Christian Song of the Moment : My Generation by Starfield

There is something more
hello, we're going down the hallway to the door
we know there's something more

Our soul has a got a hole
we know but what's it waiting for
scattered in the street
like dreams and destiny
the things we wanna be
are scattered in the streets

If we're coming clean
we've seen to know we're incomplete

Chorus:
How do we feel, how do we feel
my generation is aching for real
dyin for love cryin for truth
my generation is aching for you

Country of our own
is all we're asking for
a place to call our home
a country of our own
we know it must be close
our souls are searching through the cold
the cold, the cold

Chorus: x3
How do we feel, how do we feel
my generation is aching for real
dyin for love, cryin for truth
my generation is aching for you

Christian Band of the Moment : Starfield

Starfield is a Canadian Christian music group from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The group has songs and albums that have charted in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They have won multiple Covenant Awards in Canada.


Members

• Tim Neufeld (lead vocals, guitars)
• Jon Neufeld (guitars, vocals)
• Dave Lalonde (drums)
• James Johnston (bass guitar)

Starfield was originally formed by brothers Tim and Jon Neufeld, both from Winnipeg. Since then Shaun Huberts and Gordie Cochran, both of Victoria, British Columbia, have joined the band. Shaun Huberts left the band August 9, 2006, after his last performance at the DCLA Convention in Anaheim, CA. His replacement was Dave Crisp. The band moved back to Canada (Abbotsford, British Columbia) in the fall of 2006 after several years of living in Nashville. Soon after their North American tour with Shane and Shane, featuring Bethany Dillion, both Dave Crisp and Gordie Cochran have moved on, with James Johnston (Winnipeg/Calgary) and Dave Lalonde (Oakville) taking over on bass and drums, respectively, in September of 2008. Gordie Cochran is now playing drums on a worship team at Christian Life Assembly in Langley, British Columbia.

On April 25, 2008, Starfield was performing a concert at the Central Heights Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia, when the floor collapsed and a lighting scaffold fell under fans dancing in front of the stage. A number of concert-goers, mostly youth, fell through the floor into the basement. More than 40 people were injured, several seriously, but there were no fatalities.^[12] During the event, singer Tim Neufeld asked the crowd to cease dancing. When the floor collapsed, Neufeld threw his microphone aside and jumped down about 10 feet (3.0 m) to help the victims below. ^[13] As a result, a concert scheduled April 26 in Burnaby, British Columbia was postponed and a concert scheduled April 28 in Red Deer, Alberta was cancelled. The Abbotsford concert was rescheduled to June 7 in another venue (Sevenoaks Alliance), while the Burnaby concert was rescheduled for June 6.^[14] Tickets purchased for the April 25th show were redeemable at the rescheduled Abbotsford show.

Movie of the Moment : 2012

"It’s not the end of the world."

We tell ourselves such things when we burn our toast or spill our juice or get D’s on our semester projects. It’s a comforting thought: No matter how badly we mess up today, we have a chance to wake up and make it better tomorrow.

And even if it really is the end of the world, well … there’s still a bright side. That D suddenly doesn’t look so bad, for instance. And, really, why worry about the status of your toast when you’re toast yourself?

Jackson Curtis, a part-time novelist and full-time chauffer, isn’t thinking about toast of any sort as 2012 gets underway. He’s thinking about a trip to Yellowstone National Park and how much fun he and his children will have there—especially if he remembers the bug spray. He’s thinking about how his ex-wife will kill him for showing up late to pick up said kids. He’s thinking about what terrible timing his SUV has, stubbornly deciding not to start when it surely knows full well that he’s already running late. He’s thinking about how silly it’ll look, going camping in Yellowstone in his boss’s limousine.

Ah, well, at least it’s not the end of the world, right?

But, of course, it is—or, at least, close enough. For at that very moment in Washington, D.C., a handful of clued-in politicians are wringing their hands over the cataclysm to end all cataclysms. The earth’s core is wigging out, and in a matter of days (or hours or minutes), it’ll turn Yellowstone’s Old Faithful into Old Vengeful, then touch off massive earthquakes and mega-tsunamis while unhooking the very crust of the earth itself.

In other words, it’s just another day at The History Channel.

But it’s not the sort of thing that can be easily fixed with, say, a stimulus package. So the world’s in-the-know leaders decide to keep their collective mouths shut. They have for years now—all the while building massive "arks" to carry humanity’s remnants (the smartest, the strongest and the richest) to start a new life … somewhere.

Jackson, not being particularly smart or strong or rich, has no idea that his vacation will be cut short. Not until, that is, he tries to visit a lake that has boiled away and meets a crazy, end-times radio show host with a penchant for pickles and a map to those arks.

I wonder if they’ll bring any toasters.

Positive Elements

"The critics said I was naive and an unabashed optimist," Jackson tells a fan of his books. "But what do they know, right?"

Director Roland Emmerich might’ve spoken these words about himself. It might seem odd to call a film that revolves around the end of the world "optimistic." But 2012 does offer a strange sense of emotional buoyancy—and that’s a good thing, considering most of the earth gets shoved under water.

The crux of this optimism revolves around the characters’ willingness to sacrifice themselves to save others. We see this again and again: a father pushing his son to safety, losing the chance to save himself; a pilot helping passengers escape a crashing plane while he stays behind; a man flirting with almost certain death to save an arkload of humanity. The president of the United States himself—who, by virtue of his job, has a spot on one of the arks—elects to stay behind in solidarity with the rest of the country.

"Today, we are one family, stepping out into the darkness together," he tells everyone.

That idea of family is another massive theme: how family can make disaster not just bearable, but strangely worthwhile. While we see and hear scads of familial tales, Jackson’s becomes our focal point. Divorced from his wife, he seems at first to be a benignly inattentive dad. His son, Noah, finds his mom’s new boyfriend—a guy named Gordon—to be more approachable. But as the family battles one crisis after another, the five of them—mother, father, children, boyfriend—grow closer, sacrificing and caring for each other. When Jackson’s kids ask him to promise that they’ll live through it all, Jackson simply says, "I promise you we’re going to all stay together, no matter what happens." Later, Gordon confesses to Jackson that he has what Gordon always wanted: a real family.

"You’re a lucky man, Jackson," Gordon tells him as the globe grinds to a grim end. "Don’t ever forget it."

When the arks shut their doors on a teeming mass of humanity begging for refuge, a scientist makes a heartfelt plea to let at least some of them in. It’d be terrible, he says, to launch our future with "an act of cruelty." His speech works.

