Most of the band, being brothers, grew up together on Staten Island, NY. On October 23, we were invited to play at Church At The Gateway, which is located right by the Outer Bridge on Staten Island.

It was a bit of a rainy day and we got to the church around 3:30pm to load in, and begin a sound check. Around 4:30 we started experiencing some technical difficulties with Chris’s keyboard, or so we thought. Apparently it wasn’t the keyboard. It turned out to be a problem with the Midi-USB wiring. So after our friend Vinnie lent us his Keyboard, and a sound and lighting tech from Gateway, also named Chris, tried a few few different interfaces (I know some people reading this may be getting lost in translation…please read on anyway) we quit trying to remedy the problem, gave it to the Lord, and pressed on with Chris playing keys with no effects.

We also had the great pleasure of having our good friend Jay, from Long Island, make the journey out to play the show with us. It was a huge blessing and made the sound all the richer in quality. Jay also plays the piano

So in the end, the show went off without really any “hitches”. And the sound progressed in some really great ways. The new rendition of “Stick ‘Em Up” was quite a high note in the evening. If I’m not mistaken, there were random dance parties breaking out around the room! Quite the good time!

To Ronnie, and everyone who helped out and had us out, thanks for a great night. We hope you were as blessed by the evenings events as we were. We pray that Jesus was lifted up through our music. God bless you guys over at Church At The Gateway. We hope to see you again soon!

We played on Rosa Parks Blvd. in Paterson NJ this past Saturday. Apparently it’s a pretty gnarly place… It was for an outreach Block Party to the community in that area of Paterson. Above is a picture of us playing one of our original songs “Come Away”. The song is based on the text of Hebrews 11:1, where the writer of Hebrews explains that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see…”.

We’re praying that the people of Paterson were blessed, and that those who were listening on the streets would know that they’ve been forgiven because of Jesus sacrifice for us on the cross. We’re also praying they’ll give up on trying “make it” on their own and come away from the drug-slingin’, prostitution and  violence that is plaguing that area and walk into an eternity of real life with Christ. So yea, be praying for the people of Paterson. God bless.

“It’s the Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.  He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After three minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

Four minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

Six minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

Ten minutes:
A three-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist.  Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.  This action was repeated by
several other children.  Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

Forty five minutes:
The musician played.  Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while.  About 20 gave
him money but continued to walk their normal pace.  He collected $32.

One hour:
He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed.  No one applauded, nor
was there any recognition.

No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the
world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story.  Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.  The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?  Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments …

How many other things are we missing?”

So after reading all of that article and watching the video; and after playing twice on the streets of London this past weekend, seeing all the people walking by… I’m caused to think about how many people are missing out on, not just beauty and talent or music, but the very reason we’re alive.

The one who made beauty, and who is the embodiment of it. The questions raised in the writers mind are quite valid. And it’s amazing how similar the Biblical accounts of Jesus, who is God incarnate come to earth, really are to the account you just read. He came into the World at an “odd” time, and was born in an “obscure” place…and even given the historicity of the Bible and it’s infallible claims, and given the masses that witnessed His miracles and resurrection, we still find it hard to stop, and to look at Him. To take a long look at Christ. Jesus told us in John 3:14 that just as Moses lifted up the snake, He would be lifted up, and that anyone who believed in Him wouldn’t be damned…but accepted into Heaven as sons and daughters of God. And what’s crazy is that this amzing information is for all of mankind…the whole earth can bank on that promise! (see John 12:32)

That, to me, is a whole lot better of a deal than a free concert by an amazing musician. I propose a different, but similar, question: In a common place World, do you and I stop to see, and know, a very uncommon savior?

Genesis 11:27-32

As I read this passage I can’t help but notice how rough life was even for the guys and gals in the Bible.

Followed by the introduction of a dad (Terah), and his three sons (Abram, Nahor, and Haran), we go on a rollercoaster ride of news, rising high on emotion as Baby Lot is born to Haran, and then the devastating fall out of Haran’s death. I’m sure Terah was grieved over the fact his youngest died before him. Soon after these events the family is uprooted to a new place. While en route Terah dies, and Abram is thrust into the position of “Head of the Household”. Not only is Abram trying to pick up the pieces of a broken and grieving family, he’s also in a foreign land separated from everything he was once familiar with. To add insult to injury he discovers his wife cannot bear children, bringing the dilemma of not being able to continue the family name (which was a big deal in the ancient Middle East).

