While I'm here, I've been meaning to point something out.
It seems some people are confused when Biblical figures' sight is hidden from something. They ask how someone could be blind to such an obvious thing, like when Jesus appeared after rising from the dead, and people didn't recognize Him right away.
Well, I remember an instance last year when my mother was digging in the back yard, and asked for my assistance moving a "big rock". I moved the "big rock". About two weeks later, she pointed out to me that apparently this "big rock" was actually part of a tombstone. (I heard our street was supposedly built on top of a graveyard, or something.) There was even writing on it, and it had clearly been shaped into a tombstone with corners, flat sides, etc. As somebody who's known for spotting minute details in things (apparently I'm known for this among my family/friends..?) I should have been able to pick up on something so obvious. The corners were clear, and the writing was hard to miss. Even if I personally had somehow missed both of those things despite my (apparent?) ability to pick up on details, a second person was there and also didn't see it. For two weeks.
This is only one example involving two of a huge number of people who have lived throughout the course of human history. I'm not saying that this encounter necessarily has direct, divine significance, but it does go to show how easy it is for the human mind to be blinded from things. So then, the parts of the Bible that discuss somebody's sight/perception being prevented from picking up on something, aren't really that far-fetched in the first place.
God bless you all once more, according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Creflo Dollar's Jet
I was going to just pretend this wasn't happening, but I know there are some people out there who are going to be confused by this, so let me explain.
As previously explained on here, the actions of human beings do NOT affect the objective truth of God's word. As I said in a previous post, if I told you that your body had lungs and that you breathed with them, and then committed some horrible crime, it wouldn't negate the information that I told you. You still have lungs, no matter what crimes I commit. So also is God's word. Just because Creflo has chosen to tie it to personal greed does not mean that God Himself condones personal greed. In fact, it's one of the seven deadly sins. Here are a few Bible verses on that. The verses on that page seem to be automatically generated, so not all of them are relevant, but it'll give you a good idea of what God actually thinks of Creflo's request for a private jet.
See, it doesn't work the way many people mistakenly think it does. People like Creflo Dollar aren't God's representatives on Earth, or something -- they're (like us) God's children, and unfortunately don't always listen to what our Father is telling them. Just because you own a "mega-church" or a "church" or a "cross necklace" doesn't mean that you are automatically a righteous person. It's often quite the opposite. God wants righteousness in your heart, not just worn on the outside. The outside will decay one day, but what's inside will not, and that's what will go with you to the afterlife. That's what matters to God, so corruption should be avoided as much as possible. It's not about cross necklaces, or about churches, or about private jets.
God bless and guide you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
As previously explained on here, the actions of human beings do NOT affect the objective truth of God's word. As I said in a previous post, if I told you that your body had lungs and that you breathed with them, and then committed some horrible crime, it wouldn't negate the information that I told you. You still have lungs, no matter what crimes I commit. So also is God's word. Just because Creflo has chosen to tie it to personal greed does not mean that God Himself condones personal greed. In fact, it's one of the seven deadly sins. Here are a few Bible verses on that. The verses on that page seem to be automatically generated, so not all of them are relevant, but it'll give you a good idea of what God actually thinks of Creflo's request for a private jet.
See, it doesn't work the way many people mistakenly think it does. People like Creflo Dollar aren't God's representatives on Earth, or something -- they're (like us) God's children, and unfortunately don't always listen to what our Father is telling them. Just because you own a "mega-church" or a "church" or a "cross necklace" doesn't mean that you are automatically a righteous person. It's often quite the opposite. God wants righteousness in your heart, not just worn on the outside. The outside will decay one day, but what's inside will not, and that's what will go with you to the afterlife. That's what matters to God, so corruption should be avoided as much as possible. It's not about cross necklaces, or about churches, or about private jets.
God bless and guide you all according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Lyrics 3
More stuff from the notebook. A line or two has been altered.
Concerning the past few years,
The evil one has found yet another way to deceive the people through lies, humanity's newly-found interest in New-Age spirituality has left a door open for false visions to enter in; false visions and false prophecies are nothing new, for these were even happening in the days before Elijah's birth. However, visions of strangeness are being spread on Earth as invariable truth. Black metal, along with other spiritually-oriented media, have spoken lately of chaotic dimensions of death, where arcane prophecies supposedly come forth. These are perceived by the individual and occasionally others as invariable truth.
The Word of God is invariable truth, because lying is a sin, and as sin is counterproductive to God's commands, all prophecies not from Him are not true. [Therefore,] the dark dimensions spoken of in modern pagan beliefs are lies.
Concerning the past few years,
The evil one has found yet another way to deceive the people through lies, humanity's newly-found interest in New-Age spirituality has left a door open for false visions to enter in; false visions and false prophecies are nothing new, for these were even happening in the days before Elijah's birth. However, visions of strangeness are being spread on Earth as invariable truth. Black metal, along with other spiritually-oriented media, have spoken lately of chaotic dimensions of death, where arcane prophecies supposedly come forth. These are perceived by the individual and occasionally others as invariable truth.
