Sounds like a stupid statement....bit of an oxymoron some might say, but is it true?
I men i totally believe it! I believe Jesus loves black metal the same way he loves, switchfoot, chris tomlin, delirous, third day and casting crowns!
Not just Black mwetal but all forms of matal have such a bad rap and have been labeled "devils music" simply because they are not "easy on the ear" its all goes back to the redicelous steriotype of angels sitting on pretty fluffy white clouds playing thier golden harps, watching bugs bunny float up every so often! RUBBISH!
Who says angels dont weild thier flying vs and keep one foot on the amp with white smpandex and a ripped slayer t-shirt on?
now iam not blaspheming or poking fun in any way of peoples perceptions or intend to scuew peoples beliefs or images in thier mind, just simply as you to think a little!
I sometimes connect more to lyrics from metal music than that of worship songs....
"seize the day or die regreting the time you lost,
Its empty and cold without here,
Trials of life, questions of us existing here,
dont wana die alone without you there"
(Avenged Sevenfold : "Seize the day")
"Can we still be saved?
Does your god hold a place for us,
is there time to repent?
will we rise from the dead?
can these sins even be forgiven?
is there still hope for us?
where we ever even alive?
is any of this real?
(Lamn of God : "blacken the cursed sun")
If god created beauty, creativity and music as a release of emotion for us how dare people point a finger at what god favouers and dislikes about his own creations!
Jesus Listenes to Black Metal!
Back to basics
its been a while since i last blogged, but better to blog when i have something to say rather than saying something in order to blog......
Over the past few months ive been reading a good few books, books that have changed...no....MOULDED my ideas, views and some opinions on christian life. Books like "Exiles" by michael frost, "punk monk" by andy freeman, "prodical friendly church" by Jeff Lucas, "being a contagious christian" by Bill Hybels......Truth is i find that you can get so bogged down in a "contempory christian lifestyle" that you some times forget the real basics on which it is all founded on!
Here are the things i hold highest...
(in no order)
God (ok this one is in order..)
Community and people
generousity with time (and money, this is something i struggle with, but i am getting beter)
Forgiveness
LOVE (to everyone)
evangelism (not like milk box evangelism! living evangelism, through actions, relationships, lifestyle. Living as Jesus would in our culture!)
Forgiveness
All of these are as important as the other i supose but its good to think back on them.
How do all of these relate to the way i live my life?
Its all about Matthew 5:13 (NLT) You are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
I want to be salt! i want to bring flavour to Newtownards or wherever it may be that i am called to (another blog post for another time)
I want to be a...
salty drum teacher
salty youth worker
salty photographer
salty friend
salty son and brother
I can do this, it is written...Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength"
Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (The Message)
Vision #1
I think its about time i shared a few of my visions with you, maybe thay may inspire you, or you may know of something similar, either way please feel free to let me know!
First things first i Believe in prayer, a statement, baisic and true.
I believe in talking to God, I believe i can talk about anything. I can talk about fears, dreams, my day, my food, my worries, drinks, friends and my mood.
My taste in music, women, books, opinions.
I could be lost at sea, lost in space or the amazon and i would not be alone. I like silence and i like solitude but i LOVE crowds and people but for some people that can be the most lonley place imiginable. The big question is how do we bring jesus into that. i know he is already everywhere, but as ambasadors of christ its our mission to do so.
So imigne this......
Your at a masive music festival, 100,000 people, constant music, everyone laughing, singing, crying, shouting. Drink is cheap, drugs are plenty, sex is easy, bands are awesome! The festival is 24 hours, 5 days long, campsites are packed and loud!
Now youve lost your friends, cant remember where the tent is, left you phone in your bag at the tent. People everywhere, youve had loads to drink, taken a few hits, your looking for that "spiritual expierence" thats why your here, but all your finding is emptiness and a headache. no substance. You are totally surrounded by people, your fully alone.
So where can you go to escape? to relax? to re-charge? to talk to people who actually want to listen and not just waiting for thier turn to talk. (we all do it)
This place is where you can un-load and even be left alone, but because of YOUR choosing. This is wheere you can meet Jesus.
Somewhere you can talk to him. Talk about anything and everything. This is a prayer room, a retreat, a help center for the soul (cheezy i know) it can be a tent, a caravan (hint, you know who) a trailer or a tee-pee!
Now imigne this tent traveles to festivals and events. A place for people to met jesus where they are at, not feel judged or out of thier comfort zone. Simply met Jesus. Escape.
