A Song To The Bride

A little while ago, as I was worshiping  I saw a vision of the Bride of Christ. Well actually, I saw a vision of Jesus as He was looking at the bride....  He just kept saying "isn't she beautiful???" .  The look on His face, the words and the feeling He was expressing, the wonder, the love he had for her - it was just overwhelming. I was so overcome, it took me a couple of hours to recover.  He was just so in love with her.  It was an intense vision!

I think that we who have been Christians for a while can sometimes have a tendency to see all the faults, all the shortcomings, all the problems in our churches.  We will sometimes speak badly of our local church, or even about other congregations or the body as a whole.  What's more, we're often afraid to lift our gaze to Him as his bride, because we're so aware of our own shortcomings!!!  Yet the bible paints a very different picture of the bride.  Ephesians 1:22 describes the church as being the fullness of God, and Jesus describes His bride as the "Joy set before Him" and endured the cross for the sake of having her.   Ephesians 5:27 says Jesus will present to himself a bride without spot or blemish, and the picture of the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation is just stunning!!  I think if we truly understood the love that Christ has for His church, we'd think twice about despising her (including ourselves!!)  Are you willing to slander the one that the creator of the universe is in love with????  No sir, not me!!!

About "Isn't She Lovely"

No - it's not a cover of that Stevie Wonder classic, as much as I dig it! Rather this is a simple meditation on what Jesus says about His bride.  Drawing on sections of Song of Songs, it's an invitation to understand the heart of Jesus towards his bride. Be blessed oh Bride!  He is ravished by you (even when you're at you're worst!)

Who May Ascend??

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord??  Who may draw near to him??  What a good question to ask!  All week, I've been feeling like I'm just on the edge of breakthrough... just on the edge of seeing and experiencing so much more of God than I ever imagined was possible... just on the edge of my desire to be near Him being so big it's all i can think about!!  So this seems like a great question to be asking!!!

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...  (Psalm 24:3-4a)

Psalm 24 tells us that it's he who has clean hands!!  He who has a pure heart!  Of course, this leads on to the next logical thing to ask of God: If my heart is not pure and my hands are not clean, then come search out show me what those things are so I can be rid of them!

Search me, O God, and know my heart;Test me and know my anxious thoughts.Point out anything in me that offends you,and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  (Psalm 139:23-24)

Well, those verses pretty much sum up this weeks song "Search Me, Know Me" (actually recorded a few weeks ago now!.. yeah it's been one of those weeks where i haven't been able to get any recording done!!).  Enjoy!  And don't forget you can download and own it for free if you love it!  Oh - and a big shout out to those of you who have been buying my stuff.  You guys are legends!!

A New Day

Don't forget , you can download (for free!) and own forever most the songs featured here.  Just click on "download" in the player below, set the price as $0 and it's yours!

Today is the day!

I love that every day is a new day!  I love that it's layed out so plainly in Psalms that we're meant to rejoice and revel in every day God gives us, like it's a fresh start!  To soak in the joy of each day.  To look for the blessings that God has set out in that day.  To actively set our hearts up at the beginning of each day so we're searching out all the good that God has planned for that day:

This is the day the Lord has made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)

In Hebrews, there's this fantastic verse talking about rest - and it uses a phrase that I love: "God set a certain day, calling it 'Today'"(Hebrews 4:7).  I love that God called the day to inherit that promise "today" - so it is always available!!  There's no "oh that promise expired because it was for yesterday, I'm too late", because even though it was valid yesterday, God called the day 'Today', so it's for today too!!  Genius!!

So ask the question. What's your 'today' got in store for you?  Here's one to get you started:

"Surely, Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6).  

Sometimes I try to catch a glimpse of them following me... I think if i turn around fast enough, I'll see them there.  The two of them side by side, tailing me like my own personal security detail.  I can't out run them, I can't hide from them, I can't shake them.  They chase me down whether i like it or not...  my own personal stalkers!!!  

I challenge you to seek out and search out the good things God has for you in this new day, because I guarantee you, it'll be awesome...

My Soul Longs

What a week!  I've been healed from 2 different ailments in the last few days!  Woohoo!!   In Him there is no sickness - My body itself *craves* God.  My flesh cries out for Him!

I've also seen (more than usual this week) how spending time with Him makes me happy!  My heart and my emotions actually cry out for Him - they need Him.  They're happy when they have Him.

