Baroni Bloggin’

I woke up at home in Franklin, TN very early yesterday morning with the old Toto song playing loudly in my mind: “I bless the rains down in Africa.”

Then Rita and I drove to the airport where we kissed goodbye and I got on a flight to New York’s Kennedy Airport, then on to Dakkar, Senegal to refuel; and finally to Abuja, the capitol of Nigeria.

Comfortably ensconced at the Hilton here, I look out at the Nigerian cityscape. I see modern homes and apartment buildings, some vacant dusty lots, an ornate golden mosque, new roads, cell phone towers and a haze that brings a promise of rain later in the day. The view is a microcosm of the successes and struggles of this nation.

I think about the helpful, diligent and strong “protocol” men that whisked me through the airport and into the 3 car caravan including a uniformed man with a machine gun in the front car. (It sounds more dramatic than it actually was.) I reflect on the terrible violence in the nearby city of Jos- where just 5 days ago hundreds were killed. I think of the potential in this country of the many committed followers of Jesus, the visionary pastors and business leaders, the musicians and artists that I will be blessed to work and worship with over the next few days- not only in Abuja but also in the sprawling city of Lagos.

Pray for Nigeria- this land of beautiful, hospitable, strong and hardy people who have endured much hardship and have so much to offer Africa and the world. These believers take the Word and Spirit, the promises of God seriously! They have blessing in their mouths and hearts. Almost nowhere else in the world would you be able to find, regularly, a gathering of one million believers in an all night worship, prayer and praise gathering at a campground outside of Lagos. Pray for the young people who are looking for the reality of the Kingdom of God. Pray for their elders- for wisdom to know how to guide and encourage those entrusted with the rapidly approaching future of this great nation.

The theme for House on the Rock’s JAM (Jesus and me) Mega Festival is: “Nigeria; Celebrating Jubilee.” I hear the sound of an abundance of the rain of God’s Spirit, the reign of God through King Jesus and His people in Nigeria!

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“Jesus is the Key” Church, along with
45- 58 different churches and ministries each take a book of the Bible and portray the Story of Christ on the city streets. This Saturday, December 5th – in Melbourne, Fl, will mark the 20th year… a milestone. The continuance of this public proclamation, from Genesis to Revelation, has built a momentum that is beginning to attract national attention. What these believers are doing is historic. They are maintaining our freedom to proclaim Jesus publicly and are unifying the different denominations under the Banner of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a video link to a story a local paper did about this extraordinary event.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=videonetwork&videoID=1349414671

(You can see last year’s event at www.thebibleonparade.org).

Godrest and Godspeed!
David Baroni

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“There are many voices and none of them are without significance.” The Apostle Paul

A godly woman shared an encouraging story with me last week. She said that for years she had difficulty sleeping at night. Medication gave her bad dreams and she had tried other remedies as well. Then she put on some of my instrumental music to listen to. I saw the light in her eyes as, with gratitude, she told me how the Peace of God in those recordings helped her to sleep deeply and rest well.

I was also blessed as she told me that there was a “certain sound” that she heard from the Holy Spirit in my music- whether instrumental or vocal.

I think of it as a gift from God and as “honey from the rock.” The Word tells us to comfort others with the comfort that we ourselves have been comforted with. Honey is sweet; a rock is a hard place. I believe that the Spirit of God has poured some sweetness in the music He gives me that is made more effective by the marinating process of the adversity I have experienced.

Let me hasten to add that I know that I am a blessed man. All of us have trials and all of us have access through Jesus to Unfailing Love- God our Father. I am so glad that God is a Redeemer!

I think the sound my friend hears is ultimately the Song of her Father singing over her. Listen!! You can hear Him too!

Godrest and Godspeed!

P.S. Welcome Identity Network subscribers! Take some time to look around our site.

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We are pleased to announce the release of David’s newest instrumental 2 CD set: A Quiet Place: Instrumental Hymns and Songs of Worship. Each CD features David’s signature keyboard style and will inspire, soothe and refresh the listener. You can order each CD individually at our store or get the set for a discount.

Be sure to take some time to look around the website: www.davidbaroni.com Check out our free teaching download series and look at David and Rita’s books. Tell your friends about the new and improved davidbaroni.com. Thanks for your encouragement!
Godrest and Godspeed!
www.davidbaroni.com

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These are the lyrics to my new song, which is also available as a free mp3 download for the rest of October at www.davidbaroni.com

I particularly love the imagery in the second verse!

Godrest and Godspeed,
David Baroni

“Liquid Love”
David Baroni/ Kingdomsongs Inc. / BMI/ CCLI

Your love is an ocean
Your grace like the sea
Your faithfulness wave after wave to me
Your mercy’s a fountain
Your peace like a stream
Your joy is a river flowing within me
Flowing within me

You wash over me like liquid love
Through the tears and the rain with Your cleansing Blood
You pour out Your grace in a healing flood
And wash over me
You wash over me
You wash over me like liquid love

Sometimes I get thirsty
My spirit so dry
Surrounded by desert no clouds in the sky
The wind gently whispers
And I call Your Name
I’m suddenly laughing out loud in the rain
I dance in the rain

To the tired and thirsty soul
In a dry and weary land
There’s One Who will heal you
Save you and fill you
Come to the Water and drink
Come to the Water and drink
Then you will sing

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One more night of the Worship Camp in Lakeland. Watch it “Live” online at www.runwithfire.com

We have had a great week. Roy Fields and the team have been wonderful and the attendees of the worship camp (from 7 nations) are precious!

