Mon 5.31 Song+Word=MARVELOUS

Mon 5.31 Song+Word=MARVELOUS Today we honor those who have fallen in battle in service to our country. It stirs something in all of us to think of these men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for...,well FOR US. But I am always reminded that Jesus died in a MARVELOUS way that accomplished something no other death could.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." For Americans. For the French. For the Nationless. For us ALL

Sun 5.30 Song+Word=KNOW

Sun 5.30 Song+Word=KNOW There is such peace and powerful motivation in KNOWing that what God says is always true, that we are who He says we are, that what He predicts always happens. Europe and France have gone way beyond searching for truth. There is no ultimate truth they think. But they are hungry for the Everlasting Rock, our God who never changes. When they KNOW Him they will be filled! “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Sat 5.29 Song=Word=ALL

Sat 5.29 Song=Word=ALL On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Jesus SHOULD be so much to us that life WOULD be pointless without Him. I think only food holds that kind of place in the hearts of the French. For now.

Fri 5.28 Song+Word=Grace

Fri 5.28 Song+Word=Grace Grace reconciles us to God and then MAKES US FIT FOR HIS SERVICE! Romans 5:5...Many died by the trespass of the one man[Adam], how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! I am stunned at how lavish God is! When He pours out GRACE, it overflows. He doesn't cleanse, fill, or love us halfway. He is MORE than we need or can contain. That is how He LOVES us from the first moment to the moment in Glory when He calls us by the name no one else knows. His grace is for people of every nation, tribe, and tongue. Even the French who have forgotten they need it!

Thurs 5.27 Song+Word=Time

"Take this sinking boat and point it HOME. Youve still got TIME. Raise your hopeful voice. You have a choice."-Falling Slowly Jesus could come back soon. He offers us a simple exchange of TIME: the rest of your life here in exchange for all of ETERNITY with Him. This is a TIME filled with events that push us towards despair but we MUST cling to HOPE. He will never give up on the lost. Nor should we. France may seem beyond hope unless we invest our lives over TIME to love them into His family.

Wed 5.26 Song+Word=Light

Wed 5.26 Song+Word=Light Darkness is in many ways the absence of Light. It represents the opportunity to bring Light. Darkness can not be shone into a lighted area. But one small light can be seen in darkness from miles away. In the darkness of Europe I see the opportunity for the Gospel to enLIGHTen darkened hearts. We live in a world full of darkness but we like Abraham should believe that bleak circstances just set the stage for God to do the amazing things He has promised! "[Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words it was credited to him were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousnessfor us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."

Tues 5:25 Word+Song=River

Tues 5:25 Word+Song=River Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Today I'm utterly dependant on God to let His Spirit well up in and then flow thru me like a rushing flood, a mighty river. I want to be swept along with Him in what He is doing. Here. And in Brie, France. Soon.

Mon 5.24 Song+Word=REFUGE

Mon 5.24 Song+Word=REFUGE

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find REFUGE; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. "Because he loves ME," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges MY name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him and show him MY salvation."

Psalm 91...From God's mouth to our hearts. Imagine...imagine if we truly allow him to be our Refuge He will SATISFY us. Think of it..being free from longings that leave you empty because you were fully satisfied by the Spirit and Presence of God.

Our United World Mission/France Mission church plant is prophetically called The church at La Brie, a play on l'Abri...French for Refuge or Shelter.

Sunday 5.23 Song+Word=BURN

Sunday 5.23 Song+Word=BURN There are many comparisons between God and fire. Purifying fire. Consuming fire. The Holy Spirit appeared as Fire at Pentecost. Here's my favorite from just after the Resurrection: Luke 24:"The Walk to Emmaus 13 That same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32 They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" May the fire of Passion for Him burn in you and in me and SET the hearts of those WE meet ON FIRE as Jesus reveals Himself here in SC, in the US, in FRANCE, to the uttermost ends of the Earth.

Saturday May 22 - Song+Word 9 - Fly

If not for Sin, ADAM might have been TAUGHT, in God's time, to FLY...swim under water for days, navigate outer space without a ship, and examine the heart of the Sun from the inside...with God mentoring and revealing the knowledge as Adam needed to know it. This week I have been super busy and am tired. Thank God for His refreshing, for His command to rest and for the renewal we experience everyday in His presence.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

One day WE WILL FLY to meet Him in the air as Jesus returns. In the meantime I am burdened to see many join our family who do not yet know Him. If only they would taste and see that the Lord is Good!

Friday May 21 Song+Word Belief

Friday May 21 Song+Word 8 Belief

Belief is a verb. Our faith or belief can grow! How?

But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith (make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher) praying in the Holy Spirit; Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen

Faultless...we can become faultless...

How?

His presence alone is the Holy Fire that Sanctifies us.

There is not one community of faith in the town outside Paris where we are plantng a church. How can their belief grow if they never hear?

Thursday May 20 Song+Word 7 HAPPY

Thursday May 20 Song+Word 7 HAPPY

In the last 24 hours God repaired a mentoring relationship that I believed was hopeless. He also set up a divine moment with a friend who has chosen NOT to follow Christ for a season. She revealed her loneliness and how she misses our fellowship from when she was involved in young adult ministry (my passion.) My friend promised to set a date for her return. An end date for reconciliation. My hoped flared like a phoenix rising from the ashes of faithless fear for her soul. I was reminded yet again how we abuse the grace and revelation we have of Jesus when so many abroad will jump at the chance to walk with and serve God...if only someone would introduce them to Him.