Spiritual Content

The idea that the world ends in 2012 is based on a calendar formed by the ancient Mayans (though it should be noted that the Mayans also had predictions covering at least another 2,700 years, meaning they must not have thought it was the end). The talk show host tells us that other civilizations echoed the prophecy and claims that the Bible predicts something of the sort, too. ("Kinda," he says.) As his final broadcast is coming to an end, the host tells his listeners he hopes they have all made their "peace with God."

Jackson and his young daughter, Lilly, sing the gospel song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" on the way to Yellowstone. We see religious services on television and hear a pastor say he and his followers believe in "the gospel of the Lord Jesus. We have nothing to fear." The president spends time in a chapel and, in his final address, recites Psalm 23.

When it looks as if he’s about to die, we hear the president whisper to his deceased wife, "Dorothy, I’m coming home." Another politician refuses to tell his aged, forgetful mother about the end of the world, explaining later that she deserves to "meet her Maker on her own terms."

Catholics gather in St. Peter’s Square to listen to the Pope: The service is cut short by a massive earthquake that destroys the Vatican, whereupon we see a massive crack in the roof of the Sistine Chapel which opens a fissure between Michelangelo’s Adam and God.

Of course we see a man on a street corner holding a sign saying, "Repent! The end is near!" And Buddhist monks play ancillary roles.

Sexual Content

Gordon, a surgeon who specializes in breast implants, apparently lives with Kate (Jackson’s ex-wife). When he tries to cuddle her in the supermarket, he tells her that women pay thousands of dollars to have him handle their breasts. He says, "You get it for free." Jackson tries to take his children to a spot in Yellowstone that he and Kate used to love, whereupon his son says, "I don’t want to know where you and Mom had sex."

One woman wears skimpy, cleavage-revealing outfits. Several couples kiss.

Violent Content

If I described every scene of violence in 2012, this story would use up more bandwidth than YouTube. So let’s start with the obvious: The film ultimately kills off about 6 billion people.

2012 showcases what the ultimate apocalypse might look like if it were a Six Flags thrill ride. We see water swamp the Himalayas, Los Angeles fall into the Pacific, quakes tear cities asunder and, yep, Yellowstone blows sky high. Planes crash in massive fireballs, trains plummet off their tracks, cars slam into pillars of earth and aircraft carriers take out the White House. People drown. They fall. They’re consumed by fireballs. They’re thwacked by massive, flaming dirt clods. They’re crushed by machinery.

Along with the rest of those 6 billion hapless souls, many of the main characters die. We don’t see the gory instant of doom for any of them (the camera moves on just before the tidal wave crashes down, or hovers above the machinery as someone’s body slips into the gears), but we’re meant to feel their loss.

Before the end comes, we hear that governments have been killing people who wanted to tell the world about its impending doom. The curator of France’s museums is subsequently killed when his car explodes in the same tunnel in which Princess Diana perished. We see news footage covering the aftermath of a mass suicide.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word. Four s-words. Nearly 20 misuses of God’s name (paired with "d‑‑n" at least five times). Jesus’ name is abused twice. "A‑‑," "h‑‑‑" and "b‑‑tard" are also blurted out. An obscene gesture is made.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Characters drink wine, champagne, whiskey and beer.

Other Negative Elements

Noah talks back to his dad and disobeys him (albeit to help him). A politician tries to convince folks to not reopen an ark door. Lots of people lie, or, at the very least, withhold the truth.

Conclusion

Someday, people will look back at Roland Emmerich’s films and ask one very important question:

What was his deal, anyway?

Emmerich has, in his most popular films, destroyed the world in many colorful ways: through aliens (Independence Day), through climate change (The Day After Tomorrow) through Japanese monsters (Godzilla) and, now, because an ancient Mayan calendar told him to. In terms of sheer body count, Emmerich makes Jason Vorhees look like a pacifistic boy scout.

He says that 2012 will be his last disaster flick: "I know I can’t destroy the world again," he told The New York Times. "That would be kind of a joke."

I don’t believe him.

Emmerich wrecks the world like 10-year-old boys wreck Matchbox cars: with a childlike sense of innocence. So just because I callously compared him to the Friday the 13th serial killer, don’t think that he’s doing it all just for the sake of viciousness. Just because he treats the death of 6 billion people as a ghoulish circus doesn’t make him heartless. Because through the mayhem, Emmerich seems to always try to explore humanity’s best inclinations.

In that respect, 2012 is Emmerich’s most positive film. I don’t mean wholesome; it has too much bad language to be that. And I’ve already talked about the circus-style attentiveness to carnage. But while character development is kept to a bare minimum—just a skeleton on which to hang spectacular CGI effects—the themes here still pack a punch: We can be better than we are. We need to care for others. We are family.

Most of Emmerich’s characters gallop through the worst days of their lives with dry eyes, set mouths and humorous quips at the ready. Little 7-year-old Lilly, however, sees the true horror. And she cries for the unnamed billions.

Despite the fact that disaster movies like this are consistently used to "entertain" us, hers is the more relatable response. As 2012 star John Cusack told USA Today, "If it were reality, we’d all be weeping all day."

There’s an old Greek myth about a little girl named Pandora and a mysterious box she finds. In the story, she opens the box and lets loose all manner of plagues and horrors upon the world. But once the box’s terrible residents fly off to deal out destruction, one last beautiful fairy flutters out—a thing called Hope.

In 2012, Emmerich opens Pandora’s box and lets loose catastrophe. But in the midst of all the CGI destruction we see the flitting wings of a thing called Hope.

Movie of the Moment : The Twilight Saga: New Moon

When Bella gets dumped, she really gets dumped.

First it’s by her boyfriend Edward, then by her rebound squeeze Jacob. The resulting loneliness she feels is, in her words, "like a huge hole [that’s] been punched through my chest."

Maybe the moral here is that the cooler—or hotter—they come, the harder it is to get over them. Because Bella’s broken heart might as well be a million splinters of glass—all blown out of the gothic stained-glass window that was her life up until now.

As the heroine of Stephenie Meyer’s much-adored teen-lit Twilight series, Bella Swan serves as a stand-in for millions of young girls who have gotten or will get their hearts broken by the boy of their dreams. So it might be worth paying attention to how she reacts. What she does. And why she does it. Because notes are most certainly being taken, and not just by me.

In Meyer’s New Moon, which serves as not just inspiration for this film, but also sometimes provides the exact wording for its script, Edward decides that the best thing for his beloved Bella is for him to disappear. She’s too good for him, he feels, and his presence will only bring her pain. Or death. Or undeath. Edward Cullen is a vampire, of course, and the circles he flits in aren’t very hospitable to humans.

Neither are the circles Jacob Black prowls. But that doesn’t stop Bella from growing increasingly attracted to his winning smile, his bronzed face, his incredible strength (and warmth). And his six-pack abs. (Which he bares every chance he gets. More on that later.)

