Archive for the ‘CD-In His Strength’ Category

Love 89.1  

Marisa Lykins has invited me on her talk show “Chick Chat” on one of our listener supported Christian radio stations Love 89.1. I will be on there tomorrow, Thursday March 13, at 8:10 am. I have met with Marissa before and look forward to “chatting”. Please tune in if you have a chance. You can also listen online here.

In His Strength

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Love 89.1  

Marisa Lykins has invited me on her talk show “Chick Chat” on one of our listener supported Christian radio stations Love 89.1. I will be on there tomorrow, Thursday March 13, at 8:10 am. I have met with Marissa before and look forward to “chatting”. Please tune in if you have a chance. You can also listen online here.

In His Strength

It’s on sale right now for 50% off! Please take advantage of this sale by clicking here.

I love music.  I’m so thankful for this wonderful gift from God.  I’m so glad God has given us music to use to worship him.  I play music in the car.  I play classical music sometimes as background while I’m working in the office.  And I’ve often got music blasting when I’m working around the house.  And music is great to exercise to.

I have been using Trillia Newbell’s album “In His Strength” for the past three weeks for my morning treadmill jogging.  Trillia’s album uses a number of worship songs from Sovereign Grace Ministries which have been remixed by DeeJay Essence.  The front of the album describes the songs as “Christ exalting beats for aerobics, step and conditioning.” 

Now you probably won’t ever find me in an aerobics class.  First of all I don’t have the right clothing.  Secondly, I’ve never seen a guy aerobics teacher whose class I would want to be in.  Wait a minute, put down the stones!  I’m just kidding.  I’m sure there are some aerobics teachers out there who could knock me into next week.  And some of them are probably men.

Hey, I’m just trying to have a little fun.  Seriously, exercise has always been hard for me, though I have been fairly consistent over the years at jogging.  I normally drop off during the colder months, but now I have a treadmill so I can jog during the winter.  It’s harder to run on a treadmill because it’s just so boring.  So “In His Strength” has come at a good time for me.

I’ve found it pretty easy to jog to the driving beats and the upbeat music on the album.  By the time I have gotten through the first song, “Your Love,” (132 bpm) my heart is beating pretty good.  I will then skip ahead to “Glory To”, “Come Now Almighty King” (both 129 bpm) or “O Wondrous Love” and “You Heavens Adore Him” (130 bpm).  All of these songs work well for me to jog at a 15-minute mile pace.  After 20 minutes I jump back to “King of Grace”, “Your Mercy and Kindness” and “Jesus My Only Hope” (all 128 bpm), which work well for a fast walk.  In this way I have been able to add an additional five minutes to my routine.  I’m sure you’re really impressed.

DeeJay Essence did a great job on the remixes of these songs.  One of my favorites on the album is “Come Now Almighty King” — what a great combination of styles — it’s a hymn that was done on Sovereign Grace Ministries’ “Upward” album in a country style with a really cool fiddle section.  DeeJay kept the country sound but mixed it with the house beat (correct me if that’s not the right term).  So, the song is kind of like Hymn meets Square Dance meets House.

But apart from the motivational music, the lyrics are all truly “Christ exalting”.  I exercise right after having my morning devotions, so it’s great to be able to start running to lyrics like “Your love will last forever,” and “Your mercy and kindness pursue me forever,” and “Your wondrous love will never let me go”.

So, as a guy who is looking for ways to stay motivated and exercise consistently, I would recommend “In His Strength”.  I think you’ll like it.

About Mark Altrogge

Mark is the senior pastor of  Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, Pennsylvania. Mark is a prolific songwriter. He has written hundreds of songs for worship, including “I Stand in Awe” and “I’m Forever Grateful.”  He and his son, Stephen, blog at The Blazing Center. Mark and his wife, Kristi, have four sons and one daughter.

When I considered doing a Christian aerobics and exercise CD one of the first decisions I needed to make was song selection. The lyrics of each track I chose for the CD was very important to me.  It didn’t take me long to decide to use Sovereign Grace Music. The music of Sovereign Grace Ministries is packed with truth about God’s character, His grace, and the Cross. Bob Kauflin, the Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries took time to answer a few questions about himself and his ministry.

Please give us a little history about Sovereign Grace Music- when did it begin? What was the first project you worked on?

Sovereign Grace Music began in the mid-80’s. The first project I worked on was The Nations Are Waiting. I think it came out in 1987.

Back in the late 70’s/early 80’s, you were a part of a contemporary Christian group GLAD. When, and how, did God call you into full-time ministry?

While in GLAD (1972-1984), I because convinced that the local church was God’s primary tool for bringing the Gospel to people. So in 1981 I told the band I would be leaving in three years to devote myself to building the local church. I left in1984 and became a pastor at a Sovereign Grace church in 1985.

