Standing In The Fire

On February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music3 Comments

I call myself one of the good people

But only praise God when I’m in the steeple

The devil drags me down, knocks me about

Fills my head with lies and doubts

Why do I believe all his crap

I’m always caught in his trap

I tell myself I don’t like a liar

I’m the one standing in my own fire

Do I trust in Your ways?

Is that how I live all my days

Do I love like You love?

Do I always rise above?

Do I forgive like You forgive?

Do I live like You want me to live?

Do I sell my soul to the highest buyer?

I’m the one standing in my own fire

Then I look outside my world to all those in need

All those that die, all those that bleed

Lives torn apart by earthquakes and wars

Will their world ever be like it was before?

They face persecution, starvation every day

How can I continue to look away?

Any minute of any day their lives could expire

And here I am standing outside the fire

How can I help? What can one person do

How do I even begin to live like You?

My world seems such a mess

I can see how truly I am blessed

When I look at those that suffer in your name

When I see those that hurt I know You are not to blame

What of my life would You require?

For me to no longer be standing outside the fire

I pray a prayer to You to set me ablaze

Give me your eyes so I can gaze

So I can see their pain, so I can feel the hurt You feel

I want to see their world, not as fantasy but as real

I know in the fire You are there

I feel Your presence everywhere

I want to help those whose situations are dire

Help me to be one who is standing in the fire

Help me to forget my hurt, my pain

Help me to spread the news of Your Name

I can not do this on my own, even when I try

The words don’t come, but I can hear their cry

I can see them in my mind

I can see how I have been blind

Take me to where You want me to go

My body or just these words You sow

Help me to never tire

From standing inside the fire

Fire Walk With Me by Abel –

Fire by Scarlet White –

Fire by Krystal Meyers –

Carry The Fire by Dustin Kensrue –

Start A Fire by Unspoken –

Catching Fire by Blanca –

Standing Outside The Fire by Garth Brooks –

Set Me Ablaze by Jesus Culture –

I’m On Fire by We Are Messengers –

Soul On Fire by Third Day –

Walk Through The Fire by Consumed By Fire –

Set The World On Fire by Britt Nicole –

Fire and Fury by Skillet –

Hearts On Fire by Dan Bremnes –

Carry The Fire by Andrew Peterson –

Fire Inside You by We Are Leo –

Fire by Echoing Angels –

New, Forgotten, Unknown 2/12/16 New Music Friday

On February 12, 2016March 4, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music, new music, new music FridayLeave a comment

Several new musician followers. I love finding new musicians and listening to new music I would never have heard of if it wasn’t for social media. Be sure to check out other musicians I posted. Maybe you will find someone new you like. I hope by me sharing your music that you will get more fans to listen to your music. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.

Lifeline by Kai –

Seek by GFM Band –

Drowning by Eden Burning –

Better On A Barstool by Nick Alligood (7-Hills Florida) –

Misunderstood by Harbor Boulevard –

Thanks for all the follows, musicians and non-musicians.

Now that I am down to one playlist instead of three maybe the list will get shorter next week. I keep saying that though. Let me know your thoughts, do I put too many on here, not enough, just right? Which of the three little bears am I? Hope you enjoy.

Some other music from non-followers and followers I have listened to this week.

Uncover Your Eyes by Young Empires –

Us Time by Stoney Larue –

Windmills, Worry by The Vamps –

Your Love Will Blow Me Away by Son Little –

Say A Prayer, Tightrope by Veridia –

Winter by Lydia Laird –

Simple Gospel by United Pursuit –

You Don’t Belong In Mine by Resistant Hearts –

Transformed by Survivor Q –

What If We by 3for3 –

Alive by Sia –

Always by 7eventh Time Down –

Amazing by Hedley –

Amen by I Am They –

American Crazy by Brothers Osborne –

Awake The Fire by Forever Still –

Where I Am Right Now by Jared Anderson –

The Wind by Our Fears –

2 Blessed 2 Be Stressed by Coffey Anderson –

and our song:

I Question You by Lily Messer –

On Itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943

Temple Fit (To Fat To Fit)

On February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, fitness, music, Temple Fit8 Comments

Have any of you seen the show Fit to Fat to Fit on A&E channel? We started watching it four or five weeks ago. If you haven’t seen the show let me recap it for you and explain why I am writing about it and what we can learn from it.