Jacob ends up doing the same thing Edward did when he realizes that as a werewolf he’s not exactly suitable company for a young, vulnerable female. And both of these gorgeous demigods believe they’re doing Bella a favor by detaching from her. But neither, obviously, has given his plan much thought, because even Bella’s casual acquaintances could have told them that leaving her alone and adrift on the swift, destructive current of her own raging emotions is a far worse fate than fending off marauding vampires and werewolves.

Positive Elements

I’m a dad. So I’ll start with Bella’s dad. He’s a tad clueless at times—at least as seen through her eyes. But he’s caring, courteous and consistently attentive to her needs. He pushes her to get over that Edward chap and gently encourages her to spend more time with her friends instead of moping around the house. "You’ve gotta learn to love what’s good for you," he says. As the police chief in Forks, Wash., he does his best to protect and serve, even when that means tracking down "giant killer animals" in the woods.

The Cullen family is also a tight unit. Father figure Carlisle is a calming influence, and he immediately comes to Bella’s aid when she’s cut and bleeding.

Bella’s friends, Edward’s "sister" Alice among them, chide her for being reckless and careless after Edward leaves her. Jacob might have ulterior motives for spending so much time with Bella, but he (mostly, and for now) respects her wish to maintain a platonic relationship. He protects her many, many times from both vampires and other werewolves. He saves her from drowning.

Edward valiantly protects Bella when he’s able, too. And he’s man enough to thank Jacob for rescuing her when he was not around to do so. But Edward and Jacob both end up taking a backseat to Bella’s courage and self-sacrificial spirit. In the first book and movie, she offered herself up as a sacrifice for her mom. This time around she offers her life in trade for Edward’s. It’s an act that both mystifies and intrigues the Volturi, the vampiric aristocracy that’s set to destroy Edward. And partially as a result the Cullens and Bella are allowed to withdraw—largely intact.

Bella maintains, "It’s not who you are, it’s what you do" that matters.

Spiritual Content

Vampires. Werewolves. We’ve covered that ground already. And in my review of Twilight I noted a few of their preternatural "gifts"—mind reading, future seeing. Different powers emerge as we meet the vampire elite in Italy. One can create pain in humans and vampires with a glance. Another can absorb everything you’ve ever thought with a touch.

Much, much more significant than that in New Moon, though, is a staccato discussion of souls and how they may or may not relate to vampires. Covered in more detail in the book, it’s hinted onscreen that Edward believes all vampires’ souls have been damned. It’s the primary reason he continually refuses to change Bella into a vamp. Bella will have none of that, though. She doesn’t care a whit about her soul. She just wants to be eternally undead so she can "live" forever with her love. More than once she casually dismisses the value of her soul as she begs Edward to bite her.

"If this is about my soul," Bella tells Edward, "take it. I don’t want it without you."

Jacob gives Bella a dream catcher to hang by her bed.

Sexual Content

Revealed cleavage and short skirts are occasionally on display here, but the more significant sexual issue in New Moon revolves around the guys. Edward and Jacob repeatedly peal off their shirts to dazzle their dates—and moviegoers—with their "stunning" physiques.

Just because a guy shows up shirtless in a movie doesn’t mean it’s a sexual issue, of course. But in this case, the way these boys’ bodies are presented is little more than an excuse to ogle.

Edward and Bella share a couple of very passionate kisses. Jacob and Bella embrace and … almost kiss several times.

Violent Content

Discovering that she can see visions of Edward when she puts herself in harm’s way, Bella systematically begins to put herself in harm’s way. She jumps onto the back of a stranger’s motorcycle. She crashes her own cycle—landing in a heap and badly cutting her head. She ultimately jumps off a cliff into the ocean where she nearly drowns.

It’s important to note that as she’s lying limp underwater, seconds away from death, the movie romanticizes her peril as we see a vision of Edward appear next to her. It’s as if she’s finally found peace and comfort.

Similarly, when Edward thinks Bella is dead, he immediately puts his suicide backup plan into action, unwilling to go on without her "in the world."

Almost as a motif, blood plays a key role when Bella accidentally slices her finger with a piece of paper. As drops of it fall—in slow motion—to the carpet, the Cullen family tenses, driven slightly mad by its smell. Jasper can’t control himself and rushes toward Bella, desperate for the kill. And before the ensuing melee is over, Bella’s been hurled across the room and cut deeply by broken glass as Edward and the others forcibly restrain Jasper. (Later we see Carlisle stitching Bella’s bloody cut.)

Supernatural skirmishes are loud and explosive. Growling menacingly, werewolves attack and kill a rogue vampire. (We see him buckle under their mass assault.) Werewolves tangle with each other, mostly to roughhouse—but anger, an emotion that sparks their transformation, is always part of the mix.

Up against the Volturi, Edward gets the worst of it as he’s flung around a huge chamber and body-slammed into (through) concrete steps. The Volturi also snap the head off a vampire in a crackling, crunching, quick-cut scene.

Edward bats Jacob away from Bella, sending him flying. But before Jacob’s human form hits the ground, he’s morphed into a werewolf. Bella desperately stands between them, daring them to hurt her first so they can hurt each other.

Quick flashbacks reveal scenes from the first movie in which Bella is attacked and nearly killed by a vampire. Bella and her friends go to see an "action" movie that features the sounds of machine gun fire and threatening assaults.

Crude or Profane Language

About 10 uses of "h‑‑‑." One wrongful exclamation of "d‑‑n." God’s name is misused a handful of times. "Frickin’" stands in for the f-word.

Drug and Alcohol Content

One scene takes place outside a biker bar. Bella's dad is seen with a beer.

Other Negative Elements

Alice steals a Porsche in Italy.

Conclusion

A handful of women were standing around after the movie discussing the important matter of whether Edward or Jacob had better nipples. Laughing, one commented that during a crucial—shirtless—scene, Edward’s chest looked downright unappealing.

What a ridiculous conversation, I thought as I headed for the exit. But before I made it to the door I realized that there was actually little else for them to talk about. And, in fact, they were talking about exactly what the film’s director, Chris Weitz (who helmed The Golden Compass and helped launch the American Pie franchise), wanted them to.

When Entertainment Weekly said to Kristen Stewart (who plays Bella), "It must be nice to watch the guys’ appearances get obsessed over for a change," she responded, "It’s a trip to sit back and look at the sexual objectification of these dudes. I’ve never been asked to do any of this stuff."

