A new book exploring the long and storied history of The Kingsmen is now available. Decades of Music, Decades of Memories Volume One by Alan Kendall provides a detailed look at 70 years of the influential southern gospel group.
Southern gospel historian David Bruce Murray played a role in this historical account. He shared his thoughts on his contribution to the book, saying, “Alan Kendall approached me when he was preparing this book about using an article that I had posted on the history of the Kingsman at my website, sghistory.com, and that’s where I traced the prehistory of the Kingsman, how they got started, and when they adopted their name in 1956 as the Kingsman Quartet.”
Murray expressed appreciation for Kendall’s decision to include his work, adding, “I was very flattered that Allen was confident enough in my work that he went to include it in his book. It’s a great look at the Kingsman, and Allen has done a fine job putting it together.”
Fans of southern gospel music and those interested in The Kingsmen’s legacy can find Decades of Music, Decades of Memories Volume One by Alan Kendall on Amazon.com.
Have you ever felt like being a good person just isn’t enough? Or maybe you thought that following Jesus meant adding a whole list of rules to your life? You’re not alone
The early church in Galatia faced a challenge. Some believers with Jewish backgrounds, known as Judaizers, were telling new Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians that believing in Jesus wasn’t enough. They insisted that these new believers also needed to follow Jewish customs like circumcision and dietary laws. It was like saying, “Yes, follow Jesus, but also…”.
This “Jesus plus something else” mentality still exists today. Maybe it’s the idea that you have to give a certain amount of money, dress a certain way, or follow specific rules to be truly accepted by God. But the Apostle Paul, who wrote the letter to the Galatians, strongly disagreed with this.
He starts his letter with a bit of a strong statement, calling the Galatians “Oh foolish Galatians!”. He reminds them that they initially received the Holy Spirit not by doing good works or following the law, but by “hearing with faith”. He asks, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”.
Paul uses the example of Abraham from the Old Testament to illustrate his point. In Genesis 12:1-4, God tells Abram (later Abraham) to leave his home and go to a land God would show him. Abram obeyed, not knowing exactly where he was going. And what was Abraham’s key to being right with God? “Abram believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”. Paul reiterates this in Galatians 3:6: “just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.'” Like Abraham, we who came after Jesus are also saved by faith in God. Faith is what God requires for salvation.
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our faith journey. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel, and believed in him, were sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”. The Spirit is promised to all who have faith. This same Spirit empowers believers today to serve and live for God.
The message in Galatians shows us a fundamental truth: the law cannot bring salvation; the law can only bring a curse. Paul quotes Deuteronomy when he says, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them”. James 2:10 further clarifies this: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”. Since no one can perfectly follow all the laws, relying on them leads to a curse.
But there’s good news! Jesus broke the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. Paul writes in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'”. Jesus, who was without sin, took our punishment so that we could be made right with God.
We all need to live by faith in all aspects of life. Just as salvation comes through faith in Jesus, so does our growth and service to God. It’s not about earning God’s favor through our efforts, but about trusting in what Jesus has already done for us. Are you living a life according to faith? It’s a question worth asking yourself today.
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Dr. McGee’s sermon covers Matthew chapters 22 through 24, starting with the verbal clash between Jesus and the religious rulers. Chapter 22 begins with the parable of the king who made a marriage feast for his son. This parable is a continuation of Jesus’ answer to the chief priests and elders and parallels the parables in Matthew 13, focusing on how and why the current age began. The king sends servants to call those who were bidden (the lost sheep of the House of Israel), but they refused to come. He sent other servants, but the invited guests made light of it, going to their farms and merchandise, while others mistreated and killed the servants. In response, the king sent his armies to destroy the murderers and their city, which Dr. McGee believes is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Then, the invitation goes out to everyone found on the highways, both good and bad, and the wedding is furnished with guests. However, a man without a wedding garment (the righteousness of Christ, essential for salvation) is found, bound, and cast into outer darkness, illustrating that while many are called, few are chosen and must come on the king’s terms.
Following this, the religious leaders launch their final attack on Jesus. First, the Herodians question him about paying tribute to Caesar, a political trick to trap him. Jesus, perceiving their wickedness, calls them hypocrites and uses their own coin to state, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s,” marvelously answering their question without falling into their trap. Next, the Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, question him about a woman married to seven brothers. Jesus responds that they err by not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God, stating that in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels. He further proves the resurrection by quoting God as saying, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” asserting that God is not the God of the dead but of the living. This silences the Sadducees. Finally, the Pharisees, after hearing that Jesus silenced the Sadducees, gather together and ask him which is the great commandment in the law. Jesus answers, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. Then, Jesus questions the Pharisees about the Christ, asking whose son he is. They reply, “The Son of David”. Jesus then asks how David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord (Psalm 110:1), highlighting the impossibility of David calling his natural son Lord, implying a supernatural birth. No one is able to answer him, ending the verbal clash.
