Alexis Allen, better known as Lexi, the Media Personality for Inside Inspiration on the syndicated “Yolanda Adams Morning Show,” and the TV Personality and Host on the Word Network’s “The Lexi Show,” is set to release her highly anticipated single, “Burn It All Down” (Malaco Music Group) Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at All digital outlets.

On March 9 -10, 2012, Lexi will attend Radio One’s Praise 103.9 Inspiration and Music Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There she will (as she likes to say) “shake hands, say hello, kiss babies” and make her “Live” performance debut of the single, “Burn It All Down.”

“Burn It All Down” exemplifies Lexi’s new wisdom, persona, style, growth, admiration, worship and spiritual outlook. Like never before, you will witness through song how she has overcome tremendous personal adversity and her maturation as an artist and woman of God which is nothing short of amazing. “Burn It All Down” will bless and inspire you into a place of worship and praise drawing you back to the place when you first believed and received HIM! A new life, a new wholeness – Burn It All Down leaving only God’s truth!

Listen to the single below.

During a recent visit to Nashville, David M. Edwards performed at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) Convention and Exposition during the Tonight’s Entertainment program at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and joined LifeWay for a segment of The Choir Room EXTRA show to discuss his ministry, writing, teaching, and upcoming CD.  
 
“I was proud to serve alongside my fellow worship leaders and artists as we joined together to praise His name during the music program at NRB,” said Edwards, recording artist, creative director of the International Center for Worship and artist-in-residence at Regent University. “It’s always nice to see familiar faces and have time to fellowship and lift up the name of Jesus Christ.”
 
Edwards sang “Jesus You Reign” from his current EP, Rising Up To Heaven, during the Tonight’s Entertainment show at NRB, which featured a variety of singer/songwriters, worship leaders and recording artists and was hosted by comedian/actor/singer, David Mann. Artists for the evening included Tamela Mann, Brian Courtney Wilson and Edwards, among others.

Following his time at NRB, Edwards sat down with Mike Harland, director of LifeWay Worship, to share about his writing, leading worship, ministry, teaching, his upcoming CD and more. To check out Edwards’ episode of The Choir Room EXTRA, please watch video below. 

For more information on David M. Edwards, visit www.davidmedwards.com. 

Edwards’ latest EP, Rising Up To Heaven, is released by Maranatha! Music and EMI-CMG Distribution. Edwards is the author of Worship 365: The Power of a Worshiping Life and the Worship 365 events. He is a columnist for Rev! Magazine and a popular conference speaker.  In 2010, Edwards was honored with the appointment as Artist-In- Residence, in the School of Divinity at Regent University, in Virginia Beach, Va., where he has taught Worship + Renewal since 2008 and serves as the Creative Director of the Regent University International Center for Worship. Edwards is an official spokesman for the Bible League, which is one of the world’s largest evangelical, non-denominational Scripture placement agencies.

Maranatha! Music is a pioneer in praise and worship music resource publishing. Best known for the Praise Series, Praise Band Series, The Invitation CD and Top 25 Series; Maranatha! Music has sold more than 30 million records worldwide.  

For more information on Maranatha! Music, visit www.maranathamusic.com.

Wow OK, so when I found out that Mary Mary was having a Reality TV show, I thought to myself “how interesting could holy Gospel artists’ lives be?” After-all reality TV audiences tend to like drama, mess, partying, and fighting.

After looking at the preview of the show it looks pretty interesting. Fans of Mary Mary will get an in depth look at all that goes into the duos success. Some of us nosy folk will get the chance to see Erica have her baby and interact with her husband and family.

The preview shows the two sisters don’t always get along. Even toying with the idea of taking their careers solo. Managers push the duo and extended family and siblings interact with the two sisters.

Mary Mary will premier on WE tv Thursday, March 29th at 10pm ET/PT, in a special time slot, then continues each week at 9pm ET/PT with ten, hour-long episodes.

Take a look at the preview below. What do you think?

In Bishop T.D. Jakes’ new book, Let It Go: Forgive So You Can Be Forgiven, he explores what he calls “the art of forgiveness,” in which he goes beyond the topical meaning of the word. Rather, he takes it apart, examines every facet of what it means to forgive and to be forgiven, offers examples as to what may have caused the crisis, and provides solutions on how to work through betrayal and accept true forgiveness.

So why an entire book on the topic of forgiveness? Because in the tradition of T.D. Jakes, he puts forth forgiveness as a life lesson, something that is as necessary as the air we breathe. LET IT GO is a comprehensive road map to forgiveness, arming readers with the knowledge and spiritual instruction that will enable them to release from past offenses and acts that may be holding them back. “Forgiveness is essential if we are to grow into the fullness of who God created us to be…When we refuse to forgive, we basically insist on setting our standards higher than God’s,” explains T.D. Jakes. “Forgiveness isn’t about weakening you but strengthening you to live again and love again performing at your highest capacity unencumbered by yesterday’s maladies.”

