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New Here & Now Album is Now Available

November 17, 2013 11:50 pm Reggie Coates Ministry Journal

I’m very excited to announce that the Here & Now album is now available! It’s available on this site (of course) under Products, but after December 1 it will also be available at 20 different online venues including iTunes and CD Baby (You can hear an excerpt from each song on either of these two sites).

Here & Now is my 15th album. My previous 14 albums are Living In Jesus, No Greater Love, Take It to Heart, Radically Committed, Shout for Joy, Sing to the Lord, A New Song, Heartfelt Celebration, Intimacy, Confidence, A Christmas Gift, Heartfelt Praise, Here to Worship, and Instrumental Guitar Volume 1). I hope you enjoy it!

This album has a variety of styles with a variety of guitar techniques. I wrote eight of the songs and two of them were written by others, but have meant a lot to me throughout the years. The acoustic guitar I use is a Taylor 815ce and the Electric-Synth guitar is a Godin LGXT (the pan flute solo on Here & Now and the electric guitar solo on Flame). I use the Voice Live effects by T.C. Electronics for harmonies on Calm Down, O My Soul.

Here are the stories and lyrics for each song:

Here & Now – The most important truth that has ever captivated my life is the reality that Jesus is alive and lives in me. The first line of the chorus in this song is my frequent prayer, “Here and now I need You to live out Your life in me!” Jesus reveals the main desire of His life in the last three words of His prayer in John 17:26, “And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” Paul makes it clear; this is the good news, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), and “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Galatians 2:20). It’s true, I am not adequate to live like Jesus. I need Jesus to live His life through me, giving me His strength. “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5). I wrote this song while I was ministering in Albania one summer visiting villages and churches, training musicians, and doing concerts. The Albanian flag has a two-headed eagle on it, which for them represents strength. As Christians, the eagle also represents strength to us, as it says in Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” This song is a prayer to have wings like eagles living in the strength of Christ.

[Standard tuning]

Here & Now
Give me wings to fly
And a heart that’s bold
With Your Word awaken
Every heart grown cold
Like the wings of eagles
In Your strength I go
May the Wind of heaven
Stir each longing soul

Here and now I need You
To live out Your life in me
Every word that You inspire
Will implant the melody
I will sing the Song of Ages
And let everybody know
They can taste Your love and mercy
And drink the grace You’ve shown
How I want each person here to feel
Your love

Worthy & So Wonderful – We are called to worship only God (Deuteronomy 6:5, 13). He is worth the highest honor, the greatest value, and our deepest love. I was in Illinois for one of the Christian Guitar & Bass Conferences, late at night and alone in my room. I was so overcome and moved by God’s greatness that I wrote this song. Worship is to give ultimate worth to something or someone (to “worth-ship” them). God deserves this place in my life! I long for a lifestyle of giving God the worth and love He deserves. I was working on a trilogy on “worth” but never finished the first two songs. I started with I Don’t Feel Worth Anymore, which gave words to those who don’t feel they have any value. The second one, I’m Worth It, took a look at John 3:16 and how God thinks we are so valuable, that He sent His Son to save us. That night, I did finish the third one in the trilogy, Worthy & So Wonderful, but it’s now a stand-alone. The more we worship Him, the more we realize how much worth and value He gives us. He deeply and unconditionally loves us. It makes me want to praise Him continually. One thing that influenced this song is when the prophet Isaiah was lifted up to heaven, seeing Jesus in all of His glory and hearing the angels shout to each other “Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:1-8). What a scene, to see Jesus in all of His glory and hear all the angels praising Him. He is worth all the praise and, one day, every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Philippians 2:11). Let’s start now, lifting Him high with praise!

[I use a capo on the 2^nd fret only on strings 2-5 so it sounds like a double dropped-D tuning]

Worthy & So Wonderful
In the wake of all eternity
I dwell upon Your majesty
Creation is the gallery
Displaying Your glory

In the beauty of Your holiness
I think about how You have blessed
Showing me Your faithfulness
And sharing Your glory

Your worth, O my God,
Is far greater than anything
Your value to me
Is beyond any measuring
Whole and complete
Perfect and pure
You’re holy

Holy, holy, holy
Worthy and so wonderful
Glory, glory, glory
Mighty and so powerful
Holy, holy, holy
All the angels praise Your name
Glory, glory, glory
Forevermore Your love will reign

Holy! Lord, You’re so worthy

Flame – At times it feels like we’re living in a world where we don’t fit. There has to be more. This song uses the metaphor of living in deep water, cold and dark. Water is nice, but we were never meant to stay in the water. We are meant to live on land and experience warmth and light. In reality, we are to thrive in God’s world, the heavenly spiritual world, living in the spirit while we’re on earth. God saved me from a world I wasn’t intended to be engulfed by. With Him, I experience abundant life and the source of the flame (John 10:10). His fire burns in me and draws me to His abundant life and brilliant light. Now, I want to be a flame illuminating Him and attracting people to His Name, His very character, the wonderful God He is! Following the theme of Jesus living in me, I want to let Him shine His light through me even in the darkest places.

