5 Reasons to love Christian Music

As I begin to write this, I am fully aware that this post might sound contradictory compared to some of my past posts (like this one). If our goal is to impact the surrounding culture, then I do believe that the label “Christian” can potentially limit our ability to be "leaven" in the world around us (Matthew 13:33).

However, given that this thing called “Christian-music” already exists, there are a large number of reasons I support a lot of what is termed “Christian”. And if you consider yourself a Christ-follower, here are five reasons why I think you should too:

1. WORSHIP is straight up crucial on earth today.

Worship serves so many purposes in the church and in the world today. Entire books have been written about the topic, and I couldn't do it justice in one blog today. Ultimately – it glorifies God, follows multitudes of commands in Scripture, and helps to bring heaven to earth, here and now. There is no doubt that the media and the arts serve a vital role in seeing this happen in today's church. What's your role in bring heaven to earth through worship today?

2. The body of Christ needs to be edified

“The choir” does need to be encouraged. In fact, the best evangelistic witness ever is.... an encouraged church! For sure, some are called to use the arts and the media to help do this.

As well as be encouraged, Christians need to be “prepared... for works of service” and the body of Christ “built up” (edified) “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God... to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (see Ephesians 4:12-13). If this is done during a rock concert, and most of the people attending are Christians, I for one ain't gonna knock it!

3. Christians deserve to be blessed.

Not only can great music/art potentially be good for the spirit, it can also be good for the soul. While I'm a huge fan of believers being effective “salt and light”, or “leaven” in society, I'm also a fan of the arts/media being used in such a way that is enjoyable and fun for Christians that gather in church on a Sunday morning, as well as festivals and concerts around the world. Christians deserve to be blessed.

4. New believers need a degree of separation while they grow spiritually.

Over the years I have heard many stories of people tossing out parts of their CD/tape(!) collection, because they felt their faith compel them to. In fact, I have some stories myself! I once tossed out a cd in my collection after I realised that most of the songs on the album were about sex (and I don't think Anthony Kiedis was singing to his wife!) However, I currently own a number of cds by artists that other believers have chosen to toss. And I support their decision to do so. Why is this?

The answer is “conscience”, and the matter was addressed by the Paul the apostle a number of times in the New Testament (1 Cor 10:29...)*. In my view, if you want to become great at your medium/art form, you need to study the work of the greats in your field. However, this presumes a degree of maturity in faith, and an ability to exercise good judgement, and follow your conscience. There could may well be periods of time, especially for new believers, where you need to separate yourself completely, from “secular” stuff, and maybe even toss some CDs out, and replace it with music that is found to be encouraging. And this is where the so called “Christian” scene can be of great benefit. Even the Israelites were allowed less freedom after they left Egypt. This is because their sense of identity as God's people as a separate nation was still being formed. For example, they were not allowed tattoos, partly because they would become confused about what they were about, relative to the surrounding nations and their pagan (and harmful) religions. Are we free (in Christ) to get tattoos today? Of course. But for the Israelites, and perhaps for some Christians today, tattoos are off-limits, until one is mature in faith and is able to make wise decisions that won't be regretted later on*. :-) I suggest to you, that some Christians are in a place where they do well to only listen to this thing called “Christian music”. The principle in Romans 14:14-16 applies.

           5. Scripture has been put into song in many creative ways, and that's just plain cool.

I own a bunch of CDs by a band that has put many of the Psalms into song, and for myself and many other believers, this has brought the Scriptures alive in new ways. This is just plain awesome!

All of this, is not to say that I think all musicians who are Christian should go out and start making something that they call “Christian music”, or film makers, “Christian movies”. I don't, as I've explained in the past (sometimes overstating it for effect). I generally encourage people to make great art, and let their world-view naturally influence their art. removing a barrier between the artist and the people they are called to reach.

However, given that this world of “Christian music” exists, I advocate supporting the good things that go on, and embracing what God is doing.

