pray that God will sustain and restore!

Visitors to famed gospel rapper Da’ Truth’s website were in for a surprise on November 2, 2009 when they were greeted by a sincere and heartfelt apology posted by the artist himself.

Make no mistake, our beloved brother has expressed his deep remorse and reaches out to his family and fans alike for “[our] forgiveness as [he] works toward reconciliation”.  Amidst his requests for respect of his family’s privacy and his proclamation that he has “repented first to God, and then to [his] wife and family” it seems that the extremely successful artist has one main point that he wants everyone to know….

“My greatest hope is that my failures and short comings are seen for what they are – MY failings and not a reflection of the God that I proclaim. Despite my falling short, the resurrection and life changing power of the cross remains the same”

Let us certainly not judge our brother, but rather lift him up in prayer.  His recent proclamation really accents a sobering message to the church as a whole. AS WE ENGAGE IN MUSIC MINISTRY WE MUST TAKE HEED TO THE MESSAGE OF 1 Corinthians:10

12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The truth is that many of us tend to hold up Gospel Artists , (and ministers in general) to almost “superhuman” levels that we tend to forget they are just as human and susceptible to sin as we are!  Those of us that are actively involved in the music ministry may often get lulled into a false sense of security. We have to remember that the more damage that we do to the Devil’s kingdom through our ministry the more he sets his sights on us with efforts to destroy our testimony!

Watch out for SNEAK ATTACKS!

Let us not be taken unaware without our spiritual armor on!!  And let us not forget to pray for the artists that are ever before us because we think “they must be set”….the Gospel Music Industry is being hit hard lately and scandals are erupting in churches everywhere.  Let’s not condemn them but rather lift them up while providing a spiritual covering!

Da’ Truth has taken a sabbatical from ministry as he focuses on reconciliation.  Have you ever had to deal with a scandal inside your music ministry?  What actions were taken, (if any)??   How would you deal with such a situation if it happened inside your church?

Make your voice heard….

When faced with such decisions I encourage you to realize this….

Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Let’s take ANY issue you might have….it works in any case, from a curiosity about the current day application of “tongues” according to the scripture, to the selection of proper attire for ministering on any given Sunday.

The WORD will bring light and illuminate to any situation that is dark,( in the dark there is lack of direction).

Now look at this—> e=mc2

What is that? Why, it’s the formula that represents the relationship between matter and energy!  Is that truth? Yup! Can you now take the truth I’ve just given you and build an atom bomb? Most likely NOT…because even though you’ve found the source of the truth behind the matter and it’s spelled out very plainly in written word, that does not mean you have the revelation of the meaning of the truth, even though it is referenced before you in plain written words.  So…how do we unlock the power and potential of that truth?  How do we discover the revelation of it’s application?

We could go on what we’ve heard other people say….but even though our answer would have elements of truth, it might be far from accurate. (case in point, someone told me e=mc2 “Einstein’s theory of relativity”. It’s actually NOT)!

We could go on what “experts” say that have devoted time to matter…this is much better than blindly trusting the non-experts, but not as perfect a perfect source as…

Going to the Author of the equation directly! There is no better source for enlightenment of intended interpretation of a given word….than to the one that spoke the word! Sorry to say though, Einstein is dead….

being dead leaves a terrible taste in your mouth...

But Jesus LIVES!!!!

oh, yeah....now what???

Once again, Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Imagine being stuck in a dark desert with many trails, many exits, and many potential paths.  If you cant see, you have no chance of navigating! The Word is the LIGHT!  Turn on the LIGHT in that situation and what do you have? A well lit, unfamiliar path, smack dab in the middle of a potentially confusing place!

So....it's daylight...but which way should we go?

Now check THIS out….

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will GUIDE you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

you think THIS guy is good...just wait till the Holy Spirit is your guide!

Saints, we need to realize that not only do we need to search the scriptures for the light of the TRUTH (to shine on our “path” a/k/a possible directions in life)…we need the Spirit of truth, (as mentioned in John 16:13) to be our spiritual GUIDE!!!

PROVERBS 3:5,6
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, AND LEAN NOT UNTO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, [or even my testimony, or cousin  Pookie's opinion, whatever...] in all thy ways acknowledge Him…
and HE SHALL (WILL,WILL,WILL) direct your paths!