[Standard tuning]

Flame
Swimming in the chaos
Of this world I’m in
I take a dive to find
If there is one solution
There’s no answer there
Only dark despair
I surface knowing
There’s no resolution

Flame, I want to be a flame
To be a light to Your name
I want to be a flame
To be a flame

You pulled me from the water
Put me on dry land
Cold, but then you warmed me
With Your holy fire
Now You burn within
Dealing with my sin
You are my Savior
And my soul’s desire

I want to be Your light
Shining in the darkest night
I want to live my life
For Your glory

I Can Fly – This song was written during a very difficult time in my life along with a couple of other songs, like Jesus Lives in Me and Every Moment with You (the next song on the album). Like the song Here & Now, I use the metaphor of an eagle which represents strength and the ability to live gracefully. Before I accepted Christ as my Savior, I was pretty selfish. Now, slowly but surely, God is making a change in my heart, giving me a heart like His. Sometimes, people try to put others in a box and put labels on them. This can mess with our identity and make life confusing, stressful and unsatisfying. Yet, putting our confidence in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:4) gives us a freedom to live life to the fullest without the worry of what others think. Some time ago, Bob Munger wrote a little booklet called My Heart, Christ’s Home. It was a story of someone letting Christ into His heart. He was welcome to live in the living room, kitchen, and all the rooms except the closet. Jesus wants to have access to the whole house, even the closet. This reference is in the line, “In my heart Christ made a home.” Right after that, I switch to another analogy, where Jesus lives in me like blood – flowing continuously in my veins. God is committed to drawing me closer to Him through Jesus and through His Spirit in me. Let God’s love give you confidence, stability, and the ability to live life gracefully, giving you wings to fly.

[Dropped-D tuning]

I Can Fly
There was a time I couldn’t fly
Caged in pride and selfishness
Then Jesus saved me with His life
Trading sin for righteousness
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
I’m no longer seeking my fame
Whoa

By God’s grace I can fly
I can hold my head high
I can sail on the wind
Of His deep love for me
I can fly like the eagle
He wants me to be
I can spread my wings and fly

In the love of Christ I know
There has been a life exchange
In my heart He’s made a home
Now His life flows in my veins
Slowly but surely He’s making a change
Drawing me into His name
Whoa

Confidence in Christ I know
Yes, I feel like I can fly

Every Moment with You – We were meant to have a close relationship with God. The more time I spend with Jesus, the more I see things from His perspective, an eternal perspective. By this, I don’t mean we can see the future or anything like that. I mean, when we let our thoughts be influenced by Jesus, we see things in reality. We see the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Reading God’s Word is a great way to spend time with God, getting to know Him better and learning more about ourselves and how God wants us to live. I’ve experienced some hard things in my life with my parents dying when I was young, damaging my the nerve in a high School track & field accident, and other challenges. There are anxious times, sorrowful times, and even lonely times. But, God knows; He sees and feels what’s going on, He comforts us, and He loves us through it all. Choose to spend time with Jesus! Every moment you do, you’ll experience true life which only comes from God.

[Standard tuning]

Every Moment with You
Every moment with You
Opens my eyes to Your eternal view
Every moment with You
Opens my heart to the life only from You

Bringing every anxious thought
I know You clearly see
All the sorrow in my heart
Your Spirit comforts me
You know every move I make
Each feeling that I feel
When others don’t have time to care
Your love for me is real
Your love for me is real

You’ve given me the love I need, Lord
You’ve given me the joy I need, Lord
When I’m troubled You put Your peace in my heart

Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You
Every moment with You, I’m growing closer to You

True life only
True life only from You

You Are My God – This simple song is like a Psalm. It’s a prayer of commitment and resolve while sharing emotion experienced. Jesus is my God. I recognize Him as the only true God. There are plenty of little gods in this world that sometimes take the place that only God should have, but God deserves first place, the best place, because He is the one and only God. There have been times of pain and hurt in my life, times that compel me to look to God for comfort and healing. There have also been times of joy and hope that motivate me to look to God in praise and thanksgiving. Sing with me as we let Jesus be Lord of our lives.

