My family had the honor of attending a fundraiser for LifeCare of Brandon, a non-profit organization which offers counseling and support for women enduring an unplanned pregnancy or a past abortion.
This benefit concert was headlined by Ryan Hughes and his “To Be Determined” band which was an amalgam of artists playing guitar, sax, drums, and provided backup vocals. It was an amazing show and I took the opportunity to talk to Ryan briefly about the experience.
Brandon Jones: “New Day” is the first song on your album “Step Out Again” and, in my opinion, it’s a great concert anthem song, so tell me a little about how it came to be and how you approach it with the audience.
Ryan Hughes: I have always loved the verse in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Romans 8:1 similarly reminds us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
I believe that more than ever people need to know that they are not bound to be what they’ve been in the past. Instead there is new life and freedom moving forward in Christ. In many ways our lives are yet “to be determined” by the choices we make. Accepting Christ into our lives is a choice we can make which brings us into a “New Day”.
Brandon Jones: I think it’s a great message.
One of the great moments of the show was when you brought your two sons up on stage to join you and your wife, Patty, in a number. I know it makes you proud, but tell me did this experiment start and could we expect more of it.
Ryan Hughes: Life is full of blessings that we often are too busy to recognize, I appreciate you mentioning it. It was truly a highlight for me to share the stage and a ministry moment with my entire family. Prior to the night of the concert, we had only performed together as a family once before. I am glad I chose to include them, and I will continue to include them in the future.
Both boys are self-taught, and simply play from the passion that God has placed in their hearts. Patty has been with me since I started in ministry, and helps share the workload for keeping our group together.
BBJ: That’s amazing. God has truly blessed your family with an incredible musical talent.
Read more here: http://deskofbrian.com/2010/08/interview-with-musician-ryan-hughes/
www.Deskofbrian.com
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Farewell and Wake Up
Originally posted at The Desk of Brian, www.deskofbrian.com: http://sites.google.com/site/thedeskofbrian/pop-culture-other-topics/farewellwakeup
Coping with the loss of my 27-year-old Stepbrother has been extremely difficult for my parents, understandably. But equally as difficult is the reality of consequences for a lifetime of sinful behavior.
The reckless, sinless world where personal responsibility is often cast aside, basically consumed my brother as he failed to escape.
In the Bible, Paul speaks to these consequences in Romans 1:18-32 (NIV):
Just as Paul looked out over pagan Rome, we look out over the modern world, especially America where debauchery is king. From Caligula to Nero, Paul had witnessed the Roman onslaught and persecution of Christians as the Emperor led society down the road of wickedness (as he describes)
How is that different than today? What do we need to wake up and see the parallels and therefore, understand the disappointment, frustration and ultimately, anger from our Creator.
My Stepbrother was always a good-willed kid, but seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the "bad kids". Time and punishment never resolved his judgments and it ultimately cost him his life.
He made his decisions, will we learn from his mistakes and heed Paul's warnings?
Coping with the loss of my 27-year-old Stepbrother has been extremely difficult for my parents, understandably. But equally as difficult is the reality of consequences for a lifetime of sinful behavior.
The reckless, sinless world where personal responsibility is often cast aside, basically consumed my brother as he failed to escape.
In the Bible, Paul speaks to these consequences in Romans 1:18-32 (NIV):
18The wrath of God isbeing revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts
were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and
reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual
impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of
God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the
Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts
were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and
reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual
impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of
God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the
Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to
shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for
unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were
inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with
other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their
perversion. 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,
he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of
envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters,
insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they
disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do
these very things but also approve of those who practice them.In moments of crisis and despair we set aside our lives and ask why?
shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for
unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were
inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with
other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their
perversion. 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,
he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of
envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters,
insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they
disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do
these very things but also approve of those who practice them.In moments of crisis and despair we set aside our lives and ask why?
Just as Paul looked out over pagan Rome, we look out over the modern world, especially America where debauchery is king. From Caligula to Nero, Paul had witnessed the Roman onslaught and persecution of Christians as the Emperor led society down the road of wickedness (as he describes)
How is that different than today? What do we need to wake up and see the parallels and therefore, understand the disappointment, frustration and ultimately, anger from our Creator.
My Stepbrother was always a good-willed kid, but seemed to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the "bad kids". Time and punishment never resolved his judgments and it ultimately cost him his life.
He made his decisions, will we learn from his mistakes and heed Paul's warnings?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"Bible is book of bad morals" & the profitable attack on Christians
Jose Saramago, 1998 winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, slammed the Bible, describing it as a "manual of bad morals" and the people of the world would be better without it.
Saramago attacked "a cruel, jealous and unbearable God (who) exists only in our heads" and said he did not think his book would cause problems for the Catholic Church "because Catholics do not read the Bible.
He's been a member of the Portuguese Communist Party since 1969 and wrote "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ" in which Saramago represents Christ as severely fallible, God is extremely selfish and Christ, living with Mary Magdalene, considers backing out of the crucifixion.
This work is very similar to Nikos Kazantzakis's work "The Last Temptation of Christ" in both theme and tone.
From one of the press releases: Saramago's new work of fiction, "Cain," takes a critical and sometimes lighthearted look at the life of Adam and Eve's son. Saramago said at the book's launch late Sunday that the Bible is "a catalog of cruelty and of what's worst in human nature."
Saramago continued to say that this work won't offend the Catholics because they don't read the Bible.
"It might offend Jews, but that doesn't really matter to me."
Why even discuss the opinions of a pessimistic atheist?
Well, it's one thing to attack Christians, it's entirely another to make a profit doing it. This is a Nobel Prize winner whose career is founded on railing against Christianity.
Christian leaders have been stereotyped as hypocrites and corrupted money hungry con artists. It seems to me that attacking Christians has become nearly as profitable and Saramago is a proof of this.
From the best seller list: American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, The God Delusion, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, Losing Moses on the Freeway and Letters to a Christian Nation
These novels portray Christians as "murderously intolerant", "yearning for apocalyptic violence" and "fevered by religious radicalism."
Eminent historians like Gary Wills are now describing members of the Christian faith as radicals who have more in common with al Qaeda terrorists than our European allies.
In the Wills 2004 NY Times article: "Where else do we find fundamentalist zeal, a rage at secularity, religious intolerance, fear of and hatred for modernity?"
The fight to end slavery, the protests against child labor, the early literacy campaigns, the army of anti-poverty groups, the Civil Rights movement – all owe their lifeblood to a Christian conviction.
Meanwhile, recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan were targeting women at the University to protest women's right to an education.
Yes there are fundamental Christians, but the Islamic extremists, willing to kill other Muslims, is far more common and much more dangerous.
Saramago's comments are just a recent example of the secular society that will support attacks on Christianity, instigate attack against Christian practices, try to tear down their credibility and condescend Christianity for profit.
It's pretty sad when the religious practices we have to fight most to protect are those at the root of our history.
It's pretty sad when Christians are called hypocrites because of their shortcomings by socialists who will use this tactic to make a buck - only in America.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jz7ZtcEKZzrizGRpwp7t77X41qrg
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hoHVVn4X5RgpjIDIZBuFK0OLAwywD9BE8OVO0
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