When I want some truth from the Lord I remind myself that HE is the Author and the best source for a clear answer.  I bury my own opinion pray for his instruction and take his Word literally. Every time, he answers!
This is what led me to my experience…and it is the biblical standard for gaining insight into the truth of the Word.

What are some of the methods and steps YOU take as a christian when making decisions?  Let us know by leaving your comment below!

2009 , here I come, i made it over!

Well, for all those that wanted more….here it is! This time around it was New Year’s eve, 2009 at  VICTORY CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL. and even though Tye was a bit hoarse, it wasn’t anything a simple key change couldn’t fix.  (Musician’s note: I believe he went down a whole step from A flat).

Perhaps it was the rough year, perhaps it was the more strained economy, or maybe the higher gas prices. Something about this year’s version seems a bit more….thankful , there’s a stronger feeling of “I pressed to get here”. This praise is even more intense because we all know it was GOD ALONE that brought us through!

The verses are just a little different than last year, so if you’d like lyrics, feel free to request them in the comment section. As I said before, I encourage Worship leaders to customize the lyrics just a bit to make it even more personal!

Since so many people are asking for this song, I think I might post an instrumental version shortly so you can either rehearse to it or sing with it!  (Let me know in the comments if this is something you’d be interested in).

In any case remember the no matter how big the obstacle, no matter how big the opposition, through the grace and mercy of our Lord, we can make it over!  (need a witness, just ask   Mr. Obama… )

O.k. ya’ll go ahead and click play….it’s 7 minutes long, plenty of time to get lost in the praise!

Fantastic Keyboard player for Faithful Central Bible Church..Mr. Jae Deal!

Here’s a backstage view of  a great New Year’s song I’m going to teach our praise and Worship ministry for our New Year’s Eve service.  This video  was recorded last year at Faithful Central Bible Church and over 14,000 people attended!

Gospel Artist Tye Tribbett and Greater Anointing are singing the song along with Israel Houghton and New Breed.  Look for a nice transition into “New Season” (A timeless classic for praise and worship).  A user named “Quisto” was happy enough to give me the full lyrics, so if you’d like them just leave a comment!

Note once again, less is more…not only is it fairly easy to teach, the repetition and simplicity makes it easy for the congregation to grab hold and personalize the material! Songwriters and worship leaders take note!!  Keep on Praising!

**If you’re reading this through email and you cannot see the video, please visit the actual site by clicking the link below.

Well in looking for Deitrick’s song of encouragement I came across this video of a talented young man named Mali Music, (with the Soul’d Out Campus Choir at Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA), covering Deitrick’s tune. Give it 20 seconds and I guarantee you will be HOOKED. Why, because they look like they BELIEVE what they’re saying! (That and they can saaaang).

The point here is don’t tell me God will bring me through while your face says you’re struggling!

Dont say he’s the Joy of your Salvation with a “gospel stank face” on!  If you as a worship leader are excited and joyful I just might believe what you say and get my own breakthrough!!

(The girl on the left is banging her head a wee bit hard,  but if that’s how you Glorfiy Him, praise God for Excedrin and keep on banging for Jesus)!! It’s certainly alright by me.

Be Blessed…and LOOK LIKE IT!

Stand Out!!

If you are a worship leader seeking to learn more about pushing your ministry to new heights by the seasoned examples of those already active in the field….look no more.  You may be tempted to, but please dont duck and don’t cover…instead stop, drop (what you’re doing), and RUN to buy this DVD “yesterday” if possible…it’s that AMAZING.

FLASHBAAAAAACKKKKKKKKK

The year is 1998 and I had just attended what I thought to be the BEST GOSPEL EXPERIENCE EVER….it was Kirk Franklin and the Nu Nation Tour and he had sold out the Fleet center in Boston, (impressive indeed).  The awe and wonder emanating from the audience was not solely based on the captivating choreography, the amazing special guests, the elaborate set, or even the David Copperfield style teleporting opening, (he appeared in puff of smoke, ya’ll…really).

