baliad's Xanga

Sound Doctrine

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:12:44 GMT

i'll be honest with you, i have waited 3 years for this day... today Erin and i are going to see The Dark Knight!!! wahoo!!! Currently Batman Begins is my favorite movie, but i have a sneaking feeling that by tonight that will change... i was originally going to see a midnight show on the opening night, but Erin wanted to see it with me first and she wasn't available until today... i do love Batman, but i still love my wife waaay more!!!

anyways, how have you been???

since you can't really answer that immediately, how's about i tell you how i am and have been??? i am doing well... i have been doing okay lately and there was a while in the last few months when i wasn't doing well at all... a few weeks ago during worship at church i got deliverance and i've felt a whole lot better since... i wasn't praying or anything, but being in God's presence just took me from a place of unbelief to one full of faith... all in a relatively short amount of time... i totally didn't expect it, but i am incredibly grateful... thank You Jesus!!!

the name of my next CD will be Sound Doctrine... Sound Doctrine will easily be my best CD to date as it contains some of the best songs i've ever written and also the best quality recording i've ever done... i'm excited it for to be finished, but there is still lots of work to be done... the recording is about 60% done, but the rest of the recording should go a lot faster (now that i know a little better what i'm doing)...

one thing i'm noticing about this CD is that it's moody... i don't know if this makes sense, but when i hear songs there is a "color" or "mood" to them... some songs are intense and almost dark (not in a bad or negative way)... other songs are happy, joyful and bright (even silly at times)... one thing i like about this CD is that there are a lot of other people singing on it and i love that... lots of choruses where everyone is singing and even a solo by another and featuring of others... i've heard a lot of comments about the diversity of Walk With Me (my last album), but Sound Doctrine will blow that away in regards to diversity... there is no genre to this album... if there is one, it's "the Gospel"... that is the whole point of this album, to communicate the Gospel in a way that those unfamiliar can understand...

anyways, i ask for your prayers regarding Sound Doctrine... pray that God give me wisdom and favor in regards to recording, artwork, merchandise, financing and the business aspect of everything... in truth, i see this CD as a soundtrack for revival... it feels really bold to say that, but i feel it's true... when the focus is the Cross, redemption and revival happen!!!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:26:33 GMT

abounding

I’m currently in the Jury Service Lounge awaiting my assignment, if I even get one. In the meantime, I get to blog!!! It’s relatively quiet in here and I feel bad because the keyboard for this computer is one of those really loud ones. Oh well, it’s not my fault I’m such and excellent and forceful typer!!!

Anyways, I was really thankful for Pastor Pete’s message yesterday. I think it was one of his best in a while. Not that he hasn’t had good ones lately, just that yesterday’s was extra good! To sum it up, Pastor Pete pointed out how at the beginning of I Corinthians 15, Paul emphasizes the importance of Jesus appearing to so many different people. Why did Jesus appear to them and what’s the big deal about that? Pastor Pete concluded that Jesus’ appearance to these people strengthened and encouraged their faith and enhanced their experience of the Cross. He then said how it’s important that Jesus appear to us often in order to encourage our faith and strengthen us in the Cross. This was a very powerful word for me and I believe it to be very true!

I had a debate recently with someone about how it takes a good balance of both experience and discipline to live the Christian life. My friend felt strongly that it was more about discipline than experience, but I felt that it was both, not one more than the other, and more whatever the Holy Spirit is doing in your life (which could be either experience or discipline). Jesus appearing to you (be it during worship, prayer, quiet times, whatever) is essential for every Christian!!! I find this true because if Jesus doesn’t appear to you, then you have only knowledge, and while knowledge itself is fine, what we need is revelation. You cannot receive revelation if Jesus doesn’t appear to you, if He doesn’t reveal Himself to you in the knowledge that you have or have found. For instance, I have knowledge of forgiveness all across the board. I understand what it is, how I should practice it, how it was given to me, how it’s a gift. But if I only have knowledge of that without revelation, than it will be much harder for me to practice it, let alone actually forgive genuinely. Am I making sense here?

So what exactly do I mean when I say that Jesus needs to appear to us? I’m not suggesting that we all have to have some sort of open vision where we see the man Jesus. All I mean is that we’ve got to have some sort of experience of His presence regarding any situation in our life. We’ve got to know and experience that He’s there, because if we don’t, we are left to our own efforts and devices. And that’s no good. How do I get Jesus to appear? I don’t know really. You pray. You worship. You get your eyes off yourself and others (very important). Get your eyes off the situations in your ilfe (equally important). And sometimes that takes time. It might even take a lot of time. But you must take the time. If you really want Him to appear, you must take the time. If I don’t see Jesus in tithing, I won’t be tithing from my heart, it will only be religion. I’ll only be performing a task, serving the Law all over again. That’s not what Jesus died for.

