Rise (Ps 139)

This weeks song is coming to you courtesy of the new Lion & I album "Send Your Glory". It's due out sooooooon!!!

I recorded a spontaneous song based on Psalm 139 back in July this year (check it out here), and it has since been remixed as part of the new Lion & I album!

See what you think!

In the presence of my enemies

"the lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...."

Most people would probably be able to quote at least some lines from Psalm 23.  Type 'Psalm' in google and the first suggestion is 'Psalm 23'.  It's one of those Psalms that has been meaningful to thousands throughout the ages.  It's a classic!

Peace in the midst of a Battlefield

I've read the lines countless times and taken comfort from their poetic truth (well, mostly. Let's just skip over the period where, as a child, I was convinced the writer was anti-God because he was proclaiming that he didn't want the Lord as his shepherd... oh the subtleties of 17th Century English!).  But lets read verse 5 again:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

It sounds like a lovely idea.  That in the middle of troubled times, the Lord invites you into His presence to spend time with Him.  But think again.   What He's also saying is that your enemy is going to be there watching you.  How many of you like to go on a romanctic date while knowing that someone who is trying to kill you is going to be there watching you???  It's a very odd, and yet strangely powerful picture. 

He says "come and dine with me"

But when you think about it, it's actually the ultimate insult to the enemy!  That you would rather sit down and eat with Jesus than engage in battles and distractions.  It's sheer brilliance, and I get the feeling that God delights in this!  But it does put us in a tricky position.  One where we have to be willing to capture our fears and crazy thought and make them subject to our choice to go to Him.  Not just when the battle is over, but right in the middle of it! It's where victory lies!

So remember - right in the middle of your fight today, the Lord is making a place where He wants to invite you to come and focus on only Him. Will you enter in....

  

My Heart Is Glad

It's that time again!  My favourite time!  Time to worship...

This weeks song comes out of Psalm 16:

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.... You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:8-9, 11)

Have you ever truly considered:
 - In His presence is fullness of joy;
 -There are everlasting pleasures at His right hand.
Those are some serious claims!  Do you find that spending time with God is truly the most enjoyable and pleasurable thing that life has to offer??? I think too often we're tricked into believing that God is angry all the time... or even worse: ambivalent.  But the truth is He is the most passionate, exciting, pleasurable and joyful being.  Ever.  If our experience falls short of this, then the good news is that there's more for us to discover about who He is!

I challenge you!  if spending time with God has become routine or boring for you, ask Him to open your eyes.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  Ask Him right now!  And then watch as He takes you on a journey into the heart of the One who is infinitely good, infinitely joyful and infinitely just.

My Heart Is Glad!!!

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Just a reminder that this weeks song will also be featured on SouthernFM 88.3 program "Songs of Hope" between 8-9am  AEST this Sunday.  And if you miss it, you can download podcasts of these programs!

My Help

"where does my help come from???"

So the Psalmist asks in Psalm 121- the subject of this weeks spontaneous song.
(Incidentally, this song is going out to James, who requested I do a spontaneous song based on this Psalm.  If others out there have a favourite Psalm, drop me a line and I'll give it a go.  Apparently I'm taking requests!!).

I lift up my eyes to the mountains.   Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

In this Psalm, the singer is asking "In whom do I put my trust?".   It's such a good question!  As Christian's, our answer is of course "God"!  But It's always so shocking when we find ourselves in a situation where we'll discover, "Oh, I thought my trust was in God, but actually, it turns out I was trusting in my ability/my job/my income/my comforts."  But God's never surprised by this!  In fact I'm convinced He allows us to walk into many of these situations so we can be confronted by truth, and by repentance and humility, we can realign our hearts so our lives resound with the cry "My help comes from the Lord!"

The Lord watches over you.  The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,  nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm.  He will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:5-8)

Amen! I have a sneaking suspicion that nothing moves God's heart more than our wholehearted faith and reliance in who He is.

About 'My Help'

I've had this song on repeat since early today.  There's just something so deep about it's message and I can't get enough of it!  It's fast becoming one of my favourite plog entries (and not just because I managed to sneak an F# in the bass line of a song in C major...). As usual, this track is also available for free download.  Why not gift it to a friend and share those F#s ??

As with my two previous posts, this song is to be featured on the radio this Sunday between 8-9am on Southern FM's "songs of hope".  A great Christian program that also supports local artists like me - they've been playing one of my songs every week as an introduction to spontaneous worship.  Tune in!  Or if you can't, check out their podcasts! 

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place

Good morning! I hope you're having a great day wherever you're reading from.

You might notice that this weeks song is in a slightly shorter format than usual.  That's because last week, and for the next 3 weeks, my spontaneous sessions are being shared on the radio!  That's right!  The radio!  The fabulous Rodney Carr who presents "songs of hope" on southern FM is featuring songs from this plog in an introduction to spontaneous worship. You can show your support by tuning in to 88.3FM between 8 and 9am for the next few Sundays!  Or alternatively, you can download the podcast from the Songs of Hope website here.

About "How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place"

This weeks song is from Psalm 84 (and as usual, is available for free download, below!)

How lovely is your dwelling place,     

Lord Almighty! (Psalm 84:1)

I sang through this Psalm earlier in the year, producing the track "My Soul Longs" - one of my plog favourites so far!!  We also recently sang through this Psalm at church as part of our "worship and the word" on Friday nights.  But Psalm 84 expresses such a central theme that I just keep coming back to it again and again.  It's message is fresh everytime: "There's no better place than wherever He is!!"

Amen!!

Awaken the Dawn

Good Morrow!  Another week, another song!

This one is "Awaken the Dawn" based on verses from Psalm 108 (or 57!):

My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn (Ps 108:1-2)

I love the phrase "I will awaken the dawn!".  It speaks of a fierce determination to praise God with everything inside!

I also like the idea implied in Psalm 49 that as we praise, as we meditate on the scripture and sing through them, mysteries will become known.  Wisdom will be released.  Understanding will go from being ethereal to tangible.  That's what this spontaneous worship thing is all about, right???  Soaking in the mysteries of God til they become the realities of our heart!

Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike: My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle (Ps49:1-4)

There are two versions of this song: the normal everyday Awaken the Dawn, and now for those in a hurry, the shorter Awaken The Dawn (radio edit).  Enjoy!

Behold The One

A bit late with this post, sorry!!  But we've been working on the new Lion & I album!  Due for a release sometime around September 2013, it's gonna be awesome!

Many of the tracks on the new album will be familiar to you if you've been following this plog - because many of the songs are reworkings and new versions of the songs that have been featured right here!

You might remember a song called "Worth it All" from an earlier post in March.  Well the song featured this week "Behold the One" is a reworking of that song!  Featuring James the Justified (the other half of Lion & I) and a whole new arrangement, we hope this song blesses you and gives you a taste for what the new Lion & I album will be like!.

(please note, while this song is available for listen, it's not yet available for download.  But we promise it won't be long til you can get your very own copy!)