New Music Blog - Vision Radio Network

New Music - May 28 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:08:54 +0000

Today is the first day of our bi-annual Visionathon Appeal; this one is themed around TRUTH! How important is truth? Vitally important because if we don't know what is true we will more than likely accept lies and error, and of course there is only one source of absolute truth and that is found in the Word of God. So, listen in all week, it's going to be exciting and inspirational and these appeals make for very compelling radio listening. If you're inclined to contact us and make a donation that would be wonderful, but mostly we would appreciate you praying for us and the ministry, we continue to grow and expand and that's why we exist, but everything we do costs dollars. Visionathon appeals are two of the biggest methods we have to assist us in raising funds from our listeners and supporters who appreciate the ministry that Vision, The Word for Today, UCB Direct and Pray For Me bring to them. We'd love to hear from you and you can find out more by clicking on our home page for more details. Thanks.

Right-o, lets take a look at the new music you'll be hearing on Vision from today.

Joshua Jamison: 'United', his 2011 radio single, released as an indi artist.

This song lyrically is very much like an anthem and a pledge of allegiance. It’s an outspoken declaration that we will stand for God, His throne and His Son, that we will not succumb to the world and its pressures, that we will be holy and reflect Him through our lives and with a commitment to take the message of the Gospel to all the nations of the world.

Toby Mac: 'Start Somewhere' from his Tonight CD, released on the Forefront label in 2010.

Toby Mac sings about a couple who have had a fight over something, they’re angry and they’re hurt, but his insides are churning and he has no peace of mind and he’s very convicted over his behaviour. Before it’s too late, he wants to confront the issues and deal with them straight away before they fester and become so deeply rooted that they simply just walk away and call it quits altogether. They have to start somewhere, it needs to be immediate because they can’t afford to let the sun set on the situation. The breach between them is no so far that it can’t be bridged and he want to seek forgiveness.

This song is based on Ephesians 4:25-27, ‘Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbour, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.’

This of course is recognition that there will be times of difference or dispute between people, and most especially within families and couples, and there will be times when we might even be justifiably angry. But the Word warns us not to let the anger move us into sin. That’s when we say or do things that hurt and wound others and we can destroy our most important relationships. Jesus said that a house divided against itself will fall.

Ronnie Freeman: 'Together' from his Perfect Love CD released in 2011 as an indi artist.

This song contains a very important message for the body of Christ. There is not one member who has everything together all the time. We know that the Christian life is made up of hills and valleys...trials and triumphs...failures and successes, and each episode is a stepping stone to the next one.

Sometimes we stride ahead taking ground and sometimes we seem to get up off the ground only to fall flat on our faces once again. Sometimes we handle ourselves well and with godliness and integrity and sometimes we’re just miserably sinful. But God has designed His body of followers to be like a family and we’re supposed to be walking out our Christian lives together, helping each other along the way but very often Christians walk in one of two extremes. We elevate some people to such heights that we don’t think they could ever be wrong and they are given hero status or, we watch for the tiniest weakness in others and condemn them outright. But we’re supposed to be a family that walks with each other through both the good and the bad times.

Sometimes this might require confrontation with those who are living in a manner that’s disparaging to Christ – church discipline – but most of the time, it’s just about each of us giving each other a helping hand along the way; a hug to show care and understanding; to offer some encouraging words to inspire others to hang on and keep trusting; to cry with those who are grieving, to embrace those who are alone; to cheer for those who are persevering and to always point each other toward Christ regardless of whether the circumstances are good or bad.

God placed us together so that we could walk through this life together, He never intended for us to walk alone.

Last but certainly not least is a new song by a new band called Harbour Live, their song is called 'This Is Our God' from their 2012 CD release called Rise. They're an indi church band and they're worth checking out. You can hear them on Saturday nights (9:45-10:45pm) during the youth hour with Steve Monro.

Hope to hear from you during this week for our Visionathon appeal, have a great week and take good care.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - May 21 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:37:18 +0000

Well it's nice to be back in the wonderful land of Oz, though I confess that my heart is back in Israel. It sounds a little cheezy I know to say that the Bible has come to life in a way I've never experienced before but it's absolutely true. The best guide book to the Holy Land is the Bible and once you walk there it's like being in a 3D Bible and it's life changing. If you'd like to read some of our blogs you can read them here. Just click on 'Travel Logs' and select April/May 2012 and select each day to read about our adventures and see a few pictures as well.

Now on to the new music for this week on Vision.

Grant Norsworthy: 'Bring Me To My Knees' from his Resident Alien CD released on Team Tasman Records, 2011

When a person comes to a saving faith in Christ and they begin to grasp just how sinful they are and the extent of Christ’s forgiveness, it becomes harder and harder to remain selfish and self-indulgent. Knowing how Christ has served us leads us to the conclusion that we also need to serve others.

When we realise that Christ gave everything – even His very life – for the sake of saving the souls of men and seeing His church established for the glory of God; we begin to realise that we also are supposed to lead self-sacrificing lives for the sake of God’s mission to the lost.

But there’s a catch...we are battling our sinful nature every single day. Some day’s are easier than others and some days are just too much. This song is a cry for God to bring us to our knees – to pray and to surrender everything in and of us so that we finally understand that at the end of the day, He and He alone is all that we need.

