Baroni Bloggin’

“Beautiful in holiness awesome in Your praise
We marvel at the wonders of Your ways
We will never be forsaken, we are Yours forevermore
You are holy You are lovely and Your fiery love consumes us Oh Lord”

(from “Hear My Cry ( O Most High)” David Baroni/Meg Everhart

As I was thinking about the ardent affection expressed toward the Lord in the above song, I also thought about how some that don’t know Him would react to hearing or reading these lyrics.

Some people would think that the possibility of someone having a passionate, loving relationship with God would be unattainable, or if indeed if it was possible, the person that could be that close to God could only be that rarefied, one-in-a-hundred-million person that they would call a “saint”.

When you hear the term, whom do you think of? Mother Teresa? Francis of Assisi? Maybe Joan of Arc or the Apostle Paul?

Not to diminish the noteworthiness of those listed above, but the power of the Gospel is that it makes saints of all believers in Christ- and not just when we die!

Mufasa, the Lion King spoke from the stars to his searching son Simba one evening:
“You’ve forgotten who you are.” And “you are more than you’ve become.”

Our natural state as believers in Christ are that we are supernatural beings… we live by faith, led by the Spirit. We are separated unto God, “…partakers of His Divine nature.”
We are saints; even though we forget who we are, even when we don’t act like it.

This is not a reason to boast, our boasting is in the Lord-no; this call to be saints is a humbling one. A thrilling,sobering, wonderful reality… called to be saints!

Godrest and Godspeed,
David Baroni

While in Romania a few weeks ago, I heard two profound things. Early in the morning after I arrived in Timisoara, I opened the guest room window and heard… nothing! The sound of silence was stunning. No highway noises, people talking, horns beeping…nada!

As I tuned my ears to the silence, small sounds were magnified. A bird flew past the window and I could actually hear it’s wings flapping. This experience underscored just how noisy my life usually is. It was wonderful.

The second sound I heard was also early in the morning, it was also profound. It was a Sound of the Spirit… the Sound of Heaven.

In Genesis, Adam and Eve heard the “sound of the Lord God walking in the garden.” Some translations say they heard the “Voice” of the Lord walking…” I love that imagery. The Sound of Heaven is the sound of the vibrant praises of the passionate Romanian believers from the school of worship. It is the sound of the beautiful Ecuadoran dancers as they worshiped the Lord in Quito this past weekend. It is the sound of the Spirit- the sound of worship.

“Sound of Heaven”
David Baroni

Listen…. do you hear it?
There’s a sound arising in the earth
Growing stronger… in the nations
It’s the sound of worship it’s the sound of grace
As a desperate generation seeks His Face

It’s the Sound of heaven filling the earth
It’s the sound of freedom it’s the sound of Love
The Breath of God is blowing bringing life to these dry bones
Blow Wind blow
Flow River flow
Fill the earth… with the sound of heaven

Listen… can you feel it?
There’s a sound arising in this place
Getting louder… by the minute
It’s the sound of passion it’s the sound of joy
It’s the very Life of Jesus in our praise!

It’s the Sound of heaven filling the earth
It’s the sound of freedom it’s the sound of Love
The breath of God is blowing bringing life to these dry bones
Blow Wind blow
Flow river flow
Fill the earth… with the sound of heaven

It’s the sound of unity
And true humility
The sound of power
And healing in His name
You can hear it in the silence and the mighty rushing wind
The voice of God is walking in the garden again!

In my prophetic and songwriting classes, I exhort the students to keep their spiritual eyes and ears open to receive revelation from the Holy Spirit in myriad ways. Some are spectacular; like an effervescent sunrise or a drive through the mountains. More often, God speaks to me in the midst of the mundane. In the case of this blog, I heard from God through mis-reading a book title.

I was in Dallas, TX recently for the Worship Institute. While resting for a rare few minutes in our hotel room, I noticed the title of a Jan Karon book my wife was reading. I thought that the title was “Fight From Heaven”. Then, upon a closer look, I saw that the book was actually entitled “Light From Heaven”.