The shows premise is that many trainers can’t relate to overweight people and that is why there sometimes can be a disconnect between trainer and trainee. The trainer thinks trainee is overweight because they are lazy or have no initiative or just don’t care enough about themselves to make healthy food choices. (Note: This isn’t all trainers. My wife isn’t like that.)

For the first 16 weeks the trainer gains as much weight as they can, so far it has been anywhere from 40 -70 pounds. They also can not work out during that 16 weeks. They are having to eat 6-10000 calories a day to gain the weight. At first most of them are okay with it. They get to eat foods they never eat, donuts, fast food, deserts, etc., and eat it in big portions. I am talking like a table full of food. I don’t see how they can keep it down, and some do struggle. They go out with friends drinking and eating late at night. What is amazing is how fast they lose what they had and how long it takes to get it back. During the 16 weeks the show shows the emotional, physical, and mental toil gaining all this weight takes on the trainers. Many quit playing with their kids or spending time with their spouses because they have no energy or think they don’t deserve it because of how they look. They get depressed and some have had to go to the doctor because of high blood pressure or heart troubles, all in 16 weeks.

The next 16 weeks the trainers and trainees start working out together to lose weight and learn how to make healthy eating choices. The trainers talk about how hard it is to break the bad habits. They crave the bad food they were eating. They didn’t think it would be that hard to quit eating bad and get back into shape. They now know what it is like to be overweight and to have to lose the weight and make the right choices.

Why am I writing about it? Because it shows how easy it is to make bad choices and how hard it is to break them once you start. How easy it is to bust your butt to get healthy and just a couple weeks of bad choices can take it all away. It is a daily choice to make to be healthy. You will have setbacks but don’t let one bad day turn into two or three. These trainers see how addictive bad food is. Why is it? Because food companies spend millions and millions of dollars to see how food affects a person and your brain and they put ingredients in it to get you addicted. All for the mighty dollar. Just think what they could do with those millions of dollars to make our food how God made it to be, clean, natural, organic.

Working out is hard. You have to get mentally there before you can get physically there. The hardest step is always the first. There are days I don’t feel like working out or running but my mental note is once I put the shoes on, I am doing it. For you it may be just getting out of bed and saying I am going to do something today. Even if it is just ten push-ups or walk around the house twenty times. Maybe it’s to do jumping jacks during commercials, get off the couch. Eat an apple instead of a cookie. Grab a handful of grapes instead a handful of M&M’s – my enemy.

Don’t give up. Every day make small changes that will add up to big lifetime changes over time. Give it time. Make clear, specific goals. It doesn’t have to be about weight. It can be about not buying junk food this week. Or to be a one size smaller. Or to lose 10 lbs. by March 12th. Then once you hit those goals, make new ones.

The most powerful change you will see is the change inside you. The voice in your head that goes from you can’t to you can. Every little step will give you confidence to take the next step.

On Top Of The World by Imagine Dragons –

Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer –

Fighter by Gym Class Heroes (feat Ryan Tedder) –

Best Day Of My Life by American Authors –

Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson –

Stronger by Building 429 –

Overcomer by Mandisa –

Not Afraid by Eminem –

Fight Song by Rachel Platten –

Why Did God Put The Tree There?

On February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music4 Comments

Adam and Eve could eat anything they wanted in the garden, except from the tree of good and evil. If all was good and everyone and everything- man and animals- got along and didn’t eat each other then why was the tree there?

This is one of many questions I have. Add that to if the tree wasn’t there then maybe the serpent didn’t have to be there and all would still be peachy keen right? Did God have to put the tree of good and evil there? No, of course not. He did give us free will and with that free will comes choices.

Do I or don’t I? If I do what is the consequence? If I don’t what is the consequence? Do we all ask ourselves before we do anything what would Jesus do? I know I do not. I know I should. It would stop a lot of dumb things I have done.

Here is another way I think about it. In school we are given tests. We are given opportunities to study before the test. I can either study or not study. I can study a lot or a little, or none at all. My grade will depend on how much I study. I don’t want to fail so I study. Yet, when it comes to God I find myself skipping school. I find myself making a choice to not study God’s word. I find myself relying on me more than on God. But I reach for God’s hand and He pulls me up and brushes me off and gives me another chance.