Abandon: 'New Years Day' from their Control CD released in 2011 on the Forefront label

This song came about while they were spending time with Ben Glover (song writer) as they just talked about life in general and each shared about different things they were each going through. It led them to write these ideas and concepts down and the result is a song about the feeling we have each had when a new year begins.

It’s the idea of a brand new start, that the old year with all it’s struggles is dead and gone and the new year ahead is unwritten, untainted, fresh and clean. It’s usually on this day that we make resolutions to stop this or that, or begin this or that and we do it because we want things to go well for us.

This ‘feeling’ of a fresh start at the beginning of each new year is a metaphor for what a believer feels when they come to faith in Christ, when all their sins are forgiven and washed away, when the old stains of the old life have been erased and we’re brand new and born again. Christ – because of His sacrifice on the cross for us – makes us brand new; we’re given a fresh start and a new beginning and it’s the most exhilarating feeling in the world...going from justified death penalty and living on death row to being forgiven, clean and free without fear anymore.

But there’s more to this song that just the nice feeling we get because we’ve been given a fresh start, there is also the admission that we have a sinful nature, that the world is enticing and our memories are often very short; we need our Saviour to keep us on a short leash and to remind us that we’re weak and where we came from so that we don’t become slack and go back to it.

Jessa Anderson: 'Worship The Lamb' from her Not Myself Anymore CD, released on BEC Recordings, 2012

This is a worship song, pure and simple.

Have you ever felt gratitude that was so strong but you just couldn’t find a word big enough to describe how you felt? That’s what this song is trying to describe. Jessa wants to write a song that has never been heard before, a song that expresses what she feels and how much she loves God and gives Him maximum honour and glory. How do you give God more glory and honour when so many have gone before saying virtually the same thing? She says, “I want to write the emotions, when I can't find the words, but there is nothing I could say, to give an adequate description of my glorious king, for you are indescribable.”

The truth is that we are finite but He is infinite. We are so limited in our understanding and comprehension and He will always be vastly greater than our limited intelligence can wrap itself around. When we get to the point where we know He is infinitely bigger, wiser, greater, more intelligent, more powerful, more creative, more loving, more merciful, more righteous...(I’m running out of words) we are left to simply stand and sing Halleluliah, worship the Lamb simply because He’s worthy and He deserves to be worshipped.

Finally, two more songs to listen out for this week is 'My Hallelujah' by Brandy Allison during the Inspirational hours on Sunday mornings; this song is a radio single released this year, and Mark Stevens 'To Be With You' will be heard during the youth hour with Steve Monro on Saturday nights from 9:45-10:45pm, this is the title track of his CD released this year on the Shout label.

Well that's all for this week. I will be back again next Monday with some more news for you about music you'll begin hearing on Vision, I hope you enjoy these new songs and that you have a fabulous week. Take good care and don't neglect His Word...it's food for your soul and life to your bones.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - May 14 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:14:49 +0000

Happy Monday to you! :-) It's nice of you to pop back to catch up on the latest new music to hit the airwaves on the Vision Radio Network this week. I'm sure you're going to enjoy them all.

Nathan Tasker: 'Love Is The Compass' from his Home CD released last year

“I was going through a real moment of trying to work out if the music I made was going to make a difference...I asked Charlie Peacock, ‘What does it mean to be an authentic artist as a believer?’ He turned to me and he said, ‘at the end of the day, you have to let love be the compass. That’s the thing that inspires and shapes what you do.’”

“Those words were a great reminder of the new reality that Jesus ushers in, as He shows us what love looks like, by ‘humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross’ to save us, to serve us and it doesn’t end there for those who trust Him. The way people will know we follow Him is by the love we have for one another. Love truly is our guide and compass.” – Nathan Tasker

Christy Nockels: 'Ever Lifting' from her Into The Glorious CD released on the Sixsteps/Sparrow labels this year

This song is based on Psalm 18:33, ‘He makes my feet like hinds feet, and sets me upon my high places.’

What this is saying to us is that God’s power can, spiritually speaking, raise us up above the circumstances and experiences of this life to be in close relationship with Him as if we were like the deer that live up in the mountain regions of the world far away from the crowds, noise and clamour of the cities in the valleys below. It’s a metaphor...valleys typically express sad, lonely, dark or traumatic life experiences and mountains typically express joy, freedom, exhilaration and separation from all that took place in the valleys.

This song is a song of praise and gratitude that our God, while always walking us through the valleys, is always lifting us up to encourage us, grow us and strengthen us so we become more like Him. Ever lifting us up and drawing us closer to Himself so that we learn to trust Him more and more...when this happens, the valley times are less and less impacting on us because we know our Redeemer and He is every lifting us to be closer to Himself.

Matt Maher: 'Rise Up' from his The Love In Between CD released this year on the Essential label

Do you know the story of David and his men were living at Ziklag and while they were all away, the Amalekites raided their community taking all their wives and children captive? David’s men were so distraught about their families being taken they wanted to stone David to death.

That was a really stressful situation for David to be in, his life was on the line and he had his own grief to deal with because his family was also taken captive.

