tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3231679036280987322024-03-06T00:25:46.226-05:00JFXThe blog of a Wesleyan gamerJFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-4432883563786940172010-11-19T01:06:00.002-05:002010-11-19T01:21:24.754-05:00Spotlight On The WorldA huge pet peeve of mine is those who crave attention. Most of this comes in the form of acting out, dating someone, or being extremely loud. Also, most of the time, this stuff is handled with semi-moderation and in the appropriate places. However, one place has caused me to become livid with the people who show off during this: church services or worship services.<br /><br />Be advised: this is just a venting blog. I do know signs of Christ-like worship and the physical symbolism that comes with that. However, the purpose of this is to strengthen the faith of others as well as yourself.<br /><br />It makes me both physically sick and emotionally disappointed when I see people try to get attention during church services. There is a very strong difference between true worship of GOD, and worship of yourself to GOD. I cannot tell you how many times I go to chapel and see people who raise up their hands and yell and dance around like crazy...on the first verse of the first song! Yes, I understand using physical acts as worship, and yes one could make the argument that that's how they worship. I agree, I do think that hand-raising and jumping is an act of worship. But I find myself extremely skeptical when it happens every chapel service (3 times a week) during the first verse of the first song. I don't doubt the power of the Holy Spirit though, but is the worship really genuine?<br /><br />Another area where this problem is occurring more and more lately is in the worship leaders. I understand this feeling; I've sung worship a number of times, and the feeling of singing in front of everyone is empowering. However, Satan has a way of letting pride slip in and get to worship leaders. I'm sure others who do worship at their church can also relate to this. It's such a small temptation that can creep in and cause our entire demeanor to change.<br /><br />I find it shocking (kinda, not really) that Satan has the audacity to sneak pride in even during our worship services. I don't mean this blog post to scold nearly as much as I mean it as a warning. During worship, remember who the music and the act is really to: GOD. Yes, worshiping physically is okay. Feel free to put your hands up, sit down, jump, dance around, whatever you need; just make sure it's genuine worship. And try not to disturb others either. Remember, worship is a connection between you and GOD, thanking him for your blessings, don't interrupt that connection for someone else.JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-46339174120395835572010-05-04T20:00:00.001-04:002010-05-22T14:23:46.397-04:00"The Powerless Rise" Album Review<img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n125/jesusfreakx/As_I_Lay_Dying_-_Powerless_Rise.jpg?t=1272579431" /><br /><br />Track Listing:<br /><br />01. Beyond Our Suffering<br />02. Anodyne Sea<br />03. Without Conclusion<br />04. Parallels<br />05. The Plague<br />06. Anger and Apathy<br />07. Condemned<br />08. Upside Down Kingdom<br />09. Vacancy<br />10. The Only Constant Is Change<br />11. The Blinding Of False Light<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Few metal bands have enough zest to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">thrusted</span> into the spotlight. Not true with As I Lay Dying. Probably the most well-known Christian metal band in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">existence</span>, As I Lay Dying has been on a 3-year album hiatus. Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lambesis</span> has been busy with Austrian Death Machine, his solo project, while all the other members are spending time with family and friends. Finally, they have returned into the mainstream metal. And with their return, and their new album "The Powerless Rise", all I can say is two words, "MY GOODNESS!!!"<br /><br />This may be in the running for one of the greatest metal albums of all-time. <del>Also, as this is posted one week before the official release of the album, it could be a possibility as Christian music's first album atop the Billboard Top 200.</del><br /><br />But why is this so good? It brings back something that most metal bands are lacking, sheer intensity. "Upside Down Kingdom", which is considered the title track for this album, starts off as most of the songs do on the album; catchy guitar riff (which sorta sounds like the Rich Mullins song 'Awesome GOD'), which leads into Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lambesis's</span> incredible screams. Most of the choruses (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">chori</span>...I don't know the plural of "chorus") on this album slow the extreme pace of the verses down to a calmer tone. Josh Gilbert, who is the clean vocalist, as well as rhythm guitarist, brings along a melodic tone that could very well move some people emotionally.<br /><br />There are, though, the tracks that every <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">AILD</span> album has, completely brutal. "The Plague" is that example. Starts off fast, ends fast, and the meat and potatoes of the song are just as insane. This song is also a challenge to cover guitarists, as the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">skillful</span> time signature changes can make any musician tremble with worry.<br /><br />Now, for quickies. "Anger and Apathy" is over far too quickly, with a chorus that makes me feel goosebumps inside, complimentary of a smooth transition from the double-bass drumming and the fast-paced rhythm. "Condemned" sounds ripped directly from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">AILD's</span> previous album 'Shadows Are Security', bringing along with it some of the similar melodies from 5 years ago. "Beyond Our Suffering" could easily be confused with a song by Austrian Death Machine, as it is just grit-your-teeth brutal. "Anodyne Sea" is a great example of what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">AILD</span> does best, insane guitar riffs, fast drums, and amazing screaming vocals.<br /><br />There are a lot of very similar words used in the quickies above, such as brutal and intense, but there is one song that may be my new favorite metal song of all time, "Parallels". Starting off with a simple, yet catchy, guitar riff, it then bleeds into a pulsating double-bass session that would make any amateur drummers feet bleed from the attempt of trying it. It then brings along something <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">AILD</span> isn't too well known for anymore, breakdowns. But the real zest of this song lies within the bridge, as it is filled entirely of clean vocals, and is the longest clean singing in the entire album. The lyrics, "We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go." is the main highlight of the chorus and the entire song that just makes me personally think about our lives as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">christians</span> and how we reflect our witness to others.<br /><br />"The Powerless Rise" may just set the standard for all other christian metal bands to abide by. Despite this, it is not perfect (as I do <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">thoroughly</span> enjoy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">AILD's</span> 'ballads'), but it is pretty darn close. I'd gladly wait another 3 years after the release of this album if they think they can top this. It's gonna be pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">friggan</span>' hard though if you ask me!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pros:</span><br /><ul><li>Everything</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:</span><br /><ul><li>Nothing</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overall:</span> 5/5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommended Downloads:</span><br /><br /><ol><li>Beyond Our Suffering</li><li>Anodyne Sea</li><li>Parallels</li><li>The Plague</li><li>Upside Down Kingdom</li><li>Or you could buy the whole album!<br /></li></ol></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-10566627313239251842010-03-26T19:55:00.002-04:002010-04-24T01:47:20.206-04:00What Is A Christian?<div align="justify">Fellow Readers! I am a Christian! A lot of people are confused what it really means to be a christian. So here's a little elaboration on what it means to bear that title (to whom it may concern, you know who you are, this is not a list of steps to salvation, but what I feel the ideal christian should be, or strive to be):</div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify"><strong>A christian must love GOD more than themselves.</strong> </p><p align="justify">It's not easy putting something or someone else in front of your own life. Humans, by nature, like to feel like we are in full control of what happens to us. Unfortunately, though, GOD decided it would be best if we had a much smaller brain than we could, and gave us the inability to imitate GOD. By doing that, he left ingrained in us the ability to love him more than we can possibly fathom. The Trinity itself is not easy to comprehend, and I don't think we ever can, but if we keep our eyes set on our father and our creator, we don't have to worry about it; he'll put us through and show us exactly what we need at that time. </p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><strong>A christian must realize that the world is not the truth. </strong></p><p align="justify">Despite what the world says, no it is not <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">okay</span> to be a practicing homosexual (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+6%3A9-10&version=NASB">I Corinthians 6:9-10</a>). With that said, I must also say, I love gay people, just like I would any other person in the world. However, the fact that they are covered in that sin, I cannot bring myself to supporting gay marriage or gay rights, because I feel that by supporting gay marriage, they get the idea that I'm tolerant of their sin, which I'm not. Remember readers, hate the sin, not the person.</p><p align="justify">A similar ideology appeals to drinking. Yes, if you are of age and responsible, it is okay to drink IN MODERATION. However, it is NOT okay to get drunk (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+5%3A18&version=NIV">Ephesians 5:18</a>). The world disagrees, and classifies teenagers and college students as a bunch of party-hard, good-for-nothing, irresponsible animals! However, if we abstain from drinking, that stereotype can go away quickly. However, modern teenagers and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">christians</span> alike find it difficult to put down the beer and walk away. Readers, brace yourselves, I'm about to blow your mind. Yes, you CAN have fun without drinking alcohol!</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><strong>The most successful witness is provided by sight, not sound. </strong></p><p align="justify">A non-christian is very easy to convert, with the right tools. It's not going to be nearly as easy telling someone that you love them, as it will be showing them that love. How convinced is someone going to be that you are loyal to GOD if every other word you say is a swear word? (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A29&version=NIV">Ephesians 4:29</a>) Smiling, helping someone in need, and truly caring are all ways of helping get the point across that you really do love GOD and your life. I hate to break it to some of you, but it's really difficult to convert someone with showing off how much Biblical knowledge you have.</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><strong>Go to church. It may be more than you expected.