Turn 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!

Don'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!

Also, I'm going to start doing video blogs pretty soon, so be on the lookout for those!

Ok, let's dive write in!

I Can't Swim In The Christianity Pool Without My Water Wings!!

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%.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

Attention 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!

http://TriforceOfCourage.Blogspot.com

Christian Metal Happiness

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.

1. The article is outdated about two years
2. Underoath fans may not appreciate something said in here. You have been warned.
3. It's long; took me about 10 minutes to read

Cover



(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)

By Tom Beaujour
Photo by Travis Shinn
Photo Illustration by Don Clark for Invisible Creatures, Inc.

On the surface, it looks like any other Revolver 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.

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.)

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 become 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?”

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 Revolver’s emailed questions be printed in their entirety or be submitted to him for approval.

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.

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?
TIM LAMBESIS 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.
SPENCER CHAMBERLAIN 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.
CORY BRANDAN 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.
LAMBESIS 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.
RYAN CLARK 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?
BRANDAN We sing about the devil, too. But that’s because we believe the devil is real. It’s part of the Bible.

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?
BRANDAN 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.

So everything in it is true?
LAMBESIS 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.
CLARK 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.

What about the New Testament?
CLARK 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.
BRANDAN 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.
CLARK The Bible is ultimately our handbook for life. All of us here believe that.

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?
CHAMBERLAIN 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.
LAMBESIS 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.
CLARK 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.
CHAMBERLAIN 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.

Are you all pro-life?
CLARK 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.
LAMBESIS Is it easier because the child doesn’t have a name yet?
CLARK 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.
LAMBESIS 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.

Does each of you have a clear moment when you were changed, or saved?
BRANDAN 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.
CLARK 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.
CHAMBERLAIN 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.
LAMBESIS 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 The Case for Christ. 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.

As someone who has definitely done his best to avoid that question, am I going to hell?
LAMBESIS 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.
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.
CLARK 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.
BRANDAN 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.
LAMBESIS 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 Number of the Beast 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.

Does the fact that George W. Bush is an Evangelical Christian create an uncomfortable set of associations for you?
LAMBESIS 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.
BRANDAN It’s something we have to deal with because I’m not gonna stop believing in God because of him.
CLARK 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.

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?
LAMBESIS I think for starters, the message should only be given to somebody who wants to hear it.
CHAMBERLAIN 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.
BRANDAN 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.
CHAMBERLAIN To question is the first step.

The Yearly Reminder of Religion, Philosophy, and Maybe Some Snow

Christmas is coming up very soon! It's a genuine time for everyone; presents, family, cold weather, carols, and the best part, Jesus's birthday!

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?

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 received 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.

Wait a minute, what do I mean by first?

Well, each person is granted their own gift morally that is used for GOD's 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 OK with that.

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 shield handy, just in case I am called.

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!

Verbal Arsonists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The best way to kill a heated argument is to kill it with kindness.

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.

1. Yell at each other till we are blue in the face
2. Get a third opinion
3. Kill it with kindness

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.

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.

See how simple things can be if we just think happy thoughts?

O is For...OH WOW!

What is GOD? Many people these days ask it, but does anyone know the truth? Well, a lot of religious people see GOD and Christians as love, but what kind of love?

The Bible describes both Agape love and Phileo 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.

Eros: Love for Your Other Half

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 feely". Most couples, especially teenagers, try to think about how far they can go, without crossing the boundary of too far.

Listen up Christians couples!! I'm about to answer that question for you right now!

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?".

GOD knew exactly what we were going to try when he created us. Try not to fall off the pedestal 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.

Phileo: Love for Your Neighbor

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.

Matthew 22: 37He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38This is the greatest and first commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

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 n'th degree. They are a soul just like you, and GOD made us all to where we at least need to be loved.

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.

Agape: Love for Our Creator

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.

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 lollipops.

On a lighter side, GOD makes this a fairly easy thing to accomplish. Satan is the one that tries 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.

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.

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!

4 8 15 16 23 42

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.