Our CD, In His Strength, is a compilation of songs originally by Sovereign Grace Music. Three of these songs were written by you. Is there anything you do to prepare yourself to write music?

Ask God for help! I try to come up with a basic focus or theme, and then I’ll typically sit down at the piano and try to come up with a melody with lyrics.

We often hear of “heroes of the faith” is there someone you would consider to be your “hero of the faith”? How has this person contributed to your ministry?

A dead hero is Isaac Watts (1674-1748). He wrote over 650 hymns, a number of which we still sing today, including Joy to the World and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. During a time when most of the church only sang Psalms, God used him to expand the use of “hymns of human composure,” that is hymns that explore biblical themes and response to those themes. He versified 138 of the Psalms to “make David speak like a Christian.” Even though he could have produced more “profound” poetry, he intentionally wrote simply so that more people could understand what he was saying. I have been affected by his work ethic, his love for the Gospel, and his desire to see Christians singing rich doctrine.

My living hero is CJ Mahaney. There is little about my life that hasn’t been affected by him. His example as a son of God, husband, father, preacher, pastor, and friend have all affected me deeply. I love the Savior more because of him, I love my wife more, I love my children more, and I love the church more because of his counsel, teaching, and example. I’ve told him numerous times that if I had to choose between hearing his preaching (which is simply brilliant) and watching his life, I’d pick watching his life, because he’s even more impressive privately than he is publicly. And he’s pretty impressive publicly. 

What projects are you currently working on?

I just finished a book for Crossway, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. Lord willing it will be out in April. I’m finishing a chapter for a book on worldliness. I’m planning the WorshipGod conference next July 30-Aug. 2, Rediscovering the Psalms, to be held here in Gaithersburg. That’s our bi-annual worship conference for pastors, worship leaders, musicians, and anyone else who wants to come. I’m also working on some of the music projects that will be released next year. One will be songs for those going through suffering and another will be a project drawn from the Psalms.

Keeping with the tradition of my interviews I must ask; do you have any exercise routines or regimens you do throughout your week?

I plead the 5th.

Thank you so much, Bob, for spending time with us and giving us a glimpse into your life and work. I have personally benefited from your gifts as a songwriter and musician. You are a gift to your local church, Sovereign Grace Ministries, and beyond. I look forward to reading your book next year and pray that your future projects would be a success. By the way, pleading the 5^th to remain “silent”, I’m afraid speaks loud and clear.

Bob Kauflin leads worship at Covenant Life Church and writes a blog at  http://www.worshipmatters.com/. To find out more information about Sovereign Grace Music you may visit them on the web at http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/.

I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some extraordinarily talented individuals while making In His Strength. One such individual is Josh Wann (aka deejay essence). One thing that I most respect about Josh is his humility. His desire is that God would be glorified in all that he does. Today I am thrilled that you will get to know him a little better too in this brief interview below.

You own and operate Lamp Mode Recordings. Could you tell us a little bit about what you do?

Lamp Mode is a small, independent record label that I own. We specialize in making Christ-centered, doctrinal hip-hop. My job changes so much on the day to day that it’s hard to actually say what my job entails. For one, I cover all of the administrative tasks of running the record label and studio. As well as that, I engineer the majority of songs, which includes recording and then mixing the songs. I am also involved in producing certain songs, giving creative ideas, helping structure songs and making sure the intent of the artist is achieved during the album making process. Up until recently, I was involved in handling the graphic design aspect of the label, including print materials and website presence. Finally, I travel with the guy’s and act as DJ during their performances.

How long have you been mixing CD’s?

I’ve been mixing as a DJ for 13 years now. My older brother brought some turntables home one day and that was all she wrote. I had no clue as to what I was doing, but I was intrigued by them. On top of that, I had a passion for music, so it was an interesting combination. I used to make the most horrendous noise in the neighborhood, but my mom didn’t care because she was just glad I was home and not out on the streets…Fast forward a few years and I evolved from just DJ’ing into the recording/production aspect. I know spend the majority of my time mixing songs for people, or producing songs and albums. Thankfully, the DJ background gave me a foundation to understand song structures.

You work mostly with Christian hip hop and rap artist. How and why did you decide to focus in on Christian hip hop?

Proverbs 16:9!…Paraphrasing, I have made my plans, but the LORD has directed my steps. In God’s awesome sovereignty and sense of humor, he allowed me to craft my skills so that I could in turn glorify Him. I was in the world doing secular music for a long time and when I wasn’t looking for it, He changed my affections to glorify Him in my music. All secular hip hop music is focused on self and the pride of the artist. Its aim is to draw attention to the artist. Because of this, we are intentional in making sure we don’t fall prey to this, but instead turn our gaze and the gaze of the listeners to heaven, where God reigns on high.

Was making this CD much different from other projects you’ve worked on? If so, how?

