Behind the Praise - Sunday April 26, 2009

"Unto the Lamb"

This great worship song was written by Brian Ming, worship director for CHRIST FOR THE NATIONS in Dallas.Here is Brians' testimony in his own words:Recently, God has called me out to the body of Christ to impart at local churches, at conferences, and various events. I feel called, not to one exclusive organization, or denomination, but to go where He opens the door. If you are interested in having me, my wife, and/or team come, send me a message. Well, a little background on me.....I've been in full time ministry since the age of 19yrs old (unless you count playing the drums for my parents church at age 9). I was youth pastor, college pastor, music pastor, young adults district cordinator, masters commission director, and the list goes on & on. I pioneered a lot of cool ministries (with the help of amazing people that God put around me).....I love working with young people who are passionate for Christ! We had a group that traveled all over the country leading people to the Lord through worship & dramas. God has allowed me to accomplish many things at a young age. I am very excited at what He is doing in my life NOW! I am currently the worship leader at Christ for Nations Institute & I have the privilege of being around some awesome students! God has put a desire in my heart to challenge this next generation to make a difference in their world, with a life of worship. As well as ministry on the platform, I feel just as called and anointed to be a loving husband to my beautiful wife Kristen, and a father to three amazing children.

Click here to worship along with Brian Ming - the song is on his stand-alone player
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=185732641

Click here for the Woodstock Georgia recording:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDdE8s_y4c4

"Mighty To Save"

This is another song from the Hillsong music ministry in Sydney Australia. This song is by Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding. This song has a great re-occuring text. "OUR GOD IS MIGHT TO SAVE". This is taken from the passage in Zephaniah 3:1717 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Click here to read more about Reuben Morgan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Morgan

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCAhKDZRlo

Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y

"Be Glorified"

The Crossroads youth choir will share this powerful song by Jared Anderson. Author of the songs “Rescue”, “Amazed”, and “Hear us from Heaven”, Jared Anderson is a prolific writer committed to the local church. He aims to put Jesus in the spotlight with his songs and leadership for New Life Church. Jared grew up at New Life Church where he joined the choir at 13 years old and played keyboards in the youth band all through high school.Now, as before, he is a member of both New Life Worship and Desperation Band as well as his heading up his own recordings. When he’s not leading, writing, or recording, Jared is at home with wife Megan and children Everett (3), Beckett (2), and Francie (1).

Click here to visit Jareds' myspace:
www.myspace.com/jaredandersonmusic

Click here to worship along with Jared Anderson:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H667w4HdcVQ

"Everlasting God"

Brenton Brown wrote this song after both he and his wife had being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Brown described their illness in the following excerpt from Christianity today. Brown: It's called fibromyalgia, a form of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. What defines it are the symptoms, the most obvious ones [being] fatigue. You feel jet-lagged most of the time. There are other symptoms like nausea, muscle pain, muscle aches. There's no known cure. Basically it was just like waking up one day and finding out that I had someone else's body. Very strange. I wasn't thinking as clearly. And over the last three years we've basically had to relearn how to live life with our new bodies. It's been a challenge. Chronic Fatigue is a little bit like having mono[nucleosis]. You feel very fatigued, very drained. And no matter how much you sleep, you're still going to feel tired. You can never shake off that tired feeling. I just kept going for six months. And then my pastor, the board of our church and the group of doctors that I was seeing all decided, "This is not working. You're not going to be able to force your way through this." Brenton Brown, born in South Africa, is a Christian songwriter and worship leader. He left South Africa for Oxford, England in his early twenties on a Rhodes Scholarship. While studying politics, philosophy and theology he joined the Vineyard music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vineyard, UK, and eventually as coordinator of the Vineyard (UK) Worship Development Team. His songs, Lord Reign in me, All who are thirsty, Humble King, Hallelujah [Your love is amazing] and Holy were recorded on the popular Vineyard UK projects during this time. He has since left the UK and now lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Jude. Brenton is an artist on the worship label Survivor and in 2006 released his first solo album, Everlasting God with Survivor in the UK and rest of the world, and with Sparrow in the United States and Canada.

Check out Brenton’s ministry here:
www.brentonbrownmusic.com/

Click here to listen to him share about how the song came about
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePOcs88kqw

Click here to listen to Lincoln Brewsters' arrangement
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2nz6PG8KM&mode=related&search=

Click here to listen to Brenton Brown & Paul Baloche
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bLWwnVBuF8

“Overcome”

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love
Destined to die, poured out for all mankind
God's only son perfect and spotless one
He never sinned, but suffered as if he did

All authority, every victory is Yours
All authority, every victory is Yours

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise, You overcame
Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name, You overcame

Power in hand speaking the Father's plan
You're sending us out, light in this broken land

We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb
And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome

Click here to learn more about Jon Egan composer of this powerful song:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=34106535

Click here to listen to the story behind the song:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=33819070&blogID=440712561

Click here to worship along with the Desperation Band:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sjYWrpNoCs


“Everywhere that I Go” This song will be shared by Tetelestai.

This stirring worship song was written by Israel Houghton:

Nearly Disposed - Israels' Testimony
My mother became pregnant at the age of 17 in Waterloo, Iowa. You can imagine how this is shaping up. She was given the choice of a back-alley abortion or being disowned by her family. Thank God she chose the latter. Ultimately, she was disowned, abandoned by my biological father, and ended up in San Diego, California. Picture this. It was 1971 and my mother was 8 months pregnant, all alone, thousands of miles from home, and forced to enter reality unprepared. Pretty bleak. One day while walking down the street, a lady pulled up in her Volkswagen Bug, got out, and respectfully yet boldly, began to share the Gospel with her. Words of life and hope began to overtake the words of rejection and abandonment she had grown accustomed to. There on a street corner, she ended up on her knees and cried out to God-committing her life to Jesus Christ. The lady gave her a bible and that's how I got my name. My mother started reading at page one and well, you know-you have a bible, my name's on every page!
I'm often asked by skeptics or the stoic, why I'm as passionate about worshiping God as I am. The answer is simple for me. In this age of disposable relationships, I could have easily become a statistic and at best, a distant memory of a youthful mistake. Instead, a Sovereign God rescued my mother and me and gave us hope, a future, and a testimony of the providence of God. The very least I can do is enter into His gates with fresh thanksgiving, His courts with a passionate praise, and eventually bow before His throne in intimate worship. As far as leading worship goes (which is my passion and calling), I now realize that there have been demands put on me from every part of my experience since day one - culturally, emotionally, musically, and more. So things tend to sound cross-cultural, cross- denominational, and cross-generational. I like to call it, "The Sound of New Breed Worship." I tend to lead from an internal platform founded in Psalm 124:2, "If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side"....where in the world would I be? In an age of disposable relationships, maybe we should be asking ourselves that question a lot more often. I am confident that we would worship with far more conviction, intensity, and overwhelmed gratitude if we did. It is my delight to encourage you today.

Click here to learn more about Israel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Houghton

Click here to worship along with the Lakewood Church:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0W0oCGcu8k&feature=related

Click here to listen online:
www.imeem.com/pickurnose/music/fEmluTVP/everywhere_that_i_go/