Reasoning Theorems of Success

This Article is the result of another hard night of realizing the fact that the Church is falling into deception. This was a particularly hard night for me. The first 15 paragraphs of this Article were written while I literally balled my sorry eyes out. (I just had a major eye transplant surgery, so that was not a comfortable experience). I was happy that my wife went to bed before the tears started. I just felt so sorry and sad for the things that are happening in America today, as what probably amounts to the greatest country the earth has ever seen is reduced to another fascist, police state, basking in religious bigotry. I am not marveled by that too much, I mean this is what the kingdoms of this world do, it’s no big surprise.

That the Church in America is lending wholehearted and vigorous support to this stuff however is just tragic. Anyone who has read any of the stuff on this site knows, that the primary thrust of our ministry here is to present, primarily to the church and Christians, the reasons why the Word of God does not include any justification for the Church’s involvement in the affairs of these kingdoms. This Article is yet another attempt to bring that truth fourth, and to call the Christian back to his original ground, which is holy ground, not the grounds of “justice”, “freedom and liberty”, “political activism” or “civil duty”, or revenge in the name of Jesus.

The Word Of God

It never ceases to amaze me, the level to which the Word, and even the existence of God is under attack in the world today. All manner of questioning and denial, as well as out and out blasphemies are being committed on a regular basis. Most of the population of the world is living under the “bliss of ignorance”. Nursing the most improvable, nonsensical hogwash ever peddled on the people of the world, namely the entirely bogus, and hoax ridden theory of evolution, simply because it allows men to continue to confess that there is no God. They are reveling in the ignorance that allows them to live lives of self centeredness, and insatiable pleasure seeking, while “living in the now”. Stuffing to the back of their souls the notion of the coming reckoning with an almighty God and refusing to retain God in their knowledge, the only time they speak of him is to say things such as: “If there is a God, then how come…”

They can blame him in their hearts for everything wrong in the world, but to give him Glory for that which is right, and for that which is beautiful, they refrain. Man has the utter audacity to stomp his foot and shake his fist towards God when things don’t fall just right in his life, yet deny that he exists when called to repentance and obedience. There are those who get out of their $50,000 SUVs and walk into their marble lined workplaces, wondering why if there is a God, are there so many starving people in the world? They can decry the terrible tragedy of hunger impoverished nations and claim that there is no God, while the western nations hold 80% of the world’s wealth, and 10% of the world’s population.

They say Islamic Men are taught to hate Christianity and capitalism to the point where they are taught that they will be rewarded in heaven if they strap a bomb to their chests and kill women and small children in the name of Allah, an act that some of them commit as early as the age of 17. Men commit war on other nations because they won’t bend to their will, they feel threatened, or because it will in some way benefit their people, or even worse, just because they get some kind of a power rush out of ordering the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. To top that off, most of the world’s wars are fought in the name of God!

TRAGIC REALITIES

These are all tragic realities that face the world in the 21st Century. In every country on the face of the planet there is now fear, hatred, and death. It is not hard to understand that people live the way they do, when they have no belief in the God of heaven, when they have no moral code that they allow to govern their hearts, and even more so, when they don’t know the truth of the salvation and love that can be found in Jesus Christ. The sense of reality and purpose that comes when a man realizes that his life is a time during which he is meant to please God, by benefiting others, loving his neighbor, caring for his wife and family, and to have a one on one relationship with the Father of all of the living is missing. I feel so bad, as I look at the hopeless masses as in those pictures above, and realize that there is no help for them in this world, especially when they utterly refuse to acknowledge God, and turn their hearts over to him. When men change the image of God to a God who would have them kill, and torture even women and small children, delusion takes a place and eventually rules the day. This is evident in the middle east today, and American Christians call it “radical fundamentalist Islam”.

THE REAL ATROCITIES!

But now, let’s take a look at the most astounding tragedies that are happening in our world today. It is hard to believe that there could possibly be tragedy more hideous than those listed above, tragedies even more unbelievable than those…

See this heartfelt appeal to Christians here…

“UNDER SIEGE!!”