</strong></p><p align="justify">The main focus of ministers and deacons these days is all about fun and numbers in a church. Honestly, numbers mean nothing. The Bible stresses the fact to go to church(<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10%3A25&version=NIV">Hebrews 10:25</a>); it doesn't matter if more are here or if more are there; just have church! The fact is, we are all one body. Christians should not fight one another, as I have struggled with in the past, but instead help each other through truthful advice and personal reconstruction. Accountability is not supposed to be fun or easy. Personally, I want the person who is accountable for me to kick my butt metaphorically. I don't want a slap on the wrist, a band-aid, and a "Have A Nice Day" ending! Christians need to be more assertive in our helping of other <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">christians</span>. It's okay to take a little mental change; it helps to make a person stronger in their faith.</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify">I enjoy the shotgun approach to ministry once in a while. A little food for thought is always good! And remember, this is an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">opinionated</span> blog! I encourage others' inputs on what I've said. Also, thanks again for the support! No one is making you read these, but just by visiting my blog, whether positive or negative, you are supporting me, so THANK YOU EVERYONE!</p>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-52128398374016941172010-03-09T15:15:00.006-05:002010-03-09T15:22:14.373-05:00"The World Is Λ Thorn" Album Review<div align="justify"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n125/jesusfreakx/L500xH500_4347781382_fba13-b1e5a.jpg" /><br /><br />Track Listing:<br /><br />01. Descending Upon Us<br />02. LifeWar<br />03. Collapsing (ft. Björn "Speed" Strid of Soilwork)<br />04. This Is The Line<br />05. Driving Nails<br />06. The World Is a Thorn<br />07. Tie This Around Your Neck<br />08. Just Breathe (ft. Christian Älvestam of Miseration)<br />09. Shallow Water<br />10. Feel As Though You Could (ft. Dave Peters of Throwdown)<br />11. Blood In The Tears<br />12. Desire the Pain (DELUXE EDITION)<br />13. Driving Nails (String Mix) (DELUXE EDITION)<br /><br />Why must great bands make us wait a long time for albums? It seems like I'm running into that problem a lot...Anyways, Demon Hunter has returned! Two new members and two LONG years later, they've finally thrust themselves back into the Christian music spot light, bringing their signature metalcore style and dark lyrics. However, is this a new sign of things to come for the future of the band, or is it a cookie cutter impression of their albums before?</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>Something DH has always been so good at is taking the Biblical word and throwing it in your face like a train hitting a deer; not an easy task for any Christian band these days. For those who have no idea who these guys are lyrically, think of them like this: these guys bring out those insecurities in your faith that you didn't realize you had. Needless to say, by listening to this album, you just may feel dirty about yourself, as they have that signature metal feel of "you're not doing it right; this is how it should be done sucka!"</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>This is evident in one of the most intense songs on the album, "Tie This Around Your Neck", as the lyrics read 'This is the age of the dead; the generation of pagan and self-led. You can feel the bones shatter beneath our feet.' Not an easy thing for anyone to hear, but it's true. But if you've read my blogs for more than 10 minutes, you know that I preach heavily on this kind of stuff. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>But I digress...</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>So how are the songs? Fast. Heavy. Intense. Brutal. Chaotic. This is probably one of their most technical albums as they very smoothly transition from the growling they are famous for, to a clean sonnet of guitar and lyrics, back to the fire and intensity they have brought us for over 10 years. Nowhere is this more evident than in the song "Shallow Water", which can only be described as a heavy ballad. It sounds as if they are fed up with our sinful society, claiming 'pray for the rain; let it redeem their lives'.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>"Collapsing" is probably the track most people have heard from this album. It is, more or less, a summary of every single song Demon Hunter has ever produced; very clean in some places, intense in others, causing a sense of euphoric head-banging in every one who listens. "Feel As Though You Could" may bring some to a feeling of absolute exhaustion; lots of time signature changes and heavy guitars, not including a chorus that feels as it is a break away from an intensive, stressful society some may live.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>There is a reason I'm not going as in depth with some of the musical aspects of the album. Frankly, I'm not trying to do it on purpose, but there is really no other way to put it: it sounds like every other Demon Hunter album. This is definitely not a bad thing. They still bring those amazing ballads they do so well, such as "Blood In The Tears" and "Driving Nails". By the way, if you are reading this, I highly suggest you at least listen to those two songs, because it may bring out a feeling in you that you've never thought would come from a metal album, sorrow. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>Now for my favorite time, short and sweet descriptions of songs! *Insert catchy theme music*! "Descending Upon Us" is an amazing way to start off the album, truly epic and brutal. "LifeWar" is so good, yet so short; which is a huge mistake on their part, as it brings gargantuan potential! "This Is The Line" is a great song...that's all I really have to say about that...nice drumming in the bridge though! "Just Breathe" and "Feel As Though You Could" provide great fillers for the heat this album brings, as they are fast, heavy, and make you wish they would never end.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br>Overall, DH brings another great metal addiction that won't be cured for a while. Despite the fact that it is very similar to their other albums, it isn't bad. At all. I don't think it'll bring in too many new metal fans though.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong><br><br>Pros:</strong></div><ul><li><div align="justify">A headbangers paradise</div></li><li><div align="justify">Brings out a dark side of christianity most people don't see</div></li><li><div align="justify">Good for a quick rockin' out session</div></li><li><div align="justify">The vocals and drumming are supremely good</div></li><li><div align="justify">Grade-A ballads</div></li></ul><p align="justify"><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul><li><div align="justify">A lot of the same guitar riffs</div></li><li><div align="justify">Not much differentiality between some tracks</div></li><li><div align="justify">One or two more truly brutal tracks couldn't hurt</div></li><li><div align="justify">Mainly for metal heads. Sorry, Grandma...</div></li></ul><p align="justify"><strong>Overall:</strong> 4/5</p><p align="justify"><strong>Recommended Downloads:</strong></p><ol><li><div align="justify">Descending Upon Us</div></li><li><div align="justify">Collapsing</div></li><li><div align="justify">Driving Nails</div></li><li><div align="justify">Tie This Around Your Neck</div></li><li><div align="justify">Blood In The Tears</div></li></ol>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-91848884514419068392010-02-12T00:35:00.002-05:002010-02-12T01:03:38.782-05:00"Tonight" Album Review<div align="justify"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n125/jesusfreakx/2161.jpg?t=1265828544" /><br /><br /><br />Track Listing:<br /><br />01. Tonight (ft. John Cooper of Skillet)<br />02. Get Back Up<br />03. Funky Jesus Music<br />04. City on Our Knees<br />05. ShowStopper<br />06. Changed Forever<br />07. Hold On<br />08. LoudNClear (TruDog10)<br />09. Hey Devil<br />10. Wonderin (ft. Matt Thiessen of Relient K)<br />11. Captured<br />12. Start Somewhere<br />13. Break Open The Sky (ft. Israel Houghton)<br /><br />Oh Toby! It's been two and a half since you released "Portable Sounds" and how we've missed you! But the real question, does "Tonight" quench our thirst, or are we parched for more?<br /><br />The answer is...<br /><br />"Tonight" is one of the best albums of Tobymac's solo and DC Talk career. There aren't a lot of christian artists that can really come close to his writing abilities, and it shows here. "Tonight" is an absolutely astounding blend of his signature rapcore/hip hop songs, soft rock ballads, and truly inspirational music.<br /><br />The album truly shines throughout most of the songs. "Funky Jesus Music" sounds like a lost DC Talk song remade. It's such a groovy beat that even your parents will start shaking it. And it becomes pretty clear, Toby is not afraid to put Jesus into everything! A lost virtue these days in christian music. "Get Back Up" is more of a softer song, yet still delivers and satisfies anyone's appetite for some good ol' Diversity. "ShowStopper" brings up the question: "Why don't more bands make songs like this?" I wouldn't be surprised to hear this being used in many ESPN Gametime Moments, as its guitar makes you feel like you could rock for hours.<br /><br />And who could forget Truett? This little guy has started to grow up and brings his own little groove to the album in the form of "LoudNClear". First time I heard this, I honestly laughed out loud. Oh how sibling rivalry humors me!<br /><br />"Hey Devil" feels ripped out of the 90's. That's not a bad thing. This song feels like it could very easily be placed into DC Talk's "Free At Last", and no one would mind. But the best song on the album is by far "City On Our Knees". This is so far from Toby's usual beats, but it is actual a very beautiful song! This truly shows that christians can still bring religious lyrics to a song, and make it an instant hit.<br /><br />But is the whole album perfect? Actually, no it's not. "Wonderin'", a song combined with Relient K's Matt Thiessen, seems like it would be the perfect match. Unfortunately, though, it is actually a weak link in an otherwise titanium build. I found myself pressing SKIP when it came to this song a few times, as it failed to live up to my expectations. Is it bad? Not at all, far from it. But it strays so far from the formula, it makes me personally wonder "WHY!?"<br /><br />My overall verdict: BUY BUY BUY! This is TobyMac at his absolute finest. There really isn't anyone in the world who can find themselves taking this out of their CD player or off their iPod for a long long time.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong><br />Pros:</strong></div><ul><li><div align="justify">Tracks 1-9</div></li><li><div align="justify">Rockability</div></li><li><div align="justify">Lots of hippin' and hoppin'</div></li><li><div align="justify">Toby never falls away from his faith!</div></li><li><div align="justify">Truett</div></li></ul><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><strong>Cons:</strong></p><ul><li><div align="justify">"Wonderin'"</div></li><li><div align="justify">The font is a little hard to read on the cover...</div></li></ul><p align="justify"><strong>Overall: </strong>5/5</p><p align="justify"><strong>Recommended Downloads:</strong></p><ol><li><div align="justify">Tonight</div></li><li><div align="justify">Funky Jesus Music</div></li><li><div align="justify">City on Our Knees</div></li><li><div align="justify">ShowStopper</div></li><li><div align="justify">Hey Devil</div></li></ol>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-41878497421926605212009-11-08T22:25:00.007-05:002010-02-10T02:22:56.422-05:00"Memento Mori" Album Review<img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n125/jesusfreakx/Album_Memento_Mori_Cover.jpg?t=1258065614" /><br /><br /><br />Track Listing:<br /><br />01. <b>Beautiful Bride</b><br />02. <b>Again</b><br />03. <b>Chasm</b><br />04. <b>Missing</b><br />05. <b>This Close</b><br />06. <b>The Kind</b><br />07. <b>In The Dark</b><br />08. <b>Set Apart This Dream</b><br />09. <b>Swept Away</b><br />10. <b>Tiny Heart</b><br />11. <b>Melting</b> (interlude)<br />12. <b>Treasure</b><br />13. <b>Circle</b><br />14. <b>Arise</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As a follow-up to Flyleaf's Platinum-selling self-titled album, they release "Memento Mori" on Tuesday, November 10. It has been three long years since we've seen any new material from the quintet, but is it worth the wait?