Abram was stuck in the territory of Haran, he had followed his father there in obedience and now he is in the place where God, his heavenly father, will begin to command and lead, and Abram will learn to follow his new father.

“Be still, and know that I am God”

Psalm 46:10

Sometimes I find myself forgetting the fact that these biblical heroes got run over by life just like you and I today. It’s encouraging to me to see that even with the difficult life that Abram had, in the end, God worked amazing things from hopeless situations. This gives me a bit of hope in my seeming hopeless situations.

Let’s be real, all of us have had times where it seemed like the whole world was falling apart on top of us, and we get buried alive under the rubble. I’m sure Abram wasn’t exactly stoked in the midst of his current difficulties. However, God had a plan, and He was going to use this broken life and family to establish peace, restoration, and salvation to the whole human race.

“It is only when our lives are hid with Christ in God that we learn how to be silent unto God, not silent about Him, but silent with the strong restful certainty that all is well, behind everything stands God, and the strength of the soul is that it knows it. There are no panics intellectual or moral. What a lot of panicky sparrows we are, the majority of us. We chatter and tweet under God’s eaves until we cannot hear His voice at all-until we learn the wonderful life and music of the Lord Jesus telling us that our heavenly Father is the God of the sparrows, and by the marvelous transformation of grace He can turn the sparrows into His nightingales that can sing through every night of sorrow. A sparrow cannot sing through a night of sorrow, and no soul can sing through a night of sorrow unless it has learned to be silent unto God -one look, one thought about my Father in heaven, and it is all right.”

-Oswald Chambers (If you will be perfect pg.91)

No matter what gnarly situation you might be facing today, remember that God is working the present difficulty together for His future glory… through you. (Romans 8:28) You are part of His plan, and believe it or not He is using you, and your situation, to prepare the way for the arrival of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus essentially takes the broken pieces and returns to us peace. (Jeremiah 29:11)

“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light…He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry and shout, He has made me desolate. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity…Through the Lords mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness…The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord…For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.”

-The Lament of the Prophet Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:1-32)

For Unto Us A Child is Born…

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel…

Isaiah 7:14(NKJV)

You can catch it pretty often around this time of year.

Whether it’s driving down the main drag of your town, hearing it during the Christmas pageant, singing it in a Christmas carol, or it’s just the Spanish guy that lives next door;  the word “Immanuel” becomes part of the traditional vocab we use during the Christmas season. However, it seems over time the word has become nothing more than another catch phrase to usher in nicely wrapped gifts and overly active shopping centers.  Although I poke a little fun at the misdirected focus often held during Christmas, the truth of the matter is at one point in history the whole concept of “Immanuel” or “God with us” was way more than just an annual holiday…it was the fulfillment of a promise a long time in the making.  It carried hope and healing to those that longingly waited in the midst of some seriously dark and difficult times.

One of those dark and difficult times began in 745 B.C., Tiglath-Pileser III was extending Assyrian rule further west and in doing so began to knock on Israel’s door. Only ten years earlier Isaiah had begun his ministry in Israel, speaking warning and wisdom to the nation wasn’t exactly on the top ten jobs list. The nation that once worshipped and obeyed Jehovah had grown rebellious and in their hard heartedness turned away from the One who had established them in the first place.

The nation grew tenser as the pressure from the Assyrian empire began to weigh on the northern kingdom. Women would whisper in the market about the rumored violence, and husbands grew nervous when hearing of the way Assyrian warriors would kill children in cold blood while stripping the prisoners naked and leading them away by hooks through the nose. This was the atmosphere that Isaiah was dealing with, and in such an atmosphere is where the promise of Immanuel was voiced.

“Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who isdistressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.”

Isaiah 9:1(NKJV)

Isaiah began voicing the promise of a radical change to come in the midst of some pretty terrible and tough times. The Assyrians hit the Northern tribes from every side with three campaigns in 733 B.C. By the way of the sea, from beyond the river Jordan, and through Galilee of the Gentiles they came and executed such a merciless takeover it would make Hitler’s Holocaust look almost humane.