Plus... I guess many artists/musicians (etc) are primarily CALLED to minister to the body, AND/OR lead the church in worship. Switchfoot have a certain calling, Reuben Morgan has another. We should focus on our own individual role, while honouring and embracing those that are called to something different.

Ok. I'm out. Got thoughts? Comments? I'd love to chat more in the comments below.

*For further reading, see for example Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8, & 10. Here, Paul addresses the issue of believers eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols (pagan gods). The principles found here have many applications today, and music/media is one of them.

Ever feel like you don't quite pray enough?

"It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart." - Ghandi

“I am the vine and you are the branches” - Jesus

I want to share something God's been teaching me about prayer. It's a thought that has filled me with peace, joy and contentment, during a month of lots of things happening around me, numbers uncertainties, and days when I haven't had much set apart “prayer time” or time focused on reading the bible.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't spent any time on spiritual disciplines. But even on the days when I haven't, I've become extremely happy whenever I've thought about the idea of “prayer” - as opposed to experiencing guilt because I haven't “prayed enough”. (Anyone know that feeling?)

I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago that reminded me of this: Paul says “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:20) ... At it's core however, prayer is basically communion with God. It's being connected. It's being one with Him.

This is what's made me happy over the last few weeks: As I've gone throughout the day, & thought about the idea of "prayer", I've simply tuned in and "drawn close" to God (James 4:8). In my thoughts, in my attitude, in my affections. I've been aware that he's always near to me. We shouldn't base our faith on feelings, but there have been times where I've felt "warm and fuzzies" all over me, just while going about my day, & "drawing near" to Him.

Of course, I'm not saying you should stop spending time alone with God, talking with Him (Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42 etc). You should feel encouraged to follow throwithon your whatever convictions you have about such matters (as I am attempting to live out and follow through on mine.)

What I am saying is that you can be connected with God, while doing things like:

-the dishes

-talking with your friends

-your work

-driving

-eating junk food

-playing games on your smart phone

-writing poetry

-writing music

-planning your next creative venture.

At first, when I felt that God wanted me to write about prayer this month, I began (figuratively) to buckle at the knee. But as I reflected, and pondered on prayer being communion with God, it's brought to me an amazing sense of freedom and joy to my daily routine. My guilty feelings have almost been eradicated, and regardless of whether I've had set “prayer time” or not, I've been extremely happy. The connection that I've had with God while doing many of the above things has just made me feel good on the inside.

Read Romans 8:1.

God really is near to you, and wants to commune with you. Because of what HE'S done, He can do so any time. It's by His grace.

I wish you a great month of prayer.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you about prayer?

3 Steps to Changing the World with The Arts and The Media

Once a fortnight at our house, we have a dinner gathering, primarily for people who are involved with the arts, or with the media in some way, or would like to be. I'd like to share some things we discussed last week, because I really believe it can help you achieve success in your field. After dinner and lots of laughs, we talked about three steps that will help anybody who wants to bring positive change with the arts and the media in some way.

Of course, to succeed in anything major, there are more than three steps involved. However, these are broad-brushstrokes that will help anyone that's seeking to walk with God on a daily basis, and steward the gift that they have. (I am sharing this in the context of people who are Christian, who want to follow Jesus. Even if that's not your worldview though, you can still read and apply what I'm talking about, in your own way, in your own context.)

Read on and hopefully it'll make sense....

In a nutshell, the 3 steps are: 1) Don't call yourself a Christian artist 2) Be great at what you do (make great art) 3) Allow your worldview to influence what you create

1) Don't call yourself a Christian artist (or "Christian _________ " - fill in the blank.)

Call yourself an artist.

If that's what it is that you do.

If you're a film-maker, call yourself a film-maker. If you're an actor, call yourself an actor. If your a stylist, call yourself a stylist. If you're a stand-up comedian... you get the picture.

Some of you are reading this are saying "well, duh". Some might read this and might be confused. (This blog is mainly for..... Christians!) Some might read this, and think I'm being heretical.