David knew his God and the last part of 1 Samuel 30:6 says, ‘But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.’ That’s what this song is all about. When you’re in the darkest of times, when you can’t see even one foot in front of you and now way back, encourage yourself in the Lord your God. He’s faithful to walk with His children through their darkest valleys. Rise up in God and don’t give up.

During the Worship hour The Classic City Collective have a news song that will air called, 'God On High' from their Leave Your Guns With The Usher CD released in 2011 on the Songs & Crowns label. And during the youth hour on Saturday night and new artist, Chris Lee Cobbins song 'Chase Me Down' will start airing as well. This is a radio single released on the Shamrock Media Group.

That's it for this week, I'll have more music news to share with you next Monday. Take good care, have a fabulous week!

Shalom, uv'racha, v'emet

(Peace, blessing, truth)

Mandy

New Music - May 07 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:03:56 +0000

Well, our Israel tour is over, we arrived home on Saturday after a fabulous time in the Holy Land. The jetlag always seems to be worse on the homeward journey for some reason but any jetlag is worth it considering what an incredible time we had. Our blogs are still available it you want to check them out here.

Now for this week's new music on Vision.

Aaron Gillespie: 'Your Song Goes On Forever' from his CD Anthem Song which was released on BEC Recordings 2011

The Bible often uses metaphors to provide a picture or graphic to illustrate a particular truth. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” He wasn’t saying He was literally a loaf of bread, or when He said “I am the true vine” He wasn’t saying He was literally a grape plant, but both these images give us greater comprehension to the varying dimensions of His attributes and what He does for us as needy human beings. We don’t just hunger for physical food, but we hunger spiritually too and only He – the Bread of Life - can satisfy that hunger. We are dead spiritually on our own, but when we are connected to Him, as a branch on a vine, we can know real life because we’re connected to the source of life.

Aaron Gillespie has also used a metaphor in this song to describe the Spirit of our awesome God that has always been, always will be, was before everything was created and will never, ever cease. His metaphor is to equate God’s Spirit to a song, an eternal melody that only God could hear before there was a blue sky and an ocean below it. This song will never cease, even after this earth has passed away and He creates a new heaven and a new earth. God is eternal and what a beautiful way to present His eternality than by using the power of music which everyone can relate to.

We all love music in all its various genres, and the power of a single song can move us to great heights or depths and can inspire us to do great works and to love deeply. Unlike the music of the world that can also inspire people to do great evil and to glorify great wickedness, the Spirit of God is only every righteous, perfect, beautiful and for our benefit and because He is eternal, we can have absolute assurance and hope.

His Song will never end.

Britt Nicole: 'All This Time' from her Gold CD, released this year on the Sparrow label

I was seven years old when I gave my heart to God. The song talks about that in the first verse, how I was in my bedroom and I had no one to turn to, “and that’s when I met You.” My parents at that time were going through a divorce. I remember being in the middle of things, and being confused and lost. Normally as a seven-year-old little girl, you run to your mom or dad for help. I didn’t have anyone to turn to. I remember running to my room, and opening my pink “Precious Moments” Bible. It was really big. I opened my Bible and when I did, I felt the presence of God fill my room.

My grandfather is a pastor and I grew up in his church. He would always talk with me about Jesus and tell me who He was. It was on that day that Jesus became real to me. I was young to have met God, but I knew I wasn’t alone. I knew in that moment that Jesus was real and I felt His presence and I knew that I was safe and that God would take care of me. Really that’s been the theme of my life.

When I moved from my home in North Carolina to Nashville when I was 19 years old, I didn’t know anyone--actually I only knew one person. My relationship with God was all I had. I have a great family, and my brother and I are really close. I have great friends. A lot of times in my life, I feel like I have walked alone. I know I’m really never alone, because God’s with me. No matter what I face, He’s there. When I think of Jesus, the one word I think of is faithful. He’s a faithful God. His Word says He’ll never leave or forsake us. It’s true.

There’s not one person who has walked with you for your entire life. God has been with us every single moment of our lives. He’s seen every detail. He’s seen everything we’ve faced, good or bad. He’s a faithful God. That’s what “All This Time” is about. God’s faithfulness. From that moment of needing God to rescue me when I was a little girl to these last couple of years where I’ve encountered things I didn’t expect. I’ve had moments of brokenness and fear where God has stepped in and restored me.

Sanctus Real: 'Keep My Heart Alive' from their Pieces Of A Real Heart CD, released on the Sparrow label in 2010

This song is written for every believer. We all know what it’s like to hit the wall! We know what it’s like to get to the end of your rope and you simply don’t think you can go another step further, there is nothing else you can humanly do to fix or change the situation and you call on God to just keep your heart alive. And what does God do? He comes through every single time because it’s all about His faithfulness rather than our own.

A new song from Tommy Walker will begin airing during the Worship hour (7-8pm every night) and this track is called 'Take Your Place' from his The Pursuit Of God: Songs For A Thirsty Soul CD which was released on Maranatha Music in 2011. Our Sunday morning inspirational hours will feature a new artist, Marty Raybon and his song 'I've Seen What He Can Do' from his Hand To The Plough CD released in 2012 on Rural Rhythm Christian label. And finally, a new band to Vision - 737 - a Hip Hop group have released a song called 'King Of All Kings' which will air on Saturday night's youth hour with Steve Monro from 9:45-10:45pm. If you like Hip Hop but hate the typical offensive lyrics, then you're going to love this track, you'll enjoy the Hip Hop and the super Christ-honouring lyrics!