So back to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If we don’t eat from that tree that God didn’t have to put there then we will rely on God for what is wrong and right. If we do eat from the tree then we take it upon ourselves to know what is wrong or right. We are saying we don’t need to rely on God because He said if we eat from it certainly we will die. But we didn’t die in the way of dying , no more breathing. We died to relying on God. We died on the inside.

I am not a theologian but in my layman terms and what I think is that God put the tree there to give us a choice. He doesn’t want us to be robots. Because He gave us free will he gave us freedom to choose. Adam and Eve chose wrong. I choose wrong. I eat the fruit and sometimes I go back for seconds.

Did God have to build the tree? No. Did God want us to turn away from sin and rely on Him? Yes.

What I need to start doing is walking away from the tree. I need to quit reaching for that apple. I need to say no thanks, I am full of making my own choices. I need to starve myself from bad choices and start making healthy choices.

I don’t know about you but I know I can use a little less knowledge of good and evil and a lot more of relying on God.

What choices have you been making? Do you rely on God or on yourself? The wonderful thing about God is His grace and mercy that He gives all of us another chance every day to choose again.

The Way by Jeremy Camp –

Prodigal by Sidewalk Prophets –

Promises by 7eventh Time Down –

Remind Me Who I Am by Jason Gray –

Why Did It Take So Long? by Abandon –

Angels Or Devils by Dishwalla –

Angels and Demons by Tedashii (feat Crowder) –

Angels and Demons by Colt Ford (feat Lamar Williams) –

Angels and Demons by Disciple –

Where Did The Angels Go? by Papa Roach –

Let Me Fail

On February 3, 2016February 25, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Let Me Fail, music3 Comments

Hey mom and dad, it’s okay if I fail. I tried. I will not succeed at everything but I have to fail at most things to know what I will succeed at. You have to let me fail.

I know it’s hard for you to not just jump in when I am struggling but let me struggle. I have to be able to figure things out on my own. I love when you hold my hand but there will be times when you won’t be there and then what? What will I do if you aren’t there? I will have to figure it out on my own. I am capable. I am strong. I am smart.

I know this is hard for you to hear but sometimes you just have to get out of the way. I know you love me and I know if I can’t get this figured out I can ask for your help. Just like the other day when I asked you about that math problem. I had to have time to think it through and figure out if I could do it on my own before I asked.

Chances are I will not be a professional athlete. No matter how hard you push me, no matter how many nights I spend in the driveway shooting free throws, no matter how many extra sprints I run. No matter how loud you yell at my games. No matter how many times you play catch with me. You know the odds are astronomical right? If I choose to pursue this though you better know I will push myself beyond my limits to do it because I know not very many make it. However, if I don’t want to play soccer this season but want to try to play guitar, let me. I may go back to soccer later. I may be a terrible guitar player, but I won’t know unless I try. Who knows, maybe I am the next Eddie Van Halen.

I will give 100% to everything I try. I learned that from you. I will not quit if I don’t like it at first. I may even end up liking it. You have never quit on our family so I know what it is like to keep trying and not give up. I just may not be good at what I try and that’s okay. I will do the most with the abilities I have. Success for me right now is trying.

I am not afraid to try. Fear of failure is not a part of me. I want to be able to fail, to find out more about me. I am still trying to find out who I am in this world. Not who you want me to be. I will fail. There is no doubt in my mind. I will also succeed at many things. I just need you to give me that opportunity.

I don’t know what God has in store for me but you have given me a great start. For that , I am forever thankful. As I grow older though I want to try new things. I want to see what I am good at. I want to be .. Well like you. You know what you are good at and you know what you are bad at and it’s all because of you trying and succeeding, and failing.

Do not let me make bad choices or go down the wrong road. I fully expect you to put me in place if that happens. There is a difference between making bad choices and failing at something I want to try.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to succeed. But I also want to fail. I want to pick myself up and dust myself off and say wheww I suck at that. I won’t know until I try though. I want to find out what it’s like to be knocked down and get back up. I want to figure out what I did wrong and how I can get better. I want to persevere. It even says in the Bible that perseverance builds character . I want to be someone that people look to and say they want to be like me. I can’t do that if you do everything for me. If you are always helping me succeed. I have to test my limits and my abilities. I know you will be there for me if I need you, but right now I just want to go for it on my own. I want to see what I am made of. I want to laugh at myself if I stink. I want to be proud of myself if I succeed. I won’t be able to do any of these things if you don’t let me try, knowing I may fail.