I will cover faith now, and numbers in a second.

Churches have this trend they like to abide by. They want it to be as biblical as possible without forcing anything down any one's 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!

Then comes the major downfall of most churches...

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

"How About All That Paint On Your Chest Sucka!?"

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!!

"Religion or Movement?" by Tom Harding

Are you part of this stale drawn-out religion, or are you a part of the movement for the Holy Spirit?

• A religion has a budget, but a movement is resourced by GOD
• A religion has a leader, but a movement has an apostle
• A religion has a board, but a movement is out of control
• A religion is of man, but a movement is of GOD
• A religion is predictable, but a movement is unpredictable
• A religion is manageable, but a movement is chaos
• A religion is controlled, but a movement is a transformation
• A religion has followers, but a movement has participants
• A religion is a happening, but a movement transforms
• A religion is humanity, but a movement is spirit
• A religion makes sense, but a movement is beyond comprehension
• A religion looks for examples, but a movement sets the examples
• A religion is anybody's game, but a movement is led by GOD's anointed
• A religion is reactionary, but a movement is proactive
• A religion is safe, but a movement is risk
• A religion says "That's the way we do it", but a movement says "How can we do this better?"
• A religion appeases, but a movement offends
• A religion is relevant, but a movement is revelation
• A religion is rules, but a movement is a relationship
• A religion is facade, but a movement is genuine
• A religion is repeated, but a movement is unique
• A religion is staffed, but a movement you die for
• A religion counts the cost, but a movement has immeasurable cost
• A religion you cry, but a movement you bleed
• A religion you eat, but a movement you fast
• A religion is cool, but a movement is revolutionary
• A religion is perfect, but a movement is not evaluated
• A religion is directed, but a movement cannot be harnessed
• A religion is marketable, but a movement doesn't need advertise
• A religion is ME, but a movement is GOD

[Insert Catchy Title Here]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

Thanks Alex for bringing us such a good message!

"Tastes Great, Less Filling" by John MacArthur

The first role of successful merchandising is to give consumers what they want. If they want bigger burgers, make their burgers bigger. Designer bottled water in six fruit flavors? Done. Minivans with ten cup holders? Give them twenty. You've got to keep the customer satisfied. You've got to modify your product and your message to meet their needs if you want to build a market and get ahead of the competition.

Today this same consumer mind-set has invaded Christianity. The church service is too long, you say? We'll shorten it (one pastor guarentees his sermons will never last more than seven minutes!). Too formal? Wear your sweatsuit. Too boring? Wait'll you hear our band!

And if the message is too confrontational, or too judgemental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelieveable, hard to understand, or too much anything else for your taste, churches everywhere are eager to adjust that message to make you more comfortable. This new version of Christianity makes you a partner on the team, a design consultant on church life, and does away with old-fashioned authority, guilt trips, accountability, and moral absolutes.

One suburban church sent out a mailer recently, promising an "informal, relaxed, casual atmosphere," "great music from our band," and that those who will come, "believe it or not, even have fun." That's all great if you're a coffeehouse. But anyone who claims to be calling people to the gospel of Jesus with those as his priorities is calling them to a lie.

It's Christianity for consumers: Christianity Lite, the redirection, watering down, and misinterpretation of the biblical gospel in an attempt to make it more palatable and popular. It tastes great going down and settles light. It seems to salve your feelings and scratch your itch; it's custom-tailored to your preferences. But that lightness will never fill you up with the true, saving gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is designed by man and not GOD, and it is hollow and worthless. In fact, it's worse than worthless, because people who hear the message of Christianity Lite think they're hearing the gospel, think they're being rescued from eternal judgment, when, in fact, they're being tragically misled.

From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 3

Have you ever like you let GOD down?

Who hasn't? We aren't angels, we are human. Every single person sins and will sin many times before they die. You are probably letting GOD down right now, and you don't even realize it. In today's society, it is harder to obey GOD now than ever, from all the pressure of drinking, to girls struggling with vanity, to guys struggling with sexual images. If satan wants you to sin, he's going to make you now easier than ever. GOD is powerful enough to help prevent it, but he isn't going to baby us the whole time. It is your duty to decide to quit; that proves that you have enough religious strength not to let him down.

