{"id":8365,"date":"2015-08-31T23:16:51","date_gmt":"2015-09-01T06:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jazzusa.com\/?p=8365"},"modified":"2012-09-07T20:14:36","modified_gmt":"2012-09-08T03:14:36","slug":"jonathan-butler-grace-and-mercy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jazzusa.com\/?p=8365","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Butler – Grace and Mercy"},"content":{"rendered":"

On\u00a0Grace and Mercy<\/strong>\u00a0Butler delivers a collection of songs that serve as a soothing musical balm in today\u2019s troubled times. \u201cThis album really speaks about optimism, faith, belief and hope, especially in the light of what everybody has been experiencing in the last two or three years,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of people losing their homes, their jobs, enduring the challenges that life brings. I\u2019m hoping this album will bring hope to people. Songs like \u2018Give it Up To God,\u2019 \u2018I Stand On Your Word,\u2019 and \u2018Who is Like the Lord\u2019 were written from experiences that I\u2019ve had to go through myself.\u201d
\nThe lead single, \u201cI Stand On Your Word,\u201d is a soaring ballad that reminds us of the power of God\u2019s promises. \u201cI love that song,\u201d Butler says. \u201cI hope that it hits home to a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s word became real to Butler when he was just a teenager. At 19-years-old, Butler\u2019s life forever changed when he became a Christian. \u201cIt was love that drew me to Christ,\u201d he smiles, \u201cthe love of someone who cared enough to talk to me about Jesus and take me in when I was basically a broken young man in South Africa. It was my late brother-in-law, my wife\u2019s brother, who led me to Christ. He was that person in my life that actually took the time to talk to me about Jesus, and it didn\u2019t take me long to give my heart to Christ because of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nphotos by Raj Naik. click to view<\/p>\n

In the past few years, his faith has sustained Butler during some difficult times. He lost his beloved mother and a very close friend in addition to helping his wife battle cancer. It\u2019s been tumultuous time that saw the gifted musician leaning ever closer to God and pouring his experiences into his music.\u00a0Grace and Mercy<\/strong>\u00a0showcases Butler\u2019s gift for taking potent lyrical messages and enveloping them in memorable melodies. \u201cGive it up to God\u201d is a soul-stirring slow jam that spotlights Butler\u2019s warm, distinctive voice. \u201cSimplicity always wins for me,\u201d Butler says of the song. \u201cThere is such power in a simplistic lyric. You really reach people when you say simply, \u2018Give it up to God.\u2019 We all go through those every day trials. We read the Proverbs and Psalms and most of the time we forget that the Bible says, \u2018Trust in the Lord with your heart and lean not on your own understanding.\u2019 Every day we have to give it up to God, EVERY day.\u201d<\/p>\n