Grace gospel songs - mp3 downloads

Unworthy Old Me (© John Bisset October 2008) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. This is the first new song I've written since March. It is a song of thankfulness to God. The idea came from a conversation with a mid-Acts veteran during which we agreed that we were both still unworthy. The lyrics are scriptural though often I have only expressed the idea or paraphrased the scripture. Some of the lyrics may require explanation: The cross is referred to as a tree in five places in the New Testament and the word suited the rhyme of the chorus. Preachers feet are referred to as 'beautiful' in scripture so I don't think it is too much of a stretch to call preachers beautiful . The words 'panic or rile' in the third verse are not found in scripture but have similar meanings to 'fear' and 'provoke'. My scriptural source for the third verse was mostly 1 Corinthians 13, particularly this section: "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 AV) Hopefully I am in accord with how the Lord sees my need. I see my greatest need is to 'believe all things' and by this I am not only referring to believing all of the word of God. To 'believe all things' means what it says - all things. "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God." (Hebrews 3:4 AV) My great need is to believe all of God's creation. It may sound a bit daft but for most of my life I have walked about in a state of unbelief of what is in front of my nose; hiding in an intellectual cocoon where I dwelt in fear and worry about the past and the future, and in perpetual denial of what is actually going on around me. Living in the present, living in the real world and being awestruck by the beauty that remains in God's creation, have been very rare experiences for me.

Shine Unto Them (Rerecorded July 2008, © John Bisset 2007) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. I have rerecorded this song, giving it a similar treatment to my newer songs. I always liked the song but the version with just an acoustic guitar backing was a bit rough. This song started out as an attempt to incorporate 1 Corinthians 1:21 into a song. "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." I found scripture which suited the theme and had a meter that fitted with the emerging song. Some of it even rhymes in places. The first verse is 1 Corinthians 1:20-21. The chorus is 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. The second verse is Acts 13:41 (Paul quoting Habakkuk 1:5) and an extract from Acts 28:26-27 (Paul quoting Isaiah 6:9-10). (December 7th, 2007) "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1Co 1:20-21 AV) "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2Co 4:3-4 AV) "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." (Ac 13:41 AV) "Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Ac 28:26-27 AV) I should mention that the scripture of the second verse was aimed at Jewish unbelievers who were a particularly stubborn bunch and to whom the gospel was a 'stumbling block'. Gentile unbelievers typically seek after wisdom and to them the gospel is 'foolishness' (as it once was to me). The scripture of verse one and the chorus applies more appropriately to Gentile unbelievers. (December 30th, 2007)

Children of the Resurrection (© John Bisset March 2008) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. I found this beautiful phrase 'children of the resurrection' only in the gospel of Luke. "And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." (Luke 20:34-36 AV) Perhaps I am jumping the gun to suggest that being among saved Christians is to be among the 'children of the resurrection', but we are sure that salvation cannot be lost and that in God's eternity we are already glorified. So hopefully the lyric will pass inspection. And have not we who have believed, shared in his death, burial and resurrection by identification? Some of my scriptural inspiration appears below. The lyric is generalised personal testimony plus scriptural quotes and paraphrasing. A tormented state of mind drove me to visit a Christian fellowship, perhaps for the last time. At the time I had a lot of red-letter and 12-step program doctrine on board but I am extremely thankful that some grace believing saints were able to get through to me the importance of the grace message found in the epistles of our apostle Paul. I got it through my stubborn, thick skull that the power of God unto salvation comes through simply believing and trusting in what Christ has done for us. May it reach the ears of others in a desperate state of mind who may think there is no alternative to suicide once you have 'blown it' beyond a certain point. "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 AV) "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:1-11 AV) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans 8:28-30 AV) "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3 AV)

The Church of What's Happening Now (© John Bisset February 2008) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. The lyrics address four aspects of what God was doing 'in time past' and state the 'but now' situation for each aspect. They by no means give a complete picture but I have tried to state some of the main differences between the law dispensation that God put in place with Israel through Moses and the grace dispensation that God introduced to the world through his and our apostle Paul. Signs and wonders I am a non-denominational, rightly-dividing, King James Bible-believer and have found from experience that for those who believe the gospel of Christ, God is indeed doing precisely what Paul told us he is now doing. I don't believe he is doing much of what Benny Hinn and the like claim that he is. Signs and wonders were used by God to approve his prophets to his people, Israel. "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1Co 1:22-24 AV) Nevertheless, God is always perfectly capable of miracles and I am exceedingly grateful that he answered the prayer of Christian pastor who prayed on my behalf for relief from my 'brain pain', in an extraordinary and miraculous manner, long before I was saved. Righteousness through obeying the law Righteousness through keeping the commandments was a requirement for eternal life within Israel's law dispensation. Unfortunately now, as then with the scribes and Pharisees, it often leads to pride, boasting and insufferable self-righteousness. "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:16-17 AV) But now Christ's righteousness is imputed to gospel believers by God. Our faith is counted for righteousness. Although faith in the word of God has also counted for righteousness 'in time past', having faith now in what God said to Noah or Abraham is not likely to save our souls. Faith that Christ accomplished everything necessary for our soul's salvation on Calvary's cross will do the trick though. "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" (Romans 3:20-22 AV) Gentile exclusion/inclusion We were clearly separated from God in time past unless we proselytized into the Jewish religion. Christ's plan to go to the Gentiles swung into effect with the saving of Paul in Acts chapter 9 and the sending of Peter to Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. We had already been cleansed and 'made nigh' by Christ's shed blood at Calvary. "And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." (Acts 10:15 AV) "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:11-13 AV) Kingdom preaching vs grace preaching Repentance - In its simplest sense repentance means a change of mind or heart. I was saved when I repented of my red-letter 'Christianity', my underestimation of the Apostle Paul and my ignorance of Christ's revelation to him. The kingdom of heaven is at hand - The restoration of the earthly Davidic kingdom to Israel, was at hand when Christ walked the earth, but it was rejected by the nation it was prophesied for, and offered to, and will not be at hand again until toward the end of the tribulation. The spiritual kingdom of God is always at hand. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Ro 14:17 AV) Water baptism, confession of sins and commandment-keeping are not requirements for salvation in the current grace dispensation. Water baptism - Gospel believers are supernaturally baptised into Christ's death upon believing. By the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians he had left off water baptising and stresses that the preaching of the cross is the power of God unto us which are saved; "I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:14-18 AV) As to commandment keeping: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Ro 13:10 AV) As to sin confession: It is not a requirement for obtaining God's forgiveness. All of our sins have been paid for - past, present and future. I find it helpful to discuss my sin areas with an understanding other and we should always forgive one another in love. If we seriously abuse our standing in Christ we can expect disfellowship by 'the least esteemed among us'. "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (Col 2:13 AV) "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?" (1Co 6:2-5 AV) "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph 4:32 AV) "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." (Ro 6:15 AV) Today we preach Christ's death, burial and resurrection and all who are ordained to eternal life will hear it, believe it and be saved.

We Are Washed (© John Bisset January 2008) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. My first effort for 2008. Having been a prolific and versatile sinner I was relieved to find Paul's words to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) in which he gives a list that just about covers the field for sinners and then follows it with the words "and such were some of you". I have adapted the scripture, made a small change to the order of the list and repeated certain parts for the sake of the flow of the melody and lyrics. "Abusers of themselves with mankind" just wouldn't sit rhythmically so I used "homosexuals" instead. (January 6th, 2008) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 AV) To any non-Christian listeners I should mention that this scripture was and is addressed to brothers and sisters within the body of Christ. As 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 makes quite clear, we are not the morality police for the world. It is not our place to judge those without. "For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." (1 Corinthians 5:12-13 AV)

Faith Cometh By Hearing (© John Bisset February 2007) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. I wrote this song about a year ago but was not entirely comfortable with the lyrics and the style in which I initially performed it. I am now more confident with the lyrics and have slightly modified the performance style to my liking. The lyrics are extracted from Romans 10:13-18. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (Ro 10:13-18 AV) My initial discomfort with the lyrics was due to their being lifted from a chapter in Romans in which Paul is addressing his Hebrew people. I am now satisfied that the scripture is also applicable to us Gentiles in the grace dispensation. It was my experience that my faith came by hearing the word of God from a mid-Acts preacher on February the 5th, 2006. He had a hard job getting through the stubborn mindset of an unsaved red-letter 'Christian' and I thank God that he persevered. (December 27th, 2007)

