The Cries

This is the message behind the song "The Cries" off my album Intimately Consumed. ...

These are real life stories. Real people actually came up to me after a show, at church, or different places and expressed these things to me. My purpose in this song is not to expose them, but to encourage and give them hope.

I realize that there is much pain, confusion, hurt, etc, across the globe. I realize that things can really be messed up in life! I realize that crazy things happen to good people. We, as but mere humans, tend to look up and point the finger at God. We tend to blame God in our own pride, harden our hearts, and come to the conclusion that God doesn't care about us or that He is not real. For if there was a God, "then how could He do this," or, "how could He have let this happen to me or the world." I know, because I have heard these things over and over again by others. I also have said them personally myself. There can be a number of reasons for this, but I believe one of the main reasons is our lack of revelation and understanding on who God REALLY IS.

I believe that there is a great revelation coming to the church and globe at large and that is this - the revelation of who the Father is. I bring this up simply because if we have a revelation of who the Father is - then when crazy things happen, nothing will be able to move us from His character. He is GOOD...and He remains GOOD... because He doesn't change (Heb 13:8).

He is good if my father dies. He is good if my mother dies. He is good if terrorists attack. He is good if disease and sickness strike a friend or family member. He is good if I get struck by these things. He is good no matter what happens. That is who He is. He can't be anything else.

We should not be looking and pointing the finger at Him. We should be running towards Him and His goodness (Matt 11:28-30). We should be casting all that we are upon Him to help us through our circumstances, for He cares (1 Peter 5:6-7). It's a very ugly mistake to make - to turn from the One who can truly help you in what you are facing. Why would you run from the only One that truly understands what's going on? Why would you run from Him, who can give you peace and joy in the midst of what you are facing? Why would you run from the One who loves you deeply and desires you?

I told other people's stories because I am positive that their are other people out there facing similar or the same circumstances and situations. I want to bring hope to you. It's not about me. It's about my friend, Jesus. He is the One who can help you! No matter how deep of a pit you are in - whether it's addiction, depression, hopelessness, sins, etc - He is the One who can reach in and pull you out!

I pray that you would put your faith wholly in Jesus! That you would ask for a revelation of the Father's heart for you and what you are facing. And finally that you would take courage in the boldness that is in Christ to face the giant that's in front of you! The Father loves you and cares for you deeply! He is saying this - "Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened - and I will give you rest." Turn your life over to Jesus, commit to His ways, and watch what happens! For surely He is faithful to His Word (2 Tim. 2:13, Prov 3). Surely He works all things together for good (Rom 8:28)! "God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good (Numbers 23:19 - amp)?"

Trust whatever you are facing completely to Jesus and let go! I promise you this - He is faithful! Don't commit for a day, or a week, or a month, and then come to the conclusion that He isn't real or doesn't care about you. That is foolish! Commit your life and commit for a LIFETIME to follow Him - just watch! He is faithful and will be there for you every step of the way even if you don't feel Him! Don't try to figure out everything or know all the answers - just, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understand, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Be encouraged... your going to make it! You can do all things through Him (Phil 4:13). Nothing is impossible with God (Jer. 32:17, Matt 17:20, Lk 1:37)!

Jesus - The Human Face of God

This is the message from the song entitled "The Face of Jesus" off my album Intimately Consumed.

Psalm 27:4 - "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate in His temple."

Jacob saw God face to face (Genesis 32:20). The Lord spoke to Moses plainly, not in dark sayings, as a man speaks to his friend - He spoke with him, "mouth to mouth, even open, not in dark sayings (Numbers 12:7-8)." Enoch walked faithfully with God (Gen. 5:22). Noah walked with God (Gen. 6:9). As a child of the most high God, I desire strongly to do the same.

I want to have the same heart that Moses had when he cried out, Lord, "Show me Your glory." I want all His goodness to past before me. I want to live all of my days gazing upon the beauty of the Lord. Living and walking in Him. Abiding in Jesus - I in Him, and He in me. I want to walk in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, not in my own ways or in the flesh. The flesh profits nothing, but the Spirit brings life and peace (John 6:63). I am deeply moved, and in love with a loving, graceful, glorious God. I want to see the Face of Jesus which is the very glory of God (2 Cor. 4:6) I want to hear His voice and learn to recognize it from the voice of the enemy or the accuser of the brethren. I seek His face because I desperately want to know the Father's heart.

The times where I choose to remain in Him and keep my heart in the position to receive His love, I realize that I need nothing else but Him. I realize that all I need is met in Him. All my soul cries out for and longs for is found in Him - in His presence. The third verse of this song goes through a list of different sayings which have been cries of my heart. I want my heart to be completely pure and open before the Lord; for the pure in heart shall see God (Matt. 5:8). I want to see Jesus. I want to gaze upon His beauty. I want my heart to be completely and wholly submitted. I want to honestly be able to say, "Lord, all that I am is Yours - do whatever you will to do with my life."

I end the song by asking for grace to be released over me to walk this out. It's a lifestyle of learning to abide in the love of the Father. I'm in a race, and by His grace, I will finish strongly! I pray that you would also cry out for these things. Not because I want them or they are my desires, but that your heart would be after God in such a way that you would see Jesus clearly. If we can see Him, we will never be the same. For whatever you behold, that is what you become like. He promises not to hide His face from us any longer (Ez. 39:29). We will be transformed the more and more we see the Father clearly. What are your eyes gazing upon? Are you longing for the beauty of Jesus, or for the world and it's simple ways? You and I were created to gaze upon the face of Jesus - let's stop looking elsewhere and gaze into His never ending beauty!