Kirk had a concert DVD too

What most folk took away from the concert was that this “Stomp Fella” was actually powerful at….ministering.  From preaching to teaching to praying, the presence of God was welcomed in that place to the point that we didn’t care if he performed  “Stomp” or not. (But yeah, we were glad he did).

Flash Forwaaaarrrrd…..

A few months later I was in my living room and I had to remind myself to breathe as I eagerly popped the in concert VHS, (DVD was still a pretty scarce commodity).  I had my grandma standing close by with a church fan and some water because I knew she had many years of experience as a baptist usher, and I was just expecting to fall out sure ’nuff slain at some point in this concert video!!!

Um, the concert was over 3 1/2 hours so why was my tape only something like 90 minutes?

Easy answer….they edited out all the MINISTERING!!!!

Hmm….Let’s just say I had to send grandma home early….she was a gospel fan, but there was about 22% too much “STOMP” in the video for her tastes.

dont like bugadaboo...

MAN!! I was so shocked I even called the record company!!

“THIS WAS VIDEOTAPED IN LIKE 50 STATES, CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET A LESS EDITED COPY???”

(**True story, some intern almost put me through to the one and only Vicki Mack Lataillade for me to ask her where I could get an unedited tape…..but someone nosey full time employee stopped THAT from happening)

Don’t get me wrong…Kirk’s brilliance inspired and amazed me for years to come, but the lesson learned here was that I shouldn’t expect the worship part of the concert experience to be captured in the following DVD.

UNTIL NOW!!!!  Ladies And Gentlemen the Stand Out Live DVD is not what you’re used to.

Sure, the well known gospel artist Tonex’s previous “Out the Box” DVD added some effects and interviews causing it to be hailed as “revolutionary”, but this Stand Out Live DVD is the closest thing you can get to being at the actual concert without a ticket stub!

IN ONE WORD…this is the Stand Out Live EXPERIENCE.

if I had some more time, I'd just say "oh, oh, ohhhh..."

Yes Tye Danced…

and it’s in the DVD for you to experience.

Yes, Tye Ministered in the Word…

and it’s in the DVD for you to experience.

Yes, the presence of God was felt that night…

and it’s in the DVD for you to experience.

Yes,  a G.A. member accidentally knocked Tye’s sister Demaris in the head during a frantic praise dance…

and it’s in the DVD (commentary) for you to experience!

At just over 4 and a half HOURS of material, this DVD has no lack of meaningful content.

Mime in the mornin', mime in the evening, all day long....singing my song

The Stand Out Live DVD is a fantastically produced gospel experience that encompasses Worship, Praise, Liturgical Dance, Contemporary Dance , (both choreographed and freestyle), but utilizing everything from the best in sound and stage design to mimes. Yes.  Praising, demonstrative, dancing gospel mimes. And they…were…surprisingly….fantastic!!!

Every action and moment seemed to be designed to bring the songs to a level where all audiences could effortlessly grasp the messages Tye was trying to convey in his music.  (If a frantic mime reaching across the stage trying to escape the grasp of his “evil” mime brethren doesn’t illustrate the Prodigal Son’s musical message: “I got to get outta here…” Then nothing will.)

Tye’s brilliance and creativity shines like a light throughout this DVD project.   Combine that raw energy and focused talent with the amazing abilities of his band, SOUNDCHECK, (led by none other than his MD and bass player extraordinaire, Thaddeus Tribbett), and the seemingly limitless and spontaneous energy of Greater Anointing, (where did Aaron come up with those moves…), and you end up with not just a shining production but a Star Trek inspired tractor beam of worship and praise that compels all that dare gaze to be drawn in.

But wait…there’s more….

MEET THE TRIBBETTS

The Obama's of gospel...

MEET SOUNDCHECK

aint that Fred Hammond's stunt double??

GOOD IN THE HOOD OFFICIAL VIDEO

With hair like that, they'd BOTH look good in a hood...

AND SPECIAL GUESTS GALORE….

Praise Instigator

Bless The Lord

Watch and Learn, Chirren'...

AND WHAT WOULD VA BEACH BE WITHOUT A BEACH PARTY?

New Songs? Yeah we got those...

AND NOW A WORD FROM…..