But there’s more to it than that: "Magazines, websites and TV are blanketed with images of 17-year-old star Taylor Lautner, shirtless and showing off the body he trained for months to perfect for the role," wrote Yahoo! Movies contributor Lindsay Robertson. "And yet none of the cultural critics who turned Miley’s photos into a full-blown ’scandal’ have said a word about the sexualization of Taylor, who, at 17, is just two years older than Miley was during her ’scandal’ and is also a minor. So, does Hollywood have a double standard?"

That’s a rhetorical question, of course. And it’s one that the girls and women watching New Moon around me didn’t care much about. They were too busy screaming and applauding every time Lautner (Jacob) and Robert Pattinson (Edward) took their shirts off. It happened often enough onscreen that it became something of a contest within the theater to see who yelled the loudest for which guy. And, so, Twilight, in the space of two movies, has devolved into a who’s hotter (Team Edward! Team Jacob!) revue.

Having read and reviewed the Twilight books, I was convinced going into this film that I would spend most of this review dealing with Bella’s self-destructive behavior in the wake of heartbreak. And I’ve tried not to ignore that, because it comes across vividly onscreen and may inspire at least a few afflicted fans to follow suit.

But New Moon is really all about getting the girls to go googly over guys’ great pecs and abs.

Christian Song of the Moment : History Maker by Delirious?

Is it true today that when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and queens will shake
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you

Is it true today that when people pray
We'll see dead men rise
And the blind set free
Yes it's true and I believe it
I'm living for you

I'm gonna be a history maker in this land
I'm gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna run
Into your arms, into your arms again
Into your arms, into your arms again

Well it's true today that when people stand
With the fire of God, and the truth in hand
We'll see miracles, we'll see angels sing
We'll see broken hearts making history
Yes it's true and I believe it
We're living for you

Christian Band of the Moment : Delirious

Delirious? (known formerly as The Cutting Edge Band) were a Grammy nominated and multi-Dove Award winning English Christian rock and worship band. Their most recent lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stuart Garrard (also known as Stu G) on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Paul Evans on drums and percussion.

They are perhaps best-known for their modern worship songs 'Rain Down', 'Majesty', 'Lord You Have My Heart', 'Thank You For Saving Me' and their 1994 song "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever", which has been called a "modern worship classic"^[1] and is their most popular song in the United States.

The band was made up of multiple personalities from 1993 to 1996, before the decision was made to take the band full time with a finalized lineup. Between 1997 and 2001, the band targeted the majority of its work towards a mainstream audience, with several singles reaching the top 20 in the UK music charts. However, between 2003 and 2009 the focus was mainly placed on the CCM market. Drummer Stew Smith left the band at the end of April 2008^[2], and it was announced via a press release on 6 July 2008 that Delirious? would soon embark on an indefinite, and probably permenant hiatus from recording and touring. On 29 November 2009 they played their final gig in front of a sell-out crowd at London's Hammersmith Apollo, and have now officially disbanded.^`

'The Cutting Edge Band' began life as a worship band for a youth outreach event called "Cutting Edge", instigated by the Arun Community Church in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England.^[4]Channel 4 The events became popular via word-of-mouth, leading the band to play at other 'Cutting Edge' events along the south coast of England - monthly events in Portsmouth and Southampton. The events in Portsmouth only lasted a year but the events in Central Hall, Southampton were to run for three years, the duration of the Cutting Edge events. The group remained as the house band for Cutting Edge for several years. The turning point came in 1996 when Martin and his wife Anna were involved in a serious road accident. During a period in hospital Martin made the decision to leave his full-time employment and form the band that became known as Delirious?. The turnout at the events grew so much that the regular venue (a local school hall) had to be replaced with the school's sports hall, whilst the organizers had to charge a small fee to control the numbers attending. Similar challenges took place at the Central Hall in Southampton where up to 1200 people would gather each month. In 1996, an event was held in the open air, on the green next to Littlehampton's beach. An estimated 4000 people attended, while filmed it for a documentary.

The band were able to release their increasingly popular material thanks to lead singer Martin Smith and keyboard player Tim Jupp's roles as recording engineers and producers at a local recording studio. Four EPs were released under the "Cutting Edge" name, in addition to a solo EP from guitarist Stu Garrard, which featured the entire band. Many of the band's most famous songs were written and recorded during this time, including possibly their most famous: 'I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever.' Others included 'The Happy Song', 'Lord, You Have My Heart', 'Thank You For Saving Me', 'Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble', 'I've Found Jesus', 'I'm Not Ashamed', 'Find Me In The River', 'Shout To The North' and 'Obsession'. The music became well known in Christian circles, and demand grew for recordings. By 1996, they had sold over seventy thousand EPs by mail order. These EPs were later released as two albums in the UK, and one double album in the US. A similar composite edition of Cutting Edge was released to retail and sold Gold in Canada according to the CRIA and the band's Canadian distributor.

The last ever Cutting Edge was held the following summer in 1997, again on the beach, where the band played from their Cutting Edge back catalogue and the King of Fools album.

On 30 August 1995, Martin, his wife Anna, and bassist Jon were involved in a near-fatal car accident. Jon and Anna were unhurt, but Martin was hospitalized for several weeks with broken bones.^[5] While in the hospital, Smith went through a period of depression,^[6] before making the decision to become a full-time musician. At this point, Delirious? was conceptually born.^[5] The band changed its name in January 1996, and they began to start work recording their new album. They gained unexpected mainstream success in 1997 following the release of King of Fools, the first studio album released under their new name. King of Fools eventually went 'Silver' in the United Kingdom, and Delirious? became one of the most popular and well-known Christian rock groups both in the UK and the United States. Songs such as "Deeper" and "History Maker" gained anthemic status and still surface regularly at Christian youth events. Delirious? also released three singles to the mainstream UK Charts - "White Ribbon Day", "Deeper", and "Promise". The last two both reached number twenty with very little radio airplay;^[1] "Deeper" remains the band's best-selling single with over thirty thousand copies sold.^[4] The group signed to EMI for its British releases but in 1997 the group signed to both Virgin and Sparrow Records for distribution in secular and Christian markets in the United States.^[4][5] The success of the King of Fools album allowed the band to tour the UK for the first time comprehensively in 1997's 'd:tour'. Delirious? chose to tour without a support band, instead using a DJ and a large visual aspect to the performance.

During the summer of 1997, Stewart Smith and his wife lost their unborn baby through a miscarriage, inspiring the song "Summer of Love"^[7] on the DeEPer EP, a re-release of the "Deeper" single. The re-release attained number thirty-nine on the UK Charts.^[8]

In 1998, the band released their second live album, d:tour, which featured many of the songs from the King Of Fools album in addition to some songs from the Cutting Edge period. It was recorded at Southampton Guildhall on the final night of the 'd:tour'.

