"And I will hold fast to the profession of my hope, because He who promised is faithful.
(My King is alive! My King is alive!)
Time and time again, in my weakness, He’s been strong for me.
I’ve not just heard about Him, I’ve heard Him.
I’ve not just seen evidence of Him, I’ve seen Him.
(My King is alive! My King is alive!)
He’s alive, and He’s conquered the grave once and for all and for all My King is alive!"
For Today, 'My Confession', from the album "Immortal"
"Rise up.Never again do we fight alone. Rise up. We are the resistance. Rise up.! Now is the time to rise up."
For Today, 'From Zion' from the EP "Prevailer"
Why is it that heavy metal is vilified?
A lot of people have told me that I, being a Christina cannot listen to heavy metal, for it is Satanic, evil and spitting in the face of God. I have always been into this genre of music, since I was a kid and first heard the iconic riff of Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man', and by 6th grade, I was hooked by the rhythmic pulse of 'Du Hast', the US debut of German industrial band Rammstein. Something about it just ...I couldn't understand how this music was bad, and I loved it. I grew up and soon found myself drifting into the music of bands like Nine Inch Nails, Marylin Manson and similar acts. Perhaps it was the fact that I identified myself as an outsider, and these bands spoke to those who felt that way. Brian Warner (aka Marylin Manson) has remarked many times he was the weird kid in school, and he was the outcast. I was like that, the kid who didn't like sports, or many of the things that most of the kids did, I preferred scifi and comics, fantasy and art, and music more than other things. As I grew up, I just felt more disconnected, I felt like no one understood, I lost myself even more in the works of Tim Burton (which i grew up enjoying, specifically 'Edward Scissorhands, which even at 6 years old I understood completely the feeling of being different, a little odd and that it was looked down on by common society) and clutching to bands like Korn, Dimmu Borgir, and some very dark bands and things, eventually drifting into occultism and the like.
Until I had my eyes opened.
When i accepted Christ in 2008, I was at my end, considering taking it all and throwing in the towel, but then I found what life is really about. History is HIS story, and now knowing my background, I pose the question: Why is heavy metal vilified?
Some bands intentionally go out of there way to make themselves that way, and yes studies have shown that fans of heavy metal ARE more likely to behave in sexist ways, to engage in unsafe sex, to be more likely to break the law, in general metal fans stire worse for things . However, when you really look at the genre, which has its roots in power rock trios like Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience and Grand Funk Railroad back in the late 60's, the msuic itself...well, isn't evil. There are a select number of bands who do claim they are satanic rock bands or whatever , but they ar ein the minority of the myriads of acts out there. Far and away, because they go out of there way to make a name for themselves, THEY get the attention from the media (and no press is bad press right?) and then when you mention metal THAT is the public image people get.
What is the answer? Is all metal bad?
No.
Is all metal therefore, god?
Goodness, no.
I found my taste for the bands of yesteryear started leaving bad tastes in my mouth, and just didn't feel right with me. I then began purging these bands from my collection, which still continues even now, as I really go behind the music so to speak and look at the words, and see the message contained within. Sometimes, its really obvious why (Marylin Manson) and others more personal (Staind) why I get rid of them. Hiowever, God doe not take from you without returning something better and since then I found so many bands that are ten times heavier, and infintely better than secular acts (For Today, as quoted above, Impending Doom, Fit For A King, TFK etc) that musically, sound better and spread the Gospel with it, to a group oft neglected because they are the outsiders, and as believers, in a sense we too are outsiders. We believe in that which we cannot see, we use a 2000 year old book as our guide, and do not act as the rest of the world does. Those who call themselves 'rebels', who claim that title by doing drugs, being promiscuous, and other such 'rebellious' acts...WAKE UP! You are doing everything everyone else is!!!
"..He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels."
Issiah 53:12B
We as metalheads, rebels...we ARE NOT BEING REBELLIOUS! We are simply playing right into the plan of the enemy!
I use the band For Today earlier, and hearing the lyrics, in a death metal growl, pounding drums...THIS is true rebellion. Wake up, join the uprising, for WE are the future
Join Christ, for He alone saves. Be not of this world. Join the resistance.
17.5.13
16.5.13
Musings.....
Is it bad I do not care?
Let me show you what i mean...we moved to Billings a year ago, with two suitcases a back pack each, and a duffel bag. Neither of us had jobs, or even a secure place to live. But I didn't care, for I KNEW we were going to be taken care of
" “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matt. 6:25-26
So yeah. That is the proof right there. And you know what, we got jobs within two weeks of arriving, we were staying in the local Rescue shelter, so we had a roof over our heads. Within 5 months, we had our own apartment, a car, and all of our belongings back out of storage. It was such a blessing, and to be honest..I didn't see it until the last second. We had spent 5 months in a homeless shelter. Curfews, we were unable to do much of anything, and we weren't allowed to cook our own food. But we held on to that promise, and we saw it come true.