However, the phrase “Fight From Heaven” began to rattle around in my worship-addled brain.

As new creatures in Christ, believers are those who see the invisible, hear the inaudible, declare the unspeakable and hold the intangible. We view heaven as not just a far-off place that we will go to one sweet day, but a present (though of course invisible) reality to those who are led by the Spirit. We live by faith and as Paul the Apostle so eloquently and paradoxically declared: “We look not at the things which are seen for those things are temporal (of earth, temporary) but we behold the invisible.” (My paraphrase).

So we fight, yet not us but Christ the Warrior-Worshipper fights through us with mighty weapons that pull down strongholds and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We “fight from heaven”!

We live, yet not us, but Christ lives in us. We live from heaven. We sing from heaven, give from heaven, bless from heaven, pray from heaven, parent from heaven. Every aspect of life has potential to be lived “from heaven” by the grace of God, and the Presence of Christ in us the hope of glory.

In living from heaven (back to Jan Karon’s book title) we will also be “Light From Heaven”.
Godrest and Godspeed,
David Baroni

Patterns of thinking become ingrained after just a short time. I grew up with the concept that God was a harsh, demanding taskmaster that would only accept perfection- then dole out punishment when the inevitable failure happened.

I have been a “son of the Kingdom of God” for many years now and I know that the above description of God is… well, just plain wrong. However, it has taken me a long time to change my early mindset from one of fear to one of expectation of the generosity of God.

Granted, it was not just early training that instilled this wrong view of God. As a believer there were times when I encountered adversity that defied my attempts to pray it away, and I could see no natural or spiritual cause that precipitated what God had allowed. When the storm comes and things held dear get blown away, is God still generous?

As the whirlwind passes, so the wicked is no more but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
(Proverbs 10:25)

Make no mistake, the wind blows and the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Somehow, God works His redemptive purposes and all things do work together for those who love God, who are the called according to His purposes.

The Potter knows just how to mold, fire and form us into vessels of honor. He lovingly holds us on the wheel and in the refining fire, turns a deaf ear to our pitiful cries- not because He is not compassionate, but precisely because He IS!!

He knows that what He is taking out of us (everything not like Jesus) and forming in us (everything that is!) will be pleasing to Him and enable us to live in peace, fruitfulness and victory. We are being conformed to the image of Christ and what a destiny, what a gift… what generosity!

I wrote a little song a few years ago:

My arms are much too short to box with God
My arms are much too short to box with God
He would win every time!
He would win every time.

Even when I am afraid
I have it made in the shade
It’s high time I understood
God is out to do me good!

Dare to believe that the message of the Kingdom is great news from a Generous God!

Godrest and Godspeed,
David Baroni

Rita and I are having a great time here in Kuwait. Here are some of the thoughts that I shared in one of the meetings earlier today:

Two months after I resigned the only salary paying job I ever had as an adult, I found myself in a worship conference in Singapore as a “musicianary”. I told the attendees that I had always hoped for the right circumstances to be in my life so that I could just coast for the rest of my life.

I said that if I could just have the right financial circumstances or an encounter with God on a mountaintop that would make me forever peaceful, maybe that would bring contentment at last.
Then I told them that I knew that there wasn’t such an encounter or set of circumstances.

Why?

Because then I would trust in the encounter or circumstances and peace, a resting place, can only be found in a relationship with a Person… His Name is Jesus!
(By the way, God provided for us and our family wonderfully at that Christmas-time trip to Singapore!)

Jesus said “Man shall not live by bread (natural circumstances or provision-my paraphrase) alone- but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

In this day of the rapid proliferation of (mostly) useless words, it is easy for us to forget that words have power. God’s Word is what created the universe and holds it together!