After a brief hiatus, the 1999 album Mezzamorphis attained number twenty-five in the UK mainstream album charts (number two in the independent section), and soon became certified silver in the UK. During this time, the band found resistance in the mainstream due to their "Christian" label, despite widespread critical acclaim in the music press. However, the work was aimed as a "secular" audience, causing many former fans to shun the album and claiming that Delirious? had "sold out" to mainstream markets.^[1]

Several singles from Mezzamorphis gained some British chart success. For example, the first single, "See The Star", peaked at number sixteen on the charts (a career high for the band), following an appearance on television show The Big Breakfast.^[9] Despite the success of the single, the song choice was slightly controversial as it was arguably one of the weaker songs on the record. In the band's 2007 book, guitarist Stu G stated that:

"...there are differing opinions regarding whether this was the right choice or not." - Stu G

The second single, "It's OK", subsequently reached number eighteen. In the US, "Gravity" was chosen over "See the Star" as lead radio single for promotion.

Exactly one year later, in 2000, the band released a worship-oriented album, Glo (short for glorious). This album was the number one Christian seller for eight months. Several songs from the album, while not being released as actual singles, gained immense popularity in the Christian-music world, most notably the guitar-driven "My Glorious" and the more introspective "Jesus' Blood". The track "Investigate" eventually became a favourite concert closer for the band. That year, Delirious? toured the US and appeared to an audience of 55,000 at the Creation Festival.^[5]

The second attempted mainstream album, Audio Lessonover? (an anagram of 'Radio One Loves Us') was released in 2001. The band hired well known music producer Chuck Zwicky (Semisonic, Madonna). Zwicky wanted to go with a more stripped down sound than the sonically layered Mezzamorphis and Glo. It has been noted by the band that there were tense and strained moments during the Audio Lessonover recording sessions, but in the end it stretched them as musicians and as a band. The first single "Waiting For The Summer" reached number twenty-six on the charts, hindered by limited radio airplay.^[10] This led to a planned second single, Take Me Away, being cancelled.^[11] Critically, the record itself received less favourable reviews in comparison to their previous three albums, whilst commercial album sales were also lower. Again they received criticism for "selling out" to achieve success in mainstream markets.^[1][4] The band members are often questioned about the apparent critical 'failure' of the album in interviews to this day. In 2009, bassist Jon Thatcher stated:^[12]

"I think it's a good album. I'm glad we made that record. I think after Mezzamorphis it was probably another step further that people weren't expecting but I think that's what good bands do." - Jon Thatcher

That year the group took part in major tours with Bon Jovi and Matchbox Twenty.

The band's first compilation, Deeper, was released in early 2002. It was a double album, comprising of many remastered classic worship songs from the Cutting Edge albums, in addition to tracks taken from previous work such as Glo and King Of Fools. It also included several new versions of popular Cutting Edge tracks and a new song, 'Not Forgotten'. Later that year, Audio Lessonover? was significantly edited by the band, and restyled as Touch. This new version of the album was intended for the North American market, although it was also made available in the UK. Some editions of Touch included a second disc featuring several live tracks, although these recordings were later incorporated into the band's third live album, Access:D. Another compilation, Libertad, was released in late 2002. The record featured newly recorded lyrics made specifically for the band's growing Spanish audience. It contained twelve classic Delirious? songs taken from the Cutting Edge recordings. Even today, Martin Smith will occasionally sing stanzas of his songs in Spanish as can be heard on the live albums Access:D, "Unidos" and "My Soul Sings". Access:D was released towards the end of 2002, capping a year which had seen four full album releases from the band. A two disc set, it featured many tracks which had previously been seen on their studio albums King of Fools, Mezzamorphis, Glo, Audio Lessonover? and Touch. A special edition was made available in an exclusive tin case.

In 2003, Delirious? released World Service, the first of what guitarist Stu G later described as 'a trilogy'. Although this was more of a worship-oriented album, Delirious? released two singles to the German market: "Inside Outside" and "Every Little Thing". The former sold over twelve thousand copies, was number one in German radio station SWR3's chart, and spent seven weeks in the German singles charts peaking at number seventy-two. Delirious? also released two free MP3 downloads on mp3.com, both topping the Guitar Rock charts (the first for a full month). The first MP3, "Majesty (Here I Am)", hit number fifteen on the worldwide charts; the second, "Rain Down", reached number twenty-eight. The two together had amassed over 500,000 listens/downloads after fifty days. Delirious?’s World Service is finding success in the United Kingdom and America as well. The band’s American single 'Rain Down' has become its biggest multi-format hit since "Deeper".

The band's sixth studio album, The Mission Bell was released in the UK in 2005. The album received very positive reviews, with Christianity Today,^[13] Jesus Freak Hideout,^[14] and Cross Rhythms^[15] all praising The Mission Bell for "Effectively stretching the boundaries of worship music".^[16] "Paint The Town Red" was released as a CD and iTunes single in the UK, entering the charts at number fifty-six. Several singles were released to CrossRhythms radio in the UK, all charting at number one for several weeks. The Mission Bell was nominated for the May 2007 Dove Awards, in the Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year Category, although it didn't win (Jars of Clay's Good Monsters won).

Delirious? spent much of 2007 recording and working on their new album Kingdom of ComfortSilent Night', and new tracks 'Hallelujah' and 'Mothers Of The Night', which were not featured on the album itself. with producer Sam Gibson. It was released internationally in April 2008. This strategically coincided with the launch of the third version of their official site. Several songs from the album were made available as free downloads both before and after release, including 'God Is Smiling', 'We Give You Praise', a new recording of traditional Christmas carol '

When Stew Smith left the band at the end of April 2008, Paul Evans was drafted in to replace him as the band's drummer. Before leaving, Stew mentioned that a live album and DVD had been recorded while still on tour in Brazil, as a collaboration project with André Valadão. This was titled Unidos, and has since become available in several countries, although no announcement has yet been made on a possible UK release date.

On the 6th of July of the same year, the band announced via a press release that they would be "taking a break" at the end of 2009 to allow the band to focus on things close to them. Martin said that he wanted more time to spend with his family and devote more time to the CompassionArt project.^[17]

However, the band later announced that they would release a final single to the UK charts in November, 'Love Will Find A Way', which was featured on Kingdom Of Comfort. The single entered the charts at number thirty, but had dropped to number fifty five by the end of the first week.

Another live album and DVD, My Soul Sings, was recorded in Colombia during that year, and released in 2009.^[18] Additionally, a Greatest Hits album, History Makers, was released in November.^[19]

Delirious? finished their career by conducting a small farewell tour of Europe which concluded at the end of 2009. They played their final show in front of a sell-out crowd at London's Hammersmith Apollo on 29 November 2009.^[20] The three and a half hour show was filmed for a future live release, expected in May 2010.

