M.E.X Magazine - Issue 04

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

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Founded, Edited & Published by: Adam Brooks > adam@m-briomusic.com Matt Brooks > matt@m-briomusic.com Associate Editor > Estelle Anderson

Contributors Yinka Awojobi > Ed Bird > Gerrard Bonner > Yvonne Brooks > Dominique McPherson > Stephen L. Jones Nurisha Liggins > Neechy > Jennifer Perry > Iyisha Rocke > Art Director > Adam Brooks Content Development > Matt Brooks Media Contact > media@ireadmex.com For advertising inquiries contact: e: adam@m-briomusic.com Click Here for the M.E.X Media Pack or view > http://ireadmex.com

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M.E.X Magazine™ is owned and published electronically by M-Brio Music, a trading name of the Brooks Brothers Venture Group (BBVG).

M.E.X Magazine is protected by copyright and nothing may be reproduced, wholly, or in part, without prior permission. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement.

Copyright 2011 BBVG. All rights reserved. ® ‘M.E.X Magazine‘ is a trademark owned by BBVG. “ireadmex.com” is a trademark of BBVG.

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Find us on FaceBook, Search ‘m-brio music’ & hit the LIKE button

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Follow us on twitter M.E.X Magazine: http://twitter.com/mexmag M-Brio Music: http://twitter.com/mbriomusic Adam: http://twitter.com/adambrux Matt: http://twitter.com/mattjabrooks

07 – A Word From The Editors

37 – Interview - Parachute Band

08 – Free Music - Gates Praise

42 – Jennifer Perry - Bubbles

09 – Free Music - Jahaziel

44 – New Music – Writeway Music

10 – New Music - Jahaziel

17 – Movie Special - Beware of the Christians

49 – Ed Bird – Your Kingdom Come (Let the Music play) Scan this barcode and 50 – Nurisha Liggins – The power your followofus on thoughts twitter.

Go on... you know you 53 - My First – Faith Child want to...

54 - Cover Story – Mary Mary

20 – Interview - Cait Plaige

66 – Iyisha Rocke - Please Give

26 – Steven L. Jones – Branding your Faith

68 – SpotLight - Bobby Bovell

28 – Yinka Awojobi - U.K Gospel

71 – MuzoSpot - Joseph Perry

30 – NEW - Reviews

74 – Dominque Mcpherson

34 – NEW - Bonnerfide Official Top 10 Chart

76 – This is My Story – Nick Vujicic

12 – Yvonne Brooks – On Purpose 14 – Neechy – U.S Gospel Update

007 Welcome to M.E.X Magazine issue 4.

The last month has been a busy one. We recorded our first ever radio show called ‘The M-brio Radio Show’ on Premier Gospel http:// www.premiergospel.org.uk It was a great learning experience and we had a lot of fun recording it too. ‘The M-brio Radio Show’ will be back soon... Look out for future updates.

We’ve also completed a total re-design of the M.E.X website so as you may have already seen, the M.E.X website is now a LOT more interactive. You can now search through the articles of your favourite writers or view articles by category which all point you to the magazine.

We’ve also started providing regular news updates and stories on different topics all in a bid to make http://ireadmex.com better for you.

In some really exciting news, there’s a new member to our regular contributor team. Gerard Bonner, co-founder of GospelFlava.com and Bonnerfide Radio (http://bonnerfideradio.com) the Stellar Award nominated, GMWA award winning, Internet Station of the Year will be contributing his top 10 tracks every month. We’re so excited about this partnership, but this is just the beginning, we have some even BIGGER news but more about this later.

If you’re a BlackBerry user we’re happy to tell you that we now have a BlackBerry specifically for keeping in contact with you... So, if you like what we’re doing add us and say hi from time to time. Our PIN is 211A2DC5 – We’re also on Live Profile so feel free to add us on there if you’re not a BlackBerry user. Our Live Profile PIN is LPHH U46I

Also, we’d love to encourage you to subscribe to M.E.X. It’s totally free to subscribe and in the coming months there is going to be many, many free give-a-ways of great Christian music and other great products that you’ll only be able to win if you’re a subscriber. Another great benefit to subscribing is that you’ll get the latest news and information on M.E.X and also get to read it first... Before anyone else... If all of that appeals to you; you know what to do!

And finally, the really BIG news.

This month as part of our new partnership with Bonnerfide Radio, we’re going to be launching U.K Fiyah, a new radio show bringing the best of the U.K sound to the USA. These are seriously exciting times and the chance for us to share the best of British via one of the hottest radio stations and internet platforms in the world is mind blowing.

We’ll let you know more about the show so make sure you keep in touch because you definitely do not want to miss this.

We hope you enjoy Issue 4, we’re sorry it’s a little late but its been a seriously crazy month but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Peace & Love Adam & Matt Brooks Co-Founders & Editors of M.E.X Magazine & M-Brio Music

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Jahaziel is no newcomer to Rap. He’s become one of the most well known and respected names in Rap in the UK, Europe and even reaching into America. He’s been working hard in the music industry for over a decade which has subsequently earned him the title ‘Heavyweight’ by many of his peers and those who look up to him in the industry.

Knowing that Rap music is very popular with ‘today’s generation’ Jahaziel uses his music to spread conscious concepts, address the state of our world and speak about his own life experiences in order to help somebody else.

The biggest aim and desire of the MOBO Award winning artist is to see lives transformed through his music and see lost souls saved by grace and reconciled to God. Jahaziel has been back in the studio recording ‘The

Still Livin Mix-Tape’ which is due for release on 2nd May 2011 and will be available for FREE DOWNLOAD. In a bid to raise awareness for it has leaked one song to serve as a taster for what’s to come on the Mix-Tape.

Jahaziel considers his song ‘Broken’ as a statement and heartfelt repentance to the LORD and his Family.

In ‘Broken’ Jahaziel shares his heart in an emotive, passionate repentant rap where he highlight where he’s fallen down but not how he’s risen up stronger, wiser and more passionate to share ministry with the world. The soulful

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and expressive vocals of Ricardo ‘Rocstarr’ Williams only add to the heart-felt dynamic personal characteristics of the song.

Jahaziel’s new project ‘The Still Livin Mix-Tape’ which is out 2nd May 2011 on http://forerunnaz.com

“I’m gonna talk about stuff, I don’t wanna talk about, even though it’s in the past and it’s sorted out. If I ain’t gonna share my experience then what’s it all about? My heart’s broke, let me pour it out”... - from the song ‘Broken’

‘The Still Livin Mix-Tape’ consists of 17 tracks and features many talented UK and US artist such as Guvna B, Da’ T.R.U.T.H, Ambassador and ForeRunnaz; the new movement consisting of group members E Tizz and hot newcomer Tru2DaName. Presented by DJ Jamo, with a host of producers including Grammy Nominated G.P. of Dvine Muzic Productions, D-Flo, Endurance, Envy, Phonetix and many more.

The song is available for download exclusively from HYPERLINK “http://www.jahazielmusic. com/”www.jahazielmusic.com now. ‘Broken’ is currently featured on the M.E.X playlist.

Links www.jahazielmusic.com http://www.facebook.com/jahazielmusic http://www.reverbnation.com/jahaziel http://www.forerunnaz.com/

Jahaziel heats up his steadily expanding musical career with this ‘The Still Livin Mix-Tape’ in preparation for his sophomore album set to be released Summer 2011.

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We all have a purpose and destiny on our lives and we are created and equipped to fulfil that destiny and purpose. Everything around us was designed by some one a chair a house a car. During the process of designing, paramount in the designer’s mind would have been the ultimate purpose for which their design would be used.

Purpose is demonstrated very clearly in nature. I am an amateur gardener and love being around my cherished plants, I feel closest to God when I am on my knees pulling weeds. There are a number of different types of family groupings of plant’s. For example perennials reproduce every year, biennials have a two year life cycle and annuals are planted, flower and die in the same year.

There are even different types of trees including deciduous trees which shed leaves annually or evergreens which have leaves all year round.

One day whilst I was in the garden I realised that even plants and trees have their purpose. The Bible goes as far as to say that; “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows its handiwork” (Psalms 19:1).

Plants and trees do not have brains, human intelligence or spiritual gifts. They do not have the benefit of mentoring, personal development, coaching and so forth but they do not die until their purpose is fulfilled.

Annual plants such as a marigold or petunia are lovely in hanging baskets because they have prolific flowering ability. The first few times that I planted them, I noticed that once they had flowered they would set seed and once this had happened, the colour of the plants would change and they looked as though they were dying. I found this quite distressing particularly as it would only be June/July and the plants should last until August/September!

However, one day a friend introduced me to the concept of dead heading – this means that once you see the flower setting seed, the seeds should be picked off.

Once I did this, I noticed that new flower buds would begin to set and then grow into full flowers. This process of dead heading would need to be repeated regularly in order for the plant to continue to flower and by doing this I found that the life of the plant could be extended to September/October. I discovered that the plant knew its purpose. The plant refused to die until it had ensured the survival of the next generation by setting seed.

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Now an uneducated plant refused to die until it ensured the continuation of its species. If that is the case, how much greater is our responsibility as intelligent, educated human beings having received power to become the sons of God, to fulfil the mandate to be fruitful, multiply and have dominion. It is our job to ensure that we seek God for our purpose and then that we fulfil it.

Clues to our purpose are hidden in our personality and character, the things that we like and delight to do. For example, if you love to pray for people, could this be a part of your purpose - to be an Intercessor and stand in the gap for others? If you are creative, could this be your purpose – to stimulate and bring pleasure to others through art?

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Dorcas died but it was her purpose that brought her back to life. She had no sewing machine but when she died, all the people she had clothed gathered outside her room to pray and sent for the Apostle Peter, who prayed for her and she was brought back to life (Acts 9:36-42). Imagine if she had thought that sewing was not spiritual enough and therefore could not be her purpose!

No instead she identified the need and met the need which for her meant life.

What needs have you identified around you today?

Could it be that God wants you to meet that need?

If we ask God, He will speak to us and give us the answer to our questions. God wants us to know our purpose even more than we want to. I am persuaded that God will answer when you ask and He will send mentors who have the ability to draw out what is in you.

Don’t be outdone by a plant! Pursue your purpose with passion and fulfil the dream of God for your life.

Contributor - Yvonne Brooks

Links http://www.twitter.com/yvonnebrookstv http://www.facebook.com/yvonnebrookstv http://www.yvonnebrooks.tv

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What’s up good people?!?!? I got a couple of things that I want to share with you. I hope you’re ready, let’s go!

I’ve noticed that quite a few artists have chosen to give away a free download of a single, prior to the release of the album.

Do I think that it’s a good idea? YES, especially if it is a new or indie artist. The free download gives everyone the opportunity to check out your music, thus building interest in your brand. In my opinion, it is the way of the future – the free downloads that is.

With the decrease in album sales across the board, you have to find a way to keep the interest of your current audience and spark the interest of your new audience.

FREE sounds like the way to me, lol.

With that said, there’s a lot that surrounds the longevity of an artist. The free downloads certainly help, but in addition to that - marketing, online presence, selfawareness and total professionalism are also huge elements in the world of an artist.

Okay, let’s start with marketing. It doesn’t matter how great your product, project, voice, manager, dog, cat IS – you will have NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING, without marketing. Marketing is the only way that the world will know that you exist. You and your team/staff should always have marketing materials on hand – business cards, post cards, ink pens, stickers, etc. You, as the artist, should always be prepared to “pitch” yourself in 30 seconds or less. Yep, this is a part of marketing. You have to be able to tell people who/ what you are even if you don’t have official marketing materials on hand.

Let’s talk about online marketing. Your website should be up and running prior to releasing your music. Although Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter are also very important to the masses – you always want to have an official headquarters for everything that surrounds your music. Having a website shows that you are professional and ready to work. Also, if Facebook or Twitter ever shut down, you would still have a central location for everything that surrounds your brand.

The online marketing, which is also referred to as SOCIAL NETWORKING, plays a vital role in the success of an artist. We are apart of a very techsavvy generation and Google has become one of our best friends. Google and Facebook are the first two places that the average listener will reference in order to gain insight about your music. If both of these places are empty, you may have a bit of a disadvantage.

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While Twitter is certainly popular, it seems that many still feel that they can interact and see more of the artist via Facebook.

If I may give the most recent example of a very successful online campaign – Mary Mary did a phenomenal job with the release of their latest project SOMETHING BIG. You could tell that a lot of thought was put into keeping the listening audience up to date. They posted regular photos and videos as well as up coming tour dates. They even did a Facebook only campaign that encouraged listeners to get into the community and do SOMETHING BIG for someone else.

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label and I hope to give a platform to new artists, much like what was given to me.”

The first release from FIYA World Music will be a new James Fortune & FIYA album slated for early 2012.

Now, certainly, we understand that the average artist budget does not allow for an official online campaign, however, you can use your own connections to build your online audience.

Okay, let’s talk about self-awareness.

Recently, I tried to help out an artist by booking him on a few additional gigs while he was in town for a concert. (Yep, I handle bookings for quite a few faith-based events and churches). Anywho, he’s a new artist – his project has not been released yet, BUT, I guess I’d say that industry musicians know who he is from a few songs that he has either written or produced.

Well, when I called to request his honorarium, he told me $1200. WHAT?!?!? Are you kidding, lol?!??! The church was upset at the fact that he would try to charge them so much! This is where self-awareness kicks in. It is certainly wonderful to know what you are worth, but you have to take the time to make your audience aware of your worth. Asking for a ton of money for your first gig, will surely get you booted out of churches and venues all across the country.

You have to decide what is more important to you – the honorarium or the notoriety? If it’s notoriety, then you will take a $500 honorarium (which will get you more gigs), and then sell t-shirts, cd’s, or other promotional materials during the event to balance your income.

Okay, let’s shift gears for a second. There’s a lot of good stuff going on in the industry.

Soooo, you know my dude James Fortune right? He recently snagged a few Stellar Awards and he’s touring all over the country. I rocked out with him in Nashville at the Dream Girlz Gathering event that I hosted in Nashville recently. Anywho, he just launched a new record label called FIYA WORLD MUSIC. Yezzir. James Robinson SR VP & General Manager of Light Records, announced a 3-year marketing and distribution agreement with JAMES FORTUNE & FIYA, to bring his new label, FIYA World Music to Light Records and eOne Distribution.

Fortune says: “For my family and me, I’ve decided it was time to create a new venture and to launch my own label, FIYA World Music Group with eOne Entertainment and Light Records. All my releases will be on my new

< Desperation Band The critically-acclaimed, Colorado-based Desperation Band and singer/songwriter Meredith Andrews will team up with international orphan care organization, Children’s HopeChest for the FREE TO LIVE Tour this May and June, visiting major markets across the U.S. The concert, a non-ticketed love-offering event, will feature a night of worship music by two of worship’s most exciting and innovative artists. Desperation Band is known for delivering music that is both congregationally-friendly and full of rock ‘n’ roll attitude while Andrews’ style is a piano-based pop version of worship that earned her a New Artist Dove Award nomination last year. Together they offer an engaging evening of music, but more importantly they will proclaim a desire to bring hope and freedom to the hopeless.