Making this CD was completely different than anything I’ve ever done! Not only musically, but also in the technique in which it was crafted. As providence would have it, my foundation (from the early DJ years) is in electronic dance music. So, the aesthetic of the genre wasn’t foreign, but I had never gotten into producing electronic music. By the time I started producing, I was only involved in the hip hop scene. So, I had to apply the process that I had developed as a hip hop producer and try to apply it to what I knew as a house, or electronica DJ. On top of that, there was an added dynamic of not having access to the recordings of the music, but only being able to use the completed songs. Because of this, I wasn’t able to solo out individual instruments or vocals from a song, but I was constrained to the format of the song as it was released on CD. So, I didn’t have the flexibility as most “remixers” might, but it also allowed me to be stretched creatively to try and push the songs as far as possible, yet still retaining some familiarity of the original song elements.

I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering; where did you get the name “deejay essence”?

Ahhhhhh, only if I had a clever story for this one. Well, it was a snowy night and….No, just kidding. I gave that name to myself! I’ve had a few other DJ names (some not worth mentioning!), but this is the one that has stuck, standing the test of time.

What are some projects that you are currently working on?

Well, I’m currently in the final mixing stages of two albums by shai linne. One is called The Atonement and the other one is called Storiez. I’m mixing an album for Hazakim called Theophanies. Hazakim are some great brothers from Ohio and they are Messianic Jews. They make great apologetic hip hop that shows how Jesus is the Messiah predicted about in the Scriptures (pointedly at a Jewish audience). I’m mixing an album for Willie Will out of Seattle, Washington. I’m also recording and mixing an album for Young Josh called Back 2 Reality. I’ve just finished mixing the new album for the Frontlynaz called Game Over. In addition to all of that, I’m trying to stay productive making beats for other people and when I have time, working on my solo album, which will probably never come out!

You jokingly write on your website that your “future plans include bringing world peace through the distribution of tea and part-time work as a jazzercise instructor.” How’s that jazzercise working out for you? This is a fitness site so I must ask; do you have an exercise regimen?

The funny thing is that shai linne wrote that bio. I don’t know why he said that, but it turns out that he may have a prophetic gift! Me, exercise? You’ve got to be kidding. My idea of exercise is rolling over to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. I sit in a dungy basement for days on end. It might help to get some sunlight every once in a while though!

Josh you are very busy so I am very thankful that you would take time to let my readers get to know you a little better. I pray that your future endeavors are successful by God’s grace and for His glory. Oh and exercise is not rolling over to it the snooze button-I guess the rolling might engage the abs a little. That’s pushing it!

Joshua ‘deejay essence’ Wann is the founder of Lamp Mode Recordings. Lamp Mode exists to highlight the character of God while presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ and a biblical worldview through hip hop culture. You can find more info at:

www.lampmode.com

www.myspace.com/lampmode

In His Strength is now available for immediate shipping! If you have ordered a CD your CD has been shipped.

Cedar Springs Christian Bookstores in Knoxville, TN will now be carrying the CD. Look in the CD aisle under contemporary.

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Interview with the creative mixer, deejay essence, coming soon!

In a few weeks In His Strength will be available for purchase! I am very excited about the CD.  Josh “deejay essence” Wann has been working hard to remix ten songs from the music of Sovereign Grace Ministries. I look forward to introducing you to him a little later and sharing more about the songs, Sovereign Grace Music and In His Strength. Today I wanted to share a little about aerobics music in general.  If you are not an aerobics instructor, personal trainer or in the fitness industry you might be wondering what makes In His Strength different from every other remixed CD. The answer is quite simple, for an aerobics instructor everything is different.

Professionally produced aerobics music is designed so that the musical phrasing consists of 4 sets of 8, or 32 beats of music and does not include bridges or other musical breaks. The music is usually continuous with only a fade out from one song to the next. In His Strength is designed specifically for step aerobics, conditioning and strength classes. The beats per minute (bmp) indicate the tempo and allows the instructor to know which speed he or she will be teaching in and assists instructors in the class format.

So back to the answer, to an instructor everything is different, but to those of you who are not instructors, the biggest difference is that the CD’s are usually compilations and remixed. In His Strength is a compilation of remixed Sovereign Grace songs, formatted for aerobics instructors but useful for anyone who would like to listen to or workout to upbeat Christian music.

For the past few months I have had the pleasure of administratively working on a CD called In His Strength. It has been exciting to watch what was an idea come to fruition. Going back to the beginning, one of my first steps was trying to decide where I was going to get ten songs. It didn’t take long to decide Sovereign Grace Music. The lyrics to the songs I chose for the CD was very important to me. The music of Sovereign Grace Ministries is full of truth about God’s character, His grace, and the Cross. God has graciously given the ministry gifted songwriters  who love His Word and have a passion for His glory. One of those songs writers is Mark Altrogge. Mark has three of his songs featured on In His Strength one of which, Jesus My Only Hope, may be listened to in the aerobics media section of this site. I am very excited for you to get to know a little bit about Mark through this interview.