However, Martin Smith has hinted that the band may reunite some day.^[19]

"Seventeen absolutely fantastic years, and we're still great friends. What a testimony it's been. The chance of us all getting together and playing again is very high. Now it's time to take a rest." - Martin Smith

Christian Song of the Moment: Voice of Truth

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

"Voice of Truth" is a song recorded by Casting Crowns and written by Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman. It was the third single released from their 2003 debut album, Casting Crowns. "Voice of Truth" was an enormous success on Christian radio; the song reached number 1 on the three major Contemporary Christian music charts, Billboard, and 20 The Countdown Magazine.

The song uses the stories of Peter walking on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:22-34) and David defeating Goliath (I Samuel 17) to highlight and encourage the exercise of courage and listening to the "voice of truth" when faced with seemingly impossible circumstances.

The "voice of truth" goes on to say how the stone was just big enough and the waves were not so high from up above. The song expresses how Jesus will protect you throughout your trials.

Christian Band of the Moment : Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns is a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Christian band that employs a soft rock music style. The band was created in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida^[1] as part of a youth group. He also serves as a lead vocalist. Later they moved to McDonough, Georgia and more members joined creating the band now known as Casting Crowns. Some members of the band currently work as ministers for Eagles Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia.^[2]

Christian pop group Casting Crowns began as a student worship band in Daytona Beach, FL, in 1999. Led by singer, songwriter, and youth pastor Mark Hall, the group initially included guitarists Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes and violinist Melodee DeVevo. The group relocated to McDonough, GA, in 2001, adding Chris Huffman on bass, Megan Garrett on keyboards and accordion, and drummer Andy Williams. This augmented version of Casting Crowns released two independent albums on CD, both of which were well received in the Atlanta area. Both independent albums were efforts on the part of Mark Hall and the rest of the group as outreach projects for youth in the area.^[3] Although the group was not searching for a record label, one of the group's albums found its way into the hands of Mark Miller, lead singer for country group Sawyer Brown, who was struck by Casting Crowns' driving pop/rock style and Hall's vocal delivery of his hard-hitting but devout songs. Miller signed Casting Crowns to his fledgling Beach Street Records, a division of Reunion Records with distribution by the Provident Label Group, making Casting Crowns the first artist signed to Beach Street Records.^[4]

Mark Miller took the group into the studio along with co-producer Steven Curtis Chapman, himself a popular artist on the CCM musical scene. The resulting eponymous album, Casting Crowns, was released in 2003 on the Beach Street imprint. The album quickly made them one of the fastest selling debut artists in Christian music history. The album's first single, "Voice of Truth", spent a record-breaking fourteen consecutive weeks at #1 beginning in 2003. The album was certified platinum in 2005.^[5]

Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall calls the band's work a ministry akin to what the world would call "preaching to the choir." In keeping with The Great Commission, Hall describes their music as a "ministry of discipleship."^[12]

Seven members of Casting Crowns currently minister at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, GA where they play during the Contemporary Worship service on Sunday mornings. They do the band part-time around their full-time work of mentoring teenagers at the church.

Current

• Mark Hall – lead vocals (1999-Present)
• Juan Devevo – lead guitar (1999-Present)
• Hector Cervantes – rhythm guitar (1999-Present)
• Chris Huffman – Bass guitar (2001-Present)
• Megan Garrett – piano, keyboards, backing vocals (2001-Present)
• Melodee Devevo – violin, backing vocals (1999-Present)
• Brian Scoggin – drums (2009-Present)

Former

• Andy Williams - drums (2001-2009)

Movie of the Moment : Michael Jackson's This Is It

Twelve years.

That’s how long it had been since Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop, had mounted a substantial tour.

The years since that tour in 1997 were not good ones for Michael. He was still famous. But the things he was famous for? Well, that’s another story—one that has mostly been told by paparazzi and court reporters. Though Michael Jackson had been acquitted of criminal allegations of child abuse in 2005, the court of public opinion reached a less charitable verdict regarding his bizarre behavior.

And so the man who had been famous for his baby-faced tenure as The Jackson 5’s frontman (or, more accurately, frontboy), and later his backward glide across an MTV stage, morphed into a curiosity, even a cautionary tale.

For the man responsible for the best-selling album of all time—estimates of Thriller’s worldwide sales range from 70 to 110 million copies—it was likely a bitter pill to swallow.

Against that dramatic backdrop, Michael Jackson announced his comeback tour on March 5, 2009. Ten planned dates at London’s O2 arena soon swelled to 50. And while fans rabidly anticipated the King’s return to form, others wondered if the physically decimated singer could pull it off. Some speculated that he was being taken advantage of by promoter AEG Live.

Even Michael knew he was nearing his public end. "This is it," he said at a press conference. "This is the final curtain call."

No one could have anticipated how sadly prophetic those words would be.

Michael Jackson, of course, never made it to that stage in London. But in the months leading up to his death on June 25, cameras rolled at rehearsals at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and at The Forum.

The footage they captured has been crafted into a film that offers an intimate portrait of the King of Pop’s bid for redemption.

Rock Doc 101
Concert movies have been with us almost as long as rock ’n’ roll itself, and the conventions governing this genre are well established: Footage of onstage performances gets augmented by "you are there" behind-the-scenes glimpses of what it’s really like to be a superstar.

In this sense, This Is It doesn’t break new ground. What we get is a fairly linear progression from the announcement of the tour, through the selection of backup dancers and construction of the ambitious stage show, to rehearsals of Michael’s deep catalog of hits.

The 24 songs in the movie (some sung in their entirety, others merely hinted at) range from Michael’s culture-shaping mega-smashes ("Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Thriller," "Bad") to his mid-tempo R&B offerings ("The Way You Make Me Feel," "Human Nature," "I Just Can’t Stop Loving You") to a mini-set of Jackson 5 songs ("I’ll Be There," "I Want You Back," "The Love You Save") to later hits ("HIStory," "Man in the Mirror," "Black or White") to a few obscure tracks that you’d probably have to be a hard-core fan to recognize ("Threatened," "Who Is It").

A couple tunes at the end of the movie focus on environmental issues ("Earth Song," "Heal the World"). More on that in a moment.

All-Access Pass
This Is It isn’t just another concert film, though. Largely because it boasts a different vibe than I’ve felt coming from virtually any other rock doc I’ve ever seen.

A brief introduction at the beginning of the movie states that this footage was never intended for public viewing (a claim that’s been reiterated by the film and stage show’s director, Kenny Ortega, who also helmed the High School Musical films). Instead, Michael requested it for his own private video library.

