>>
"My Utmost for His Highest" (Colin Elliott)
The inspiration
for this song came from the book 'My Utmost for His
Highest' by Oswald Chambers. Time is short and we need to
give our utmost for God if He is going to be able to use
us effectively. I wrote this song in August 1996 around
the guitar riff of the introduction. The Rickenbacker
twelve string gives the song that distinctive American
Folk/Rock sound which I wanted.
1) I used to run, free, Only thinking of me,
With my plans, schemes, Chasing after my dreams,
But my selfish days are through, cause you've got me Lord and I've got you,
I owe so much when I think about how much You love me.
(Chorus) And all my life I give to You, Take it all in sweet surrender,
Help me walk, keep me close Lord close by you,
There's so much that I want to give, accept my praise, extend Your Kingdom,
Revive us Lord I give my Utmost for Your Highest.
2) I feel the time, short, But the labourers few,
So much hurt, pain, Oh Lord what can we do,
If we don't tell them how will they know, There's no reason to be alone,
It's time to go and tell this world about a bright tomorrow.
(Chorus) And all my life I give to You, Take it all in sweet surrender,
Help me walk, keep me close Lord close by you,
There's so much that I want to give, accept my praise, extend Your Kingdom,
Revive us Lord I give my Utmost for Your Highest.
3) We've gotta praise, sing, Allegiance to the King,
Take our sword, shield, Towards the battle field,
And as we face on-coming days centres in our Father's gaze,
Standing strong and undefeated in His glory.
(Chorus) And all my life I give to You, Take it all in sweet surrender,
Help me walk, keep me close Lord close by you,
There's so much that I want to give, accept my praise, extend Your Kingdom,
Revive us Lord I give my Utmost for Your Highest.
>> "In The Name" (Jennifer
Knapp)
We had been
looking for a good opener to our live set of songs when
we first heard this one in May 1998. When we first played
it together we knew it just fitted our style and it made
it onto the album.
1) All these years, too many ahead to think clear,
Some say, "Where's my crystal ball?"
Some men play the lottery, making bets against the Government's economy,
They say, " I'd rather be rich than be alive at all."
When men in mirey circumstances fall,
It won't be hard to tell where they place their resolve.
(Chorus) Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God,
'To each his own' won't lead you home it probably,
Probably never will.
2) Picket fences, may build up our defences,
In domestic wars of leisure suits,
Well that's okay it doesn't bother me, you can hold on to your philosophy of,
"What's mine is mine, what's yours is yours", but what's the truth?
When the walls they crumble and they fall,
It won't be hard to tell where we place our resolve.
(Chorus) Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God,
'To each his own'won't lead you home it probably never will,
I won't trust in the things I do, cause they will not stand and they won't come through,
But I will trust in the name of the Lord our God,
Yes I will trust in the name of the Lord our God.
When the walls they crumble and they tall,
it won't be hard to tell where we place our resolve
(Chorus) Some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God,
'To each his own'won't lead you home it probably never will,
I won't trust in the things I do, cause they will not stand and they won't come through,
But I will trust in the name of the Lord our God,
Yes I will trust in the name of the Lord our God.
>> "He Never
Said" (Martyn Joseph)
This was probably
the first song we completed at my home studio. We were
fascinated by Martin Joseph's album "Full Colour -
Black & White" which he also had recorded in his
attic. Our version is similar to the original but we have
speeded the tempo slightly.
1) He never said, "God helps those who help themselves,"
And He never said, "Blessed are the rich,"
He never said, "Do it on to others before they do it on to you,"
And He never said, "it's too bad buddy but the winner has to take it all."
He never said, "Success is the key, you've gotta be cruel to be kind,"
And He never said, "it's a jungle out there where the weak must get left behind."
But He said,
(Chorus) Answer a stranger's cry for help,
Love your brother as you love yourself,
You only need to seek and you will find.
Forgive your enemy and drop that grudge,
Don't judge others and you won't be judged,
Only knock and the door will open wide, open wide.
2) He never said, "Archbishops should stick to theology,"
And I've never read, "Put your faith in the lottery,"
And He never said, "By any means necessary!"
And I don't recall "My country" rights a wrong.
And He never said, "Send your money to me",
"Touch the screen, you're gonna be healed!"