The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were handed out on April 20th, 2011 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The show was hosted by TV host and comedienne Sherri Shepherd and was televised on GMC on Easter Sunday. If you missed it, no worries – it should re-air really soon.

There’s a full listing of the winners on my website, but here are a few: Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year: “The Best In Me”; Here I Am; Marvin Sapp; Marvin Sapp, Aaron Lindsey; Verity Gospel Music Group Rock Contemporary Album of the Year: Tonight; Toby Mac; Toby McKeehan, Christopher Stevens, Dave Wyatt, Jamie Moore; ForeFront Records Female Vocalist of the Year: Francesca Battistelli Well you guys, now you’re up to date! If you want daily updates, you can check out Neechy Radio or visit www.neechy.com. Don’t forget about the weekly Youth and Youth Leaders Prayer Call on Tuesday’s.

Until we chat again! God bless you and have a rockin’ day!

Contributor - Neechy

Links http://www.twitter.com/Neechy http://www.facebook.com/NeechyTV http://www.Neechy.com

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Beware of Christians is documentary about 4 guys who are college students who have become tired of modern day Christianity and what it has become.

Alex, Matt, Michael and Will have all grown up as Christians in the modern Christian world but through reading the word and striving for a deeper relationship with God have become some-what disgruntled with what they are seeing in the lives of Christians and Christian institutions.

During the documentary we see the 4 searching young men travel to England, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland where they encountered various views on Christianity from the local people of each country. Through their research they saw how faith varies from country to country.

As they’ve grown older, they’ve realized that the Jesus in the Bible doesn’t exactly look like the healthy, wealthy, American Jesus they’ve been trained to know and love. In a search for deeper meaning and truth, they ask some of the questions many of us are afraid to ask and also one’s unsaved people want answered.

The great thing about Alex, Matt, Michael and Will is their genuine friendship and how their experiences are captured so candidly and in a way that we can all relate too... An environment of friendship where you’re comfortable to speak what’s on your mind and discuss.

Throughout the process they deal with self-image, selfishness dating, sex (where they share their own experiences as young Christians), Christian morals and ideologies, Church, the cultural impact of our churches, the prosperity gospel, money, government, fasting, media and so much more.

One very interesting part of the film is where they spoke to a young man who had entered Australian Idol and in a media interview he spoke about being a virgin and saving himself because he’s a Christian and how that information detrimentally affected his campaign to win the competition. He did go on to say that the controversy did bring him a lot of media coverage where he was able to share his values and the reasons for them too.

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Their journey, often a comedy of errors also includes a lost passport, a surprise discovery of a nude beach, and a romantic postcard entanglement.

More importantly, the four guys capture real, honest discussions about what it means to follow Jesus.

“There is a better way to do things. That’s what Jesus told people; there are better ways to do things than you are doing now; the only catch is that it’s backwards everything you’ve ever known,” one of the filmmakers, Michael Allen, says in the movie.

“The biggest change that came to us was the outlook on Christianity. When we are willing to say that ‘following God is the most important thing there is and it’s so pointless and stupid to make excuses and do what you want to do,’ once you are willing to say that, your life really changes a lot,” said Allen.

‘Beware of Christians’ the second feature length release from Riot Studios’ comes out on DVD in the US on May 1st. This is a film that should find itself in every Church youth group and be used as a tool to inspire all of those people that love serving God but still have many questions about it all!

For more information on the film, please go to http://bewareofchristians.com http://riotstudios.us/ http://twitter.com/#!/bocmovie http://www.facebook.com/bocmovie

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Falling in love with music at the early age of 14 Cait Plage has honed her musical abilities and has continued her love affair with it for the past decade. In this time she’s achieved a lot, having released her debut album in 2008 and now her latest project … in March 2011.

We caught up with Cait to find out more about her and her music and what we can expect from her in the coming years.

The thing that set’s an artist apart from the rest is normally their sound which comes from their influences and the combining of them all to make a new fusion that becomes associated to them. We wanted to know how Cait came to get her sound and how she went from a 14 year old music lover to a 24 year old woman in the Christian music industry.

“A major early influence of mine would definitely be Michelle Branch.

When I first picked up the guitar at fourteen, she was my hero. I locked myself in my room for a week and learned all of her songs! Soon after, I fell in love with the music of artists Bethany Dillon, Joy Williams, Leigh Nash (Sixpence) and Tiffany Arbuckle Lee (Plumb) and started writing songs of my own, which were all extremely cheesy and terrible. I kept at it though, and continued to write and grow in my artistry.”

Cait also listed Patty Griffin, Damien Rice, David Wilcox, Brandi Carlile, Pete Yorn, and Jon Foreman. Some newer artists who have been inspiring me lately are Taylor Swift, Lights, Christina Perri, Sara Bareilles, Brooke Fraser, and The Civil Wars as artist’s that have been inspiring her for years.

That sounds familiar to us being musicians ourselves. The excitement of learning your first song is euphoric and enough to spur you on to want to learn more and progress. It’s one thing to learn a song in your bedroom but the test really comes when you take it to the stage. Confident in her new found abilities Cait started playing in church where she learned how to lead people into worship and really hone her gift.

“I joined the worship team at my church and played out around my hometown of Wilmington, NC throughout High School. During my time as a student at Liberty University, I was on one of Liberty’s worship teams called Exodus. We toured every weekend, leading worship for different churches, camps, and disciple now weekends. It was then I began recording a full-length record with a producer at Liberty named Keith Smith and released it in March of 2008. Some doors opened for me to move to Nashville, so I packed every square inch of my little Honda and moved my life to Tennessee, finishing my last year of Liberty as an online student. It has been the adventure of a lifetime and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I’ve learned so much in these past couple years in Nashville than ever. I love this beautiful life and the amazing friendships God has blessed me with!”

Packing up and moving away while still studying is no mean feat, especially when it means you’ll have to continue your studies online. Even at the best of times that isn’t easy but for the very driven, inspired, passionate and ambitious Cait it wasn’t too hard if it meant pursuing a dream and an open door that could come only from God. Moving to Nashville wasn’t the only open door Cait experienced though.

What you may not know about Cait is that she used to voice Japanese anime. Not something you hear everyday from people in the music industry but it is interesting and let’s us get to know a little more about Cait. If you don’t know anime is a Japanese form of animaiton used in TV shows, video games and movies.

“Well, I am a true nerd at heart. In middle school I was a closet anime/ video game geek. Only a few of my friends knew of my love for these things… Somehow, I came across an online community of voice actors who dubbed primarily anime and soon found myself completely immersed in that world. I would spend hours upon hours every day recording lines, auditioning, and “hanging out” online with my VA friends. As strange as it may seem, I have so

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many fun memories from that time in my life and met some of my closest friends to this day in that community! But there’s a lot more nerdiness/quirkiness where that came from…”

The anime period of Cait’s life is clearly near and dear to her heart and a time where she was able to let out her inner ‘nerd’.

These days you’re more likely to find Cait in prison than recording for Japanese anime... Don’t worry though, she’s only in prison fulfilling the call she felt from God to minister to women who are incarcerated.

“I received an email one day from a friend of a friend, who was in need of a worship leader for a Bible study she held Sunday nights at the Tennessee Prison for Women. I met up with the Bible study leader, who has since become such an incredible influence/mentor in my life, and I felt God leading me to say yes to this ministry. So I did, and it has radically changed my perspective on life and the importance of living out the gospel, even when it’s not always easy or comfortable. I love worshipping in prison, it is unlike anywhere else. Seeing the joy of the Lord shining in their eyes and such genuine faith expressed in their lives and testimonies has changed my life. I am so blessed and thankful to be a part of it.”

It’s always great to see an artist giving of their time to those who really need it. It’s one thing to minister in front of thousands of people in arena’s and in stadiums but there’s always something powerful, humbling and life-changing when you give of yourself to people who can’t repay you and all they have to offer is a genuine heart of worship for God. There’s also much to be learned.

People in challenging situations that can help us regain focus in our own lives and put things into perspective so there’s also much to be received.

Cait is no stranger to challenges and moving to a city like Nashville brought some of her insecurities to the forefront making her transition to her new life in Nashville harder than she thought.

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“Living in Nashville, I’m surrounded by many of the best musicians in the world. When I say many, I mean pretty much the entire population. After the excitement of moving to Nashville settled in, I began a season of self-doubt and fear of failure. It was a very dark time in my life. Thankfully, God placed some amazing people in my path, namely a room-mate who became like an older/wiser sister to me. She spoke truth into my life even when it hurt to hear it, but I am so thankful. She constantly prayed for me and encouraged me to do my best for the Lord and no one else. My faith grew so much in that season.

I’m glad it’s over, but I’m always facing challenges in some way… I realize now that we have a choice to either cower in fear or move forward in faith knowing the God of the universe is on our side. I choose the latter!”

Looking back Cait knows that all these things happened to make her stronger and also because she has a call on her life. Not just a love for music or even a passion for it but a call from God to use her gifts for His glory.

“When I was a sophomore in High School, I made a choice to live my life for Jesus Christ. A few weeks later, I was given my first guitar. I personally do not believe in accidents.

Songs started naturally flowing out of my heart. I enjoyed it so much and felt God’s calling on my life to keep using these gifts to share His love with the world.”

Cait is still new to the Christian music industry although she’s been involved in music for years. Being in Nashville where there’s so many great musicians and artist’s can be daunting but can also be exciting, inspiring and full of opportunities.

“I’ve found it to be challenging at times, but for the most part it’s a fun adventure! Like I said earlier, it’s all about choices. Living in Nashville and being in the industry is what you make of it. If you get into it only hoping to “network” and use people, you will get nowhere fast. I see it all the time and it’s such a turn-off. If your heart is focused on the love of Jesus, helping others, and making genuine friendships, it’s a fulfilling, fun life! The same goes for any industry, really.”

The EP ‘All We Have Is Now’ is full of emotions and stories that clearly come from Cait’s personal experiences. We wanted to know if there was a particular event or experience that gave her the inspiration for some of the lyrics on her EP. “Actually, a lot of this EP came from that first year living in Nashville, after a season of depression turned into an urgency to share Jesus with the world. We don’t have time to just sit around and wait in worry or regret; the past cannot be changed. All we can do is take life one day at a time, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us daily in our walk with Him, living out faith in acts of love, holding onto His promises, and having the faith to truly believe that He knows what is best

Links http://www.caitplage.com http://www.facebook.com/caitplagemusic http://twitter.com/caitplage http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-we-have-is-now-ep/id427995429

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It’s great that Cait’s songs have come from personal experiences and they’re personal to her. What we wanted to know is how all of those experiences that helped her write ‘All We Have Is Now’ relate to her and where she’s at in her life now. “‘All We Have Is Now’ describes exactly my heart and focus in life. The more life I live, the more precious each moment becomes. Just in the past few weeks, I’ve seen a tsunami sweep away thousands of people in Japan, leaving cities in ruins. I’ve seen someone very close to me get diagnosed with cancer. We are not guaranteed another moment of this life. I have such an incredible urgency to share the love and hope of Jesus with this suffering, fading world. ‘All We Have Is Now’ is not just a fun little catch phrase; it’s a state of mind and way of life!”

When we really take time to look at our lives ‘All We Have Is Now’... To give our hearts to the God as tomorrow isn’t promised, to make our wrongs right and to live life to the fullest. With that in mind we wanted to know what Cait had planned for he future and how she’s making every moment count.

“This is such a hard question!

I always get asked and never know what to say! Honestly, I have no idea where God will lead me, but I know I have these desires in my heart -leading worship, writing songs, travelling, making friends, and going on adventures for Jesus! Also, I definitely want to spend time sharing the gospel in Asia/Japan as I know God has placed that calling on my life… Oh, and one more thing – I’d love to be married in five years. ;)” There’s always something quite invigorating and exciting about not knowing exactly what you’ll be doing in the future but knowing that you’re being led by God makes the journey that much more excit-

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ing. It seems like there’s a lot to look forward to in Cait’s ministry... It’s amazing that God has given her a heart for Japan...

Many people would have disregarded the opportunity to do Japanese anime but maybe in that season of Cait’s life, God was planting a seed that would turn into a ministry to reach out to that country.

Cait is still only 24 and still has the majority of her life to live but she has a clear focus and one thing that’s so great to see about her and her ministry is that she is more focused about making an impact on the world than on the charts.

“Like I mentioned earlier, I feel called to do ministry in Asia, specifically in Japan. So many things have happened in my life to reaffirm this calling… and it weighs heavy on my heart.

Even though Japan seems bright with lights, technology and a thriving economy, the country is spiritually dark with less than 1% of the population knowing Christ. I’ve been to Japan a few times and I’m completely in love with the country and the people. Coincidentally (or not), they love American pop music… so there are tons of opportunities to share Jesus with them through music! In light of the recent earthquakes/ tsunamis, the desperate cry for hope in Japan is louder than ever. They need the hope only Jesus can give. I can’t wait to go back!

And a little side note -- I’d love to continue to pursue voice acting, specifically with cartoon and anime character voices. It’s such a blast!”

The passion and desire is clear, Japan... Watch out Cait Plage is coming. Coming with Jesus and coming to infiltrate the darkness with the light of the Lord.

In closing, is there anything you’d like to say to fan’s and potential new fan’s reading this interview?

Hi I’m Cait. Nice to meet you.

Let’s be friends! :)

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

For their debut album ‘Airtight’, released back in July last year, Empire Nation teamed up with producer Paul Burton (Snow Patrol, Athlete) and “delivered a high quality, consistent sound that brings to mind a mix of Delirious?, Leeland, Simple Minds and occasional hints of Morrissey’s vocal tone (minus the angst!).”

Get the ‘Airtight’ single for Free Here > Buy the full ep on iTunes and Amazon Get a signed hard copy from their website - with a free poster Price: £7.99

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

It’s 6:35am and you’ve hit the snooze button a record breaking 6 times. You drag yourself out of bed, throw on some clothes and report to work only to feel trapped behind the walls of a cubicle and someone else’s vision. Drowning in a sea of paperwork at a meeting where your boss receives credit for the ideas & concepts that you worked on all night, you realize that coffee is your only solace. Catching yourself daydreaming about being your own boss has become the norm and gazing out of your office window you come to the conclusion that there HAS to be more to your life than this. Can you relate to this story? If so it sounds like you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. Don’t worry, you’re not alone!

Research shows that over 1 million individuals a year start their own successful business. Unfortunately over 50% of those same businesses fail within the first five years due to poor or improper planning. Deciding to step out on faith and build your vision verses supporting someone else’s can be a difficult one, but with the proper planning, information and support system, you can do it. This article will help you with some practical real-world advice from the trenches of a small business by the name of VGS&L Entertianment, and your host, CEO & Founder and author of “Branding Your Faith,” Mr. Steven L. Jones.