This post was supposed to be about what it means to abound in the work of the Lord, but that has not happened. I’m okay with that. Perhaps I’ll expound on that at another time…

Be blessed!

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Monday, June 16, 2008

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:05:11 GMT

man’s anger

“man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” - James 1:20

I had an interesting conversation last night that really highlighted this verse for me. The people I was talking with were upset about certain Christians who make a lot of money, and some who may even abuse the pulpit to support a lavish lifestyle. When it came down to it, it was all about forgiveness to me. They couldn’t or haven’t forgiven those certain Christians for the wrongs they perceived that they had done. Instead, they remained bitter and you could hear the angst in the comments they shared regarding those certain Christians.

I don’t support abuse of the pulpit. But regardless of what other people are doing, it’s my job to stay “clean”. To not hold any judgment, bitterness or unforgiveness towards anyone. My anger about someone else’s actions doesn’t bring about anything good. It doesn’t bring about righteousness in someone else and it certainly doesn’t bring about righteousness in me.

I find it interesting that Christians, those who are supposed to understand love and forgiveness the most (because they have been loved and forgiven much), often negate love and forgiveness in favor of promoting righteousness, holding others accountable, defending the Faith, skepticism, cynicism and whatever else. But the New Testament is clear about love. That without love, it’s just a bunch of noise (I Cor. 13). And the New Testament is clear about forgiveness. That you have to do it, regardless of what you think, and that God doesn’t really want much from you if you can’t forgive first (Mark 11:25). Even further, Christians should understand grace and mercy the most, yet when we enforce our anger against another person for their perceived lack of righteousness, we are furthest from grace and mercy. In truth, we end up going right back to the Law when we don’t practice grace and mercy, ultimately overlooking the grace and mercy shown to ALL of us on Calvary.

Lately I have been thinking about vengeance and salvation. They both belong to God (Lev. 19:18, Rev. 7:10). What that means is, it’s not my job to bring either of those things about in my life or other peoples’ lives. Yes, I preach the Good News, I give, I forgive, I heal… but that’s just me doing my part. In the end, God is the one who avenges and God is the one who saves. And while I do have my part, “my part” does NOT include being angry, being critical, unforgiveness or manipulation.

Anyways, I just needed to get this out really. I hope you’re well!

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Salvation Belongs to You

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:04:01 GMT

Thank You for Your blood Jesus
Thank You for Your Cross Savior
You lived and died for me
and now I live to see
Your Kingdom come

Thank You for Your steadfast promise
Thank You for Your word that You keep
Your perfect love is clear
it's casting out my fear
and now I'm free

Jesus, You're worthy
worthy of all my praise
and I will sing to You
I'm giving You glory
for all that Your hand has saved
Now I'm found in You

Salvation belongs to You
My life and my heart are Yours

(please pardon the pops and clicks, don't know what happened there)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thu, 15 May 2008 15:40:22 GMT

day to myself…

well, this morning Erin left for Sault Ste. Marie and tomorrow i’ll be up there with her… however, i have today all to myself!!! what to do!?!?!?

well, it’s already 12:30 and i haven’t really done much… i started a Scrabulous game because i haven’t really played lately and i still enjoy it quite much… things i hope to do today (in no particular order):

1. eat Thai food
2. see Speed Racer
3. eat Cinnabon or Carrot Cake (both?)
4. practice singing
5. finish up 2 songs for the CD
6. put away all the clean clothes
7. tidy up the lower level of the loft
8. pack for the weekend
9. journal/talk to Jesus

will i get it all done!?!?! who knows… my stomach feels weird, Erin and i are wondering if i’m having sympathy pains??? maybe… well, i won’t see most of you until this Wednesday, which is a bummer… love you all!!!

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don't look now, i'm a little bit older...

Mon, 12 May 2008 02:22:30 GMT

different sound... yeah, i know it's not the same... some things remain... other things have changed... still i find i'm a little bit older... i'm finally figuring out how Your death affects me now... some things remain, other things have changed... some things remain, other things have changed... and i find i'm a little bit stronger... i'm finding what i believe to be true... i know it's in You... inside it's like supercrazyglue... oh i am one with You... Your Spirit's speaking to me... as i hear, my heart believes... nothing's the same, everything has changed... nothing's the same, everything has changed... and i find i'm a little stronger...

