Ibradsiblog

The Debugger Movie project January 22, 2011

Hey everyone,

Sorry I have not blogged in a while, I have been very busy with different projects (one I shall talk about today) so first I must say sorry for not posting. Today I want to share some facts about the Debugger Movie. The Debugger movie is a Christian Sci-Fi Musical film which is currently in the early stages. I am personally the social media guy so far. I highly recommend you all check out the Debugger Facebook page and keep with the update: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Debugger-The-Movie/135360203162350

I will try to keep posting out new updates!

Give thanks…. November 15, 2010

Its almost Thanksgiving, the time when we all give thanks for what we have. Where many family’s all sit around as family eating a thanksgiving meal while normally watching some TV. This behavior normally leaves as soon as Thanksgiving is over due to black Friday arguments coming soon after but till then I want to focus on giving thanks. So I am going to list a few things I am thankful for:

1. God who loves me

2. Family that cares for me

3. Friends that talk to me

4. The ability to homeschool

5. People on the Rebelution that share the same world view

6. A cell phone to talk to friends

7. Living in a safe community

Those are just a few of the many things I am thankful for.

By the way everyone I got some cool stuff I am going to share with y’all soon.

Did animals talk? October 10, 2010

Most of us have had this happen before, we are doing a Bible study on one topic only to pick something up 100% different the what the study was suppose to be about. Now recently I had this happen to me while doing a Bible study on when sin entered the world. Now you may be wondering how I can come upon something different on a topic that can be so clear, my answer to that is I do not know why I just thought about it now.

So the verse that started this all is Genesis 3 verse 1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Now you may be wondering why I found this interesting, I noticed while reading this verse was that the snake spoke to the woman. So this brings up the question, did all animals talk? If so why do they not talk now? Now as I started to think about this I think I came upon the answer. So for the shorter answer: Yes I think all animals could speak and in my personal opinion they can not speak to us because of the same reason the world has many different languages.

So by now you most likely know where I am going, the reason we all can not speak the same language was because at the tower of babel God confused not mans language but the worlds language. Many times when you hear about the tower of babel people say that on that day mans language was confused not the worlds language. The Bible clearly says in Genesis 11:9 b because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. So as you can see no where in the verse does it say mans language was confused but the worlds.

So did animals talk? We may never know for sure but in my personal opinion yes they could.

Worship September 3, 2010

Hey y’all

After much thinking on what to post I found a nice article online by Joel Harris (the older brother of Alex and Brett) that I want to share with y’all. Some of you who have read all the blog posts on the Rebelution blog may have read this before but it never hurts to read it again.

We should be honest. Nowadays, when someone mentions worship, most people think of music. You know, that time in the church service when everyone sings. Lots of Christian recording artists make “worship projects” with hit singles on them.

However, if we search God’s Word faithfully and look to mature Christians who possess wise insight, we will quickly see that worship is much more than songs. Worship is what we were created for, it’s what we’ll spend eternity doing, and it encompasses our hearts as well as our actions.

“Worship – whether an inner act of the heart, or an outward act of the body, or of the congregation collectively – is a magnifying of God. That is, it is an act that shows how magnificent He is. It is an act that reveals or expresses how great and glorious He is. Worship is all about consciously reflecting the worth or value of God.” – John Piper, Desiring God Ministries

From the beginning, worship has been an important aspect of the Rebelution. In the broadest sense, since everything we do as Christians is worship, all the hard things, both big and small, should be attempted for God’s glory. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

But in the more narrow sense, Rebelutionaries, including the Harris family, have always been passionate about singing God’s praise. We love worship as it’s defined by the Psalmist, “Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalm 96:2-3)

Before The Rebelution, There Was Worship

In the summer of 2000, long before blogs, books and conference tours, Alex and Brett played keyboard and congas for a worship band that I formed in high school. They’ve been active members of the worship team at our church, and now as they head off to college on the East Coast, younger sister Sarah and younger brothers Isaac and James are stepping up to take their place.

Worship has always played a key role at the Rebelution conferences. From our very first conference in 2006, in Sacramento, CA, I‘ve led worship on my own or with a band accompanying me. We don’t include worship because teens like music. We don’t make room for it merely to bring variety to the day. We do it because it just wouldn’t seem right without it.

The reason Alex and Brett write blog posts and books, the reason our family travels across the country holding conferences, the reason the Rebelution even exists, is for the praise and glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But here’s the problem… because we are all prideful, sinful human beings, it’s very easy to lose sight of that.

We are far too quick to become focused on ourselves, focused on our accomplishments, focused on the task at hand, but forgetting the very reason for it all. That’s why it’s so important to open the day, and each session throughout the day, with singing. And that’s why it’s important for Rebelutionaries to be constant worshipers. It helps us keep the focus where it belongs.

Low Expectations in Worship

It also matters what we sing. It’s been established that our ungodly culture has low expectations for young people. But when it comes to worship, even the Christian community has low expectations for us. Worship songs targeted for kids, tweens, teens and young adults, have dumbed down the lyrical content because they think we’re too dumb to understand anything harder.

Sadly, in far too many cases this assumption is correct. Young people who don’t study their Bibles faithfully, who don’t read hard books, and who can’t sit through “grown-up” sermons, probably can’t comprehend the profound truths found in timeless hymns like And Can It Be That I Should Gain, or Rock of Ages.

