Atlanta-based Lunjeal Music Group (LMG), one of the leading independent gospel record labels celebrates multiple nominations for the 49th Annual Dove Awards, announced yesterday.
As the label’s flagship artist, 21-Year-Old accomplished singer-songwriter Jekalyn Carr and top nomination-getter earns three nominations for her second consecutive Billboard No.1 album ‘One Nation Under God. The album is the 4th-best selling gospel album debut this year. Carr is nominated for Gospel Artist of the Year, Traditional Gospel Album of the Year and Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year for “Stay With Me.”
The GRAMMY and Two-Time Billboard Music Award nominated artist continues to make great strides across the globe musically so early in her musical career. Her extraordinarily passionate and grassroots fan base began when she was 12 in 2008. Fast forward to now, the 21-Year-Old leading Generation Z’er social media followers (800K) grown into one of the most loyal followings in recent indie memory.
Allen Carr, Founder & CEO, Lunjeal Music Group states, “We have watched the growth of Jekalyn, from her first major hit “Greater Is Coming” to now. I have to celebrate her consistency to bring great music and her doing what she loves to do whole heartedly. We are grateful to get such recognization as an independent label carrying an independent artist”. “We give God the Glory for the accomplishments that he has allowed us to partake in.”
The awards show will take place on Tuesday, October 16, at Lipscomb University. Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) will exclusively air the show on Sunday, October 21. Voting for the final winners will run August 20 through August 27.
NEWS : MOTOWN GOSPEL’S TASHA COBBS LEONARD AND BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON AMONG DOVE AWARD NOMINEES
MOTOWN GOSPEL’S TASHA COBBS LEONARD AND BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON AMONG DOVE AWARD NOMINEES
Brian Courtney Wilson: Photo Credit, Ricky Richardson
(*Nashville, TN) — Motown Gospel celebrates multiple nominations across different categories for the 49th Annual Dove Awards, announced today.
Among the top nomination-getters is Grammy Award winner, Tasha Cobbs Leonard who received 5 nominations for her prolific current album “HEART. PASSION. PURSUIT.” The album was the best selling gospel album in 2017 and has continued to stay at the top of the charts throughout 2018. Cobbs Leonard is nominated for Artist of the Year, Gospel Artist of the Year, Urban Worship Album of the Year. She also picked up additional nominations for Urban Worship Recorded Song of the Year for “The Name of Our God,” and for Producer of the Year with her husband Kenneth Leonard.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard Wins at 2018 Billboard Music Awards
Also receiving multiple nominations is outstanding male vocalist, Brian Courtney Wilson who received two nominations for his current project “A GREAT WORK.” Wilson is nominated for Contemporary Gospel/Urban Album of the Year and Contemporary Gospel/Urban Recorded Song of the Year for the title track, “A Great Work.” This song is Brian’s fastest rising single of his career and has connected to audiences in a profound way.
Tye Tribbett: Photo Credit, Ricky Richardson
Gospel icon and favorite, Tye Tribbett, was also recognized for his 2017 album “THE BLOODY WIN,” which was nominated for Contemporary Gospel/Urban Album of the Year.
“We continue to be grateful for the recognition that our artists and songwriters are receiving,” says EJ Gaines, Co-Executive Director, Motown Gospel. “Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Brian Courtney Wilson and Tye Tribbett have made some of the most impactful music of the past year and we’re thrilled to partner with them.”
All three Motown Gospel artists are previous Dove Award winners. The Dove Awards will take place on October 16, 2018 in Nashville, TN and broadcast exclusively on TBN on Sunday, October 21, 2018.
About Motown Gospel Motown Gospel is one of the most prominent gospel music companies in the world, boasting two decades of chart-topping and award-winning artists, albums and songs. Owned by Capitol Christian Music Group/Universal Music Group, the world’s leading Christian Music company and market leader in recorded music, distribution, and music publishing, Motown Gospel’s artist roster has included Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Smokie Norful, Tye Tribbett, Brian Courtney Wilson, Kierra Sheard and more.
NEWS: 4WARDGOSPEL LISTED AMONG TOP 50 GOSPEL MUSIC BLOGS ON THE WEB
On behalf of team 4WARDGOSPEL Our sincere gratitude goes to God the father, Son, and the Holy spirit, for the opportunity and privilege to be listed among the TOP 50 Gospel Music Blogs on the web, its something really worth celebrating and so also we say a big thank you to feedspot for the prestigious award given to the blog. We promise to keep giving out our best and contribution to spreading the gospel to the ends of the world through music, events,news, etc. Once again we say thankyou.
NEWS: Images of Jesus in ‘Heaven is for real’ painted by ‘God – Taught’ young girl Akiane Kramarik(pictures)
I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 18:3.
The film “Heaven Is For Real,” based on the bestselling novel by Todd Burpo, tells the story of a young boy who visits heaven following a near-death experience. In the story, the boy, Colton, shares his journey with his family, describing heaven, angels, and meeting Jesus Christ.
Following Colton’s story, his skeptical father shows the boy several pictures of images, asking him to identify which one was Jesus. However, it’s not until the end of the film that Colton reveals the face of Jesus from a picture on his father’s laptop. An unrevealed character in the film referred to as the “young Lithuanian girl” paints the images of Jesus, but viewers are never told who the girl is, and how, exactly, she relates to Colton.
However, the Christian Newswire reveals that the “little Lithuanian girl” portrayed at the beginning of the film while painting a picture of Jesus Christ is famed child artist Akiane Kramarik.
At the age of 4, Akiane, who was born in Morris, Illinois, began seeing visions of Jesus, heaven, and creation. She started sketching the images she saw and write poetry at age four, eventually advancing to oil paints and acrylics to create stunning, religious-themed images.
“I am a self-taught painter,” she told Children’s Digest. “God is my teacher.”
In 2003 she appeared on the Oprah Show to discuss her work. Akiana, then 9, displayed her “favorite” painting; an oil portrayal of Jesus simply titled, “The Jesus Picture.” Upon Oprah asking Akiane where her gift came from, the young girl simply responded, “from God.”
According to an article in New Connexion magazine, Akiane was once found by her parents staring off into space with a smile on her face. Asked what she was doing, she simply answered, “I was with God again, and He told me to pray continually. He showed me where He lived. I was climbing transparent stairs; underneath I saw gushing waterfalls, and as I was approaching Him, His body was pure and intense light.
Although she was three at the time, she’ll always remember God’s first message to her. “He said, ‘You have to do this, and I’ll help you.’ He said, ‘Now you can help people.’ I said, ‘Yes, I will.’ But I said it in different words in my mind. I speak through my mind to Him,” she told Christianity Today.
Akiane revealed to Katie Couric earlier this year that she was raised in an atheist home where religion was rarely mentioned. Yet, she never questioned the existence of a God or his hand on her life.
“All of my work is influenced by my faith,” she told Katie, saying that she has carried that spiritual inspiration with her from childhood. “Everything I do has a meaning of spirituality.”
The artist says that she began painting because the visions she experienced as a child were “way too complex to put into words” and could only be related through art.
The Jesus portrait used in Heaven is for Real is an image titled “The Prince of Peace.” Akiane reveals that like Colton, she began seeing Jesus Christ and heavenly images at a very young age, and believes that both of them are specifically called by Jesus to perform his work.
To date, she has produced over 200 published art pieces and 800 literary creations along with two bestselling books.
NEWS: Jeremy reveals powerful insightful lessons he learnt from studying sinful old testament heroes
Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has emphasized the importance of evangelism, as millions of lost souls will spend eternity in hell. Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
While reading through the Old Testament, Jeremy Lin was struck by how God uses imperfect people to fulfill His kingdom work — a truth the Christian athlete says gave him “serious power and security.”
In an email sent to his digital prayer group, the Taiwanese/American NBA star revealed that while studying the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Noah and other Bible “heroes,” he realized just how sinful they are were.
“Seriously, God has been really impressing on my heart that He continually uses broken, imperfect people,” he said. “I often put pressure on myself to be as close to perfect as I can otherwise God can’t use me. But the reality is that God uses sinful, doubtful and proud people all through Scripture.”
“Even with Abraham, he wasn’t willing to wait for God to fulfill His covenant so he took matters into his own hands,” Lin continued. “He also lied out of a lack of faith by saying his wife was his sister. I guess my encouragement to everyone is that we don’t have to be perfect. God loves us enough that He’s willing to include us in His kingdom work. He doesn’t need us, but He loves us so much that He’d rather use us than not. There is serious power and security when we understand our Father’s love!!”
The 29-year-old Brooklyn Nets point guard, whose 2017-18 NBA season ended prematurely due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, went on to ask for prayer for a “very productive” season.
