Ruach Breath Of Life

Prayer for the Persecuted Church Marcello first movement oboe concerto in D minor I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. Deep in his cell, Watchmen Nee fell to his knees to beseech Your grace; and beyond the enormous emotional trauma You dispelled great darkness and moved in power throughout the land of China; while far below ground Richard Wurmbrand resisted intense bleakness and filled the blackness with the sound of Your praise. Refusing to be caged, such prisoners for the Lord remained fully engaged, enabling You to bring about a harvest of the brave. As they sighed and soared in spirit, they saw beyond their prison walls and prepared the way for all that You are doing today. Because Your word tells us to remember those wh

The Spirit and the Bride say "Come". cop con When we come together, everyone should be free to bring a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation – all for the strengthening of the church. So many leaders, of churches, as of nations, have but one way of responding. Father, grant to many the courage to give your Spirit room to move Rather than playing it safe, and chafing sensitive souls by over tight controls, the vision to draw people in, thus releasing fresh new roles and giftings. Lord, You delight in the deeply ordered but also in the far more experimental, in which rich times of worship interweave with the gently instrumental. Break open the treasure troves of creativity that hidebound churches have all but mislaid – and may we as leaders have the courage to search and follow where You lead. We pray now for leaders as they come to mind, first in the Church and then in the world to develop a more participatory vision; and for those whose confidence has been knocked b

Selfless Prayer Marcello - Adagio, Oboe concerto in D minor There are certain species of African ants that eat the insides out of wooden furniture. The chairs and tables look alright, but the termites have done their worst, causing them to burst apart when anything is placed on them. Many lives appear strong, and even stately on the outside, yet are eaten alive on the inside by pride. Since the attributes You most prize arise more from our character than our gifting: forgive us those many things we do that grate like a rusty gate. Shift our focus from being too narrowly inward, lest our unseen faults and thoughtlessness mar our days and prove a snare to many others, without our even being aware. Catch us these boring ants, and make our character more authentically sound – especially for those of us who easily get cross. Subdued by stress or chronic complaint, or inflated by too high an opinion of ourselves we end up sounding increasingly doleful and run the risk of robbing our soul of brave and cheerf

Prayer for the Land Music by Dvorak My grief is beyond healing. My heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of My people. It can be heard all across the land. Has the Lord abandoned Jerusalem? Is her King no longer there? “Oh why have they angered me with their carved idols and worthless gods,” asks the Lord. I weep for the hurt of people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief. Is there no medicine in Gilead. Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people. Oh that my eyes were a fountain of tears. I would weep day and night for my people who have been slaughtered. Therefore the Lord says, “See I will melt them in a crucible and test them like metal. What else can I do with them? Who is wise enough to understand all this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it to others? Why has the land been ruined so that no one even dares to travel through it?” The Lord replies, “This has happened because my people have abandoned the instructions I gave them. They

Peace, be still . Words and music by Carol Sampson. Darkness falls across the sky as the day begiins to fade. Jesus wants us to cross over to the other side - so we all get into the boat thinking it's gonna be alright. We see our master resting in the stillness of the night. But something stirs the peaceful scene so very unexpectedly. The lashing wind a mighty gale. We're so afraid, our hearts they fail. So we cry out 'oh Master don't You care that we're gonna drown. Can't You do something to save us - 'cos this ship is going down?' 'Peace be still,' Jesus cries and the storm quickly subsides. 'Oh you of little faith, why do you fear? You ought to know by now I'm always here when you need me. Peace, be still. When the storms of life surround - peace be still.' Still today, just like them, fear grips the heart of men. Because in our boats so tossed and torn, we find it hard to bear the storm so we cry out in desperation 'God where can You be?' If we take the time to listen He'll whisper quietly, 'Peace b

Gethsemane Music by Linda Louisa From time to time some of us go through Gethsemane experiences, not to substitute for Christ’s original sacrifice, but somehow to extend its scope in every generation. Such experiences not only make us eager to get to Heaven: they prepare us to meet Him there. Lord Jesus, although some might foolishly claim that You only suffered pain and shame for a few short hours, the truth is rather that from the moment Gabriel declared that a sword would pierce Your mother’s heart, Gethsemane’s haze overshadowed even the most carefree days. So certain they were right, the indignant Scribes and Pharisees poured out their spite on those who begged You to save their sight. Quite failing to appreciate that You had come to set their captives free, they sought to shun Your light. Even so will those who live and move in heavenly freedom be despised by some, and loved by others, for salt is both irritant and preservative. Inspire in us such fulsome hope that even when we are groping in the

Words and music by Carol Sampson I don't know all the answers but I know that God is faithful. I don't know all the answers but I know that He is true. This trial that you're going through is tough and very scary. But you will feel the arms of Love that hold on tight to you. Yes you will. yes you will. I don't know all the answers but I know that we don't need to. We've just got to trust that every word God says is true. And battles leave us bruised - hope hangs like a thread....this dark night of your soul will see the sun rise once again. Yes it will. Yes it will. Because underneath the Everlasting Arms are holding you. They're carrying you. Underneath the Everlasting Arms are keeping you from falling, time and time again. Underneath the Everlasting Arms - they're holding you and carrying your pain. I don't know all the answers but I know that you're so loved. A precious jewel, a treasure and the apple of God's eye. I don't know all the answers but I know He holds you closely. And whispers softly to y

