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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 214

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY MARCH 21ST 2021 WEEK 214
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 10 Say I Won’t
[4TH week @ # 1]
MercyMe
2 3 9 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
3 2 5 Good God Almighty Crowder
4 4 9 Less Like Me Zach Williams
5 5 17 Every Step Of The Way Cade Thompson
6 6 3 Amen for King & Country
7 7 24 Truth Be Told Matthew West
8 9 13 Another In The Fire Hillsong United
9 10 2 Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight) TobyMac
10 1 God Who Listens Chris Tomlin Ft. Thomas Rhett

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Almost Home” – MercyMe
2019 – “Confidence” – Sanctus Real
2018 – “No One Like Our God” – Lincoln Brewster
2017 – “I Have This Hope” – Tenth Avenue North

MercyMe are at # 1 for the 4TH week with “Say I Won’t”. Their new album drops on Friday April 30TH 2021 as per a recent series of teasers on their official Facebook page.

NEW this week is the 6TH hit since 2017 for Chris Tomlin. It features country musician Thomas Rhett – who has enjoyed a string of # 1 country hits over the past 8 years. I’m interested to see if this one crosses-over from Christian radio to Country radio.

BUBBLING UNDER just outside my Top 10 is the new one from We The Kingdom. It’s “Child Of God”, and it features Bear Rinehart – the lead singer of NeedToBreathe.

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

“What is truth ?” – Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them – “He is not guilty of any crime. But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’ ?” (18:38-39)

But they shouted back – “No ! Not this man. We want Barabbas !” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.) (18:40)

Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. “Hail ! King of the Jews !” – they mocked, as they slapped Him across the face. (19:1-3)

Pilate went outside again and said to the people – “I am going to bring Him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said – “Look – here is the Man !” (19:4-5)

When they saw Him – the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting – “Crucify Him ! Crucify Him !” (19:6a)

In Part 8 of my continuing sermon leading-up to Resurrection Sunday I continue from the Gospel of John – Chapter 18 into 19 – where John remembers when Jesus was sentenced to death.

The Roman Governor – Pontius Pilate – determined that Jesus was not guilty. He committed no crime, and He was no threat to the Roman Empire. Pilate offered to release this ‘King of the Jews’, but the mob rebelled. They wanted Barabbas released instead. (Barabbas was guilty of murder and insurrection !)

Jesus was mocked and beaten by Pilate’s Roman soldiers, and then He was paraded in front of the mob outside so that they could see that He was punished – even though He was not guilty of any crimes. The leading priests and Temple guards wanted far more punishment for Jesus. They wanted Him crucified. Pilate challenged the mob to crucify Him themselves.

Pilate had another conversation with Jesus inside, and he tried to release Him again. The mob threatened Pilate if he released Jesus claiming that he (Pilate) would be no friend of (Julius) Caesar – just as Jesus was a rebel against Caesar.

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. (19:16)

I’ll continue this journey through John Chapter 19 – next Sunday Scripture.

Missed the first 7 parts of this sermon ? Check them out – PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4 / PART 5 / PART 6 / PART 7

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
1990s Blogging Career Driving Home Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday March 17TH 1991:

  1. “One More Try” – Timmy T
  2. “Waiting For That Day” – George Michael
  3. “Joyride” – Roxette
  4. “Baby Baby” – Amy Grant
  5. “More Than Ever” – Nelson

Exactly 30 years ago this weekend I was at home – my teenage childhood home in McLean Virginia (just outside of Washington D.C.)

On the weekend prior I departed the pink desert sands of Al Kharj AB Saudi Arabia with some of my fellow Operations Desert Shield / Desert Storm airmen. We lifted-off from the runway in Saudi at 0326L on Saturday March 09TH 1991. After 7 hours and 7 minutes in the air we landed at Torrejon AB Spain (near Madrid). It was a longer-than-expected nearly 5½-hour stop before we took-off again for our stateside destination at Dover AFB Delaware. We touched-down there at 1656L (21½ hours after leaving Saudi). A bus transported us to Philadelphia where we spent the night at a hotel near the airport. We flew out (commercial) the next morning – Sunday March 10TH 1991 – arriving back in Miami at 1001L.

We returned to Homestead AFB with no fanfare at all, and the next morning I was back at my workplace office. I met my new supervisor. He replaced my previous supervisor who was “reassigned”. He told me to take up to 30 days of “R & R” (rest and recuperation) as a returning war veteran. That Wednesday March 13TH 1991 I was on-the-road northward heading towards the Washington D.C. area. I spent the night in South Carolina, and the next afternoon I arrived at my childhood home 1,096 miles from the base. I stayed there for the next 2 weeks enjoying family time.

I was sent to war as punishment by my supervisor at the time (end of 1990). I didn’t do anything wrong. She just hated me. She had issues with guys that looked like me. An investigation occurred while I was at war, and she was relieved of her duties. The war (and post-war) was the start of the best (and final) 26 months of my entire Active Duty Air Force career.

(I still work for the USAF today as a Federal Civilian – at now Homestead ARB.)

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to March 1986 – towards the end of my first year working for the USAF.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Driving History Nature Photography Travel

My Spring Break 2021 Road-Trip

4 weeks ago (4 Thursdays ago) I returned home from my Spring Break 2021 Road-Trip. It was a fun 5-day adventure traversing 624 miles through the 10 South and Central Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, Highlands, Hardee, Glades, Hendry, and Collier. I also barely touched Monroe County, and I saw its many islands.

Last Thursday I wrote on Day 4 – my final day in Highlands County (where I plan to retire) in South Central Florida. The story continues now:

On Day 5 I departed Highlands County shortly after sunrise. My first stop (at 9 AM) was in the small historic community of Immokalee in far-northern Collier County – a first-time-ever visit. I visited the Immokalee Pioneer Museum At Roberts Ranch – a branch of the Collier County museum system. I visited the Visitor’s Center (off the parking lot) thinking that was all there was to see there. Nearly a month later (as I’m writing this), and I find out that it was merely one of a whole bunch of historic buildings and exhibits on a sprawling 13-acre site. I wish I had known that while I was there. I wish I had a tour guide to tell me about the place – inside and outside. I would’ve gone “out back” to check it out. I guess I have a good reason to return there on a future road-trip.

After my short (and obviously incomplete) visit there I ventured due south to Everglades City – the first and former county seat of Collier County on the south coast of the mainland of Florida. It was supposed to be a major port city on the coast, but that never materialized. Nowadays a little over 400 residents call it home. I visited the Museum Of The Everglades there – another Collier County museum. I received excellent customer service there, and the museum was thriving for a Thursday morning in mid-February.

I’m intrigued about the history of Everglades City. I think on my next visit to Collier County I need to check-out that museum again – and then venture northward for a “do-over” at their museum in Immokalee.

My final stop was the end of the road – as far south as you can go in this area – Chokoloskee. I had never been beyond Everglades City before, so this was quite a discovery. I visited the historic Smallwood Store (which is actually a museum with a $5 admission). It’s actually worth it. There’s a lot of history to see inside that old building !

After my visit to the end of the road I headed back – all the way back home again. My 624-mile road-trip ended about 100½ hours after it began. It was full of fun and adventure from start to finish. I can’t wait to get back on the road again !

And I will get back on the road again soon for another road-trip. In fact next Thursday here on my blog I’ll reveal where my next road-trip will take me. (I’ve already got it all planned-out.)

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries