“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6
A look and listen back to the 2015 release (Album: ‘Hope Love Joy Peace’) of ‘Wonderful Counselor.’ It’s still alive and relevant today!
Lyrics: Wonderful Counselor, born to us Born to love, and want good for us You want good for us, Lord Jesus
Wonderful Counselor, given to us Given to guide, and provide for us You provide for us, Lord Jesus
Your presence surrounds me Your glory for all to see
Wonderful Counselor, sent to us Sent to heal, and to comfort us You comfort us, Lord Jesus
This album was inspired through an advent season of change, It was written and released ten years ago as I was adjusting to my mother’s residential change to heaven. It marked a time of transition, a moment of growth, and the realization of a deeper faith through healing.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~ John 1:5
‘Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;’ ~ Psalm 95:6
Over the next few weeks you’ll no doubt start to see O’ Come popping up on the landscape of your favorite social network and streaming platform. It’s a new Christmas offering, but what with the blurred lines of advertising and the rush to beat the competition these days, there doesn’t seem to be traditional calendar seasons anymore. That being the case, management expressed that I should plan on having it available in the beginning of November to achieve a Christmas footprint.
So here’s the announcement of my new single, one that will certainly continue to ramp up over the next few weeks as Thanksgiving approaches.
On the heels of the release of It’s Time, Lord comes the release of O’Come. It’s a prayerful plea for hope in a world where even when there’s a moment of light, there’s still darkness. Relying on a historical refrain, the message is still relevant as we continue to encounter human brokenness on a daily basis.
A re-imagining of a familiar Christmas refrain, as it happened during a spontaneous time of worship in December of 2024. It was sung beneath a prayer reading from the Book of Psalms.
‘Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;’ (Psalm 95:6)
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. ~ Ephesians 6:12
You see, as New Testament believers, our fight is never against people, but against principalities and powers. Thus, we should be waging war in the Spirit through prayer against this perversion that has blinded so much of our country and our leaders. ~ Jon Courson
I see our society as indicative of a serious moral issue. We can candy coat it, we can spin all kinds of worldly scenarios, but inevitably it’ll come down to our lack of moral fiber.
Other than being an example, I don’t see any other way of making a dent in our world’s decay. Lately I seem to return to the idea of being bold in our response to damning situations, because I know from experience how easy it is to just walk away without making waves, without making a statement …but that’s probably the only way (baring an act of God) that any change can happen.
Father, embolden me to be a proud, unabashed, soldier for you!
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
The moments that challenge us are the ones that have the most value. The experiences that reveal our limitations and the need we have for a greater source of strength and wisdom, God, are the ones where we see the greatest growth in our journey.
This is an unplugged song from the ‘Chapel Songs’ album. It was inspired by Psalm 139 quite a few years ago. Since that time it’s been a staple of my repertoire. Hopefully it continues to strengthen and reassure those who are hurting, doubting, and living in a fearful world.
So much has been written about mankind’s need for hope, and there’s never been a time when we didn’t need it. Scripture says, ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.’ (Romans 15:13 ESV) ~ E.M.
Hope of the World ushers in a radiant light, instills hope, and leaves you with a smile that lingers
The Further
I was asked recently about the journey of this song, as in how did it get to this version, and on this album? It’s no doubt the oldest song on the project. It was written twenty years ago and has gone through quite a few differing arrangements over that time. I was never really happy with it, in fact I had no intentions of including it on an album back in 2011 called The Twelve. It took some prodding from a voice on my accountability team. And yes, I have a real accountability team that keeps me on the straight and narrow, or at least it attempts too. I included it back then because it was always an engaging song during times of worship. What made me uncomfortable was not the message, I love the message, but the musical setting never quite felt right. I always struggled to find a nice little niche to sing it from …where it didn’t feel awkward.
The Chapel Songsproject was created as a collection of easy to access worship songs for the small church, not that they couldn’t be embellished and sung in larger communities, but so many of todays popular recordings can be intimidating for musicians who aren’t professionals, and I wanted to provide an album of songs a single guitarist or pianist could lead with.
So I revisited this song and toyed with some sparse arrangements, and eventually found one that made me smile, and that was it. The lyric video is an unplugged version of the album track and presents an even simpler approach. The message is still intact, and is certainly still relevant. God’s messages always are!
Hope of the world Shine on us You are the Answer
Fill up our hearts, fill up our souls Lure us away from all that’s wrong Fill up our hearts, fill up our souls Give us the strength to carry on
Here we stand, blessed with each new day Here we stand, humbled works of clay
This past week my wife and I traveled south to warm up before the holidays. While being on the road I found my mind wandering in and out of all sorts of thoughts and prayers. I don’t think I’m alone in discovering that my mind operates differently when I’m not being disrupted by the noise of the world. Open road driving seems to provide a time and space for me to ponder, and to plan, but like life in general there are always unexpected wrinkles along the way, and this trip was no different in that respect.
Our first day was littered with accidents, none prayerfully that were life ending, but none the less they were there in numbers that seemed greater than usual, and which made me very aware of the rubberneckers. It was in that state that I started to think about, and pray about, the need to be curious…
‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ – John 1:5 ESV. In our world of every challenging moments, it’s comforting to know that the gloom that often descends on us has never blackened out the light. Hope is in the faith that a spiritual presence is always working behind the scenes for the good of ALL people.
In a land where death casts its shadow A light is shining bright Through the darkest despair there’s a promise Where tomorrow will be alright Come and sit by the well of assurance Come where hope is still alive A light is shining with love and with calmness And that light is shining bright ~ E.M.
My motivation each and everyday is to serve and give back simply because I’ve been so blessed. I love on others because I was first loved. I know it can sound too sweet at times, but the truth is the truth, and that’s the honest …
My Alms – from the Chapel Songs album.
Let my love be my mark… Be my mark in this world Let my love be my alms… Be my alms to the Lord ~ E.M.
Works 