A New Blog Series Starting April 3rd!

At the end of the seven year tribulation, everyone will see Christ coming. John writes in the first chapter of Revelations that “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” Some will feel the breath of the wind as Christ makes His descent onto the surface of the earth. Some will be close enough to see His feet make their first indention’s in the dirt.

He will return to fulfill the prophecies of old.

He will return to banish the devil.

He will return to recreate what is left of the earth.

He will return to start His new Millennium.

Who Is Getting Between You And God?

Getting Out Of The Way

Who is getting in the way of your relationship with God?

Everyday there is a moment in my life when I sit in complete silence and think about all I could accomplish for God. In this moment I get a feeling in my chest; a feeling that is exciting, and I am overjoyed at the prospect of being apart of something bigger than myself, something bigger than our small minds can even grasp a hold of. In this moment I feel I have all the answers for why earlier in the day I felt crappy and out of whack. In this moment I finally feel truly unashamed and guilt free about my past. In this moment I realize that God can use me and that I can still proclaim His name with the greatest of authority, passion, and humbleness! But then I close my eyes, and then open them; and in just one second, that once amazing moment is taken away and suddenly I am back to normalcy again.

You’ve been there, right? You’ve been in that moment where suddenly everything seems clear and nothing is held back. You’re the most honest you’ve ever been and you dream as if yesterday never happened.

As I think about all this today, I don’t question why I have this moment of wonder; instead I question why I ever loose it. Is someone else getting in my way? Could it be satan maybe? Sure! But what if it’s not any of those things, what if it’s ourselves we are tripping up? What if for some reason I am sabotaging myself and everything God wants to do through me!

Why would we do this? Yes, that is a very good question, and can have so many answers. But here’s my initial thoughts…

• We are scared.We’re totally afraid of what might happen if we put ourselves out there for God.We so badly want to please God, but we also don’t want to step on toes or get out of our comfort zones even a little bit.
• We are lazy.We would all be lying if we didn’t admit to this one.Sometimes what keeps us away from God is our inability to say, “No” to our worldly desires. Turn off the television, stop listening to the music for awhile, step away from the computer, and get into God’s Word; allow yourself to experience some silence in your life and hear what God has to say.
• Instead of fearing to fail God, we worry more about what others will think if we stand up. In turn meaning we fear more about what other people think about us, than what God desires for our life.

I’ve had some ask me about my current header on my blog, and what “Do not be afraid,” means. And it is really something I say to myself everyday as I strive to get closer to God. I want to be brave enough to stand up for God and not let my own fears and selfishness get in the way. Because the truth is, I find that I get in the way with my relationship with God, more than anything else.

Do not be afraid…

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.”When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”

Jeremiah 29

Album Review: Seventh Day Slumber “Take Everything”

Seventh Day Slumber  “Take Everything”

Worship album oh worship album, how much longer will you be tolerated?

I’ve listened to Seventh Day Slumbers new release four times now, and while I enjoy it very much, I wonder how well it will be received by others. Worship albums (amongst a few other things) have become an epidemic in Christian Music, and while the sincerity is evident in most of these albums the real problem resides in originality. One of the most satisfying experiences of listening to a new Chris Tomlin or David Crowder Band Album is the fact that it’s new and original to the artist!

While “Take Everything” is lyrically awesome and musically comparable to most pop and rock bands, most of the songs themselves have already been played over and over on radio; thus making the album catchy, but not memorable. Another disappointment was going into a Seventh Day Slumber album I was hoping to rock out a little, and while there are songs such as “How Great Is Our God,” and “Mighty To Save,” that peaked my ear, most of the songs on the album were much like the original versions with louder guitars.

Now there are some bright spots with this album. The two original songs, “Take Everything,” and “Carry Me” both resonate the themes of surrender and release, and are sure to be heard on radio and in churches. The two standout songs on the album are “Surrender” and “From The Inside Out.” Both songs capture the bands true sound, and feature the awesome growl of lead singer Joseph Rojas that we all know and love. I should also mention that this collection of songs performed live would absolutely translate different than what you get on the album.

So if you’re into worship songs old and new, you’ll love this album. But if you’re kind of getting annoyed with worship albums that sound the same, then you might consider just downloading your favorite songs of this album from ITunes.

Track Listing:

1. How Great Is Our God
2. Surrender
3. Lead Me To The Cross
4. Everlasting God
5. Mighty To Save
6. From The Inside Out
7. I Can Only Imagine
8. Take Everything
9. Carry Me
10. Famous One
11. Nothing But The Blood
12. Oceans From The Rain