A Good Book

Micah and I both just finished reading Kris Vallotton's new book "Heavy Rain." Check it out. It's awesome.

       - Jesse

Like A Child - Champion City

Hey here's a new song I wrote called "Champion City"

It's a springfield song.

-Micah

A quick Supernatural Increase testimony!

Jesse and I were given a Yamaha Glockenspiel! We've wanted one for over two years but could never afford one. They go for like 5 or 6 hundred dollars. So we wanted to share this with you all! Yay God.


Micah

New song "Debt"

A little revelation we had together. . .

Are our relationships built around times of meetings, board games, movies, hitting the town, goofing off, worship, healing the sick, raising the dead? Or are our times of meetings, board games, movies, hitting the town, goofing off, worship, healing the sick, raising the dead built around our relationships? 


I hope it's the second one. :)


-micah

 If you wanna see what God is doing in a city and get an areal view; rather then going to the local churches, go to the local bars and highways and byways. Cuz He's building a family on the promenade.

-Micah

Supernatural

There is nothing natural about being born again. There is nothing natural about being a child of God. It's supernatural. Everything about it goes against the nature we are born into. Everything about it wages war against the natural man. You can't be a child of God and be normal, by the world's standards. You can try, but, if you are born again, you won't succeed. The Christian life is a supernatural life by nature. It's abnormal to the world. Normal to God obviously. But definitely not normal to the world. It's offensive to the world. If you are born again, if you are a child of God, you will offend people. It's a given. Because the Gospel is by nature offensive to the world, offensive to the natural man. It requires us to die to ourselves, to our efforts, to our abilities. And that's offensive. I'm not saying that you should go out and try to offend people. I'm just saying that it will happen, because it's a part of the Christian life. 

And what is the Christian life? It's not a changed life, or a rearranged life; it's an exchanged life: our life for His. It's not us living for Christ; it's Christ living through us. It's not about religion, conversion, principles, doctrines, whatever. It's a lifestyle. We are literally born again. Our lives start at birth, right? Well, so it is with rebirth. Our lives begin again. And that's supernatural. When something is supernatural it is "attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature," as the dictionary on my Mac states it. Being born again definitely goes beyond the laws of nature, don't you think? It's like a dog becoming a cat, or vice versa, depending on whether you're a dog or a cat person. We go from the first Adam to the last. We literally take on a new nature when we are born again. The old nature, the Adam nature, the nature that compels us to sin, is done away with and the nature of Christ takes its place. Actually, that transference took place a long time ago, over two thousand years ago, when Christ died and rose again. Talk about supernatural! And when we are born again we receive what has already been done, what has already been paid for. 

In May, when we first arrived in Ohio, Micah and I were worshipping together at a friend's house, spontaneously singing whatever plopped into our spirits, as we like to do. Micah started singing "highly unusual, highly unusual" over and over again. Later, he sang on a different chord progression, "highly unusual, supernatural God." Yes, God is highly unusual and supernatural. He's not, as we would like to think, normal, comfortable or natural. He supersedes the natural. And He forces us outside of our comfort zones. Being born again forces us outside of our comfort zones. It makes what was once comfortable uncomfortable. But where do we go from there? Too often we fall into traps of comfort, or at least I do. We move from one place with God to the next and stop there until it becomes comfortable, instead of moving on and up to higher places of relationship with the Lord. 

Comfort produces stagnation, lukewarmness. And that's not something I want. I want to grow. I want to be pulled and prodded and yanked into all sorts of new places and experiences. I want a kick to my spirit every time I start to drag. And that takes people. It takes the Bride, the Body of Christ. That's why we need each other. We are Jesus to each other, different aspects of Him, different lines in the same poem. We need each other to grow, to move, to enter the uncomfortable, the unusual, the supernatural. And the supernatural is where we belong.

- Jesse

Photos of a bar show

Hey so we had a show at a local bar called The Hop! We really enjoyed ourselves, so we thought we'd share some photos with you guys.

THE END

Thoughts on Family

Here are some things I've been thinking about on church family. Meaning the body of Christ. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on it. 