I'll be back next Monday with some more new music news on the Vision Radio Network, I hope you can pop back again then. Now, I'm going to try to keep myself busy so I can stay awake all day and have a good night's sleep tonight!

Shalom, uv'racha, v'emet

(Peace, blessing, truth)

Mandy

New Music - April 30 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:02:18 +0000

Welcome back to Vision's weekly music blog, time flies doesn't it. Today is the last day of April and tomorrow we're officially in the 5th month...I can hardly believe that we're already in May! Every year the speed of each passing month always shocks me and yet...here I am shocked again.

As you're reading this, I am in fact in Israel with Ian leading our 3rd tour goup there and I put this blog up ahead of time...we'll be in Israel until May 5 so if you want to follow what we're doing and read up on where we've been you can read it all over at our blog here.

But now it's time to look at the new music that will begin featuring on Vision from today. It's completely by co-incidence that each song is about the grace of God. If you love Christ or if you're seeking to know more about Christ, then the one thing you need to know more than anything else is that Christ offers salvation free to all who would repent and come to Him by faith...and that whole process is possible only through the amazing grace of God. :-) I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do.

Rebecca St James: 'You Still Amaze Me' from her I Will Praise You CD released on the Beach St/Reunion labels 2011

This song by Rebecca is a rework of the gorgeous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. Here’s the first verse for you to look at to see how Rebecca has taken the world’s most favourite hymn and made it entirely her own without undermining the message.

Oh how beautiful the sound
That has saved a wretch like me
I was lost but I am found
I was captive till You made me free
It was grace that taught my heart
How to marvel at Your name
Breaking all my fears apart
Taking all my doubt and shame
And it all comes down to this
Yeah it all comes down to

Your grace is amazing to me
Your love is still such a wonder
Your cross is still bringing me to my knees, oh God
You still amaze me

Jimmy Needham: 'If I Ever Needed Grace' from his Clear The Stage CD released this year on the Inpop label

I don’t know if you remember the day that you realised how desperate your spiritual condition was before God and that you needed Christ to be your Saviour, but I remember the day that I realised I was a sinner and was heading into an eternity without hope...without Christ and a well deserved punishment for my sins. That’s the day I called upon the name of Christ to save me and to forgive me for all the thing I had done that were wrong.

This song is about that very moment. Just like me and every other true believer in Christ, Jimmy Needham sings about the moment when the reality of his sinful condition confronted him and he ‘feasted’ on the Bread of Live – Christ – that was offered to him for the forgiveness of his sins.

When do we need the Grace of God...we need it now...we always need it now. If ever there was a time when we need the Grace of God...it’s now.

Phil Wickham: 'This Is The Day' from his 2011 CD release Response which was released on Fair Trade Services

Have you ever heard someone say that they believe in God and will repent one day, but right now they’re just enjoying life. They’re too young to get caught up in religion, they just want to have a bit of fun, live life and when they’re ready to settle down they’ll work things out with God?

2 Corinthians 6:2 says, ‘”At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of Salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation.’

In this song, Phil Wickham sings about the truth that we should never put off until tomorrow the amazing gift of God’s salvation through His extraordinary grace.

People fear surrendering to God, they fear giving up what they currently love even though what they love is probably destroying them. We have no need to fear God and His grace and mercy, but we do need to fear postponing our surrender to Him because none of us knows what tomorrow holds or whether we will even have tomorrow.

Today is the day of salvation and God is calling all men to come to Him with repentance and faith and He will salvation, forgiveness, grace and mercy in full measure and on that day, real life begins.

I have one more song to tell you about, it's called 'Get Back' by the band Nine Lashes and Jeremy Dunn of the band says this song, "Is a story of someone trying to shove God out of their lives. They're running as fast as they can, and He's just calling for them. He's trying to get them to realise that everything they're chasing is like trying to grasp the wind." This song will be heard during the youth hour on Saturday nights between 9:45-10:45pm with Steve Monro.

That's it from me this week, I'll have another new music news to share with you next Monday...so I look forward to sharing with you again then. Take good care you yourself and those you love and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way to increase God's reputation for being not only just but full of amazing grace.

Shalom, uv'racha, v'emet

(peace, blessing, truth)

Mandy

New Music - April 23 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:56:31 +0000

Well, as you read this blog today, Ian and I will be in the air on our way to host our third Israel tour. If you're even a little bit interested in what we're going to get up to and what places we're going to visit you can follow our blog site here.

But for now, here's the new music you'll be enjoying on Vision from today.

Brandon Bee: 'Radiant Sun' from his Inside These Walls CD, released on Save The City records 2011.

“When I was in Wisconsin I was outside and I saw all the snow, and the sun was out and I saw my shadow on the snow which was all sparkling. It made me think that the sun is so big in our lives, it is almost like we associate it as the giver of life, we associate it with vegetation, with our mood swings, and so with that thought I paralleled what Jesus is to us as Christians.