When times are good, and you are on fire for GOD, list the reasons why you feel this way.

I think those statements are virtually the same thing. When things are going good is when I am on fire. It's because there is nothing in your life that can make you trip or fall down. You stand tall with your chin high and you proclaim his name. It's pretty much saying "Thank you GOD for making the world good", when in reality, the world is still a very bad place. It just seems more significant and optimistic when you are spiritually high.

When times are bad, and you feel distant from GOD, list the reasons why you feel this way.

I honestly think that times are always bad, in their own generation that is. For our current society, it is the lack of religious thirst in our churches that makes me feel when times are bad. When I look out at the people proclaiming GOD one minute, cursing up a storm the next, drinking alcohol, sleeping with their bf/gf, that is when I realize that satan has us in his grasp. Those are the lost that I feel sympathy for. I should feel closer to GOD, but I get jealous. I feel like that when they, as "christians" can do that, why can't I? But I have to slap myself in the face and come to the conclusion that I'm living in the safety net, and those are the ones that need to really get closer to GOD.

What do you notice in other people when they are distant from GOD, but used to be so close to Him?

Every single christian acts the same way when they are away from GOD. They put up this face in front of their church members and other christian friends, but when they are with secular people, they expose their true sides. This needs to stop! We don't need to be putting on this fake show of emotions around one group of people and a different one around others. And I'm sitting here typing, calling the kettle black. We need to find a good balance to where we can have the same face in front of our christian friends, and the same one in front of our secular ones, without abandoning GOD. How do we do that? I can't explain it. Since we all have different friends, and we all have different struggles, it is your responsibility to pray with GOD, and find that good mixture, so you can witness to your secular friends, and still have a good bond with your christian friends.

How big a role do emotions play in your life? In your spiritual life?

For me, they are the same emotions. I have been blessed to grow up in a spiritual home. So my spiritual life and my regular life are the same. I am one of only a few people these days to be blessed with that. GOD doesn't love me anymore than anyone else though, it's still hard for me. If I'm feeling upset about people who don't talk to me, or if something happens with someone and I get jealous, I don't always have someone to talk to that lives in my house. Yes, my family is very religious, but sometimes, it is something I'd rather talk about with someone who isn't around. That could take days. I normally walk around either mad at everyone, or extremely annoying to everyone, as I repeat the same cheesy jokes over and over again, to make me seem like I'm ok. In reality though, when I do that, it's my cry for help. When I get to that point, I try to find the nearest Godly person to help me with it. I call my youth group, maybe my youth sponsor Robert, maybe even just talk about it with my Dad, I try to find whoever I can to get me reattached with GOD.

How does hearing that your relationship with GOD is not based on how you feel change things for you?

It's pretty much like a kick in the mouth. I feel so selfish for saying "I'm sad, so now I'm going to worship GOD, but now I'm happy, so I can make room for GOD later", but that's how I act, and how the majority of people act. We can't base our relationship with GOD off our feelings. If we did, I think everyone would go to hell. Since we are humans, we factor in how others view us, which in turn, messes up our emotions. We need to come to the realization that GOD loves us no matter how we feel, and doesn't really care how we feel, as long as we worship him and apply him to everyday life. "Smile, Jesus loves you!", a mildly humorous quote from Kristen Hodges, but yet she is right. It doesn't matter how happy or sad you are, Jesus loves you no matter what!

From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 2

What did it feel like to wait for Christmas morning as a kid?

I think every kid felt just about the same way. They can't sleep, they just want it to be the next morning already. I would look over at my clock and think "It is really late", and it's actually like 12. Pretty much, kids get the feeling of hope and they wish they get what they want.

Have you ever felt the same when thinking about spending time with GOD? Was it a camp, a concert, an event at church, or just being alone with GOD that excited you?

