Where I've Never Gone Before

I began playing piano at the age of three. I started picking out commercial jingles by ear one note at a time and like any self respecting parent, my mother shipped me off to piano lessons.

By the time I was a pre teen I was so frustrated I could scream (and often did) because I could hear in my mind what I wanted to produce with my hands but I did not have the dexterity or developed talent at that point to produce it thru my own hands as of yet. Many reading this are in that same place with a lot of different areas of their lives where you are frustrated because God has shown you results but you have yet to develop the needed skills to produce those results... but that's a different topic for a different day.  :)

Some years after that in my twenties I found myself playing piano and I picked up guitar along the way and as one thing led to another I was playing on worship teams and when I wasn't playing on stage, i would be running sound for the same teams at a number of various churches.

Roughly ten years ago now in 2004 I found myself leading some worship for a youth group where only a handful of kids were attending. They wanted to shut it down for lack of attendance as the previous guy leading didn't see a point in doing it with such a small number. I on the other hand felt that even if it was one or two, it was worth it if they truly wanted to worship... now again, that is something else that would preach to many right where you are today... but onward...  :)

Our little monthly gathering of a few kids began to grow and before long we outgrew the youth room and found ourselves in the main sanctuary drawing bigger numbers than the adult worship services. My elevation intimidated the church worship leader and a unique move of God began to stir.  

I remember the night like it was yesterday in December of 2004 as I sat in the little side room off the stage and the Spirit of God came over me in a way He never has before or since.  I was dressed up, the stage was lit for video, a small team of gifted guys had been amassed to do our best.. but God fell on me and suddenly the whole performance end of it all sickened me. I gave the order to turn the house lights off, kill the cameras and take the stage lighting to dim.  I changed clothes into shorts and a tee shirt, out of my shirt and tie and I even remember tossing my phone and keys across the room as in that moment I saw in the spirit they represented things of this world that had hooks in me and I just wanted nothing but God.

In that posture of abandonment before God I walked out onto that dimly lit stage and put my hands on the Korg Triton and sang in the spirit a few moments and went on to do a set of songs that would end up being my very first official recorded music project called "The Humble Beginning".

Now, some ten years later I've written many songs and logged God only knows how many hours of private and public worship but after 14 recorded projects, I was still left feeling ... dissatisfied. I went to the church I am now serving in and purposely picked a time when no one else was there, sat down at my keyboard (that I let them use there) and began to worship like so many times before.  I told the Lord I wanted something new. Please give me a new song was my prayer... He responded as He usually does, with an unusual instruction.  He asked me what I wanted.  I again told Him I wanted a new song and He again asked me what i really wanted.  I said I want to go where I have never gone before.  he instantly responded... then ask me to take you there..  so I did.

The moments that followed can only be described with Heaven's words but one of the fruits of that season of worship was indeed a new song called "Never Gone Before" and here is the chorus...

I wanna go where I have never gone before
and all I know is you alone, you are the door
won't you take me with you
to where I've never gone before

Every few years the Lord gives me what I would call a breakthrough song. Sing to the Lord when i was 12, I Sing Holy in 2004, Touch in 2006, Intensity in 2007, Enjoy the Presence in 2010 and now this. I'm currently working on my new project.. it will be the 15th full music project I have done since that original one in 2004 and there is already more general happiness in my heart about it than any project before.  I hope to have it ready for download before Thanksgiving.

My question for you readers is this... what do YOU want from your God... what place do you want to go to? What revelation do you not have that you really want? What piece of the God puzzle do you feel you are missing?  It's time to simply ask Him for it.. and be ready because He will likely answer with something unusual.. but IF you obey the unusual instruction, you will absolutely get whatever you have asked for and it will not disappoint at all.

More soon,

Mark

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