Before you stone me though... understand that I'm not saying that you should deny Christ. As I wrote a while back, I believe that we should always be ready to share what we believe. But that DOESN'T mean that we need to add the word "Christian" next to something we do - such as our profession, as if it were an adjective. How many plumbers do you know call them self a "Christian plumber"? Do you know anyone who introduces them self as a "Christian teacher"? How about a "Christian business-owner"? You may well know a plumber, or a teacher, or a politician who happens to be a Christian. But if someone began calling themselves a "Christian _______ [insert profession]", guess who most of their clients would be?

If someone who is a Christian pursued a career in school teaching (for example), applied themselves and became good at it, surely they'd be in a good position to benefit and add value to students that aren't Christians. Can you see how this potential for impact among the un-churched would be diminished if they promoted themselves as a "Christian teacher"? The best approach for them would be to call them self a teacher, be great at it, and allow their worldview to influence how they educate their classroom. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Allow me to use one more analogy: If you want to be a missionary in a communist country, and you want to help people, share the gospel and influence the community for good, you'd better not tell the border security workers that you're a missionary. I personally don't think that you should lie about what your plans are, but you'd better have something ready to tell them when they ask you what you want to do. Many missionaries have crossed borders as English teachers, engineers, aid worker... and I'm sure many other professions. And of course, once they are there, they may be effective as missionaries as well.

Working in the media and the arts can be similar. To put it bluntly, in some places, if you introduce yourself as a Christian you won't be allowed in! As judgemental as that may be, it simply means you've got to be a bit smart about it, and follow Jesus' advice in (Matthew 10:16).

Unless you feel clearly called to "minister" only to the body of Christ, don't call yourself a "Christian _______". There will likely be some factors relating to marketing that need to be considered, if you don't want to be interpreted and labeled as a "Christian artist" right off the bat. Brooke Fraser is an example of someone who has thought through these issues really well.*

2. Make Great Art (Be Great At What You Do)

Master your craft. This is something that can't really be understated. Being excellent at what you do, and working hard at it, brings God glory, and can lead to great influence for the kingdom of God. While we were talking about this, my friend John mentioned Proverbs 22:29:

"Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank."

If you want to change the world, then this is a really important step.
Be inspired to be the absolute best you can be with the gifts that you have. Remember the parable of the talents? The three servants were all given talents "according to [their] ability" (Matt 25:15). You have the ability inside of you to be great at being you - with the great gifts that God has put inside of you! You are full of potential waiting to be untapped!!! Be the best _________ [again, fill in the blank] that you can be!!! If you're a drummer, drum! If you're a keyboard player, play that thing to the best of your ability! "Practice" might simply be the key word for you to act on. "...whatever you do..." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

3. Allow your worldview to influence what you create

This is fairly self-explanatory, but allow me to use an illustration that shows the power of this step: Last year, South Korean rapper Psy released a song named "Hangover", featuring a rapper named Snoop Dogg. In the video, they stroll through town (with Asian girls on their arms) and drink a lot of alcohol, excited about the fact that they'll wake up with a hangover the next day.
Think about it: The rappers involved did not set about to bring a "message" that encourages people to drink excessively. They simply set out to make (what they perceive to be) great music, and their worldview naturally influenced what they made. And of course, many songs like this do have an influence over peoples thoughts and actions today.
How often have you complained about the moral degradation that is taking place in popular culture these days? If you have, then you need to get behind people that follow the steps I'm talking about, and quit telling them they don't talk about Jesus enough.
IMAGINE..... if the body of Christ simply made great art, lived life, and displayed to the world, what it means to follow Christ, and allowed their (much better) worldview and assumptions to influence their music, art... we'd have less to complain about. I'd love to see more pop stars that have healthy attitudes to partying penetrate pop culture, and not just the world of Christian music.
I'd love to see followers of Christ make films that challenge shallow (and stupid) assumptions about sex, that lead to films like 50 Shades of Grey. Yes there is literally untapped potential to prophetically challenge culture through many different art forms (such as film). But it's only going to be truly effective when it comes in the form of great art.