Jesus is the giver of life to us and actually in the end He is the giver of life to everything. He even created the sun. So this song is basically just praising Him, saying thank You Lord for how powerful You are, how big You are and how You are the creator of the earth. In that You are more than a shadow, you are more than a reflection, You’re more than the sun...You are God. You gave us new days, You’ve given us a new life.

It’s a celebration of how great and how big God is.” – Brandon Bee

Steven Curtis Chapman: 'All That's Left' from his Re:Creation CD released on Sparrow, 2011.

“This song was originally inspired by the words that my son Caleb spoke at Maria’s memorial service, our youngest daughter Maria-Sue, when she went to be with Jesus in May of 2008. We all gathered together as a family and our friends, we were all standing on stage just sharing some thoughts and some memories about Maria’s life with our friends and family that were gathered together in a church service, and, Caleb stepped up to the microphone – all of my children said some amazingly profound things, but Caleb said something that, as he was looking out at our friends he said, “You know, it’s times like this that we realise that the only things that matter is relationships. I want so much and I see it so clearly right now, and I want you all, as my friends and family to help me remember this, that all that’s left after something like this is love. The love we have for each other and the love that God has for us.”

This was such an amazing reality that was so clear in that moment and I knew I had to somehow put that into a song to remind me and hopefully to encourage others to remember that.

1 Cor 13 says that love never fails, love bears all things, endures all things, and that of the three things that remain...faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. I think we all know this in our head but how do we remember that through all the storms of life and all of the things that we go through? All that’s left when these hurricanes hit, these storms, these tsunamis that just shake the very foundations of our life and our faith, is that God’s love for us and the love that we show to each other is all that’s left.’ – Steven Curtis Chapman

Casting Crowns: 'Just Another Birthday' from their Come To The Weel CD released in 2011 on the Reunion label.

This song tells a story about a young girl growing up with a dad, but a dad who’s not around and it’s most evident at the important events of her life...like her birthday. But without here daddy to be there for her in the big and little events, the day to day events, this girl grows up looking for a strong man who will be there for her and she eventually gives her love to a guy who gets her pregnant and leaves her all alone. She is scared and confused and unsure what to do about the baby, but she doesn’t abort. She cries to God to be a father to the fatherless...her and her baby...and God is the one who carries them through.

Mark Hall wrote this song because over the past 20 years of being a youth pastor he has seen this same story play out over and over and over again. He wanted to sing a wake up call to fathers and to champion the needs of little girls and teenage girls all over the world, to let them know that daddies have a responsibility to be the most important man in their daughters lives until they hand them over to their future husbands. He wanted to also let all young girls know that even if there own father is absent, regardless of the reason why, God Himself loves them and wants to be close to the. If their natural father is dead, left, in the armed services...whatever the reason, they still have a Father in Heaven who will never leave them or forsake them.

To the daddies...remember, if you’re not there to be her knight in shining armour, she may look to find her knight in the wrong places.

Finally, I have three more songs to tell you about, during the Worship Hour each night on Vision between 7-8pm, Andy Park's song 'You Are God' from his Unshakeable CD released on ION records in2006 will begin to air starting tonight. Ida Maree's song 'Saving Grace', the title track of her CD will start to air on Sunday mornings during our inspirtional hours and then during the youth hour on Saturday night - 9:45-10:45pm, The Beauiful Refrain have a song called 'One Page' from their Redemption: Daylight CD which was released this year on the Mosaic Aristry Group.

I hope you enjoy these songs this week, again, if you're inerested in finding out what we get up to in Israel over the coming 2 weeks, please visit our blog site.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - April 16 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:42:32 +0000

Welcome to another week of new music, thanks for stopping by! I have to take a moment to say how excited I am however because next Monday Ian and I will be heading off to lead our 3rd Israel tour. We are so looking forward to it and if you're even just a little bit interested in following what we get up to and where we go, you can follow us on the Israel Tours UCB Australia blog site.

Okay, now to the new music on Vision for this week.

Royal Tailor: 'Black & White', the title track of their 2011 CD release Black & White, on the Essential record label.

It doesn’t take a Nobel laureate to discern that we live in a world of absolute compromise. In fact the world would tell us that there is no such thing as an absolute truth by which we need to live. We’re not allowed to determine any particular lifestyle as wrong or we’re branded ‘haters’. We’re not allowed to say promiscuity is wrong, that’s sexist and judgemental. We’re not allowed to say swearing is offensive...they’re just words. We’re not allowed to say abortion is murder, apparently it’s nothing more than a choice. The list goes on and on. However, when man is caught up in the pigswill of compromise and tolerance he finds himself drowning in a sty of utter filth, depravity and painful consequences from the choices that he’s made...and then he points to others to blame and ultimately to God for allowing all this pain to fall on him.

But according to God’s Word there are absolutes. There is a wrong and a right and God determines which is which and thedifference between the two is as stark as black and white. If everything is just varying shades of grey, then you can count on nothing, define nothing and depend on nothing except the fallout of negative consequences.

This song is an expose of the greyness of compromise and the absolute truth of right and wrong.

Rachel Chan: 'Even Here' from her CD Go, released on the in:ciite label, 2012

Rachel Chan is brand new to the Vision lineup. She hales from Simi Valley California and is the oldest daughter of Francis Chan, and of her parents she says they ‘try to be the best picture of Christ they can be for me.’ That’s a wonderful legacy.