<br /><br />This is one of those album that grows on you the more and more you listen to it. As the album starts off, the first three tracks bring them back to the hard rock beginnings that vaulted the band into the limelight. "Beautiful Bride" is a very addictive song that you will be rocking out for weeks to come. "Again" mixes the beautiful voice of Lacey Mosley with some synthesized guitar riffs and simple drum patterns in a formula that just clicks. "Chasm" is much like "Again", except the main guitar riff is so catchy, you'll be tapping your foot and nodding your head along even without realizing it.<br /><br />After this, though, the album starts to slowly decline. Some of the songs start off strong and then grind the fast-paced action to a grinding hault. "Missing" has amazing potential, but something about it feels like they could have applied a little more into it. "Treasure", however, is one of the more spiritual tracks on the album, and it shows whether you agree with Lacey's spoken intro or not.<br /><br />This is a much more religious-based album than their first. Although, the first was good, this expands on that formula ten-fold. For example, "In The Dark" paints a picture of the fears experienced by new found Christians, and the trails and tribulations faced. "Again" is about one's struggle to stay focused on GOD during hard times.<br /><br />Overall, this album should be listened to over and over before buying. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great effort on their part, but after three years, some people expect more.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pros: </span><br /><ul><li>Very Religious Lyrics<br /></li><li>Lacey's Voice</li><li>The first 3 tracks</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons</span>:<br /><ul><li>Repitition</li><li>Feels like we did this already 3 years ago</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Overall: </span>3/5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recommended Downloads: </span><br /><ol><li>Beautiful Bride</li><li>Again</li><li>Chasm</li><li>This Close</li><li>Treasure<br /></li></ol></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-6406673220046283872009-09-27T19:07:00.003-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.299-05:00What Does The Church and AIG Have In Common?<div style="text-align: justify;">The church is in trouble!<br /><br />Quite a blunt statement to start off a blog with, but it's the truth. People can throw numbers out there left and right about this many people getting saved and that many people going to Jesus. However, the more and more I hear about this, the more I see society fall to the wayside. I heard a statistic that every day 76,000 people are lead to the Lord. What I find most curious, if that is a victory, then where is the evidence of it?<br /><br />The fact is that people and churches are replacing what people want to hear about the world instead of preaching what is Biblical, God-given truth. It shocks me today to see christians support gay marriage, even though the Bible is very clear about it being a sin (I Corinthians 6:9-10). The problem is that we are so wrapped up inside the world and what the world says, we get confused with what is and isn't Biblical reality.<br /><br />If the Bible claims the world as darkness, and darkness is the absence of light, and light is described as GOD, then why do we turn to others for our opinion on the world instead of turning to what GOD says?<br /><br />The problem is that churches and people care more about entertainment of a church than they do about the actual message itself. Any sports team will tell you that games are much better than practice, but without practice, the games become hogwash. I know some christians who won't even attend another church because they don't have a band or a dynamic pastor. Doesn't the main support of being a christian come from being able to stand up on your own two feet for GOD? Your preacher isn't going to be able to stand beside you on judgement day and tell GOD all the nice things you've done in life; you're the one who has to face it yourself.<br /><br />This blog was WAY more blunt than most of my previous blogs, but sometimes, the fuse is a little shorter than on other bombs.<br /></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-48140213637130639472009-08-15T17:38:00.004-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.299-05:00Just Because You Won't Die From Burning Your Hand Doesn't Mean You Should Try It<div align="justify">What happened to W.W.J.D? Everyone wore those little bracelets in the 90's. But no one really ever though about it? They just thought it was the mark of another christian, similar to the icthus that people see on the back of others' cars. The even cooler thing about them was that everyone, regardless of who you were, knew what it meant, and still knows what it means. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />But again, I ask, what happened to it? Those 4 simple words were part of everyone's thinking. They had so much strength with that little bracelet on their arm. They knew that they could overcome temptation with GOD in their heart. However, how many of those do you see these days? Honestly, I know of only one person who still carries it around with them.<br /><br />The sad thing is, because they were everywhere, the mindset of 'What Would Jesus Do?' was completely overshattered and turned into a cheesy Christian cliché. Instead, it has been replaced with the mindset of 'do what you want as long as it doesn't break what GOD says'. Not a very good philosophy at all.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />For example, take a look at relationships. Christian couples look at the physical aspect of it and think, "Well as long as we don't actually have sex, we can touch and feel all over each other". We get as close that line as possible, thinking that we aren't doing anything wrong. However, by getting close to that line, you are only delaying the inevitable; you will cross it. What about purity? What about saving yourself for your future husband/wife? It seems like less and less people are keeping that mindset and are more worried about themselves and what makes them feel better. We are no longer fearing the fire, but making excuses. It's really sad on my heart to look out and see people doing what they know is intentional sin, and twisting it to try and make it justifiable.<br /><br />We need to stop being so selfish and start thinking about our impression of others. The reason why Jesus and Christianity is made fun of so much lately in the media is because agnostics and atheists see Christians doing everything they do, and think of all this "Jesus stuff" as a joke.<br /><br />"For 'He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it'"(1 Peter 3:10-11) </div><br>The verse talks about letting go of evil, not embracing just a little bit for our own fun and benefit. We need to stop thinking about how other people will see us, or the exceptions to the Bible, and just follow our heart and listen to the Holy Spirit.JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-35766581019845393782009-06-07T00:00:00.000-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.299-05:00The Christian Pyramid<div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n125/jesusfreakx/food-pyramid.gif" /><br /><br />Above is the Food Pyramid. It mentions all the 4 major food groups, but it is also a good way to represent how I think that we need to spend our religious walk.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Grains</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span>The largest part of the pyramid, Grains are the most essential part to every diet. Grains are usually needed to help build carbohydrates, strengthening the digestive track of the body. Basically, without them, we have a hard time using the bathroom (no pun intended).<br /><br />The "Grain" section of religion is basically what we need to survive. Our main walk with Christ and prayer fall into this category. Prayer is something that I think everyone needs to do more of, especially myself. I, sometimes, feel like we treat prayer as an annoyance or a hindrance. In reality, without prayer, our relationship with our Lord and Savior turns into soggy mush. We need these "carbs" to hold together our bond with Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fruits</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">&</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Vegetables</span></span></span><br /><br />Without fruits and veggies, we wouldn't have a very strong immune system. If none of us got them, we'd all have to be very careful around each other because we wouldn't be able to fight off any disease. As a little kid, you HATED your vegetables! Your parents always had to sneak them in your food when you weren't looking, or cover them in cheese so that it didn't taste as bad. However, your mom always knew what was best, and they helped you to become big and strong to fight off infections.<br /><br />I think this category very well represents church and preaching. I'll be honest, I'm human. And like most humans in a small church, I, sometimes, have a very difficult time paying attention. No offense to my preacher at all or the Bible, but there are just some parts of the Bible that are boring to read, boring to listen to, and really difficult to focus on. However, these parts of the Bible that may seem dull and almost ridiculous to talk about help to strengthen our faith. These simple stories help us to deal with life challenges as they come to us. They may be hard to swallow sometimes, and don't taste very good going down, but without them, we would be living in extremely shallow religion.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">Dairy</span><br /><br />Everyone enjoys a nice glass of milk! Especially with cookies! Personally, I don't even mind a little cheese stick late at night, it fills me up and helps me sleep. Yet, have you ever gone a whole entire day eating JUST dairy products? If you haven't, DON'T DO IT! You will be absolutely sick to your stomach! Despite that, dairy is the number one source for calcium, which helps build strong bones and make us less fragile to injury.<br /><br />Dairy is symbolic with a relationship with a fellow brother or sister in Christ. They are fun to be around, help you when you're sad, and help you recover from a rough fall to bounce back. Even after you've had those sweets, which we'll get to later, it's always good to have that healthy source of milk to help it go down easy. However, if you build a relationship with just christian people, it won't end up well for several reasons. Remember, Christians are humans too, and as humans, we tend to falter and make mistakes. No one is perfect. As sad as it is, sometimes those people who you put all your trust and faith into can let you down. It is also important to have other friends that aren't christian people, or else witnessing will become a lot harder! I'm sure you can think of other reasons.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">Meat</span><br /><br />Every single guy reading this blog LOVES meat. Whether it's rib, steak, pork chops, fried chicken, or even ham, guys LOVE meat! Some girls love meat too, almost as much as some guys. Not only does everyone like some sort of meat (even vegetarians, don't lie!), they only like it if it is a certain way. FOR EXAMPLE. I love my BBQ soaked in sauce. The more wet the rib is, the more I'll enjoy it. I can settle for a dry rib, but it's just not the same. I'm satisfied and all, but it's not nearly as good as it could be.<br /><br />I'll be honest. Right when I started the "meat section", I had no idea what it would represent, but as I got to thinking, it became pretty obvious.