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The idea of becoming your own boss and the freedoms associated with that concept can make it very easy to get caught up in the spirit of excitement.

The reality is it’s going to take hard work, long hours, thick skin and a determination that many fail to realize is needed in launching your own business. As believers, we sometimes focus more so on the promises of God than the work that it takes to achieve and or maintain them. God wants us to have the best, he wants us to live our dreams, and his plans are certainly for us to prosper, therefore it would behoove us to take advantage or every resource made available to us concerning those promises. Whether you decide to seek out the information in the library, on the Internet or through a mentor in the business, knowledge truly is power and can make a world of difference in the success of your vision.

After you have decided what service or product you will create and or offer, who your target consumer is, and how you will market your product to that consumer, a much more difficult challenge will present itself: conditioning your mind to that of champion.

Most entrepreneurs fail once or twice before achieving the right formula to success. I have come to accept failure and even rejection as a much-needed tool in advancing to the next level of my career. As the saying goes, “Mans rejection is simply Gods redirection!”

CHAMP-UP!

Survey says it’s going to take more than just a good idea and a dream to create a long-standing successful enterprise.

In deciding on the direction for this article, it occurred to me that the content could have potentially alienated the expected “Branding Your Faith” readership, espeThree of the most important cially those of you who enjoy the normality of a 9 to 5 pieces of advice that I can ofjob and the comforts therein. To you I say, fear not, the fer are; next article will speak to business, entertainment and your faith on a broader scale. But to the entrepreneur, 1 > Study: Take advantage of my hope is that you obtained information from this the wealth of information article has encouraged you the reader to move one made available to you constep closer to achieving your goal and branding your cerning your field and study faith OUT LOUD. Please feel free to send an email your craft. 2 Timothy 2:15 with any questions on taking your business to the next level.

2 > Write out your vision: A business plan helps you organize your thoughts and forces you to be realistic about your More Info: http://www.vgslentertainment.com company mission, goals, posTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/VGSL sible challenges, competitors, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IAMSTEVEJONES financial needs. Habakkuk 2:2 3 > “CHAMP-UP”

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

If the hype is to be believed, technology levelled the playing field: you’ve just as much chance of global success as Justin Beiber or even Rebecca Black.

Or if that seems like a bit of a leap, then perhaps you’re thinking you want to be invited to meet Prime Minister David Cameron like Guvna B did yesterday.

Looking for some media exposure? Want the secret to keeping your ministry/career/creativity/ service going..?

Here are my 5 crucial reasons for running your own race: 1. Be the next big thing - YOU. Don’t try and be the next Guvna B. As things stand, Guvna B is already the next Guvna B.

in 2000, UKGospel.com launched. It had 500 hits in the first 6 months of its life. In web terms, that’s a depressingly small number. But I wasn’t worried. I was focused and knew I had to work hard. The following year over the same period, it had 11,000.

I checked my stats. That in turn gave me something to aspire to and aim for. I knew I wanted more than 500 hits next time around, so I worked hard towards achieving that.

From a media and publishing point of view, I don’t give clones much time of day. I’m like you: if I want something, I go to the original, not the wannabe.

Which leads me rather nicely on to the next point:

Follow the latest creative trends by all means, but put your own distinct, individual interpretation on whatever the current music style, make-up wave, fashion trend, video look, vocal delivery etc, may be. That’s what everyone wants: they want to see you work it....

Do not despise humble beginnings: those 6 people on your mailing list (you have a mailing list, right?) that turn up to every gig you’re ever at, that promote absolutely everything you ever do..? They are more valuable than the 15 million you’re probably chasing (come on, you can be honest with me...)

2. Check your own stats There’s nothing wrong with small numbers. Small is beautiful. Small is an acorn. It is also a mustard seed. You need to know what your stats are in order to progress in your career (or ministry, if that makes you more comfortable).

Measure *everything*. Here’s an example: back

3. Work with what you have

It will be fantastic to be on every website, radio station, TV show, billboard and newspaper going. It’ll be great to fill a major venue. I’d love that too. But it ain’t happening right now.

In the meantime work with what you have: the

Contributor - Yinka Awojobi

Links http://www.twitter.com/ukgospel http://www.facebook.com/ukgospel http://www.UKGospel.com

people, the resources, the limited contacts, local radio, your church, your local newspaper, whatever.

Make good stuff and we’ll support it. Simple.

In some cases you might have next to nothing. Well, if that’s you, then that’s your starting point. You need to get going...

I know I said five, so consider this a bonus:

6. If it’s any good someone will eventually take notice

If you didn’t know that before, now you do.

Don’t get discouraged too quickly. Sometimes things happen quickly. Often they take much longer than any of us would like. I’d like UKGospel.com to be world famous. It isn’t. But I’m still working at it.

In my experience, the average shelf-life of a new UK gospel act is 18 months. If you’re still doing your thing after that, people will take you more seriously. I certainly will.

I’ve been doing this for a while, but new people are only just discovering the site, well over ten years down the line.

It’s a long and lonely road: you know you have something amazing to share, and people just don’t seem to want to know. Especially those silly people in the media who seem to have their favourites and separate agendas.

Am I discouraged? Of course not. I put my head down, I work hard, and if things blow up, they blow up. If they don’t, well I get a lot of joy and personal satisfaction in doing the little I’ve done to wash peoples’ feet. And will continue to do that.

Well, quality takes time. If your thing is as good as you think it is, then hang in there. Don’t give up too quickly.

That’s my own race. I know it, and I’m comfortable with that.

Speaking of the media: see the next point:

Now go out there and make awesome happen!

5. The industry is closed, biased, cliquey and only support ‘their own’ people To some extent, that is actually quite true - but not in the way you’re thinking...

Yinka

4. You know you’re in this for the long haul, right...?

It’s no different than your own personal experience.

Check your life and the people you roll with: you have your immediate circle of friends, then a wider circle beyond that, then everyone else.

If someone finds something impressive enough, they’ll share it with the whole network of people around them.

In some respects, it’s actually a good thing. Here’s an example: Jay Dolph’s ‘Faith Love Power’ came out last week. I played it for the first time on Premier Gospel’s ‘Gospel Breakfast’ Show (7-9 am weekday mornings, plug, plug). Dave P (of Choice FM, Urban Gospel Network and Premier Gospel) heard it on the show and wanted it. It also happened that Gary Smith (BBC Radio Oxford) was listening to the show at the same time. He wanted it too.

Less than 12 hours later that track was with two influential radio presenters.

The point is this: if your material is strong, it will eventually be found. Granted, this Jay Dolph example is the exception rather than the norm, but I promise you pretty much everyone in the media is on the lookout for great UK material.

Whether you like to hear this or not, your material is up against Kirk Franklin’s, Donnie McClurkin’s, Lecrae’s, Brewer’s, Guvna B’s, Victizzle’s, Monique Thomas’ and Michaela’s - just to mention a few.

Random Goodness - just a small selection of good music Franklyn’s ‘The Remixtape’ and Writeway Music’s One Way LP will be out by the time you read this. Check them out. That’s decent music right there.

More music:

> Jay Dolph - Love Faith Power. > Jahaziel -‘Broken’, > Riccardo Mitchell’s - ‘Warrior’ > Judah Racham - Righteous Muzik ft Jahaziel and GEMS > If you need some decent instrumentals to work with, check out the ‘Number 7 Goody Bag’ from The Confectionery Family

Links to all of these tracks (and more):

> My Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukgospel > My blog: http://www.ukgospel.wordpress.com > Website: http://www.UKGospel.com Dave P http://urbangospelnetwork.co.uk http://twitter.com/realdavep Gary Smith http://www.djgmix.co.uk/ http://twitter.com/djg121

Monique Thomas is a singer, songwriter and the CEO of new independent record label ‘Carte Blanche Records’.

Monique is someone we’ve been supporters of for years and couldn’t wait to hear her album.

The title of her debut album is ‘Unbroken’...

Through-out the album from start to finish Monique takes us on a journey with her starting with ‘Free To Be’... a song that will strike the hearts of many with it’s message of freedom and overcoming the day to day issues of life and finding purpose.

It starts off quite sultry and soft allowing for the message in the first verse to really hit home. When the music builds and the groove kicks in the song takes on the form of an anthem where you imagine people singing about their freedom from things of the past and being free to be who they really are.

Monique clearly put a lot of thought into this album as this is a consistent thread through-out the album... Showing us where she’s coming from and also where she’s at now.

‘Precious’ carries on the theme of overcoming and seeing herself how God sees her... Finding her true self-worth in God and coming to the realisation that she is ‘Precious’.

The single for the album ‘Colourful’ is one that took a few listens to grow on us but is now our favourite track on the album.

It’s got a solid groove that gets you moving whether you like it or not. It’s definitely a song that can make even on the most dull days colourful and one that is definitely worthy of being blasted out of your car stereo, especially in the summer :-) The message in ‘Colourful’ is a reflection on the transformation that occurs when you have Jesus in your life. Some of our lives are artistic masterpieces... The only problem is that they can’t be appreciated or even revealed because all it is, is lines on a page... incomplete. Well, Jesus makes everything complete and adds the colours that only He can add to turn us into the masterpiece’s He created us to be.

‘Forever Yours’ is a song we heard nearly a year ago performed by Monique with just her and a piano and it stayed with us since then. The album version is slightly different but still delivers on that feeling we originally had hearing it live for the first time. This is also a song that relates to relationship between a man and a woman talking about the true experience of love and what love can do. We know though that love in its purest and truest form comes from God and this song reminds us of what it means to be forever His. The music provides the perfect smooth, soulful palette also being very emotive, reflecting and supporting the emotions felt in Monique’s vocals.

‘Wait’ has a somewhat Latin flavour to it breaking up the album nicely without taking it somewhere totally different and interrupting the flow of the album. Although this song is based around a woman waiting for her man... this is still a song for everyone who is rushing into life choices, relationships, opportunities etc... Monique reminds us that it’s OK to wait even when it’s hard at times.

M.E.X Rating

Monique Thomas Unbroken ‘Unbroken’ is the title track for the album and really sums up where Monique has come from. She’s now complete. With stripped down production with a soft soothing and melodic guitar laying the foundation for the message that through-out all she’s been through... She’s ‘Unbroken’ and is using her music to show others that they can be too.

“This album for me is about making music that sets people free, and it is freeing me in the process of its creation.” says Monique.

The album definitely takes the listener on a journey... From being broken to being made whole, from insecurity to security and learning to be patient and wait for what is deserved.

‘No More Time’ reminds us that time is short and that everyone no matter who they are needs God in their lives and encourages the listener to seek the Lord. You can hear Monique’s passion for seeing people being told about her Saviour and that He can change their lives which is even more powerful than normal because Monique’s fan base isn’t just a Christian fan-base and so she’s sowing seeds in their lives that will hopefully grow and lead them to the Lord.

‘This Ring’ speaks of true love and it lasting forever reminding us of what it is so we don’t get fooled by a counterfeit.

‘Daughter Shine’ takes us back with a nice classic soul sound. Definitely one to get your head nodding and an encouragement to be all you can be and shine even when it’s dark and touches on the theme of accepting who you are.

‘What A Woman Wants’ originally sounds like something for ladies but as male’s we can tell you it’s for us too. Monique breaks

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it down on this smooth ballad letting us know what a woman really wants and educates us on those things so it’s a win for the ladies and a win for the gentlemen too.

‘Legacy’ starts with beautiful vocals from Monique and a melody that captures your attention instantly. This is a heart-felt rendition which anyone who’s lost someone will be able to relate too... This is a song that will encourage and uplift the person who’s feeling down after experiencing a loss and comfort them.

‘Lose Myself’ has to be one of our favourite’s on the album. You can hear the passion in Monique’s voice and musically the dynamics allow the song to breathe and give Monique the space to sing her heart out. This song also features live music which gives it a unique edge and sense of dynamics and emotions.

All in all ‘Unbroken’ is a fantastic album. In a time where music is meaningless it’s refreshing to hear music that speaks to the mind, the soul and the spirit and can touch the Christian and the non-Christian a-like.

Monique has showed herself to be a great artist in the form of a writer as well as a great soulful singer who captures moments in her life and turns them into songs that we can all relate too.

In ‘Unbroken’ Monique shows us where she has come from, where she is now and where she’s going. ‘Unbroken’ is a smooth, soulful, contemplative music experience...

It’s more than just another album. Something you’d expect to hear from a seasoned veteran not from a young gifted artist on her debut album.

031 Elim Sound Fresh Mercy Freddy Washington Jesus Freddy Washington isn’t somebody we know a lot about.

We got introduced to him on twitter when he tweeted us telling us to check out his new single.

‘JESUS’ is the single that Freddy has released leading up to his album release.

When it first started it sounded similar to the cinematic music that plays before the film starts... It sounds very grand, bright and orchestral and the vocals the sing ‘JESUS’ sound awesome causing you to want to hear more straight away.

‘JESUS’ is an uplifting song that reminds us that Jesus can turn our lives around and that He took on all of the sins of the world.

The song is very orchestral in it’s instrumentations and even backing vocal arrangements fusing all of that with Freddy’s clean, powerful, and slightly rock influenced vocals.

The instrumentation is something that’s really exciting, hearing the fusion of Orchestral instruments and textures fused with what is possibly becoming a genre itself, GospelRock... Where it features heavy rock and gospel traits fusing them together which is becoming ever more popular in contemporary Gospel.

After hearing ‘JESUS’ we’re eagerly anticipating Freddy’s album and if it’s more of the same, it’ll definitely find itself in our vast music collection.

M.E.X Rating

4/5

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The ground-breaking début album from Elim Sound is one we’ve been hearing about for a while now so when one popped through the post we couldn’t wait to check it out and see if it lived up to what was being said by some of the guys involved with the project.

Word and worship collide in Fresh Mercy’s 12 new tracks, written and performed by four of Elim’s Worship Leaders, Sam Blake, Stephen Gibson, Joel Pridmore and Ian Yates. Fresh Mercy is published by http:// www.kingsway.co.uk and was produced by Trevor Michael (Delirious?).

The album is a mix of both pure edgy rock worship with some intricate production techniques adding contemporary flavours and colours within the music which is refreshing and gives the album a very current sound.

The album is full of great songs however a lot of the songs are lead by one lead vocal with distant backing vocals which makes it sound like a solo album in parts when the songs that are being sung are very congregational and could do with more voices or a different method in the vocal mixes.

Stand-Out Tracks ‘Praise You’ has a nice atmospheric vibe and the ‘oh oh oh oh-oh oh oh’ section is very reminiscent of ‘Use Somebody’ by the Kings Of Leon and makes you want to ‘oh’ along and get involved with the song.

‘Holy Spirit’ is by far our favourite track on the album. The lead vocal sounds more soulful, smooth and has the perfect tone for the song. This song has a bounce to it, from the music to the vocals are really which add some beautiful colourful arrangements in parts. Definitely a song for the journey to work reminding us how much we need the Holy Spirit in our lives.