And He never said, "Every man's got a price",
"So do you want to make a deal."
But He said;
(Chorus) Answer a stranger's cry for help,
Love your brother as you love yourself,
You only need to seek and you will find.
Forgive your enemy and drop that grudge,
Don't judge others and you won't be judged,
Only knock and the door will open wide, open wide.
3) And on that day, on a day that's coming, cause I have a dream,
Who's gonna be walking yea......... and who's gonna be running.
When the first will be last, so the last must come first,
If the meek will inherit the earth.
And He said,
(Chorus) Answer a stranger's cry for help,
Love your brother as you love yourself,
You only need to seek and you will find.
Forgive your enemy and drop that grudge,
Don't judge others and you won't be judged,
Only knock and the door will open wide, open wide.
And He never said, "Hey every little thing's gonna be all right."
>> "Painted
Smiles" (Colin Elliott/Dale Gordon)
This
is another track with the theme of old friends who have
changed. Dale and I wrote this in my home studio in July
1997. He arrived with the idea for the song, and I had
the basis of a tune which needed lyrics.
1) I used to think I knew everything about you,
We used to talk the nights away,
We had a dream, we had a vision,
We'd change the world in Jesus' name.
But something's changed, what went wrong,
I don't know what's going on,
Your love for God has all but gone,
I hardly know you.
(Chorus) Oh painted smiles on your face,
You're so far from God's embrace,
Trying to find a hiding place in painted smiles
Oh painted smiles on your face,
Your love has gone without a trace,
Your eyes betray the years of waste,
And painted smiles, Oh, painted smiles.
2) Now the places you go seem somehow different,
And the people you know only live for today,
Where is your dream, where is your vision?
Now you only curse in Jesus name.
But something's changed, what went wrong,
I don't know what's going on,
Do you lose your smile when you're alone,
The morning after.
(Chorus) Oh painted smiles on your face,
You're so far from God's embrace,
Trying to find a hiding place in painted smiles
Oh painted smiles on your face,
Your love has gone without a trace,
Your eyes betray the years of waste,
And painted smiles, Oh, painted smiles.
>> "Refine Me" (Kim
Bontrager)
This song is a
prayer of us all. Sometimes people might think that we
are special Christians because we are singing and playing
on a weekly basis. We need to be refined as much if not
more than any of God's people and we fail him so many
times.
1) I come into this place, burning to receive Your peace,
I come with my own chains, from wars I've fought for my own selfish gain.
You're my God and my Father, I've accepted Your Son,
But my soul feels so empty now, what have I become?
(Chorus) Lord come with Your power, fill my desires, refine me,
Lord my will has deceived me, please come and free me, refine me.
2) My heart can't see, when I only look at me,
My soul can't hear, when I only think of my own fears.
They are gone in a moment, You're forever the same,
How could I look away from You, how can I speak Your name.
(Chorus) Lord come with Your power, fill my desires, refine me,
Lord my will has deceived me, please come and free me,
Come rescue this child,
For I long to be reconciled to You.
It's all I can do to give my heart and soul to You,
And pray, and pray, oh I will pray.
(Chorus) Lord come with Your power, fill my desires, refine me,
Lord my will has deceived me, please come and free me,
Come rescue this child,
For I long to be reconciled to You.
>> "Long Road" (Colin
Elliott)
I wrote this song
in the early hours of the morning after a booking in
April 1997. I feel the song is a reflection of life and I
like the way the recording came out with quite a Country
mood to it.
1) A long distance highway, my destination lying somewhere ahead,
Like a book to be read.
This road somehow reminds me, of my life, so many twists and turns,
And times my heart burns.
(Chorus) Cos it's a long road that I'm travelling on, a long way to go
Oh it's a, long road that I'm travelling on,
But I'm with a friend who's travelled this road before.
2) Some people they get diverted, they lose their way and quickly find themselves lost,
And counting the cost.
Others stuck in the labs, they've lost their strength, and lost their will to go on,
And reach their reward.
3) Some people stand at the wayside, they beckon to me and try to lead me astray,
In so many ways.
But I've got to keep going, and fix my eyes on the one who loves me much more,
And keep my foot to the floor.