Please mom and dad, let me fail. I will be okay. I may cry. I may get mad. I will struggle. I will get hurt. I will feel pain. I will get knocked down. I will pick myself up. I will find joy. I will be proud of myself for trying. I will find something I really enjoy doing. I will be thankful for the experience . I will learn how to fight for what I want. I want to say I tried. I will succeed.

I will succeed, but first you have to let me fail.

No Boundaries by Kris Allen –

I Lived by OneRepublic –

Unafraid by Pillar –

Limitless by Colton Dixon –

Born To Try by Delta Goodrem –

Die Trying by Art of Dying –

Champ by Nelly –

Rise Up by Green River Ordinance –

Born To Rise by Redlight King –

Burn Bright ( You Were Made To Shine) by Natalie Grant –

Brave by Sara Bareilles –

Fears and Failures by This Beautiful Republic –

Why Do We Fall Motivational –

Failure Is Success Motivational –

Famous Failures –

New, Forgotten, Unknown 1/29/16 New Music Friday

On January 29, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music, new music, new music FridayLeave a comment

One new musician followers this week. I hope by me sharing your music that you will get more fans to listen to your music. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.

Redeemed by Rudy Lewis –

Thanks for all the follows, musicians and non-musicians.

I keep telling myself I have to shorten this post and put less songs on here. I liked a lot of music I heard this week and I use to limit one song per artist per post but I went a little crazy this week. Maybe next week will be less. Hope you enjoy.

Some other music from non-followers I have listened to this week.

Remembering by Ashley Campbell –

Indestructible by Armin Van Buuren (feat DBX) –

Front Row Seat by Josh Abbot Band –

Cling To You (feat. Mark Alan) by Tru Serva –

The Gates by Young Empires –

My Ship Came In by Walter Trout –

Cheater, Million Words by The Vamps –

Move Forward by Troy Sneed –

Lost by Straight No Chaser –

Feet Don’t Touch The Ground by Stony Larue –

Secrets by State Champs –

O Mother by Son Little –

Shock My Heart by A Skylit Drive –

Jesus Hope by S.O.G. –

Song For Another Time by Old Dominion –

One Foot by The Mynabirds –

Rooftops by Moon Taxi –

Let’s Be Honest by Mayday Parade –

Silver Car Crash by Majical Cloudz –

She Said, Larger Than Life by Jon Foreman –

Hate Me, Remember Every Scar by Escape The Fate –

Singing To Me by David Wax Museum –

Only God Can by Danetra Moore –

Maggie I’ve Been Searching For Our Son by Craig Finn –

Mayday by Cam –

Let The Cards Fall, Nights Were Made To Love by Blitzen Trapper –

Scars To Your Beautiful, Seventeen by Alessia Cara –

and our song:

I Question You by Lily Messer –

On Itunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943

Temple Fit Tip – Show Up Everyday

On January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, fitness, music, Temple Fit3 Comments

I haven’t posted in awhile about Temple Fit. I don’t know why. Maybe I was feeling who am I? I am not an expert. I do know how things work, the things I wrote about earlier like getting enough sleep, what you are putting in your bodies- food and medicine-, drinking enough water, portion sizes, etc..

Four weeks into the new year, how are you holding up on your resolutions to be active, lose weight? By this point in time, most people have given up on their resolutions. It’s easier to fall back into old habits instead of establishing new habits. I personally think if your resolution is to be active and lose weight you should start in March when you have better weather. Then once 12 weeks are up and you have new habits, it will be easier to keep them through the summer. If you start in January and are doing awesome then a big snowstorm hits or you get sick and you miss a couple days, boom, you are back into old habits. Remember, you didn’t get this way overnight. You won’t get back to being healthy overnight. It takes time, it is a process, you have to stick with it everyday.

My tip for this week is to just show up everyday. Make small changes to show up everyday. There are days you won’t feel like being active or eating healthy but you have to defeat that voice in your head. This week has been rough for me and my wife and some of our runner friends. We don’t know if it is the full moon or what but when all of us can run half marathons and marathons and we struggle to do a seven mile run something is up. I stopped after two miles. However, I did do push ups, pull ups and sit ups. I just couldn’t get into it and I didn’t want to risk another injury. My wife stopped three times on her seven mile run. Just wasn’t feeling it. However, she did finish it. My point: Even if it wasn’t the best day, we showed up. We did something and we didn’t dwell on it. The next day we went out and ran again and had a better day.