‘This Is My Hope’ features powerful rock driven vocals and dance-like synths in the same song but it seems to work. The chorus is very catchy too, perfect for singing in church and is sure to be a favourite on the album because of it’s simple message... “This is my hope that God is for me, This is my hope that Jesus loves me, I know my life is safe in your arms my Lord” and in the vamp features the powerful, victorious statement“We have confidence in you” ‘I Have Faith’ was a bit of a shock to the system kicking in with heavily processed vocals and a driving beat and bass line pushing the song forward. This one has a few dance/electronic elements even with the classic break-down... the only thing missing was the classic dance/techno drum fill.

All in all it’s a great album which features some strong songs. It could have done with some more female vocal leads just to brighten up the overall tone of the album.

The production on the album is well done and well thought out to bring diversity and capture worship in a way that’s not limited to a genre but a heart of worship. The lyrics are well thought out and are deep and meaningful and the ballad’s will definitely get a lot of play during times of devotion and quiet, contemplative times with the Lord.

M.E.X Rating

3.5/5

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Hillsong United Aftermath Best-selling modern worship band Hillsong UNITED released their highly anticipated, 11th full-length album and second ever studio recording, ‘AFTERMATH’, Feb. 15, 2011 on Sparrow Records.

Being the first new album from Hillsong United in over 2 years ‘AFTERMATH’ was highly anticipated and had lot’s of expectations from fan’s all over the world.

The album started off a bit tame compared to what we’re used to from the normally all guns blazing energetic Hillsong United. This set the tone for the album... This wasn’t just going to be an album of songs to do the classic ‘Hillsong jump’ to but one with a greater significance to how we live our eyes than to our iPods.

‘Go’ sounds a little more like the Hillsong United we’ve grown to love over the years.

Bellowing vocals, thumping drum grooves and a wall of sound coming from the guitarists and a message of freedom.

‘Rhythms Of Grace’ uses a simple chord structure that moved in a way that automatically provide the atmosphere for worship. It’s awesome how they managed to tie the title of this song in with the musical arrangement and the different intricate rhythms that are present in the different parts of the song...

Especially in the instrumental section of the song and into the outro of the song too.

We didn’t know what to expect with ‘Bones’.

It’s not everyday you see a song title like that. This song is really reminds us that God can “raise us to life again” and really all of the things God can do... He can resurrect even the most lifeless situations with His breath of life and break chains of bondage off of us. The chorus is so simple but beautifully sung. The 2-part harmony backed by very simple music that increases and decreases in dynamics to create an awesome simple worshipful nature to the song.

‘Search My Heart’ is a contemplative offering asking God to search our hearts... It offers a great melody just begging to be sung.

The album is very atmospheric... It’s very open and it seems to have been produced in a way to give the listener a lot of time to reflect and also listen. There’s lot’s of parts in songs where there’s no singing and the chances of that being down to running out of words are slim to none. It felt so natural almost like the Hillsong United writers were prompting conversation with God through song. Us speaking to Him and then leaving space for Him to speak back.

This isn’t just another album, this is the culmination of a desire to see change in the body of Christ and in the world and the songs on this album will definitely inspire that change.

Hillsong United have proven with this album that their worship is about a lot more than just music or great lyrics... It’s about Jesus and seeing the world transformed by the power of a relationship with Him and the difference that can make in the world.

M.E.X Rating

4.5/5

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

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Welcome family!! It’s a look at the Top 10 hits for the month…many of which are in current rotation at Bonnerfide Radio. You’ll find that this Top 10 list will cross genres and cultures while providing life and perspective with every lyric. With that said, let’s go to our Top 10 list.

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Francesca Battistelli—“This is the Stuff” This highly infectious cut cites simple things such as lost keys and missing cell phones as catalysts for spiritual growth. Who can’t relate to that? No wonder she was recently named “Artist of the Year” at this year’s GMA Dove Awards!

Brothatone (featuring Chad Jones)—“Winning”

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Arguably the most creative song on the countdown, this track is the essence of true hip-hop. Taking a play on the Charlie Sheen coined phrase “Winning”, the song showcases the battle between righteousness and sin.

Overlay this with a crunk-laced instrumental and you have a guaranteed favorite.

Freddy Washington—“Jesus” For years, this artist wrote and produced for artists such as Da’ T.R.U.T.H. and Melinda Watts. Now debuting as a solo artist, this powerful single masterfully displays the power of Jesus over the backdrop of a majestic Disney movie soundtrack. It’s the life changing story of Jesus!

Brandon Camphor & OneWay—“Different” Hailing from the Washington, DC area, this group presents an edgy, urban track reminiscent of 80s funk. Celebrate diversity and originality with this song.

Willie “P-Dub” Moore—“Swag a Lil Bit” The leader of the Young, Fly, & Saved movement gives us a funk-filled single that will keep you rockin’ on the gloomiest of days.

Turn your swag on 1000 with this fun tune.

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Kevin Terry & Predestined—“Hold On” Solid choral music is experiencing a serious resurgence as is evidenced by this youthful aggregation. With powerful vocals and a Sunday morning mid-tempo rock, this single will get inside of you QUICKLY and cause incredible excitement. Don’t miss this one.

Kirk Franklin—“I Smile” This single is the #1 radio single in the States for a good reason. We ALL look better when we “Smile” and this springtime feel good track reminds us of just that. You can NEVER go wrong with Kirk Franklin.

Tonya Baker—“Miracles” This prolific singer/songwriter delivers a hit with this single. Heralding our Saviour as the “God of Miracles”, Baker brings us a true gem that is one of the most heart-tugging singles of the entire year.

Dawkins & Dawkins—“Get Down” Arguably the most influential group of the 90s for the urban music scene, this brotherly duo makes their long-awaited return with this incredible new single. Everything about this single screams HIT!! Expect their full length release to hit stores in June of this year.

Fred Hammond—“Celebrate (He Lives) 2011” This gospel legend has remained relevant for three decades and shows us all why with this cover of his 2004 hit. This dramatic, rocktinged rendition of this track makes you fall in love with this song all over again while colorfully illustrating Christ’s modern-day resurrection power.

Contributor - Gerrard Bonner

Links http://www.twitter.com/bonnerfideradio http://www.bonnerfideradio.com http://www.getbonnerfide.com

READ M.E.X ISSUE 1 HERE READ M.E.X ISSUE 3 HERE

READ M.E.X ISSUE 2 HERE

M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

Omega Levine and Sam de Jong formed New Zealand’s ‘next gen’ PARACHUTE BAND in 2007, picking up from where the original Parachute Band (1997-2006) had left off. They built a team of likehearted musicians for one purpose: to translate an ancient message into sounds that could be understood on city streets. To date, the Parachute Band have released two albums: ‘ROADMAPS &

REVELATONS’ and ‘TECHNICOLOR’ which have had songs covered by Casting Crowns (‘Mercy’) and Lincoln Brewster (‘I Belong To You’). Their third album, ‘LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE’, was released in February 2011 and features more great songwriting with pulsing drums, angular guitars and odd synthbreakdowns that their fans have come to expect.

Continued >>>

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You can listen one of our favourite Parachute Band songs ‘Come To The River’ on the M.E.X playlist.

When the opportunity arose for us to interview THE Parachute Band we were excited because we are MASSIVE fan’s of their music and one day even hope to visit their festival in New Zealand.

We know all of our readers haven’t heard of Parachute Band so in our interview with Sam de Jong (who we did the interview with) we thought we’d find out a little more about the history and how this powerful global movement got started.

“Parachute Band is a part of a music ministry based in New Zealand called Parachute Music. Parachute Music was founded by my parents in 1989 with the mission of equipping and providing a platform for Christians involved with music to reach their potential and championing the potential that music made by Christians has to impact the very culture of our country. Parachute Music is involved in all sorts of events, artist training and artist management. One of the main things Parachute Music runs is a four day summer music festival called Parachute Festival, which happens every January. Around 25,000 young people come out and tent for the weekend, and enjoy the 130+ bands and positive atmosphere… it’s become an important part of the Kiwi calendar. Parachute Band was simply created in 1996 to lead worship at that event, and has since grown into it’s own full time ministry, where we collect songs from all

around the country and record them to present to the church worldwide… We also have the amazing privilege of spending most of the year on the road, travelling to different churches, conferences, festivals and camps leading people from all different walks of life into worship.”

It’s awesome what you can do when you come together and unite... A whole movement was born simply because a group of people who had a vision to win souls for God stopped talking and did something. Because they did something (put their faith into action – got practical with it) today we have the festival and a music group that trains and equips gifted musicians to go and use their gifts to change the world.

When we first heard the name Parachute Band years ago we weren’t sure if they were a Christian band or not which actually isn’t a bad thing for many reasons. So how did Sam’s parents come up with the name... Maybe a thunderous, booming audible voice message from God maybe...

“The name itself has no special meaning, but was a name my mother came up with based on a clothing store she liked at the time. They really wanted a name that didn’t have too many “Christian” connotations, as a huge part of our mission is to attempt to break down the divide between the sacred and the secular music industries in our country, so they didn’t want the name to be a hindrance.”

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So maybe not what we originally suggested then... It’s still powerful to hear of their reasoning for the name and it also makes what they do make sense even more. These are clearly people who see evangelism practically and want to reap a great harvest for the Lord.

If you haven’t worked it out yet; the original Parachute Band aren’t the Parachute Band you see and hear today. There came a time when the original guys felt led to move away from the stage and focus on building the ministry. In doing so they passed on the baton to next gen Parachute Band who have continued the Parachute Band legacy and continued to grow the ministry.

“It was a very natural evolution and one that seemed right from every angle. It’s important that we stay fresh and true to the demographic of our festival, and it was also getting increasingly difficult for the first generation band to be touring so much with young kids etc… I grew up travelling with the band operating the song-words as a little kid, so it was a natural progression for me. I met Omega, our lead singer, through our local church worship team and we became best mates and wrote a lot of songs together… All of the other boys are friends of friends, so its been a very natural process.”

Now taking over from the original band members must have been hard... Those are some BIG shoes to fill. It’s also a great opportunity opportunity to keep the band current and relevant to their audience and bring in the more current styles of music

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without taking away from the message.

“To make as big a change as we did is always going to come with some challenges, but everywhere we’ve been we’ve found open doors and it has been a season of creating and initiating.

It’s definitely strange to say I’m in the same band that my parents were in, but we’ve love being able to keep the same name, the history, the heart behind everything, while still taking it in a new direction in terms of the sound and songs…”

It doesn’t seem like we’ll be saying good-bye to the next gen Parachute Band just yet though as they’re still going strong writing great songs and travelling the world.

“There’s no plan in place that says every 10 years there’ll be a transition… it’s very little about our planning and all to do with Gods timing… So we’ll just ride the wave and see what comes our way…”

Something that we’re seeing less of these days is transparency in music and lyrics. In a time where music is made by ‘the machine’ to sell CD’s and digital downloads first and that’s sometimes the priority, not always the actual message.

“The biggest challenge for any musicians and song-writers is learning how to be honest and transparent with your art. It’s very easy to hide behind the platform you’re given and to say things you don’t really mean, without actually backing it up with

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your day-to-day actions. We’re learning that we have a huge privilege in getting to speak into peoples lives, but also that creates a huge responsibility for us to actually live out what we’re speaking about and life lives of worship 24/7.”

It’s great to see the commitment to back up what they sing about with the right lifestyle. Being on tour and travelling so much takes it’s toll on a lot of artist’s where it all just becomes like a job. Sometimes even their relationships with God suffer and they lose track of the very reason why they started out in the music ministry in the first place.

“After touring for months on end it can sometimes be tough to keep attitudes in check, but its about setting a culture that is positive and thankful. Night after night we’re meeting amazing people who share with us testimonies of what God’s doing in their life, and how our music has helped them through certain things, and it makes all of the early mornings and long drives seem so worth it. We’ve developed a great culture within the band where we’re always looking out for each other and we try to keep short accounts. One practical thing we’ve put in place is that we try to have band devotions as close to everyday as possible. We all get together in a hotel room and read from the word and pray for each other… these are the times when everything comes back down to earth and we reconcile ourselves to one another.”

Being on tour and seeing the world is a great thing and seeing people touched, blessed, transformed and led into encounters of deep intimacy with God because of the gift God has given you is a GREAT thing. Every artist or band has that one experience or moment that they’ll never forget...

“For me one of the highlights was playing at Creation Festival in Pennsylvania, USA a few years ago… We had the amazing honor of playing a 20 minute acoustic set on the mainstage at 8pm to 65,000 people… I remember looking up when we played our song Glorified, and seeing almost everyone with hands in the air worshipping God to this song that was written on the other side of the planet in our tiny country of NZ. It was in that moment that I realised the power of what we do… Somebody can write a song in their bedroom in NZ, and here we were on the other side of the world leading his people into his throne-room with that song… It took my breath away and reminded me of our mission.”

Their third album, ‘LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE’, features more great song-writing with pulsing drums from Parachute Band.

Angular guitars and odd synth-breakdowns that their fans have come to expect. On this album in particular though there was an even deeper message they wanted to share. “‘LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE’ is the first album we’ve ever self-produced, and the process has been one non-stop learning curve.

We’ve loved experimenting with new sounds and concepts and it feels like we’ve pulled together something that reflects where we’re at both sonically and heart-wise. It’s liberating to put your heart down into music with no real preconceptions of how it should end up... We also worked with a small collective of Kiwi songwriters throughout the process and it was amazing to see similar themes coming through a lot of what was being written.”

“‘LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE’ is about embracing the fact that our Heavenly Father gave of Himself in a way that was uncontained, and immeasurable. It’s also about seeing the incredible depth of need and immense imbalance in the world that we live in; both in the developing world but also right on our doorsteps and in our neighborhoods. It’s about realizing that the one thing Jesus commanded us to do was to follow the example He set and go be love. This is our worship. ‘Saviour Of The Broken Heart’ is a song straight from our heart on this stuff, as we try to explore and explain how the act of doing justice isn’t just a nice add on to being a worshiper, but rather a concept that fulfills.”

They haven’t just written songs about the imbalance in the world and also the injustice we see every day. They’ve used the platform they have and also their global influence to put actions to their music. The Parachute Band teamed up with World Vision, a world renown Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

“Parachute Music, and us as a band, have partnered with World Vision by collecting child sponsors at our concerts, as well as adopting a village of 45,000 people in the country of Rwanda, in central Africa. So far we’ve built school classroom blocks, water tanks, a large health care center and sponsor hundreds of kids in the area. We see this is a vitally and crucially important part of our worship and we whole-heartedly support the work they do.”

A few months ago New Zealand was hit with earthquakes and everyone was concerned about the lives of people there. It’s one thing for us to worry than those who live there or have and friends there.”

“The quakes that have happened in Christchurch have saddened us, along with the rest of the country, to the very core.