4) So when I'm tired and I'm weary, I know I'll never have to make it alone,
That's a promise I've known.
Jesus I can depend on, when all around me seems so empty and cold,
Then He'll lead me home.
(Chorus) Cos it's a long road that I'm travelling on, a long way to go
Oh it's a, long road that I'm travelling on,
But Jesus my friend has travelled this road before.
>> "Second
Chance" (Colin Elliott)
I wrote this song
as the flip side of 'Painted Smiles', from the other
person's point of view as it were. We have never played
this song live as such, so it was built up almost from
scratch in the studio, with each one of us chipping in
our own ideas.
1) Not a thing could bother me, a living fantasy,
But no one knew the pain I held inside.
A masquerade without a ball, afraid my mask would fall,
And show the world the things I tried to hide,
The deepest darkest secrets of my mind.
(Chorus) But now I hold a smile that's from the heart,
Not one that fades when days are dark,
Cause I've found a love I thought was lost and gone.
I walked away, left you alone,
Said I'm gonna make it on my own,
Now your love I see gave a second chance to me.
2) The Friends who looked at me, saw changes happening,
When I turned my back on Jesus and His word.
I tried to find another way, searched for it every day,
In a world of compromise and little worth,
But I lived my life disguising all the hurt.
3) A voice inside me said, it don't have to be this way,
The one you left behind still wants you home.
My life an open book, I stood back to take a look,
And let Jesus fill the longing in my soul,
The one I'd turned my back on long ago.
>> "Great
Commission" (Colin Elliott)
I wrote this song
based on our 1995 tour of America, and some of the people
we met there. That whole trip was a wonderful experience
and we gained a lot from it personally and as a group.
There is however a lot of need in our own country of
Northern Ireland, and as the song says, "just open
up your door" and tell people about Jesus.
1) Walking through the streets on a long hot summer day in New York City,
And the buildings climb so high but on the ground the sight ain't just so pretty.
I see a hundred thousand people pushing by me,
And everyone has somewhere they must go,
And as I stand the city keeps on moving,
But where it's going I really just don't know.
2) On the corner stands a man with a guitar in his hand down in Memphis
He was gonna make a million, opportunities ahead appearing endless.
But his dreams lie all scattered on the sidewalk,
Where he knows he has spent too many years,
So many songs, so many different stories, can you hear them,
Can you understand his fears.
(Chorus) Go out to all this world is our commission,
To find this world just open your front door,
So many people lost and need direction, will you tell them,
Will you lead them to the Lord.
3) And a black kid praises God in the southern town of Mobile Alabama,
Cause the Lord has set him free, the prodigal's returned home to his Father.
And all he wants to do is tell his brothers,
Exactly what the Lord has done for him,
He's lifted up this mess and made a message,
Can you hear him, there's so many more to win.
>> "Trials Turned to
Gold" (Keith Green)
We have been
singing this one live now for the past few years. At
first we weren't sure whether or not it's style fitted
with the rest of the album, so we deliberately left this
track pretty uncluttered and it seemed to work.
1) He's brought me here where things are clear and trials turned to gold,
He shared with me His victory He won in days of old,
Oh Lord I don't deserve, the riches of your world,
But You've changed my filthy rags to linen white as snow.
2) The view from here is nothing near to what is is for You,
I've tried to see Your plan for me but acted like I knew,
Oh Lord forgive the times, I tried to read your mind,
Cos you said, if I'd be still then I would hear Your voice.
3) My Lord my King my urge to sing and praise the things above,
No words could say the glorious way You've changed me with Your love
(Instrumental)
4) He's brought me low so I could know the way to reach the heights,
To forsake my dreams my self esteem and give up all my rights,
With each one that I lay down a jewel's placed in my crown,
Cos His love, the things above, are all we'll ever need.
He's brought me here where things are clear and trials turned to gold.
>> "Summer Rain"
(Pete McCarter)
This song is one
of our favourites. Pete wrote this song around 1992 when
he was the lead singer with 'Live Issue' as we were
called then. It is a song about old friends who were once
close to God, but have now fallen away. We would love to
see them back again.