My favorite extra feature has got to be the commentary….Whether it’s G.A. members answering fan questions or Tye explaining what he was thinking throughout the evening and why. (Want to know why All Hail The King isn’t on this edition…tune in to the alternate DVD audio track and find out).  This was actually much deeper than “I felt like jumping here…I felt like running there”!  Tye actually gives deep insight into such things as how different cultures view worship.  Soundcheck elaborates on playing for God exclusively vs. gigging for the world. DEEP STUFF. Everything I could begin to THINK of to ask in an interview was addressed at one point or another.

REMEMBER, ONLY JESUS IS PERFECT…

If there’s one thing that could have been a tiny bit greater on the Stand Out Live DVD, I would have to quote (ok…paraphrase) Gospel legend John P. Kee…

” *Whenever I have new material, I like to wait a while before performing or touring…otherwise the people will sort of stand there and soak it all in.   If we release the CD first and give them time to familiarize themselves with the material I find that they participate much more during the concerts”.  (*paraphrased from a memorable interview).

You know how you taste new food for the first time? It’s like hmm…..let me digest this…tastes good…o.k., I like this!  Well, that how the Audience was for most of this DVD. Oh, they were hype! They were supportive. They were rocking and dancing right along, (undoubtedly impressive for someone’s debut of new material), however I can’t help but wonder how much more hype they would be today now that they KNOW how bomb diggety Tye’s new joints are? I wonder…

it's TYE-RIFIC!!!

CONCLUSION……

Like Victory Live before it, once again Tye Tribbett and G.A. deliver a superb, quality DVD experience.  I’m being modest…THIS THING SETS THE BAR FOR GOSPEL DVD’ S to Come!! It’s packed to the brim with something for everyone, casual listeners, hardcore fans, and worshipers of all denominations and backgrounds.  The message is universal, the worship and praise is undeniable and the praise is incontestable.

What are you still reading this for? Don’t delay your own blessing. As Tye would say “BUY it, don’t burn it….”

NOW!

Agree or disagree?  Do you have a favorite DVD moment? Please take the time to leave a comment and let us know!

Kapow!! Tye BO

There’s a horrible disease affecting singers, musicians and praise and worship leaders worldwide. It’s called BIG HEADEDNESS! All it takes is one too many rounds of applause, one to many shouts of “go ‘head”, or one too many “you really blessed me today” messages and our heads can start to swell up like helium ballons at a Macy’s parade!

Fortunately for us, God provided a swift remedy through a strong dose of scripture upside the noggin!!

This is actually part 6 of a series in which Gospel Artist Tye Tribbett turned his choir rehearsal into a tent revival in order to address some issues of arrogance that they were facing on the road. It’s very likely that most praise leaders worldwide will have to do this at one time or another thank God for the boldness and wisdom needed to burst so many bubbles while maintaining the love of Christ!

Imagine the shock and horror when I heard the disparing news of the details of Timothy Wright’s car crash the following day…

As the details unfolded I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasnt reliving Sunday’s testimony…all was the same….head on collision, high speed crash, car demolished, but wait…..his loving wife and assistant Pastor killed???  The 14 year old grandson sadly departed from injuries sustained?? Gospel music legend Timothy Wright himself, clinging to life??? Critical condition?  One of the MASTERS of worship and Praise and yet sorrow that many of us hope to avoid forever fell into his lap in an instant.  THIS IS SOMEBODY’S PASTOR!  As a matter of fact, due to the strikingly similar circumstances, this could have been MY Pastor! Things like this are truly sobering. As we minister in music to hundreds or even tens of thousands we must always remember our own mortality. Tomorrow is surely not promised, not even to the superstars or this family. It really makes one have a sense of urgency. Remember what our Lord said in John 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Make every moment count. Reach every soul you can while you can. Our hearts and prayers go out to Rev. Wright and his family in thier time of need.  You can read more details of his situation here. Praise God even now, he’s still “Holding On”.

Marvin Sapp on top of the Worship and Praise Charts for like, ever!!

One thing to think about when writing or performing gospel worship music is that often times “less is more”.   The lyrics to this song couldn’t be simpler yet, the POWER behind it’s meaning has an undeniable impact in both the gospel and secular audience.  AND ALL THAT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE LYRICS….as the strident gum commercial says, chew on that!