The Upside Down Kingdom Music by Linda Louisa So many of the best things God does turn worldly standards upside down: The last shall be first, the weak strong, and the meek will inherit the earth. When everything feels strange, and makes no kind of sense, remember how the Lord has turned so many dilemmas around in the past. He delights in sending marvellous deliverances – even when He chooses to hide behind the event and remain anonymous. Lord, there is much I do not understand right now, but You who gave fins to fish and wings to birds, always have things in mind for me to do; and even a mystery is only a mystery until revelation makes it part of Your living history. Since it is not so much rules that I must follow as the willingness to seek and be surprised; grant me the time and energy I need to attend to such duties as You call me to – and put certain other things aside. My richest awareness of You catches me unawares, but often disappears within the hour, whereas some trials last for months if not

Music by Linda Louisa It is tragic when believers view the world through a frame of their own making, rather than in the light of God’s self-revelation in His Word and through the ages. When John the Baptist sought reassurance that Jesus really was the Promised One, Jesus pointed him not to doctrines and dogma set in stone but to the living witness of His awesome power. Forgive us, Lord, for all the ways in which we shrink You to fit our own small ideas. May our world view expand to embrace the reality of who You really are, and to proclaim the fulness of Your kingdom. Lord, we are moving towards the place where we worship before Your throne, free from all the particles that sully the flow of Your rainfall. Drench and quench each one of us in the unending stream of Your waterfall. Let the water of life flow out to all we are concerned for, Yes, let all who hear these words and music moisten dry parched lips and quench their thirst in You as they find and follow Your Spirit’s leading. Sluice away the c

Benediction Music by Linda Louisa Lord, If there is any theme You would have us develop, any dream envelop; if there is any person You would have us visit, or cup of suffering You would have us drain; any truth You wish to make explicit, any terrain claim by Your Spirit, then stretch out Your hand to achieve these holy purposes. Lord, I place this trusted friend in the care of healing love. I pray that You will lead him every minute of his day, and as I carry him in my heart, alert me when he stands in special need of grace, so that he may make the most of every chance that You direct His way. Bless, cherish and embolden him to be all that You can make him be. And Lord, I place my precious friend in the care of Love eternal. Place her like a seal over my heart, for love is as strong as death, burning like a blazing fire that many waters cannot quench. Thank You for all the love she brings, and all the things we do together; all the service she performs for You. Help me carry her in my heart, and lift her

Marcello 1st movement oboe concerto in D minor We focus so much of our energy on our external appearance; how we are coming across, what we are wearing and so on. As a dear friend used to say, ‘If we could just get that amount down by a few percent, it would leave so much more room for the Lord to work.’ We can’t afford to underestimate how much effort the powers of darkness put into distracting us. The devil knows how to spin a plausible yarn, and how to level his guns at us. It takes courage to call his bluff, and to realise that these guns may not be loaded – or, if they are, that the Lord can still deflect and protect us. This is serious spiritual warfare. Lord, we want to ask that You will help us discern what is our task and what is Yours and to really know the difference. For this will help us to be clear when it is right to take steps to defend ourselves, and when we can safely leave You to do all the defending for us. Provide close confidants with whom we can pour out our hearts, without ne

Waterfall by Ruach Breath of Life

At this time when millions are feeling deeply unsettled by so much that they had taken as normal being suddenly removed, Joshua’s tremendous and challenging declaration came to mind as I was pondering these things: ‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.’ (Josh. 24:15) Like Joshua, though so much remains uncertain, may we find many ways to serve Him! There are numerous occasions when this phrase is used in the Bible. You will be familiar with them, of course, but I have drawn many of them together in this presentation and set them to beautiful music, like ornaments in a band. Sometimes, like Joshua, the verses are markers laid down for us as we determine to move purposefully forward, embracing our calling and commission. At other times they are a cry from people in intense and immediate need. As Sally Mowbray, Colin Owen and I read, the music ranges from the contemporary to the very ancient, beginning with Maria es libre, a lovely

Vivaldi LaudemasTe Instrumental by Ruach Breath of Life

La Stravaganza Instrumental by Ruach Breath of Life

The God Who Rescues Us by Ruach Breath of Life

Psalm 116 the God who rescues us part 2 I turned this yesterday into a blended version of the traditional version and then from the message as well, set to the slow version of zipoli elevazione.... If ever a piece was made to measure to suit! I was feeling very low yesterday morning and the Lord gave me that psalm so powerfully

'A tempestuous piece for our times' The music of Beethoven's world-renowned Pathetique sonata is restless and probing, conveying something of the anguish as well as the triumphs that Beethoven was experiencing at the time when he wrote it, yet still brings joy, pleasure and consolation. For that reason, it struck me as being a particularly poignant and appropriate piece to release in the tempestuous times that we are going through. Stella commented, “It reminds me of how anxious – terrified even – the disciples were when they were in the storm boat with Jesus. They felt panic-stricken, fearing that their end was looming near – yet all the time, Jesus was in complete control despite what was going on around Him, even when He appeared to be asleep. “How anxious we get, the moment we take our eyes off the Lord, or when we look at things through our narrow, tunnel vision. Yet He remains in total control, able to calm the raging seas and enable us to complete our journey.” Special thanks to Sam Booth, who mad

Hole in the Wall by Ruach Breath of Life

May Francis Cumming's powerful rendition of Psalm 45 touch our hearts today. Psalm 45 Your Throne, O God, Is Forever To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Maskil[a] of the Sons of Korah; a love song. My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond y