COME AND BREATHE

Come and breathe
Your breath on me Lord
Come and breathe
As you said in your Word
Come and breathe
On my heart and my soul
On these dry bones Lord
Breathe and make me whole.

Come and breathe
On our family Lord
Come and breathe
So they can be free
Come and breathe
On our hearts and souls
On these dry bones Lord;
Breathe and make us whole.

We're not our own
Bought with the Blood
Before your throne
Called by love
Jesus Christ our Lord of glory
This has been our lifelong story
Spirit call, restore us all,
Let walls be smashed and mercy fall,
We pray; we pray.

With wounded lives, torn apart,
Forgiveness flow, restore our hearts;
Every chain and bondage be
Broken down on bended knee;
May love and grace bring new embrace,
Let joy and peace come fill this place,
We pray; we pray.

Restore our family,
Come Holy Spirit, set us free;
Bring healing love to change our hearts,
We pray;
Lord of life we need your power
Every day and every hour;
Surrender Lord, to you in every way,
We pray.

Copyright 2012 M.Scott-Branagan

https://www.opendrive.com/files/M18xNDAyNDg0X2czSGZW/Come%20and%20Breathe%20(Band%20w.%20drums).mp3

King of Kings

King of kings,
Surrounding us with glory;
Your Spirit brings
Healing grace and mercy;
And my soul sings,
My soul sings,
Help me when I waver,
Remind me of your favour.

What does He require of me?
And what does He call me to be?
To live justly,
To love mercy,
To walk humbly
Before our God,
Before you, God.

King of kings,
Surrounding us with glory;
Your Spirit brings
Healing grace and mercy;
And my soul sings,
My soul sings,
Help me when I waver,
Remind me of your favour.

Sharing - His redeeming grace;
Reaching - His love is in our veins;
Forgiven, so we can forgive;
With His mercy and grace helping others to live.
God reflected in me,
In my heart and my soul,
Bringing healing and making the broken hearts whole;
I've been touched by grace
So my heart can sing,
Declare the love of our King.

Holy Lord,
I worship you;
Lift my voice
To give you praise;
Lord of mercy,
My soul sings;
God of glory,
King of kings.

Copyright 2012 Michael & Liz Scott-Branagan

https://www.opendrive.com/files/M18xMzg5OTgxX1Jic3dp/King%20of%20Kings%20(Band)%202.mp3

I Worship You

I worship you, holy Lord,Lifting hands in surrender,
Lift my heart: I give it all to you.
You come to me, holy Lord,
As I bow in worship,
Lay my life before your holy throne.

As I wait on you
I lay down my fears:
Nothing else seems to matter
When I feel you near.
Your glory covers me.

As I wait on you
I come to my knees
Laying all on the altar,
Worshipping here.
Jesus, Lord of heaven,
In your mercy
You've seen all my tears.

I worship you, holy Lord,
Lifting hands in surrender,
Lift my heart: I give it all to you.
You come to me, holy Lord,
As I bow in worship,
Lay my life before your holy throne.

c.2003 M.Scott-Branagan

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjU1ODk2X0h5QzF1/I%20worship%20You.mp3

I Will Rejoice

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation,Worship Him in every situation.
This is my determination:
I will praise the Lord.

And if my fig tree never blossoms,
My dreams are not fulfilled,
I lose my productivity,
Prosperity escapes from me,
In good and bad I'll praise your name;
Each day I will take the same,
For you are my Deliverer:
I put my faith in you.

Rejoice in the Lord;
Rejoice in the Lord;
Rejoice in the Lord always!
Rejoice in the Lord;
Reoice in the Lord;
Rejoice in the Lord always!!

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation,
Worship Him in every situation.
This is my determination:
I will praise the Lord.

c.2003 M.Scott-Branagan

Taken from:

Habakkuk 3:17-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjU1OTA0X3ROU2lr/I%20Will%20Rejoice.mp3

Beautiful Lady

It may be raining outside, cloudy and cold,
but with your love in my heart
I'm walking in sunshine.
There may be tears in my eyes,
but joy in my soul
'cause Darling, the loneliness left
when our hearts entwined.

How God brought us together still amazes me to see,
when two imperfect halves can join in perfect harmony;
I'm sure that I am dreaming, but I know that I'm awake;
this love is so much more than all my dreams could ever make.
As I hold you in my arms,
I know it's more than worldly charms;
A love like ours could never twice be found.

I love you; I'm grateful to the One who gave me gave me you.
Beautiful lady, Beautiful lady, know that my heart is given to you.
O how I love you; I really know it's true;
you were made for me, and I for you.


I know with you by my side, my chosen bride,
we'll live through sorrows and joys hand in hand;
and as we're growing in love, with grace from above,
we'll have a joy that will last  for ever.

How God brought us together still amazes me to see,
when two imperfect halves can join in perfect harmony;
I'm sure that I am dreaming, but I know that I'm awake;
this love is so much more than all my dreams could ever make.
As I hold you in my arms,
I know it's more than worldly charms;
A love like ours could never twice be found.

I love you; I'm grateful to the One who gave me gave me you.
Beautiful lady, Beautiful lady, know that my heart is given to you.
O how I love you; I really know it's true;
you were made for me, and I for you.

copyright 2009 M.Scott-Branagan

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjEyNDExX3VTTmJJ/Beautiful%20Lady.mp3

I know the recording is not really good enough for public airing, and professional pride as a musician should keep me from posting this link, but it's all I have and it will be a long time before I can record properly. At least you can hear the song, and maybe enjoy my cello playing in the background. I played all instruments on the recording.

Tender Rose of Summer

Like a tender rose of summer
Is my lover, my sweet Lady;
With a beauty in her eyes beyond compare.
Before I saw your face
I knew the beauty in your soul;
Now my wife, I love you more and more each day.

And I praise the God of heaven
Who has brought us to this day,
And I ask the Holy Spirit
To surround our hearts and stay;
For we need your grace and mercy, Lord,
To help us on our way;
We depend on you,
And Lord, to you we pray.

This I pray.

May the God of hope give peace and joy,
Inhabit our love, restore our souls;
Make us tender and gentle, forgiving and kind;
Strong in the Lord, united and whole.

Like a tender rose of summer
Is my lover, my sweet Lady;
With a charm that’s in her eyes and in her ways.
Before I saw your face
I found the beauty in your soul;
And now my wife, my friend, I love you more today.

© 2011 Michael Scott-Branagan

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjEyNDEwX2d1T1V0/Tender%20Rose%20of%20Summer.mp3

I know the recording is not really good enough for public airing, and professional pride as a musician should keep me from posting this link, but it's all I have and it will be a long time before I can record properly. At least you can hear the song, and maybe enjoy my cello playing in the background. I played all instruments on the recording.

My Thoughts For You

For I know the thoughts that I think about you;

For I know the thoughts that I think about you;

Thoughts of peace and not of evil,

A future and a hope;

My plans for you are good,

Says the Lord.

So I’ll rejoice in the Lord always;

Again I say, rejoice;

I will live in the knowing

That He is close to me;

So my life can reflect His glory.

Anxious for nothing, Lord,

But praying with thanksgiving,

Worshipping, asking in faith.

With His peace overflowing

My heart and my mind,

Singing faith, hope and love,

These three combined.

So I’ll sing songs of praise,

Declaring the glory of God;

I am sowing to the Spirit,

Thinking on the good things,

With love and mercy

Speaking words of life.

For I know the thoughts that I think about you;

For I know the thoughts that I think about you;

Thoughts of peace and not of evil,

A future and a hope;

My plans for you are good,

Says the Lord.

©2012 M.Scott-Branagan

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Do you think maybe he means it? Peace is his plan for you.

What about the message of the angels to the shepherds at Jesus' birth?

"Peace on earth, goodwill towards men"

Or 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Now may the God of Peace himself sanctify you completely. May he prepare you and make you ready, fit for the indwelling Christ (and preserve you for His return) Spiritually, Psychologically, and Physically

How does he give us his "perfect peace" (or maybe his "perfecting peace")?

Philippians 4:6-8 (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Note the following:

Be anxious for nothing [ to be troubled with cares: for some, dealing with anxiety is as simple as choosing to think differently. For others, anxiety is a medical condition which needs treating medically before there can be a plan to change the way we think and respond.

but in everything by prayer [proseuche; prayer addressed to God; to draw close, in surrender, in worship; compare with this link: http://www.godthots.com/But-is-it-Prayer-Proseuche ]

and supplication [deesis; seeking, asking, entreating ]

with thanksgiving [eucharistia: 1. Thankfulness; 2.The giving of thanks ]

let your requests be made known to God

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [Guard, keep, watch over, preserve.]

So -
Come to God with a worshipful heart, aware that he is Lord, he is God, he is able transform.
Come to God asking in faith.
Come with a thankful heart. Gratitude is a sign of faith when you think about it.

Then focus on the good. Focus on God

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjA0MzA2X2VtWW1n/My%20Thoughts%20For%20You%20(Band)%20Version%202.mp3

Surely

Surely he has borne all our griefs;
Surely he has carried our sorrows;
Surely healing for yesterday;
Surely He gives hope for tomorrow.

He seemed to be beaten,
Forsaken, afflicted;
Shamed on the cross,
Condemned, rejected;
Surely healing for yesterday;
Surely He gives hope for tomorrow.

Wounded for all the things we have done;
Bruised for the lies, the webs we have spun;
Peace between us and our God has been won,
As the guilt of us all was paid by the Son.

Surely he has borne all our griefs;
Surely he has carried our sorrows;
Surely healing for yesterday;
Surely He gives hope for tomorrow.

By his Blood, our forgiveness was sealed;
By the furrows ploughed on his back, we are healed;
By his stripes we are delivered and free;
He conquered death, gives us victory.

Surely he has borne all our griefs;
Surely he has carried our sorrows;
Surely healing for yesterday;
Surely He gives hope for tomorrow.

copyright 2012 M.Scott-Branagan

*     *     *     *     *    

Isaiah 53:4-5

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows,
Yet we considered Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted;
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities:
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And His stripes you are healed."    

Of course, this is a favourite text for Easter messages, and has been the subject of some beautiful songs/hymns over the centuries. 

The message is simple, yet profound.

OUR punishment, because "All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory", was taken by Jesus Christ on our behalf.  He was the only one who could take it for us.  Only he was the sinless Man, completely man, yet completely God at the same time.  Because He took our punishment, we are NO LONGER GUILTY!  When God looks at us, He doesn't see the horribly disfigured sinful heart that He could see, but He sees us forgiven and free from guilt. 

* Wounded for OUR wrong choices and wilful behaviour.
* Beaten up by soldiers as punishment for our iniquity.
* Chastised (beaten with rods) so He could bring PEACE between us and our heavenly Father.
* Flogged 39 times with a whip made of 9 cords, so we can be saved, delivered and HEALED.

Interesting points here:

* When we do what is wrong, there must be punishment for our transgression...  Think of when your children were wilfully disobedient.  When you smacked the guilty child, it helped break his/her rebellion and made them sorry (either sorry they got caught, or sorry they did what was wrong) because the smack HURT.  The chastisement called them to account.  When my Jessica was small, she knew this very well.  When she did something wrong, she would be tormented by it until she came and confessed, ASKING me to smack her.  When I had smacked her, she would cry, apologise, and BE FORGIVEN.  Did she want the pain of the smack? NO!!! But she wanted the restoration of PEACE that she knew would come quickly afterwards.

* "By his stripes you are healed".  Two important things to know about this:

1)  In the New Testament, the Greek word "sozo" (and its various derivatives) that was used in this verse for "healed" in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, has 3 meanings that are unable to really be separated.  They are all applicable to this text, and to most other texts that use the word.  Sozo means healing on THREE levels - Salvation (as in, saved), Delivered (set free from the power of the demonic realm), and Physical Healing.  So when God says that the whipping received by Jesus HEALS us, He means that complete healing - Spirit, Soul, and Body, is available because of that whipping.

2)  Isaiah says that "By His stripes we are healed": note the tense of the word - we ARE healed.  That is a present tense, ongoing promise.  We can keep hanging onto a promise like that.  But also then note that God takes it to an even better level.  God inspired Peter to quote (1 Peter 2:24) it slightly differently: "... and by His stripes you WERE healed".  Why the change in tense?  Because Peter was speaking AFTER the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  Our healing is both NOW, and established in the PAST.  It is declared by God, "who cannot lie", that your healing for whatever you need was DONE by Christ and is available NOW because it has been won for you.

Why do some people not receive healing?  I don't know - I don't profess to be God.  Why did my father, who loved God, die of cancer NOT healed?  I don't know.  But it didn't stop him loving God, and it doesn't stop me believing and proclaiming that God HEALS.  Why do I need glasses?  Why do I have other ailments?  I don't know.  But all I can proclaim is that "By His stripes you both WERE and ARE healed".  This is his promise to you.  Please don't argue with it.  Just receive it.  Maybe He is just waiting for you to stop resisting Him and receive.  I don't know.  I will keep believing, whether He heals me or not, because I know His Word does not lie. 

By His stripes you were healed.

Be blessed today, whoever reads this.

http://michaelsb.opendrive.com/files/M18xMjY0MjAzX3IzaW1y/Surely%20(Band%20arr%202)%201.mp3