In the encounter on the stormy sea when the Lord came walking upon the waves toward the disciples and they didn’t believe it was flesh and blood Jesus, but a “ghost”; Peter asked Jesus, “If it is really you, Master, then bid me come to you on the water.”

Jesus said one word: “Come!”

P.S. Look for our Freshword Teaching Series to be available any day now as downloadable MP3s at our online store!

Jesus said…”the Kingdom of God comes not with observation (natural perception), behold- the Kingdom of God is within you.”

George Warnock, in his powerful book, “The Feast of Tabernacles” talks about the great privilege that those who have received Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit have been given.

These new creations in Christ, the sons of God-

See the invisible

Do the impossible

So many times I am reminded that I have lived far beneath my calling and empowerment as a son of God. As Simba’s father Mufasa in the Lion King reminds his wandering son:

“You have forgotten who you are”

and

“You are more than you have become”.

As I study the power of thoughts and words. I am reminded often that the realm of spirit is more real than the realm of the temporal, “earthy”. The Apostle Paul writes:…”for we look not at things which are seen but things that are invisible, for the visible things are temporary but the invisible things are eternal.”

Reality is far beyond the physical realm. It includes (of course) the physical, but the “sense” realm is just the beginning. That’s where faith comes in. Faith calls things which are not as though they are through the power of the word of God.

We carry great capacity to bless- by our presence (or more specifically God’s Presence in us), by our words, and by faith-motivated actions. Sometimes, in fact most times, we are not aware of the power of our presence, words and actions. That’s probably a good thing as it relates to our pride, but not so good as it pertains to our lack of intentionality to live, as the Reformers said, coram Deo - before the Face of God.

Conversely, we can also bring damage and death by our presence,words and actions if we are not aware of the realm beyond the natural. Even believers in Christ can unwittingly be used by the enemy to speak word curses and bring “dis-ease” and strife if we are not aware of the importance of our God-given ability to influence the atmosphere and peole around us.

This is not to say that I advocate a paralyzing legalism or acute self-consciousness. Jesus said “You shall know the Truth and the truth shall make you free.” Through the death, resurrection, ascension and indwelling of Jesus Christ in us by the power of the Holy Spirit we are free to live without fear, alert to His goodness, and make a difference for the exalting of God by merely being!

There have been many words given over the last 20 years or so about a “New Sound” being released in the earth.

I believe those words are true and I believe that the sounds from heaven are even now filling the earth.

These sounds are heard with more than just the natural ear. These sounds are perceived by the spirit man. The sound of heaven is not a particular musical style, it is the sound inspired by the Holy Spirit and filled with the very Voice of God!

Imagination and creativity is stimulated by hearing these sounds. The sound of humility, power, love, joy and peace is being released today by the purpose of God. Are you listening?

The Shepherd is singing
Do you hear His Voice
The song of the Shepherd
Makes the sheep rejoice

We have wandered in the desert longing for the Living Water
Now the Shepherd sings His song calling us to Him
So we follow along
Singing His song
‘Til the Saviour like a Shepherd sings us home!

Godrest and Godspeed!

David Baroni

There is a time to ask for cleansing from the Lord. The Psalmist David, after the exposure of his sins of adultery and murder by the prophet Nathan, humbled himself in genuine repentance and cried out to God: “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
God heard his prayer.

After a period of fasting and mourning and prayer for the critically ill son of David and Bathsheba, the child died. Instead of wallowing in remorse and grief, King David immediately rose up and began to live life again. The time for asking, the time for mourning was over.

In today’s church, many times it seems like the people of God fail to discern that there is a time to stop asking God to cleanse us. There is a time to appropriate by faith His forgiveness and cleansing and instead of prayers of petition and pleading, offer up shouts of gratitude and proclamations of victory and of the goodness of the Lord.

“Religion” is always asking but never receiving. That kind of false piety presents its subjects as permanent victims. There is a pretense of humility- but that kind of posturing is in actuality a manifestation of faithlessness.