Well, most Wesleyans can agree with me, but the greatest time of the whole year is having to go through the whole day of camp, just to get to the services. We all know that once the fun of the camp ends for the daytime, the night will be even better. Everyone just goes into the Tabernacle and we just let loose of all our built up GOD energy, and it's this explosion of fun and screaming and just rejoicing his name, and it is better than any Christmas, with the exception of the first one that is.

Do you feel you've grown spiritually this past year?

Grown is such a broad word. Maturing in your age can mean growing in your spiritual walk with Christ. However, since I was lucky enough to experience two camps and a convention this past year, I'm extremely blessed. I think that GOD has shown himself at both of those places in more ways than one. This year, though, it wasn't as much finding GOD as it was finding his word and how it fits in with reflecting the Godly life. For example, I honestly don't remember the majority of the sermons at the convention, but the one that really stands out is The Blakeneys' service on how to deal with relationships and reflecting yourself through those. I didn't have a big revelation in my walk with Christ, but I did get a much stronger sense of what GOD made us for when he designed sex. So it isn't as much a growing thing as it was broadening my religious horizon.

What do you think GOD cares about?

A better question here would be to ask what he doesn't care about. GOD cares about everyone and everything. People are always going around saying "Jesus loves" when people should be saying "Jesus cares". All christians know he loves us, but some don't realize how much he actually cares about what we do. The littlest things can make us falter, but he knows that we will. It is more important to him that we pick ourselves up and shrug it off as opposed to taking a nose dive right into that.

Have you read the Bible lately?

Of course. I love it! Jen actually asked me today what my favorite book was, and I told her "The Bible" because it is. There is love, hate, drama, sex, conflict, violence, and happiness. It's the most interesting book in the world. I'm supposed to be doing summer reading for school, and I easily put down those at night and flip open my Bible, because nothing else compares to hearing about GOD's life, what is right and wrong, how I can further express my love for people, the best and worse areas to fail, it's amazing!

What does GOD's voice sound like? How do you know when he speaks to you?

There are very few people who have truly heard the voice of GOD, ever. GOD doesn't speak like a normal person. He speaks mentally. Whenever you get that feeling that says "Maybe I shouldn't do this", that isn't you, that is GOD. Some things aren't as black and white though, some things you just know. For example, the last time I truly heard GOD speak to me was wednesday night of Senior High Camp. I heard no voices, I wasn't being told anything. I just looked over the crowd of crying faces and people rejoicing, and I just knew that I wanted to be a youth pastor. It's like this ring of happiness that swallows your whole body, and it's absolutly astounding. GOD is a being that no one can even begin to fathom in our human form, that's how amazing he is. So just imagine that it's hard to interpret when he says subtle things to it, and it encloses us, just imagine when we go to heaven and we get to chill with him every second of every day, forever! It blows me away!

From The Religious Questions of Charlie Alcock: Part 1

How has culture influenced you?

The culture these days says that it's all about you, forget about others. Most of the time, I have gone against this logic. However, the past year has tried to tell me to go with what everyone wants you to be. I have finally realized that I don't care how others treat themselves towards me, but that I need to lead them on a path to Christ, and stop trying to make so many friends. I need to be more focused on others' lives & trying to get them saved that worrying about if people like me or not. I couldn't care less if someone likes me; if I'm spreading the love of Christ, then I don't worry about how people see me.

What do people at your school say about Christians?

It is really hard to witness to non-believers in the Bible Belt because I know that some people have been told about Christ from the wrong people. I know they have good intentions, but some of their motives are way off. The wrong influx of people giving a false witness over and over causes some non-believers to abandon religious teachings all together. They think that you can or can't do some things as a Christian, but this is the typical non-christian reaction.

Are most people okay with your being a Christian, or do they judge you more than others?

Factoring in again that we live in the Bible Belt, most people don't think of me as being bad for being a Christian. Most think I'm just a pretty cool guy. This is the best time to show the love of Christ. If they start judging you, let them. Most of the time they just want to get a rise out of you. If you were really strong in your faith, then their comments won't mean anything to you. If you flip out at them, you are a hypocrite, and they will more that likely lose their thirst for GOD for a few, and they more than likely won't like you that much anymore either.

