Jonathan David Brown: The New Album

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God - Where did the title and theme for this album come from?

Jonathan Edwards' infamous sermon of the "Great Awakening" in 1741 New England. While I borrowed his title, the song takes a twist: I state "Lord, I know I'm one." The theme is that God's people praise Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. No different than when our Redeemer repeated those words of Isaiah two thousand years ago. As it says in Hebrews 8:8-10, speaking of the old covenant, "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the House of Judah... I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..." This is what the New Covenant is - His Laws written in our hearts. But most of the seminaries have taught the preachers that "we're not under that ‘old law’ anymore, only the Jews are." In saying this, they nullify God's Law and the New Covenant simultaneously. I have come to proclaim the New Covenant for what it is: teaching God's commandments. As our Redeemer said, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:18-19). Even with this truth, men still find a way to nullify His commandments. The sheep blindly follow, or do they? He said, "My sheep know my voice and I know them and they follow me." And, "a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:27 and 5) Those teaching that God's commandments were "nailed to the cross" are ‘strangers.’ Those that listen to them and never question what they're hearing don't really believe what Jesus said about the "least" and "Greatest" commandments. "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." John 10:26. So, "hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (I John 2:3) That is the "sheep test."

In a final word, somehow we think now that "faith" has come, we are not obligated to seek out God's Law and teach it to our children. But as Paul said, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3:31) This is what my ministry is all about: educating God's people that they have been deceived.

In a sentence or so, sum up the musical style on this album?

Prophesying with instruments, in modern piano-band style (a la Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruce Hornsby, Keith Green). (See I Chronicles 25:1-3). And allow me to quote a few others:

"I do not know if Jonathan's superb talent has brought him before great men yet; but if not, then it is our guess that the release of this collection of ten songs will be that entree . . His gifts will make room for him to witness God's Law to them."

James W. Bruggeman Bible Teacher Publisher, Kingdom Journal

"Like late period Keith Green, the lyrics remind believers of the value of the Law in the New Covenant, the righteous judgments of a holy God, and the grace by which we stand."

Thom Granger CCM Magazine

Explain the choice of the name "The Nazarite" as a moniker instead of Jonathan David Brown.

I made the vow of the Nazarite for strength, spiritual and physical, in about 1989. The hair on my head is from then. When I went to prison, I understood why - I needed strength, lots of it. So I guess it's sort-of like an enigma to some till they hear the explanation. Find it in Numbers chapter 6.

You wrote, performed, produced, arranged, recorded and mixed your own album. Do you find it difficult or refreshing to work without the constraints of others and "just do your own thing"?

Both. I would play and program for a day, then break and listen to it the next day when I'd find perspective to change things. Same with vocals and everything else, I'd have to listen later. That's why it takes a long time for some people to finish their solo recordings who do all that stuff. The writing is like living another life apart from the recording. Once you develop the craft (and I'm still developing mine), you will sometimes need a lot of time before engraving the lyrics in stone. However, when I prophesy, I don't get to mess with the lyrics much. I feel that it would defile the WORD. Songs like "Come Away My Beloved" were written in practically one stroke.

In the song *Wound of My People*, there's a verse that states:

"How dare I come in here like a pompous young man
 How dare I make remarks as if I knew the master plan
 Where's my authority, my pastor go between
 I guess I'll have to quote him now
 Jeremiah six fourteen"

What are you really saying here?

What I'm saying is many preachers don't want to lose their congregations, so they only take up causes which are safe to assure them that they'll still be receiving their check ten or twenty years from now. They'll even come full force against those who really minister if it tends to make them look like they're not doing their job. Nobody in the Body of Christ needs to fear this kind of ‘leadership.’ Don't be quick to bring an accusation against those in leadership, but don't fear men who ask "where's your authority" when you prophesy. If you prophesy from the mouth of Yahweh, the proof will show up. It may not show up in your lifetime. But it matters not, if you know that it came from Him. However, if you prophesy from your own emotions, hasta la vista baby.

On "I Love Yahweh"; I noticed that the date and a lot of the word pictures come from a courtroom type setting. Did you write this during your prison time?

Nope, I wrote all of that tune months before I went to prison, except for the last verse which I wrote right after I got out in retrospect.

How is the Sinners project being marketed and distributed?

It's not - yet. I have not been aggressive until now, and I think I may have landed one which appears to be cooking.

Where can one purchase the project, and what is the cost?

You may write me at Nazarite Productions, P.O. Box 905, Springfield, Missouri 65801. Send a suggested offering of $15.00 for CDs and $12.00 for cassettes, postage paid by me. Additional copies may be obtained at a reduced rate by those who have already done so once. I encourage giving them away as ministry tools, which I also do if there is no money from the party I'm ministering to. Those who do send offerings know that it takes money to pay for not only manufacturing, but the time and money it took to record it. Usually God will lay it on a person's heart before they send anything anyway. But, if you write me and say you can't afford it, it's already on the way.

What are your plans for the future?

There is something I want to mention about my grandfather (father's father) to fully answer this question. Besides owning a music store, next door he built a church. He was first ordained Baptist, then later joined himself to the Pentecostal Holiness church. He was an "anointed" man of God. Several years before I was born, he had come to the understanding about our Israelite heritage. This, and the seed he planted with regard to God's commandments, are probably the reason I am the way I am. He passed the "mantle" on to me. As scripture says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it". Although there are a few years in my life during which I regret how I lived, it was his training (till he died when I was 12) which caused me to hearken to the WORD as an adult at 30 and return to Yahweh. The knowledge of my heritage is a great reminder of my obligation as a leader of His "Servants and Witnesses." (Isaiah 43:10, 44:1-22). (Which by the way is the underlying reason I wrote the tune titled such for Greg X. on No Room In The Middle.)

I've just completed a book entitled "Keeping Yahweh's Appointments," dedicated to my grandfather. It's available at the address above for a free-will offering. Don't ask for it though, unless you are curious about the Law's requirements on the sabbath, and the actual history of when it was kept. I'll give you a clue: it's neither Saturday nor Sunday. How's that for suspense?

Now, to answer your question, although I will take any appropriate opportunity to produce recordings for others, I plan to be more on the road ministering with the numerous songs I've written, some of which are on "Sinners . ." The completion of my book is like a sign to me that I can't just stop at Ninevah. Now that I'm out of the belly of the beast, I've finally come full circle to my original calling, giving meaning to my ordination at age 17. I'm lookin' for the next town . . . I'd be happy to address comments or questions from anyone at my e-mail address: jonnbrown@hotmail.com.