Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth

Over the past fifty years, music genres have changed extensively resulting in an intensifying enormity of mainstream preference. Christian music has also had a massive growth, especially over the last ten years and some of our much loved favorites are becoming more and more popular within a mainstream audience.

Bands such as Relient K and Thousand Foot Krutch appeal to a substantial audience ranging from dedicated Christians, to non-believers.

One remarkable resource which has participated in the expansion of popularity of Christian music is Christian Music Festivals. These festivals feature many artists from all Christian genres such as rock, hard rock , hip hop, worship, and punk just to name a few.

Easterfest is the largest Christian music festival in Australia. It is held annually in Toowoomba, Queensland during Easter. Previous lineups have included artists such as Disciple, Hawk Nelson, Newsboys, Superchick, Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Newworldson, Rebecca St James and many more.

The festival has expanded throughout Toowoomba City creating Easterfest’s side event “Easterfest City” This brings the streets alive with buskers and events such as public Wii Competitions. Even shop owners get involved to celebrate the Easter story.

Easterfest has without doubt proven itself as a remarkable event that will continue to entertain for many years to come.

The 21st of December 2012 is a date in which many people believe the world will end. It is the single most controversial prediction that dates back thousands of years and it is claimed that there is an amazing array of historical and even scientific proof that points to this date being doomsday.

http://www.december212012.com/ is loaded with believable articles that would turn many skeptics into believers although whoever is wise enough to take the evidence and so called proof with a grain of salt will agree with me when I say that this conspiracy is despicable.

The Bible unmistakably explains that no one whatsoever knows the date of the end of the world therefore this instantly allows anyone with common sense to right-off this date (although there is still a possibility, I very much doubt will occur). The Bible also states that the second-coming will be like a thief in the night.

I do believe that it is possible that a significant event could occur on this date, although I believe the most likely outcome will be a lot of media attention followed by everyone naturally waking up on the 22nd of December to a normal day.

Believing in God is not about just physical feelings that allow you to express thoughts about the existence of a creator. To actually believe, you must seek a physical and real relationship with God. There seems to be two types of Christians today. A Christian that regrets sin and has a constant motive to live free of sin (this type of Christian tends to always seek forgiveness after acknowledging a sin). The other type is the Christian who believes in the existence of the creator however may not have taken the step of developing and maintaining a relationship with him.

A great issue of today is that there is an increasingly expanding group of Christians who know too well that “all who believes shall be saved” and take this for granted. They often think that this means they can sin without guilt. The truth is, they misunderstand the meaning of belief. The fundamental way to believe is to have a relationship with God, and to live life with an absolute motive in a way in which God intends us to live our lives. By doing this, others will observe and respond to in a positive manner; this will be encouraging for others to live like this too. This does not mean we need to be perfect in order  to get into Heaven, it simply means that we all need the intention to live good lives, we should not use the fact that we are not perfect as an excuse to not have any intention of trying to live like Christ. Belief is not about acknowledging the existence; however it is the way that we live our lives to show our acknowledgment of the existence of God.

Due to being entirely open about my faith, there are always people that consistently question me, in attempt to challenge my beliefs, trying to find some rational reasoning that leads to (in their opinion) indisputable verification that God does not exist.  This explicit waste of time is indeed a dim-witted attempt of disproving that of which simply cannot be disproved. On Earth, no human being has ever presented any form of evidence that can in the slightest, prove that God does not exist. An evolutionist may argue that there is “scientific proof” of a “Big Bang”, and because of this, many people will believe exactly what they are told without question. Someone in a white lab-suit that has multiple degrees to their name seems to dictate whatever they like in modern times, and even throw in some intellectual terminology to sweeten the deal. Society will freely accept what they are told because it saves them from accountability for their sins. They say that the scientific argument is more logical. Logic tells us that in a universe with the current rules of physics, it is impossible for something to come into existence randomly. Science has proven that the Earth came into existence, however evolutionists believe this was a random occasion. Christians agree with the science; however we believe that there was a cause and purpose. Christians are accused of believing in a fairytale creator; however I am sure that most sane people in this world would agree that something coming from nothing sounds more like a fairytale than someone creating something. If that statement isn’t convincing enough for you, then allow me to change the context. Which sounds more like a fairytale: A Lamborghini randomly appearing in your garage from nowhere, or a Lamborghini getting parked in your garage by somebody?

If you desire music that’s function is inspiration enclosed with influential harmony however, still possesses a post grunge status, then Skillet ticks all your boxes. Skillet is a Christian Rock band that invites society to reflect upon the means which the lyrics creatively discusses contemporary issues. This was greatly promoted in the award winning record ‘Comatose’ in which John Cooper, lead singer/guitarist reflected upon personal experiences to form the roots of the single most successful album in the current Christian market. ‘Rebirthing’ and ‘The Last Night’ are songs that considerably helped to shape the album by explicitly underpinning the context of the issues and how they position both Christian and Non-Christian listeners.

In general, the lyrics promote a Christian ideology which in turn supports a base of attitudes, values and beliefs that are shared by all Christians however many Non-Christians are also able to reflect upon these ideals. John Cooper was raised in an exceptionally strict family. He was not allowed to listen to music with drums or guitars, nor was he permitted to wear the colour black or grow his hair long. This is clearly one of the largest influences on the music that he has written. As a Christian, he discovered that the Bible does not condemn the things that his parents prevented him from doing, and he desired to follow God rather than follow his parents. John went against his parents will and formed the band Skillet in a garage in his home town of Memphis, Tennessee in 1989. A correlation between John Cooper’s personal experiences and his music is clearly evident. The song “The Last Night” refers to depression. The song was written to assure people that they are not alone in their suffering. Depression is an issue that is relevant to just about everyone. In a lifetime, a majority of people will have some form of depression. One of the verses in this song undoubtedly refers to John’s upbringing.

Your parents say everything is your fault
But they don't know you like I know you they don't know you at all
I'm so sick of when they say
It's just a phase, you'll be okay. You’re fine
But I know it's a lie.

His parents were oblivious to all of his problems in life. This is expressed in the lyrics: ‘It’s just a phase, you’ll be okay’. 
This is an issue that countless teenagers face today.

The last night raised many debatable interpretations regarding the true meaning of the song however, during an interview; Skillet confirmed that the true purpose behind the lyrics is indeed an assurance towards people with depression that they are not alone.

Rebirthing is yet another of Skillets greatest hits. The mix of a symphonic musical arrangement with a contemporary rock theme creates a unique style of music which helps shape the deep and meaningful lyrics.
Rebirthing focuses on one of the most relevant issues that society has ever faced: The act of remorseful change in life. Too often, people choose to live with their personal issues rather than strive to become a better individual. The lyrics encourage and endorse the listeners to accept that no human is perfect although we should all embrace second chances no matter how many times we fail to live good lives.
The artist uses metaphors to express how he feels that there is a better way to live.

I lie here lifeless in this cocoon
Shedding my skin cause I’m ready to
I wanna break out
I found a way out
I don’t believe that it’s gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting 
In this womb I’m suffocating

The listeners are encouraged to take up a reflective position due to the immense relevance to which the issue has in all our lives. The style of the music attacks the listener’s emotions causing Goosebumps and affects the brain, making it easier to feel a sense of appreciation towards the way that this song mirrors our lives.

The Last Night and Rebirthing are perfect examples of astounding songs that Skillet has created in reflection of personal experiences. The issues that they regard are common issues hence the listeners are all able to reflect upon the music in order to deal with their own personal problems. With the release of the Comatose album, Skillet has indeed taken music to a whole new level.