Obviously in a nation as small as we are, almost everybody knows somebody seriously affected by the recent events… But what has been most amazing has been seeing the way people have rallied together and begun to help and love each other… It’s an incredibly helpless feeling when you live so far away from the disaster as we do, but it’s been amazing to see all the small initiatives springing up even in our city to raise money for this cause… As a band, we’ve launched a donation through our website, and we’ve made two trips down to Christchurch to put on free worship concerts for the people down there… If there were ever a time for people to show love without measure, it’d be now!”

It’s amazing how tragedy seems to bring out the best in people... A willingness to work together for the common good. Being able to put aside differences of beliefs and culture’s and really see the power of what we can do when we unite. It’s great to see the band being practical with their gift and using it to encourage and bring comfort to those who are hurting and/or in need.

The guys have since started back on the road ministering around the world and will be hitting the UK as as part of their tour.

“We’re just about to go on our first major tour of the year to the US and Canada… After that we’re headed to Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and also doing a tour of our own country NZ. We’ve begun work on our 4th recording, which will be an EP and will be released at Parachute Festival in January 2012. Watch this space…”

Stay tuned to Parachute band and their tour dates... The concerts are going to be amazing. Good news to our UK readers. They will be here with us on 17th (Bradford),18th (Eastbourne) and 19th (Glasgow) of June and supporting them on the tour will be Empire Nation who Ed Bird (one of our contributing writers... Your Kingdom Come) is the front man for.

Links http://www.facebook.com/parachuteband http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/love-without-measure/id409263644 http://www.parachutemusic.com/parachuteband/ http://twitter.com/#!/parachuteband

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

Contributor - Jennifer Perry

Links http://twitter.com/missjrperry http://alifecalledlove.tumblr.com/

Let’s put a twist on the ongoing metaphor of the bubble, and I want to talk about the importance of remaining within it at God’s command. The past 6 weeks or so, I’d like to think I’ve been well hidden away with God. I suppose it’s a bit like going into rehab. I decided I was to take a break from face book, twitter and secular music in an attempt to completely surround myself in God. This article is by no means to tell you how holy I am and how you all should do exactly what I did, but just to portray to you just how refreshing it can be when you semi-shut out the reality of this world we live in and saturate yourself in His bubble.  I’m a serious sufferer of the face book syndrome, and hands held high, as Dominique McPherson put it in last month’s M.E.X, I can be pretty ‘stalkerish’ too. Nothing too scary, just my fingers seem to take me from profile to profile, photo albums, wall comments, and suddenly it’s time for bed, and I realise I’ve spent hours meditating on this stuff. In the same way, twitter slowly started creeping up my priority list, and was becoming a common app to have open on the iPhone, and it was almost automatic to ‘Pull down to refresh’ my timeline, seeing endless thoughts, opinions and well, rubbish pouring through my eyes and wasting my time.

I’m not against secular music wholeheartedly either, although there’s some stuff I really wouldn’t listen to.

But I suppose I reached a point where it got too much, continuously feeding my spirit with junk food. So I decided to detox, and I spent the next few weeks plugging my headphones into sermons, audio Bibles and beautiful worship songs. For a while I was a complete stranger to the world of face book’s ‘have-you-seen’ and in University conversations about current music I was a bit clueless.

But, when I tell you how refreshingly beautiful it was to spend entire days in the pureness of the presence of God, to be free from the spiritual elements of ungodly music, free from the pressure of seeing status’ and wishing you hadn’t and filling myself with everything Jesus. It made me realise how amazing Heaven is going to be, and it dawned on me that if our lives are not solely based on knowing and loving Jesus, perhaps we need to challenge ourselves and question how much we’re going to enjoy eternity with Him. Ever had a friend who, amongst others you can chat away to, laugh with, and it isn’t until you randomly bump into them on an hour long bus journey you realise your relationship isn’t based on much more than these group outings. And suddenly that journey turns into the longest trip of your life, and you struggle to make small talk, silently pleading the bus driver to speed to your destination.

Now imagine this is you and Jesus. It’s easy to raise your voice amongst others, and you can worship for hours with your congregation, but what happens when it’s you and Him alone in your room. Do you find yourself avoiding the small talk, and filling the awkward silences with face book and twitter? Or is it easy to spend hours with Him, cut off from the world and resting in His presence because one day it is going to be just you and Him, so why wait until we reach Heaven to experience a glimpse of that.

For me, I realised how easy it is to want to remain there forever, to be absent from the ‘public eye’ and hidden under his wing. I’d encourage you all to disappear off the internet for a while too, be hard to get hold of, difficult to find, because you’re so lost in Him. And I’m thinking, just maybe, staying in the bubble is not impossible for a Christian after all … Or least until next month’s edition of M.E.X Magazine ;-)

W ith the combination of four individual artists, a fusion of musical styles and a passionate movement for the lost, Write Way Music are ready to take us on a journey with the release of their first project entitled ‘One Way’ which will be available for FREE download on the 2nd May 2011 at http://writeway-music. com.

WriteWay Music is represented by Tunde ‘Tunday’ Balogun, Robert ‘Presha J’ Awuku, Leke Akinyemi and Dwayne ‘Rhema’ Edwards. Each bring their own expression of worship with musical gifts ranging from rapping, MC’ing, singing and song writing. Individually, they have had opportunities to tour in countries such as New York, St Lucia, Florida and India but they all understand the desperate need for a light in the UK. These four represent a movement that long to impact a generation of young people: with their music and their lifestyles.

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Continued >>>

This year has started off amazingly for WriteWay. With their remix of Triple O’s ‘Come Home’ and Rhema’s freestyle video featuring Presha J which received 1,000 youtube views in 12hours, WriteWay Music are continuing with their zealous love for spreading the goodness of Christ through their new project.

Consisting of 10 tracks with production by MOBO Award winners Victizzle and G.P also from G.Kid, Smylee and Ghetto Ace. Expect a fresh sound filled with Christ-centred content, quality beats and imaginative ideas of four rolled into one project.

In a world that offers many choices, WriteWay want to challenge our walk of life. Tunday expresses his concern…“There are about 6.5 billion people living here on earth. So many pathways crossing each other, the question is, where are you heading to?”

WriteWay is a voice and ‘One Way’ will be a proclamation of their testimonies that will encourage the hearts of many to find the Way! With the release of the LP, WriteWay Music have also organised a showcase launching their project where they will be performing EXCLUSIVE tracks from “One Way” LIVE on 1st May 2011 at ARC Church, East London. A must attend event at only a price of £1 per person which will include also an EXCLUSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT of the ‘One Way’ short film which tells the story of four young men and how their respective separate lives collide to change them all forever.

2011 is set to be a year of outreach for WriteWay Music as they embark on opportunities that will include a performance tour in Germany with attendees of 3,500 youth, a music video for a track of their LP and individual projects ranging from EPs to Sophomore Albums!

WriteWay Music are aiming to offer the best diverse music for all people alongside being intimate with their supporters to be a beacon of light so they may fulfil the most important objective to them “Leading the people in the right way…”

DOWNLOAD “One Way” at www.writeway-music.com on 2ND May 2011.

WriteWay Music is a Christian organisation that consists of singers, rappers, songwriters and producers with one voice and one aim: Leading the world to live the right way!

The organisation is managed by the artists themselves who are driven by their passion to see WriteWay Music make a positive impact across London, the UK and worldwide. With a strong passion for good quality music, WriteWay is focused on pushing a new sound into a generation who are heavily influenced by music and the arts.

The concept of WriteWay music was originally visualised by Tunde (Tunday) Balogun, one of the organisations flourishing artistes. As a person with numerous musical gifts Tunde understood the impact that music had on the growth of a person and felt there was a gap in society, that an organisation with the right manifesto could fill. He wanted to use music to influence the people around him to live a life that was in direct contrast to the negative lifestyle celebrated by so many. Although Tunde’s vision began as a personal aspiration, it has expanded and is now shared by three other prominent artistes who are determined to take WriteWay Music into 2011 and beyond. Although all four of the artistes within the organisation have different qualities and talents, they have joined forces to show that WriteWay is not just about music but about being an outreach

Here is a little summary of each artist: Tunde ‘Tunday’ Balogun is a 23 year old rapper, songwriter, visionary, manager and youth leader who released his 1st album ‘Identity’ on 13th June 2009 at an album launch with MOBO Award winning Victizzle (Best Gospel Act 2009) which had an attendance of 2000 people. He is a 2009 CBC Award (Christian Broadcast Council). He has toured and shared his life story at youth seminars all over the UK and internationally in countries such as New York, Florida, St Lucia and India. He has also worked with men from prisons and Youth instituations. His style is a blend of Hip Hop, Indie Rock and R&B and he is planning to release a 2nd album in 2011.

Robert ‘Presha J’ Awuku is a 22 year old is a mc/rapper who works closely with the youth in his church. He released a single in 2008 called ‘No More’ featuring Tunday which pushed him to start his first project which was his EP named ‘Changes’ in 12th December 2008. He also released a music video named ‘Whose Side Are You On’ that has gained over 31,000 views so far and was also on a playlist on Channel AKA. On the 10th December 2010, he released another video called ‘Changes’ which was taken from his EP, which has prepared him for his release of his 1st album in the summer of 2011. His style is a mix of Indie Grime, Hip Hop and R & B. Leke Akinyemi is a 20-year-old worship leader, singer and songwriter who is also the official worship leader in his church.

He is currently working on his EP and a music video for 2011. He has collaborated with the likes of Dwayne Tryumf (International Gospel Artist) Victizzle (MOBO Award winner of Best Gospel Act in 2009) and Guvna-B (MOBO Award winner of Best Gospel Act for in 2010). His style is R & B, Acoustic, Indie Rock and Worship.

Dwayne ‘Rhema’ Edwards is a 21 year old rapper and youth leader in development who has always desired to use music to spread his testimony. He is a newly recruited artist who has observed a growth in the careers of the aforementioned artistes, which inspired him to join the movement of WriteWay. Rhema released his first music video & Downloadable track with Writeway on 31st January 2011, received 5,000 views nationwide & over 1,000 downloads within the first week. His mixtape is set to be released in later this year.

Although WriteWay is an organisation built on the foundation of music, it aims to expand and create an open door for the young people of today therefore allowing them to accentuate gifts such as singing, acting, photography or politics, and ensure that they experience continuous growth the “right way” WriteWay Music are aiming to be a major organisation, which offer the best diverse music for all people but be intimate with their supporters to be a beacon of light so they may fulfil the most important objective to them, “ Leading the people in the right way…”

Links http://www.writeway-music.com/ http://twitter.com/#!/writeway_music http://www.facebook.com/WriteWayMusic http://www.youtube.com/user/writewaymusic

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‘Music is an art form that transcends language’.

Herbie Hancock Music is everywhere in modern western society today; it’s inescapable. It comes through our TV screens, computers, radios, iPhones, iPods, iPads, until we’ve got it coming out of our i-balls.

Music has the power to change our feelings in an instant, and is at once deeply personal and completely universal. A song can connect with an individual at the deepest level but also unite an entire nation. Music can transcend our understanding, it has the power to revolutionise and influence minds. In the digital age we have every genre at our fingertips, we can create playlists for every emotion and occasion.

‘All good things come from above’ (James 1:17), and music is no exception. Music is a God-given part of creation. Just as birds, whales, grasshoppers and almost every other kind of animal make noises and express themselves through sound, so the human race expresses itself through playing instruments and singing. The Bible is littered with musical references: Moses and Miriam, top brother and sister worship act of their time, lead the Israelites in celebration after the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20). Many of the Psalms were written by David as a way of recording and working through the very real dangers and dilemmas he faced as a warrior king. Jesus and the disciples wash down the Last Supper by singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30). These examples are not sanitised worship songs, written in a holy vacuum, they are messy, raw heartfelt cries to God in the middle of real life situations.

As with so many things in life, music has huge potential for either good or evil, depending on how it’s used. It’s so easy to end up absorbing the messages that come through music all around us – the subtexts that tell us that money is the only sign of success, that violence is the way to solve problems, that drugs are just part of everyday life, that women are just objects to be played with and then discarded when they lose their novelty value.

As Christians we have the power to create the soundtracks for our own lives and the lives of others, to choose music that glorifies God, uplifts our spirits and speaks truth into hearts and minds. Not every song has to be directly praising

God, but every song we listen to should reflect a part of God’s glory, whether it’s written by a Christian or not (there’s plenty of songs out there that can point our eyes to God without being written by a cleancut worship leader).

For us as a band, music is a way of life, capturing and fusing elements of our faith with our personal soundtrack, mapping emotions, struggles, highs and lows. We write worship songs, but I have also written songs that are about living life – this could mean finding the spiritual in everyday life, or a song about how much I love my wife. These may not directly be worship songs, but then neither was Song of Songs, and that still made it into the Bible!

The main thing is that the music we listen to reflects life in all its fullness and dimensions, the life that Jesus brought us.

We’re currently writing material for our new album and asking ourselves all kinds of questions about the essence of worship and how we can best glorify God through music. Of course the only thing God hears is the sound our hearts are making – he doesn’t need us to change things up to keep him entertained. But part of being human is being creative and growing through changes, and not getting stuck in a rut. It’s good to remember that our way is not the only way. Our worship culture is not the only worship culture.

God gave us imaginations and we shouldn’t be afraid to use them. Christians should and can produce the most original, deepest music around, because we’re doing it for a purpose beyond ourselves, we’re expressing what it means to be truly human, to live in the kingdom

of God. Even if you’re not musical yourself, there’s loads of ways you can unleash the power of music into the mission field.

You could send an encouraging song to a friend who’s having a hard time, or make up a playlist of songs that you know will put you in the right mood for living out the kingdom life, or make the effort to find new artists and genres that glorify God with their sounds, or push your musical boundaries and find new depths to your worship as a result.

Latest news We’re very excited to be joining with The Parachute Band on the UK leg of their ‘Love without Measure’ world tour in June.

They’re an awesome band with a heart for worship and justice, and we feel very honoured to be supporting them. Have a look to see if we’re playing near you soon, we’d love to see you there!

For more information: www.empirenation.net www.parachutemusic.com

Links http://twitter.com/empirenation http://empirenation.net

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Nothing in your life can change until your mind changes.

Your mind is the most important tool that God gave you to exist in this universe. It is the source of all creation, inspiration, ideas, music, recipes, art forms, inventions, etc. in this world. Your mind is the source from which your thoughts are birthed. It is where you hold your true beliefs that inspire the thoughts and actions that you produce. Everything created came from an inspired thought.

Thoughts are the source for all things positive and negative in your life. When you release a thought into the atmosphere, you release energy and magnetic properties that begin to take that thought to its next phases which are creation, then manifestation.

A thought is a permission slip, or purchase order to the universe to begin preparing and orchestrating series of events to manifest the order - the thought. The Universe does not care whether the thought is a good or bad thought. The Universe’s job is simply to obey and produce! When God spoke the Universe responded accordingly.

