Music I used to listen to

[Solo Christo]

Pre-conversion I was quite a blasphemous agnostic. I was also a musician who was influenced by some really pathetic worldviews. The other day I was driving with my wife and she popped in an old cd of mine by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The opening track is entitled "Into My Arms". I got chills listening. Here are the lyrics...

"Into My Arms"

I don't believe in an interventionist God
But I know, darling, that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to direct you
Then direct you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I don't believe in the existence of angels
But looking at you I wonder if that's true
But if I did I would summon them together
And ask them to watch over you
To each burn a candle for you
To make bright and clear your path
And to walk, like Christ, in grace and love
And guide you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

But I believe in Love
And I know that you do too
And I believe in some kind of path
That we can walk down, me and you
So keep your candles burning
And make her journey bright and pure
That she'll keep returning
Always and evermore

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

 

[default]

I believe music plays a huge impact on people, even without words. My son played an instrumental by one of his favorite bands recently thinking I'd like it, but HONESTLY (and NOT knowing who the band was) it was EERIE and sent darkness through me. wasn't "evil" persay, but it definately had a spirit behind it!

I can't stress enough to discern what we listen to and watch! There is a scripture that says to be careful of what we hear, see, and taste!

I also believe MOST, if not ALL, the so called "Christian rock" is bad news!

(ducks from the tomatoes about to be thrown her way!)

 

[turmeric]

Those lyrics are powerful and express how an unregenrate person who truly loves a Christian might feel. I see artistic value in them, but I'm glad you're not in that place anymore! Praise God!

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

That song reminds me of "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger or "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel.

 

[BobVigneault]

Hey Mike, sometime when you have the time to do some typing I would like to hear some more of how the light came on in your life and how the Father brought you to our Lord.

I have two rebellous daughters and pray for the day that they we come to Jesus. I find encouragement in those stories of people who seemed like the type that could never change. You sound like you might be one of those stories.

"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37

 

[Solo Christo]

Originally posted by maxdetail
Hey Mike, sometime when you have the time to do some typing I would like to hear some more of how the light came on in your life and how the Father brought you to our Lord.

I have two rebellous daughters and pray for the day that they we come to Jesus. I find encouragement in those stories of people who seemed like the type that could never change. You sound like you might be one of those stories.

"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37

U2U posted upon request...

Hi Bob,

Rebellion against God is indeed a horrible trait that mankind has harbored since the Fall. You are correct in assuming that my story is one in which no one (including myself) could have ever predicted a turn towards Christ. To be honest, it still baffles me to this very day. I am not very adept in relating about myself life experiences that I am still trying to forget, but I will say that if the Lord can make an example out of me, he most assuredly can make an example out of anyone.

I sympathize very much with the situation you face with your daughters. The only advice I know to give is to please pray without ceasing. Pray and trust in God with all of your patient heart.

Let me at least share this with you"¦

During the height of my depravity, the most hideous part of my rebellion, I had but one person in my life who would pray for me. My parents were not, and still are not believers. In fact, I didn´t have anyone close to me who was"”except one. My grandmother on my father´s side was among the last of Christians in my immediate gene pool. Problem was, she had suffered a serious stroke. To be blunt, she was not "œall there", mentally speaking. She could talk about 30 years ago like it was yesterday, but would not remember a thing about breakfast. Despite the state that she was in, she still had her faith, and she never stopped praying for my soul. I used to visit her once every week or two in the nursing home. She was the only Christian I didn´t mind hearing because I knew that she had lost her mind. Little did I know that it was my mind that was truly lost at the time.

My grandmother passed away but my rebellion did not. I put up a solid and commendably sinful fight for nearly ten years after her death. Then one glorious day, God saw fit to answer the prayers of his bed-ridden, stroke-inflicted servant who is now glorifying him in heaven. Praise be to God for listening to her feeble cry when I was too spitefully lost to make a sound!

In a way, what I am trying to say is that the depth of your daughters´ rebellion is not the standard by which their possibility of salvation should rest. I don´t mean to be self-centered in this comment, but without even knowing anything about them I seriously doubt their predicament could have been worse than mine. Sometimes I wonder if I could have even been brought to the Lord any other way considering my frame of mind. So please, please keep praying and never stop. Let the years go by if they have to, but never stop. Enter the grave praying if you must. God is listening, this I know, and the fate of your children lies in his good will alone. Appeal to it with all of your heart and for the sake of his glory alone.

Sincerely,
Mike

P.S. Of course I will pray as well. If you care to share their names I will add them to our congregational prayer list.

 

[BobVigneault]

That is so rich Mike. Thank you. My dear father-in-law is dying and he has prayed for his children and their children since he was 16 til today. He will die not seeing my daughters walking with the Lord. I will print this out and share it with him tonight. I am so pleased you saw the significance of your grandmother's prayers and included it in your testimony.
Thanks again Mike.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Mike, I rejoice in your testimony to the grace of God in your life (and through your grandmother). Thanks for sharing that with us.

Bob, You and yours are in my prayers, dear brother. God bless.

 

[turmeric]

God often sends the mentally ill and the weak to confound us when we think we're so smart. When I was unsaved, he sent a mentally-retarded person once who felt burdened to pray for me, and an old man with Alzheimers that I thought I was rescuing to witness to me. I, of course, was far too intelligent to argue with either of them! Truly God's strength is made perfect in our weakness!