[I use a capo on the 4^th fret only on strings 1-5]

You Are My God
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You
You are my God
And forevermore I will worship You

When pain comes crashing through
And hurt consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

When joy comes crashing through
And hope consumes my soul
I lift my eyes to You again

Calm Down, O My Soul – Have you ever had times where you feel overwhelmed and out of control? This song is for you. Well, it’s actually for me. Yes, I have times when I’m moving too fast, unsure if things will work out, and forget that God is in control. One of my favorite verses is a great reminder, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Similar to my song Slow Me Down, I’m reminding myself that God will work things out for good (Romans 8:28) because He is in control of all things and loves to lavish us with blessing.

[This song is a capella and I use the Voice Live by T.C. Electronics for the harmonies]

Calm Down, O My Soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul

Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul
Slow down, O my soul

God is in control
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
Calm down, O my soul
God is in control
God is in control
God is in control

Sherri, My Love – My wife Sherri has been my best friend and companion over the 29 years we’ve been married. She is such a complimentary part of my life, such a blessing! When I went to Russia for the second time in 1996, I took a chord book with me by the legendary Ted Green and learned some beautiful jazz chords over the two weeks I was there. One of the best ways to learn something is to apply it in song, so I wrote this song for Sherri celebrating our Anniversary using chords and progressions I learned. “Bear, you are my love! Thank you for who you are and all you do. You are captivating!”

[Standard tuning]

Sherri, My Love
Sherri, my love
I can’t believe we’ve come this far
And time flies by
All the times we laugh, the times we cry
Oh Sherri, my love
Your faithfulness, it makes me so strong
I want to thank you for the years you’ve been loving me
Thank you for loving me

Oh Sherri, my love
I couldn’t do all the things I do without you
You lift me up and pull me through
Oh Sherri, my love
You are my love and my best friend to the end
And forever we will grow in love
Forever we’ll grow in love

You’re so beautiful
Like a rainbow in an April shower
How your children love you
Call you a beautiful flower
And I want you to know
That I love you so

Oh Sherri, my love
You meet my needs
I promise as before to meet your’s
In the strength that only Christ can give
Oh Sherri, my love
Through all these years we’ve had so much fun in God’s love
And together we will be as one
Together we’ll be as one

Water Grave – This is one of the most significant cover songs from my past. Asking Jesus to come into my heart and take over my life was more than just a one-time wish. It meant dying to my old self and rising to the new life Jesus promised. The best symbol of what happened is baptism where we are buried in the water to our old sinfulness and come alive to Christ as we are raised out of the water. It brings back memories of my baptism in a pool in southern California and of Sherri’s baptism in the Pacific Ocean. In this song, the person who wrote it was so excited to show his heavenly Father his desire to change that he’s going down to the river to be “buried alive.”

[Standard tuning]

Water Grave
In this house there’s been a mercy killing
The man I used to be has been crucified
And the death of this man is a final way of revealing
In a spiritual way to live I had to die

Now if I let this dead man linger in me
I might get a little idle in my ways
So I’m going down to the celebration river
I’m gonna lay this dead man down in a water grave

I’m going down to the river my Lord
I’m going to be buried alive
I’m going to show my heavenly Father
The man I used to be has finally died

When I think of where I’m going
In terms of where I’ve been
It makes me glad to know my Lord
That I’ve been born again

Make My Life a Prayer to You – Another one of the most significant cover songs for me is this one, written by Melody Green and sung by Keith Green. Keith was a pianist, songwriter, concert artist, and passionate follower of Christ. He was probably the most influential musician for me during my college years. His Last Days Ministries offered powerful direction and encouragement toward being a Christian musician with integrity. I first heard Make My Life a Prayer to You on Keith Green’s album, No Compromise. It became my prayer during that season and continues to resonate in my heart even today. I remember meeting him at one of the Christian Artist Music Seminars in Colorado. He was remarkably intense as we talked about his music and my music, yet he was very encouraging. May we have a spirit of boldness as we lay down our sinfulness, live for Christ, and share the hope and love of Jesus to everyone God puts before us.

[Standard tuning]

Make My Life a Prayer to You
Make My Life a Prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I want to shine the light You gave
Through Your Son You sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there

I want to thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it’s so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust
And just believe what You say
You’re coming again
Coming to take me away

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free
I want to tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairytale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the Son
You’ve risen from the dead

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope You gave to me
The love that set me free

If you’re interested in downloading this album (or individual songs), go to Gumroad ($9.00). If you’d like to get a physical CD, go to our Products Page and order through PayPal.

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