<br /><br />Meat represents Eros love, or love for your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend. More so sex. It seems like guys enjoy women more than women enjoy men; that's just how GOD built us. Even in high school, it is more frowned upon if a girl has sex than it is a guy. Just like in the meat eating department (Sure, why not call it that!). You are more likely to see guys getting a steak than a woman, because it just seems regular. So how does this represent GOD and religion? Well, just like the type of meat we like, cooked or smothered in sauce, we all have a certain way we like it. It's the best way, and it almost seems like that is the way the certain type of meat was meant to be eaten. That's how GOD sees sex. He labels sex as something meant for a man and a woman in the bonds of marriage. It says in 1 Corinthians 7 that sex is meant for marriage. I'll let you read it for yourself since this section is already long enough.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold;">Sweets</span><br /><br />Candy. Donuts. Cookies. Sugar. It tastes so good! It's cheaper than a lot of other food. However, eating too much of it can cause dental problems, unhealthy lifestyles, and addiction to a certain type of junk food. It is also the smallest part of the pyramid as most nutritionists say that the less of it you have, the better!<br /><br />Sweets is a fantastic representation of sin. Sin looks fantastic! It feels fantastic sinning! You can find sin everywhere, and it is always so cheap to pay for. Although, too much sin can lead to a lot of very dangerous things such as physical or sexual abuse, addiction, or even death of yourself or others. Once you get into sin, it's really hard to come out of. Thankfully, we have all the other food groups and separate parts of religion to help us bounce back from those downfalls. However, sometimes, we can get so deep in sin, there is no solution, and the end result is Hell. Not something I wanna dip my finger into.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Conclusion<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span>In conclusion, religion is a very complex thing. Sometimes, it takes a lot of work to have a strong, healthy walk with Christ, but in the end, it's all worth it. We feel better about our lives, we're happier, and others will see how happy we've become. So I encourage you to try and live a healthy religious life!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-80380360077100146012009-05-18T22:30:00.002-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.299-05:00Never Judge A Book By Its Outer Binding & Copyright DateThis is a heavy metal christian band that has amazing lyrics! The music video also has phenomenal religious symbolism.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Vices Like Vipers" - Oh, Sleeper</span><br /><br />Noteable lyrics:<br /><ul><li>"When I am GOD, this church is unsound!" - 1:41</li><li>"Why do we keep what holds us? Why do I keep what holds me down!?" - 3:13</li></ul><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sg0PhgHNVIE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sg0PhgHNVIE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-22063328480626263202009-04-29T01:08:00.001-04:002009-04-29T01:09:25.587-04:00New Banner!Designed by my cousin, Amanda Clay, in like 10 minutes! It's so cool!!! Check out her photography work at http://illuminationsphoto.wordpress.comJFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-24130240782666220692009-04-26T22:40:00.000-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.300-05:00Everyone! Quick! Come See How Much I Can Love Jesus!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">I was reading a few weeks ago on other peoples' blogs, and I stumbled across Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lambesis</span>' blog (located on my Blog Roll to the left). He was mentioning the term "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">christ</span>-followers". I wanted to elaborate more on this blog and give my opinion on it. Tim, I know you have visited my blog before, kudos on the awesome topic!<br /><br />There is a rising trend in the church today. People aren't calling themselves <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">christians</span> anymore, but instead calling themselves "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">christ</span> followers". This is a phrase used by people who 'do not like following a set of rules when being a christian'. Now, this is just one opinion I've heard on it, and if your definition is different, tell me.<br /><br />It's also been said because people don't want to be considered a fundamentalist christian. Now I don't know about anyone else, but this so-called "fundamentalist christian" is someone who I envy. These "fundamentalist <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">christians</span>" live there lives fully following the Bible's rules and guidelines, abiding by every single thing it says. I only wish I had that much commitment to the Bible and was so secure in my walk with Christ that I could do that. These people have no fears because they completely trust GOD with every moral fiber in their body.<br /><br />When I hear people say that, and then they call themselves "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">christ</span> followers", the thing I hear is people more or less saying "I don't like everything in the Bible, so as long as I love Jesus, I'll go to heaven." Well, if that was the only thing we needed to get into heaven, then we might as well burn all the Bibles. Seriously, according to that logic, the Bible is just an expensive piece of toilet paper. We don't need what's inside, we have a relationship with Jesus, that's all that really matters, right?<br /><br />Revelation 22: 18 & 19 - "<span style="font-size:78%;">18</span>I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. <span style="font-size:78%;">19</span>And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."<br /><br />We have to stop <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">contortioning</span> and twisting the Bible to make it fit in our own lives. GOD didn't write the Bible just because he wanted to entertain. There is a reason for it. There is nothing that annoys me more when people try to turn our sacred, loving, holy, heavenly father, into a cool guy who just wants to love you, cuddle you, and ask how your day was! GOD is not this cool guy that is just like us! GOD is an all-powerful, all mighty savior, who can move mountains, change the seas, turn night into day, and everything in between.<br /><br />This is an opinionated blog; I'm tired of making people happy and trying to walk on egg shells. Jesus didn't walk cautiously, and neither am I.<br /></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-42805624088495840692009-03-31T16:39:00.000-04:002009-03-31T16:39:00.585-04:00Things Nick Doesn't Like: Issue 1<div align="justify">This is the start of a never-ending series on stuff that really just annoys me! It's all stuff and will never be attacking a person or system of beliefs. Feel free to debate anything I don't like!</div><div align="justify"> </div><ul><li><div align="justify">Yogurt Cups. Why the heck to they have to be so tiny? They're 80 cents for like 3 spoonfuls! Especially kids yogurt; if you are a parent, never buy your child Trix yogurt! That's money in the garbage! Also, what is up with the ones that have whole chunks of fruit in them? It's never fresh fruit either. There's always that one strawberry string that you bite into and it gets all in your teeth and stuff, really bothersome!</div></li></ul><p align="justify"> </p><ul><li><div align="justify">Texting. I don't know if it's the cell phone companies fault or what, but it's always the worst thing ever when someone sends you a message saying 'Hey' and you respond, but they don't. It makes me wonder; why do you say hey if you can't talk? And sometimes, you'll say bye to someone, and can't talk anymore, yet they always have to text 'Bye!', causing your phone to get taken in class. Darn. Or they do like my cousin and when I say 'I can't text; I'm sleeping!', they respond the only way they know how; sending you six messages wanting to talk anyways!</div></li></ul><p align="justify"> </p><ul><li><div align="justify">Mayonnaise. Fat Free mayonnaise is not mayonnaise! It's cheap glue!</div></li></ul><p align="justify"> </p><ul><li><div align="justify">Socks. I always get judged for this one, but am I the only one who wants to see socks die? There are always so many problems with them! Especially when it's 11 o' clock at night, and you go to take out the trash, not realizing that the ground outside is wet, and your socks get that gross wet feeling! Also, when you are trying to rush in the morning; which is the worse time for socks! You could have 30 minutes before you have to leave, and find every single pair of socks you own in 2 minutes. Yet when you are in a hurry, you can never find any matching!</div></li></ul><p align="justify"> </p><ul><li><div align="justify">Public Bathrooms. It seems like they just keep getting dirtier and dirtier. I walked into Lowe's with my mom the other day and saw something that no human should see, sitting on the toilet seat. I'm not kidding, who misses the toilet that bad!?! It's a large hole that your butt is directly on; it's almost impossible to miss. Also, to steal a page from Dane Cook's playbook, why are bathroom floors always wet? There is always a puddle of, what I hope to the good Lord is water, directly in the middle of the bathroom. Seriously, that's gross! How hard is it to go to the bathroom, wash your hands, and leave?</div></li></ul>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-62195241059957389352009-03-28T14:58:00.003-04:002009-03-28T14:59:43.816-04:00Turn Up The Speakers!In case you haven't realized, I've added a little music to my blog! I tried to add a little variety in there for everyone. All the songs are by christian bands and love the Lord! Check out some of the bands if you haven't heard of them!JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-38658971560324756922009-03-15T00:42:00.000-04:002009-03-15T00:42:06.622-04:00Don't Call A Search Party!Wow...it's been forever since I have posted on this. I wanna let people know that I have just been busy with other things and that I also had an extreme case of laziness/writer's block, but I'm back and going to try to write more often!<br /><br />Also, I'm going to start doing video blogs pretty soon, so be on the lookout for those!<br /><br />Ok, let's dive write in!JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-44697897602944149482009-03-15T00:27:00.000-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.300-05:00I Can't Swim In The Christianity Pool Without My Water Wings!!<div style="text-align: justify;">At the Career Center, we have little breaks to simulate lunch breaks at a real time job. Well, I usually spend mine either hanging out with my friend of shorter stature, or playing Halo, but since I can't play that due to Lent, I've decided to spend it looking at the news and current events. Well, the other day I was reading through Fox News, and I saw a story that shocked me. In 19 years, the amount of people who claim no religion has doubled from 8.2% to 15%.<br /><br />It makes me wonder, how? There are more churches in the country than ever before and there are people all around spreading the word of GOD to those who don't know it. So what is the problem?<br /><br />Well, in my opinion, (remember, opinion!) the problem is the latest 'crave' sweeping the nation. This 'crave' is affecting a lot of people I know, especially around school. Now, I'm going ahead and saying right now that I'm not singling out any church or person. Please don't get offended if you feel like I'm talking about your church because I'm not talking about any certain one.<br /><br />Anyways, this 'crave' is something I like to call "Shallow Christianity" and it's an issue I have hit on in my blog several times. It's a quick jolt of GOD to carry you out through the week. People think that they can be considered a christian if they go to church for two hours a week and think that it'll last them. They went to the fun place with all the loud music, fancy lights, loud crowd, fancy speaker, and got their weekly dose of Jesus.