This new song is a simple pop track with a message of resounding assurance. We know that Christ, who was fully God and fully man was able to empathise with us in our humanity because he experienced all that we experience and was tempted in all things but of course without succumbing to it and falling into sin. He knows what we go through. He understands pain, rejection, abandonment, betrayal, anguish, anger, frustration, loss, anguish...you name it, He experienced it.

His greatest promise to His own however, is to be with us every step of the way as we go through similar trials and to walk us right through them and refine us in the process to make us more like Him.

This is a very encouraging and catchy song.

Aaron Shust: 'Risen Today' from his This Is What We Believe CD, released in 2011 on the Centricity label

We’ve just come through the Passover celebration – Easter – where we celebrated the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, taking our sin upon Himself and dying on the cross in our place. We also know that wasn’t the end of the story...three days after He was laid in the tomb, He rose again.

Some may say that I’m late adding this song because Passover week is over...but we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ all year round and as believers we don’t need to wait for a specific weekend to sing about the cross or the fact that He is risen from the grave.

Let’s be like Paul who said he always preached Christ and Him crucified - that was his focus no matter where he was or what time of the year it was. So Passover has come and gone, but our celebration of the price He paid and His victory over death should be a daily event for us. Because He died and rose again, all our sins have been washed away completely.

Christ is risen...He is risen indeed.

During the Worship Hour this week (7-8pm Mon - Fri) Joel Engle and his song 'At The Cross' will be playing. This song is from the Ultimate Worship 2: The Very Best Of Modern Worship CD which was released on Whole World Music label in 2006 and a new artist called Jekob will begin featurin during the youth on on Satuday nights (9:45-10:45pm) with Steve Monro. This radio single is called 'Love I All' and was released in 2012 on Save The City records.

Hope you enjoy this week's music, I'll post another music blog for next week and will attempt to get a few more done before heading to Israel...fingers crossed. Take good care.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - April 02 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:37:27 +0000

Welcome, welcome, welcome to April...note that today is April 2 and not April 1 and therefore you will not find any foolishness or fabrications in today's New Music Blog...you will however find several very good songs that you can look forward to hearing on Vision as of today!

Oh, and just in case you're interested, Ian and I will be heading off to Israel on the 23rd of this month for our third Israel tour, if you'd like to know where we go and what we get up to, you can find out about the places we'll be visiting, check out our itinerary and follow our daily blogs on our UCB Israel Tours site. You never know, you just might discover you'd like to join us on one of our future trips.

Okay, let's take a look at this week's new music...

MercyMe: 'Move' from their CD, The Generous Mr Lovewell released in 2010 on the Fair Trade Services label.

This song is the most joyful song I’ve ever heard that sings about hardship and pain. The lines, ‘I just might bend but I won’t break as long as I can see Your face’ sum up the message MercyMe are communicating.

Yes, life is tough. Yes, the pain is real. Yes, it’s hard to see ahead clearly. But the weight of the world may bend you, may make you stumble and hurt, but so long as you fix your eyes securely on Christ and keep walking with Him and toward Him you’re won’t cave in and you won’t break. There are brighter days ahead, so don’t let this life drag you down, keep movingahead with the Saviour.

The Afters: 'I Am Yours' from their Light Up The Sky CD, released on the Fair Trade Services label in 2010.

"I'll just say it…all the guys in the band are big nerds. We love science and all the nerdy things in life, and so because of that, we sometimes find ourselves in the middle of these ridiculous conversations about wacky scientific things.

One day while we were in the studio, we got to talking about how science keeps trying to come up with all these explanations for life and the universe. I've even been to Switzerland and visited the atomic super collider - a place where they are trying to explain how the universe was created. You know, it seems like every time science thinks they've found an answer, even more questions come up.

That's kind of where our song 'I Am Yours' came from. You can look and look and look for the answers of this life, but you're never going to find them unless you're looking in the right place. God is the only answer that we'll find that is fulfilling and answering all of life's questions. No matter how much we look in life, no matter how confused we get, to know that we belong to the God who created everything is such a comforting thought. Because of that, we can face anything!" - Josh Havens (The Afters)

Naarah: 'The Story', the title track from her first solo CD, The Story, released as an indi artist 2011.

“Sometimes we become so complacent with His (Jesus) story that we forget how real it was and how so many got to witness His power and love.

I tried to be quiet so I didn’t wake my little boy but it was a moment that I can’t really explain and probably never will, but I felt such emotion in my heart and couldn’t stop singing the words, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’.

