A Mighty Fortress is our God

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

This is a hymn called "A Mighty Fortress is our God". It was written by Martin Luther the Reformer and was translated by Francis Hege in 1853. This is a famed song in the protestant tradition, and has been called, "The Battle Hymn of the Reformation."

As a worship leader, it is a constant battle to find songs that are relevant to those you are leading, yet still convey truth and give glory to God. I think in the recent wave of modern worship, some people have sought out songs that are musically relevant to their congregations but may be lacking lyrically. Looking back on the hymns and reading the stories behind them, you will find immense beauty and depth that some of our modern worship music really lacks in.

"And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us"

I mean, lyrics like that may at first read seem archaic and out-dated, but they carry a heavy weight, and I believe they are very beautiful. I am a big believer in all forms of worship, and we should always be finding ways to draw our culture and our community toward Jesus. What we cannot forget though, is truth. Don't forget the Hymns, Rock them.

Positively Discouraging

This morning I was doing deliveries for work. I work at a wholesale bakery, and I deliver pastries to coffee shops all over northern California at 3:00 in the morning. Its not such a bad job, because even though I have to wake up really early, I get to drive around, listen to music, and spend time with God. It was while I was driving around this morning that I was yet again let down, by the positive alternative, Air 1.

Now, I want to start this out by saying that I don't hate Air 1. In case you don't know, Air 1 is one of the largest Christian Radio stations in the country. They are owned by EMF Broadcasting, who also owns K-Love. Now Air 1 does alot of great stuff, they do play wonderful Christian music that encourages people, they share verses of the day, and support good causes that help people.

And now, my issue, with Air 1. Air 1 has always advertised themselves as an a positive Alternative Radio Station. I used to listen to them before they were purchased by EMF broadcasting and they did play, alternative rock and hip hop Christian music. Listening to Air 1 today, you will find a station that is only slightly different then K-Love. It more resembles a top 40 station then an alternative station, and it has one of the shortest, and most repetitive playlists that I've ever heard on christian or non-christian radio.

Here's an example of what irritates me about Air 1. This morning, the station started playing a song called "Say this Sooner" by The Almost. Now, I was really happy to hear this, because its a great song, and its pretty hard rock for Air 1 to be playing. Then things went terribly wrong. They introduced the song as a brand new song, and a brand new sound. They literally talked about how it was brand new and wanted people to call in to let them know how they felt about it. The album has been out since April 3rd or this year. Not only that, but a secular alternative radio station in Sacramento has been playing this Christian band's song in pretty heavy rotation for at least the last 2 months. But wait, it gets worse. Air 1, has a different version of the song that calms the screamy bridge down and puts an entirely different part in its place. AHHHH!!!!! This wouldn't be a problem if they didn't constantly advertise themselves as being alternative.

I guess my question is this, shouldn't we, as Christians be doing better to go against culture, and be giving them an example of great alternatives to art that support Jesus? Why are we censoring great music that promotes Jesus? Why are we the last to promote our own team? Like I said, I support what Air 1 does, but I really believe we can do better. I've posted the Almost's song, "Say this Sooner" at the player at the bottom of this page.

A feeling you just can't shake...

2Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Lately I've been unbearably sad, I've got a real hard situation that is really wearing me down. This state I'm in has even effected my physical health, and this verse was just what I needed to hear today. How many times do I forget, or not hold on to the fact that Christ has died so that I may live? When times get hard, because they do, I can hurt, and be unstable, and live in pain and anger as long as I remember Jesus, and the things He has done for me.

How does God provide for you in your suffering?

When times are tough and won't seem to get better, how do you keep Jesus in your focus?
Its a hard thing that I've yet to get down. I can only hope that I survive this in a way that glorifies Christ, and shows people that I couldn't have made it without Him.

The Causeway...

Causeway: A path that leads over a ditch, moat or other area of ground.

A friend of mine and I have gotten a vision for our community. Currently there are no modern services in our community, and most of our friends our age are nowhere to be found.