<br /><br />Now I'm not saying you are going to hell if you do this, that's not my call to make. However, I do think that you will appreciate church and life more if you chomp down right into the bible and his word and dig deep for what you are really looking for.<br /><br />Let me put it for you in simpler terms. Lobster is not an easy dish for a cook to make; it takes quite a bit of effort, but I'm going to command you to make a lobster dinner for yourself. Anyone can boil a lobster though; set down a big pot filled with water, boil it, and tada! Instant Lobster meal! However, that lobster is not going to taste very good at all. Yeah, you will still get full off of it, and you did fulfill the task, but you aren't making as good a benefit as you could be. Now, if you get some cook books, study up, practice, you get better. Then next time I ask you to make a lobster dinner for yourself, you add butter, spices, maybe some vegetables, and it comes out looking crisp and fresh. You dig into it and it is absolutely delectable!<br /><br />Christianity is the same way. Everyone can take a quick shot of Jesus, but it truly takes those who want to make it the best they can, to make it as perfect as possible. I'm getting tired of this self-righteous, luke warm, entertainment religion, and I'm ready to see the rise of people that really have it all figured out.<br /><br />This "Shallow Christianity" also brings along spiritual immaturity. When you are spiritually immature, it's easy to get sucked into the ways of the world. A good way to test if you are ready or not is to look at your church. If you are afraid to look at other churches and experience their take on the bible, you may find yourself as immature. If a baby's mother keeps giving it breastmilk, and never lets the child experiment with solid forms of food, that child WILL NOT grow into a solid, stable human being. If you are reading this and think you might be spiritually immature, don't worry, that's ok. Go to a different church this Sunday and try to get the other three food groups in your diet, figuratively speaking.<br /><br />Now, I wanna hear you input on the issue! No answer is wrong or right! Why do you think there are a rising number of athiests in America? Answers can be placed in the comments!<br /></div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-8323209100412147522009-01-31T19:47:00.002-05:002009-01-31T19:48:37.701-05:00Attention Gamers!I have made a new blog where I will be spending a lot of my time! It's a website all about Nintendo (yes I know, I'm a dork). If you are a fan of games, then I suggest you check it out!<br /><br />http://TriforceOfCourage.Blogspot.comJFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-25126031324009263152009-01-12T23:18:00.001-05:002010-02-10T02:24:03.301-05:00Christian Metal Happiness<div style="text-align: justify;">Flashback to January 2007. I had just gotten really hooked onto the metal scene. I start flipping around through Myspace and I notice a cover on As I Lay Dying's page, set as their default picture. Well, not only is it from the most popular metal magazine in the world, but it also features three of my favorite bands. So I decided tonight to put the article up that was written from this awesome cover. Be advised though for three things.<br /><br />1. The article is outdated about two years<br />2. Underoath fans may not appreciate something said in here. You have been warned.<br />3. It's long; took me about 10 minutes to read<br /></div><br /><a href="http://a520.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/l_00a3f707c26a0f0e2cc56655928925b7.jpg">Cover</a><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.revolvermag.com/files/images/HolyAllianceOpener.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Left to right: Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter; Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying; Cory Brandan of Norma Jean (w00t!); Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath)</span><br /><br /><b>By Tom Beaujour<br />Photo by Travis Shinn<br />Photo Illustration by Don Clark for Invisible Creatures, Inc.</b><br /><p>On the surface, it looks like any other <i>Revolver</i> cover shoot. A bunch of tattooed lead singers fresh off the stages of Ozzfest, Sounds of the Underground, and Warped Tour stand around, bum cigarettes, and cool their heels while a photographer adjusts lights and fires up a belching fog machine.<br /><br />A habitué of such photo sessions, however, will eventually realize that something different is happening today. As Tim Lambesis of As I lay Dying, Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter, Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath, and Cory Brandan of Norma Jean shoot the breeze in an L.A. studio where they will later assemble for our roundtable discussion on Christian metal, there’s no “s***,” no “f***” (to be fair, Chamberlain does drop one thundering f-bomb while extolling the virtues of the hit television show Lost), and absolutely, positively, no “gd.” Once you’ve become attuned to how sanitized the dialogue in the scene actually is, you become painfully aware of how foul your choice of words is, and, frankly, it’s a little embarrassing. (Note to self: Wash mouth out with soap after returning to the hotel.)<br /><br />And that, in a nutshell, is the subtle way in which today’s New Wave of Christian Heavy Metal (that’s NWOCHM for short) works. These bands don’t throw Bibles into the audience or wear bumblebee spandex, like Stryper did in the Eighties. They don’t shun the secular mainstream, and they don’t try and slip you pamphlets trumpeting the Good News. Instead, these guys have <i>become</i> the pamphlets: young dudes in awesome bands who go about their business and just seem a little bit happier than everyone else on the scene. “We would like to think that even those people that we can’t meet in person can see it in you,” says Chamberlain. “And that your example, how you interact with people and your bandmates, how you hold yourself, whether you’re happy or sad, people can see that and… It just causes a thought. And then people go home and question, Why’s he smiling—and I’m not?”<br /><br />Of course, along with their central belief that accepting the resurrection of Jesus Christ has saved their souls, and all that accompanies that belief, these guys have any number of reasons to smile. All four of their bands are at the top of their game and in 2006 were among the most successful groups in hard rock—Christian or otherwise. Underoath and As I Lay Dying, in particular, both boast album sales that dwarf those of most of their less god-fearing peers, figures that would have been inconceivable for a Christian hard-rock band to achieve a decade ago. “Tooth & Nail has been around for 13 years, and within the last five years, we’ve seen substantial growth,” says Brandon Ebol, President of the Christian label, which is home to Underoath, Norma Jean, and Demon Hunter. “In the mid-Nineties, our heavy bands would sell 15 to 20,000. Now Underoath is making gold records, and Norma Jean and Demon Hunter’s albums are at 100,000-plus.” (Ebol, who goes on to explain that his bands sell most of their records in general-market stores like Best Buy, is nevertheless cautious when it comes to interacting with certain secular entities, particularly the press: He insists that his answers to <i>Revolver</i>’s emailed questions be printed in their entirety or be submitted to him for approval.<br /><br />But as they settle in for their roundtable interview, Clark, Lambesis, Brandan, and Chamberlain don’t seem the least bit press shy. All four young men are clearly accustomed to discussing matters of faith and faith-based metal with tape-recorder-wielding non-believers—or not-sure-what-they-believers, in this particular case—and seem almost impossible to fluster or annoy. (That’s probably because they figure that you’ll get yours soon enough—more on that later.) Their answers to difficult questions are sometimes so smooth and succinct that you wonder if they’ve been rehearsed. But even if it’s your desire to write this group off as a bunch of brainwashed kooks and you find their zealotry humorous, you’re probably also going to end up envying their certainty.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>REVOLVER If you guys thought that playing klezmer music was the best way to reach kids with your message, would you do that instead of metal? In other words, is the primary purpose of your music to deliver an evangelical message?<br />TIM LAMBESIS</b> Looking at the history of all four of our bands answers that question. It works out great for us that heavy music and metal is a very fast-growing genre right now, but when we started playing heavy music, it was in no way popular. When we recorded our first album, we would have been jumping up and down if we sold 10,000 records.<br /><b>SPENCER CHAMBERLAIN</b> You’ve got to do what’s honest for you. If you’re writing something that you hate playing, you’re not doing anyone any good. Even yourself.<br /><b>CORY BRANDAN</b> This is the music we grew up on. I wasn’t always a Christian. I play music that I love. In that sense, we’re no different than our peers. We just sing about what we believe in—I think most bands do that. Our message is important to us because it’s our lives. We’re not singing about this because we’re like, We need to recruit some Christians. We are Christians, so that’s what we sing about. The music is just what we love.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> When we were first getting started, I went to see Norma Jean. The turn-on for me was the fact that you could obviously tell they were passionate. I am a Christian, but I could’ve cared less if they were a Christian band. I was turned on by the absolute passion behind their music.<br /><b>RYAN CLARK</b> I think in our personal lives, God comes first in everything. But for me, if there was any other music that was statistically more effective in reaching kids, I don’t think I would change at all. Metal is what we do. There’s a sense of realness to it that I think a lot of kids are drawn to. I think if you look at metal and the whole argument whether Christian metal should be allowed, or whether it’s legitimate… I mean, how many guys in the “evil” bands live evil lives and are actually evil and rude and mean to people and worship Satan? What, seven guys across the world? Some guys in Emperor? How many of their fans are worshipping Satan and burning cats? None?<br /><b>BRANDAN</b> We sing about the devil, too. But that’s because we believe the devil is real. It’s part of the Bible.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>Is the Bible a 100 percent divine thing handed down in perfect completeness, or is it a work of man that has really important lessons in it?<br />BRANDAN</b> The Bible is essentially a history book written by men. If you read through, you’ll see them writing about something they’re going through that day and they’ll put their opinions down. Yes, it is written by people, but I do believe it is 100 percent the word of God.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>So everything in it is true?<br />LAMBESIS</b> I believe the whole Bible to be the word of God, but I also believe that some—this is an area where Christians disagree with each other—that there is some that is either figurative or symbolic.<br /><b>CLARK</b> A lot of the Old Testament is aimed at the world pre-Jesus, pre-Resurrection, so there are cultural differences in terms of a relationship with God. There are things in the Old Testament that are fairly irrelevant. Not that they aren’t important, but to a society post-Jesus, post-Resurrection, there are Old Testament laws that served a purpose but are no longer needed after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>What about the New Testament?<br />CLARK</b> I think people who dig into it would be surprised how relevant it is. There’s so much of the Bible that’s like, Wow, I’m dealing with that today. I’m dealing with a very now, modern thing, but somehow this is very much what I’m dealing with. I think you’d be surprised at how much people are able to draw out of it even today.