Using deeply personal circumstances and examples from his life’s journey, T.D. Jakes opens up to readers about his own confrontations with forgiveness and how embracing it helped put his career and life on a trajectory that he could have never imagined. In one instance, he writes about a relationship in which he harbored resentment towards someone whom he felt was taking advantage of – and cheating – him and his then small church. That relationship took an unexpected turn when that very person asked for forgiveness when challenged about his unethical business practices. In the end, T.D. Jakes did forgive him, and it would be that very person who unexpectedly helped to engineer T.D. Jakes’ television debut, with sermons that would allow him to reach people around the world. “Even now…I look back and think to myself, I was right in my assertion I was being used…But that isn’t the important thing to remember,” writes T.D. Jakes. “The truth of the matter is the important thing to remember was that my greatest opportunity was born in the middle of an offense. I learned that day that it is possible to be right about the issue but you can be wrong to take on the fight.”

In LET IT GO, T.D. Jakes offers readers tips and suggestions about how to deal with disappointments and forgive in a way that will most benefit their lives going into the future:

• Realize that disappointments will come. The difference in people emerges in how they respond to the conflicts they encounter.
• Learn to manage the disappointments in life…Since we cannot control when offenses will come or through whom they will arrive, then we can only control the way in which we experience them.
• Understand that forgiveness does not equal vulnerability. On the contrary, forgiveness requires great strength and maturity of character.
• Love above the offense. Find ways to communicate about the things that are not always polite or flattering. Hiding or not discussing them doesn’t help intimacy and build trust; it destroys the relationship.
• Think of anger differently, as not only a negative emotion. If properly allocated and managed, anger can do a lot to ease the torment of a boundary that has been disrespected.
• Write off the past, take back the power in your life even if the person cannot or will not right the wrong you have been done.
• Never be afraid to enter into a confrontation, but make sure it is worth the energy and effort.
• Practice self-forgiveness and self-love. Change the way we think about ourselves. When we change our thoughts and beliefs, it makes it easier to develop new ideas that will reflect a healthier identity of our true worth.

“Whoever said opportunity only knocks once, must have died young. If you live long enough, you discover that life does give second chances – and third and fourth,” says T.D. Jakes. “The word ‘forgiving’ means you have been ‘giving’ to that which is prior, before your present moment and the gifts of your future. Now that you have been liberated from old grudges, released from deep-seated resentments, and set free from the snares of not forgiving, a most important question looms…To what endeavor will you give that extra energy and passion that you just freed up?”

In LET IT GO, T.D. Jakes serves as the reader’s personal tour guide through learning about and embracing forgiveness, a word that is an ever present part of our vocabulary but not something that we truly apply in our lives with any regularity or meaning. This book will serve as the definitive blueprint for anyone who finds him or herself at the crossroads of forgiveness. The inspiring thoughts and ideas within these pages will help readers to release, recharge one’s life, and press forward in peace and prosperity.

Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos starting quarterback, has recently said he has been giving advice to New York Knicks starting point guard, Jeremy Lin.

Tebow, a Christian athlete who has frequently made his faith known, said he can identify with Lin who rose to fame just three weeks ago. The Broncos quarterback spoke about providing Lin with advice since he could identify with the rising Knicks star.

“He’s a good guy and very humble,” the QB said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening for him. We talk a lot on the phone, because I know what he’s going through, and I’ve been giving him some advice. He’s handling it pretty well and staying focused.”

Lin’s humility and faith have caused many to compare him to Tebow, even before the NFL star revealed that he was in contact with the NBA player. Skip Bayless, controversial sports media personality, tweeted a comparison between the two after hearing Lin speak about his faith following a win over the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 13.

“Jeremy Lin saga is getting Tebowesque,” Bayless tweeted to over 500,000 followers. “Took over late, 3 to win it at :05! Said he loves the pressure. Even thanked Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Christian Post reports that Lin, who has also been vocal about his Christian faith as a professional athlete, said Tebow inspired him even before they met. In an interview with 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, located a short distance from his hometown of Palo Alto, Lin spoke about his respect for the Denver Broncos quarterback.

I think the things he says in interviews, his approach to the game is just unbelievable and I respect him so much,” Lin said. “I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the nonprofit work, and the way he impacts people off the field. I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.”

Read More by The Christian Post

“We’re breaking the hits,” says Black Smoke Media Worldwide’s CEO Kerry Douglas as he discusses his latest Top 10 radio smash, “One More Time.” The soul-stirring ballad features gospel legend, John P. Kee and Douglas’ next superstar singer, Zacardi Cortez. The single has been at radio for six months and just reached The Top 5 at Billboard. “One More Time” is one of the songs anchoring the solo CD debut, “Zacardi Cortez: The Introduction” (Black Smoke Media Worldwide), scheduled for release on May 22, 2012. The spine-tingling singer’s premiere set will feature both contemporary and traditional gospel tracks with cameos by Donnie McClurkin, Lalah Hathaway and Kierra Sheard.

