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Rize (falling forward) featuring Jonah Nathan and Liz Loja

by Jonah Nathan

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about

I wrote this rhyme (Rize) in 2012 a year after I had fallen, or rather plummeted head first, into sin. During the time of this indiscretion, mind you, I was an associate pastor at one of the biggest churches in New England. Due to the size of my platform the hurt and consequences of my actions were far reaching, and I needed to make amends. The restoration process was grueling, humbling, insightful, and marked more by failure than success. In fact I would not experience true stability again until 2018 after a short stay in Brooklyn Adult and Teen Challenge.

Yet even after a discipleship program and marrying the love of my life, I found myself once again repeating the destructive behaviors of my past. Although short lived this time, it was no less awful or devastating to those close to my heart, and of course affected those far off individuals who fell prey to my manipulative ways. Regardless of the trying circumstances that surrounded these bad choices they were nonetheless, bad choices.

I’m a fair weather Christian who even at my best is merely stumbling forward. I truly appreciate God’s grace, discipline, and His constant intervention on my behalf. Without it I’d no doubt be dead or incarcerated for life. Yup, I’m that bad at times! In fact when others think ill of me I’m like, “you have no idea! I’m worse than you could possibly imagine!”

A little over seven months ago I woke up and was a different man. No more depression, no more desire to engage in destructive behavior. I no longer felt bad for myself, and blamed everyone else for my problems, but took responsibility. I’ll never forget the day I was sitting next to my wife and heard her silently crying. I of course assumed it was over something I had said or done during that brief, but very dark period. But to my surprise she responded to my inquiry into her tears with, “I finally have my husband back.” They were tears of joy from a wife who had been crying out to her God daily on my behalf, and He had responded to her cry for help.

Shortly after I was featured on DJ Triple Threat’s album The Professor, Spring Semester, and the opportunity he provided got my creative juices flowing again. Then God brought some old and new friends passionate about ministry and music into my life and we began creating art. We released our first single and formed a collective under the monicker Solomonic Journey. It’s more of a descriptive term than a group name because it describes everyone’s plight of trying to find things in time when we have a soul that can only be satisfied with eternity, and the God who inhabits it.

Rize (falling forward) is a song that everyone, even those not in our Christian circle, can relate to. We’ve all experienced tragedy that has ultimately resulted in triumph. We’ve all faced circumstances we were sure would crush us, but rather they refined us, making us better. We’ve all made terrible decisions that rocked our world and shattered the lives of those around us, and yet here we stand. Alive, wiser, and determined to do better. Rize is a song about growing through failure, because if we don’t fail; how do we know where we need to build? As I say in my last line in the 3rd verse, “my demise, was just my rise in disguise.”

Rize was originally released only on my SoundCloud in 2012, and although it’s a good song it was not mixed or mastered. I always looked forward to the day that I could redo it right, and release it for the world to hear. Well, now is the time, and with the help of the Solomonic Journey crew it is a masterpiece. Rene Chalet aka Soul Puppy Music produced the beat, Ken Polk of Alpha & Omega music and studios has added live instrumentation, mixed and mastered the song; and the extremely gifted Liz Loja added a few vocals. We’ve also kept two samples from the original mix of Pastor Carter Conlon from Time Square Church in Manhattan NY, that adds such depth to the song.

Rize has so much more meaning to me than when I first wrote it, and although written from a painful place; it shows us a glimpse of the goodness of God, and how that goodness leads us to repentance. I hope all who hear this song are blessed by it, and enjoy the art that we’ve created out of my hurt, tragedy, and ultimately triumph. ~ Jonah Nathan

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

lyrics

Over the years He’s given me the grace to keep going forward
Even when the situation looks impossible
The only hope sometimes I’ve had is that He is the God of the impossible
And that’s been the source of my life and the source of my strength

Solomonic Journey

I fell again now I feel less than other men
I wanna win but my victory’s gone with the wind
I guess from the start my heart was not set on Him
And my feet didn’t meet with the truth that I be saying
A hypocrite with a brick and I’m steady throwing
Stones at my own more focused on what their doing
Pursuing lust it’s a must that I’m brought to ruin
Sowing to the flesh death is now what I’m reaping
Creeping in the dark heart to me is steady lying
Denying that the light will expose life I’m living
But it’s a given that when trippin’ on how you shining
Ego will bring you low we all need reminding
After we believe we conceive we’re more than human
But we’re just a vapor posing like a caped crusader
No light saber just a prayer to the one I’m serving
Broken and I’m open to the fact I’m undeserving

I wanna win but sin is so enticing
In my failure God please enlighten
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
On my face again my world is broken
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens

No one to blame it’s a shame how I let this happen
I take full responsibility for my actions
Yet there’s a pattern that creates an atmosphere
Of unhealthy stress best believe a falls near
And cuz I care I share my story as a service
See if you’re living driven then you’ll bypass your purpose
We front and act like it’s all picture perfect
Wasted effort redirect that to worship
And is it worth it letting your job be your god
I know it’s hard when robbed of precious minutes
Yet there’s a limit to the stress we can live with it’ll kill compassion and make your heart frigid
Spiritual midgets with no boundaries surround me
And I’m conformed to their image
Brake this molds choke hold on my life
No fun with my son bitterness adorns my wife

I wanna win but sin is so enticing
In my failure God please enlighten
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
On my face again my world is broken
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
I wanna win but sin is so enticing
In my failure God please enlighten
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
On my face again my world is broken
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens

I fell again but I don’t stand as one condemned
I lift my hands and He pulls me up from within
No sin could break the union with the God I serve
Even my best is less and falls short of His worth
So when I swerve instead of giving me what I deserve
He disciplines and win my heart back again
Due to the second birth I have the promise of His word
That His grace will build and protect me from this world
Not that the weapons formed won’t create a deadly storm
It’s not that I live but that I’m His and that’s my calm
That’s my peace as my world falls to pieces
My relief as the familiar support ceases
From those who pose as my brothers and sisters
I’m not here to blame it’s lame to point fingers
But sometimes it hurts as things work together
For my good not necessarily for my pleasure
See I assumed that we were tougher than leather yet you run from DMC in the midst of fair weather
But God will never leave us or deceive us but retrieve us and surround us with believers
Thank you Jesus for helping me to see this
And even when I’m home alone God has His reasons
Seasons were not designed to undermine
My demise was just my rise in disguise

Build your character into me here
give me what I need here
I’m not looking to escape anymore
I’m not living to escape

I wanna win but sin is so enticing
In my failure God please enlighten
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
On my face again my world is broken
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
I wanna win but sin is so enticing
In my failure God please enlighten
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
And through the wrong help me to do the right thing
On my face again my world is broken
Restore to me the joy of my salvation
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens
Clean my heart I wanna rise to the heavens

Ayo Solomonic Journey in the house,
To tell you the truth that everybody done left out
And that is that His grace is sufficient to cover the moment of your downfall
And that only He can take your afflictions
and turn them into gains for the divine purpose of the kingdom
So get up cuz Its rehab time

credits

released July 31, 2022
Rize (falling forward) featuring Jonah Nathan & Liz Loja on vocals with production by Soul Puppy Music & Kaptain Ken

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about

Jonah Nathan Miami, Florida

Solomonic Journey consist of Jonah Nathan, Liz Loja, DJ Triple Threat aka Antoine Brewster, Ken Polk of Alpha & Omega Music and Studios, and Rene Chalet of Soul Puppy Music.

Solomonic Journey is committed to, and passionate about, sharing the gospel through quality art utilizing the classic Boom Bap sound. Their music and style is reminiscent of the golden era of Hip Hop.
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