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:15:29 GMT

God in the Marketplace, Zaccaro’s Marketplace!

yesterday i was proud to hear about fellow MDCC members storming the marketplace demonstrating God’s love… by “demonstrating” i don’t mean, preaching at and forcing things down peoples’ throats… by demonstrating, i mean blessing and relating to people on a real human relational level in public places… it is the love of Christ that compels us to share and reach out… if you don’t know what you have, you can’t give it away… but if you have something good, you’ve got to share it and then people will want it and you won’t have to shove it down anyone’s throat!!! anyways, as i was listening to the testimonies i thought to myself, “God i work in a market! i want you to move in my market!”…

this morning i woke up and i was feeling kinda “blechh”… but i didn’t want to stay that way, so i resolved to listen to a sermon/podcast to keep me in the right frame of mind… it was a good move or rather a God move… one of the first things i do when i work is get together with the cooks/bakers and figure out what we need to fill the display cases, then they come back to me with goodies and i stock the case… one of the bakers came up with some pastries and we got to talking about our weekends and life in general… i don’t know how, but we ended up talking about school and she asked me if i had graduated yet… i told her yes and she asked from what so i told her that it was for Bible/Christian Thought… at that point she got really curious and started talking all about her spiritual journey, how she’s a Christian and used to go to church a lot and how she’s now trying to get back “on track” but is having a hard time… she shared about how she is trying to “be good” but can’t seem to and how it just doesn’t make sense because she can’t do what she knows is right and really truly wants to do… she talked for a while and i listened as tears began to flow from her eyes… then i started to address the things she was sharing about… i told her about the Cross, how the reason she does what she doesn’t want to do is because she doesn’t have revelation that her Old Man is dead, but i told her that she died with Jesus on the Cross and that who she used to be is no longer who she is anymore… i told her that she has every ability to do the good she wants to do… the tears continued to flow… i also shared with her how jealous God is for her and that He’ll do anything to have intimate relationship with her and that He wants to provide for her… she continued to cry even more… i ended up praying for her and she was very grateful… i even told her how yesterday i asked God to move at our place of work and how she was an answer to my prayer… it was pretty cool…

THEN Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick came in!!! we got to talking and though i was a little shy at first, i started to prophesy to him and he too began to cry!!! wait, that’s not true at all… Mayor Kilpatrick did come in, but we didn’t have an extended conversation… tee-hee…

anyways, i thought i’d share… i hope you’re doing well!!!

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:03:39 GMT

Midtown Love

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

warmer weather pretty much makes everything better… today was a awesome day and part of that was due to the weather… i rode my bike to work today and that was really nice… it’s nice to be able to do that… it’s about a 6 minute bike ride to Zaccaro’s Market, my place of employment (3-4 days a week)… very nice… much thanks to the Kauffman’s for giving me a bike to get around Midtown swiftly!!!

i was telling Erin today that i like living in Detroit better than living in an already developed city because everything’s exciting and new… living in Detroit, at least Midtown Detroit, is like living in a small town within a big city… i say that because after a while if you keep going to the same places, you start to know people and recognize faces… it’s funny because i work with the lady who did the tile for our bathroom… one of the guys i work with goes to Wayne State and lives on campus, just blocks away… people who live in Midtown like to do things in Midtown/Downtown… now Zaccaro’s Market is opening up and it’s like a big deal… it’s kind’ve silly really… it’s just a market, but because it’s Midtown Detroit, it’s a big deal… i love that!!!

there are all these kinds of “pioneer” businesses in our neighborhood… businesses that take a risk on Midtown Detroit, going where most fear to tread… most of you know about Avalon Bread… they’ve done incredible things for the community opening a high end bakery in the Cass Corridor and have made quite a name for themselves… The Bureau of Urban Living is another pioneering business… it’s a little store about the size of most people’s living rooms, but it provides unique and trendy little knick-knacks for lofts and apartments (like our invisible bookshelves!)… Canine to Five is a dog kennel right smack in the middle of what some might consider the shadiest part of Midtown, but has been successfully serving dog owners for the past few years… The Hub is a bike shop that just opened up a few blocks from our loft… i went there today to get some new grips for the handlebar on my new bike… it’s in this old building and is totally unfinished, but it’s totally a grassroots kind of place… just this guy and some friends… i told the guy i needed new handle grips and he basically went to another bike he was selling and took the grips of that one and put ‘em on mine… haha… totally awesome!!! when i told him that i work for Zaccaro’s he told me how excited he was about that place opening up… i love that i live in a community of people that cares about the betterment of it’s area/neighborhood… to many Zaccaro’s is taking a perceived risk, but if you ask me, it’s not a risk at all… Midtown Detroit is dying for a place like Zaccaro’s and i think they’re going to break the bank… they’re location is an interesting one… they might’ve been able to choose a location where there are more people living, but they actually picked a spot that is pretty much where nothing else is… then again, there’s such a high demand for this kind of market in Midtown/Detroit, they could open anywhere and they’d do well…

well… i’ve waxed quite eloquently about Midtown haven’t i??? there are other things going on, big things, but i’ve already written too much…

