One location however, has been a spot for heated discussion when it comes to the last days.Over looking Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives is one of the most significant locations described in the Bible. The Bible predicts that one day in the future, the Mount of Olives will be the setting for the most important event of the last days – the return of Jesus to earth, where the Messiah will fight for Jerusalem, conquering the nations and judge the world.

For some, this event of the last days are a hopeful vision for the future but for others they are source of conflict and hate. Watch on to discover the truth of the Mount of Olives and the Last Days in this 4-part series by the Day of Discovery team.

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YMI Note:
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Today, many tough questions are being asked about our beliefs that have been held for centuries. Did Jesus really say and do what the Bible reports? Did the Gospel writers of the Bible’s New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – really give us a true account of the life and words of Jesus? Are there secrets now revealed about the Christian faith? And what about other Gospel documents that contradict the Biblical story of Jesus?

Stay tuned to this six-part series by the Day of Discovery team as we bring you Jesus and the Gospels – Answers to tough questions.

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YMI Note:
Why should we believe what was written so long ago? How can we separate fact from fiction? Share your thoughts with us!

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Watch and learn from Pastor Brian Felten as he espouses on worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth.

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Watch and learn from Pastor Brian Felten as he espouses on performing acceptable worship in our everyday lives.
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This song “Father” was written by Peter Tonna and performed by Banton Brothers.
Download audio file (Father.mp3)

Father here I am
Weak in your might
A little child
In your light
Oh how I’ve shamed
I don’t deserve the shine of your reign

CHORUS x 2
Oh Father
If I gave my everything
Would that ever be enough for your love?

I can’t understand
Your thoughts of me
They’re like the drops
That fill the sea
Oh take away your gaze
For I don’t deserve your grace

CHORUS.…x 2

There was a time I made it clear
I didn’t want you anywhere near
But when I look back you were there
With open arms I had never gone too far
I humbly turn around, it’s you that runs to me
When I humbly turn around, it’s you that runs to me

CHORUS….x 2

Then my heart felt the answer
And now I see
You already gave everything
For me
For me

About “Father”:
For a while I kept putting off writing this song because I wanted to have the right answer to the question that resounds in the chorus which is: “Father if I gave my everything, would that ever be enough for your love?” The truth is: we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Hence, often in our weak moments, we would wonder if God still loves us and if there is anything we can do to deserve His love.

One day, I decided that I wasn’t going to put off this song any longer. I picked it up, closed my eyes and asked God to give me the answer to the question. Then, in an instant, I felt a calmness and heard God speaking the answer to my heart. I could finally finish this song. The response to my question can be heard in the very last line of this song. Be blessed!

More information about Peter:
Peter is a songwriter from Sydney, Australia. He has written over 350 songs in many genres. It was his deep love for God which led him to focus on writing Christian and positive songs for God’s glory. He hopes to share his songs with the world to bring people closer to God.

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With siblings for band-mates, ABODA is a unique Christian instrumental band. They started in 1993 with the entire family—their parents included—playing music and singing under the name Team Worshipper (which later became Worshippers). The band changed its name to ABODA in 2006. Now, it consists of Timothy Noya (piano & keyboards), Fanuel Noya (drums), Philemon Noya (guitar), and Clement Noya (bass).

The word “ABODA” comes from Hebrew, meaning “to work, to serve, to worship.” This name is in line with their vision to “share life stories to everyone who listens to ABODA’s music.”

There are various musical influences that shaped the music composed by ABODA, for example: musicians such as David Foster, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Israel Houghton, Tom Brooks, and renowned drummers Akira Jimbo and Thomas Pridgen. ABODA is often regarded as a jazz band, but ABODA never saw themselves that way. When asked about the type of music that they prefer, one of the band members replied, “The essence of worship is not the kind of music, but the heart.”

In June 2007, they released their debut album “Today in Paradise” under the label Victorious Music Jazz. This album won the award for “The Best Instrumental Album” at the 2008 Indonesian Gospel Music Awards. A year later ABODA published the “Lite Edition”, which included the song “Journey to the Fatherland.”

Journey to the Fatherland
This song was conceptualized when they saw many Muslims returning home just before the Islamic Eid* holiday. From there, inspiration struck them that “this life is actually a journey back to where we came from.” So the “Fatherland” in this song refers to not just our earthly home, but our Father’s place in Heaven.

Journey To The Fatherland (ABODA) by clementnoya

It’s not easy to judge an instrumental hymn, let alone a completely original one. But we can try to observe closely the atmosphere generated by the musical instruments in this song and try to see the inspiration behind it.

Basically, Journey to Fatherland is driven by a motif or a piece of melody that acts like a chorus. This motif can be found at the beginning of the song, in which the electric guitar and strings from the keyboard blend together. The melody for the motif is easy to remember because it contains one long tone followed by a short tune. It has a very lively but firm character. The second guitar accompaniment is catchy and the drums add to the atmosphere of hustle and bustle. It’s enough to give an impression of the heightened rush that comes with going home.

After the chorus is completed, we hear the guitar solo. A gentle piano chord is held at length to provide the bases for the solo, which is very reflective and gives the impression of nostalgia. By using echo effects at the end of each piece of the melody, it paints a picture of the composer considering the deeper meaning in life amid the activities of going home. The guitar solo ends with a touch of melancholy in which there are brief scales: four long tones down, before returning to a vibrant chorus.

Overall we see the unique juxtaposition of a lively chorus and the improvisation by the band, which always begins with a series of rapid and brilliant tone but then turns into a more melancholic one.

This seemed to illustrate that in the end, going home is nothing than just going home—a very human activity. However, we should bear in mind that this life is a journey of returning home to a far greater place—our Fatherland in Heaven. ABODA is not trying to create a heavenly atmosphere in this song; instead they wanted to depict a realistic reflection and inspiration amid the busyness of our daily activities.

Psalm 84:1-2 reads, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” May this be the cry of our hearts too.

*A three-day Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm).

Endnote: ABODA is currently serving at various churches in Jakarta, Indonesia on a weekly basis. The members are all music teachers. In the future, Aboda hopes to go international and help more people see the love of Christ through their works.

Paul Westdale – Learning To Serve from Justin James on Vimeo.

Every broken relationship helps you learn something about yourself.
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What does it mean for you to truly know God?