It is important that we “guard our hearts and minds,” (Philippians 4:7) and “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5) so that we aren’t sending out self-destructive permission slips and purchase orders to the Universe. You have to start changing your thoughts to only think and respond positively to situations.

Whatever you are thinking about is exactly what you will bring about.

If you think you are broke, you bring about situations to keep you broke! If you think you are sick, you bring about sickness. If you think you are a failure, you bring about series of events and opportunities to fail.

Have you ever expected something bad happen, and when it occurred you said, “I thought that was going to happen”? That statement is more true than you know.

You THOUGHT that situation to happen.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE. “As a man thinketh in his heart so is He” (Proverbs 23:7).

God speaks about thinking and thoughts all throughout the Bible. When you change your thoughts you change your permission slips to the universe.

Renewing your Mind Your mind is the birthplace of your thoughts. What you believe in your heart produces the thoughts that are generated and disbursed into the atmosphere. In order to have effective thoughts you have to change the belief of your heart - your mind.

This is why what you believe in your heart’s mind needs to be renewed daily. We are presented many circumstances and obstacles daily that shape the heart of what we believe. This is where doubt and fear develop strength to change your mind. You must ask God to renew your mind so that you can have the mind of Christ!

The Mind of Christ!

The Bible says that “His ways are not (or are above) our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:89).

You have to make a daily habit of asking God to renew your mind and to align your thoughts with the thoughts He wants you to have. This is not a one-time shot prayer, but a daily prayer; sometimes several times per day.

God’s thoughts concerning us are not in the now, they are in the completed finished product. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. When He thinks about us He sees us already healed, delivered, successful, wealthy, and already living and walking in our promises of an abundant and effective life. We have to begin to train our thoughts to see ourselves in the completed form. When your thoughts tend to be consumed with the “now” problems, begin thinking and meditating on your completed product - you already healed, delivered, wealthy, you successful!

When you begin making a habit of asking God to renew your mind, and to give you the mind of Christ, you will always be reminded that you are already a finished product, and the “now” problem feel less like a problem, more-so an obstacle or distraction in the course of manifestation.

Understand who God really is in you.

You are the god in you. You are a product of God, the Most-High. When He created you, he breathed His Spirit into you, giving you His very characteristics. God created you to be His “mini-me” to operate for Him, with His authority to produce change in the earth. This is why He gave man (us) dominion over the earth!

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Jesus is God in human form. God is Jesus. They are the same, two distinctly different manifestations of the same God, both serving unique and distinct purposes. Jesus understood His power and authority of Himself as God, and acted with that authority to produce change in the earth. He came, not only to redeem us from the law, but also to give us a true example of the authority we have in the earth!

Just as Jesus did, we were given the power to carry on the work of the Father. This is why Jesus said: I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ~ John 14:12 (New International Version) We couldn’t do ‘greater works’ than Jesus did if we didn’t have the power and authority Jesus had on earth. We have God-given power and authority, we just lack faith and belief!

This is why it is important that you understand who you are. To do that you need to have the mind and attitude of Christ! When you can take on the mind of Christ, we can take on and conquer any challenges with ease.

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EXERCISE: Write a list of things you find yourself thinking negatively about on a regular basis. It can be your financial status, your weight, your health, where you live, your job - whatever you have negative thoughts about. When you are finished, start a second list of thoughts that are opposite all of the negative thoughts you wrote on your first list. Begin a habit of closing your eyes, and envisioning or imagining you living the life filled with the items on list #2. Begin to feel the emotions of happiness, peace, accomplishment, and joy that new life now gives you.

Smile, laugh, live out the emotion that is generated in your heart. Feel the feelings of excitement you will have once you receive them.

You have now introduced a new belief in your heart (mind) so that your thoughts are fuelled by passionate fuel. You have also set a marker in your imagination for that thought to remind you to think differently about your current life when situations cause negative thoughts to appear.

When circumstances try to remind you of the present, begin to feel the life you are creating for yourself with your heart’s passion - cancelling out the power of the negative thought. The rest is up to you. You have to choose to always think positive, no matter what!

About the Writer...

Nurisha Liggins is the author of “Living The Light!”, a 90-Day Transformational Devotional. If you have a question that you would like Nurisha to address in this column, please send it to AskNurisha@Gmail.com Visit http://www.NurishaLiggins.com/ Make sure you follow her on Twitter! Screen Name: @iAmNurisha. Join her face book Fan Page at http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Nurisha-Liggins/157732600930577

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Mobo Award Nominee Faith Child is quite possibly the funniest man in Rap here in the UK. If you don’t believe us, just check out his timeline on twitter.

We thought a ‘My First’ interview with him would be great and show you all a little bit more about him.

First song remembered – Oh wow, umm...hmm...very good question. The one poking me in the head now is 2Pac’s ‘Changes’ which my sister bought me for my 10th birthday on cassette. Old school!

First day at school – These are some killer questions! I don’t even remember, but what I do remember is having Burger, Chips and Choc Ice every Friday in Primary School. That was the bizz!

First CD – Haha! The first CD I ever got was from NatWest bank when I started banking with them over a decade ago and they gave me a selection of complimentary CD’s to choose from and I chose Lil Bow Wow ‘Beware of Dog’. I played that CD every night!

First concert attended – I remember going to Mission To London and at the end of one of the nights they had a concert with Kirk Franklin and 1 Nation Crew. I’ve been a fan from early! Looking forward to working with him in the near future.

First song written - Ah this is an easy one. It was called ‘Godz Inheritorz’ which was the name of the group I started rapping in when I was 10. Had the simplest chorus ever “We’re Godz Inheritorz and we’re praising Jesus”. We repeated it four times to make it an 8 bar chorus.

Humble beginnings

First performance – That was at my church on one of our Youth Days. My church is Youth centred ministry and encourages all to develop their gifts. I had the squeakiest voice ever. I only started puberty last week and I’m 22!

Bring on the beard! :-D First job – Mark and Spencers as a Christmas temp in 2005. And within 2 weeks, I was able to bag Customer Assistant of the Week. I still have that newsletter pasted on my wall.

First car – That was a P reg Nissan Micra. The amount of people that car has dropped home, it deserves some sort of award. At least a Blue Peter badge. It was 3 door car so it was always a mission have to get out the car to let those in the back out. Now, I’ve got me a 5 door! Oh the joy!

First holiday – That was a school trip to Spain in 2003. I was so excited and I remember I packed like 4 disposable cameras, but only developed one. I still have the remaining sitting in my draw.

The highlight was getting stuck in a packed lift in between the 5th and 6th floor. We really thought we were gonna die. Everyone started saying the Hail Mary!

First personal experience with God – That would be when I got knocked over around the age of 7 or 8. I got hit at 40 mph, went flying past a few houses and when I hit the ground I felt a cushion under me. That was God.

Amazing Fact When I was conceived contraceptions were used by both parties, but I still managed to come through and when I was born I had the coil in my hand. Ha! In your face Science. When God says YES who can say no huh!?

Links http://kingsministriesuk.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kings-Ministries/202239118719 http://twitter.com/KingsMinistries

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rammy Award winning duo Mary Mary are taking the world by storm using music as their main platform to spread the Gospel.

The two sisters (Erica and Tina) have achieved commercial success that any artist in ‘mainstream’ music would be proud of. Over the years they’ve taken the music that they love and are passionate about and used the combination of them to create an Urban, Pop sound that is universally loved by people from all walks of life.

Growing up in Inglewood, California; no-one would have imagined the level of success and influence these women of God would grow up to have.

“It was rough but fun. it wasn’t the best neighborhood but it was where our family and church was and where our friends were. It was a lot of love and comradery; a lot of great memories.”

Erica went on to explain “111th street is where we grew up; my grandmother, church and school was on that street. I learned to ride a bike and bust my lip on that street. I even had my 1st kiss on that street.

“Going down to the park and playing with my friends, going across the street and eating cake at my grandmothers going next door to my church where all the fun youth activities and cool kids were; and my most favorite was going outside to the ice cream truck” says Tina.

Raised in a music loving family...

It was only a matter of time before this filtered through to the children and turned into a passion.

Erica: “My mom played the piano and was a choir director. When she sang I just wanted to be like her; she was my 1st musical hero” says Erica.

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Tina then elaborated on more of their influences. “All the great gospel music that I had around me, the Hawkins, the Winans, the Clark Sisters, Commissioned, the Mighty Clouds Of Joy, Andrae Crouch and great choir music.”

Erica and Tina’s break-out song was ‘Shackles’ (Praise You)... A song that went further than than anyone could have imagined.

‘Shackles’ (Praise You) was their début single and was first released in 2000 and has since become their most well known song.

We can remember as kids... barely teenagers when ‘Shackles’ (Praise You) came out. It was the first time we went to School and heard all of the kids singing a Gospel song and not a cheesy pop song. It was awesome and it also led to many opportunities to talk about our faith and how Christianity isn’t boring... Quite the opposite actually.

‘Shackles’ (Praise You) became a crossover hit, being popular with Gospel, R&B, and Pop audiences. It was a Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

There was one experience that we’ll never forget... After watching MTV Base for a period of time we saw 2 familiar faces come up on the screen and heard the music for ‘Shackles’ (Praise You). At the time we couldn’t believe there was a Gospel song on MTV Base (of all channels) but right there and then we could tell that Mary Mary were going to be a duo like no other. Not happy to sing to the saved folk all the time...

Which is good but some of us are called to go and share our message with those who

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need to hear it most.

The music video for the song became the first Gospel song in five years to crack the R&B top ten and gained wide exposure on the MTV video cable channel. In addition, ‘Shackles’ (Praise You) is one of the few gospel songs to receive significant airplay on many CCM stations and also appeared on many compilation CDs including ‘WOW Hits’.

‘Shackles’ (Praise You) even reached Number 5 here in the United Kingdom and Number 17 in Ireland.

For us, all of these achievements were great and were signs that Christianity was moving with the times...

That Gospel music wasn’t all ‘Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs’ (which there’s nothing wrong with) and that we were finally becoming relevant.

Music that you could share with your friends and they’d want to buy the CD even though they weren’t Christians. Music that could be used for evangelism and outreach and show that God is current and isn’t stuck in the dark ages.

However for some, all of this progress seemed to be ‘unholy’ or ‘not spiritual enough’ and the 2 sisters with a heart for God and a desire to use their gifts to encourage the saints and reach out to the unbeliever faced massive opposition and criticism.

“It’s definitely contemporary.

It’s music that everybody in any style of music can relate to. It’s universal, but the lyrics are undeniably Gospel...” says Tina Erica and Tina didn’t just wake up one morning with opportunities... They had their sights set on making music a career and to help

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that become a reality they enrolled at El Camino College to study voice. There they ran up against the divide between academic music studies and the popular musical world. “We had to study classical and sing, which was fine,” Erica told the Times, “but the teachers would tell us if we sang anything else it would damage our instrument”.

The sisters toured with the 1995 Michael Matthews travelling Gospel show ‘Mama I’m Sorry’ and ‘Sneaky’. Each sister subsequently toured as a backup singer for a variety of R&B acts including Brandy.

Now, we always wondered why two young women named Erica an Tina would choose to call themselves Mary Mary... Did they choose the name because it sounded good or does it have a deeper more significant meaning?

“There were two Mary’s in the Bible, one of them, Mary the mother of Jesus was considered perfect by pretty much everyone, and then Mary Magdalene who had a bit of a different story, but the common denominator of those two women is the fact that their lives were changed by the power of Jesus Christ. So we tell people it doesn’t matter if you’re the perfect Mary, or if you’re the not so perfect Mary. God can change the one with a stained past.” says Tina What a great name with great significance. It’s clear from the out-set that Mary Mary were ministry focussed from the start and still are now. Many years on from the controversy of ‘Shackles’ (Praise You) the Stellar award winning duo are still facing criticism and opposition from the church... (the people who should be their biggest supporters and encourager’s) as they go out into a dark world and spread the light of God! If there’s one thing that can be said about Mary Mary it’s this...

Their message has not been diluted, their songs point directly to God... You don’t have to guess who they’re singing too or about and they’re managing to influence the industry and those within it for the better.

Sometimes (when observing modern Christianity) we can come across as a multitude of panaphobiacs (scared of everything). It seems as though many of us have become scared of the world... Almost like a fish... Able only to breathe in water (the church environment) and not on land (the ‘world’). Mary Mary have been a shining example that the light over powers the darkness. Showing us that we don’t

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need to be concerned about the wickedness and evil things of the world rubbing off on us but instead, to be bold and confident that the almighty, powerful God we say lives in us will rub off on and infiltrate the darkness in the world.

rable experiences. “We were very involved in the campaign.

We did a video with our children to help rally support and did several video vlogs on YouTube, so to perform and to see them in the front row was so awesome!” says Erica.

“Our style of music is an extension of who we are and how we grew up. When we first started writing music, we didn’t know how to write a cross over hit; we just wrote what God gave us. And the world got ‘Shackles’ which was a top 5 single in several countries on the mainstream/Pop charts.

We weren’t trying to be ‘R&B’ or ‘Mainstream’ but we’re grateful that it has been able to plant seeds of the Gospel in different territories and all across the world and that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s not our job to tell people how wrong they are, but it is our job to tell people how right God is and be a light in dark places” says Tina.

“Performing Shackles at the Soul Train Music awards and seeing Halle Berry, Mary J Blige and countless other artists along with the fans jump to their feet and say “I just want to praise Him” was priceless and we will never forget that.”

Because of their mainstream appeal, Mary Mary have been able to be amongst and share their faith with so many people who we wouldn’t ordinarily have access to or more importantly, influence over.

“Probably being invited by Stevie Wonder to perform for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House. What an honor” said Erica when we asked them about their memo-

Kanye West, Amber Rose, rapper Common, Heavy D, plus, entertainer and former sidekick to Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, Fonzworth Bentley, and countless others are all people Mary Mary have had the opportunity to work/collaborate with in some way or form and sow seeds of light in their lives... That can only be a good thing. These ladies are a shining example of what we should be and do in our places of work, social environments and everywhere we go.

Erica and Tina wrote a book titled ‘Be U’ which came out in April 2010. In this inspirational book the heart and faith of this urban Gospel duo permeates every page and motivates young women to be the ‘U’ that God created you to be. In it, Mary Mary remind readers that to ‘Be U’ has more to do with the strength God puts in our hearts than

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it does with how we look on the outside. It’s all about seeing ourselves as God sees us.

Beautiful, forgiven, cherished, and loved.

travelling gospel show ‘Mama I’m Sorry’ and ‘Sneaky’.

Inspired sisters singer popular Each sister subsequently touredby as the a backup forsongs, each message is complemented by journalling a variety of R&B acts including Brandy. questions that make the message real; scrip-

tures that inspire readers to grow strong and

Now, we always wondered two young women a ‘Be Uwhy Affirmation’ that helps readers boldnamed Erica an Tina would choose to call themselves ly stand on the promises of God. Mary Mary... Did they“The choose it book the was name writtenbecause to encourage young sounded good or does women it have toa embrace deeper more signifiwho God made them to be through 5 simple principles: Be Honest, cant meaning?

