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This recording has an amazing story behind it.  About 10 minutes in I catch myself praying with them against the tornado!  Pray for OK!

Jason Upton - They Will Know We Are Christians

“I think ‘remembering’ puts independence in its proper place. The truth is that we are not independent at all; and our forgetfulness of this truth epitomizes our sinful condition. “Remember” is a compilation of two nights of ministry. The first night was recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tornado that devastated Oklahoma City was headed right for us the night we were scheduled to begin our ministry at a local church. At first the church leadership wanted to send everyone to a protected area. I suggested, ‘maybe we could sneak a little worship song in before we head to shelter’. They agreed and we began to sing the song, They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love. When we got into the middle of the song I was led to begin speaking directly to that tornado. I did not want to do this because I could not get past the thought of how stupid I would look speaking against this tornado and then, when the song was over, all of us having to run for our lives to shelter. I was afraid that my words… .might just be words… absent the power of God to stop that tornado. But while thinking this very thought I found myself already speaking… it was too late to stop. So it surprised me more than anyone else to later learn that, immediately as we started praying, the tornado system mysteriously broke apart. (How weak my faith is!) God literally stopped a tornado that night as we played and prayed. I hope I never forget it.”

http://jasonupton.com/portfolio-item/remember/

Josh Garrels - Words Remain

Heaven and the earth will pass away 
But your words all remain 

And my hands are growing old 
And weary with pain 
Still I fold them to pray 

To the one unchanged 
Yesterday and today 
Oh YHWH 
I will try to stay awake 
Take my last breath of faith 
As I wait for you to come 

Take me beyond 
This land undone 
Over the flood 
By your word, spirit, and blood 

It was prophesied long ago 
Every word set in stone 

Not one will pass away 
Or walk alone 
All that I own 

Does not compare 
To the love that we share 
Please remember me 

When the hour arrives 
And you must decide 
If you’ll wait for me to come 

Take you beyond 
This land undone 
Over the flood 
By my word, spirit, and blood

PageCXVI Free Hymns Album

As a Worship leader, I love to find new ways of bringing Hymns to the Church and PageCXVI made it real easy for me this week by offering this great free album of Hymns.  Their mission is to bring these amazing old Hymns back to the church by adding a modern touch without losing the heart of the piece….oh and offering it for free!  You have to check it out!  I bet you get involved!

The Same Love

Verse 1

You choose the humble and raise them high
You choose the weak and make them strong
You heal our brokenness inside
And give us life

Chorus 1

The same love that set the captives free
The same love that opened eyes to see
Is calling us all by name
You are calling us all by name
The same God that spread the heavens wide
The same God that was crucified
Is calling us all by name
You are calling us all by name

Verse 2

You take the faithless one aside
And speak the words you are Mine
You call the cynic and the proud
Come to Me now

Bridge

You’re calling You’re calling
You’re calling us to the cross
You’re calling You’re calling
You’re calling us to the cross
(REPEAT)

CCLI Song # 6180933 Michael Rossback | Paul Baloche

The Gates by Young Oceans

Did You say, ‘seek, you will surely find’?
I am searching, Lord turn Your eyes to mine
But I’m weary, pacing at these gates
Jesus come, come now, don’t delay
Like a child, ever faithful may I be
This I ask, God of mercy hear my plea 
I have wandered with a soul impure 
For this scorn, Father, send a cure  
I come to You my one and only
I promise not to turn my eyes again
And yes I know we’re but a breath, 
But I wanna taste and see and feel You nonetheless
Yeah the years they keep on turning
And I’m battered but I’m burning for You Lord.
I wanna wake and feel Your glory 
I wanna speak in tongues of angels for You Lord   
I wanna sing a song eternal 
I wanna trample on the curses of the earth 
I wanna call upon Your healing
I wanna see the sick and weary be made new
I wanna swim inside the blessings 
I wanna swim inside the blessings of the Lord
Have my heart, dry and dusty though it be
And these lungs; tired from calling out to Thee
Will You come now and make Your home
May we drink the cup of life and overflow

(Source: youngoceans)

Corporate Worship and Artistic Action
We make and offer art because we worship, we should not make it to lead us into worship. We can carry the above concepts into the weekly corporate gathering. Since Christians come to such gatherings as continuous worshipers, it should now be obvious that it is erroneous to assume that the arts, and especially music, are to be depended on to lead to worship or that they are aids to worship or tools for worship. If we think this way, we fuel two untruths at once. The first is that worship is something that can start and stop, and worse, that music or some other artistic or human device bears the responsibility for doing the starting or the facilitating. The second is related to the first: music and the arts have a kind of power in themselves that can be falsely related to or equated with Spirit power, so much so that the presence of God seems all the more guaranteed and the worshiper sees this union of artistic power and Spirit power as normal, even anticipated. This thinking lies behind comments of this kind, “The Lord seemed so near during worship time.” “Your music really helped me worship.” And to the contrary: “I could not worship because of the music.” These comments, however innocently spoken, are dangerous, even pagan. Senior pastors, ministers of worship and worship teams must do everything to correct them. If we are not careful, music will be added to the list of transubstantiation, turned into the Lord’s presence. Then the music, not the Holy Spirit, becomes the paraclete and advocate. God is reduced to god and music is raised to Music. Thrones are exchanged, lordship reverts to its fallen hierarchy, and conditioned reflex replaces faith.

~ Harold Best

Unceasing Worship

From the book, Unceasing Worship by Harold Best

(Source: amazon.com)

Listen: A Heavenly Perspective On Christmas

One of the most amazing Christmas messages I have ever heard.  Pastor Tony Magar at Calvary Fellowship Monument taught from Revelation 12, (yes, you read that correct) to give Heaven’s perspective of the Christmas message.  We as believers tend to want to think of the Christmas story as a peaceful ‘silent night’ moment where a peaceful quiet baby lay that Manger, but what was really going on? God was declaring war!  Listen to the teaching ‘A Heavenly Perspective On Christmas’ and pull out your Bible!  Amazing stuff here.

Michael

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