Category: Music

Over All

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Music, Praise and Worship, Scripture, The Christian Walk

I Chronicles 29:11 (NKJV)
Yours, O Lord , is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord , And You are exalted as head over all.

Matthew 6:13 (NKJV)
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Revelation 5:12 (NKJV)

saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

As you may have noticed, there is a very exciting new addition to this website! With the Lord’s help and guidance, I have written a song for His glory and am thrilled to be able to share it with you! I decided to write a post about the inspiration, process, and goals for this song.

My song is mostly based on 1 Chronicles 29. What a beautiful psalm of praise to God! I have always loved the words of that chapter. As I put the words of Scripture to music, I realized I had combined David’s words of praise in 1 Chronicles 29 with the doxology to the Lord’s prayer, and praises from Revelation–a beautiful testimony to God’s people worshipping Him all across the ages!

Behind the song:

I wrote most of this song while I was sick with a cold. My family had gone to church, and I had stayed home, resting. (A quiet house always equals inspiration–in my experience, at least!) At the end of the day, I had the verses and the chorus, both words and music. Eventually, the Lord gave me the bridge as well. My mom helped me refine the song and polish it.

The Lord miraculously and quite unexpectedly connected me with a wonderful producer. I am so thankful for his help recording and producing my song, and for the amazing job he has done. When I arrived at the recording studio, the Lord had done another miracle–my producer had brought in a great local guitarist to play at the recording session!

My mom played the keyboard, my sisters did an astounding job on their violins, for which I am so grateful, and my brother played his congo drum. I was (and still am) totally in awe of what the Lord has done!

The Lord truly had His hand on the recording session, and for several months afterward, we went back and forth editing a few things. He also provided a really great distribution company.

Thoughts on worship:

In the beginning of this post, I put a few of the Scriptures that inspired this song. I love the thought of believers worshiping Christ across the ages–across time. All the words believers have ever used to praise God join to form an endless anthem of praise. Worship brings us into the very throne room of God and near to His heart! Worship unites us as well–unites us closer to God and fellow believers. I have been in places where there are thousands of people–different ages, backgrounds, races, histories–all raising a song of praise to God. It is truly remarkable how worship brings us closer to God and to each other.

When we worship, we gain perspective of GOD. We rise above earthly issues, remembering how great and amazing He is. Nothing else seems to matter when we praise and worship God in Spirit and truth!

Thoughts on Over All:

No matter what is going on in the world, God is on the throne! He is over all things–sovereign and almighty. He reigns over all things. We can take heart in knowing that He reigns from His throne. He is always worthy of our praises! What should our response be when we marvel at God’s majesty–His greatness, His power, and His glory? As the bridge says, We exalt/We adore/You are King/Over All. The only appropriate response is to exalt, adore, and worship God!

Why do we worship? God is good, great, majestic, holy…His alone is all the glory! There is no reason NOT to worship our amazing King. He owns all things–the earth is His in all its fullness. He is worthy of all our praise. He has a plan behind everything. He is sovereign on the throne, over all in the world and our personal lives as well.

PRAISE BE TO THE LORD! I pray He is glorified through this song. I look forward to seeing what the Lord does through it! My prayer is that this song will be a tool for believers to praise the Lord and worship together. Please share this song with everyone you would like to!

All glory be to Christ for the great things He has done!
~Anastasia

My goal for this song (and everything in my life):

Psalms 115:1 (NKJV)
Not unto us, O Lord , not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.

Breath of Heaven: Mary’s Song

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Art, Christian holidays, Holidays, Music, Scripture, The Christian Walk, Theology, Womanhood

When I was younger, I thought that God’s plan for Mary was the very best calling for any woman who has ever lived and that nothing else could ever be as special as being Jesus’ mother. At the root of these thoughts lay the deep desire to do great things for God.

Last year, as I was listening to the Christmas song “Breath of Heaven”, which speaks of the Nativity from Mary’s imagined perspective, I gained fresh insight. As Mark 3:35 says, “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Only one woman was called to be Christ’s literal mother, but each and every believer, in a very special way, carries Christ within them. He dwells in their heart.

Just like Mary, we wonder what we’ve done that the Father has chosen us to bear the image of His Son. We wonder if wiser people could have taken our place, and yet we offer all we are to His plan.

As Mary did, may each of us strive to surrender entirely to the Lord and say “Behold, the …servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Luke 1:45 NKJV

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

Same God

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Music, Prayer, Scripture, The Christian Walk

Isaiah 50:2 (NKJV)

...Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?…

Isaiah 59:1 (NKJV)
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.

How often do we limit God’s power to our finite comprehension? How prone we are to believe that the great miracles of the Bible were one-time occurrences and that God either cannot or will not do such things today?

The truth is that the God we serve today is the same God Who parted the sea for Moses and raised Jesus from the grave. Our God is ALL powerful! There is absolutely nothing that is impossible with Him! The God of the Bible is our God today!

Sometimes I wonder if the seeming powerlessness of God is really our lack of faith. As Scripture says in Matthew 13:58, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” God is all-powerful, but does our faithlessness sometimes prevent His mighty responses to our prayers?

Here are two of my favorite prayers. Mark 9:24 says, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief.” The other prayer comes from a song, “I don’t know how You’ll make a way, but I know You will!”

In whatever situation you find yourself praying for God’s mighty power, know that His hand is not shortened, nor His ear heavy. He is alive and active. He hears and answers us, and He truly fights for His children. Let us have faith in His power and love!

Luke 1:45

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Exodus 14:13-14
And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Priorities

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Music, Prayer, Scripture, The Christian Walk

Colossians 1:17-18 (emphasis added)

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Recently, while I was speaking with someone, the conversation turned to spiritual matters. The person with whom I was conversing said, “Yeah, I’ve been really busy lately, but I guess I should make some time for the Lord!” I was left speechless.