It seems it should be a no brainer that God's all about relationship. But we're hit with an anti relationship society in our western culture . We live in a culture that devalues marriage, family, and even just pure covenant relationships with people. It mocks and discourages having a pure brotherly and sisterly relationship with the opposite sex. And has no understanding of an intimate relationship like David and Jonathan. Our culture also has rampant fatherlessness. So with all that in mind we tend to carry that carnal mindedness into the way we function in the body of Christ. Unintended. 

A very true statement my dad said is that we can look at the way people relate with others, or look at the depth of their relationships, to determine how they relate to God and how deep their relationship is with Him. If people say they're in deep relationship with God, or have intimacy with him, yet have very shallow relationships with people, then it's safe to say they probably aren't as close to the Papa as they say. If you're shallow and casual with God, you'll be shallow and casual with His kids. Even when there are deep one's in relationship with the father and others, they may commonly be persecuted because they don't line up with the rest of the peoples value system. While God values relationship and love, with Him and others, the world and many in the body of Christ value positions, talents (or gifts) and externals. God looks at the heart. 

God's all about relationship, His government doesn't function like the earthly system's government. It functions as a family, all the way through. 

Family means "a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.• a group of people related (or relating) to one another by blood or marriage." That's interesting. We have His blood, so we're all His kids and we are all His bride cuz we're married to Him. 

We should really look at how we are relating to one another and how we value one another. Do we value people for what they do and what they have or do we value them for who they are. . . Sons of God. 

I'd love to have some things added to the conversation. 

I'll end this post with a couple Bill Johnson quotes to chew on . . . 

‎

"In the world you perform for identity so that you can be accepted. But in the kingdom, you are just accepted and that is your identity and out of that comes your performance."

‎"Insecure people fill their lives with business to drown out the cry of the orphan spirit." 

your brother micah

Testimony of Supernatural increase!

Today I was given a Mandolin, and it's the exact one I wanted.
The finals of a talent show Jesse and I have been playing in are this Saturday.
A few days ago I felt I should expect to have it by the talent show.
God is good!
Isaiah says we are priests and ministers of our God and we will eat the wealth of the nations.
SUPERNATURAL INCREASE!


AMEN!


Micah

What happened is still happening!

The Spirit is active and alive. There's no limit or measure to the Holy Ghost! Religion puts a limit and measure on the Spirit. Performance doesn't determine His flow, but promise. You can only give what you receive and If you receive the kingdom like a child then you will enter in (here and now). It comes down to receiving and believing. It's simple. Jesus paid for the Holy Spirit and for the anointing. He shed His blood and went to the cross for the joy set before Him. He ascended and poured out His spirit. He got the promise! He did it! It is finished. It's His glory! I will not steal it. In my weakness His power is made perfect. I will boast in my weakness and stand before all men and say I got the anointing and the Holy Spirit by promise. I received it with out pay! So I can give it with out pay! I got it because another paid for it. Now we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We can enter in by faith.


amen


Micah

Update

Just a quick update of what's been going down. On Saturday we played at the Springfield's Got Talent preliminaries at the Upper Valley Mall. We played a newer song called "Blood." The judges were very positive and sent us through to the semi finals. In two weeks we will be playing again. Riversong Worship of Riversong Church played and passed as well. Continued prayer is much appreciated for both of us.


This Saturday we will be playing at Limefest in Limecrest. We will play from 1 to 2 PM then Riversong Worship will play from 2 to 3. After that we will be playing at the Awake Outreach in Cliff Park at about 5 PM. Besides all of this, we don't have any new shows set up. We're still planning on looking into some bars. We'll let you know when we do.


Blessings and joy!




- Jesse

Farmer's Market Show Photography by Kim Taylor

Free Show

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder. On September 11th, we're playing at the Springfield Farmer's Market.  Two sets: 10-11am and 12-1pm. Bring friends if you have any. Bring family. Come ready to sing along. And buy some vegetables, if you want to. The Farmer's Market is at the Heritage Center in Center City, next to Un Mundo. It's on Fountain. You can find a detailed map at myspace.com/likeachildband  Besides that,  grace, peace and blessings to all of you.

