- Our Journey So Far
- What We Believe
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Jon Newman and Rich Garner are based near London in the United Kingdom and have been involved in writing, playing and producing music and leading worship for many years. Towards the end of 2007, God began to share a vision with Jon and Rich about coming aside and spending time with Him alone in worship. During these times they would play instrumentally (mainly using stage pianos, synthesisers and software instruments with rich orchestral sounds) but without musical notation, just prophetic playing as led by and under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The times became known as ‘sitting at the Lord’s feet’ sessions (after the story of Mary and Jesus in Luke 10 v39). Jon and Rich also felt drawn to the verse from Psalm 89 concerned with knowing the ‘joyful sound’: “Blessed is the people who know the joyful sound: They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance” (Ps 89 v15 - KJV)
In 2011, Jon and Rich felt a liberty to record these instrumental sessions in order to be able to share this prophetic music to bless other Christians, either by being used in personal quiet times / prayer times or played during times of ministry. Work began on a first CD, with all the tracks being recorded live without prior rehearsal or musical notation; being Holy Spirit inspired and entirely spontaneous improvisation. A few minor additions were made during final mastering of some of the recorded tracks but only as led by the Spirit and always keeping within the flow and anointing of the original live recording.
In 2013, after much prayerful consideration, Asaph Music was launched as a charity. Our charitable purposes relevant to the content and purpose of this website include:
- To compose, record and distribute inspirational worship music resources to assist Christians with personal times of prayer and meditation;
- To compose, record and distribute inspirational worship music resources to be used by Christians during corporate times of prayer, reflection, ministry or Christian counselling;
- To compose, record and distribute inspirational music resources that can be used in the wider community, such as hospitals, care homes and hospices, to bring hope and peace;
- To encourage people in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, through use of Asaph Music resources and by providing training/teaching sessions as appropriate;
- To use the internet in order to make Asaph Music resources available to as wide an audience as possible
- Advancement of the Christian faith;
Other charitable aims of Asaph Music:
- To share musical gifting and ability and provide worship leaders and musicians for live performances at churches and other Christian events;
- To mentor and train young musicians and worship leaders, in the local community and wider afield through online resources.
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We share the same basis of faith as mainstream Christian denominations/organisations in the UK, as follows:
We believe in...
- The one true God who lives eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
- The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God—fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
- The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ—born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
- The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image, yet corrupted by sin through voluntary transgression, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
- The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
- The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
- The justification of sinners (God's act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time declaring a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice) solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
- The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
- The example from the Scriptures that all who have truly repented and believed in Christ as Lord and Saviour are to be baptised by immersion in water.
- The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers—given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
- The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.