While death and darkness began to fall down and fearful force was being applied Isaiah brought the illuminating promise of a “mashiyach” or “Messiah” the One who would bring deliverance from the violence with exacting Power, bringing Peace to the frightened hearts of the people and war weathered borders of the land. He would bring a new Wonder and Counsel that would re-establish a nation with Everlasting authority.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NKJV)

The promise was fulfilled many years later but not exactly in the way that many expected. The Messiah came in the body of a child by the Spirit of God, and lived up to every name that was prophesied over Him.

Much like the “Assyrians” sin had come and executed death and darkness unto a rebellious and hard hearted people; difficult days and uncertain times seemed to come from every direction and carried not just a nation, but all of mankind into captivity.

Then Immanuel arrived.

Christmas is the time where we acknowledge and celebrate outworking of Peace, Might, Wisdom, and Wonder that Jesus Christ brought to the world.  Jesus went on to win for us liberty and righteousness through the finished work of the cross.

Perhaps this Christmas you feel a bit like Israel of old…

Are the soldiers of sin holding you captive?

Maybe it’s not sin, Perhaps you already have salvation through faith in Jesus but something else is oppressing you.

The footmen of fear are attacking from the sea, the warriors of worry are coming from beyond the Jordan to overcome you, maybe it’s a death, divorce, or a financial struggle that is hitting you hard this season.

Whatever the case, don’t take for granted the message of Immanuel…God with us. It’s true and it’s for you in your personal battle today.

He’s Wonderful when the wonder seems to be lost

He Counsels when you don’t know what to do

He’ll stand Mighty on your behalf when you’re helpless

He’s Everlasting when it seems like life is passing you by

He is Peace that will not fail

He is Jesus

Merry Christmas!

Psalm 23:6

Have you ever felt like you’re being followed?

While living in Queens, New York I used to go jogging late at night or early in the morning.  I’m kind of a night owl so dusk and dawn were often the times I had available to stay in shape (not to mention that New York sidewalks are easier to run on when no one is on them).  I had the music in my headphones and the sound of my own breathing as my mute to the cityscape around me.  As nice as that was there was often one thing that loomed in the back of my mind…the possibility that someone was following me.

We’ve all been there.

Whether you imagined it as a kid, watched one too many creepy movies, or walked towards your car in the supermarket parking lot with the soccer mom minivan stalking you…the truth is most of us have wondered and then peered over our shoulder.

I’ve often noticed that to be a common perspective people hold of God.  For whatever reason they believe God to be a ticked off old guy with a big stick of wrath looking to come down on anyone that doesn’t carry a Bible or pray for several hours a day.  Although God does have wrath and holds the authority to judge, He isn’t out to get us…at least not in the scary stalker type of way.   David tells us here that, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”  You see, it’s not judgment and wrath that are following you; it’s the goodness and mercy of the Lord that is looking to catch up to you in your lifetime.

During the Battle of Spires, between the French and Prussians, Napoleon had ordered all medical personnel to be stationed two and half miles back from where the battle was being waged.  The chief physician became distressed at the increasing amount of deaths due to the fact that many of the wounded couldn’t be cared for until the hostilities ceased.  In turn, he designed “ambulance volantes” or flying ambulances, the speedier four wheeled carriages were able to cruise in and out of the scene of battle and usher the dying to safety. 

We too have a Chief Physician who became concerned with the mounting reality of death in a world of sin.  He too designed a speedy and effective way to rescue the endangered from the grave.  With the wheels of goodness and mercy under His carriage of grace, Jesus Christ came and delivered our sin struck bodies from death and brought us back to life. 

Perhaps you’ve been fighting for life

You’re on the frontlines of a failing marriage, or facing the enemy of sickness, maybe even gunned down by loss or addiction.

Whatever the case, take a good hard look over your shoulder and realize that the Lord is following you…available to tend to your needs.

Simply raise your hands to Him, believe in His goodness and receive His mercy.

You’ll do more than just fight another day…You’ll live to experience His victory!

Psalm 23:5b

It’s quiet right now as I write this… all I hear is the hum from the fan inside my laptop.  The sun hasn’t risen yet and I’m hours away from the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving morning.   Soon the house will awaken with the scents of home cooking mixed with the voices of family and friends hanging out.  As I enjoy the silence and sip the first drippings of today’s coffee I can’t help but consider the abundance I’m blessed with on days like today.  

Massive amounts of food waiting to be eaten during the thanksgiving dinner

Awesome time with family where conversations and company are plentiful

A wonderful 12 cup tap of flavorful Java that is invading the air with its aroma

It seems the four words that David penned would be so fitting for such a setting.