What if my toddler spilled her milk intentionally in a show of disobedience. I lovingly and firmly discipline her, instructing her that that kind of behavior would not be tolerated. She cries tears of genuine contrition and, of course, I let her know that she is forgiven. I forget the offense and finish the meal.

How would I feel if, after granting her a “clean slate and absolution”, she continued to wail and sob and cry, “Please forgive me daddy, I’m sorry… please forgive me- I am so sorry… Oh Daddy i’m so sorry, please forgive me.” I know the example may seem a bit melodramatic, but that is what much of the church is doing with our songs of “woe-is-me”, “I’m
unworthy”, “please forgive me for being such a dirtbag”. Many times it is not the lyrics to the songs themselves (which can be great prayer-songs for genuine repentance and forgiveness), but the timing of when to sing them. The church as a whole is too sin-conscious and not enough goood-news conscious!

Lest you think that I am advocating arrogance or pride before a Holy God, please re-read the first paragraph. My point is that I would think a healthy relationship with God is evidenced by the belief from His sons and daughters that our God is quick to forgive and plenteous in mercy and has sufficient grace and mercy to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then, forgiven- and with an attitude of humble thanksgiving- we can be about our lives; showing forth the praises of He Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!!

Godrest and Godspeed in 2008,
Pray for Pakistan, Kenya,Greece, Iraq, Iowa and New Hampshire!
David Baroni

Let It Be Done To Me
David Baroni/ Wayne Tate

The angel of the Lord appeared to Mary
Saying “Do not be afraid for you have found favor with God
For behold, you shall conceive and bring forth a Son
And call His Name Jesus, the Holy One
Then Mary replied
“How can this be since I haven’t known a man?”
Then the angel said to her
“The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you
For the Lord will fulfill
Yes the Lord will fulfill what He has promised
Then Mary said

Oh Lord Let it be done to me according to your Word
Oh Lord, Let it be done to me, I believe what I have heard
For with God nothing is impossible
And in Him I put my trust
Oh Lord Let it be done to me according to your Word

And just like Mary we magnify the Lord
And our spirits rejoice in God our Savior
For He Who is mighty has done great things for us
Holy is His Name Holy is His Name!

Oh Lord Let it be done to us according to your Word
Oh Lord, Let it be done to us, we believe what we have heard
For with God nothing is impossible
And in You we put our trust
Oh Lord Let it be done to me according to your Word

Merry Christmas to you and yours!
David Baroni

Rita and I were having one of our frequent conversations and were discussing, among other things, the family finances. We have the usual household financial obligations and sometimes things can get tight.

As we talked, our focus gradually turned from areas of need to the many places where we could see, very plainly, the goodness of God in our lives. (…and even the things that I think are areas of need, upon closer examination I can see that I have much to be thankful for.)

So here is a partial list of the true riches in my life:

Three beautiful, healthy, godly daughters who love me and welcome me into their lives.

A bright, loving son-in-law who takes care to love GOd and to love my daughter well. (He’s handsome too!)

My life’s companion, Rita. She and I have been married for over 27 years and we are closer to each other now than ever. We have grown through the hills and valleys of life and are best friends. We have even learned how to have conflict in our marriage and not see it as the end of the world- no small feat given our family backgrounds!

Songs and music that people all over the world have been encouraged by.

A nice home that resonates with laughter of our family and friends.

Friends from all over the world- from Kuwait to Nigeria, Italy to the Phillipines, Greece to Ukraine, Singapore to Australia.

A loving Father Who is the Creator and King of the universe and loves me unconditionally. He even loves me enough to discipline me and though “no discipline for the present seems joyous, yet the peaceable fruits of righteousness are enjoyed by those who receive the loving discipline of the Father.” (paraphrase mine.)

Yes, in this time where we celebrate the Word was made flesh- I am grateful that Jesus came to the stable of my heart and was born in me- and I reborn in Him!

God Bless you friends!
Merry Christmas
David Baroni