What is it that you need to work on next? What is YOUR next step out of these three?

1) Develop how you market/present yourself, relative to a world that is at times "anti-Christ"
2) Make great art
3) Allow your worldview to influence what you do

*Extra note: Please don't take this as a knock on CCM (Contemporary Christian Music), or worship music used in corporate, or private settings. It would take a whole new post to explain the importance of worship, and the place that CCM has today. For now, I'm just emphasizing that if we want to bring lasting change our culture (something Jesus said we are called to do), there are some issues we need to think through. Read Michael W Smith's (and others) recent comments on related matters here.

Four foundations that you must have to succeed

If you’re like me, you've done some reflection leading to the New Year. I’ve done plenty of that, and in the process, I’ve decided to recommit to four values in a fresh way in 2015, and I want to encourage you to do the same. I’ve written these reflections from a Christian perspective, but if you don't believe that stuff, then I’m sure you can still benefit, just interpret them in light of your own beliefs... I believe that these are four foundational values you must have to truly succeed at what you're doing. (This year, you can expect a new blog here at least on the first of every month, all about issues pertaining to following Jesus in the media and the arts realm.)

Value #1 I’m recommitting to this year: HUMILITY

“Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18, HCSV)

Proverbs 15:33: “...humility comes before honor.”

(Note: I’ve been studying the “wisdom literature” for a college course over the summer, so a lot of Proverbs will find their way into this months post :).)

The Holy Spirit’s been really getting at me about pride lately.

“Too much pride brings disgrace;
    humility leads to honor.” (Prov 29:33)

For me, most of the time, pride is tied to insecurity. When I’m aware of who God made me to be, and that He’s in me, I’m secure and confident. But way too often, just when I have a way of thinking I’m going alright, pride sneaks up. And it usually has its own inbuilt blindspot! That’s why I desperately need the Holy Spirit, & community around me, to help me to stay humble.

Pride is very hard to sum up fully in just a few sentences, but basically, for now let’s just say it’s the opposite of humility.

Humility is seeing yourself how God sees you. Awesome, but not God.

You are made in the image of God. And God is awesome… amazing, intelligent, AND gifted. And so are you! Whatever gifts you have in particular - humility will put them to good use!

You are amazing. However………

Compared to God, you ain't all that. Everything you have and are, comes from God. As amazing as you and I are, we all pale when compared to Jesus Himself.

Humility is understanding both those things in tension.

“He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

This is a prayer I need to pray again leading into 2015, and you’re welcome to join me.

“Lord, teach me humility…”

Value #2 I’m recommitting to this year: FEAR OF THE LORD

Proverbs 15:16 NIV

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

As Chuck Swindoll says, “the fear of the Lord refers to our viewing Him with the respect He deserves. It means living our lives in light of what we know of Him, holding Him in the highest estimation, and depending on Him with humble trust.”

Fear of God is linked closely with humility in the Proverbs.

“The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4)

Proverbs 15:33:

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

“Through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.” (Proverbs 16:6)

The fear of the Lord will stop you and I from sinning.

If you’re brave – ask God for more fear of the Lord this coming year.

Value #3 I’m recommitting to this year: HARD WORK

“Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” (Prov 12:11)

I’ve yet to hear of anyone who managed to find meaningful success in the music industry, or any media related industry, who didn’t work extremely hard for it.

If you want influence, it won’t come any other way than by hard work. (See Prov 12:24)

In the Bible, God made many promises to the Israelites, but they still had to fight to get to the promised land.

Yes, we need to work smart, and not hard, just for the sake of it.

But don’t think for a second, that you’ll find success by being lazy.

“Laziness leads to poverty; hard work makes you rich.” (Prov 10:4)

Also, there’s nothing wrong with making a good income doing what you do.