So yeah. I simply do not care about the day to day, for I have other things to worry about. Now, I do not take my kitchen for granted, and it is so fun to cook. I do not take my wife for granted. We have spent the last year together just barely married when we arrived, and i am so amazed she came along on this journey. She knew that God was guiding us, and trusted Him, even through the hardships of the first 6 months. I love her so much, it is hard to explain, other than it seems that although I still am me, she knows it, and even though we are not perfect, we are loved by a God who is, and that makes it all ok.
Let me show you what i mean...we moved to Billings a year ago, with two suitcases a back pack each, and a duffel bag. Neither of us had jobs, or even a secure place to live. But I didn't care, for I KNEW we were going to be taken care of
" “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matt. 6:25-26
So yeah. That is the proof right there. And you know what, we got jobs within two weeks of arriving, we were staying in the local Rescue shelter, so we had a roof over our heads. Within 5 months, we had our own apartment, a car, and all of our belongings back out of storage. It was such a blessing, and to be honest..I didn't see it until the last second. We had spent 5 months in a homeless shelter. Curfews, we were unable to do much of anything, and we weren't allowed to cook our own food. But we held on to that promise, and we saw it come true.
So yeah. I simply do not care about the day to day, for I have other things to worry about. Now, I do not take my kitchen for granted, and it is so fun to cook. I do not take my wife for granted. We have spent the last year together just barely married when we arrived, and i am so amazed she came along on this journey. She knew that God was guiding us, and trusted Him, even through the hardships of the first 6 months. I love her so much, it is hard to explain, other than it seems that although I still am me, she knows it, and even though we are not perfect, we are loved by a God who is, and that makes it all ok.
1.3.13
Stuff. And Such
Ok!
So its has been an INCREDIBLE time lapse since I last posted. Well heres the facts:
In August we werre approved for our own apartment, and have been living there since September of 2012. We are getting ready to renew the lease, and we love the place. Also, In October, some friends joined us and we saw Weir Al perform here in Billings. That was a good deal, oh, lets see...WE HAVE BROKEN THE REGULAR ATTENDANCE FOR FRESH LIFE BILLINGS~! A few weeks ago, we had 100 people come! Also, in the last several weeks, lets see...we are preparing for Easter service with For King And Country (they rock check em out) , as a whole, the church ahs been praying for Pastor Levi as they go through the process of their daughter Lenya being called home (memorials ervice http://vimeo.com/56384147 and other clicky links http://freshlifechurch.org/lenya/ )
and just seeing the faith of the family has been inspiring and challenging.
In the beginning of the year, got to see Impending Doom live and met them and that was fun. We are now a few months ion and approaching the one year anniversary of being married. We plan to take a trip to Albuquerque NM to help with Skull Church ( http://skullchurch.com/3.0/index.php ) so we are stoked on that.And now, I leave to take care of some house related details. Ciao!
So its has been an INCREDIBLE time lapse since I last posted. Well heres the facts:
In August we werre approved for our own apartment, and have been living there since September of 2012. We are getting ready to renew the lease, and we love the place. Also, In October, some friends joined us and we saw Weir Al perform here in Billings. That was a good deal, oh, lets see...WE HAVE BROKEN THE REGULAR ATTENDANCE FOR FRESH LIFE BILLINGS~! A few weeks ago, we had 100 people come! Also, in the last several weeks, lets see...we are preparing for Easter service with For King And Country (they rock check em out) , as a whole, the church ahs been praying for Pastor Levi as they go through the process of their daughter Lenya being called home (memorials ervice http://vimeo.com/56384147 and other clicky links http://freshlifechurch.org/lenya/ )
In the beginning of the year, got to see Impending Doom live and met them and that was fun. We are now a few months ion and approaching the one year anniversary of being married. We plan to take a trip to Albuquerque NM to help with Skull Church ( http://skullchurch.com/3.0/index.php ) so we are stoked on that.And now, I leave to take care of some house related details. Ciao!
23.5.12
Long time coming
So its been a while. Since last I posted, I had a root canal, planned a move to a new city, oh and got married to the most awesome gal ever along the way. But now, a month after marriage, its still sinking in. I'm married. I recall when i first was posting here, i was planning to be married. And it fell apart. Like a flan left in the cupboard it just collapsed utterly. Why? Because I wasn't doing things God's way. It was somethign I learned from immensely, and am so glad it didn't happen so I could see how to do it the right way this time.
I now live in Billings. Its a huge city compared to Kalispell, and its a little scary at times, but you know I am ok with that. I moved here to help spread the word of Christ, and if doing something like that is not scarying you a little bit, soemthing is wrong. Not that the act itself should be a spooky thing, but that I am now really relying on faith here. I am in a town where I have no family to fall back on, the people I do know are limited in number and dealign witht he exact same thing. I also have a wife I am charged with taking care of, and I mean do just that,
When we have our own lace all set up, and regular access to the web, I shall be uploading and blogging more frequently. So stay tuned because there is work to be done here, and I aim to do it.