How very sad to realize that this is the view some nominal Christians have today. Shouldn’t church be essential, Bible reading vital, and prayer and praise non-negotiable? In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Is it even right to call God “the Lord” if He is obviously not Master and Lord over every area of our lives? If we truly belong to Christ, shouldn’t He be our utter everything, and not just an ideal-sounding clause on the back burner of our lives that is thought about briefly every now and then?

I am reminded of Isaac Newton’s hymn “The Wonderful Cross” which says, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!” Let’s all check our priorities today and make sure we give rightful honor and preeminence to Whom it is due.

Oh gracious Lord and Master,

Here we are your servants. Lord, You are our everything. You have made and sustained us. You breathe Your life into us and hold us together in the palm of Your hand. We are nothing without You. You deserve our entire lives and everything we are and have.

Let us not lose sight of what truly matters, Lord. We are mere vapors, and our earthly lives are quick and fleeting. Be first always in our lives, hearts, minds, and strengths. Help us to prioritize You above all things. May our worship of You, search for You, and obedience to You rise above fleeting earthly pleasures or selfish pursuits. May You always be glorified and exalted first and foremost over everything! We adore You, Lord!

Amen!!!

God Is With Us

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Art, Christian holidays, Music, Scripture, The Christian Walk

It is not Christmastime, but the astounding concept of IMMANUEL–God incarnate–is a major part of our every day lives as believers. Here are some of the lyrics to one of my favorite songs–“For God Is With Us”–that puts this concept in a beautiful perspective.

“No room for a King/no celebration and no ceremony in that little town/nobody would think/ this is the story of the coming glory….the Body was broken/and it was finished/so let us begin/the celebration and the ceremony…oh, how the world forever changed/for God is with us!”

Stop and ponder this a moment. GOD–the Creator of the universe–the omnipotent, omniscient, almighty God–the only One Who is worthy of all our praise and adoration–the Lord of all things–condescended to earth in human form–for us! GOD, veiled in flesh, came down from His heavenly home to save us! Jesus Christ, the very image of God and God Himself, was born in the lowliest state–for us. ALLELUIA!!!

Oh, friends, let us praise and worship our God! He is the ONLY One worthy of all our adoration! Let Him be Lord in our lives! He is holy–He is awesome–He is full of glory and grace! Let us bow to Him in reverence and praise HIM ALONE today. Alleluia and amen!!!

Your Kingdom Come

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Music, Prayer, Scripture, The Christian Walk

Recently, I have been meditating on Jesus’ words from the Lord’s prayer: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as is in heaven.” There is a powerful song called “Kingdom Come” by Rebecca St. James and for KING & COUNTRY that sheds a whole new light on this sentence.

I always thought that asking for God’s kingdom to come was, basically, asking for Christ’s return. And while that is definitely part of it, there is so much more. I did some research on the term “kingdom of God” in the NT, and here is what I found:

-Matthew 6:33-We are to seek it first.

-Mark 1:14-The gospel is called “the gospel of the kingdom of God”.

-Mark 1:15-John the Baptist proclaimed it was at hand.

-Mark 10:14-Jesus said it is made up of childlike faith.

-Luke 9:60-We are to preach it.

-Luke 17:21-It is within us.

-Acts 14:22-We can only enter it through many tribulations.

-Romans 14:17-It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

-1 Corinthians 4:20-It is not in word, but in power.

The kingdom of God is not yet physically established on this earth. However, it does exist in our hearts as believers. Within us, it is like a tower of righteousness, power, peace, joy, and faith that God had built. And while we pray for Christ’s return, when we will dwell in God’s literal kingdom on earth, let us also pray for His kingdom to come, even now, first and foremost in our hearts, so that we may further it and share it with others.

Every time we grow in Christ, His kingdom expands within us. And every time another heart accepts Christ as Lord of his or her life, His kingdom furthers, on earth just as it is in heaven. Let us pray first that God would expand His kingdom more and more in our hearts and lives, and then that He would use us to further His kingdom in others.

Earthen Vessels

by Anastasia Irene, posted in Music, Scripture, The Christian Walk

I am currently studying the book of 2 Corinthians, and one image that really struck me is that of earthen vessels. How is this image meaningful, and how does it apply to our lives? The answer is profound.

2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

To put it simply, we are the earthen vessels, and the treasure we are entrusted with is the precious Word of God. The word “earthen” denotes something frail; thus, we also have the imagery of us being broken vessels. I think that we can be broken for Christ in two ways: first, out of love and sacrifice for Him, and second, in sorrow because of the trials of life that He allows us to go through for His purposes.

I love how the Hillsong song “Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)” puts it. It says, “You take our failures, You take our weakness/ You set Your treasures in jars of clay/ so take this heart Lord, I’ll be Your vessel/ The world to see Your life in me.”

There are two Biblical images that come to mind. First, the image of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet. She used an alabaster jar, quite literally, an earthen vessel, to pour out the best of what she had in sacrifice for the Lord. Should not we also do the same out of our frail, broken vessels?

The second image is that of Gideon. Judges 6 tells us, “Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers….Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’”

Jesus Christ’s light has been entrusted to us. When we break, either in trials that come our way or in sacrifice and love for Him, the Light inside us burns brighter!

Another insightful thought is how this verse about earthen vessels relates to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, Israel. What a good example of this concept! The Word of God–precious treasure–inside earthen vessels.

A replica of one of the jars in which some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

One more thought: A friend reminded me of Isaiah 64:8 in regard to this topic: “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” God molds us, earthen vessels, and sometimes He allows us to be broken so that His life and light can shine brighter through us.

As we meditate on this amazing concept of broken vessels, may our hearts long to bring more and more glory to the Lord!