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Monday, March 31, 2008

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:26:19 GMT

well, i’m giving myself a little time to blog, but i can’t do it for long… i’m not gonna give myself some 10 minute limit though… hehe…

i just got back from orientation for my new job at Zaccaro’s Market… pronounced: za-KARE-os… i’m really excited about this place opening up in Midtown Detroit… i’d be excited about them opening up even if i weren’t working for them, but because i do i can see that they really seem to have good core values and a good vision that is not related so much to making money as it is to changing the community… sounds like my kind of place… i remember being really excited about Asian Village and that didn’t turn out well, but Zaccaro’s doesn’t look like it’s gonna go sour like AV did… it’s a smaller business and more family-like… i think i can really help and fit in there, but it’ll take time… i actually have to go back to the store in a bit to help set up and i’m pretty excited about that…

so now i must reenter the world of having a more structured schedule and having to be somewhere on time (more than twice a week at least)… it should be interesting and hopefully i’ll handle the reentry well… i’m actually looking forward to having more structure… i think i need it… but i think it’s also going to mess things up in my little world (in a good way) and already i’ve had to rethink how i’ve been scheduling things because my time is not as free as it used to be…

Detroit… i love it… last night i had this incredible urge to just do something in the city… but i didn’t cuz Erin and i decided to stay in since we were out all day… to make up for it, i sat by the window as i ate and stared at the lights and shadows of the various structures that paint the landscape of Midtown Detroit… it’s exciting because springtime brings about better weather for walking around the city and also more development news!!! they’ve announced that an Asian Restaurant w/Sushi Bar will be opening on Woodward next to the DIA and also that Slow’s BBQ (perhaps the best restaurant in the whole city) will be opening a carry-out place just a few blocks from our loft!!! that coupled with Zaccaro’s opening makes for an exciting next few months as it is… i love that i can be excited about my community… in fact, i’ve never lived in a community or part of town that i ever was excited about… anyways, tonight we’re going downtown to get some Sushi at Fishbones… there’s no bones in their Sushi though…

have a good one!!!

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:35:54 GMT

The Weekend

what are your plans this weekend? here are mine:

Friday night - we unite,
there on the Cross, You took on my all
into the grave - all Saturday
Sunday comes… resurrect as one

it is Easter this weekend isn’t??? Cross Immersion starts tomorrow… it’s gonna be fun and it’s gonna be different… i don’t think i’ll know most of the people coming???

God is good and God is faithful… two Sundays ago i woke up and was like, “man, i really wanna tithe today!”… it wasn’t our scheduled Sunday for tithing, but i knew we had enough money in the bank, so i tithed that Sunday… well, the following Monday Erin tells me that she has to pay her school’s tuition that week… because of that and because i tithed early, our bank account was basically at zero… i wasn’t bummed or stressed or anything (yet) but i did say to God, “well Lord, You’re gonna have to help us out!”… then, the following day i found out i was being let go by Google (meaning: i lost my job)… crazy!!! i was like, “okay Lord, that doesn’t really feel or look like help”… i wasn’t mad or anything, but i was like, “sheesh!” if you know what i mean (i know you know… sheesh!)… so basically Erin and i “played it safe” financially all last week and we refrained from making some purchases we were planning to make (one sweet new shirt on my part)… this past Sunday night i was journaling and i was talking to the Lord about things… i had a “gig” leading worship out at a church in Wolverine Lake the following day (this past Monday) and i was telling God how i felt that He was opening doors to provide for my family via my music… i asked that He would confirm this feeling with a healthy offering from the church and me selling lots of CDs too…

well, praise the Lord!!! i came home that night with twice the amount of money i’d make in one paycheck from working for Google!!! leading the congregation in worship was fun and easy and they really blessed me financially AND they bought a lot of CDs!!! hallelujah!!! God is good and God is faithful…

it was fitting that we played “Your Faithfulness” that night… i was just stepping into what God was doing; being faithful that is… it was funny, when we finished the worship time, i sat down and a lady behind me asked me who sings the first song (”Your Faithfulness” was the first song we did)… i replied, “I do!”…

well, i don’t blog as much anymore so Happy Good Friday and Happy East-ah!

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