Our Praise and Worship Team did this song on Sunday rather spontaneously, (read: we never rehearsed it), but even the snippet we used to minister was enough to bring half the church to tears, starting with our alto section!

The version above is when the songwriter, Marvin Sapp, performed it live at the BET awards 2008.  Breathtaking to see how even the hippest of the Hip-Hoppers can’t help but nod in agreement to the simple yet powerful truth of the message.

Enjoy!

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Editors note: the original video from BET is no longer available., so my link has been changed to the concert DVD version!

Perhaps you’d take a different job, a car with better gas mileage, a more trustworthy friend or two, or a few less double cheeseburgers. Some of ya’ll might go so far as to have at least one or two less bay-bay kids. (Um, I meant changing the TIMING of having the lovable bay-bay kids, so sensitive moms please relax….)

Please allow me to share my recent and personal “success” at time manipulation.

It all started early one day as I began to look closely at my life. Now if anyone is thankful for the many blessings of God, it’s me! Too numerous to count and forever present-His awesome mercies are renewed morning by morning…..but for some reason, I wasn’t quite feeling that THIS particular morning,(by morning). Instead I was dwelling on the several mistakes I’ve made over the years. How bad? I once consumed jello pudding from the back of the fridge that Bill Cosby himself wouldn’t touch…but these mistakes were a billion times worse!

Your mind is the machine…..

Proverbs 23:7 teaches, “For as [one] thinks in his heart, so is he.” One of the complex mysteries of our human composition is the power associated with our thoughts! The scripture plainly details, (and dare I say warns us), that the content of our seemingly intangible thoughts has a startlingly direct and pronounced effect on the very state of our existence!
One blatantly devious trick and tactic from the Enemy of our souls is to attack us in our mind. If the devil can get us to continuously meditate on our past failures, then become present failures. If he ever succeeds in getting us to think back to the times before our current justification in Christ, then we allow ourselves to unwittingly step into the mental labyrinth of condemnation! Don’t think so? Read on…

I want to go backwards, right???

So there I was, a-hopin’ and a-wishin’…a-wishin’ and a-wonderin’. Trying to figure out why this, why that, if only I could change this or I what kind of fumes was in my air supply in order to cause me to do that. Regret turned to anger, and anger to bitterness, bitterness to frustration, frustration to confusion, confusion to depression and back again in a revolving cycle of wild and random emotions that would make Dr Phil’s producers camp out on my doorstep if they only knew!

Where am I? When am I??

And then I came out of it. Work was over. I was home. It was dark outside. The day was done and I was now in the “future”. AND I HAD WASTED THE WHOLE DAY DWELLING ON WHAT I COULD NOT CHANGE!
Ladies and gentleman the sad true fact is that dwelling on your past mistakes will not allow you to change it at all, rather the more you try to go backwards in time the further you end up going forward, but with no spiritual or natural progress! I’m talking Sleeping Beauty style suspended animation. The world inevitably goes on but you don’t! What could I have done for the Lord that day? Who could I have witnessed to?? What scriptures could I have learned from? What songs could I have written?? What lives could I have enriched? (Possibly even my own).

Proper, God sanctioned time-space management…..

Ecclesiastics 3:1 states: to everything there is a season, and
a time to every purpose under heaven:

Did you catch that? A season AND a time! They go hand in hand. I can personally endure the pollen drenched spring because I know without a shadow of a doubt that summer is around the corner. My coworker tolerates the fall winds because he knows that it signifies that snowboarding is coming up next. Because of the unflinching order God set in the universe we can look at our least favorite seasons and rest assured that something more preferred will come! Rather than allowing the enemy to use our past seasons and times to discourage us and halt our growth and progress, the illuminating light of God’s Word allows us to use those less than perfect seasons and times as proof positive that it HAS to get better! If any one of you can stop the seasons from changing, let me know quick so I can build a church in your honor, (you may even get a love offering). In the meantime <b>I refuse to spend even one more sleepless night or one more fruitless day dwelling on my past!!!</b>

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

Smile at your past mistakes. Laugh at your past mistakes. That season is OVER!!!! 2 Corinthians 5:7 states: If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away, behold all things become new.
Are you ready for the New Season God has for you???
I can hardly wait!