“The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (Prov 10:22)

Value #4 I’m recommitting to this year: FORWARD THINKING

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. We need to have a glimpse, and continually think about the bigger picture. That is what will motivate us, and push us to do the hard work, and keep grinding, when we get weary, and the excitement about the new year wears off.

Forward thinking is thinking about the long term effects of daily decisions and habits.

It’s about making necessary changes now, that will in time reap benefits long term.

Forward thinking – is a value that I want to have, not just at the start of this coming year, but half way through the year, and ¾ of the way through the year.

Even though I know I’m going to mess up regularly, and miss prayer times that I planned on having, I want to continually get back on with things, and make those small investments that will really pay off in the long-run.

“Lord, give me your vision for 2015, and give me the grace to stick at it, even when I don’t feel like it.”

Proverbs 14:23 NIV

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

What is it that your committing to in 2015? Feel free to add any comments or other related thoughts below. :)

The devil has some talent... it's just that Jesus is better.

I've just re-discovered a little story in the bible, that I believe tells the story of what God's gonna do in the creative arts today on a wide scale.

Exodus 7:10-13:

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

As I read this, I'd been thinking about, and was stirred by something a friend of mine said to me and showed me earlier.

This morning, I was about to jam with my friend who plays the keyboard, and happens to be a bit of a prodigy. Before jamming, he wanted to show me a Youtube clip of his friends, in a band based in Europe, which is where he's from. He told me they're not Christians, and also candidly explained that they do drugs & play music. Personally, I'm always open to hearing, and being inspired by non-Christian musicians... But this straight away got me thinking about a number of implications. Now, in this particular case, they weren't *that* inspiring to me. However, as you are probably aware, it is true that some of the music inspired by the devil's lettuce and other not-so-green substances has made our esteemed list of good old rock'n' roll standards. The devil's a great musician... It's just that the Holy Spirit is better.

It's tempting to be a little bit "overawed" by everyone's music these days, and art in general that's out there. Personally, I feel that every facet of creative outlet/expression has been, and is being done extremely well by "Christians" out there. It's just that it's about to happen in a much greater way. 'Wow... they're a Christian? They're good!' is about to become a common thought in today's industries... which for SOME might just evolve into "They're good! Are they a Christian?"

One thing that's crazy about the above story, is that Pharaoh still hardened his heart after watching what happened. Just watch how certain people will always write-off Christians and what they do, no matter what. In some cases, it'll be best to just ignore them. Get on with what God's doing. In other cases, you'll need to foster relationships with these sorts of people, and respect and love them in spite of their hard-heartedness. The apostle John had a relationship with Caiaphas, someone who was very anti-God, even helping plan Jesus's crucifixion (John 18:14-16).

In spite of what some people of power choose to do..... Look out MTV, look out Hollywood, the kingdom of God is coming. If you're a movie star, pop-star, rapper, sports-star, whoever you are, you'd better get with the program, or your days in the spotlight are numbered. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this. I love you.

"So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs." - Exodus 7:10-12

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen." -Rom 11:36

Freedom to Create: Francis Schaeffer on the Arts

You may or may not have heard of Francis Schaeffer (1912-84) before, but he wrote some great things about Art that I think are worth taking note of.

Schaeffer was one of the great thinkers, writers and leaders of last century, and his influence continues today. He was a prolific author who wrote about a number of topics, including the arts. In 1973, he published two essays entitled: “Art and the Bible” and "Some Perspectives on Art". Both are worth a read – and in the second one, he offers a perspective that seems quite radical for 1973…..

He says there are 3 basic approaches to art:

1. The first approach is to create art that is just “there”. There is no meaning to it – it is 100% abstract. “You can't talk about it, you can't analyse it, it doesn't say anything.” Schaeffer argues that no great artist has purely taken this route, noting that even “abstract” artists such as Picasso, still have their philosophy incorporated into their work.
2. The second approach, according to Schaeffer, is to use art purely as an embodiment of a message of some sort. It is nothing more than a “vehicle for propaganda”.
3. The third approach, Schaeffer says, is to go about creating great art and allow your worldview to naturally influence your art.