I pray that the Father's love would pierce you in the deepest parts of your heart. That you would see how amazing it is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. I pray that, if you are searching for more in life, that you would be willing to lay down your life at the feet of Jesus. When you choose to "lose your life," Jesus said that it's in that place where you will truly find it. I pray that you would find the abundance of life that can only be found in the name of Jesus Christ. I pray that your heart would be flooded with the depths of His unconditional love and that your heart would be in the posture to receive Him. I pray that your heart would cry out like Moses did - "Lord, show me your glory." I pray that you would see Him more clearly. I pray that you would seek and see His face. in Jesus Name, Amen

Pleasure

This is the message behind my song "These Pleasures" off my album Intimately Consumed.

Throughout middle-school and high-school, I chose to close my heart and live for myself. In doing this, naturally, I wanted to do what felt good to my body. I have experienced many of the vain pleasures that this world has to offer. By pleasures - I mean the "high's" in life. For example, getting drunk or high or experiencing sex outside of marriage, can bring about a "high" or pleasurable feeling to us. It looks and feels satisfying, but underneath that is complete death. After years of chasing the pleasures this world has to offer (success, sex, drugs, alcohol, popularity, etc), I have realized that they are temporary and do not truly satisfy us. I jumped off the never ending treadmill of meaninglessness.

The Author of Life has created us to live and be in fellowship with Himself. When this is missing in your life- there will ALWAYS be an empty void inside you. You can try to turn to the next thing, and the next, and the next, but eventually that will get old as well. You were made to experience a love that's unconditional which is what our souls long for deep down inside. This is why Jesus says to the women at the well in John chapter seven that if you knew who He was, you would have asked Him for Living Waters and you never would thirst. When you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus, you will never thirst for more and more in life because it brings about true satisfaction. To be accepted, loved, cared for and to have a purpose and experience pleasures that are superior to those of this world. This is found, and only found, in Jesus Christ.

True pleasures and satisfaction is found in the place of intimacy with Christ. Where you are in a relationship with Abba, the Father. There are pleasures in His right hand waiting for you to search out and discover. There is fullness of joy in His presence (Ps 16:11). There is life, joy, hope, peace, patience, goodness, etc in the relationship between the Spirit of God and you. What pleasures are you seeking after? What are you trying to fill that "emptiness" inside with? If it is not fully Christ, I promise you that it will fail you everytime.

You don't have to look any further - submit to Jesus (James 4). He is all we need and the one that can truly satisfy us (2 Peter 1:3). He said, "I will give you living water, and you will never thirst." Ask Him to fill you with His streams of living water. Ask Him for the pleasures in His right hand. Open your heart and submit to Him completely. He is someone you can trust with your everything. Get off the treadmill and start living for something that lasts. Start living for Someone who is eternal, Jesus Christ. Don't waste your life building your own fame and glory, for it will soon pass and fade away. Don't waste your life seeking after the next pleasurable experience. Come to Him whose pleasures know no end. He is who you were made for and He awaits you! Come to Him and enjoy Him. I pray that you would be like Moses, "choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (Heb 11:25-26)..."

Psalm 21:6 - "For You make Him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence."

Psalm 16:11 - In my presence is fullness of joy, and in My right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Get you some!!

I'm Sorry (But Not Really...)

This is the message behind the song that feature k-Drama and Nue Breed entitled "Sorry."

This is a sarcastic apology saying I'm sorry for following Jesus, living for His glory, and not being of this world any longer. There is no need to apologize, but I am sarcastic and hope that there is humor brought to the body of Christ through this song.

The Name of Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to those who don't believe (1 Cor. 1:22-24, Gal. 5:10-12, 1 Pet. 2:6-8, Rom. 9:33). His name can be and is offensive to non-believers. You can mention allah, or buddah, and it would not have the same effect. The reason is this - Jesus is the real deal! He is the actual Son of God who claims the deity of the great "I AM" (Jn 8:58). He said Himself that He is, "The way, the truth, and the life" - the only way to Heaven or to the Father. I could go on for days, but I don't want to get off track! This track features two brothers in Christ, Benjamin Farr (Nue Breed) and Regis Jones (k-Drama). We are no longer of this earth, although we live here for a short time. Our citizenship is in heaven for we have been bought with a price (1 Peter 2:9). The price was Jesus Christ and His blood which was shed on a cross (1 Cor. 6:20;2 Cor. 5:21)). We have been chosen, and set apart for His purposes and ways (Eph. 1:4-12; Eph 2:10). We now live for Him and His glory. No longer will we conform to the simple ways of this world. No longer will we live trying to leave our own self-glorified legacy. No longer will we will for the next pleasurable experience or temporary high. No longer we will live for ourselves! We, as sons of the Most High, live to reflect His glory. We live for a higher calling, and that is to make His Name famous and known amongst the nations. That's what this song is about! We are young, but unashamed to carry our cross's on our back (Matt 16:24). Could we possibly leave out the Name of Jesus and make millions, become famous, get awards, etc? Yes... It's possible... but what's the point if you gain the whole world and loose your very soul (Matt. 16:26)? Life is but a glimpse, don't waste your life chasing after things that can't hold it self together. Chase after the One thing which will be forever, Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:24-25)! You are like grass, and all it's glory like the flower of grass, will soon wither and fall off. You can have the money, cars, house, diamonds, etc - but when it comes down to it - you have NOTHING if you don't have a relationship with God. Without Christ in your life, your life is worthless - it's pointless. For surely you were made to reflect His image! Surely you were made for Someone who is greater than You. Surely you were made for Your Creator. Surely you were made for Him, and He is the One who desires you. Quit wasting your life and turn to Jesus! That's when real purpose begins. So... if this message offends anyone... "We're very sorry." Talk to Abba about it and He will make things very clear for you. He has spoken in His Word...humble yourself and come to Him!