If you want to watch last night’s worship just go to the address below. (copy and paste)
Godrest and Godspeed!
David Baroni

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2263699

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David will be ministering tonight and tomorrow night “live” starting at 7 P:M Eastern Time for the next two nights, Oct. 1st and 2nd, at the Roy Fields Worship Camp in Lakeland Florida.
To join us for the live online broadcast, simply go to www.runwithfire.com and click on the Worship Camp “Live” icon.

Join uS!

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The following is an excerpt from Chapter One in my book “The Jazz Preacher”.

The Civil Rights Days
One of the most profound experiences of my childhood happened because of my mother. My mama believed that “people were people.” Skin color didn’t matter, everyone was worthy of respect and dignity. With the unwavering support of my dad, she put her beliefs into action in the 1960’s, in the
south, in Mississippi!

Those were the torrid days of the KKK, segregation, lynching, cross burnings and fire hoses, boycotts and riots. My mother got very involved in the Civil Rights Movement, one of the few white women in the town (or the state for that matter) to do so.
Dad had to endure the stares and slurs of some of his coworkers at Armstrong Tire and Rubber Co. Some of the men he worked with day in and day out were fervent members of the K.K.K.

One of the black men that worked at the same factory lost both legs to a car bomb planted in his vehicle. My father remembers placing small pebbles on the hood of his car to help him determine whether or not his automobile had been tampered with.

Periodically the Klan would roll up one page newsletters filled with malicious gossip that we called “hate-sheets” and leave them in peoples’ driveways. When I was a small boy, I would pick them up on occasion to find that my own family was the subject of the vilification. Fortunately, at age five or
six, I was too young to comprehend much of what was going on.

Along with Mom and Dad, my older siblings, Mary Jane, Philip and Rose Ann, bore much of the brunt of the ostracism and name calling. The threat of violence hovered like an ominous cloud over most small Mississippi towns in the early 1960’s.
One night my sister Rose Ann was walking in our neighborhood with some of her friends. A car filled with white men they had never seen before was driving back and forth down our street. After a few runs up and down, the driver pulled over and asked my sister if she knew where the Baroni’s lived. My sister smartly misdirected him and ran home to tell my father.

What happened next has become a favorite part of ourfamily history. My usually peaceful dad got his shotgun; (unloaded, but those guys didn’t know that), and ran out to the strange car, pointed the shotgun at the ashen-faced driver and in no uncertain terms commanded him to get out of there and not
come back. He rapidly complied and we never saw him again. Go dad!

We Shall Overcome

It was in that environment that my mother began to take me to voter registration rallies. These were events held in small black churches. Much of the impetus of the Civil Rights Movement came out of the African-American church, which was a strong unifying and galvanizing force in the black community. The rallies were held to encourage black people to register to vote. Though by this time they had a legal right to vote, some black folks were subjected to intimidation and harassment if they tried to register.

Most of the time my mom and siblings and I were the only white people to attend these meetings. It was an almost surreal atmosphere. People would use funeral home fans to try to wave away the stifling summer heat.
As a young boy, I didn’t understand most of what was going on. I can’t remember the speeches and other items on the agenda, but there was one thing about those meetings I will never forget: the singing.
Between speeches the choir would sing. It was usually a small choir, from 20 to 30 voices. There was no P.A. system, no microphones. They did not need amplification! As passionate voices were raised singing “We Shall Overcome” and “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” the congregation and choir alike would weep, sing, shout and celebrate like nothing this young white child had ever seen, heard or felt!
I didn’t realize it then, but God gave me gifts in those sweltering churches. I experienced the passion in music, songs delivered with emotion and honesty. I heard music employed to serve a cause greater than merely to draw praise to the singer or entertain the crowd. I received the ability to appreciate people’s differences and celebrate the many things we have in common.

Those wonderful people gave me the bequest of faith-filled songs that transcend suffering and give hope in the midst of struggle and despair. I didn’t realize it at the time but seeds of destiny were planted in my heart, and many gifts were poured like living water into this young man on those hot,
humid, Natchez nights.

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Even when it’s hard to believe
Even when our hope seems all gone
There has never been a night without a dawn…

“Faithful God” is one of my favorite songs. Co-written with my friend, Wayne Tate, this song is one that I sing regularly. It never gets old to me.

You can order it as a free MP3 and songsheet download at www.davidbaroni.com

Godrest and Godspeed!
David Baroni

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David and Rita have been in full-time ministry for 25 years.

David has ministered in 49 states and 20 countries. Rita has been able to join David on many of those trips and contribute in her unique and powerful way.

We are very grateful to the Lord for Him allowing us to be in full time ministry. We appreciate your prayers and support financially. The ministry is dependent on the love offerings and sales at our live events, some songwriter royalties, and the generosity of the people who believe in us. Many times God has provided for us with unexpected donations through offerings through the website or checks in the mail.

Recently, the Holy Spirit has impressed us to offer many of the items on the website free of charge, in particular the teaching mp3s.

We at davidbaroni.com know that God is always faithful to provide for all of our needs whether they are financial, spiritual, or physical. Thank you for the part you have in our ministry.

Thank you for your prayers and love! If you feel led by the Holy Spirit to make a donation to our ministry you can do so by clicking on the donation button on the home page at www.davidbaroni.com to donate securely by Pay Pal, or mail a check to:

Kingdomsongs Inc.
209 Cambridge Place
Franklin TN 37067

You can also help by purchasing the ministry resources that are available on the website.
Thank you and God bless you!

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