<br /><b>BRANDAN</b> One of the things the Bible says is that there’s nothing new under the sun. Yeah, we’ve got cell phones and cars, but our personal lives are still basically the same. Anybody should just go and read Proverbs. You’ll read it and go, That makes sense to what I’m going through. Then there’s really great stories and analogies… It’s just a good guide, whether you believe in God or not. There’s so much good stuff to learn outta that book.<br /><b>CLARK</b> The Bible is ultimately our handbook for life. All of us here believe that.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>So let’s talk about the rules for a moment. Are drinking, smoking, and doing drugs really bad, or is premarital sex the real big no-no of a sin?<br />CHAMBERLAIN</b> A sin is a sin. There’s none that are worse than another. In God’s eyes, getting drunk and running around is the same thing as murdering someone or premarital sex.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> I think socially, some things are viewed as worse. Premarital sex is something that really affects future relationships in your life. So that’s why, to me, it’s viewed as such as a big sin. Things like drinking and smoking and are in a gray area for a lot of people… One of the things the Bible is very clear about is not being controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit. I think when somebody is totally wasted or tanked or whatever, they’re definitely beyond that point of control. Who knows what’s in control at that point. I say the same thing about any addiction.<br /><b>CLARK</b> I think people view the lifestyles of hard-rock or heavy-metal musicians in a certain way. Even to the non-Christians, the smoking/drinking/partying thing is definitely a step down from having sex with girls on the road. I don’t think it takes a Christian to actually view that as “sleazy” or a little bit more wrong than just hanging out, partying, and having drinks.<br /><b>CHAMBERLAIN</b> Yeah, even before I was a Christian, I didn’t think it was right to just make out with a bunch of different random girls, let alone sleep with them. To me, that was just morally—to my body and myself—degrading and stupid.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>Are you all pro-life?<br />CLARK</b> I’m definitely pro-life. Pretty much 100 percent. Someone asked me, “What if your wife was raped? Would you have the baby?” That scenario is kinda silly because it’s just an extreme case. There’s a lot of studies that have gone on where doctors who’ve done a million abortions eventually see it on an ultrasound and then completely stop because it’s horrendous. It’s very hard to look at an ultrasound of a baby having late-term abortion and not say “That’s insane” when you see the sound waves of the baby screaming.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> Is it easier because the child doesn’t have a name yet?<br /><b>CLARK</b> People make decisions based on their lives and what they feel is a priority and what changes they are going to have to make. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that it wouldn’t be hard to raise a baby that was a product of a rape, but there are plenty of people out there that are a product of a rape and if you ask them if they want to be alive or not, they’ll certainly probably answer yes in most cases.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> This topic’s sorta unique, because my wife works at a pregnancy clinic, and the demand for adoption is so high. There are people on waiting lists who want to adopt a kid that’s less than 2 years old. I think the old cliché phrase of two wrongs don’t make a right applies to this because even in a rape-type situation, two wrongs don’t make a right. If my wife was raped and I couldn’t handle raising the kid because of all the emotional anxiety attached to that, I would have no problem giving that kid up for adoption and knowing that it would be in a very, very loving family. I think the alternatives in the U.S. are so great that abortion doesn’t seem to be a good option so much as it is maybe convenient.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>Does each of you have a clear moment when you were changed, or saved?<br />BRANDAN</b> Not just one. If I could break my life into three stages, it would be: Growing up and learning and being a human on Earth, then coming to know God and going through a phase where I’m like, I got this figured out, then later realizing that I never stopped that first learning stage. It’s just life. There wasn’t a defining moment, where rays came out of the sky.<br /><b>CLARK</b> For some of these guys, I know it’s different, ’cause not everyone was raised in a Christian home. I personally was, so my story is not one of peaking highs and low lows. My father was a pastor, so I was raised in the church. I went to church twice a week for my adolescent life. When you’re in high school, the Christian thing is not cool, and you don’t wanna be associated with that, so there was definitely a phase where I didn’t want to be a Christian and thought it was cheesy and didn’t want to talk about it. But then there are moments when it becomes real to you, when you break away from what your parents believe and you actually start to take it seriously. Adulthood becomes more serious business and you think about death, responsibilities, priorities, and your relationships. There’s a reality check to it all.<br /><b>CHAMBERLAIN</b> It’s still a continuing process. You’re never gonna be all the way on top where you’re a shining light and you can just kinda glide along till you’re dead. It’s a battle, always. I didn’t grow up in a Christian family at all. I went to the darkest place possible, trying to figure it all out. I didn’t learn from anybody else or from a church. It was straight up me going, This doesn’t work for me, this doesn’t work—until I found what happiness was. And for me, that was finding Jesus.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> That moment came coming home from school one day, sitting in the car in the driveway in front of our house. Just sitting there for an hour because there was so much on my mind. For me, looking at life and seeing how meaningless so much of what I pursued was. But that was the moment I really realized what was of worth. Having said that, I didn’t fully grasp the whole idea of Christianity and faith until I read a book called <i>The Case for Christ</i>. It gave me an assurance that the accounts in the Gospels were something worthy of putting my faith in. And the resurrection of Jesus, if that was in fact something that was real, changes everything about the way we live our lives. It was really understanding the power of Christ’s resurrection and looking into the history of it and realizing that everybody, whether they’re Christian or not, has to make a decision about who Jesus was and whether or not he rose from the dead. Most people just want to avoid that question.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>As someone who has definitely done his best to avoid that question, am I going to hell?<br />LAMBESIS</b> My older brothers ask me all the time: “What about the guy who grew up in Uganda and never heard the Gospel? What about the isolated tribes in South America?” I think in those situations, people are responsible for what they know. There’s enough evidence of God’s creation just by being alive. But as far as where you’re at and the choices you made, I could never see your heart. That’s why God’s judgment is so just, because he’s given us a choice whether to be with him or to not be with him.<br />To answer your question with a question, Being that you know roughly whom Christians claim as God and knowing who that God is and what His character is like, do you want to spend the rest of eternity with that God? If you do, He’s more than happy to spend that eternity with you, and if you don’t, He’s more than happy to say, “I’ll politely step aside and allow you to go somewhere where I am not.” To me, that’s the whole concept of Hell. So whether or not somebody will or will not go to Hell kinda comes down to… You have to answer their question with that question.<br /><b>CLARK</b> I think at the same time, all of us would tell you that the way we believe salvation works is that it’s an acceptance of Jesus Christ and that He died for our sins, and that’s what the Bible says is the only way to the Father—i.e., it’s the only way we can communicate with God and the only way you can go to heaven. What’s to say that if a 3-year-old dies, that they had that opportunity to make that decision? That whole paradox is completely out of our worldly minds. Hopefully, there’s a plan for the person in the middle of the Ugandan village that never got reached.<br /><b>BRANDAN</b> Plus, Hell is kinda funny to me now. It’s so blown out of proportion. The Bible doesn’t really explain it either. So I’m not gonna sit here and try to explain Hell to people, ’cause I don’t know what it is. I’m not God.<br /><b>LAMBESIS</b> One thing we can all agree on is that Hell is definitely a place of deep sorrow and deep regret. A negative place that people wish they weren’t. But as far as Iron Maiden’s <i>Number of the Beast</i> cover, I think those things are so far away from what the reality of Hell is. Because if I was to start a band that was conceptually about what Heaven is like, what it’d be like hanging with the angels, there is no way I could accurately portray that. So people that are just so stuck on being satanic, and that being the whole imagery for everything they do with their band, there’s no way they could be accurate in what they’re doing. There’re some bands that have that energy, and I love their music, but their whole approach is so cheesy, and what they say really means nothing.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>Does the fact that George W. Bush is an Evangelical Christian create an uncomfortable set of associations for you?<br />LAMBESIS</b> It drives me insane! My beliefs always being attached to President Bush really bothers me a lot. He’s so supported by these extremely conservative churches. It’s almost like if you disagree with any aspect of what George Bush does, it’s un-Christian of you.<br /><b>BRANDAN</b> It’s something we have to deal with because I’m not gonna stop believing in God because of him.<br /><b>CLARK</b> The Bible talks all the time about not putting your faith and trust in men and people of this world. And that’s something that people forget about a lot. We do get attached to everything bad that’s ever happened under the name of Christianity, and not every Christian believes in every radical statement made by some crazy TV preacher or political leader. Everyone has their own viewpoints. People need to understand that we don’t align ourselves with people. We align ourselves with Jesus and with the Bible and the teachings of the Bible.<br /><br /></p> <p><b>When you’re onstage—or meeting fans one-on-one, for that matter—how do you decide if it’s an appropriate moment to discuss your beliefs?<br />LAMBESIS</b> I think for starters, the message should only be given to somebody who wants to hear it.<br /><b>CHAMBERLAIN</b> Most of our bands aren’t saying something about God onstage in order to trick or convince anyone that it’s cool. But if it opens up opportunities for conversations, if they’re curious—or if they hate it, even, and they just want to come and tell you how much they think it’s wrong—that’s cool. I’ll tell them what I’ve been through, what I believe, and what changed me. If that can help, cool. If not, whatever.<br /><b>BRANDAN</b> If you get onstage and you talk about that, it’s very, very impersonal, and what we believe is very personal. I definitely want people to know what our beliefs are, and just like other bands, we sing about what we believe in and what we’re very passionate about it. But it makes more sense to hang out after a show and talk with people and try to answer questions. Having a conversation makes more sense.