“There wereBe two Mary’s inBe theStrong, and Be Beautiful, Intentional, Be You!one Weofmet so many Bible, them, Marygirls the who were content being anyone themselves, and motherinof Jesus was but considitered caused us to by remember how we were as perfect pretty much young womenand and the we dealt with everyone, thenissues Mary atMagdalene that age. We knew then, that it was our had the a bit responsibility who to share lifeoflessons we a different story, but the comlearned to help encourage and strengthen mon of allthose the livesdenominator of young women over the world twoour women the itfact and prayer is is that did that just that” Says their lives were changed by Erica. the power of Jesus Christ. So The of Mary Mary is to encourage we mission tell people it does matter young women to discover theortrue beauty if you’re the perfect Mary, that lies within, as they inspire an awareif you’re God too can change ness of natural beauty and celebration of the one with a Professing sorted apast, inner uniqueness. their faith in you.”they says consistently Tina God, promote a message of strong family values and the joy of being aWhat woman.a great name with a

great significance. It’s clear

Mary have nowthat beenMary going for over from Mary the out-set aMary decade and ministry has seen focussed the Inglewood nawere tives on the fromappear the start of soundtracks their min-for movies such ‘Dr.still Doolittle’ andMany ‘The Prince Of istryasand are now.

Egypt’ and have also seen them write songs years from the by controthat haveonbeen recorded 702 and Yolanda versy ofMore ‘Shackles’ Praise Adams. recently they You) have made apMary Mary are still pearances on ‘The Moniquefacing Show’ and ‘The criticism and opposition from Tonight Show’.

the church... the people who

Their firstbealbum should their‘Thankful’ biggest (which sup- featured the afore and mentioned hit single porters encourager’s as ‘Shackles’ (Praise thea lead they goYou) out as into darksingle) world peaked at No. on the Gospel album chart and at No. and1spread the light of God! 59 of the overall Top 200 chart, and was certified Platinum for shipments of one million If there’s thing that can copies in theone USA. ‘Thankful’ also won the be said about Mary sister’s a GRAMMY awardMary for ‘Best Con- ‘The Sound’ saw Mary Mary achieve even it’s this...Soul Their message has temporary Gospel Album’. greater success in the mainstream market. ‘The not been diluted, their songs Sound’ sold over 37,000 copies in its first week ‘Incredible’ was to theGod... secondYou album from making it their best charting album at that point directly Mary also hitwho No.1 on the point débuting No. 7 on the Billboard 200, No. don’t Mary have which to guess Gospel andtoo wasand in the Top 20 of the 2 on the US R&B chart, and topping the Gosthey’rechart singing they’re Top 200 albums chart andthe wasinalso certified pel and CCM charts. The album held the No. 1 managing to influence Gold position on the Billboard Gospel Album chart dustry and those within it for for over six months after its release. the better.

The self-titled ‘Mary Mary’ album was the sisters first album to enter the Top 10 on Over their time in the industry Mary Mary Sometimes observing Billboard and (when was certified Gold proving have been great ambassadors for Christian mumodern Christianity) weselling can big num- sic and we felt it important to show the impact that they were consistent in bers andacross showing of strength within they’ve made in the music industry as a whole. come as sings a multitude their fan base. of panaphobiacs (people who fear everything) It seems as “It’s about making music that touches both The first single contained though many‘Heaven’ of us have be- a sample adults and young people,” says Erica. Tina adds, from the Honey “It’s about spreading good news for the world comeseventies scared ofsoul the trio world...

Al- andCone’s ‘Want Ads’.

‘Heaven’ made history broke but doing it in the Mary Mary way: banging mostrecords like a fish...

Ableanonly to chart as it had unprecedented 9 breathe (therecord church) week run in as water the No.1 on Billboard’s and not on land ‘world’).

Gospel Radio chart.(the ‘Yesterday’ another sinMary Mary have been a shingle off the ‘Mary Mary’ album also became a hit; on the Adult R&B charts where ingmainly example that light over itpowers peaked darkness. at No. 10. On the R&B/Hip Hop Showing us chart, the don’t song became second biggest that we need totheir be conhit since ‘Shackles’ (Praise You) in 2000, reaching the No. 50.

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beats and melodies, intertwined voices and messages of hope.”With their latest album ‘SOMETHING BIG’ Mary Mary have gone one step further by not only making an album but starting a movement. ‘Do SOMETHING BIG’ is Mary Mary’s ambitious, sixpart initiative that they are using to encourage everyone under their influence to ‘Do SOMETHING BIG’ for someone else or for a good cause. Hosted on their face book page each week has been focusing on a different way in which people can do a good deed for those around them. Namely the elderly, the homeless, local schools, local neighbourhoods and world hunger.

As well as joining Mary Mary in their efforts to make a lasting change on the world, participants who have taken part in their good deeds have been winning prizes.

The initiative have almost finished but there’s still time

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to ‘Do SOMETHING BIG’ The album ‘SOMETHING BIG’ débuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with an impressive 42,390 units sold in its first week and it immediately shot to the top of the iTunes R&B albums chart.

Like Mary Mary’s previous albums, ‘SOMETHING BIG’ resonates with a fusion of sound (R&B, Hip-Hop, Dance, Pop, Gospel and Jazz) and empowering messages. But unlike earlier efforts, this album also features more collaborations with several talented new writers. A case in point is Jazz Nixon, who crafted the title track.

Interpolating the Jackson 5’s 1971 hit ‘Mama’s Pearl,’ complemented by an edgy bass and drum mix and spirited hand claps, the track puts a contemporary spin on the traditional call and response song.

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“We always go into the studio with the intention of, ‘Hey, why not try this out,’” says Tina. “When we heard ‘SOMETHING BIG’ for the first time, it just screamed out to us. It worked tremendously with our chemistry.”

“It’s time to represent the creator of the universe and the Savior of the entire world without limitations and boundaries. God is sovereign and to be reverenced and we never lose sight of that but more of the world needs to understand that God is all day, everyday, for every people, for every culShowcasing their signature crystalline ture, for every lifestyle, for every level harmonies, Mary Mary raises goose- of education, for every socioeconomic bumps on the striking ‘It Is Well’ status, every level or prestige or power; Produced by Warryn Campbell. The a the hope filled, the hopeless, for every cappella track quietly soars as the song place and for every space. Jesus died confidently declares, “I’ve had more and rose for us all. He’s the greatest than my share of pain/Still I believe of all things, of all times at all times. that all things will work out for my That’s BIG and the whole world good/It is well with me.” needs to know! And that’s the goal of SOMETHING BIG.” “People ask us all the time whether we’re gospel, inspirational or trying to The ‘SOMETHING BIG’ album is go pop,” says Erica. one that is designed to encourage, inspire and uplift us and thrust us into “Tina and I are artists whose music doing ‘SOMETHING BIG’ for God, fits in so many other places. That’s al- His Kingdom, for those around us ways been the leading force behind who we know and even don’t know each of our albums. Knowing who we and even for ourselves; achieving our are, we know each album can be dif- full potential. ferent from the next.”

Tina shared her thoughts on what to Yet with their tremendous accom- expect from the album with us sayplishments, Erica and Tina are quick ing... “Expect banging, beautiful, & to point out that they’re driven by groovy beats, incredible musiciansomething far greater. “It’s not just ship and production, amazing lyrics about musical achievements, awards, and stories told well. Expect inspiracharts and sales,” says Erica. “That’s tion, motivation and encouragement. not our guiding light. It’s about con- Expect to dance, cry, think, reflect, necting with people and offering dream bigger and just feel good after them real hope…hope that, ultimate- this record plays from top to bottom. ly, changes lives.”

Expect to never wanna take it out of rotation in your car, in your iPod, in “We’re committed to our message and your house, at your job or at the parpurpose,” adds Tina. “Years later, we’re ty. Expect this music to be your new still here; our fans are still with us and soundtrack to living your life bigger our audience is still growing. We’re and better.” just so grateful to still have this opportunity.”

The gift of music was given to Mary Mary and we (along with a lot of our We really wanted to dig deeper and readers) were eager to eager to find get more depth on the reason for the out if that gift had passed on to Erica title of ‘SOMETHING BIG’ and the and Tina’s children because not only vision for it on a whole. are they gifted musically... Both Erica and Tina’s husbands are great musi“When we started this album the ob- cians (drummer Teddy Campbell and jective was just to build or grow from producer Warryn Campbell) so the our last record and create new, inno- gift of music is definitely in the chilvative, original, & inspirational music” dren’s blood. Here’s what they had to says Tina. say when we asked if there’s a ‘Joseph Joseph’ or ‘Martha Martha’ that we “It kind of evolved into motivating should look forward to in the future? people to live in a big and excellent lol: way so we reflect God’s greatness in our everyday life, everywhere we go “Joseph Joseph/Martha Martha --and with everything that’s a part of yeah not so much LOL. But yes my our existence, beyond the church, be- daughter loves to sing: krista. All the yond just Sunday morning, beyond girls love to sing and perform in front the ritualistic, traditional, religious of the fireplace. Whether singing or practices” she continued to explain. playing instruments; all of the kids love music. Some show real music There’s definitely a passion with Mary ability and talent. But no matter what Mary to see people live fulfilled lives, they decide to pursue in life we want not ones bound by religious, legalistic them to be excellent at it and will supbehaviour but to apply the principles port them 100%” of the word in our lives every day and see how it changes not only our lives Mary Mary have come on a long but the lives of those around them. journey...A journey faced with many

challenges but lined with God’s hand of favour on their ministry! Many have tried to tear them down but God has continued to raise them up and use them as a voice to speak to a generation in a way that they can understand without diluting or polluting the message of Jesus Christ.

The ‘Do SOMETHING BIG’ campaign is an awesome thing. For too long we as Christians have been focussed on our blessing or our miracle and so self-centred so to see this campaign encouraging us to do more for others and be the hands and feet of Jesus on earth and make a practical difference is definitely a step in the right direction.

Make ‘SOMETHING BIG’...

Do ‘SOMETHING BIG’...

Be ‘SOMETHING BIG’...

Watch the Official Walking Video

Watch behind the scenes of ‘Walking’

Watch the Video for The Mary’s book ‘Be U’

Watch the Video Interview with Columbia Records

M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

Be U: Be Honest, Be Beautiful, Be Intentional, Be Strong, Be You! The NEW book from Mary Mary

BUY NOW

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Links http://www.mary-mary.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MaryMary http://twitter.com/#!/therealmarymary http://www.youtube.com/marymary http://c.itunes.apple.com/us/profile/id-10544

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To give or not to give? That is the bring an exact amount of offering to question. A question that is regularly resurrected in my mind every time I see the big grin of a charity worker dressed in a costume to try and persuade me to depart with the loose change in my purse. There are so many occasions whether walking along the street, in church or amongst family and friends where I am faced with this question, but surely I can’t be expected to give every single time?

Every so often as I sing along to choruses in church it can become such a ritual that I join in with harmonious song without actually giving the words I’m singing a second thought. Similarly we can become so familiar with reading or hearing certain scriptures that they sound like nothing more than an empty recital and we fail to recognise the true meaning and power of the words we are reading. Luke 6 verse 38 is one of these scriptures. ‘Give, and it will be given to you…For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ Many of us would have heard this scripture time and time again as the ‘unfortunate’ member of the congregation called to raise offering encourages everyone to give generously.

But for some reason the focus is often on the first half of the verse which refers to quantity of your giving, rather then the last half where we are reminded about the importance of the quality of a gift. The word measure is vital to understanding this scripture and the principle of giving. A common parable in the bible of the poor widow, illustrates this scripture perfectly.

‘Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. [2] He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. [3] “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. [4] All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21 v 1-4).

Too often we judge people by what they give without taking into account their situation of circumstances. The worth of a £50 note would be very different for each one of us, it therefore is pointless comparing your giving to that of someone else. It is not how many homeless people you give to on the street or how many charities you donate to each month but it is the measure of what you give that is important.

Unfortunately in church on various occasions we can often be made to feel bad if you are unable to give. I’ve been to numerous church services where members of the congregation have been asked to

the front and lay it on the altar or place it in the preacher’s hand. I must admit these types of offerings never quite sit right with me. As those who have chosen to give, emerge from their seats in obedience others, who may well have wanted to give but do not have what was asked of them, slowly sink into their seats in an attempt to disappear. Now, I am not saying all of these types of offerings are wrong as God does speak to his people and may have lead the person leading the service to call such an offering for a specific purpose. However I do not think its right when people are left to feel guilty for not giving or give merely due to the fact that they feel like they have been forced to do so. This is not how giving is meant to be.

In 2 Corinthians 9 v 7 we are instructed to give willingly. Society today already places so may pressures on our lives as we are constantly feed images that cause us to forever compare what we have with others. Do we really to carry this comparison into our giving? Jesus himself taught that we should give quietly ‘But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,’ (Matthew 6 v 3) We do not need to prove to anyone what we do and do not give, God sees all and that’s what matters.

In our giving we should all give what we personally have decided in our heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. The instruction to give and help others was never given to condemn us or make us feel guilt at the fact that we are unable to give but was to ensure that we do neglect those less fortunate and learn to rely on God as the principle provider of all our needs. We have all been blessed with a measure of wealth, and as I mentioned in previous posts this does not have to be financial. If you ever feel as though you are giving grudgingly, of necessity or under pressure it may be in your best interest to hold back. Only you know your measure.

Contributor - Iyisha Rocke

Links http://twitter.com/MissRocke

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2011 is proving to be an exciting year so far for London born musician/singer, actor and minister Bobby Bovell.

Already 2011 has seen the son of legendary Reggae artist Dennis Bovell release his début album ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’.

Once in a blue moon an artist comes along who possess the exceptional talent, creative instincts and unique vision to carve out their own niche in the music industry. Bobby’s debut album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’ is described as an ‘EcleKtic’ mix of reggae, hip hop, acoustic guitar and electro vibe - something Bob Marley, Omar and Kanye West would produce were they in a studio with the Rev. Al Green! For Bobby Bovell; innovative greatness is in his DNA. “Being the son of a music legend my teachers expected me to be a musical prodigy. So they signed me up to play every instrument. They soon discovered that, at age 11, I didn’t have my dad’s musical superpowers. But I definitely had his musical energy”. This musical energy has been poured into creating the Bobby Bovell sound that the versatile musician describes as “ecleKtic”.

If Bob Marley, Omar Lye-Fook and Kanye West were in the studio with Rev. Al Green they would create Bobby Bovell’s début album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’. With this remarkable offering Bobby presents soul-stirring

social commentary over a tantalising musical smorgasbord of reggae, hiphop, Latin American, acoustic pop and electro sounds. “It’s a ready-made play-list of musical genres uniting to tell one story”, says Bobby.

