The Stuff of Legends

William Wallace. Maximus Decimus Meridius. King Leonidas. Movie legends.

Muhammad Ali. Babe Ruth. Bill Russell. Sports legends.

Michael Jackson. The Beatles. Bob Marley. Music legends.

What do all of these legends have in common? Their accomplishments seem larger than life. At times in their stories, each one of them seemed invincible. And their stories were so inspiring that men just kept retelling them over and over, eventually turning the details into folklore, stories that continue to live long after their time is past.

Samson had a moment like that, too, which we’ll read about today. A moment he shared with 1,000 other men.

How does Samson do it? There’s no question that it was God’s strength: “The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.” All credit, all glory, belongs to God and God alone. Jesus once said that with God, nothing is impossible. God gets done the things that he wants done.

Unfortunately, another thing you’ll see today (in Judges 15:16) is that Samson takes credit for God’s power. He was arrogant. Arrogance is always born out of our insecurities. When we don’t know who we are in Christ, most of us look to pride to try to fill that void—just like Samson did.

Many of us try to define ourselves by our accomplishments, to find our worth in what we’ve done, instead of in the One we belong to. We want to rely on our achievements, our victories, our trophies, our wins to define us, instead of acknowledging God as the source of all good things in our lives. And like Samson, we want to get the credit. We want to be known as “a winner,” “a beast,” “a leader,” “a man’s man,” “somebody.”

Pride can be intoxicating. But the hangover is hell. We’re human; we do have (many) limitations, and we need to rely on God. If you lose sight of your identity and try to convince yourself that you’re a legend, you’ll miss the true legend in your life: that the God who made the universe calls you his son.
What’s defining you? Remember, you only get this one life. Whose name are you trying to make great?

(taken from the YouVersion Fight Devotional)

My Epic - Curse

So My Epic just released a new track called Curse off their upcoming album Behold that's set to release in December. Seems to me like these guys are progressing musically into deeper artistic territories which is nice to hear. For those of you that are new to My Epic, their sound is a mesh between a falling feather and a soaring rocket. Kind of leaves me with a feeling of wanting to do something greater with my short life... uneasy and unsatisfied, yet full.

This Divided World

I am being brutally pummeled right now by a band called This Divided World. No actually, I am really enjoying them. They have a nice touch with lack of redundancy, lightning quick drums, sludgy guitars and lower-pitched growls. If you're into getting hammered musically, then this is it.

Music

Enduring House

I recently checked back on an East Texas band that I discovered over a year ago and I was pleasantly surprised to see how they're progressing musically. Their newest material is up on Bandcamp, and though they aren't the final "professional" recordings, they're still really good. Enduring House has a mixture of Southern rock, Post-grunge and Classic Metal. The guitar work as far as writing is definitely not boring and has some creativity. The singer has decent range and a voice personality that you don't hear often. Definitely, give this band a try. I look forward to their new, finished material.


Music Page

The Final Quest

Right now, I am reading a book called The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. I stumbled onto it actually, and had no idea what it was about. I really don't recommend books that often because I am unsure as to whether Christ would want me to or not. This book however is different. From the start, I have been locked onto it, absorbing what I believe to be incredible revelations. From what I understand, Rick derived all the content in the book from a dream then visions and prophetic experiences. It will take you on a serious ride and if you are open to it, can change your life. Numerous times today while reading, I have felt the Holy Spirit all over my face strongly. Maybe it's because I am so focused and enthralled by the story, and it is true... or maybe my faith is increasing greatly. I am not sure. All I know is, it is changing me for the better. If you're interested in reading it, here is a link to a free online copy.

BOOK

Loud Bird - Tree

I just randomly picked a band on Noisetrade the other day called Loud Bird. After giving it a listen (the day was perfect for their sound - cloudy and overcast), I was thrilled to find something different that hearkens back to the 90's era where bands didn't really care how much recognition they got or how many records they sold. Their sound is hard to pin down because it is layered and noisy but beautiful at the same time. The vocals aren't the most dominant part. They just kind of hover in the background. The music is very explorative and I really like the drum beats and overlayed sounds. All in all, this is most definitely a band that people need to know about if you're into sonic-alternative, and one that I highly recommend. Nice find.

Artist Page

Scott Stapp - Slow Suicide - Proof of Life

Scott Stapp just released a new song called Slow Suicide for his upcoming album "Proof of Life" that's due to hit on November 11 this year. You've probably heard, Scott has made serious changes in his life and has even written a book about it called Sinner's Creed. By the sound of this song, his music is a little different now (my son thinks it's better than new Creed), and has a more straight up hard rock feel. I am glad that he didn't go in a more mellow direction. Part of what I liked about him in the early Creed years was how he brought the house down vocally, building on the choruses. It's good to have him back in an even better way. I'm excited to hear the rest of the album.

Website