Ironically, David wasn’t talking about the good ol’ American tradition of Thanksgiving.  It wasn’t the abundance of family, food, or even coffee that was filling and overflowing his cup.

It was his personal connection with the Lord that was abundantly filling his life.

He’s not talking about his goblet, mug, glass, or tumbler…his cup is a figurative illustration of the satisfaction that is being filled up to overflowing from the wellspring of God Almighty. 

David wasn’t surrounded by people and platefuls when he wrote the words, “My cup runs over.”

He was surrounded by The Lord’s presence. 

Oftentimes we try to jam more into our mouths, take more into our ears, cram more into our hearts, and clutch more in our hands thinking that we’ll breathe easier at night while sleeping in satisfaction…the truth is we’re still empty, hungry, deaf, and sighing at the reality of our situation.

When was the last time you enjoyed the type of abundance that David is speaking of?

If you’re feeling stressed out, burnt out, left out, or kicked out I encourage you to get away with the Lord.

Shut down the computer

Turn off the cell phone

Get away from the business

And let the Lord pour into your life… you’ll never see the bottom of your cup again!

Psalm 23:5

The anointing of oil on a person’s head might seem extremely bizarre and undesirable to the average person in today’s day and age.  Let’s be honest, if anyone approached you with a flask of oil fully intending to drench your little noggin it’s more than likely you’d start swinging (for those less likely to throw a punch, perhaps a stern talking to).  After all the attention and T.L.C. people give to their hair I don’t think oil is a desired product for the ol’ noodle, but perhaps it’s a different story for sheep. 

The practice of anointing one’s head with oil was packed with honor and purpose.  As King David continues to describe his relationship with the Lord we begin to hear about certain practices that are completely foreign to the average guy and gal.  Make no mistake though, just because this practice is unfamiliar to us today it was a commonly known and highly important practice for shepherds and sheep in the time of David.  Although there is a massive and meaningful direction we could head towards concerning the anointing of a man’s head with oil, I have chosen instead to pursue the significance of why a sheep would be anointed with oil, and how that might be applicable to us today.

Which finally brings about the question, “What is the significance of anointing a sheep’s head with oil?” and more importantly, “How does any of this apply to me today?”

I suggest a couple connections that are significant.

Being that sheep are often the victims of parasites, viruses, and infection a shepherd will sometimes apply oil to the head of the sheep as a preventative measure to form a layer of protection on the vulnerable areas of the sheep’s eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

In the Bible, oil is a representation of the Holy Spirit.  And like sheep, we too are vulnerable to infections that fester, not outwardly but inwardly, not wounds of the flesh but wounds of the heart.  Maybe it was years ago when she died, Dad left, or the finances went south; whatever the case may be, if wounds are left unattended they begin to fester, slowly infecting and consuming the healthy areas of flesh…the same can also be said in regards to the heart and mind.  It might be some bitterness eating away at you, or the parasite of pride sucking the life out of you; maybe it’s the sickness of sin that’s left you in a bed of shame;  Whatever the case, our Good Shepherd has poured out over us the promised Holy Spirit to alleviate any ailments that might interfere with our ability to worship, witness, and work unto the Lord.  The anointing will essentially be keeping our eyes from losing sight of the Lord, hearts from growing weak in the Lord, ears from becoming deaf to the Lord, and mouths from complaining against the Lord.

Another typical reason for oil being applied to the head of Sheep is due to the instinctual desire to establish dominance among the flock.  From butting heads to poking and cutting each other with their horns, sheep often hurt their own pals for the sake of establishing a superior esteem.  The oil in these situations serves as a lubricant easing the blows and comforting the prods and cuts that sheep might inflict on each other.  Again, the anointing oil serving as a picture of the Holy Spirit being poured out is such a blessing when being applied to those moments when we butt heads with those around us.

“He rubs me the wrong way”

“She pushes me to my limit”

Naturally all of us suffer from the heredity of sin.  Issues of pride are present in each of us, so it’s only to be expected that we will be frustrated and irritate each other.  The solution isn’t cursing our enemy or counting to ten…the answer is found in the inner work done by the Holy Spirit.  All we have to do is ask God for this outpouring of His Spirit.

What happens when we ask?