You can’t get anywhere if you don’t start. You won’t get any results if you don’t show up and do something.

We had a weight loss challenge at work and I would like to share with you what the winner said. He lost 30 lbs. in 12 weeks.

You probably know that during our Arctic “Biggest Loser” contest, I lost 30 pounds in 12 weeks. This is how I did it: I decided to. Simple, I decided to. Simple, not to be confused with Easy. But the irrefutable truth is you will not lose excess weight until you decide to.

Everyone has to decide on their own when they are going to get healthier. My circumstances are not your circumstances, but maybe you will see some common ground.

I did not decide to lose weight when I needed to lose 10 pounds. Or 20. Or 25. Around the beginning of July, I weighed the most I had ever weighed. My blood work numbers, while not alarming, were going in the wrong direction. Considering my Family History, this did not bode well. For these chronic conditions, most Doctors want to give you pills. Doctors are busy, and know a couple of simple truths: pills do not make you healthier, they merely slow the decline of your health. But most people will take a pill, while very few people will change their lifestyle. So Doctors give you pills, and move on to their next patient.

Instead, I finally decided to lose weight and make other lifestyle changes. Simple, not easy.

I am NOT telling you to ignore your doctor. I managed to convince mine that I was serious about lifestyle changes. He told me to look into the research of Doctor Dean Ornish. Along the way I also looked into some of the diet ideas of Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Last week I was looking for some recipes, and came across a new book, VB6, by my favorite food author, Mark Bittman. Low and behold, the forward was written by Dr. Ornish, and it nicely encapsulates and expands upon the conversation I had with my doctor. This is the biggest reason I wanted to share this with you; finding that convergence seems very Serendipitous, and I have attached that forward and strongly encourage you to read it.

I am not pretending to be a doctor or know what is best for you. But I know this: You have to decide. My motivations are my own, but everybody has a reason. Do you want to feel better? Have more energy, or less pain? Do you want to be healthier; for your spouse, your kids, your grand-kids? Do you dread the idea of waking up in the hospital and wondering if you waited too long, if it is too late to change?

I’ve lost weight before only to gain it back, so my journey continues. But it didn’t even begin until I decided it was time to start.

My Body by Young The Giant –

It’s Up To You Motivation –

Start Now Motivation –

Be Hungry (Fight For It) Motivation –

Be First and Last Motivation –

Proud by Heather Small –

Brand New Book by Train –

Fire by Gavin Degraw –

Never Give Up Motivation –

Living In Sin

On January 27, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music, Sin4 Comments

No, not the Bon Jovi song. I wrote this one back when I was writing a song or two a day. God was saying write and I was writing. Maybe one day someone would like to put music to it and turn these words into a song. If not, maybe it’s just a poem and I hope you enjoy reading the words.

Living In Sin

They say my God is an awesome God

That He can heal my heart

Then why do I feel so lost, I feel so lost

Why am I still in the dark?

They say He will give me what I need

Just ask Him, that’s all I have to do

Then why can’t I breathe, I can’t breathe

Why can’t I feel , Why can’t I feel you?

Am I living for you or living for me

Am I looking out or looking in

Am I blind, why can’t I see?

Am I free or am I living in sin?

They say follow His ways

That He can make me free

Then why am I in these chains?

Why can’t I get away from me?

They say He has great plans

That He will lead my life for His will

Then why can’t I seem to understand?

Why am I always living for the thrill?

Am I living for you or living for me

Am I looking out or looking in

Am I blind, why can’t I see?

Am I free or am I living in sin?

I can’t know this life You mean for me

It doesn’t matter where I’ve been

I can’t be who You want me to be

If I keep living in sin, living in sin

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners by Casting Crowns –

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner by Crowder –

Sin by Result –

No Longer Slaves by Bethel Music –

Stronger by Hillsong Worship –

At The Cross (Love Ran Red) by Chris Tomlin –

Lord I Need You by Matt Maher –

Lord I Need You by Plumb –

The Most Dangerous Book In The World

On January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music, Persecution, The Bible4 Comments

Living in America, there are many things I take for granted. The freedom to work where I want, live where I want, shop where I want, and to live like I want. The one thing I probably take granted the most is the freedom to worship God. In America, we can be free to be a Jew, a Muslim, a Catholic, a Christian along with many other religions. I can open the Bible anytime I want, anywhere I want. I can read scriptures on my computer or on my phone.