Bobby’s music offers more than your average album. A clear cut theological message with music that provides a soundtrack to his thought’s and experiences.

Combining the practical musical lessons learned from his father and the teachings from his formal education Bobby travels throughout the globe on his mission to “speak to the human condition to inspire hope”.

When asked to describe himself in five words Bobby chooses, “Contemplative, creative, cool, calm, comedic”.

Through his laughter it’s clear that though the turmoil of our fragmented world and its people weighs heavy on his heart, Bobby doesn’t take himself too seriously.

set to be a special event. Bobby Bovell has worked with the ‘who’s who’ of the music industry. He’s an incredible live performer; whilst still studying music, his band were guests on TV shows like ‘Here’s Johnny’ on Channel 4. It’s an event people are not going to want to miss!”

Tickets are limited - book now to avoid disappointment - only £10 each!

See Bobbly Bovell on Thursday 26 May, from 7pm.

Cost: Just £10!

Venue: 229 The Venue 229 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PN Bobby Bovell’s debut album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’ is out now.

Musician/singer, actor, and minister, Bobby Bovell, is a rare find. A man who’s musical styles and vocations appear fragmented yet inexplicably make sense as a whole. Bobby Bovell is ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’ May will see Bobby head-line one of the UK’s leading branded events...

‘Premier Gospel Presents’ Muyiwa Olarewaju, Premier Gospel’s Station Director commented, “This is

Links http://www.bobbybovell.com http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-bovell/id421505830?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bobby-Bovell/147018541999126 http://twitter.com/#!/BobbyBovell

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

Joseph Perry is an emerging worship leader from East London who late 2010 released his début EP ‘My Creator’... You may be wondering why he’s on MUZO SPOT... Joseph may be a worship leader and singer but he’s also a great musician who plays in his church as well as one of the most well known worship leaders in the UK; Noel Robinson. In this interview we explore the role of being a musician within the church and the different dynamics that come along with it.

Muzo Spot: Thanks for taking the

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time to talk to us. You’re a very busy man so we appreciate this a lot.

Joseph Perry: No worries. This is gonna be fun!

Muzo Spot: What was your first experience of music?

Joseph Perry: I can’t say I remember my first, but one of my earliest was definitely when I was about 5. My mum and dad used to lead worship in church and my sister and I would always jump up to the

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stage while they were singing and ask for a drink or a sweet! That must have taken patience! lol Funnily enough, my first gospel concert was a Noel Robinson concert at Spring Harvest. I think I was probably about 9 or 10. 10 years later and I’m playing keyboard for him!!

Muzo Spot: How do you think that influenced you and your passion for music?

Joseph Perry: Well, I think through all of that, God was planting a seed, that wasn’t entirely realised until I was about 14, when I started learning the keyboard. Before then, if I’m honest I had no great interest in music.

I was very much a sporty character, with football and Athletics being my main focuses. However, now I’m seeing the fruits of those early encounters with music and with worship. In particular, my parents, and carrying their legacy of worship leading and leading people to Jesus!

Muzo Spot: How did your 1st opportunity to play your instrument publicly come about?

Joseph Perry: I remember the first time, it was at my youth group at church. I was 14, and had just learnt a pretty cool chord progression.

(4, 3, 2, 1 For all the musicians who know the number system lol) So I was quite proud of myself! It was the end of the meeting and they were having a time of prayer and ministry. My youth Pastor signalled to me to jump up on the keys and play, as the regular keyboard player had left.

And sure enough, I played that 4, 3, 2, 1 like my life depended on it!!

Heart beating and everything lol Muzo Spot: Most people know you as a singer/song-writer...

How does playing the keyboard aid your gift as a worship leader?

Joseph Perry: Firstly, it means I have an understanding of music. I know how to arrange harmonies for vocals and I’m able to guide the band during a time of worship, primarily using the number system I mentioned earlier. I often play and lead at the same time, as this gives me great freedom to take songs wherever I feel they need to go, be it lyrically or dynamically. Worship leading is more than just leading through the songs. Otherwise, you’d be called a song leader! Sometimes I like to lead worship simply by playing the keyboard, without words and allowing people to be inspired to worship, simply through the music.

Muzo Spot: How did you know you weren’t just meant to play keys and not sing?

Joseph Perry: I never wanted to sing!! I was adamant from a young age, I didn’t want to sing or lead worship. I still don’t think I’m that great a singer, and I’ve only been singing for about 3 years, so I’m still learning!

I never warm-up before singing, I shout a lot when I sing, I strain my voice! I’m terrible LOL One thing I will say is that I never KNEW I wasn’t just meant to play keys. In that early stage, when I started leading worship, I was just stepping in out in what someone else had seen in me. I wasn’t too sure myself, but I thought, I might as well give it a go. I think, just like Peter as he walked on water, sometimes you just have to step out of the boat and see where God will take you! I could probably say now, that I know.........Something has JUST come into my head......when I was about 16, one of the youth leaders spoke into my life. She said she had a dream, where I was playing the keyboard. But she said God was saying there is more in you than just the keyboard, and then I think a microphone appeared. WOW That’s deep!

Muzo Spot: That’s very deep. Look what you’re doing now... Not only singing but you have an EP out as well.

So, as a musician, your gear is just as important as your gift.

What gear do you use and why do you use it?

Joseph Perry: I go to many different churches, different styles and different streams of churches. Being a keyboard player generally means, most churches tend to have keyboards. However, I’ve turned up to some events and been pleasantly surprised at the age of the keyboard, or maybe the size! But you learn to make do. I must admit, I’m not that fussy a keyboard player. I have my preferences, i.e. I think nothing beats a Roland piano (‘So True’ on the Fantom series is beautiful!)

I’m becoming a bit annoyed with that Motif Piano though, you hear it too much! But generally, if there’s a keyboard with piano, and strings or pad, I’ll be fine! Saying all that, when I need to, I do take my Yamaha Motif with me lol Muzo Spot: When playing in worship what are the most important things to take into consideration as a keyboard player?

Joseph Perry: My worship Pastor and mentor, Steve Thompson, taught me something that I think I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

When I first started playing, he would simply turn and say “Keep it sim-

M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4 ple” A few of us used to be confused by this, we wanted to sneak in the latest chord we had just learned, or the run we had just seen on You Tube. But over time, I’ve since learnt that you as a musician are not there to distract or practice your runs. Your role is to provide a platform, that allows people to worship. Your ordinary congregation member are not going to be too fussed or excited about your latest chop. They’ve had a tough week, they’ve got bills to pay, their marriage is falling apart etc. They simply need to find peace and clarity in the presence of God. When we keep these things in mind, not only will it enhance our playing but it will enhance our ability to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. This is a phrase that is thrown about a lot. But it is something I believe needs to be practised by all musicians: in the safety and security of your bedroom, studio, or wherever you practice away from church!

Muzo Spot: What is the relationship between yourself and the person leading worship like? (How you work with each other, how you follow the leader etc.)

Joseph Perry: All members of the worship team, must remember, they are there to serve the church. When we take on that servant mentality, all ego’s can be pushed aside, because we’re all on a level playing field. I don’t care if you’ve got riffs for days or if you can only play 3 chords. We’re all in this together, because we’re serving the people standing before us. As a keyboard player, it’s important to always keep your eyes on the worship leader, as well as the Pastor or the person leading the service. You are not there to direct the flow of worship, you are not there dictate whether people will shout or whether they will cry (All of which is very possible as musician). You’re there to support the worship leader. You’ve got to be in a place, where you believe that God has positioned that person and has anointed them do the task in hand!

Muzo Spot: Do you play any other instruments?

Joseph Perry: I play a little bit of bass guitar, can play one or two drum beats lol and I’m just about to start learning guitar!! So that should be fun!

Muzo Spot: How did you go from being in the background playing the keyboard to stepping out and singing?

Joseph Perry: The worship leader at my church, one day took me aside and asked how I would feel about leading worship. I hadn’t done it before, but for years I watched people do it. So the first time I led, was at a 2:00pm service at Church, where there was about 30 people. I was quite nervous, but I will never forget throughout that whole 20-25 minutes I could feel a tingling sensation throughout my body! I know now that the Holy Spirit was all over me that day. Almost confirming that what I was doing was totally His plan and His will!

Muzo Spot: What do you look for in a keyboard player when you’re putting a band together for yourself?

Joseph Perry: You can’t be missing chords! That kind of gets on my nerves lol. You have to know the arrangements! I don’t want to have to be signalling all the way through the song! You have to be....here’s that word again, sensitive. But more than any of that, I find it important that I have a relationship with the person playing for me. In that they know my style of leading, they’re on the same page as me, in terms of ministry. That they have a passion for people, they’re not just going to do the ‘gig’ and go home, but they want to hang around with people and talk to and invest in them. All these things are important!

Muzo Spot: What advice would you give to anyone just starting to play in church?

Joseph Perry: Don’t see your church as a stepping stone to greater things! Whether you play sing or are involved in any type of ministry. Something that’s creeping into the Church is a celebrity culture. Where people think serving in church, will hopefully open up doors to greater things. I hate that kind of thinking. What if God has called you to serve your church of 30 people for the rest of your life? My advice to those starting out would be, give it 100%! Don’t do it so that hopefully one day you’ll be noticed.

Do it because you want to see the people in your church experience God! Regularly take time to pray for your congregation before your service. In terms of playing, go on You Tube, watch

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videos, learn songs, listen to music, don’t limit your listening to just gospel music! This is something that might sound bad, but as musicians we need be exploring all realms of creativity. If you’ve never made a cake before, what’s the point in trying to make it yourself. You would want to try other cakes and read recipes and get advice on how to bake the best cake. It’s the same with music.

Muzo Spot: Aside from practice, what other things do you do to prepare to play in church?

Joseph Perry: What you do on stage should always be out of the overflow of what you do off-stage! Some call it ‘practising the presence of God.’ It’s important that as musicians we take the time to worship God at home. At church, if we’re honest, we can be so focused on the songs and the arrangements that there is no space to enter into worship with abandonment! This is why it is important to do this at home.

Muzo Spot: How do you make sure that you’re not relying on your gift and that when you play you’re playing as a worshipper?

Joseph Perry: It’s a heart thing. You can play as badly or as perfectly as you want, if you’re heart is for God and you’re playing isn’t about drawing attention to yourself, these are things that ensure you’re playing as a worshipper.

Muzo Spot: Here’s the question we and any other musician reading this wants to know... Who’s your favourite musician?

Joseph Perry: I love the way Mike Bereal plays! And Eddie Jones!

Both are amazing keys players! Parris Bowens is another one!!

Don’t have a number 1...

Muzo Spot: What would you say to the musician that is hiding behind their instrument... They can feel God calling them to do something different or go to another level in ministry but are scared to move out of their comfort zone?

Joseph Perry: Nothing long! If you know God is wanting more from you, do like Peter and step out of the boat! Don’t be defined by your instrument. If God has placed something more on your heart, pursue it whole-heartedly!

Muzo Spot: What has been your favourite venue to play at so far?

I’ve played in some amazing venues!!! Wembley Arena, Earl’s Court, the NEC Arena, Telford International Centre, Bethel Convention Centre. If I was being cheesy I would say my favourite has been City Gates Christian centre, my home church!!! But if I’m being honest it would be Earl’s Court! (I have to get this in there) In 2008, I sang on stage at the World Music Awards with Michael Jackson!! Yes!! No word of a lie! Don’t believe me? You Tube it, and you’ll see my face there!

Muzo Spot: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, but before you go; do you have any words of advice to any young musicians?

Joseph Perry: Don’t neglect your education!!! Secondary School, College, Uni, it’s so important! Please, please, please do not waste your years at school! You will never get them back. Education is an amazing gift from God, squeeze as much as you can out of it. I know that seems strange advice, but I’ve seen too many talented people, throw their education away, and when the gigs aren’t there any more, they have nothing else to fall back on.

Muzo Spot: Any final words?

Joseph Perry: Thanks to you guys, for this opportunity and for the amazing work you do! Really honoured to know you! Big shout out to my family, mum, dad and sister, Jennifer! And big love to my church, City Gates Christian Centre!

Links http://www.josephperry.org http://twitter.com/#!/JosephNPerry http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joseph-Perry/280663095563?

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4

“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.” [Proverbs 5:3-4] Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have fallen due to your “fleshly desires”? These fleshly desires can range from sexual immorality to pollution of the temple that God has given you. As Christians we are called to discipline our bodies. In other words, this means that we need to take charge of the urges that are motivated by the flesh. Whether we want to face it or not, the Word is clear that we are to control our fleshly desires.

In Proverbs 5, Solomon is cautioning all young men, to abstain from fleshly desires and lusts. He speaks of an adulterous woman, who may lead a man’s mind and manners astray due to her foolish doctrine and idolatry. The reason why this passage is so prophetic is because it can be used to describe most sins that we face today. There are sins that appear as sweet as honey, but they eventually lead us to the torments of hell.

There is a beauty, splendor, and attractiveness of God’s holiness! I’ll tell you guys something, I grew up with a very legalistic point of view of God. I saw the laws of God versus the love of God, which instantly brought forth a rebellious spirit in me. I saw no joy in living a lifestyle according to the word of God. If anything, it was a life full of wackness and over exaggerated joys that no one could explain - literally.

Passion is really the key to true holiness. We have to be passionate so that we can begin to embrace holiness. Holiness is not just staying away from something. Holiness is being so in love that you don’t want anything to affect the relationship that you have with your Saviour.

A lot of people want to just separate from, but God wants us to separate unto. Once you separate unto, then you stay away from. Apostle Kyle Searcy stated, “The guy who doesn’t want to commit adultery because he doesn’t want to get caught is not a good husband. But the guy who loves his wife and the woman who loves her husband and is satisfied and is sold out in the heart, they don’t even want anybody else!”

What’s so interesting about honey is that it’s so sweet and highly respected in the word of God, but It can be so deadly. Be mindful of how much and what kind of honey you consume.

In order to control your fleshly desires, you have to control your mind. You can’t allow your heart to control your mind.

The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it? God is looking for us to have a change in mind-set. Stop surrendering to your fleshly desires and get your mind renewed by God. As believers we must take on the mind of Christ. You’ll notice that the majority of the time we face problems because we are trying to tackle problems with a worldly mind-set instead of with the mind of Christ. The ultimate authority is God! The word has all the things that relate to life and holiness.

Holiness. I chuckle as I’m writing because no one ever really talks about the beauty of God’s holiness anymore!

Contributor - Dominique Mcpherson

Links http://twitter.com/quechanel http://www.facebook.com/DominiqueChanelEdition http://dominiquechaneledition.com/

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LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS A few years ago we came across the story of a young man with no limbs; tears filled our eye’s thinking about how sad this was... By the time we had finished watching his story those tears were gone and we were filled with the joy of the Lord, uplifted and inspired.

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“Often people ask how I manage to be happy despite having no arms and no legs. The quick answer is that I have a choice. I can be angry about

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M.E.X MAGAZINE | ISSUE 4