What do you value most in your life? (You can answer this question best by looking at how you spend your time)

Well, the Sunday School answer here is to say Jesus, but no one is that much on fire for GOD. I love my relationship with GOD, but I'm human, so I obviously won't lie to myself with the religious answer because it isn't true. Lately, I have become obsessed with my relationship with others & not a relationship with GOD. I need to have him as my main emotional priority. However, if he is telling me to work as a youth pastor (which he is), then my main priority needs to be school & trying to achieve what he has called me for, my relationship with him will shine through that.

How can you make more time to focus on your relationship with GOD?

If I cut out all these petty, earthly things, like video games or music or my relationship with others, my relationship with him will grow, just by living life. He will call me through his word without forcing anything. However, by completely resenting the gifts he gave you, you might as well dig your religious grave yourself, because you will throw his gifts away as well.

What is true freedom?

When you get to the phase when you don't need to keep going back to those things that bog you down, you have reached full salvation. However, humans aren't perfect, so we go back to those things often. When people get to the point when they see nothing wrong in their actions, that is the point when you start losing your freedom and losing your salvation. Just because someone went to jail doesn't mean they aren't ever free again, try to bounce back from those faults.

Sore Throats and Extreme Fatigue Only Mean One Thing...

While entering camp this year, I thought it was going to be terrible. Matt wasn't there with his crazy anecdotes, Deborah wasn't there as our camp mom, Amanda and Kristen weren't counselors, and all the people who seemed to make camp had left. I expected to have a miserable time. My expectations were way off!

Sunday: I am sick to my stomach from anxiety. I didn't want to go at all for the reasons I had just mentioned above. I was dragging the whole day when I got lifted up by a wall post on Facebook. One of my best friends, Michael Mosley, had come up with enough money last minute and was able to go! And after that the day just got better. My mood changed and the sick feeling I felt earlier had turned into pure excitement, yet something told me it wouldn't be the same as years past.

Monday: We get there about an hour before registration starts, and I only recognized Jon Brady there. Good start so far (that was sarcasm for those who aren't as smart upstairs, like Amanda Kenney)! We check-in, and luckily get the room I wanted, Taber 1. We have been in this room ever since I went three years ago, and it feels like home away from home. So, people start showing up, I'm now sick again cause no one I know has come except Brady, Mosley, and Cody. After thinking this, a rush of people I knew came in and made me feel better! After the LONG three hours of registration, we started the camp kick-off. We were assigned to a team separate from the E1 girls and Mosley, so it wasn't that great. We chose the name Holy Hooligans, which I thought was lame at first, but now it's freaking hilarious! Our afternoon activity was Tuba-Mania, which they had cancelled in years past, but decided to bring it back. Now that I look back on how fun it was, I understand why it was cancelled. This was, by far, the most violent game I have ever played in my life. So the day goes by, and it comes to the service. No jumping, no cheering, and I didn't really feel the spirit. Plus, the dinner we had hit me the wrong way, so I was sick to my stomach most of the night. Luckily, my favorite camp pastime was the sport for the evening, dodge ball. We had played the game with me as the last member for our team in the first round. I'm not a professional, so I only stayed alone for about 2 minutes against about ten guys. We still had fun though, but it was a terrible start to a camp I thought I was going to hate.

Tuesday: We woke up before the roosters did, and left early to a water park. A 2-hour drive to a tiny water park in Georgia doesn't seem that bad unless you suffer from my problem, motion sickness. Luckily, I sat in front of our speaker Derik for the week, and we discussed religion on the way there and back. However, the water park was lame. I'm just going to be honest for any of the camp leaders who are reading this, it definitely wasn't worth the ride down. So we get back and everyone showers and gets ready for dinner. No sickness tonight came from it though, which was lucky. The service, however, was the first of the remaining that were amazing! There wasn't a dry eye in the place as he spoke about how we have been scarred by an event previous in our lives. It was definitely the turning point of camp.