God's Hidden Plan (© John Bisset March 2006) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. Click here for lyrics and chords This is my first grace gospel song but the third one to be recorded. I've been waiting for the opportunity to round up some singers to echo each line and sing harmonies in places. I've recorded a solo version to get the ball rolling but will probably post one with additional singers later on. The melody is intentionally simple and singalongable and sounds like many other folk songs. The lyrics are an attempt to lay out the progressive revelations by God regarding his hidden purpose behind allowing the murder of his Son. I think that I used to see the crucifixion of Jesus as just another example of Satan getting his own way on this planet. Songs like 'Sympathy For The Devil' by the Rolling Stones seemed to be bragging about Satan's victory too. It was hard for me to see it as God's victory as Christians claimed. My own personal 'moment of revelation', came when for the first time in my life I understood why 'this saying was hid from them' (Luke 18:34). "For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18:32-34 AV) It was hid from them because God's plan of salvation required the death, burial and resurrection of his Son. Although Isaiah and other prophets foretold the coming of Israel's Messiah, and even that his soul would be an 'offering for sin', they had been left in the dark regarding the dual nature of Calvary. That Christ would be resurrected and become a 'saviour for everyone' (not just a sacrificial lamb for Israel) is 'unsearchable' in scripture prior to Calvary. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" (Ephesians 3:8 AV) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7-8 AV) Only the apostle Paul was given the 'revelation of the mystery' during visitations to him by the risen, glorified Christ. Christ revealed to Paul, God's hidden plan which had been kept secret since the world began. "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" (Romans 16:25-26 AV) The revelation of the mystery is the revelation of the unprophesied information that Christ revealed to Paul during his visitations with him. After a few more years study I may be able to give a thorough account of all the mystery information but I can tell you that 'the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery' is also called 'the preaching of the cross'. By simply believing the gospel of Christ, (that he died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day) we are supernaturally identified with Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Our 'old man' (in the likeness of the first Adam's sinful flesh) is crucified with him, and our new man is raised in the quickening spirit of Christ, the last Adam. Christ's righteousness is supernaturally imputed to our heavenly account balance and we become members of God's new creature, the body of Christ. Our sanctification is a work in progress until we die and our glorification will take place when Christ returns for his own. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16 AV) "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4 AV) "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12 AV) "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45 AV) Salvation by 'simply believing' the gospel of Christ is a gift of God by grace not of works, and the 'god of this world' is working overtime to blind the minds of them that believe not. Simple believism but not easy believism. My own mustard seed of faith kept me 'diligently seeking him' (Luke 11:9, Hebrews 11:6) but it was by the grace of God that my mustard seed suddenly 'waxed a great tree' (Luke 13:19). Thus the current dispensation of God is called the *dispensation of the grace of God. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 AV) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," (2 Timothy 1:9 AV) "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 AV) *Dispensation: When God rings the changes in his dealings with the people of earth he uses a human 'dispenser' and the arrangement so dispensed becomes a dispensation of God. Moses was God's dispenser of the law dispensation to the Jews. Paul was God's dispenser of the grace dispensation to both Jews and Gentiles. "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:" (Ephesians 3:2 AV).

Truly Saved (© John Bisset March 2006) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. This is my third grace gospel song. The two verses express some of the differences in my daily experience since being saved. The two bridges (for want of a better word) are mostly from scripture. I have tried not to lose the meaning though they may not be exact extracts. They express some of the basic elements of the Mid-Acts Dispensational position, including the use of the King James bible and the primacy of Pauline doctrine. I am in no doubt that it is the 'cutting edge' true position where all seekers after God's truth should be. On April 23rd 2006 I uploaded this song with an amendment to the lyrics in the second bridge. I will do this from time to time with my grace gospel songs as my scriptural knowledge and understanding improves. I now realise it is important to include the more exact nature of Paul's 'me first' pattern. My old lyric of 'for earthly life' was too general. The new lyric is 'Paul the pattern, for sinners hereafter such as I. He first shewn all longsuffering by Lord Jesus Christ.' Hopefully the amended lyric more faithfully reflects the nature of Paul's pattern as he speaks of it in 1 Timothy 1:15-16. The amendment regretfully required me to leave out the lyric 'the last person to see Jesus Christ'.

Too Simple To Be True (© John Bisset March 2006) LEFT click to listen to a sample. RIGHT click and select 'save target as' to download the mp3 of the complete song. Click here for lyrics and chords This is my second attempt at writing a grace gospel song. It expresses why I overlooked the grace message and explains some of the things I have learned in the last month or so (Feb 2006). As of June 2006 I have realised that there is a misleading lyric which I will alter later on. It is the fourth line in the second verse "Living condemned by a doctrine never intended for me". I am clearer now that it was Adam's original sin that condemned us all and that my own sense of condemnation came from my conscience. Only faith in Christ's finished work could justify me but I didn't know that until I started "looking in the right place". My misguided reliance on doctrine intended for Israel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and my ignorance of Pauline grace doctrine for us gentiles (Romans to Philemon), was keeping me condemned, but it did not cause my sense of condemnation, as the lyric suggests.. I have since learned that the term 'CV' may not be familiar to you all. I'm not sure where I picked it up - either the UK or New Zealand. It means a curriculum vitae or resumé - a summary of past employment. I have only accompanied myself with my late niece's 12-string kindly loaned to me by her surviving family.