Or see the text version for slower connections here…

“The Text Version”

Frank Reilly is one of the Writers for 11th Hour Web site

“11th Hour”

Job 1 verses 7-10
7: And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9: Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10: Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Yes, Satan walked by Job’s house, but God had a hedge of protection around him. He could not penetrate it without God’s permission. Does the devil walk about the earth today? Does he look for ones to attack? Yes, he does. 1 Peter 5 verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

During my 18 years of serving Jesus, I have experienced many vicious attacks from the devil…from being assaulted, shot at, oppressed, attacks on my health, finances, family, and ministry. Yet, through these many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. My experience has been, that right before the LORD moves mightily in your behalf, the enemy comes in like a flood.

One night I was talking on the phone with a friend of mine when suddenly, my dog started fiercely barking. The hair of my flesh stood up (Job 4, verses 14-16 14: Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15: Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:
16: It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, ). My friend asked me what was wrong, and I replied “The devil just walked by”. Immediately the Holy Spirit came on him and he began to pray for protection for me. I saw in a vision the enemy strolling by and the hedge of protection that he could not get through.

Yes, the devil is real but greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.

About the Author

author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com, preacher

Rock with a Purpose Catholic Music Spotlight Interview with
David Wang, Critical Mass by Lisa M. Hendey

David Wang, founder and lead singer of the highly regarded
Catholic rock group Critical Mass, is one cool Catholic dad.
This husband, university professor, and homeschooling dad of
nine makes time to practice his lead vocals while driving or in
the late night hours. His dedication to his craft is impressive,
and even more so once you have the opportunity to sit down and
listen to one of Critical Mass’ CDs.

With their third project, Grasping for Hope in the Darkness,
this award winning band tells a compelling tale. While each of
the songs stands on its own merit, the cumulative effect is a
saga of overcoming sin and temptation, a life of tragedy and
despair, and an ultimate turning of the heart to find peace in
God. Music fans of “a certain age” will love the band’s cover of
the classic “Carry On Wayward Son” as much as their kids will
enjoy the updated take. As the mom of a teenager, I’m always
thrilled to find music that my son and I can both enjoy.
Critical Mass has given us that gift with Grasping for Hope in
the Darkness - its musicality is awesome and the storyline of
the project is both gripping and a message you’ll want to share
with the young people in your life.

In advance of their upcoming Fall Tour, I had an opportunity to
catch up with David Wang of Critical Mass. He shared the
following comments on the band, their latest CD and Catholic
rock today.

Q: David Wang and Critical Mass, please introduce us to the
current members of the band and give us a bit of history about
your group.

A: I am the founder of Critical Mass. Critical Mass has been
around since 1997 and we’ve released three studio albums. Faith
Looks Up was a demo recording but ended up winning Best Modern
Rock album awards from the United Catholic Music and Video
Association. Our sophomore album, Completely, won Best Rock
Album honors from the Canadian Gospel Music Association. That
led to our being one of the main bands for World Youth Day 2002
where the band performed music ministry for almost 1 million
people. If you were at the Papal Welcoming or the Papal Vigil,
you were listening to Critical Mass. The song, Share it With the
World, was on the World Youth Day compilation CD, which sold
40,000 copies. After WYD 2002, there was a turnover in band
members. The new members of Critical Mass bring a fresh, edgy
sound to live performances and we are now touring in support of
the album, Grasping for Hope in the Darkness, which is garnering
very good reviews.

Q: David, as a mom I have to ask, how does a dad of nine and a
university professor find time to write and perform Christian
Rock?

A: As with most Catholic musicians, this is a part time
endeavor. Most practices, studio time and songwriting occur
between the hours of 9pn and 1am. I practice a lot of my vocals
in the car whenever I am driving. Whereas some people would take
time to sit and watch television, I take all my spare time and
dedicate it to my music. With 9 kids, a vacation where we travel
is not necessarily restful so we often combine music tour dates
with an opportunity to travel. We home-school which gives us the
flexibility to hit the road occasionally.

Q: What do your wife and kids think of having a rock star for a
dad?

A: The kids have grown up with this. Jodie, my wonderful and
incredible wife, was part of the band until shortly after World
Youth Day 2002. She was one of the female vocalists on the
previous album. My kids sing a bit on this album and are quite
used to seeing their dad jump around on stage. In terms of being
a “rock star”, there really is no such thing in the Catholic
market. There is more of an attitude of serving than in the
secular markets.

Q: I’ve read reviews calling your newest CD “Grasping for Hope
in the Darkness” a “concept CD”. What came first - the songs or
the storyline? Can you share the creative process that went into
writing and recording this CD?