“I’ve spent 5 straight months building a foundation for my body and knee in Vancouver, so I’m hoping to really take off in the next 5 months that are this offseason,” he said. “Specifically please pray that I’d be able to implement a lot of the new movement techniques and tons of body changes that we’ve made. It’s a daunting process to tackle so many improvements at once, but I’m hoping that everything will stick and get fully implemented into my game for good.”
The Christian athlete also asked readers to pray for the non-believers in his life.
“I’ve seen many friends get interested in Christianity, but it’s not as often that one of my friends dives headfirst into giving his/her life to Christ.” he said. “I know it’s God’s job to allow spiritual growth so please pray for the softening of some of my non-believing friends’ hearts.”
“Lastly, please continue to pray for our nation and world,” he concluded. “We’re surrounded by tragedy so please pray for our nation and world leaders. That God’s truth would be further lived out in this world!!”
Recently, Lin said he would like his legacy to be someone who “lived for God” and was “faithful” despite facing a series of challenges throughout his life and basketball career.
“My legacy with the world would be, I would want them to know that I lived for God, I was faithful in my life,” he told David Meltzer of Sports 1 Marketing. “I wasn’t perfect, but I always did my best and I tried to fix and right my wrongs and just do things the right way.”
“The second thing I’d like people to see is that I had a lot of fun and I really tried to create change, legitimate change, in people’s lives,” he added. “That could be my teammates, that could be the fans that met me, that could be fans who never met me, or just people who just love my story. Being a source of inspiration or motivation to them would be pretty cool.”
When asked about bridging the gap between the United States and China, Lin said he’s “very cognizant” of the power of his brand.
“That’s like my off-the-court job, is figuring out this platform and how to do it right and create a positive impact,” he said, adding that he acknowledges he’s in a “unique situation.”
“There’s many things that I’m able to do,” he said. “We talk a lot about how to make it right, what vision, what brand, what path we want to take, and it’s been enlightening … this is baptism by fire figuring it out … we spent a lot of it thinking about China and how we can help.”
NEWS: Kirk franklin’s son claims dad wants to kill him
Oh Lord, what kind of mess is this? The estranged son of Gospel singer Kirk Franklin has made the outrageous claim that his famous father is trying to kill him!
Kerrion Franklin, 30, who has not had a good relationship with Kirk for many years, made the shocking allegation in an Instagram post which has now been deleted.
In the post, he wrote: “My own father is trying to kill me. If anything happens to me its@kirkfranklinsneaky ass. A lot of funny shit been happening and hes in LA right now hiding from me and ii havent heard from him. So I’m just leaving this here for safety purposes. I cant deal with this f**k shit on my own anymore. I’m done. My life is too valuable…in real time.’”
A bit of backstory… Kirk and his wife Tammy have two children together -daughter Kennedy (born in 1997) and a son named Caziah (born in 2000).
When they wed, each had one child from previous relationships: Kirk’s son Kerrion, born in 1988, and Tammy’s daughter Carrington (whom he legally adopted), born in 1989, per MTO.
Kerrion has been estranged from the family for many years and claims he’s always been the black sheep.
His accusation against Kirk comes a month after Franklin revealed his sister would be heading to prison for 30 years. Although he didn’t go into detail, the award-winning superstar stated that it had been a “rough week” for his family.
NEWS: John Gray and other black pastors under fire for Uncle Tomming in Trump’s meeting video
*To say members of various churches around the country are not too pleased at their pastors for meeting with (or “Uncle Tomming”) with President Trump at the White House would be an understatement. One of those catching heat is Pastor John Gray of the Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Gray, along with pro-Trump pastor Darrell Scott, Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and others met with Trump Wednesday. Those ministes are catching it for obvious reasons: Trump’s image as a racist and policies that aren’t being embraced by African Americans and other minorities.
What’s also adding to the anger of a lot of folks is Trump lackey Darell Scott’s comment (and those of other pastors) that Tump is basically the best thing that’s ever happened for black folks.
“This is probably the most pro-active administration regarding urban America and the faith-based community in my lifetime,” Scott told the group (in the video above), adding, “This is probably going be … the most pro-black president that we’ve had in our lifetime.”
CBN News reports that Gray responded to his critics on social media and said he prayed about whether to attend the meeting.
“I asked the Lord when I was asked to be present in this initial meeting about potential prison reform – that could greatly end up benefitting many people who look just like me – ‘Lord, do You want me in that room?’” he shared in a post on Instagram.