When my husband came home that day I showed him the song and sung louder than I did before and feeling full conviction in my heart that this is everything that I believe in, everything I live my life for. In this one moment, my Lord and Saviour came to save my life; through the pain of His death and the wonder of His life.” - Naarah

And finally there are two more songs being introduced on Vision this week; 'Praise Is The Offering' by Gateway Worship will be heard during the Worship Hour (7-8pm every night of the week) and Hawk Nelson's song 'My Next Breath' from their Crazy Love CD released this year on BEC Recordings. This will air during the youth hour with Steve Monro on Saturday nights. (9:45-10:45pm)

Okay, well that's all for new music on Vision for this week, I'll more excellent music info to share with you next Monday. Take good care of you and yours.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - Mar 26 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:05:46 +0000

I've only just realised that this is my last New Music blog for March 2012 and by the time I write next week's blog it will be April 2012...it's a bit of a shock really! :-) haha

I am however very happy to have just enjoyed my 28th Wedding Anniversary to my gorgeous husband Ian - my very best friend in the whole world. It seems to me that good years seem to fly by really fast and bad years just seem to drag on and on and on...and for me the past 28 years have positively fled by with only a few small slow periods dotted here and there. It doesn't seem like 28 years has passed since we were married at 3pm on March 24 1984.

Ours was a wedding on a serious budget and in many ways it was really, really rough and ready but it was such a happy day. Since then we've had 3 beautiful sons who are all grown up, one is married and has given us two grandies, another is getting married in July and better not make me wait too many years before giving me more grandies and the youngest probably won't be many years from the same.

Ian and I been working together in ministry since 1993 and we've travelled to quite a number of places in the world to share and learn and encourage others who are in the same line of ministry. Most of all, we've grown in our relationship with each other and particularly in our relationship with the Lord. We serve a great God who has done great things in and for us and it's been our privilege to serve Him together.

I have to say that I love being married to my man. :-)

Anyway, enough of the nostalgia...onto the new music on Vision for this week.

Tidewater: 'Not Just Any Love' from his The Beautiful Life EP released on the ROXR/Inpop label 2011.

Tidewater is a brand new artist to the Vision playlist. Tidewater is a one man band who is Brett Allen and although he lives in St. Louis, he is a full-time film student at Baylor University.

Brett’s desire is to improve in what he does, to maintain a good sense of humour and he’s crafted 10 songs that are simple and sincere but just a little bit ambitious and aggressive. His influences are mainly secular in style but unlike secular artists, he is on a mission to bring hopeful songs to those who listen to him.

His new song, ‘Not Just Any Love’ tells the simple truth that sinners like you and I can finally be still, find peace and a safe place to be when we come to the saving love of Christ. The love God gives is not just any kind of love that people experience in this life, it’s a unique and utterly powerful love that can save a sinner and make him a son or daughter of God.

Karyn Williams: 'Rest In The Hope' from her Only You CD released on the Inpop label, 2012.

Karyn Williams song is similar to Tidewater’s song in that it’s talking about the love of God which is unlike any other kind of love known to the human soul. Karyn’s song however goes into greater detail of how the love of God actually plays itself out in the heart of a broken and needy person.

Speaking in the first person, Karyn sings with a grateful heart about God’s love reaching into the loneliest places of her life when she was at her lowest point; how God’s love called her and completely changed her, saved her and carried her through every fear, sorrow, heartache and disappointment. She admits that she had looked everywhere for some kind of happiness not realising that God was right there with her the whole time waiting for her to stop long enough to hear Him calling her.

Once a human heart comes to saving faith in Christ, real hope – not temporary hope founded in human efforts – but real, eternal, assured hope becomes the bedrock of knowing that because He holds us securely, we can finally rest in that hope.

Melbourne Gosepl Choir: 'Through The Storm' from their Freedom CD released on ABC Music 2011

This is a really powerful song which gives extremely great comfort for those enduring extremely great trials. How does a human heart cope with tragedy? How does a broken hearted human soul carry on in the middle of it’s darkest times of loss, grief and despair. Every one of us endures storms in this life, we all do and some endure harder and more difficult storms than others, but the pain is real and often debilitating for everyone. God has promised to be with His children through their darkest and most turbulent storms if we will take Him by the hand and trust Him.

Those who don’t know Christ more often than come emerge more broken and crushed because of the battering they’ve endured throughout their life but God has promised to not only carry us through and to remain with us every step of the way, but He has also promised to use what the enemy means for our destruction for our great good and for His ultimate glory.

There’s a youtube clip called ‘Through The Storm – Melbourne Gospel Choir’ which appeared on Channel 7 at an Easter dawn service at the Sydney Opera House and this video shows clips of many natural disasters and it’s really a very dramatic piece of imagery that drives home how very important it is to know Christ and to hang on to His hand throughout this life.

There are two more song additions this week, Brian Doerksen's 'First' song from the Level Ground CD released on the Integrity music label 2011 which will begin airing during the Worship Hour, 7-8pm Monday to Sunday, and then on Saturday nights during our youth hour (9:30-10:45pm) we've got a new song by Seventh Day Slumber called 'Wasted Life' from their The Anthem Of Angels Cd, released on BEC Recordings 2012.

That's all there is for this week...I look forward to sharing with you again in April it'll be here before you know it! Take care.

Shalom

Mandy

New Music - Mar 19 2012

mworby@ucb.com.au (Mandy Worby) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:51:44 +0000

Welcome to another new week, so glad you stopped by! I'm sure you'll really enjoy the new music selections on Vision this week.

Burlap To Cashmere: 'The Other Country' from their self-titled CD, Burlap To Cashmere released in 2011.