Douglas has been quietly building a platform for Cortez over the last six years. Although, Cortez has been singing professionally since his youth when he started off singing with John P. Kee’s VIP Mass Choir , Douglas brought him to national prominence when he featured Cortez on James Fortune & FIYA’s breakthrough Top 20 radio smash, “The Blood,” in 2007. The various YouTube videos of Cortez’ performance have gathered over a half million hits and continues to grow. Last year, Cortez joined Fortune and Shawn McLemore for their #1 radio anthem, “I Believe,” which charted for over twenty (20) weeks. Ever since, fans have demanded more music from Cortez and now his career is about to unfold with a highly anticipated CD, that will be one of the most talked about albums of 2012.

Over the last year, Cortez has been in the studio with artists as diverse as pop star John Legend and Lalah Hathaway. He’s recorded 30 songs in preparation for his debut and is now cutting the CD down to the final dozen songs. “We had Zacardi record a number of different things to see what worked best with his awesome voice and to also make him appeal to a variety of gospel fans,” says Douglas who just booked Cortez with Ricky Smiley, Superstar Comedian and national radio show host with over nine million listeners, on an upcoming eight (8) city comedy tour. “Zacardi is one of the best singers on this planet and when people hear this album, the world is going to fall in love with Zacardi and see why he’s gospel’s next big voice.” For more information, please visit www.mrkerrydouglas.com.

Image Entertainment, Inc. is proud to announce the release of Trinity Goodheart, a modern parable of lost love and regained family values. The DVD has an on sale date of March 27, 2012 at an SRP of $14.98. It will also be available by digital download.

When a kind hearted angel leaves a pendant for 12-year-old Trinity Goodheart, the precocious, street-wise youngster concludes that her long lost mother must be in danger and needs her help. Trinity’s subsequent sojourn results in an effort to reunite her disjointed family; and in the process, Trinity teaches them the values of love, faith and forgiveness.

Trinity Goodheart is played by the vivacious Erica Gluck (“The Game,” “Girlfriends”), with Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Eric Benét in his first dramatic lead role starring as her father. The film also stars Mark LaMura (“Something Borrowed,” “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns”), Jennifer Van Horn (“The Joneses”, “All My Children”), Karen Abercrombie (“Strong Medicine”) and Willie Stratford. The film is executive produced by Rick Eldridge (“The Ultimate Gift”) and directed by Joanne Hock (“Redneck Roots”), marking her feature film directorial debut.

Trinity Goodheart, the first original feature film from GMC, made its world premiere to enthusiastic response on GMC Television last summer, and has received 5 out of 5 DOVES from the Dove Foundation. The film also received the Dove “Family Approved” Seal for All Ages.

View the trailer below.

In the wake of a year of protests and violence, the volatile situation in Syria has brought great suffering to the entire population. Syrian Christians say their greatest need right now is prayer, according to Open Doors, an international ministry supporting persecuted Christians and religious freedom around the world.

The danger has prompted many churches across the country to meet only in daytime, many only on Sundays. On Fridays, the weekly Islamic day of assembly, many Christian schools now close. Because of rampant killing, theft and kidnapping of children, some parents have stopped sending their children to school. Syria also suffers a lack of fuel and electricity, an economy in shambles and few jobs.

“Christians’ plights vary by place,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president and CEO of Open Doors USA.  “Damascus Christians seem to have the fewest difficulties; in contrast, many Homs believers have fled what has become a war zone.”

Some Christians want to stay; others desperately seek to emigrate, said Moeller.  Many say they simply cannot flee.

“Many believers tell us that Syria is where they belong and will remain, even if that means dying there,” he said.

More than 80 percent of Christians have fled Homs, the city where fighting is the worst. Looters have invaded the homes of those who have fled. At least one evangelical church has been attacked. Those who remain have limited means of safe transportation. Few attend church services.

“Homs is a ghost town, and the situation of people there is not stable,” another source said. “Everyone there fears for safety. People in the city don’t have resources or supplies.  The situation makes a decent human being cry.”

In some areas, the situation is relatively safe for Christians. “We come together to worship, and people have strong faith,” one Syrian pastor said. “Currently, Christians are not under direct attack. But we don’t know if things change how they will treat us.”

Christians fear that if President Assad is overthrown, their plight will dramatically worsen. But Christians find strength in their faith, Moeller said.

