from me
Faith says it will all work out
But it’s something I just can’t see
 
Then there in the cutting dark
His soul at last felt peace
He healed the soldier and told his friend
That sharp blade to release
 
My God, you won’t take this cup
Or let pain pass away from me
Faith says it will all work out
For You are yet with me
 
My God, you won’t take this cup
Or let pain pass away from me
Faith says it will all work out
And You will never leave
 
And You will never leave

Track 3:  The Gray Sky of 10,000 Maniacs

I was inspired to write this by the exquisite 10,000 Maniacs song "Like the Weather," which deals with the topic of depression.  Glenn Kaiser of the legendary Resurrection Band said he did not want to write just happy songs, but songs that addressed the issues people face.  Many Christians struggle with depression, and this song tackles its reality as well the hope that comes through Jesus.

The gray sky of ten thousand maniacs
Crushes me beneath its leaden weight
I cannot breathe
I cannot move
My blanket is my shroud
In the coffin of my bed
 
From its body of death my soul screams to be free
Can any enter hell like this and save?
My hope is Christ
No hope but Christ
His empty shroud, my blanket
Perhaps I’ll face this day
 
I read the sacred scrolls and pray the prayers
My words ascend, my thoughts remain below
Below I’m trapped
I cannot rise
The harsh rays of the sun
Drive me back into the dark
 
From its body of death my soul screams to be free
Can any enter hell like this and save?
My hope is Christ
No hope but Christ
His empty shroud, my blanket
Perhaps I’ll face this day
 
The faces taunt with faith that I should have
Emptiness chills my body with pictures of home
I’m alone in their midst
Muffled by mist
If I could hide away
I might be able to stand
 
From its body of death my soul screams to be free
Can any enter hell like this and save?
My hope is Christ
No hope but Christ
His empty shroud, my blanket
Perhaps I’ll face this day
 
My hope is Christ
No hope but Christ
His empty shroud, my blanket
Perhaps I’ll face this day

Track 4:  Where Else Shall We Go?

The first passage of the Greek New Testament I memorized was John 6:68-69.  After Jesus asks His disciples if they will leave Him as others have, Peter replies, "Where shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and come to know that You are the holy One of God." 

His words seemed sweet until He told them
To eat His flesh and drink His blood
They asked if He meant what He said
He told them it was for their good
 
His words were hard, they turned their backs
They’d come this far, no more to go
How could He give his flesh to eat?
Were they to drink the crimson flow?
 
Will you leave, too, or stay with me?
We stay, for where else shall we go?
He has the words of life eternal
This we believe, have come to know
 
They could not take Him at face value
He contradicted all they knew
He said that most would not accept Him
His followers would be the few
 
Will you leave, too, or stay with me?
We stay, for where else shall we go?
He has the words of life eternal
This we believe, have come to know
 
The path that leads to life is narrow
The road that leads to death is wide
The choice is yours to leave or follow
The time is now, you must decide
 
Will you leave, too, or stay with him?
Have you another place to go?
He has the words of life eternal
This we believe, have come to know
 
Will you leave, too, or stay with him?
Have you another place to go?
He has the words of life eternal
This we believe, have come to know

Track 5:  The Sacred Scrolls

The pagan Sibyl wrote her prophecies
So they’d be scatted by the wind on leaves
And when the people could not understand
She laughed and cast confusion’s blame on man
 
Not so the One Who is the Truth and speaks
That all be strengthened though they yet be weak
In Hebrew and in Greek he bade them write
That all might keep His holy word in sight
 
Now the word of God is written
In every human tongue
That sinful hearts be smitten
Christ’s praises can be sung
With His word He blesses souls
Do you read it every day
Or will the sacred scrolls
Turn to dust and blow away?
 
In Egypt scholars took the Hebrew text
And turned it into Greek for all the rest
Then Saint Jerome brought all the holy writ
To those for whom the Latin tongue was fit
 
From Gutenberg on through the Internet
God’s word before the eyes of man was set
To know the will of Heaven and to do
What role does Scripture play this day for you?
 
Now the word of God is written
In every human tongue
That sinful hearts be smitten
Christ’s praises can be sung
With His word He blesses souls
Do you read it every day
Or will the sacred scrolls
Turn to dust and blow away?
 
Now the word of God is written
In every human tongue
That sinful hearts be smitten
Christ’s praises can be sung
With His word He blesses souls
Do you read it every day
Or will the sacred scrolls
Turn to dust and blow away?

Track 6:  A Learnéd Tongue

This song is based on Isaiah 50:4, "The Lord has given me an educated tongue so that I may know how to sustain with a word one who is weary.  He rouses early, early he rouses my ear so that I may listen as if to a teacher."