The vision is for a Saturday night church service for young adults and young marrieds who are transitioning from their youth, to adulthood. We want to point our peers toward Jesus, in hopes that we can build a city inside of our city, of people who love God, and love their community.

We are thinking of using a name of an old college group I used to attend called Causeway. The symbolism is that Jesus, and fellowship with other believers can help you on your road to the rest of your life, much like a bridge or a road that takes us over rough terrain. We are already facing opposition on this and we haven't even gotten to form our team. I am sure this will be good! Please be praying for us as we pursue what we believe God is calling us to do. Also, pray that the hearts of the young people in our community would get ready and be open to hearing the great news of our savior, Jesus!

"The Hills of Los Angeles are Burning"

This is a picture that my friend's girlfriend took out of her window in San Diego last night.

The news is reporting that a third of the California Coastline is on fire as I write this.

At least 300,000, but up to 500,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in southern California.

Over 400 square miles, and an estimated 1300 homes have been blackened and destroyed by this fire.

As bad as this all sounds, it isn't even done yet. It will be much worse when all is said and done.

If this doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will. Pray for peace and restoration for these people's lives that have been destroyed by these fires.

If you'd like to help, please contact the American Red Cross by clicking this link:

American Red Cross: Donate Now

"I didn't expect that from you"

My parents showed me this video. Its about a guy named Paul who auditions for Britain's Got Talent. Paul is a cell phone salesman, and you can see by the looks on the faces of the judges that they aren't expecting much out of somebody like him. Listen to the performance he gives though, and remember that God has blessed us all with amazing gifts.

Who are the people in your life that you underestimate?

Are you letting any of your passions be suppressed by other people's opinions of you?

Love is a movement

Lately I've been thinking alot about love, and our ability as humans to understand and practice it. We are taught in the scriptures that God is Love, and that every good and perfect thing comes from God. How then, in a fallen world where we are all born into the sin problem, can we understand how to love one another? I would challenge that we cannot. Through my experience, our humanity provides us with a broken representation of love. Even those with the best intentions, tend to fail often in the act of love.

So, if we are unable to love perfectly, does our attempt to love sometimes do more harm than good? I struggle with this as I look foreward in my life. Do I hurt people by loving them? The benefit must be more than the cost right? I mean, even though I may be imperfect, and I may hurt people in my attempt to love them, if I, if we stopped trying, what would the world be like? God created us in His own image. He designed us to love Him, and love each other. We were made to be examples of love in the purest form, but we are no longer pure without Christ. In our constant battle between God and our flesh, does our capacity to love translate into a capacity to cause great pain? Looking at the world today, it most certainly does. All around us people are causing pain, destruction, and death. God tells us to love anyway, with our whole hearts. Jesus came to earth to give us an example, and by His grace we are able to love God and each other, and try to make this world a better place. How are you succeeding and failing in your pursuit of loving God and the people in your life?

State of the Pulpit

My favorite teacher right now is named Mark Driscoll. Mark is the pastor of a big church in Seattle called Mars Hill, and has taken on alot of controversy for his emergent meets fundamentalist style of preaching.

This video is an excerpt from a sermon he gave a few weeks ago. Its in a series called The Rebel's Guide to Joy. In this sermon he pokes a little light hearted fun at one of today's most prevalent pastors. The message here is that we, as Christians, need to be discerning of what, and who we put our trust in, even if it comes from a "Christian" source. Truth is truth, and we cannot rely on popular culture to point us to it. What do you think? Is Mark too harsh? I think he does a great job of conflicting the message and not the messenger. And how do you feel about health and wealth theology in the church? Go ahead, watch the video and tell me what you think!

Welcome

Hello, my name is Michael Day and I would like to personally welcome you to my new blog, The Redeemed. My focus on this site will be to write about, and showcase different perspectives about Christianity, and the culture we live in. We have been blessed by God with so much creativity, free thought, and expression and I hope to be able to share alot of that with you.

This blog is the start of a new beginning. Its a new life, and focus for me these days.

Remember, keep your eyes on the Father and love each other unconditionally.

Peace,
MichaelDay