The result? We see Michael as both the professional perfectionist and the fragile "has-been" striving to make it all work again.

We get images of Michael that we’d expect. His command of the stage is completely intact, and he moves in ways that seem impossibly fluid, as if all of his joints had been replaced with Teflon and rubber as he floats one way while undulating the other. It’s a repertoire of dance moves that’s arguably never been equaled. Michael also acts as a kind of benign general in the way he gently but firmly issues orders about what he wants. Ortega may have opinions, but it’s Michael’s show and it will go Michael’s way.

What’s surprising is the way the film showcases Michael’s humanity and limitations. Several times he says he shouldn’t sing anymore because he needs to save his voice. But as his dancers and crew cheer him on, he gives himself completely to rehearsal performances anyway—almost as if he can’t help but perform if there’s an audience. It doesn’t come across as narcissistic. Rather, it’s endearing because it’s clear that Michael relishes his return to the stage, even if his voice isn’t quite as strong as it once was.

Equally endearing is his tendency to tell members of the crew, "God bless you" as he’s talking to them, a phrase he repeats over and over.

Despite the erratic portrait that has emerged of Michael in the decade or so since his fame peaked, what we get in This Is It is a picture of an earnest, gentle, childlike, talented icon trying to live up to his own legend.

Sentimentality, Sensuality and Spirituality
That said, This Is It is not all about well-wishes, fireside chats, s’mores and mic checks.

Listening to "Billie Jean" with fresh ears, I was struck by the fact that some of Michael’s music isn’t as innocent as most of us tend to remember it. If you stop to think about the lyrics to that song, for example, you quickly realize that it implies promiscuity and an illegitimate birth: "Billie Jean is not my lover/She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one/But the kid is not my son."

That undercurrent of sexuality in some of Michael’s songs is amplified onscreen by the outfits worn by dancers. Several times we see women dancing suggestively as they wear little more than bikinis. Similarly, several shots focus on shirtless guys.

A female choreographer weeding out dancer wannabes says the production team is looking for people who are "lean, gorgeous and hot, dancers who could rock it." Thus, there’s no shortage of scantily clad torsos trying to light up her critical eyes.

Nor is there any shortage of Michael’s trademark crotch grabbing. Not only does he do it, but his male dancers do as well. One scene even involves the aforementioned choreographer coaching a bunch of guys on how to do it right. (Never mind, she quips, that she "ain’t got nothin’ to grab.") Later, Michael and his dancers do hip thrusts into the floor.

Michael mentions God often. But we also get a little dose of the occult as the "Thriller" video gets remade—complete with lots of zombified folks crawling out of crypts and a squadron of deceased, skeletal specters that would have flown out over audiences had the tour commenced as planned.

The film concludes with songs intended to highlight environmental peril. A video for one of these songs (intended to play on the screen behind the stage) involves a little girl in the Amazon falling asleep and then being confronted with a bulldozer. Fire ultimately destroys the rain forest.

After the credits, we see the same little girl hugging the earth—a visual that emphasizes Michael’s spiritualized sentiments about our planet. "I really feel nature is trying hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the planet," he tells his crew. If we hope to save the planet, he says, "it starts with us."

Michael’s Long Shadow
The scope of Michael’s ambition with this tour is enormous. Everything is big—as big as the star at the center of it all—in a production that would have been part concert, part movie, part Broadway show, part circus, part environmental revival service.

Right or wrong, This Is It never hints at the troubles fame caused Michael (or the troubles he caused for himself). Near its end, the entire crew joins hands as Michael offers something akin to a benediction. "Continue to believe," he exhorts them. "Have faith, patience, endurance. … Give your all. I love you all. Love is important. Love each other. We’re all one."

Even audiophiles such as myself who never really progressed past the fringe of Michael’s music will find it hard to watch This Is It without a sense of melancholy wistfulness, wondering what might have been for the oft-troubled star if this comeback had been a success.

Or maybe I should say, If this comeback had been a success for him. Because Michael’s death has made him as big a star as his life ever did. Record sales have once again soared to astronomical heights around the globe. And right next to me in the theater sat a woman and her 11-year-old son, both singing their lungs out through the whole movie. I assumed that it was Mom who remembered Michael’s heyday and wanted to relive a few fond memories. But when I asked, she said it was her son’s idea to come.

Storacle Lessons of the Moment: Bowing-to-Babylon

King Nebuchadnezzar gave the signal, and as the music from a thousand instruments began to swell, the curtain fell, exposing a dazzling, 90-foot image of gold glimmering in the sunlight. Then, according to King's command, all the officials who had gathered on the plain of Dura fell prostrate to the ground in devout worship. All bowed down except three young Hebrew men, who were servants of a greater King.

Nebuchadnezzar was beaming with pride and satisfaction--until it was reported that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had refused to bow and worship his image. Astonished that anyone would dare to disobey, Nebuchadnezzar assumed these young advisers must have misunderstood his decree. So he offered them one more chance to bow down--but they refused! Now the king's expression turned to rage. He ordered his soldiers to heat the nearby furnace seven times hotter than normal. As fuel was piled onto the fire, the three men were firmly tied with ropes. The resulting heat was so intense that it killed the soldiers who threw them into the blazing inferno.

As the king peered into the roaring furnace, his mouth suddenly fell open. With a trembling voice he asked, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" His counselors agreed that they had. Then the king said, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Daniel 3:25.

God delivered those brave young men in the fiery furnace because they stood up for His truth. In the last days, God's people will have to face a similar test.

Just Another "Jesus Freak"