The Word of God is invariable truth, because lying is a sin, and as sin is counterproductive to God's commands, all prophecies not from Him are not true. [Therefore,] the dark dimensions spoken of in modern pagan beliefs are lies.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Lyrics 2
More stuff from the notebook. Last one for today. Now we're getting into the good stuff with this post, lyrics from a project from 2014 that I never really got going. Less formatted, but way more worth reading. Here's the first one:
Modernism is a corruption of traditional values; heresy under the guise of progress. The basic instincts of the human mind lead us to seek pleasure and comfort, and convenience only plays it up. Stating that humans are endowed with intellect, they say that we have risen above that instinct. In actuality, we've only fallen victim more to them, as those superficial dreams are realized, and life becomes a dead end for those who seek nothing greater.
Success, wealth, prosperity, they are the dreams for which our many ancestors with Earth in mind have strived! Yet in achieving them, we fail all of them. Only in giving up self, therefore, can we achieve the desire to succeed, and the Lord our God has pledged many times to help us to achieve it, with a cry louder than any TV or phone.
Modernism is a corruption of traditional values; heresy under the guise of progress. The basic instincts of the human mind lead us to seek pleasure and comfort, and convenience only plays it up. Stating that humans are endowed with intellect, they say that we have risen above that instinct. In actuality, we've only fallen victim more to them, as those superficial dreams are realized, and life becomes a dead end for those who seek nothing greater.
Success, wealth, prosperity, they are the dreams for which our many ancestors with Earth in mind have strived! Yet in achieving them, we fail all of them. Only in giving up self, therefore, can we achieve the desire to succeed, and the Lord our God has pledged many times to help us to achieve it, with a cry louder than any TV or phone.
Lyrics 1
I have a few notebooks that I use for drawing and writing. There's one specific one I wanted to look at today, and I forgot there are a lot of good lyrics in here. I'd like to put these to music someday, but in case I don't, I at least want here, so the message is getting across somehow. Here's the first one, I wrote it a few years ago when the Illuminati were really going over the top in the media for awhile. Better ones will come later:
Hate is in the mind
Victim of modern age
What more can you find
When you turn the next page? *
And each genre segregates
Others and self
Companies separate
Til Earth turns into hell **
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know love, just more internal wars
Anything of love
Is sinking down the moat,
Tell you God's hateful
Then shove hate down your throat ***
Belligerence is
What they want from your life
Barbaric instincts
They hide you from the light
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know peace, just dying in your wars
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know love, just more internal wars
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know peace, just dying in your wars
* The modern age is full of hate.
** Think of all the people who say, "Pop sucks / is gay!" or, "Metal is just a bunch of noise and screaming!" Same with TV shows and brands of things. Separation based on nonsense things.
*** The world really does do this. These lines alone are most of the reason I decided to share this one. The world unrighteously judges and hates people to the point that they sometimes commit suicide, then those same people (who unrighteously judge and hate) try to turn around and paint God as "hateful" whenever He corrects the world out of love and concern and asks us to come to His love and grace.
Hate is in the mind
Victim of modern age
What more can you find
When you turn the next page? *
And each genre segregates
Others and self
Companies separate
Til Earth turns into hell **
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know love, just more internal wars
Anything of love
Is sinking down the moat,
Tell you God's hateful
Then shove hate down your throat ***
Belligerence is
What they want from your life
Barbaric instincts
They hide you from the light
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know peace, just dying in your wars
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know love, just more internal wars
Modern times encourage the fighting more and more
And don't want you to know peace, just dying in your wars
* The modern age is full of hate.
** Think of all the people who say, "Pop sucks / is gay!" or, "Metal is just a bunch of noise and screaming!" Same with TV shows and brands of things. Separation based on nonsense things.
*** The world really does do this. These lines alone are most of the reason I decided to share this one. The world unrighteously judges and hates people to the point that they sometimes commit suicide, then those same people (who unrighteously judge and hate) try to turn around and paint God as "hateful" whenever He corrects the world out of love and concern and asks us to come to His love and grace.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
A Few Bible Verses I Want to Share
Matthew 5:13-20
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 9:7
(at the transfiguration)
And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-12
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
Isaiah 58:1-9a
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 9:7
(at the transfiguration)
And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
1 Corinthians 2:1-12
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.Isaiah 58:1-9a
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Matthew 24:9-14
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
By the way, I
understand how it might appear hypocritical that I of all people would
quote that section of 1 Corinthians, seeing that it talks about
discussing only Jesus crucified. But I actually wanted to make a point with that
here, that while this blog is full of reasoning and logic, it's not required
in order to be Christian. God's truth (grace, Jesus' crucifixion, etc) is a truth that can be found
with, or without complicated logic. While humanity may scrutinize things
like this, God's grace isn't a standardized test, where
you're required to show how you got to the correct answer. God is the
correct answer, and all He asks is that you seek and accept it. Whether it's true complicated philosophy as I've ended up doing, or just by reading the Bible and accepting its teachings, truth is still truth. Praise God!
Monday, March 2, 2015
REVIEW: Flock of Crows - That He May Turn Away from Hell Below
Another review I wrote for Metal Archives, for this EP.