In fact, every part of me cries out for Him - not just my spirit.  It seems fitting that this weeks song should be based on some of the verses from the well known Psalm 84:

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:selected verses)

About "My Soul Longs"

I had actually sat down to record a different kind of song this week, but after hearing the loop used here, the chorus to this song just formed itself in my head.  So i sat down and recorded it right then!  A spontaneous song to express my longing for God!  To express my dependence on Him.  I later went back and added some backing vocals and extra drums - and here it is! "my soul longs".  Play it loud with the bass turned up!

Ooh, and don't forget you can download this track for free if you'd like to own it.  Simply click "buy" and then enter price $0 and it's yours forever!!!

River Rushing Down

An entire week in bed.  I think i managed to be out of my PJs for a total of 10 hours in the last 7 days...  Needless to say, I wasn't up to any recording!  Luckily, I did some extra recording a few weeks ago... so here's something different for you.  This week, I'm sharing one of my worship songs "River Rushing Down".  We sing it quite often at our church Hope of Glory - Prahran Christian Church, and it never fails to take us somewhere special!  

Chord Charts

Ooooh exciting!!  I've added another feature to the plog! It's a page that makes available the chord charts for any of the pre-written songs that I share here.  I've just posted the lyrics/chords to "River Rushing Down", so if it takes your fancy, you can print it out and use it in your own worship time, or even at your church.

About 'River Rushing Down'

The chorus of "River Rushing Down" was born from a time of corporate spontaneous worship, where the spirit was moving in wonderful ways!  It's a song of declaration, but also a song of adoration.  A song that proclaimed just what the Spirit was pouring out in our church.  This rendition is a lot slower and more gentle than our usual rockin' Sunday morning version, but I've found it very soothing laying in bed and letting it wash over me today. I hope you'll enjoy it too!

Sally

I love the lord - he heard my cry!!

Free Dowloads

Did you know that you can download and own most of the songs featured on The Spontaneous Sessions for free?? That's right - FREE!!  You could make your own mix CD of all your favourties.  You could make a CD for a friend or relative.  You could even make a personalised CD for someone who needs a breakthrough, or needs to hear a particular prophetic word that has been featured here. Just head to my bandcamp website and click on any of the tracks that take your fancy, then hit the blue link "buy now", enter $0, and download your track!!   Isn't technology fabulous??  (Of course, if you'd really like to pay, you can enter any amount you want!)

I love the Lord.  He heard my cry!

This week has just been one of those amazing weeks.  I had a serious need.  I cried out to God.  It was miraculously provided for!!  Too cool!

Provision came from so many different sources, and none of those sources even knew.  I told only God what i needed (oh - and my flatmate... but she is honour bound to listen to my whinging... it's part of the flatmate code of ethics...) and within 48hrs, he provided exactly what i needed.  Actually, in true God style, it ended up being more than i needed.

I love seeing Gods hand working so obviously.  It's amazing.  What i don't like is being in a position where i'm in need of such miracles.  Where i have to admit I don't have it all worked out.  Pride much??  But the reality is, we are all wretchedly poor, sick, naked and blind, and in desperate need of Him.  But few of us like to admit it. That pride again??  Probably... But perhaps that's the secret of seeing God move: humbling ourselves and being desperate for Him.  Revelation 3:17-18 certainly seems to tell us that!

About Psalm 138 - thanksgiving for the lords favour

But I digress!!  The last 24hrs, i've had all the Psalms that state "i love the lord, he heard my cry" running through my head.  It seemed fitting that this weeks song should be a song of thanksgiving (thanks for the idea, Brad Misso)!  And it definitely required a beat :)  Based mainly on Psalm 138 (with touches of Psalm 34 in there too - just because i love the line "my soul will boast in the lord"!).  Enjoy!

Psalm 138:    1 I will give You thanks with all my heart;  I will sing praises to You before the gods.
2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple  And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;  For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.
3 On the day I called, You answered me;  You made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD,  When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD,  For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is exalted,  Yet He regards the lowly,  But the haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;  You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,  And Your right hand will save me.

Why are you downcast?

Psalm 42

There is just so much goodness in this Psalm. Again, it's one of those Psalms where David, in the midst of worries, speaks to his own soul.  As though his head knows something that his soul hasn't quite caught on to... (I know the feeling!!)


Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.
 My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you... (Psalm 42:5-6)


The solution to heaviness? Praise!  Remembering the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.  Lifting up our gaze to look on the one who is our salvation. Placing our hope in Him.

Oh, clever head!  Come on soul, time to catch up.

About "why are you downcast?"

Some songs have the power to release hope and break bondages.  It is my prayer as you listen to "why are you downcast?" that you will experience God doing just that.  Right in the midst of your situation.

Blessings,

Sally