“Please join Syrian Christians in prayer,” said Moeller.  “Only God knows what lies ahead, but Scripture assures us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Syria has more than 20 million inhabitants with 1.9 million of them Christians. Syria is ranked No. 36 on the Open Doors 2012 World Watch List of the top 50 persecutors of Christians.

About Open Doors: An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world’s most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to www.OpenDoorsUSA.org.

 

Australian duo for KING & COUNTRY release their debut album Crave today, February 28th, on Fervent Records. Comprised of brothers Joel and Luke, American Songwriter observed, “Crave showcases [for King & Country’s] songwriting chops and lyrical honesty.” The 11-track debut features the duo’s first single, “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me),” which reached No. 1 on the CAC Chart for 3 weeks and was named the fastest rising debut single across all Christian formats. The video for the single recently made its’ world premiere on Entertainment Tonight’s TheInsider.com.

Crave also features “People Change” and “Love’s To Blame,” both of which were spotlighted on The CW’s hit TV show, “Vampire Diaries.” In addition, Last.fm will stream an exclusive live performance and interview with for KING & COUNTRY. Click http://lastfmpresents.radio.com/ to watch performances of “Fine Fine Life,” “Light It Up,” and “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)” this week.

Here’s what the critics are saying about for KING & COUNTRY:

Entertainment Tonight’s The Insider.com 
World premiere for the video “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)”!
“for KING & COUNTRY — a pair of Australian brothers who make music that speaks directly to the heart — have been slowly gaining popularity in the alt-rock community thanks to an aggressive series of concert dates that have introduced their infectious sound to American ears.”

American Songwriter 
“Crave showcases [for KING & COUNTRY’s] songwriting chops and lyrical honesty.”

New Release Tuesday Online 
5 out of 5 stars 
“Crave is hands-down one of the best debut projects in years. Creative, poignant and moving, it comes from a very raw place of heartache and hope, never backing down from the honest truth, yet never shying away from the restoration found in Christ. Musically, it’s unlike anything in the genre right now. Haunting, playful and deep all at once, it could quite easily beat out many of its mainstream counterparts. Joel and Luke have completely won me over, and when you hear this album for yourself, you’ll understand why. This is an extremely bright start for one best new acts in CCM and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”

The Comet 
“Australian duo for KING & COUNTRY, featuring brothers Joel and Luke, are the hottest debut to watch this year.”

Jays Music Blog 
Breakout Christian group of the year 
“It’s clear that For King & Country deserves the recognition they’ve received, and that Crave is poised to be a top album of 2012 for the listeners.”

JesusFreakHideout
4 out of 5 Stars
Crave, as a whole is nothing short of brilliant. With sounds ranging from U2 to Kings of Leon to The Fray and even The Killers…This is the can’t-miss album of the year.”

Gospel Innovations Online
“Enveloping their insightful lyrics in a sea of ear grabbing melodies, brothers Joel and Luke have forged a distinctive sound that has earned them an enthusiastic fan base as well as the respect of industry professionals who keep tapping their music for use in high profile TV shows. Together Joel and Luke form a unique, distinctive voice that blends into simmering harmony, unrivaled by any other collaborative group to date.”

CRAVE TRACK LISTING:
1. Light It Up
2. The Proof of Your Love
3. Missing
4. Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)
5. People Change
6. Middle of Your Heart
7. Love’s To Blame
8. Fine Fine Life
9. Sane
10. Pushing On a Pull Door
11. Crave

For more information and upcoming tour dates on for KING & COUNTRY, please visit: www.forKINGandCOUNTRY.com /www.facebook.com/forKINGandCOUNTRY
Follow: @4kingandcountry

The Christian Post reports that churches in New York City will be allowed to return to public schools starting this weekend after winning a court order Friday.

District Judge Loretta Preska granted a preliminary injunction against the city’s ban on weekend worship services in vacant school buildings after determining that the plaintiff – the Bronx Household of Faith – demonstrated irreparable harm and will likely win its lawsuit against the Board of Education.

The judge wrote in the court opinion that the church has a good chance of winning based on the argument that the ban “fosters excessive governmental entanglement with religion” and violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment – which provides that “Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise [of religion].”

The city plans to appeal the ruling.

Jordan Lorence, senior counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, commented, “The city can’t single out religious expression and treat it worse than the expression of everybody else.

“The court’s order allows churches and other religious groups to meet in empty school buildings on weekends just as non-religious groups do while the lawsuit proceeds. The city’s view of the First Amendment is wrong, and we intend to continue to demonstrate that in court.”

The Alliance Defense Fund has been defending the Bronx church since 1995 after its application to rent a public school building for Sunday services was rejected.

While it was able to win a temporary injunction in 2002 to worship at the school, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the church in 2011. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in December 2011.

The ban on worship services at public schools went into effect on Feb. 12, affecting more than 60 other churches in New York City.

Click Here to read the full report by the Christian Post.