 In His Strength, the title of the aerobics CD, features three of your songs. One of my favorites is Jesus My Only Hope. What was your inspiration for Jesus My Only Hope?

The Bible tells us that we cannot come to God in our own goodness or worthiness, for we are sinners.  But God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to rescue sinners by living a life of perfect obedience, then dying on a cross in their place.  And for all who put all their hope in Christ, God credits the perfection of Christ as belonging to them. 

I wanted to write a song about coming to God through Jesus Christ, not in our own worthiness.  When we draw near to God in worship, prayer or reading the Bible, we should not put our hope in our own performance, our own goodness or anything else, but we should put all our trust in Jesus Christ.  He is the perfect Mediator between God and man, who shed his divine blood to bring us to God.  These are the ideas I tried to capture in Jesus My Only Hope.

What do you do before you sit down to write a song?

Do you mean “when” I sit down to write?  Or before?  I don’t do much before - the best thing before would be to pray - if only I could more consistently remember to do that! 

When I sit down to write, I usually have some kind of theme in mind, something I’ve read in a book or heard in a sermon.  Recently, I was thinking about how God designs our suffering for his glory and our good, and thought that the important thing is not that God would remove any pain I might experience, but that he be glorified in my life.  So I had the phrase “As Long as You Are Glorified”.  Then I began to write some verses that would relate to this theme.

Often I will write lyrics first.  Sometimes I might write them out in verse form, crafting them almost like a poem.  Other times I simply write a few random thoughts related to a theme without worrying about rhyme or meter.  Then I will begin to play my guitar and sing some of the words, experimenting with melodies and chords, looking for anything that happens to “click”.  When I get some good ideas, I record them so I don’t forget them. 

In a way it is like physical exercise; it’s mostly a matter of repetition and hard work.

Have you always been a songwriter? What was the first song you ever wrote?

I’ve always loved music.  But I didn’t write any songs until I got into a rock band as a teen-ager.  Wanting to be just like the Beatles (I was not yet a Christian), I wrote my first song when I was 15.  It was called, “As If I Didn’t Know.”  The lyrics were: “You’re whispering in my ear, what you’re saying makes my insides glow.  You’re wishing I’d hold you near, as if I didn’t know.”  Pretty profound, huh? 

You and your son, Stephen, just completed a father/son project In a Little While. What was your favorite part of working side by side with your son?

The most fun part was recording the vocals in the Sovereign Grace Ministries’ studio in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  We had a lot of laughs together with my good friend Bo Lotinsky (Sovereign Grace Music) and the producer Sal Oliveri, whom we have gotten to work with before on a couple projects. 

But I must say, the greatest blessing is seeing the kindness and faithfulness of God at work in my son.  For in the Bible, God has made many promises that he will help Christian parents and bless their children.  Sitting in the studio watching my son sing songs that he had written to the Lord was simply watching the faithfulness of God pass before my eyes.

Forever Grateful Music features your scripture memory songs. Why do you think it’s important to memorize scripture? How do you think scripture memorization is enhanced by music?

Memorizing Scripture has many benefits. In Joshua 1:8 the Lord tells Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Our spiritual prosperity will be greatly affected by our diligence to meditate upon and obey God’s word. Memorization is a means to meditation. As we memorize Scripture, we can then meditate on it and apply it to our lives.

Many have recognized the power of music to aid memorization.  I can still recall commercial jingles from when I was a kid.  Advertisers take advantage of wedding lyrics to catchy melodies.  I’ve seen teenagers walking down the street listening to music and singing every word.  Because we can easily recall melodies, when we marry words to those melodies, it makes it easier to recall those words.

I’m sure you never thought your music would one day be featured on a fitness site! Keeping with the theme, do you have an exercise regimen that you maintain?

I’m thrilled that my music is going to be on a fitness site!  Especially since I am so incredibly athletic (can you hear my kids laughing in the background?).

I’ve been moderately consistent over the years at jogging.  Lately I’ve found what works for me is (don’t laugh) what I call my “One Minute” regimen.   I will run for one minute, then walk for one minute, and keep repeating for about 20 minutes.  I’ve found that I can get through it by saying to myself, “I only have to do this for one minute, then I can walk.”  Pretty pathetic, huh?  Maybe your CD will motivate me to run,…2 minutes at a time.

Mark thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions! Most of all thank you for using the gifts that God gave you to serve the church. We look forward to hearing more songs that you write in the future. You are a gift to your local congregation and to us. On another note, We do hope the CD will motivate you to keep running. Thanks for the humor! If you stick around the site you’ll soon learn that you are actually doing interval training…not so pathetic after all!