In John, Chapter 10, verses 11-15, Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father–and I lay down My life for the sheep.” [NIV Bible]
“Speak the Word!” is a duet by husband and wife duo Teddy and Tina Campbell. Tina Campbell is well known as one half of the gospel group “Mary Mary.”
This song is a favorite of mine because it is upbeat (I love to dance!) and it makes me feel better when I listen to it! 🙂 The energy of “Speak the Word” is pure encouragement, making the case for getting in the Bible, learning it and saying it!
Speaking the Word means literally quoting the Bible out loud. It is very powerful to hear Scripture in your own voice. It is empowering to say what God says about you, not what your own inner critic says about you.Â
In the Bible, God says He loves you, and He is ready and willing to give you a fresh start! In Psalm 103, verses 11-13, it says:
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;Â as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Make Scripture personal to you. In these verses, say out loud, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s love for me(!); as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed my transgressions from me…
In Psalms 86, verse 5, it says: You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to [me:)]…all who call on You.
So be a part of all who call on God! If you haven’t prayed or read the Bible before, you can start! Open a Bible app, open a Bible, use them both:) Learn Scripture and say it out loud!
The more you read the Bible, the more you’ll begin to understand how God sees you and how He does what only He can do.
This song is passionate praise. It is called the Revelation Song because many of the lyrics come directly from the book of Revelation. Â The chorus, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come” can be found in Revelation Chapter 4, verse 8.
Music has the power to reach deep inside. This song is so stirring and this performance is so sincere that I shiver from head to toe when I listen to it. My hope is that this song will bring you closer to God.
It’s been longer since my last post than I wanted it to be, but I have been doing the hard work of grief since my beloved cat passed away 3 weeks ago tomorrow. Before he died, he was very ill, and I took care of him 24/7.
This will be a short post, because the pain of losing him and missing him is very hard for me. I feared that he would die for a long time, because he always had health problems. I loved him with my whole heart, and it was agony even to think of him dying. I faced one of my worst fears 3 weeks ago. I’m sure anyone reading this who has loved a pet dearly can understand how tough it is to lose them.
This song comforts me and I hope it will help you with whatever you are facing now that feels overwhelming. God has comforted me, and He will continue to hold me up. He will comfort and support you as well. Tell God how hard it is, believe in Him and His ability to give you strength when you are weak. This too shall pass, with the mercy and the comfort of God.
I want to share this song with you that I discovered from the movie “The Gospel.” Great movie, great soundtrack! Yolanda Adams sings “Victory,” a song that is about how you can get through the pain and trouble in life. And joy is thrown in for good measure, because knowing Jesus is your Savior gives you hope.Â
The ultimate victory that God gives us is the victory over death. All we have isn’t just what this life gives us. Jesus is our Savior when we believe He is the Son of God, and that He has the power to forgive our sins, connect us to God the Father, and provide us with eternal life.
What does forever with God look like? It’s a life very different from this one. There is no uncertainty and no fear. There is complete security and endless joy. There is no physical pain or illness. There is no loss of those you love and no mourning or grief.
God promises us that, and He doesn’t go back on His promises. You can count on Him. You know how people will say, “Don’t count on it!” What they mean is, “You might be disappointed, so don’t get your hopes up!”
But God can be trusted with your biggest insecurities and your most important hopes. He won’t fail you! Eternity–forever–with God is assured when you believe in Him. He alone has the power to give you an eternity of love and unending joy! He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you. Let Him give you the victory!!
“That’s Why We Praise Him” is a song written by Tommy Walker, and in this case, performed by Rich Ochoa and the Maranatha! Promise band. It appears on “i Worship, A Total Worship Experience,” a double CD of Christian music.
This song describes Jesus’ mission and who He is. It is a direct and sincere testimony about Christian faith. This song really stirs me inside, especially when he sings, “He came to go prepare a place for us.”
That’s a reference to what Jesus said in John Chapter 14, verse 2-3: “In My Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” [NIV Bible]
I hope you enjoy this song, and I hope some day soon you’ll be able to sing along, “That’s why we bow down and worship this King, ’cause He gave His everything!!!”
Music is a powerful force that helps relieve stress and gives us a boost. It can energize you, lift your mood, and calm you down when you need it. Music injects happiness into my life, and if I’m deprived of it for too long, I feel more down. I listen to all types of music, not just Christian music. I definitely gravitate toward upbeat music. I’m generally in need of musical encouragement :), and I love to dance, and this song is good for both.
Kirk Franklin’s “Still Alive” is an energetic and joyous song, and I love it! It is featured in the movie “The Gospel,” and that’s how I first heard it. I have the soundtrack, and it was a great investment. There are several songs on it that are favorites of mine, and I would highly recommend it.
I like the website that I used for this link, because it’s really great to have the lyrics right there while you listen to the song. There is a small error in the lyrics listed for this song. Where it says, “pillow of fire by night” it should say pillar of fire. This is a reference to Exodus Chapter 13, verse 21, where it describes the Israelites being lead by God out of Egypt (where they had been slaves) to the land God promised to them.
This Scripture says: By day, the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. [NIV Bible]
I hope you’ll feel hope and optimism rise up inside of you as you listen to this song!
I love “Shackles” by sister duo Mary Mary. I dare you not to like it! 🙂 This song speaks to people in real life situations. The lyrics are so true and direct, it’s impossible not to respond.
You can be shackled to a painful past, shackled to a relationship, shackled to discouragement and disappointment. You can be shackled to depression, shackled to fear, shackled to mood swings. You can be shackled to money problems, shackled to marriage problems…
In particular, I think this song is an anthem for the addicted. Addiction puts you in shackles, there’s no doubt about it! Addicts need encouragement. We need to see the possibility for change and hope for the future. This song is so stirring and personal, it goes straight to your heart to inspire you! I listen to this every time I get the chance, and it always feels the same–like someone understands me and acknowledges what I go through.