A: This CD does indeed have a story line. It is a concept album
and every song ties into the storyline. It has a very heavy Pink
Floyd “The Wall” influence. Some of the songs were written first
but it became very clear early on that this could be morphed
into a concept album. It took a bit to convince the producer,
Andrew Horrocks, that I wasn’t crazy but once he was sold on the
idea, everything clicked into place very quickly. One unusual
thing about this album, however, is that most of the words were
written first. This is opposite to the way most albums are
written but it was a necessity for a concept album.

Q: For our readers who haven’t yet heard the CD, give us an
overview of the storyline you present?

A: Essentially, it is a story about a man who is lured and
tempted away from God by secular things in his life, such as
money, power and pornography. He has a daughter, whom he
neglects, and she turns to a lurid lifestyle because of this.
She ends up getting pregnant is her father tries to convince her
to have an abortion. However, a kindly priest intervenes to save
the unborn child. The father is furious and confronts the priest
with much anger. Years later, however, the daughter dies
suddenly in a car accident and the father is distraught. Out of
despair, he returns to the priest and learns that his daughter
had found peace with God. This causes his heart to finally melt.
He is a changed man when he takes up the responsibility of
raising his granddaughter. At his death, he is finally reunited
with his daughter in heaven and with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Q: How did you decide to cover “Carry On Wayward Son” and can
you tell us about the rap featured in this song? What type of
reaction do you get when you play this song live?

A: Carry On is a song that I have always loved. The songwriter,
Kerry Livgren of Kansas, was searching for God during the time
that he wrote the song and he actually converted to Christianity
a few years later. I added a rap to make it more relevant to the
CD and I used it as an overture for the album at the start. It
was a real challenge to remain faithful to the original but also
to give it a contemporary feel.

Q: I have to ask you - what it was like to perform at Toronto’s
World Youth Day for the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II?

A: It was awe-inspiring. We were one of the fortunate few that
caught to witness our Holy Father’s suffering and strength from
up close. It was incredible how he drew strength from the youth.
Just when you thought he would have to stop from exhaustion, the
chanting from the youth seemed to reinvigorate him and he would
continue on. I think this is a model for how we should now
interact with him now that he is with God in heaven. I really
believe that he will be a powerful aid to the youth. I encourage
all youth to pray for intercession from this holy saint. I
picture the world’s youth continuing to reach out to JPII and I
picture him continuing to guide and lead the youth of the world.

Q: What is the future of Catholic rock? How can we help support
and encourage more great Catholic music?

A: We need more musicians to counter the secular influences in
popular culture. This includes not only rock but other genres of
music such as hip-hop. It also includes not only music but also
television, movies and other art forms. For centuries, the
Catholic Church has influenced the world through her music and
art. The Sistine chapel is such an example. It is now the time
to re-establish Catholic art as second-to-none in quality. A
recent example of the influence of this would be Mel Gibson’s
“Passion of the Christ”. However, as audiences did for this
superb film, we need Catholics to support Catholic musicians. It
takes finances and resources to produce music to compete with
the secular counterparts in terms of qualities. Catholics need
to start buying catholic music and going to concerts.

Q: What do Catholic kids want in their music? How can Catholic
parents help their kids tune in to music that elevates the soul
and spirit?

A: Catholic parents have to start to understand the influence of
music in the child’s life. I have had some parents refuse to buy
Catholic rock but are troubled when their kids start to sing and
listen to the garbage that is not only on the radio but is
everywhere around us, from stores to the television to their
friend’s mp3 players. They try to buy very traditional Catholic
music and force their children to listen to it. What we have
found is the opposite. We produce rock that sounds and feels
like what they listen to now. We try to touch their lives in a
subliminal way, in much the same way that secular messages seep
into their brains through repeated listening. If the kids can
maintain that contact, however frail, with the messages of the
Church, then we have found that the kids eventually return to
the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist and Confession.
Surprisingly, at this point, many of the kids do start to listen
to more traditional music (Gregorian chant, for example) and
have a deeper appreciation for the ancient traditions of our
faith.

Q: Some feel that rock music comes from the devil and that one
shouldn’t use rock music to try to glorify God. How do you feel
about this?