I dont mean to preach but we are called to do this! be a light in a dark place, a city on a hill. A little taste of heaven in an otherwise un-caring lonely setting.
I know this seems like "why are you telling me this" The truth is i feel as called to this as i was over a year ago sitting outside cafe mambo in ibiza. surrounded by lost and lonely people, almost feeling a little alone myself. This may be one of my dreams but im telling you folks this because we are of a BODY OF CHRIST! An arm can not function on its own, it needs, blood, heart, lungs and a brain (yes i know i only posess 3 of the 4 sometimes) So like an arm or any limb this needs support simply in the form of advice and ideas. So many of you do such great work already, that imspires me and has given my this drive, and for that i thank you. This is not a "chris mahood thing" its a "being jesus' hands and feet thing" bringing mission to the ever expanding frontier.
PLease think and pray about this.
What happened to real the christmas?
OK i have not [posted in ages! this feels wrong, but oooh so right!
so ive been thinking about christmas.....to be honest looking at the normal nativity scene boores me, it looks fake, i dont believe it, there is NO WAY it happened like that. so ive been doin a bit of research...
so here are a few questions for you....
Where was jesus born? - Bethlehem right?
Why was he born there? - Because Joseph had to go to be taxed because he was of the house and linieage of david correct?
heres a thought... Bethelhem was FULL of joseph family and relatives and friends but STILL there was no room for him? thats pretty sick huh??
ok so how did mary and joseph get to bethlehem? - on a donkey huh? WRONG
NOWHERE does it say they rod ein on a donkey. hell, they had to sacrafice a dove because they couldent afford a lamn, so never mind a donkey!! Maybe they borrowed one?
ok anoither one. How many animals were present at the birth? maybe a few goats? sheep? a cow? some ducks? a pig? NO!!
lets think about it, REALLY think about it? Jesus was born in a manjer right? so why the flip were animals not eating out of it? so most likely there were no animals ther, then again if there were no animals there then what condition was the manger in?? so Jesus was born in a crappy, smelly, rotten crib witch the farmer wouldent even let his goats eat out of?
and what was he wraped in? swadeling cloth yea? you know what that was used for? MUMMIES...wrapping dead bodies that right, Gods son was born in a crappy stinkin crib and wraped in dead man cloth........very holy yea
Who were the first people to visit him? Shepards right? correct, stinking, cold, wet, smelly, un-educated, coruce and dangerous men. people who sleep under trees and spend all day with sheep....really company for a king!
Here is a good one for you....how many wise men where there?.....3? no
Nowhere in the bible does it say there were 3.....most likely thee were loads of them!! they traveled in communities not groups of 3.,..hmm what kind of a star did they follow?
Also when did they come? what age was Jesus? , just born? arrived a few moments after shepards?...WRONG! Jesus would have been at least 6 months by then..Herod was a little desperate when he heard the news. so made a rough guess on how long it would have taken news to get to him, for him to sent the order then for it to be carried out so he estamadted Jesus was under 2 years old and ordered all 2 year olds and under to be killed.......SICK!!!
HMm so the little plastic nativity outside your local church seems a little false now too? Jesus's life was no fairy tale. he suffered from the word go for us, people who dont desirve it, people who pick and choose what part of the stories we want to hear. leave out the real things, it mat offend us. He was a hero and thats sometimes forgotten, heroes now are judged on thier heroic acts, freeing people, fighting the power, saving lives, JESUS DID IT ALL! Man we gota sort it out, give him the respect he is due!!!
think about it.
Working Girls.
Again i have been trying to work out the difference between "listening" to God and actually "hearing" from God!
Last night i Heard from God! Let me tell you the story....
I left the prayer room feeling really tired, not very excited not really very inspired.
I was with Amanda (one of the American team...thank God for her and Red bull) We prayed God would lead us to the dark places! Let our light shine etc! So as we walked we walked past a group of Prostitutes. WE said Hello but there was only glances and looks back. It is something the 24/7 team has been praying about for so long! Never been sure how to approach the situation! So as we walked past i HEARD from god, liker a voice at the back of my head saying "Chris, stop being a wimp, stop walking around & over the things i have put in your path" So i said to Amanda we gotta go and just sit with those girls, so we walked back and just sat on the bench beside them as they spoke to each other in Nigerian. I was a little nervous, not feeling well, not confident.....just not myself really. I was thinking about Jesus, what would he do in this situation? I was asking him for his strength, his wisdom, his confidence! Suddenly out of my control i turned to them..