This is it. This is as grim, low-fi, or underground as Christian metal, or any metal, is probably capable of being.
This is two long tracks of surreal, droning guitar playing. There are no drums anywhere on this, and there are no vocals. (I honestly can't tell if there's any bass in these recordings. I can't tell where the rumbling guitars end and any possible bass begins.) Admittedly I don't listen to too much drone, but the style on offer is pretty unique for my ears. You have the rumbling guitar chords and extremely slow playing of drone metal, the somber attitude and reverberated atmosphere of funeral doom, and plenty of guitar feedback and raw, biting production that make for a very noisy listen. There's also plenty of tremolo picking, which I know some drone bands also do, but I can't shake some slight black metal influences when those sections come in.
Each of the things I described above tend to happen at the same time as something else, combining and changing form regularly. Tremolo picked riffs over some rumbling guitar chords will give way to a period of reverberated guitar feedback and minimalistic droning static. This will then change into something else yet. These constant changes, added with the constant reverb, make for a very atmospheric, dreamy listen. This, along with all the feedback, is probably part of where the "dark ambient" tag comes from.
If I have any complaints about this, it's probably that the music can feel a bit unorganized or directionless. I really can't say what was in the artist's head, though. This is a very peculiar style, and for all I know, what I perceive as a seemingly random switch-up, or a slip of the hand now and then, may be a completely intentional move here. I still like it, mind you, and the atmosphere is still achieved, but the seeming lack of direction may put some people off. "The Way of Life Turns Upward for the Wise"'s abrupt ending admittedly doesn't help with that.
The end result of this listening experience depends entirely on what you think of these styles in the first place. You may be like me and find this strangely dreamy and hypnotic, washing over you. However, you may be like a lot of other people who, understandably, will find the noisy production difficult to listen to, and the music long and boring (or at the very least, lacking in other instruments). If you're someone who leans toward the latter, this EP probably won't change your mind on that. But if you're someone who usually likes raw/droning/noisy music anyway, this band is absolutely worth investing some time into.
I guess if you wanted to compare this to something, it's kind of like some Like Drone Razors Through Flesh Sphere songs, but without the percussion. I've also noticed over the years that Christian music just tends to sound slightly different from its secular counterparts. This EP, while far from bright and cheerful, feels less "dark" or "sinister" at its core than other drone I've heard. I doubt most listeners would actually care one way or another, but I've always found it to be a plus in Christian metal. Overall, it's good for what it is, I'm just not completely sure what it is. I'd definitely recommend this EP.. but I'm not quite sure to whom.
This is it. This is as grim, low-fi, or underground as Christian metal, or any metal, is probably capable of being.
This is two long tracks of surreal, droning guitar playing. There are no drums anywhere on this, and there are no vocals. (I honestly can't tell if there's any bass in these recordings. I can't tell where the rumbling guitars end and any possible bass begins.) Admittedly I don't listen to too much drone, but the style on offer is pretty unique for my ears. You have the rumbling guitar chords and extremely slow playing of drone metal, the somber attitude and reverberated atmosphere of funeral doom, and plenty of guitar feedback and raw, biting production that make for a very noisy listen. There's also plenty of tremolo picking, which I know some drone bands also do, but I can't shake some slight black metal influences when those sections come in.
Each of the things I described above tend to happen at the same time as something else, combining and changing form regularly. Tremolo picked riffs over some rumbling guitar chords will give way to a period of reverberated guitar feedback and minimalistic droning static. This will then change into something else yet. These constant changes, added with the constant reverb, make for a very atmospheric, dreamy listen. This, along with all the feedback, is probably part of where the "dark ambient" tag comes from.
If I have any complaints about this, it's probably that the music can feel a bit unorganized or directionless. I really can't say what was in the artist's head, though. This is a very peculiar style, and for all I know, what I perceive as a seemingly random switch-up, or a slip of the hand now and then, may be a completely intentional move here. I still like it, mind you, and the atmosphere is still achieved, but the seeming lack of direction may put some people off. "The Way of Life Turns Upward for the Wise"'s abrupt ending admittedly doesn't help with that.
The end result of this listening experience depends entirely on what you think of these styles in the first place. You may be like me and find this strangely dreamy and hypnotic, washing over you. However, you may be like a lot of other people who, understandably, will find the noisy production difficult to listen to, and the music long and boring (or at the very least, lacking in other instruments). If you're someone who leans toward the latter, this EP probably won't change your mind on that. But if you're someone who usually likes raw/droning/noisy music anyway, this band is absolutely worth investing some time into.
I guess if you wanted to compare this to something, it's kind of like some Like Drone Razors Through Flesh Sphere songs, but without the percussion. I've also noticed over the years that Christian music just tends to sound slightly different from its secular counterparts. This EP, while far from bright and cheerful, feels less "dark" or "sinister" at its core than other drone I've heard. I doubt most listeners would actually care one way or another, but I've always found it to be a plus in Christian metal. Overall, it's good for what it is, I'm just not completely sure what it is. I'd definitely recommend this EP.. but I'm not quite sure to whom.
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