1) Summer breezes, they bring the winds of change,
And I turn my face to the falling tears of rain,
And I don't know just where the years have gone,
There are some things you just can't say in a song
2) Fading pictures, a world of memories,
Like a sweet perfume that gets taken by the breeze,
And sometimes I think of the faces I have known,
There are some things you just can't say in a song.
(Chorus) Like the Love of God for man, that makes two strangers brothers,
Like the turning of His hand.
Like the healing of a heart, like light in darkened corners,
Too pure to comprehend.
3) Drowning in the waves of things that are no more,
The straws of hope I clutch lead me safely to the shore,
And I wonder why others drown while I go on,
There are some things you just can't say in a song.
4) And what I wouldn't give to turn the hands of time,
Back to that summer when we were all children of the Light,
But the rain came down and I found myself alone,
There are some things you just can't say in a song
(Chorus) Like the power of the sea, like the depth of His forgiveness,
Like blood stains on a tree.
The things that never change, like a song right through the ages,
His song remains the same.
>> "Ballad for the
Children of Ireland" (Martyn Joseph)
This is our
ministry summed up in one song. Martin Joseph originally
wrote this song when he visited my home town of Lurgan in
the mid 1980's. Today it is still as relevant as it was
back then and the young people of our land need to know
of the hope that Jesus offers them.
1) Johnny reaches for his coat, it's a Saturday,
Makes his way through the rain to the snooker hall,
He gets on a table, and quickly loses all the money his mother gave him for the afternoon.
He takes the long way home now, just to kill the time, Past the writing on the walls that divide his town,
About a war that's raging, but he don't understand it and he don't think that he ever will.
(Chorus) Cos if the children have no hope there is no hope at all,
And if the children can not smile there's only tears,
And if the children can not see the one to set them free,
If the children have no hope look what we've done.
2) Come walk and I'll show you things that will take your breath away,
This little girl had someone tell her that her daddy was dead,
See how she clings to you, it's not that she loves you she just wants to feel somebody's touch.
And in the name of God we're fighting wars...... but I say,
In the name of God look what we've done,
It's the same old story, man's sin is covered up within a noble cause,
But what cause!
(Chorus) Cos if the children have no hope there is no hope at all,
And if the children can not smile there's only tears,
And if the children can not see the one to set them free,
If the children have no hope look what we've done.
And I don't understand how we can stand here,
With our fingers in our ears and our eyes that are closed,
To the cries of a million, million souls.
3) As I look into your eyes child, I see a smile,
So smile on my Catherine cause while you do,
There's hope for the children, not just those of Ireland,
But of the whole world, the whole world.
(Chorus) Cos if the children have no hope there is no hope at all,
And if the children can not smile there's only tears,
And if the children can not see the one to set them free,
If the children have no hope look what we've done.
(Chorus) Cos if the children have no hope there is no hope at all,
And if the children can not smile there's only tears,
If the children have no hope, just the alcohol and the dope,
If the children have no hope look what we've done.
>> "No Rusty
Swords" (Michael Card)
This track was a
late addition to the album. We used to sing this song in
the early days of "Inside Out" but we don't do
it so much now. When we tried it in the studio it all
just came together. The song also has quite a hard
hitting message which you can't ignore.
(Chorus) Don't you know a battle's raging and you've gotta join the fight,
There's an army of the darkness and an army of the Light,
There's a side that fights for Satan and a side that's for the Lord,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords.
1) Christ has made the final move, so our side is sure to win,
He became like us so we would have a chance to be like Him.
It seems strange so many fall back when the victory has been won,
We just need to ask ourselves which side we're on.
(Chorus) Don't you know a battle's raging and you've gotta join the fight,
There's an army of the darkness and an army of the Light,
There's a side that fights for Satan and a side that's for the Lord,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords.
2) But there's a fact you need to understand before you join our side,
You need to know when Jesus calls He bids you come to die.
He's invaded Satan's kingdom and He's claiming all His own,
When the battle's over He will lead us home.
(Chorus) Don't you know a battle's raging and you've gotta join the fight,
There's an army of the darkness and an army of the Light,
There's a side that fights for Satan and a side that's for the Lord,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords.
(Repeat) Don't you know a battle's raging,
There's an army of the darkness,
There's a side that fights for Satan and a side that's for the Lord,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords,
And on this battlefield there are no rusty swords.
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