At my church I attend, we are doing a short series on In God(s) We Trust, and this week we had a guest speaker who spoke on Muslims and what they believe in. What they believe, or don’t believe, about the God I believe in. He is constantly amazed of how God is opening doors for him to Muslims who are looking for something more because of the extremists that are using violence and murder in the name of Allah. A friend introduces him to a friend who introduces him to a family who introduces etc etc. He treats them with kindness, compassion- like we are told to do – he shares the gospel, some accept, some don’t but they are amazed that a Christian will sit and just talk to them, just to share with them and to help them.

Then God put it on my heart to read some magazines I get monthly that I put aside to read at a later time. I have come to realize a later time rarely comes. So I sat down and started to read. Wouldn’t you know they went hand in hand with the sermon I just heard.

I opened up The Voice of the Martyr magazines and was deeply touched by how far other people in other countries have to go to be able to be a Christian, to be able to read and/or hear the Bible. In many , many countries if you are caught with a Bible, you will be thrown in jail, persecuted, or even killed if you do not denounce your faith as a Christian and commit to being whatever the “main” religion is of that country. Missionaries and other people actually risk their lives just to smuggle bibles, mp3 players, flash drives and other devices to spread the word of who Jesus is.

Many of the Christian leaders in their communities are outcasts. They are constantly threatened, beaten, persecuted, and some are killed. Many are forced to leave their villages if they continue to spread the gospel. All of this would stop if they would just denounce Christianity and commit to the religion of that area. They stand strong in their faith.

Would I be that strong? If I knew my daughter would be kidnapped, beaten, raped and left for dead because I am a Christian, would I be able to continue to say yes, I am a Christian and I will not denounce my faith. I will stand strong on God’s promises. I would like to think so but luckily, as of now, in this country I don’t have to make that choice.

Then I read how God has protected some of them. How they have gotten through ISIS checkpoints as they fled their homes. How they have survived this terror or that horror. How, even when a family member has been killed, they stand strong. I read where some terrorists escape that life because God called them to change, and now they are Christians fighting against the terrorists groups they were a member of just a short while ago.

It is amazing how God is using the terrorist groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban, North Korea communists, and many others to push thousands and thousands of people away from them and into the arms of our loving father, God, and Christianity. Many Muslims are horrified of these groups and their proclamation that Allah is having them do this. They say if this is the will of Allah, then we don’t want any part of it. One pastor in northern Iraq says “there are a lot of people turning from Islam. Jesus has a big net and ISIS is pushing people toward this net. What we are seeing now is like the tip of the iceberg.” He continues to say ” ISIS is making people, especially Muslims, think about their faith and question the faith they were born in and don’t understand.” He said they are repulsed by what ISIS is doing and increasingly disagree with Islam’s teachings. His church, which used to have seven to ten people on a Sunday, now is full to overflowing every Sunday because a lot of people are coming to know Jesus.

The Voice of the Martyrs has sent out 16,440 action packs (food, supplies, necessities), assisted 18,889 families and delivered 70,231 Bibles in just the Islamic state alone since June 2014 through October 2015. VOM is just one organization spreading the gospel. There are many others that share the same stories I mentioned above. Even though Christianity is declining in America, it is increasing many times over in parts of the world that denounced Christianity not too long ago.

Will you take a minute today and pray for VOM and other organizations like them? Will you pray for the believers who remain faithful amid persecution from ISIS and other terrorists groups? Will you take a minute and give thanks to God that you are free to read this without fear of persecution, that you are free to worship, free to read the most dangerous book in the world?

Unspoken by JustClay –

When The Saints by Sara Groves –

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus by Jadon Lavik –

The Just Shall Live By Faith by Rich Mullins –

Dreams of Jesus from Muslims –

Suffering Servant by Dustin Kensrue –

Guilty by Newsboys –

Our God by Chris Tomlin –

New, Forgotten, Unknown 1/22/16 New Music Friday

On January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, music, new music, new music Friday4 Comments

A few new musician followers this week. I hope by me sharing your music that you will get more fans to listen to your music. Please feel free to share/purchase the song I wrote with Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise. I have many more songs I would like to get out there but can not financially afford to record them. If interested in teaming up together, feel free to contact me.

Thanks for all the follows.

Awake Now by Caroline Sky –