Wednesday: By this point, camp is starting to get a little better, but it didn't feel the same. The majority of the day we spent hanging out with fellow campers and just chilling. Wet-n-Wild Wednesday was this day, and I didn't feel like showering for twenty minutes, so I didn't participate. We had two hours of free time before supper though, and I caught up with a friend I had met last year at Senior High and Family Camp, Aimee Springer. She is a very interesting character, but yet very cool. She painted my fingernail while we watched the basketball game for the counselor challenge, and I tried all day to scrape it off. By the time service rolls around, a lot of people showed up who I knew for the service. My brother, Madison, Amanda, Lance, Joseph, David, and the biggest surprise, who ended up staying two nights in our room, Kevin DeRossett. His craziness carried on throughout the night, and it was a great pleasure to have him there. Service was the best I have ever heard in my life, and I had a life-changing revelation. GOD had confirmed a previous calling, and now he has chosen me for one of the most respectable jobs in the christian world, youth minister. Something he told me that was made me happier than I have ever been in my life. It was good seeing all the faces, and the best night of camp I have ever had!

Thursday: Gong Show Night! I had this skit I wanted to do for the show for about a month, and I finally showed it to the entire E1 crew. They loved it, so we learned our lines and spent the day practicing. We had gone to the State Park for about an hour or so, but it got rained out, which stunk (DARN YOU SOUTHERN WEATHER!!). Finally, the thing I had been waiting for all day rolled around, the Gong Show. And much to my dismay, not only did the same people who showed up the previous night come, but more I knew, including Deborah Rhodes, and a few kids from school who are in Hank Brooks's youth group (he had come to watch). Now, if you didn't know our skit, you are probably wondering why I wouldn't want them there. The end of our skit, I rip my shirt off, and I'm no Brad Pitt, so I was a little nervous about that. Luckily though, the first half of our skit went off without a hitch. We got gonged though half-way through on a crap gong! People were laughing and having fun, but they gonged us. There were others that night who definitely weren't' as funny, and went through all of it with as little as a smirk from the audience. I thought it was bull, but there isn't a thing I can do about it now, so oh well. As the skits passed, one of the Latino groups that were there, from a Spanish Wesleyan church, started dancing to "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira. If you are reading this, and you have attended a camp in previous years, you know that that song belongs to Kevin DeRossett. He stood up on the chair and screamed at the judges to gong them because that was his song (jokingly scream though). Of course, because of the terrible judging, they weren't gonged for another twenty seconds after that, even though the skit didn't make a soul laugh and was as offensive as mess. After all the skits, Lance gave me an idea I had already had about half an hour before. I told the judges to have Kevin get on stage and sing Shakira. And he did it, of course, in the funniest event of the night. The winner of the show was, of course, Bethany, who are complete geniuses when it comes to the gong show. Despite the fluke that was the judging, the gong show was actually pretty cool.

Friday: The last day. We spent the majority of it cleaning up and saying goodbyes. By the time service rolled around, we got a huge lightning storm, so it was postponed momentarily. The service that night was a large baptism, where several people I knew were baptized, including Donahoo and Adam Robbins (CONGRATS GUYS!). After that, the winner of the Claude Heath Mulliken bucket was announced as Mosley's team, but the night wasn't over. We were treated to three awesome, mosh till you drop, scream till you die, songs that were as fun as ever. Then, the signature Primal Yell. But my favorite part followed, as we all got treated to a 7-minute drum solo that was, by far, the craziest thing I have ever heard.

Overall, it was the best camp I have ever had! I would explain more events, but this is already three or four times longer than my longest blog! Facebook me if you want to know more!

Expanding The Religious Spectrum

Everyone wants to know the secret to life. They think that there must be some supernatural or strong force that either put us on this Earth, or is keeping us from leaving. For non-christians, it is fate. For the religiously active, that is faith.