Chapter 23 marks Jesus’ denouncement of the scribes and Pharisees and his weeping over Jerusalem. He warns the multitude against the scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses’ seat but do not practice what they preach. He pronounces a series of “woes” upon them, calling them hypocrites for binding heavy burdens on others, doing their works to be seen, loving titles and recognition, and shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven. He criticizes their outward piety and inward corruption, comparing them to whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones. He also rebukes their meticulous tithing of insignificant items while neglecting the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. Dr. McGee emphasizes the harshness of Jesus’ language, contrasting it with the liberal conception of a gentle Jesus. Jesus condemns their rejection of the prophets and foretells the persecution of those he will send. He concludes this chapter with a lament over Jerusalem’s rejection of him.
Chapter 24 begins the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus’ disciples ask him privately three questions: when will the temple be destroyed, what will be the sign of his coming, and what will be the sign of the end of the age. Dr. McGee states that the destruction of the temple (fulfilled in 70 AD) is primarily addressed in Luke’s Gospel. Matthew focuses on the signs of his coming and the end of the age, which relate to his coming to establish his kingdom, not the church. Jesus warns them to “take heed that no man deceive you,” as many will come in his name saying, “I am Christ,” and will deceive many. He speaks of wars and rumors of wars, but these are not the sign of the end. Nation will rise against nation, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, which are the beginning of sorrows. Dr. McGee believes they are currently in the age leading up to the Great Tribulation. He then discusses the Great Tribulation period, during which the nation Israel will be afflicted and hated by all nations. False prophets will arise, and iniquity will abound. He clarifies that the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness before the end comes, distinguishing it from the gospel of grace preached today. The sign of the end will be the “abomination of desolation” standing in the Holy Place. Those in Judea are instructed to flee to the mountains. This period will be a time of great tribulation, unprecedented in history. False Christs and false prophets will perform great signs and wonders, but believers should not be deceived. The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning, visible to all. Following the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven. The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see him coming in the clouds with power and great glory. He will send his angels to gather his elect (the nation Israel).
Jesus then gives the parable of the fig tree, which Dr. McGee interprets as the nation Israel. When the fig tree’s branch becomes tender and puts forth leaves, it indicates that summer is near. Similarly, when they see all these signs, they will know that his coming is near. Jesus states, “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled,” which Dr. McGee believes could refer to the Jewish race or the generation living at that time. He emphasizes that heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ words will not. However, the specific day and hour are unknown, not even to the angels, but only to the Father. Jesus compares his coming to the days of Noah, where people were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage until the flood came and took them all away. The phrase “two in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” refers to judgment, not the Rapture of the church; the wicked will be taken away in judgment, and the others will be left to enter the millennial kingdom. Therefore, they are to “watch,” a watching characterized by fear and anxiety in that day, unlike the comforting hope of believers watching for the Lord’s return today. The sermon concludes with a call to be ready, as the Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour, and to live in light of the fact that everyone will stand in the presence of Christ to give an account.
Taking his place is Colton Baker, who comes from Ballard County, Kentucky and has been making music for most of his life. He first loved Country but found a passion for bluegrass in high school and college. Before joining Authentic Unlimited, Colton played with the Bethel University Renaissance Bluegrass Band and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.
Colton Baker can play different instruments and sing. He is excited to share his love for bluegrass with audiences as part of Authentic Unlimited. This change means that Authentic Unlimited will continue to play their blend of traditional and new bluegrass music with a slightly different lineup.
The story in Acts 8:5-24 presents a striking contrast between true salvation and selfish ambition. It begins with Philip bringing the gospel to Samaria following persecution in Jerusalem. As he preached Christ, many believed, and miracles confirmed the power of God. The people rejoiced, but as history shows, whenever God moves, Satan seeks to counterfeit His work. One such deception came through Simon, a sorcerer who had long held influence over the people. They believed he had divine power, yet his miracles were born of deception, not truth.
Simon appeared to believe in Jesus. He was baptized and followed Philip, captivated by the signs and wonders. However, belief alone is not enough—many profess faith, yet their hearts remain unchanged. Jesus Himself warned that not all who say, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).
The arrival of Peter and John in Samaria marked a significant moment. As they laid hands on the believers, imparting the Holy Spirit, Simon’s true motives were exposed. He saw this power and desired it—not to glorify God, but for his own ambition. Offering money, he attempted to purchase what only God freely gives. Peter rebuked him sharply: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money” (Acts 8:20). Instead of genuine repentance, Simon sought only to avoid consequences, revealing his unchanged heart.
Consider these verses a warning: true salvation is not about power, experiences, or outward displays. It is about humble surrender to Christ, trusting in His finished work on the cross. Many pursue religion for personal gain, but Jesus calls us to a relationship with Him. Satan may counterfeit miracles, but he cannot counterfeit a transformed heart. The challenge for every believer is to ask: Have we truly surrendered to Christ, or are we merely seeking blessings?
If you are unsure of your salvation, remember that Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Faith in Him brings true transformation, not just outward change but a renewal of the heart. In a world filled with spiritual deception, we must hold fast to our faith, love one another sincerely, and remain steadfast in Christ.