Ron Shaw’s life was on the fast road to … where? After a nasty divorce, he pretty much did nothing for 14 years except grow his hair and ride a Harley-Davidson. And most of the time, he didn’t know where he was going, why he was going, and what he would do when he got there. He was a lost soul riding to nowhere — drinking, taking drugs, and partying all along the way. Nothing could slow him down, until one night, a drunk driver hit him while he was riding his bike. If that weren’t bad enough, as he lay there severely injured, the driver got out of the car and — rather than help Ron — robbed him! “He left me for dead,” Ron explains. “I felt like I died twice that night.” Ron survived, but for 18 months, he suffered a lot of physical and emotional pain while being rehabilitated at the famous Mayo Clinic. He also had to face losing his leg. Eventually, Ron limped out of the clinic, which pretty much symbolized how he was limping through life. From a hard driving biker, he was now barely able to walk. Ron did get married again. And divorced again too. A couple of more times, actually. Then Ron married Brenda, and together they ran a toy store. His mother-in-law gave him a Bible, but he put it under the counter and left it there long enough to collect dust. After a couple of years, mostly out of boredom, he picked up the Bible and started looking at it. Amazingly, while skimming the pages — the first time since he got it — a lady walked into the store and, seeing him with the Bible, asked, “Are you enjoying that?” “No,” Ron shot back. “Right now, I hate God.” He was, at that time, reading Genesis. She went on to suggest other parts to read and even talked a little about her church. But when she left, Ron muttered, “Just another Jesus freak,” and forgot about her. But a couple days later, the same lady returned to the store and handed him a book. It was The Richest Caveman by Pastor Doug Batchelor. “I hope,” she said very sincerely, “you can find some time to read it.” He looked at the book, but threw it under the counter. Feeling angry, he said, “Get out of here, Jesus freak!” About a month later, Ron looked down and saw the book again. There were no customers around, so he picked it up and started to read. He did something he had never done before with another book — he read it cover to cover. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I seemed to be reading about myself. I could see myself in that book!” A few days later, the “Jesus freak” returned. When she asked if he had read the book, he said, “Yes I have, and I appreciate you dropping it off.” She then mentioned that the author, Doug Batchelor, was actually coming to the Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, to give a seminar. "Would you like to come,” she asked, “and be my guest?” Ron said he would think about it. But a seminar just wasn’t for him. He didn’t like the idea at all. It seemed strange, something that he would never do. Yet as much as he tried to put it out of his mind, he couldn’t. “Something was tugging at me,” he says, “telling me to go.” Then much to his own shock and that of his wife’s, who didn’t even know he was reading the book, Ron decided to go. “She thought that I was out of my mind,” he recalls. Together they went to hear Doug speak — and Ron loved it! On the way home, he told his wife that he wanted to go back. His wife, stunned by what was happening, was supportive. In fact, though she had never told him about her background, the church where Doug’s meeting were being held was the church she had been raised in but had left years ago! It all seemed so providential, yet she didn’t feel ready to tell Ron her secret. At the second meeting, Ron again loved what he heard. He wanted to go back to the church to hear more. Finally, Brenda burst into tears and said, “Ron, there’s something I have to tell you. God has led you to my church. I was raised in this church and went to school here.” They both saw the hand of the Lord working in their lives! Ron and Brenda attended 24 of Doug’s 26 meetings. Though each had ongoing issues in their lives, the Lord kept working in them. And eight months later, Ron was baptized in the church. Not much later, his wife, who had been raised in that same church building, was re-baptized after decades of being away! “Today,” says Ron, “we always watch Doug on TV. When I hear his voice, I am convinced that what he is saying is true — not just because he says it, but because he shows us from the Bible. His ministry has changed our lives. We are so grateful; we truly are.” Over the years, his family and his friends from the past have marveled at what has happened to him. “Ron,” they say, “you are a changed man!” “They have no idea,” Ron exclaims, “about how changed I really am!” Ron also remembers a time at church when his pastor talked about forgiveness. Right then, he knew that there was something he had to do. “I had to forgive the man who hit me with his car, robbed me, and left me for dead. I forgave him — and I want so much to go to him, shake his hand, and say, ‘Not only do I forgive you, I am praying for you.’” Today, both Ron and Brenda are church members. Even as struggles remain, problems come and go, and wounds need healing, both have a new life in Jesus. “I’m sure glad,” Ron shares, “that a ‘Jesus freak’ stepped into our store and introduced us to Doug Batchelor, who first taught me about Jesus. I am so thankful to her, and for Doug’s ministry. And believe me, so is Brenda!”

Posted on July 01, 2008 15:23 by Anthony Lester

From Cult to Christian

Lowell Hargreaves, an Amazing Facts evangelist, travelled to Budapest, Hungary, to call searching souls there to the Lord through a Revelation seminar. The following is the testimony of Akos Balogh and Anna Christina Pozderka as given by Ákos on the day of their baptism.

My name is Akos Balogh and along with Anna Christina, my wife, we had to travel a long way to finally arrive here. We were both trapped in the web of a false prophet, who was communicating with spiritual beings and continuously provided several seemingly undeniable proofs that he was led by the Lord. He showed us an apparently very simple and pure way of living, but he mixed it with — from a biblical standpoint — false and harmful teachings and principles. According to this religion, we had to leave our parents and all of our relatives. Anna was told she had to leave her two children, and I left my mother and sister. During those two and a half years, we gradually cut off ourselves off from the world more and more, breaking almost all physical ties.

Then one day I left this strange sect, though Anna decided to remain in the man’s company. But then one day, she came to visit me. She told me that the leader himself was ordered by spiritual entities to leave their home. He too had failed in his ways.

So she came to me as her probably last handle of rope to which to cling. We tried to start a new life as friends, because for those three years she was with that man, there was nothing between us. It was indeed hard to start anew, for the first time in our lives, without any guidance. We had been living a very strict lifestyle ... probably 10 times more self-sacrificing than the Bible even asks us to be. For instance, I only drank vegetable broth for nutrition those few years.

Clear Hearts
However, we soon started to open up our minds to the outside world. We carefully watched the signs of the times swirling all around us, and we put our trust in the Lord. We also felt the importance of the Bible, so we bought a New Testament. Slowly but surely, the ice that had developed on our hearts and enabled us to leave our loved ones began to melt.

But in our search to find a way out, while already working in regular jobs again, we took notice of a poster for a prophecy seminar. We had always believed in and had known that there would be a final judgement and that the whole universe was being prepared for that. We had been following the signs that seemed to indicate that it was all pretty close. Anna and I felt that this seminar might be that certain help from the Lord that we had long been looking and asking for.

We began to attend the presentations every day. The speaker, Lowell Hargreaves, explained God’s Word very clearly. It still took one or two weeks to become fully aware that we had found the way to the truth, because our first “teacher” taught us that the Bible was only partially true and that the book of Revelation had the most truth. He told us that the Bible as a whole, however, was not to be trusted since “it had been modified and re-written” in the past.

So this is where we say a big “thank you” to Pastor Lowell. He was able to present us God’s Word with such clarity and authority that by his help, we began to realise, step by step, what sinful deeds we had committed. Having become aware of our sins and mistakes, we immediately changed the positions with which we had long been accustomed.

Apparently, by God’s grace, we had not been so brainwashed as to not be able to hear and listen to the truth. Convicted, Anna and I immediately decided to marry, and we also decided, having understood God’s commandments, that leaving our parents without just reason was sinful and that we should re-establish contact with them. Thus, as a result, I first saw my mother and sister after three long years at our wedding yesterday!

I can tell you, and my wife would confirm this, that our life has started to go in the right direction in every respect. Our heart is clear again. And all this has been crowned by this beautiful day!