However, there are still people out there looking for their purpose on this Earth. Those people are the lost; the ones christians are targeting. The sad thing is that these people are blind, spiritually. They don't realise that the key to happiness, everlasting life, success, joy, peace, togetherness; all these things lie in the best-selling book of all-time, The Bible.

The Bible is strong in more ways than some people these days realise. Inside that combination of cheap glue, slim paper, and pinpoint-sized ink is the truth, the "crumb trail" God left behind him after he made the Earth. That book is where everything we need to know for this life and the afterlife is stored. That book also houses guidelines, rules, punishments, creationism, the list goes on and on. What is sad though is that most people in our society today take this book and shrug it off like it's nothing.

What I can't stand more than anything these days is when peachers sugarcoat the Bible to add or take away anything they want (apparently they haven't read Rev. 22:19 & 20). People don't realise that God's word is very concrete. He doesn't use as much symbolism or metaphors as people like to think. For example, I have a friend who is no longer talking to me because I am intolerant of homosexuals. The Bible says verbatim that if a man loves a man, they WILL NOT go to heaven. It's not intolerance, it's the truth. Another example is that in modern society, women believe they can do anything they want in the world, which is the truth, they can. However, 1 Timothy 2:11-15 says that a woman cannot hold power over a man. It's not sexist, it's God's word. He also says that women will be saved through this submission, so don't feel bad ladies.

The real truth of the matter is that people are opinionated about God's word, which shouldn't be happening. It is worthless to have all these denominations or alternate religions when all of them are getting something wrong. I think it is time for churches to stop trying to get people into the church, but to look at the people they already have and make sure they are getting the full story.

If you are a football coach, are you going to do better having 1000 really weak guys, or 50 strong players?

We, as christians, need to evaluate the word we teaching, and maybe get a few things in our lives on the right track, before going out there and trying to help others. I put a poll over on the sidebar and I want everyone who reads this to vote for what they think about the Bible. I will express how people think in July.

It's Like Stapling JESUS On Your Forehead

I was reading in Tim Lambesis' blog (and yes, that is punctuation correct, I checked) and it is one of the best religious blogs I have ever read in my life. It really made me think strongly, just in the first sentence. He stated that "...after seven years of touring with 'christian' bands...", and I immediately gave my signature "OOOOHHHH!" (as in a good burn!).

Then I realised, there really aren't that many bands out there who have full on Christian lyrics anymore. All these bands have sold out for fame and fortune and completly forgotten about using music to minister to the lost.

Dad kept arguing with me on the issue that Family Force 5 isn't Christian, and I debated with him for about twenty minutes on the issue. A couple days later, as I'm writing this, it occured to me that they aren't a Christian band. To be completly honest, how many bands today claim to be "christian", yet if you heard them on the radio, could you tell them apart from secular bands? I think it's time for bands to stop focusing on what they want to write, and focus on what they need to write.

This goes the same for christians. We need to have so much emphasis on our connection to God that non-followers should walk by and immediately tell which side of the religious spectrum we stand for. People should see us and say "there is a good person". We want them to want what we have, they should strive to be like us, not to the point of being envious or idolistic though.

New format of writing! Tell me how you like it!

The Topic of Homosexuality (revised)

I typed a blog last night, and I thought it was really good, so I published it without proof reading. After 12 hours, I was mauled by all these people saying horrible things about it. Some said I was too hateful, some said I wasn't factoring in this or that, some said that I was just wrong all together. So, I will admit that I was a little hateful, but to be honest, that's how God's word may seem sometimes. Today's society rules homosexuality as ok, when in reality, it's pure sin. Sin can be cured. However, if by stating the obvious everywhere, like I did, it comes across as mean and spiteful, which is the exact opposite of how christians should be. They should show love to these people as opposed to bashing them. However (another however), they should know that the lifestyle they are living is not of God, and that if the refuse to repent of their homosexuality, then yes, they are going to hell. The same goes for murderers, child molesters, alcoholics, or any other type of sin. All it is is sickness. Hopefully this is a nicer blog than the one yesterday!