“My first mind was no. The pain of so many is too real. The hurt. The isolation. The sense of disenfranchisement. The real hate that has bubbled to the surface of the national discourse. I myself have been vocal about my personal disagreements with key policy decisions of this administration,” Gray continued. “I have everything to lose. Credibility. Reputation. Every natural inclination says stay home. Don’t get played. But I did the one thing I can’t shake: I prayed again and asked God, ‘Do You want me in that room?’ My attendance gives the answer. My heart was pure as was my motive and intention.”
Pastor Gray also spoke on the issue via a Facebook video:
Many took to social media to blast Gray.
“Pastor John Gray looked uncomfortable,” tweeted a woman named Loves2Read. “But I don’t think he should have gone to see that man in the White House. Pray for him at home.”
Another tweet reads, “SOOOOO disappointed he would even show up to this. I have lost all respect for him as a pastor. And I hope he don’t go saying Jesus prompted him to go to this dog and pony show,” said someone with the Twitter handle Babyu21.
This is where Baltimore pastor Jamal Bryant comes in. He called Gray a friend, but he didn’t have a problem blasting Gray and the others, calling the meeting nothing more than a publicity stunt. He posed this question to the pastors:
“Preachers, when you all went around that table, and after you stopped uncle tomming, and thanking him for the privilege to be there, did any of you ask him how it is that he has separated brown and black children and put them in cages like pit bulls?”
Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Maryland spoke with CBN News about the meeting and says he believes it was the right thing to do. He said they talked about an “urban agenda,” criminal justice reform and re-entry for people. He says the president talked about 4 million new jobs; and, progress on legislation known to help those imprisoned successfully re-enter society.
“I’m just elated and I think many of those sitting around the table were delighted with the progress the president has made and his heart toward ‘the least of these’ in urban settings,” Jackson said in his interview with CBN News.
Pastor Bryant also said the pastors who met with Trump were too complimentary and didn’t press the president on the issues.
Bishop Jackson says he knows Bryant, is friendly with him and loves him. He says Bryant is passionate about promoting and advocating on issues facing the African-American community – but Jackson says he’s got it wrong on this.
“What he doesn’t understand is that you can’t be a prophet to the culture while you’re standing outside of the room,” Jackson said.
“Many of the people who came into that meeting knew they would be misunderstood, disrespected, lied on, talked about, but they came anyway because the needs of the people, especially returning citizens, are so important,” he went on to say.
“I believe this is the greatest civil rights issue of our generation. The overcriminalization of minorities and what are we the church gonna advocate for? So, I’ve got more courage than to let Jamal Bryant’s opinion keep me from speaking to the most powerful person on planet earth. That’s how I see it,” Jackson elaborated.
Jackson says his question for their critics is: “What are you doing? Not, what are you saying; what are you doing in Jesus’ name?”
You can check out the rest of what Pastor Jackson has to say at CBN News.
The Three time GRAMMY®-nominated, 11-time Stellar Award-winning chart topper Travis Greene presents a power-packed weekend of entertainment, worship, and community festivities with this year’s Engage Culture Weekend — to inspire and engage a celebration of God’s love and the culture today among attendees. Leading a charge in being an agent for change and a openhearted pursuit of God that have reached sold-out crowds around the world in his concerts and acclaimed albums The Hill and Crossover: Live from Music City, Travis Greene will welcome a range of special guests during Engage Culture Weekend from Friday August 17th to Sunday August 19th in Columbia, SC — reaching out beyond the church to engage and take the inspiring power and message of worship out to the masses — in serving the greater community and those in need. The Engage Culture Weekend will feature events including a city-wide service project, a celebrity basketball game, inspiring worship, music and entertainment, with Travis Greene, Elevation Worship, Pastor John Gray and Relentless Worship, Israel and Adrienne Bailon Houghton, JJ Hairston, Pastor Tavner Smith, Michelle Williams, and more. Greene will also celebrate two years of service at the church he leads with his wife Dr. Jackie Greene, Forward City Church, during the weekend, continuing their mission to provide a place of freedom that eliminates cultural barriers, united to make a difference in the world and be a place of open worship. The Engage Culture Weekend will bring the opportunity to worship together and inspire each other, with tickets available now for the Engage Culture Concert on Saturday August 18th at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, including access for General Admission, All Access Weekend Passes, Silver and Gold Passes. For tickets and information about Engage Culture Weekend, please visit:
*Inspirational gospel singer Naomi B. has made a name for herself in many circles over the years for her versatile vocals and growing ministry. However, fans have tried to remain patient in anticipation for her first project and now, their wait is finally over! She has released her EP entitled, “Created to Worship,” now available on iTunes, Amazon and all other major digital distributors.