I love to walk thru life with younger men and women searching for or excited about God and trying to figure out what that should look like. Their fire is contagious and joy comes simply from growing, suffering, learning, failing AND succeeding TOGETHER.

The Worst kind of Poverty is the Need 4 Reconciliation with God-The best way 2 obey the Great Commandment is 2 Fulfill the Great Commission

I am HAPPY because Jesus is so faithful. And because He sent a new Sponsor for France today! This song is a complete picture of the JOY of the Gospel and of our eternal present AND future with Him!

Wednesday May 19 - Word+Song 6- Gospel

Wednesday May 19 - Word+Song 6- Gospel.

Good News.

THE Good News. This song tells all the ways Jesus is Good news to us in a style that is intrinsically part of who I am...not just as a musician or music lover but as a person. I love good sangin but I also love the way even when you are in the center of His will, life presses and squeezes that kind of sangin out of ya. Praise means so much more when you have something to be grateful for, when you've been rescued of healed from something. You may not need help finding food or clothing everyday. You may be able to pay your bills, all on time. But if you haven't had a life-altering encounter with the Living God in the person of His son Jesus then you are missin out. The greatest poverty is the soul's need for Jesus. That's why He called me to France. They don't need mosquito nets or well dug. But they think "Gospel" is a style of music sung typically by black people. They don't know there is a message. I am a messenger.

Tuesday May 18 - Word+Song 5 -Enough

Tuesday May 18 - Song+Word 5 - ENOUGH 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. If we know Christ we often forget that it's not us performing but His Spirit working in and thru us to accomplish His will...if we stay connected to Him. If we aren't connected WE dry up and burn out pretty fast. Those who don't know Him yet may say but He can't really forgive all the things I've said, thought and done...and To all of us He say His gace is ENOUGH. More than enough.

I believe, given the chance, the French will turn from very isolated SELF-dependent EMPTY lives and run headlong into His arms of GRACE!

Let That Be Enough by Switchfoot Cover Ricardo

Monday May 17 - Song 4 - Beautiful the BLOOD

Monday May 17 - Word 4-BLOOD

The paradox is that in order to even see blood there has to be a wound,a cut, a gash. And we find the sight of blood gruesome. Yet part of my is so grateful for Jesus blood shed for me that I can find beauty in that scandalous suffering that was fuel by LOVE that can make anything beautiful...even me...even YOU. The significance of His blood holds power for me because he commanded us to remember it every time we eat, and he declared that we must ingest HIM, His Flesh and His Blood in order to follow and belong thru Him to His Father. His Blood reminds me that if the Blood of this ONE pure spotless Lamb of God had not been poured out for me over the mercy seat then my sin require the satisfaction of God's wrath thru no less than my own eternal death. My desire is that the French come to learn that His Blood was shed for each of them as well. They don't know YET. They are UNREACHED.

Sunday May 16 - Song 3 - Forgive

^{Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.}

^{Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.}

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

There is nothing that cannot be forgiven and no wound that He cannot Heal! Our sermon today wrecked me. Words, true and untrue, have hurt me more than anything else this year. Old wounds and new. But I am so grateful that His words over me are tender, He rejoices over me with singing, and He knows my true name and will utter it to me on the day that we stand face to face.

Saturday May 15 - Song 2 - Worthy

"God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."Ph 2:10+

When I'm leading worship the names and roles of Jesus are never far from my mind. I face a poster with His titles while making these videos. Who Jesus is, is central to who I am and am becoming, hopefully to the glory of God.Gotta Love Matt Redman and this song...Worhty from the intense album Facedown.

If I only got to take one album with me this one mkes a strong case to be the one because of it's powerful trove of worship songs!

Friday May 14 - Song 1- In The Secret

Intimate:This Song Captures the intimate desire of my heart, Psalm 27 "One thing I ask Lord, that I seek, to dwell in Your house all my days", an imperfect conversation between me and Him

1 Song 1 + Word - Everyday - A Video Blog

1 Song + 1 Word

Everyday

A Modern Psalm Project

Origin-Last Nite I attended a preview of the 2010 Leadership Summit. It is the number one event I make a priority every year, above any other conference or vacation destination, to attend. Leaders from around the world come together for 2 days to impart wisdom and passion and to re-inspire us to follow Christ and serve Him fully.(August 5-6 2010)

Tonite I was re-energized by TD Jakes talk from a prior Summit. I was reminded that if I believe God called me to lead worship and to make disciples in France then I ought to be focused on doing those things every day.

Premise-I have been inspired to share a worship song every day for the rest of the year with a brief update on how it connects me to God and to His purposes for me.

Guidelines-

1-One new song video posted Monday-Saturday of me singing a song to or about God. I will challenge your notion of what can be sung to or about Him. Me+the piano. For now. God has a way of taking our plans and running at LightSpeed with them.

2-Sundays I will REST. This is an area where I need to grow. So on Saturday Night I will post a video (for Sunday) of some other artist who inspires me and encourages me through their music.

3-Each video with include a brief written thought, scripture or message about how God led me to that particular song. The "WORD" WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLY IN THE VIDEO'S "DESCRIPTION."

You will learn a lot about me and my journey with Christ through our love songs. Even when I fail, or fall...this is part of how He restores and renews me.

Purpose-Each post will end with a shameless update on the progress of Raising Prayer and Financial support for full-time Missions in France. I know that He has called me to love Him full-time and to help the French do the same. I pray YOU will be invited to draw closer to Christ. You will be invited to help the French to do the same. Through your growing Love for Christ You will be compelled to pray with and for this Mission until it becomes Reality.