God promises to give generously to our need.  (Matthew 7:11)

When it seems that the people around us are irritating us, pushing us around, or even sucking the life out of us, all we have to do is simply ask for the Lord to freshly pour out anew the Holy Spirit in our lives.  It will give you the increased grace you need for those people that tend to rub you the wrong way, and the peace you need to continue living a life of unhindered joy.

Psalm 23:5

Sometimes sheep face an enemy far more intelligent, threatening, and successful than the usual wolf, bear, or lion.  This predator doesn’t scatter and strike as the others do, he sneaks and steals.  He waits until the cover of night, undetected the thief will come to take for himself what is not rightfully his.

 ”Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  ^But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.^ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  ^Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

John 10:1-5

It wasn’t unusual that the shepherd would find one of his sheep missing and after searching near and far he would find his sheep in another pasture among another flock. 

What could the shepherd do in this situation?

How could he prove that his sheep were stolen?

How does he regain his property?

In Psalm 23:5 the word “prepare” in the Hebrew is normally translated “to set in order” as a waiter setting the table for the dinner guests, I find it interesting that this same word can also mean “to set forth” as a legal case. 

The little shepherd boy who became a king tells us of another King who would shepherd into freedom those who had been stolen by the enemy and imprisoned due to sin.  After all the evidence was prepared Jesus set forth His case on the table of communion, testifying of the body that would be broken and the blood that would be shed as a remission for our sin.  Based upon undeniable evidence God the father, the Righteous Judge declared us clear of all charges. 

We’re forgiven, and upon faith in Jesus we are Holy and can enjoy intimacy with Almighty God.  Just as the shepherd called to his sheep in John 10, Jesus calls to us through the open door of salvation and it’s our responsibility as the sheep to respond to His voice, to come to Him, to believe and walk out of the prison of sin and into the freedom of salvation. 

^”Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”“

 Hebrews 3:12-15

Psalm 23:4c

When spying out the gear of a shepherd one would find a couple things that are essential to the task.  The rod and staff are often the stereotyped “tools of the trade” in the area of shepherding.  The Hebrew word for rod has many different facets.

For a king the rod is a scepter of authority

For a tree the rod is an offshoot of Life

For the tradesman the rod is a standard of measurement

All of these are perfectly fitting of Our Lord because all of these give so much insight to the character traits of our Lord, King, Creator, and Tree of Life. 

In this particular passage however, the word rod describes a club-like instrument often used by the shepherd to defend his flock.  When any danger threatened the beloved life of his flock the shepherd is diligent to defend, with rod in hand he will crush the bones of the enemy that preys on his possession.  We are the possession of the Good Shepherd, as His beloved flock the Lord is so diligent to defend us from the enemies that seek to prey on the peace, joy, love, and intimacy of our relationship with the Lord himself and those around us.  With the rod of His truth the Lord comes down and crushes the lies that this world, Satan and his demons, and the flesh try to deceive us with. 

 Some might ask “Well if that’s true; why is it that my circumstances have chewed me up and spit me out?”

The one problem that often leaves us wide open to attack is the sheep-like tendency we all have to stray from the truth of God’s word.  Like it says in Isaiah 53 “we all like sheep have gone astray” and so it is for us in life, we get distracted by that relationship that wasn’t so fruitful, we get derailed by that desire that was sinful, and we like sheep find ourselves straying off the path of righteousness right into dangerous territory. 

“What now?” You might ask

“I’ve walked off the path so many times and I’ve wandered so far that there’s no hope for me!”

Not True!

You see, the shepherd also carries a staff for situations such as these.  When sheep would get lost, straying a bit too far after this or that, the shepherd’s priority is to search out and rescue that which is lost.  He tracks the lost sheep down and skillfully cradles them with the staff, and lifts them from their trouble, carrying them back to safety. 

Perhaps that’s where you are today.

You’ve strayed off the path, lost your direction, and don’t think that returning is an option.

If so, then know this…the staff of His Holy Spirit will support you in your weakness and direct you safely back into His loving arms.

The rod of defense and the staff of direction are present in the hands of the Good Shepherd, and because His heart is one that loves us so radically and so deeply we have nothing to fear.  This truth was David’s comfort in his moments of delight and despair and so it will be for you as well. 

All you have to do is call out to the Shepherd.

Don’t worry.

He’s very familiar with your voice. (John 10)