Anointing

Hey

A quick note about the anointing from the Holy one. 

in 1 John 2:20 and 2:27 it says...

20: But you have been anointed by the Holy one, and you all have knowledge. 

27: . . . the anointing that you received from him abides in you. 

The word anointing there is the word Charisma which is to smear or  to be endowed with power, the Holy Ghost. 

So we have all received a smear. Jesus paid for it. When he sent out His disciples he said "You have received with out paying, give with out pay." It's done. Because it is finished. Jesus paid for the anointing and he paid for the Holy Ghost. It comes down to receiving what he has already done and paid for. We have access by faith into this grace! What qualified the disciples was that they weren't qualified. It was that they were of not, but He was I am. They had lack, he had all things. Jesus fills our nothing with his big EVERYTHING. The religious people of Jesus' day came to him once and said, "Why do you hang out with the tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said "The well have no need of a physician, but the sick, go and learn what this means." 

Basically go where there is need and He'll show up. He'll walk in the room. He's in us. Stepping out in our weakness and fears... God shows up. 

It's okay to not know what we're doing. That's just fine. Ask him about it. He does want us to have a relationship with him. We don't have to understand what he's asking us to do. Maybe after we do it we'll understand. Just step out in Obedience! 

He gives His Spirit without measure and gives Joy inexpressible and filled with glory. 

Amen 

micah 

Messy People, Messy Songs

A lot of the songs I write are prophetic. By prophetic I don't mean that they predict the future; I mean simply that they express the heart of God. I can say this confidently not because I spend hours basking in the glory, but simply because I am in Christ and Christ is in me. And from this place of right relationship with Jesus, I, as well as all the children of God, have access to the heart of the Father. Plain and simple. And my response to the heart of the Father is often to write a song. "The Bride" for instance, or "That They May Be One," are both expressive of God's heart for His body. A new song called "The Lion Is Moving" is about what the Lord has planned for Springfield, Ohio and what He is doing there now. 

I can say confidently that these songs are the heart of God, but that does not mean that every single line is from the Spirit. Some lines might just be me. But that's okay, because God isn't after perfection. He's not even after right theology. He's after our hearts. And he takes us in all our messiness. He takes my songs in all their messiness. Because Christ Himself is the answer to God's pursuit of perfection. Jesus is perfection for us. As I sing in a new song called "Blood," "There's a father before whom we'll always look pretty because his son went into and his son came out of the ground." That's it. Nothing we do or can do can make us acceptable before God. Jesus is our righteousness, our perfection, our reason for being acceptable to the Father. And so, clothed in Jesus, we can come to the Father in our messiness. I can come to the Father with my messy songs. And that's just beautiful. 

Perfection is boring anyways. How many "perfect" Christian songs do we hear all day long on the radio? Too many for my ears. I wanna hear the messiness. I wanna hear the heart of God expressed through people, through human beings relating to God. That's why I love John Mark McMillan and Kevin Prosch. They're real. They write from their hearts, as well as the heart of the Father. It's a mixture, I guess. When I write a song, a prophetic song, there's a mixture of my heart and His. And I think He's okay with that. 

- Jesse

First Blog

Hey. We decided to start a blog to share thoughts and updates and whatnot.


Last night we had our first show in Springfield, OH at a coffee shop named Un Mundo. Twenty plus people showed up, about half of which were our family. We played eleven songs, including some new ones. We had a lot of fun and really felt the presence of the Lord. Doing this show made us realize how much joy comes with doing what we love doing. We came alive, and we can't wait for the next show. We're already scheduled to play at the Springfield Farmer's Market on September 11th. Also, we're planning on talking to some local bars about doing some shows there. Besides that, we'll see what happens.


One of the new songs we played is called "The Lion Is Moving." It's about Springfield. As we've been settling in here on the Southside, we've been feeling pretty strongly that the Lord is moving in the streets. Harvest is coming in the streets. Revival is coming in the streets. The lion is moving into town, and he's coming for the broken people. So we're excited to see what all of that will look like.


As far as our music goes, our debut album "The Exchange" is up on iTunes and Amazon and is available as a physical copy at CD Baby. If you've listened to it, we would love your feedback. God bless.


Like A Child