<br /><b>CHAMBERLAIN</b> To question is the first step. </p>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-44031723858476322802008-12-13T00:11:00.000-05:002010-02-10T02:24:03.301-05:00The Yearly Reminder of Religion, Philosophy, and Maybe Some Snow<div align="justify">Christmas is coming up very soon! It's a genuine time for everyone; presents, family, cold weather, carols, and the best part, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jesus's</span> birthday!</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">I think a lot of people these days don't get a full grasp of Christmas and it's real meaning. We all know why we celebrate it, but not everyone can completely embrace the feeling of the holiday. Yes, Jesus, lord and savior was born, and he saved all of us 33 years later, but does it dig deeper than that? Maybe to something that blends in with modern traditions?</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">One of the most beloved parts of Christmas, no matter your religion, is gifts. Everyone loves opening them and enjoying them, some enjoy giving them (it should be most, but that's another topic entirely), it's just a fun time for everyone involved! However, look back in history about 2000 years ago. This may not be the exact date Jesus was born, but it is a holiday to celebrate a gift that GOD granted to the entire world, his son. Now, we all <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">received</span> a bonus 33 years later in the form of his death and granting the ones who choose to accept it eternal salvation, but this is the first example of a moral gift.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Wait a minute, what do I mean by first?</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">Well, each person is granted their own gift morally that is used for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">GOD's</span> glory. For example, some have the gift of a beautiful voice in order to sing songs of his praise, while others use fame and exposure to try to witness. I personally received the gift of ministry, mainly youth. However, not everyone is called to witness. That may seem a little blunt to a few of you, but it's true. I will admit it right now, I do not have the gift of missions, as I like to call it. I don't really feel called to go to Africa and spend time in corn wheat huts spreading the love of Christ; it's just something that I didn't get from GOD, and I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">OK</span> with that.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">There are a lot of people, including myself, who try to use gifts that GOD didn't grant them. I know our hearts our in the right place, but sometimes we get a little too passionate and it can sometimes dig us six feet under. Like I said, it's very difficult for me to go overseas and witness to someone of a foreign language. It's just one of those things not built in my religious infrastructure. However, I feel like I don't need to try until I feel GOD truly tugging at my heart strings and telling me to go to somewhere and spread his word. I do, though, have my sword and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">shield</span> handy, just in case I am called.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This may be a downer for some people, but don't let it be. GOD is using you for his glory in some way, whether it's more open or subtle, we all have something that he gave us for his benefit. So don't feel discouraged, we are all blessed in our own way. And in the end, it will all pay off!</div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-4911062114128514082008-11-05T22:40:00.004-05:002010-02-10T02:24:03.301-05:00Verbal Arsonists<div align="justify">Have you ever had a passionate debate? Not like lovey-dovey stuff, but an argument to where things became so heated that you honestly didn't know whether to be mad or start crying. Well, recently, I read an argument between two friends, who I'm not going to mention for sake of embarrassment, and they were literally at each others throats! I mean, it was so heated that if it were two chicks fighting, all that would remain would be hair follicles and blood trails; it was that bad. After the eruption had calmed, however, one of the arguers approached me and stated that he was sorry, thinking he was wrong and had made a mistake.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">This is just a simple admission of guilt, not dealing with an issue of right and wrong. Most agree that opinions are widespread and are more contagious than the common cold, but we shouldn't try to argue over things. A lot of people get into these heated discussions because they love the other person, and just want to see them agree. Some just have fights for kicks. Some come from badmouthing. Whatever the case may be, we all have the same common goal; trying to get the other person to see our views eye to eye with theirs.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">We, as people, christian or not, all need to realize that we can't always change the other person's mind, and seldom will. We could spend years and years arguing about meaningless stuff, and never accomplish a thing.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">I have noticed this "I'm right, you're wrong!" trend spread throughout our churches and among other Christians. I'm sitting here, calling the kettle 'black' on this issue, as I have my own little 'christian debate buddy', who I seldom agree anything with when it comes to religion, but if we spent forever bickering about it, we aren't going to resolve anything. I have very recently heard about a small church, about 300 or so, who broke up over one of the dumbest things I have ever heard, and this is completely true. The church fell apart because the congregation couldn't agree on whether or not the carpet should be red or blue. Seriously. An entire flock of GOD's sheep split ways over color, and not even the color of people's skin, over the color of carpet.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">I don't see how we, as GOD's children, can seriously fight over things so petty. And yes, I know, I do it too, but we are all human, no one is perfect, so don't beat yourself up over this.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br />The best way to kill a heated argument is to kill it with kindness.<br><br></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Let's say, for example, me and you, the reader, are in a heated debate over whether or not toilet paper should be Charmin or Quilted Northern (I have actually read forums where there are arguments as silly as this). Now, let's say, hypothetically, I love Charmin! I love the price, love how it feels, love everything about it. You, as the opposition, feel the same way about Quilted Northern. Now, we can go about this multiple ways.</div><div align="justify"> </div><ol><li><div align="justify">Yell at each other till we are blue in the face</div></li><li><div align="justify">Get a third opinion</div></li><li><div align="justify">Kill it with kindness</div></li></ol><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify">The best thing to do here is option 3. What does that mean exactly? Well, it's like I mentioned earlier, kill the arguement with kindness. If you, the reader, decide that Charmin is ok, and not that bad, BOOM! Argument is finished, no more tension, everyone is happy. We just solved a HUGE debate that could have turned ugly fast.</p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify">Well how does toilet paper blend with GOD? Well, its the same principle with GOD. We argue about stuff for so long about whether it is against the Bible or not, and we have this inner struggle we deal with of "GOD, if I do this, it won't be the worst thing ever. He's not going to send me to hell for it". You're right, he won't, but you have disobeyed your savior by going behind his word. We just need to realize that this is probably not the best thing in the world to do, I will just go with what GOD says and not fight about it.</p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify">See how simple things can be if we just think happy thoughts?</p><p align="justify"> </p>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-66165937412387272522008-10-14T18:38:00.001-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.302-05:00O is For...OH WOW!<div align="justify">What is GOD? Many people these days ask it, but does anyone know the truth? Well, a lot of religious people see GOD and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Christians</span> as love, but what kind of love?</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />The Bible describes both Agape love and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Phileo</span> love, but I'm going to throw in Eros love as well, even though Eros is never mentioned in the Bible. I'm going to split the blog into three parts, spending a little time talking about each type.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong><u><br /><br /><br />Eros: Love for Your Other Half</u></strong></div><div align="justify"><br />The only type of love that isn't directly mentioned in the New Testament. This is more for the couples out there than anyone else. How does GOD like us expressing this type of love to one another, according to the Bible? Relationships these days are very "touchy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">feely</span>". Most couples, especially teenagers, try to think about how far they can go, without crossing the boundary of too far. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Listen up Christians couples!! I'm about to answer that question for you right now!</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />If you and your "person of alternate interest" are asking this question, chances are, you want to go as far as possible before sex. This is a bad way to think of it. Instead of asking, "How far can I go before it's too far?", most couples need to ask "How far away can I be from that stuff before I know I'm not breaking any rules or boundaries?". </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />GOD knew exactly what we were going to try when he created us. Try not to fall off the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pedestal</span> he gave us. If you have, it still isn't too late to ask for forgiveness, it's never too late. Respect your boyfriend or girlfriend, and GOD will bless you through it.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong><u><br /><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Phileo</span>: Love for Your Neighbor</u></strong></div><div align="justify"><br />If you are a christian, you know that this is almost a given. If you aren't, I'm going to give you a little refresher.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Matthew 22: <span style="font-size:78%;">37</span>He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. <span style="font-size:78%;">38</span>This is the greatest and first commandment. <span style="font-size:78%;">39</span><strong>And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'</strong> <span style="font-size:78%;">40</span>On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />I really can't go into much more detail than that. This means that we must have tolerance. Every single person reading this is saying in there head "Darn it!" because they know that there is that one specific person who you really can't stand. According to this passage, you have to love them, even if they annoy you to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">n'th</span> degree. They are a soul just like you, and GOD made us all to where we at least need to be loved.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Some great ways to spread this is just by being nice: sitting beside the kid at lunch who is all alone, buy the person behind you in a fast food line lunch, give someone a gift anonymously. There are many ways to show that we love our fellow man, and GOD will grant you the tolerance for it.