The third approach is the one that Schaeffer recommends, and I believe all artists would do well to consider his advice. Anyone working in the media in some way can also contextualize his advice in their field. (If one is working as a news reporter, be a GREAT news reporter, and allow your worldview to impact what you do.)

Think of an artist, (or a magazine or radio station) that is truly influential, and it is likely they are taking the third approach.

I’m not saying the second approach is necessarily wrong. Generally speaking however, an audience can tell if you are there to deliver great art/entertainment/news coverage etc, or if you are there with an overt agenda to bring a message. Generally, you are less likely to find influence with a wide audience with the second approach – and most of the audience you do find is likely to already agree with you.

Also, adopting the third approach doesn’t mean that no message can ever come forth. For some, the quest to create “great art” is likely to bring forth a message of some sort. However, when a message is birthed through the creation of genuine and quality art, it is is much more likely to be received and have an impact. Key application: There’s nothing wrong with “Christian music”… but those that choose to simply make “great music” and let their walk with God permeate what they do, are more likely to have more opportunities to be salt and light in the world today (Matthew 5:13-16).

The key to being fruitful

Right now, you are probably surrounded by multiple stimula competing for your attention. Ideas and thoughts from within, noises and beeps from the outside, and a range of voices from every conceivable direction. And while it's true that much of the time, Jesus is calling us work, to get busy and “do stuff”.... he calls us to do that from a place of rest, peace and intimacy with Him.

No matter what season of life we're in, Jesus's words to us remain:

“Abide in me, and I in you.” - John 15:4 (a)

What does this mean? “Abide”, or “Remain” (depending on the translation) means “to continue to be present”, “sojourn” or “tarry”, “not to depart”, “to be held, kept continually”... in this context, in essence it means to be connected to Christ.

And no matter what we are going through, this should be our main goal – growing closer to God.

If you desire to make a difference in this world, this becomes even more important, as the rest of the verse (in the NIV) says:

“No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:4b-5

Picture a vine. A luscious green vine. It's covered in loads of big, ripe fruit. That is God's vision for your life! Lots of fruit! That branch is God's plan for your life. But here's a question... did the branch have to work hard to bear the fruit? Obviously not. In this case, all the branch had to do was remain connected to the vine. It just needed to abide, and not go everywhere.

As I write this, I feel like I'm speaking this directly to myself.

God longs for us to have fruitful, prosperous lives. However, to really achieve what He has for us, we need to be really faithful to simply abide in Him. Ironically, this is hard work..... but it's worth it.

What are some things we can do to guide us closer into Him? I am about to speak this to myself right now:

Spend time with Him. This is probably the number one thing. Overall, it's simply conversating with God. That includes talking and listening. Matthew 6:6 gives us a key to prayer. The ultimate reward is intimacy with the Father. Be real. Right now, I'm learning to be more open with God. It's not always easy, but it's good.

Read the Word. The bible is still the most important book on the planet. I must admit that from time to time, I've gotten into other books, music and movies, and they've often been good. God's met me and spoken to me there too.But the most important place to look continues to be the Bible. The Spirit breathing life over those words will transform you and guide you, and ultimately draw you closer to Christ. (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Spend time with His people. How does spending time with people draw you closer to God? God has ordained “fellowship” as a way to be inspired, encouraged and at times challenged in our walk with God. This is why Hebrews 10:25 says what it says. Sure, we can be around people too much sometimes, and we need to spend more time alone with God. But there are other times when what we need is time around good quality people. Often people in our life/group will challenge us and bother and annoy us. God often uses these sorts of people to prune us! If we want to be more Christ-like... we'll probably need to love those people! And if there's no one in your life that bugs you in some way, is it possible that you've taken the “path of least resistance”? Seek God on that one.

Will you accept my challenge, turn off your computer, and go and spend some time with Jesus right now? That's what I'm about to do right now :-).