A: I believe that art is neutral. It is the lyrical content that
makes it either spiritual or secular. There are some that say
that the rhythms of rock music are derived from African tribal
beats. That may be true but to say that traditional folk music
from Africa is somehow evil is prejudice in its ugliest form.
One must remember that the organ and piano were once considered
by the church to be secular and profane instruments. Even
Gregorian chant, one of Catholicism’s great contributions to
music, comes from Gregory the Great’s time (590-604). Music has
always been in a state of change and transition.

Q: Tell us about your upcoming Fall Tour. We are touring Canada
in the fall and we will be doing many US dates in 2006, which
will be the focus of our ministry.

For more information on Critical Mass, upcoming tour dates and
their latest CD Grasping for Hope in the Darkness visit
www.CatholicRock.com or
http://www.catholicmusicnetwork.com/cmn_cd_detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=
50493&REFERER=183

Lisa M. Hendey is webmaster of www.CatholicMom.com , a wife and
mother of two and a Catholic music fan and supporter. Visit her
at www.LisaHendey.com for more information.

Everyone on this planet is on their own particular heroic
journey, an archetypal journey of the hero or heroine that has
been portrayed throughout recorded time in the mythology of the
world.

Here is a brief explanation of the meaning of the archetypes
used to describe the heroes journey.

It begins with departure from the known or conventional, from
consensual reality. It proceeds onto initiation. And it
culminates in our return to tell others about the lessons of our
adventures, and hopefully to provide a map to those who may
follow.

During the departure stage, there is a call to adventure, a
sudden understanding that things are going to change. This call
disrupts a comfortable routine and the person often feels
inadequate and unprepared for the journey. However, once a
decision is made to take the leap into the unknown, supernatural
aid appears. This is usually in the form of meeting the right
people or stumbling upon some necessary new information or
resources that will initiate the journey. Once the first
threshold is crossed, the journey begins in earnest. And it is
now when the hero or heroine finds themselves in the belly of
the whale, which is a time of metamorphosis, an entry into a
dark place where the skills learned before the journey no longer
work. Now begins the initiation. Before the transformation can
occur, trials, tests, and heavy ordeals must be borne. Failure
is now the norm because the new has to be explored through trial
and error. As the trials proceeds, the Goddess is met. This is a
symbol for unconditional love and acceptance of self, a renewal
of self-unification, an amplification of intention. Then,
something unexpected happens…the temptress is met. This in
world mythology has been personified to be a woman. It comes to
symbolize the desire to be seduced by the lure of what once
existed, the comfort of returning to the known. If this
temptation is resisted, then something else has to be confronted
in its place: atonement with the Father. This means that one has
to die to the old in order to fully assume the powers of the
new. An incredible power is met and surrendered too. Only in
this way can the old self die so that the new self, the
transformed one, can live. Once this condition is met, there is
an apotheosis, deification. A heavenly state is attained; the
person becomes divine in some way. With this transformation, the
ultimate boon is granted, the Holy Grail is found, the journey
is successfully completed and what the person came to get has
been secured.

After this, however, the return has to take place. Again, as in
the very beginning, there is a deep reluctance. There is an
initial refusal to return. Sometimes, too, once one has secured
the goal, one must escape from the jealous guardians of the
secret that has been won. Now, with the journey in its descent,
after reaching a lofty ascent, the hero or heroine once again is
in need of guides and assistants on how to return. Again, too, a
threshold has to be crossed, this time back to where the person
came from. Now the person has become master of two worlds, the
new and the old, or the inner and the outer. A new freedom to
live has been experienced.

All of us travel through these three stages, with their numerous
substrates, when we begin and complete the heroic journey. When
a new mother has her first child, when a young person secures
their first job, when a traditionally employed person leaps to
become an entrepreneur, when a writer sets to create a new book,
or when somebody goes to a specialist to seek healing for a
wounded psyche…the heroic journey begins.

Mythology speaks of this journey and gives us all a map on what
the stages of it are. Understanding the symbols behind the myths
help us complete our own particular journey. Without truly
grasping the import of the heroic journey, as told throughout
time and transmitted via the language and traditions of diverse
people, we may not recognize that we are all heroes, and we may
either get lost along the way or shirk the completion of our
unique quest.

People can be obvious outer heroes, whose name and
accomplishment are made known as significant points in history;
and they can also be inner heroes, spiritual adventurers seeking
a refinement of sensibility that leads to deep spiritual
understanding; and they can be you and I, as we step into a new
phase in our lives where we must transform ourselves because
vital structures of our lives have collapsed and something new
has to be grasped.