Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church Food God Life Ministry Music Scripture

Sunday Scripture

This past Friday – late in the morning – I was sitting at my booth at Buffalo Wild Wings awaiting the arrival of my traditional wings (with sweet BBQ sauce) and wedges, and I was listening to the random hits that were being played loudly on the sound system. (They have a really nice sound system in there.)

Suddenly – out of nowhere – “Child Of Love” from We The Kingdom began playing !

I let out a big smile. I even laughed a little bit. It’s a hit from my own chart earlier this year that spent 14 weeks in my Top 10, 8 weeks in my Top 5, and 6 weeks in my Top 3. I thought to myself, “How on earth did this song end up on Buffalo Wild Wings’ playlist ? !”

It hasn’t crossed-over to the (secular) pop charts (yet). Their debut hit – “Holy Water” – actually did cross-over early-on in 2020. It peaked at # 106.

Buffalo Wild Wings was fairly empty at the time (during the 11 AM hour), and perhaps I was the only one in the restaurant who recognized, acknowledged, and appreciated that song being played loudly. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard it played so loud before.)

“Child Of Love” tells the life-changing story of salvation. It tells my story from exactly 15 years ago:

♫ I was walking the wayside
Lost on a lonely road
I was chasing the high life
Tryna satisfy my soul

All the lies I believed in
Left me crying like the rain
Then I saw lightning from Heaven
And I’ve never been the same

I’m gonna climb a mountain
I’m gonna shout about it
I am a child of love
I found a world of freedom
I found a friend in Jesus
I am a child of love

I’ve felt the sting of the fire
But I saw You in the flames
Just when I thought it was over
You broke me out of the grave ♫

You know salvation can begin unexpectedly for anyone at anytime in anyplace. Most of us who are saved by our God’s great grace didn’t see it coming. For me salvation began on a dark 2-lane street in my city early in the morning as the first hint of daylight was appearing in the eastern sky. God used hit music to save me. Our God is powerful. He’ll even use Buffalo Wild Wings to save another lost soul.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground, and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing – a hymn of praise to our God. (Psalm 40:1-3a NLT)

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

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

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 236

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 AUGUST 22ND 2021 WEEK 236
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 13 When We Fall Apart
[2ND week @ # 1]
Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
2 2 4 House Of The Lord Phil Wickham
3 5 6 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
4 4 16 Yes He Can Cain
5 8 4 Brand New Coby James
6 3 20 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
7 7 2 Thank You Lord Chris Tomlin Ft. Thomas Rhett & Florida Georgia Line
8 6 6 What If Matthew West
9 10 2 Joyful Dante Bowe
10 9 7 My Jesus Anne Wilson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Miracles” – Colton Dixon
2019 – “Nobody (But Jesus)” – Casting Crowns Ft. Matthew West
2018 – “Who You Say I Am” – Hillsong Worship
2017 – “Hard Love” – NeedToBreathe

BIG CLIMBER – Coby James makes a big move up my chart this week from # 8 to # 5, as his smooth-sounding radio-friendly pop track continues to gain momentum with increased airplay. It really sounds like nothing else at Christian music radio. Take a listen to it for yourself, as you watch the official music video that’s “Brand New”:

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is the latest track from Tasha Layton. It’s titled “Look What You’ve Done”. She was on my chart almost a year ago with her debut hit “Into The Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK)” – which peaked at # 6. “Look What You’ve Done” is about believing the lies of the world, and letting them take a hold of your life so that they were in control of your life. And then the Lord stepped in to dig all the roots up and heal all the wounds up. #Hallelujah

This blog is # 34 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

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 Life Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

I was rescued and saved by my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ 15 years ago this week. I’ve observed and celebrated this week in August as my “Salvation Week” every year since 2007. It’s the anniversary of when my life unexpectedly changed forever.

I love this word cloud meme that I recently found on social media. It’s based on the first chapter of the first letter of Peter. There are a lot of good words listed. I can stare at it and look at each one of those words over and over again. It’s the story of my salvation – which continues to this day.

1 Peter 1 ends with these 5 verses:

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living word of God. As the Scriptures say:

“People are like grass.
Their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

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

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 235

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 AUGUST 15TH 2021 WEEK 235
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 2 12 When We Fall Apart
[1ST week @ # 1]
Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
2 4 3 House Of The Lord Phil Wickham
3 1 19 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
4 3 15 Yes He Can Cain
5 5 5 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
6 6 5 What If Matthew West
7 1 Thank You Lord Chris Tomlin Ft. Thomas Rhett & Florida Georgia Line
8 10 3 Brand New Coby James
9 9 6 My Jesus Anne Wilson
10 1 Joyful Dante Bowe

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “There Was Jesus” – Zach Williams Ft. Dolly Parton
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Dream Small” – Josh Wilson
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

NEW # 1 – Ryan Stevenson’s 6TH of 7 hits since 2017 is now his 2ND # 1 smash on my chart, as “When We Fall Apart” completes its slow 3-month climb from # 5 to # 1. He originally released this single solo in October 2019 on the 10TH anniversary of the passing of his mom from bone cancer. The words of the song are the last words his mom spoke to him. Over a year later in March 2021 the single was redone and reissued – this time with country music legend Vince Gill and mainstream and Christian pop music star Amy Grant (Vince’s wife of the past 21 years). Here’s the official music video:

TOMLIN @ # 7 – Chris Tomlin is back with his 7TH hit since 2017, and he brings back Thomas Rhett with him. He also introduces Florida Georgia Line to my chart for the first time ever. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are #FGL, and they’ve enjoyed a long string of hits at country music radio over the past 10 years. Some of them have even crossed-over onto the mainstream pop charts. This is their first appearance at Christian music radio.

This blog is # 74 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

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