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><strong><u><br /><br /><br />Agape: Love for Our Creator</u></strong></div><div align="justify"><br />The sad thing is, this is the least popular love in the world. The greatest commandment, the key to life, the happiness that made the world whole, and about 70% of the world don't even know him.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />GOD made us all so that we can love him. This is the top reason to get you into heaven. If you don't express love for GOD, you are not going to heaven, plain and simple. That may be harsh, but the first step to being religious is to realize that it isn't always giggles and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">lollipops</span>.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />On a lighter side, GOD makes this a fairly easy thing to accomplish. Satan is the one that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">tries</span> to tear this apart. In order to achieve this love fully, all you must do is accept him into your life, and obey his teachings that are given to us in his holy word, The Bible.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />Now I could rant for days and days about this, but the best thing I can tell anyone reading this to do is to open up the New Testament, and just start reading. He was a great man, and he's an even better spirit.<br /><br />If you are a rising Christian reading this, all this seems like a lot of work and patience, and it is, but in the end, it is SO worth it!</div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-46938981434379070082008-09-23T18:07:00.004-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.302-05:004 8 15 16 23 42<div align="justify">I have decided to listen how others talk about their church and try to compare it to mine, and I notice a growing trend in the church. Each church, no matter the size, denomination, faith, ethnicity, all care about two things: faith and numbers.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>I will cover faith now, and numbers in a second.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>Churches have this trend they like to abide by. They want it to be as biblical as possible without forcing anything down <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">any one's</span> throat. Every preacher wants his congregation to leave the sanctuary and feel like they got juiced up with GOD and they blended with the message and the people giving it. The people want to get out of this strong experience with the Holy Spirit and feel like they had a connection with the Word. The band wants to feel like they built a bridge between GOD and congregation to make the ends meet once they reach the mount. Every person inside that building of bricks/stone/dry wall/whatever wants to feel like they each make a piece of the Earthly puzzle. And it's exciting every Sunday!</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>Then comes the major downfall of most churches...</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>People look at this and think "Wow, this is amazing! We should share this with everyone!". So the preacher and congregation make a mental bond to focus on numbers. More people means more fun right? The more people you can stuff in that building the better your church is? WRONG! Most churches try to attempt this feat at least one in the lifetime of the church to have the most people possible. Unfortunately, this becomes a bickering war with other churches and a competition to see who can get the most.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>The reason that these two are intertwined into one blog is that they are in opposition. You can't focus on both things at once. I don't care if your preacher, youth pastor, musicians, people in the church say you can, you can't. No, you can't. No. No. No. The moment you start thinking, 'the more the merrier', your church will start to lose a lot of faith. You may have thousands and thousands of people, but a much smaller percentage of those will actually know the full word.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>This is also evident in something that seems so simple, and a great idea too, CHURCH SIGNS. They say things like "Burn or Perish" or "1 Cross + 3 Nails = Forgiven" or my personal favorite "The church for people who do church". If we post these things up, and it is seen by the masses, that's really a horrible way to express the love of Jesus and his followers. The purpose of the signs, numbers. We post stuff on these signs trying to draw people in, when in turn it actually pushes them farther away.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br><br>Well, you are probably sitting there asking yourself, "How can we find a successful medium?" This lies in the greatest commandment, LOVE. If we express love through people we know or don't, people will come. GOD will bring the people, we have to do nothing. They will look at us and want what we have. They will want to experience the happiness we get just by waking up in the morning. It brings satisfaction to everyone! EVERYBODY WINS!!!</div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-32968465049347821242008-09-16T23:33:00.005-04:002010-02-10T02:24:03.302-05:00"How About All That Paint On Your Chest Sucka!?"<p>This is the audio version of an earlier blog I posted on! In case you didn't read it, it is the best example of sex in marriage and sex before marriage that I have heard. It really strengthened my views of GOD's creation of us. This was done December 2007 at a Wesleyan Youth Convention. He did a great job, along with his wife (not included in the video). Hope you enjoy it!!</p><p> </p><p> </p><br><br><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2xTrhP1OxA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2xTrhP1OxA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-10021213679965636652008-09-02T23:10:00.002-04:002008-09-02T23:24:53.448-04:00"Religion or Movement?" by Tom Harding<em>Are you part of this stale drawn-out religion, or are you a part of the movement for the Holy Spirit?</em><br /><ul><li><em>A religion has a budget, but a movement is resourced by GOD</em></li><li><em>A religion has a leader, but a movement has an apostle</em></li><li><em>A religion has a board, but a movement is out of control</em></li><li><em>A religion is of man, but a movement is of GOD</em></li><li><em>A religion is predictable, but a movement is unpredictable</em></li><li><em>A religion is manageable, but a movement is chaos</em></li><li><em>A religion is controlled, but a movement is a transformation</em></li><li><em>A religion has followers, but a movement has participants</em></li><li><em>A religion is a happening, but a movement transforms</em></li><li><em>A religion is humanity, but a movement is spirit</em></li><li><em>A religion makes sense, but a movement is beyond comprehension</em></li><li><em>A religion looks for examples, but a movement sets the examples</em></li><li><em>A religion is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">anybody's</span> game, but a movement is led by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">GOD's</span> anointed</em></li><li><em>A religion is reactionary, but a movement is proactive</em></li><li><em>A religion is safe, but a movement is risk</em></li><li><em>A religion says "That's the way we do it", but a movement says "How can we do this better?"</em></li><li><em>A religion appeases, but a movement offends</em></li><li><em>A religion is relevant, but a movement is revelation</em></li><li><em>A religion is rules, but a movement is a relationship</em></li><li><em>A religion is facade, but a movement is genuine</em></li><li><em>A religion is repeated, but a movement is unique</em></li><li><em>A religion is staffed, but a movement you die for</em></li><li><em>A religion counts the cost, but a movement has immeasurable cost</em></li><li><em>A religion you cry, but a movement you bleed</em></li><li><em>A religion you eat, but a movement you fast</em></li><li><em>A religion is cool, but a movement is revolutionary</em></li><li><em>A religion is perfect, but a movement is not evaluated</em></li><li><em>A religion is directed, but a movement cannot be harnessed</em></li><li><em>A religion is marketable, but a movement doesn't need advertise</em></li><li><em>A religion is ME, but a movement is GOD</em></li></ul>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323167903628098732.post-33482317024777815282008-08-14T14:04:00.003-04:002008-08-14T14:29:35.560-04:00[Insert Catchy Title Here]<div align="justify">For those who don't know, I absolutely love my church. I thrive on Wednesdays and hanging out with the youth because we have such a small group compared to all the other churches and everyone is so tight knit. We all sit down and really spend a lot of time with each other, like a family. And those who are Wesleyan and reading this, you know that Easley First is one of the loudest groups in the entire denomination. Not our fault, we just show love for one another.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>Anyways, Dad decided that he would let Alex say a few words for the Wednesday night message. He spoke about something that GOD has really been laying on my heart, and as I sit here typing on the laptop in the kitchen, the TV is on 7Th Heaven, where the topic is brought up, yet again. It shows Simon sitting in the kitchen upset. As he does, Eric walks in and wonders why he isn't eating. He says he can't eat because he knows about all the bad in the world and it makes him feel selfish that we have it so good.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>This brings me to what I wanted to talk about. Society these days has grown so selfish that we don't realize how good we have it. There are people at Wren High that wake up in the morning, drive their $30,000 car to school, wear clothes that cost about the price of diamond-studded rims, have the best friends ever, and still feel like they want more. I think these people need to realize how good they actually have it. Some people don't even have food to eat and you wake up and make this 4-star luxurious buffet and feel depressed because it didn't end up the way you wanted it. All that is is pure selfishness.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>Alex also brought up a point that I have never even realized, a point that those who don't see this way about stuff, need to help with. He stated that there is a cheerleader at Easley High, who have these great friends, very attractive, nice clothes, and all these things that make it appear like she is living big. However, since he lives down the street from her, he passes by her every day. This girl looks like she would live in a fifty million dollar mansion and have the perfect family, but she lives in a very old house that looks run down and wasted. And every time he passes by the house, she is always in the yard, sitting all alone.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>What do I mean by telling you this? Basically, what I'm saying in a nutshell is that looks don't matter. If every christian judged a person by their looks, the whole world would be condemned. Don't think that just because they have all this stuff and all these great friends that they live the good life, because this could be far from the truth. Get to know these people, sit down, have a conversation, and become a genuine friend to them and don't think they are snobby, or a prep, or a jerk, because this may be a face they are putting on. What they are really trying to say is "Someone help. Someone talk to me."</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>Alex also made one more good statement by saying that if you do live behind a mask, you should take that off. Don't be ashamed of your life. If you are going through some things, don't try to hide. Find a good friend you can talk to and get some help. There are plenty of people out there willing to help, whether you like them or not. If you need help, call someone and let them help you as opposed to trying to deal with it yourself.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><br><br>Thanks Alex for bringing us such a good message!</div>JFXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18368808114668966745noreply@blogger.com1