I now live in Billings. Its a huge city compared to Kalispell, and its a little scary at times, but you know I am ok with that. I moved here to help spread the word of Christ, and if doing something like that is not scarying you a little bit, soemthing is wrong. Not that the act itself should be a spooky thing, but that I am now really relying on faith here. I am in a town where I have no family to fall back on, the people I do know are limited in number and dealign witht he exact same thing. I also have a wife I am charged with taking care of, and I mean do just that,
When we have our own lace all set up, and regular access to the web, I shall be uploading and blogging more frequently. So stay tuned because there is work to be done here, and I aim to do it.
28.11.11
Ch-ch-changes
So, its been a while I know. Halloween and now Thanksgiving have come and gone, and the Christmas season with all its unbridled shopping mayhem greed and avarice has come in full force. Why do I characterize it so? Because of the insanity that Black Friday makes it. People pepper spraying each other so they can get a damn X-Box before the others can come near. Pregnant women getting punched in the stomach. People being trampled underfoot. It makes me sick.
But enough of that.
I am now in the stage of planning my wedding. For those out there who had not heard, I am engaged to the most incredible woman, and we will be wed on April 13th, 2012. And yes, that is a Friday. Hehe. I am trying to figure out the move to Billings, whether I ought do it now or after the wedding. I need to have a root canal next week, and that is delaying me, and I am mulling over it.
Art wise, I am feeling creative like none other, after I expended myself in October for my "Monster Mash" series, where I did 31 drawings in about 5 weeks (mainly cause the last two were a week late) and am loving it.
All things considered, I am pretty happy.
But enough of that.
I am now in the stage of planning my wedding. For those out there who had not heard, I am engaged to the most incredible woman, and we will be wed on April 13th, 2012. And yes, that is a Friday. Hehe. I am trying to figure out the move to Billings, whether I ought do it now or after the wedding. I need to have a root canal next week, and that is delaying me, and I am mulling over it.
Art wise, I am feeling creative like none other, after I expended myself in October for my "Monster Mash" series, where I did 31 drawings in about 5 weeks (mainly cause the last two were a week late) and am loving it.
All things considered, I am pretty happy.
20.9.11
Here it is
So I am going through some things in m head. I feel God has called me to move and help with the launch of our fourth campus for Fresh life. I am hoping I can get down there soon. I applied for a Hastings there in Billings, and will do the same for Barnes And Noble. Meetign with a guy to talk about it, and hoping I can get a set date for leaving.
Last weekend was the first Skull Church outside of Kalispell, we went and brought it to Missoula. It was intense. I met a guy who was convinced that Loki was going to consume him, he would be reborn with six wings and be a god himself. He was so convinced of it, and all this other stuff he talked about, these ancient gods he worshiped and all the occult things he was into. It scared me, because I was into that kinda stuff. it was like looking into what I coulda become. Had I not met God when i did, I could have become that guy. It shook me hard. I was crying all afternoon at the sadness of what he was, and praying for him all night, and thanking God for the changes in my life he did. I was reminded of how God is so incredible, how we change from the old ways to His way as we grow with Him. And yet, still I find myself in the old ways in some areas, and trying to keep that from happening, and failing. But God is good, He is quick to forgive.
well, i am signing off for this one. Cheers!
Last weekend was the first Skull Church outside of Kalispell, we went and brought it to Missoula. It was intense. I met a guy who was convinced that Loki was going to consume him, he would be reborn with six wings and be a god himself. He was so convinced of it, and all this other stuff he talked about, these ancient gods he worshiped and all the occult things he was into. It scared me, because I was into that kinda stuff. it was like looking into what I coulda become. Had I not met God when i did, I could have become that guy. It shook me hard. I was crying all afternoon at the sadness of what he was, and praying for him all night, and thanking God for the changes in my life he did. I was reminded of how God is so incredible, how we change from the old ways to His way as we grow with Him. And yet, still I find myself in the old ways in some areas, and trying to keep that from happening, and failing. But God is good, He is quick to forgive.
well, i am signing off for this one. Cheers!
11.8.11
Slw Down
Well, there have now been some setbacks in what I thought I would be doing. Honestly...I am ok with this. Something came to mind whilst looking through Proverbs the other day:
" Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring." (Proverbs 27:1)
I seemed so hellbent on leaving in a few weeks I didn't stop to think if I was ready to leave or if the people who would take my place in the apartment were ready for that to happen. so many factors not running in sync. When I am ready, it will happen. I do not need to rush things, it is only a matter of time.
" Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring." (Proverbs 27:1)
I seemed so hellbent on leaving in a few weeks I didn't stop to think if I was ready to leave or if the people who would take my place in the apartment were ready for that to happen. so many factors not running in sync. When I am ready, it will happen. I do not need to rush things, it is only a matter of time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)