The project features her celebrated single “Show Me” and other tracks that highlight precisely why she is a rising star gospel music lovers need to keep an eye on.
‘Created to Worship,’ the title track of the EP talks about how, “as God’s creatures all of us were created to worship …and my definition of worship is giving back to God what he gave to me. . .what He has entrusted me with,” Naomi B. said. “What do you have that you can offer back? Worship isn’t just a song that you sing during worship service, but it is a lifelong attitude of gratitude and reverence to God for who He is and who He created us to be. And, we can express this through our gifts and talents.”
Arriving at the release of the EP has been a long journey for Naomi B. She had hoped to release projects on a few other occasions, however, she still felt something was missing, until now.
“I believed the music wasn’t quite there yet,” she said. “Now, I feel like I am with the right group of producers, I have grown as an artist, I have grown as a minister and I’m more sure of who I am. I wanted to make sure that everything was right, because you only have one time to make a first impression.”
Moving forward, there is a great deal of promise for Naomi B.’s career. She is booked for numerous upcoming performances and her ministry continues to grow in popularity, without the support of an industry record label. She is moving at her own pace and she is perfectly content with that.
“This is not just about music, this is ministry! And my purpose is to bring healing to people through my music,” said Naomi B. “My purpose is bigger than a record deal. It’s bigger than whether the music industry knows my name. I had to really understand that, because for a while I felt like if I couldn’t break into the music industry scene [the traditional way], I was somehow failing. But I learned that if you just let God open the doors for you, there is no limit to the success He can bring.”
For more information on Naomi B. and her new EP “Created to Worship,” visit her website at www.naomibmusic.comor follow her on social media at @naomibmusic. Also, listen to the full album here!
Talk show host Melody Trice of “The Melody Trice Show.”
*Talk-show host Melody Trice of “The Melody Trice Show” to speak on the Los Angeles “Uplifting Minds II” (ULMII) entertainment conference panels Saturday, October 20, 2018 from 1 – 4 p.m. The 19th annual “ULMII” event will be held at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California (5930 Franklin Avenue, 90028).
The ULMII entertainment conference is free and open to the public and offers an entertainment business panel discussion and a national talent showcase and competition. Former ULMII winners and professional artists will open the entertainment portion of the event and 10 aspiring acts will compete (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) for the “ULMII Best Artist” Award and over $15,000 valued in prizes.
Melody Trice is all about inspiring on her talk show “The Melody Trice Show.” The goal alone ensures success. “The Melody Trice Show” reached 1.9 million in its first year. Trice’s guests have included actor/author Hill Harper (“CSI: NY”), actors Nate Parker (The Great Debaters) and Alfonso Ribeiro (“America’s Funniest Home Videos”), Gospel singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong and comedian/actress Kim Whitley (“The Parkers”).
Just on the Comcast Network alone “The Melody Trice Show” reaches 1/2 million. It is just a year since its launch yet it has attracted top industry professionals and reached almost two million households that are eager to see Melody and her guests talk about the entertainment business, health, technology, music, beauty, careers and consumer trends.
The winners of the “ULMII” talent competition on Saturday October 20th at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood will received the “ULMII Best Artist” award and prizes that consist of a public relations or business strategy from Strategist Eunice Moseley, MS, M.B.A. (www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com/FreelanceAssociates.html); entertainment business consult from entertainment business mogul Paul Gardner, II (www.TheGardnerLawGroup.com); music track and studio time from producer/songwriter V.I.P. (www.DustDemAFF.com); vocal and acting coaching from professional singer/actress and vocal coach Nadiyah Kareem (Superstar Enter.); make-up application/stylist consult from Jeneanne Collins (Rebellious Beauty); commercial photo shoot from commercial photographer Ty Moore (www.IAmSharpEye.com); song placement on soundtrack from award winning actor/filmmaker Anthony Michael Hobbs (www.ImaginationLunchbox.com), and music business legal documents from attorney Richard Jefferson (www.LawyersRock.com).
To inquire about showcasing talent call 562-424-3836 or emailinfo@ThePulseofEntertainment.com.www.UpliftingMinds2.com
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