"excuse me....can i talk to you guys for a while?"
That was it! door opened, they gathered round all smiles and wonder, i told them about who we are what we did and asked about them, where they are from,their names, and had the opportunity to be truthfully and just tell them they are beautiful! there are!
I asked them what they wanted prayer for?
"love, good lives, happiness" It broke my heart because as they said than one of the other girls came out of a photo booth followed by a man pulling up his zip. She then came over and introduced herself, we prayed together! iPrayed that no matter what happens in their lives they know God is their father, their lover, their best friend! It was truly God last night! There is too much to type about here.....i will leave it at that!
God is amazing!
I love How he works!
His design is Un-fathomable!
like a Heroin addiction to God
Ive been reading Nikki Sixx's book "the heroine Diries" IT is an account of a year in Niki's life from 1986 - 87, He has written an entry nearly every day and week about his time when he was writing the "Girls Girls Girls" album and touring to promote it! He was both ON and off heroine wen he wrote it. I love Motley crue, its kina what i wanted to be before i became a christian (in ways it still is, but without the drugs, death, endless sex with random women (endless sex is ok, just not random women, and married)
Also makes me thing about addiction, to drugs, to GOd. In ways its similar....
Junkies believe they "need" drugs
WE DO "need" God
JUnkies will o anything to get drugs...
WE should drop everything and do what God wants us to do...
Brian Said something that REALLY struck me yesterday at team time...
He said "this is our only time to evangalise and witness" WHen we are in heaven we cant do it can we?
Any way It showed to me the importance of keeping a diary, writing things down, using it as your best friend, speaking to it, reading it back.
Its like this blog..im not sure if anyone reads this or not.....it may act as an online diary, i dono!
Its my last week here in Ibiza, Im on a bit of a downer! God uses me here, a lot, i feel it. Im not saying he uses me ONLY her, i think its because im out of my comfort zone! Its great, comfort zones are dangerous!
They are like a secret little room that only YOU are allowed in, how can you affect anyone if you are alone?
Is it easier to talk to someone you feel completly comfertable with and know everything about? can you open up about god to them? or is it easier to evangalise and witness to someone youve only met?
For me......they are seprate and should never be put into pigeon holes like "this is when you should witness" and this is who you should evangalise to......
For me i think that some people just dont wana know.......and by preaching and evangalising they will be turned off even more! This is a time to witness, by your actions, your activities, your language, you views, your behaviour....Im gona pr\ay more on this, think more about it and get back to you soon!
The two men that prayed
Today during my quiet time (which i dont spend enough time in) i was reading the parable of the two men that prayed. (Luke 18:9) If you dont know the parable it is about a pharisee and a tax collector.
Here it is:
Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
This strikes true to me more and more as days go by! Its like the pharisee represents christian culture today, praying inwardly, praying for itself and creating barrier between it and everyone. THe tax collecter represents the rest of the world, lost alone, confused and in need of help! The christian community is in danger of rising themselves about the "secular" society and culture. WE should have no barriers or boundries, we were all created in gods own image, let us find the godleness in everyone and draw it out of them, we are servents, children and part of the great body of christ!! Not saints, special ones, angels or princes! we are here to have God do with us as he will!! Let us serve and infect!Jesus did ot hang out with those who were "worthy" or saved, he hung around with real people, people god created and loved! let us to the same, what an amazing role model we have! Viva la Jesus!
Finding Jesus in Ibiza
last night was "wonderland" an amazing night with Groove armada and Pete tong!
It made me think again about worship. The term "loose yourself" is thrown about so often these days, but it is an understatement to say i lost myself last night. I trully forgot everything else in the world and danced, closed my eyes, danced, laughed, sang, jumped and prayed. a club full of people doing the same (maybe a good selection on drugs, but still) really prophitec! at one point mix-master tong dropped a line "then jesus showed up" This was worship for me, much more than any of this "christians singing for christians" stuf we ALWAYS hear! Music is Music, why label it christian or not, (ok maybe black metal is the music of satan) but its too powerfull to be pigeon-holed, like God, he is more powerfull than just florida, if you know what i mean, if it is a revival, then lets see it break out in churches and CLUBS all over the world!!!
What im really trying to say is that we have the break the devision wall between christian culture and secular culture, how can we trully make a difference in our communitys if we have a devide between them. WE must be a viral efect, a virus breaks down imune systems and affects the whole body!