This band made a huge impact when they first started up in 1998, they had some excellent success and toured extensively and then took a bit of a break in 2001. They had every intention of continuing with their music until ‘the accident’. In 2005, lead guitarist John Philippidis woke up groggy from a month long coma in a hospital room full of people. He shuffled to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to see one closed eye, his head the size of a basketball and his face disfigured beyond what he thought could ever be repaired. He had been beaten to within an inch of his life by 2 ex-marines and a female accomplice in a random act of road rage a few miles from his home. Today his glasses hide a slightly closed eye which will be fixed with one last surgery, he has a C shaped scar on his scalp where Dr’s inserted a tube to alleviate pressure on his brain. He has 13 titanium implants in his face and the doctors replaced his facial orbits, forehead and jawline as well as reconstructing his nose and sinuses.

He and the band refer to this attack as ‘the accident’ because it’s not worth holding onto anything as a grievance and he isn’t angry over what happened to him. He’s playing music with his cousin and friends, he’s alive and he loves the Lord, he’s very grateful to simply still be alive to do what he loves doing. Looking at him today you would never know what he has endured.

It took a long time for him to regain his confidence to play guitar again as he had to relearn much as his brain took time to ‘remember’ all he used to do.

The song ‘The Other Country’ was written about a family member’s last words before he passed away. It’s a song about each believer’s final redemption when their eyes close for the last time and they take their final breath in this temporary life and step into that Other Country that they’ve been longing for since they first came to faith in Christ. There’s nothing to fear and nothing to hesitate about, the Other Country is our goal and God has promised to see us safely there. It’s an easy feel, acoustic folk style track.

Calling Glory: 'Don't Give Up' from their Teach Me To Love CD, released on Soncured Records label 2012.

This song was written from the truth of knowing that in and of ourselves we can’t doing what God calls us today. Sometimes just being a Christian is just too hard let alone fulfilling a specific calling! The guys from Calling Glory found inspiration from the life stories of the Apostles like Peter and Paul and John...they asked the question...”How did those guys do what they did and not quit?” The Scripture Col 1:27 brings clarity, it says, ‘To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory.’

We are equipped and able to not only live out the Christian life but to fulfil the call God has given to us because Christ lives IN us and He gives us all we need to do what He wants us to do...it’s not that we do it, rather He does it through us. Christ in us is our hope of glory – eternity with Him forever.

So when we’re tempted to simply throw our hands in the air and walk away because its too hard and beyond our own ability...that’s the perfect time to relearn the lesson that WE don’t have to do it, Christ IN us will do it...our job is to not give up.

Nathan Tasker: 'Give In' from his Home CD, released in 2011.

“Home...and a vegemite sandwich please! Dec 24, 2011: Qantas flight 93, LA to Sydney. As our plane banks and turns for the airport I can see Sydney Harbour and the city buildings sparkling below me. It’s a view I’ve seen countless times, yet it never ceases to stir my emotions. This is my country and my home. Nowhere else am I more welcome or allowed to be. This ‘belonging’ is only compounded as I’m greeted with a “G’day” at the immigration desk and my passport is stamped without question. Then I step out into a clear, bright Sydney morning – even the air smells different. I exhale and relax almost instantly. Ah home.

However, as I switch to driving on the other side of the road and navigate Sydney as if I never left, I still carry Nashville with me. It’s sewn into the fabric of who I am. As much as I am at home in Sydney, I have with me my adopted American home. But for now, I am bound for the beach and all those things I’ve missed most...

Something happens to you when you move away from your home country. Those things that you once took for granted become treasures you can’t wait to watch, taste or hear again! On this most recent trip, fish & chips at the local pub was top of the agenda; I watched a game of cricket on the television for 7 hours (you may be troubled to know that the actual game itself goes for 5 days!); I felt buoyed by colloquial terms in conversations like “no worries mate.” Such things confirm a simple truth: I am an Australian citizen. I am a “true-blue Aussie.” This fact influences the way I think and the way I act.

Fast-forward through 26 hours of travel and I arrive back to my adopted home city of Nashville. I quickly realise all of the things I have missed during my time away: seeing snow in wintertime; our American friends and church community; copious amounts of Mexican food! Even though I obviously don’t cease to be Australian once I land back in Nashville, it feels so much like home to me it causes me to wonder, Can a person have 2 homes? Never fully be in one or the other, but leave a piece of your heart in both? It’s an ongoing, internal tug of war for me. In fact, my latest album, Home, is the result of wrestling with the questions of “where do I belong?” and “where is home?”

Although they faced very different circumstances, the Apostle Paul reminded the Philippians of an important reality – their true citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). This truth is the same for me today. I am no longer looking for a place here to define who I am. My citizenship in heaven trumps my Australian citizenship and it trumps my ‘temporary resident’ status in the US. Furthermore, being a heavenly citizen shapes me in ways that earthly citizenship never will – the way I think; the way I love; the way I seek justice; the way I create. All these things, and more, are defined primarily by my true Home, a better Country, of which my earthly homes are just a glimpse.” – Nathan Tasker

And finally this week, one new track by Ashes Remain called 'On My Own' that will be heard on Saturday nights, this song is from their What I've Become CD released in 2011 on the Fair Trade Services label.

I'll be back next week with more new music news info, till then take good care and have an awesome week.

Shalom

Mandy