Living Above the Sun Ministries

  Where do I begin?  For many years I've quietly dreamed of being in the world of music...okay, I want to be a rockstar!  Only problem is I'm an introvert and not big on being in the limelight.  I'm also not as musically talented as I am a writer.  Sure, I can strum a couple of chords, and sing and harmonize on some things, I can sorta ad lib, but when it comes to keeping time, and singing really good, and staying in rhythm, I don't do well.  I choke on my spit, get off key, I get lost in music, the metronome keeps ticking and i don't know where to jump in.  I've known for years I'm a writer and not a performance singer. I recently took a test from a Dove winning songwriter who developed a "Songwriter Type Profile."  I am "Hearing and Prophetic."  I've known this for probably 20 years too, but most people would think I was crazy if I told them I hear the voice of God and have the gift of prophecy.  Not seeing the future prophecy but p...

"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. And they sang the song of Moses , the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."...

"I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God ; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord." -Psalm 40:1-3 Where do I start? The past few weeks and months have held great excitement for me. God has continued to do a great work in me, as I follow Him in obedience. Not only walking in obedience but continuing to read His Word, and learning who He is, and what He has done. I've been in a process of healing, and overcoming. I have found myself more than ever applying my life verse to my life...probably why it's called a life verse right? I've had to make peace with my past. I've been saved for 10 years but have not been living in that new nature God gave me, or claiming all the new things He had for me. Instead I continued in my selfish ...

Last night some friends and I went to the Rock and Worship concert at Bojangles Arena here in Charlotte. We were mainly there for our favorite band, "Disciple." (www.disciplerocks.com) It was totally worth $10.00 to see them perform their song,"Rise Up" they killed it! They did a few more too. The song is about Christians rising up together, and it totally rocks. There were some other bands there as well that I liked, Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, Hawk Nelson, just to name a few. Mercy Me did a good show too. It was very powerful at the end. The lead singer for Mercy Me spoke straight to our hearts and challenged us to stand out from the World, to be the change because the world isn't changing much. Just as we were singing with Disciple, "Rise Up" lets rise up as Christians and give the world Jesus, a change not even Obama can give you! I vote for that kind of change! I vote for Jesus. It was also during his talk that I was reminded that I am a...

"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." -2 Timothy 2:22 Last night at the Addiction Ministry, God convicted me of the music I listen too. God just spoke and challenged me to rethink what I listen too. Ultimately, does the music I listen too support Jesus or the sex, drug, and rock and roll life style? Is the music I listen too make me want to worship Jesus or have more of the desire to live the lifestyle of sex, and drugs, and rock and roll? Do I want to give up my rockin' awesome music? No! However, I want to worship Jesus. And I know listening to the radio station I listen to does not glorify Jesus. I get embarrassed at some of the things they talk about and mention. And I know if affects the way I think and talk. I don't think I need to pray about it, God told me and there ain't n...

Fenelon wrote in one of his letters that, many think "dying to themselves" is what causes them so much pain. However, in actuality, because part of you still lives is what causes the problem. Let all that is not born of God with you die. Learn to accept your weaknesses, and see who you are so that God can heal you. If we die a little bit everyday of our life, how completely will these daily deaths destroy the power of your final dying. Essentially, when we die to ourselves daily, daily God will fill us with His peace, because God is peace-even the heaviest cross must be carried in peace. Do not resist dying to yourself. Volunteer for your own death, God heads straight for that which we are most reluctant to give up. He seeks to destroy your old nature, and it does hurt, but remember that pain is only felt where there is life. He takes away so that He might be your supply. He owns it all. A few thoughts I've been having over the last few days has been based ...

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you." -Psalm 84:11-12 Refrain: Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Refrain Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. Refrain Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey. Refrain But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will...

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him." -Psalm 40 I started writing songs and music when I was 14. I believe it is a gift. I started out writing goofy songs, then God moved my heart and I began to write music for Him and the things I had experienced in life. Writing music has been a theraputic thing for me in understanding heart ache. I'm glad God inspires it because other words without Him in my music it would be whiney and depressing...like a country song. Jesus is everything in my music he gives it all to me. I'm very thankful for this gift. Many of you have probably wanted to write a song but were not sure where to begin, or what song structure looks like. Recently, in my communicati...

"If grace is an ocean we're all sinking" The story is found in John 4, the story of the woman at the well. There are many things we can learn from this story, and many different perspectives can be seen. However, there is one central and key lesson, and that is Jesus is our living water. We are all that woman at the well because we are all in need of grace, love, and forgiveness, and that is exactly what the living water represents. Jesus crossed all barriers to get to this woman, and that is what He does with you and I. This woman was a Samaritan! Jews did not talk to Samaritans...but Jesus did. At the same time we have to realize that in order to receive that living water our sins have to be exposed. Later on in the chapter, Jesus calls her out on what she had done. He didn't condemn her, but He said I know all these things about you but drink of me and my living water and you'll never thirst again! The story is told of a boy who grew up in an impoveris...

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 There is a key word in this verse. If you guessed POWER you are correct! Notice what's cool about this context of the word 'power'; that you will receive power to change the world. A strategy for the church to change the world is laid out in Acts 1:1-14, when the church deviates from this strategy the church becomes ineffective. The book of Acts is a continuation of Jesus' ministry with Jesus' power being invested in believers who are possessed by Jesus, indwelt by Holy Spirit, manifest the life and power of God the Father. This is what we call authentic Christianity. Jesus says in the verse above that "you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth." Re...

The hymn written by Bill and Gloria Gaither "Because He Lives" is a song that has changed my life, and I am always so encouraged when I sing it, or hear it. At one point in my life I wanted to throw in the towel on life. I didn't want to live, I didn't want to deal with any more bad stuff, and a number of different things. Life wasn't so pleasurable because I wasn't fully surrendered to Jesus, and wasn't fully trusting in His plan for my life. I don't remember the first time I heard this song or when it started impacting me so much, but here are some of the lyrics that really speak to me: Because HE lives, I CAN face tomorrow! Because He lives. All fear is gone, because I know, He hold's the future, And Life IS worth the living, Just because HE lives. Wow! "Life is worth living because He lives." Like I pointed out in these past few posts, the Resurrection of Jesus was the climax for this story we are living in. His Resur...