I am well-schooled in math, you see,
In science and in history
Since wide-spread learning’s nothing new
In this I am not unlike you
 
But what I do with knowledge vast
The God Who made my brain will ask
I use it to acquire more wealth
That I may satisfy myself
 
My learnéd tongue is not for this
But a humble purpose I have missed
It serves to lift the weary soul
And with a word to make it whole
 
The wisdom of the ages now
Just raises me among the proud
So I can judge my fellow man
And looking down upon them stand
 
My learnéd tongue is not for this
But a humble purpose I have missed
It serves to lift the weary soul
And with a word to make it whole
 
How can I use all that I know
That I may God’s own wisdom show
The one true teacher I must hear
When morning comes and draws me near
 
My learnéd tongue was made for this
A humble purpose I can’t miss
It serves to lift the weary soul
And with a word to make it whole
 
My tongue lifts up the weary soul
And with God’s word can make it whole

Track 7:  A Man Unliked

One of my Sunday School teachers when I was in high school asked us to imagine seeing at Judgment Day a friend with whom we had not shared the gospel.  It was a powerful motivator for evangelism.

There was a man did me no harm
I simply did not like his way
His words and thoughts, they rubbed me wrong
Apart from him I tried to stay
 
With friends I talked of vital truths
And strengthened them to keep their faith
I shared Christ’s gospel far and wide
But I avoided this man’s face
 
I simply did not like this man
For we were not at all the same
Our tastes, our views were far apart
And social comfort was my aim
 
I stood one day before God’s throne
And with a thrill eyed my reward
I heard Him say, “Well done, my son,”
And started forth toward my Lord
 
But then I saw this unliked man
His face was ashen with the truth
Of where eternity he’d spend
And nothing could his wracked soul soothe
 
Our eyes met as we parted ways
His voice trailed off into the mist
“You knew me all those years, so why
Did you not ever speak of this?”

Track 8:  Stopping Again

Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," is a favorite for many people.  The root of the Greek verb translated "I will give you rest" carries the sense of "I will stop you again."

Hard work is mankind’s lot
For his living man must fight
But the tasks I give to bear
Are easy and they’re light
 
Come to me and find refreshment
From all life’s work and strain
You cannot keep on going
And I’ll stop you…again
 
The burdens that you carry
Are heavy and not few
Some come from other people
And some are caused by you
 
Come to me and find refreshment
From all life’s work and strain
You cannot keep on going
And I’ll stop you…again
 
I bore the greatest burden
To Calvary alone
Whatever you now carry
You carry not alone
 
Come to me and find refreshment
From all life’s work and strain
You cannot keep on going
And I’ll stop you…again
 
Come to me and find refreshment
From all life’s work and strain
You cannot keep on going
And I’ll stop you
Again

Track 9:  What All Men Know

Many of us are comforted by 1 Corinthians 10:13, which reminds us that there is no temptation that comes our way that is not common to the whole human race.  We should not feel alone in our temptations, but take them to God, Who knows what we are going through.

You pull the dark around you
It’s thick and made of wool
No one can know the real you
You have to keep them fooled
 
If they knew the things you’d done
And worse the things you thought
They’d never speak to you
Your good works all for naught
 
But no temptation takes you
Except what all men know
And God is faithful to you
He’ll never let you go
But with each trial gives you
The strength to bear the test
So will you go to seek Him
When temptation rises next?
 
Father Abram lied to Pharaoh
Way down in Egypt land
King David took as lover
The wife of another man
 
Saint Paul while he was still Saul
Breathed threats against Christ’s own
And before he was Saint Peter
His master he disowned
 
But no temptation takes you
Except what all men know
And God is faithful to you
He’ll never let you go
But with each trial gives you
The strength to bear the test
So will you go to seek Him
When temptation rises next?
 
With every trial He gives you
The strength to bear the test
So will you go to seek Him
When temptation rises next?

Track 10:  Banquet at the End of Time

The warriors all returned in glory
Fierce warriors gleaming in God’s light
At last had come the final story
‘Twixt hell and heaven one last fight
 
The demon forces were sent back
With Satan to the realm below
In fire to writhe and gloom so black
And from that lake no more they’d go
 
The victors gathered for the banquet
Before the white throne of their Lord
His thund’ring whisper would not let
Them touch the food spread on the board
 
“My children, take the honored seats,”
And with his arms spread ushered in
The lost, forgotten, and the weak
Those known, forgiven, loved by Him
 
The warriors stood at stiff attention
The blood-washed band walked through the hall
At last fulfilled was God’s intention
Mankind renewed from its dire fall
 
The well-aged wines strained clear were poured
Rich meat was served to every guest
A feast of all the Lord had stored
No food was less than God’s own best
 
Then angel praises echoed high
As God the Father, Spirit, Son
Rejoiced to see His image nigh
Restored eternally as one
 
Then angel praises echoed high
As God the Father, Spirit, Son
Rejoiced to see His image nigh
Restored eternally as one