Rebelutionaries, on the other hand, must not allow their worship to be dictated by low expectations, even if those expectations come from within the church. We should embrace songs that unpack rich doctrines like justification, atonement, sanctification, and assurance. We should love the old hymns, not for their cutting edge musical style, but for the wisdom and insight of godly Christians who penned those words centuries ago but were sinners who loved their Savior, just like us.

Why Not Just, Jesus Loves Me?

I realize this can seem counterintuitive. Wouldn’t the easiest and most efficient approach be to use simple songs which express love for God, or celebrate His love for us? Remember our motto, “do hard things”? It applies to this area as well.

When we exert ourselves, when we do the hard work of wrapping our mind around the glorious, profound, life-transforming truths of the Gospel, then the things we comprehend with our minds can spark deep affections in our hearts. We can tap into a joy in God, an amazement at sovereign grace, and a passion for His glory that would never have been possible under a diet of “worship lite”.

In the book Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin writes that “each of us has a battle raging within us over what we love most — God or something else.” He’s right. Worship is crucial, because every day there is a battle raging for our hearts. The enemy wants us to find our joy in the pleasures of sin and the distractions of this world. It’s vital that we fight back, for God makes it clear in His Word that if He doesn’t have our hearts, our outward service is wasted energy (Matthew 15:8-9).

We must fight for joy in God using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. One way we do that is through songs which drive biblical truth deep into our hearts, so we can draw upon it in the midst of the fray. If the words are faithful and God-centered, they will provide fuel for our faith. And if the music is skillfully crafted, it will move our souls and ignite new passion for the cause.

Worship Challenges for Rebelutionaries

So, here are a few challenges for you Rebelutionary worshipers:

1. Sing. Start each day out with a song. Don’t be so dependent on CDs or data projectors. Learn the lyrics of songs by heart so you can sing as you get dressed, sing in the shower, sing in the car.

2. Expand your music-listening horizons. Most of you are probably familiar with artists like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, and Passion. They have put out a lot of great stuff, but I encourage you to branch out. A lot of songwriters are writing theologically sound, doctrinally rich modern-day hymns, or giving old forgotten hymns another lease on life by composing new music.

Sovereign Grace Music
• Come Weary Saints
• Valley of Vision
• Songs for the Cross-Centered Life
• Upward: The Bob Kauflin Hymns Project
• Worship God Live

Keith & Kristyn Getty

• In Christ Alone

Indelible Grace Music

• Beams of Heaven
• Wake Thy Slumbering Children

3. Engage in your local church. If you don’t play an instrument, learn to play guitar, piano or something else useful. If you can carry a tune, volunteer to sing. Be a positive influence in the place God has you right now. Get a copy of Bob Kauflin’s outstanding book, Worship Matters, and after you’ve finished reading it, loan it to your pastor or worship leader (or both)!

4. Do the hard work of writing excellent worship songs. We need more of what my dad calls “poet-theologians” — like Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby, and Charles Wesley. If you need help, consult Paul Baloche’s comprehensive worship songwriting handbook, God Songs. If you can’t come up with any ideas, use the lyrics to some old public domain hymn. Don’t have access to a hymnal? Check out Cyber Hymnal.

Songs I like: There will be a day August 20, 2010

Now that my local town can pick up a new Christian radio station I have been hearing this song a lot so I thought I would share it with y’all

Song: There will be a day

Singer: Jeremy Camp

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that trys to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel your walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing….

There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face

There will be a day, He’ll wipe away the stains, He’ll wipe away the tears, He’ll wipe away the tears…..there will be a day.

Songs I like: Mathew 7 August 6, 2010

Mathew 7 is a new song just released on Youtube on August 2nd by Andrew Cunningham. It is an original song for a Christian radio contest I learned about from the Rebelution. So I would like to encourage y’all to watch this video this video to help Andrew in the contest.

Song: Mathew 7

Singer: Andrew Cunningham

Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/aterrell333

Reb Link: http://www.therebelution.com/blog/2010/08/take-action-help-andrew-cunningham

Thank You Lord August 4, 2010

I was at Church this Sunday and one of the Songs we sang was Titled “Thank you Lord”. Now some of you who were members of the Uncommon remember the “Day of Praise” we started so this song reminded me how we need to always give thanks to the Lord. Here is the lyrics to the song:

I come before you today
And there’s just one thing that I want to say
Thank you Lord Thank you Lord
For all you’ve given to me
For all the blessings that I cannot see
Thank you Lord Thank you Lord

With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretch arm
I will bless your name

Thank you Lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you Lord
I just wanna thank you lord

Thank you Lord
For all you’ve done in my life
You took my darkness and gave me your light
Thank you Lord Thank you Lord
You took my sin and my shame
You took my sickness and healed all my pain
Thank you Lord Thank you Lord

With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretch arm
I will bless your name
Thank you Lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you Lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you Lord (repeat chorus)

Thank you Lord

With a grateful heart
With a song of praise
With an outstretch arm
I will bless your name

Thank you lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you Lord
I just wanna thank you lord
Thank you Lord

Thank you Lord

Looking up the history of this  song it was written to be a simple song of praise. The Bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 16:34 to Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;  his love endures forever. One thing we often forget in our lives of following Christ  is that we need to always thank the Lord for everything he does for us. As the song says we need to remember to thank the Lord “For all the blessings that we cannot see”.

I would like to take a moment and share with you some of the blessings I could not see at first but now see just to give as a example.

1. The first one I have got to say is when I joined the Rebelution forum. Since joining I have been part of Operation YouTube, and now I am currently part of a movie project. I have made many great friends, I have still be keeping great contact with these friends I have made.

2. When I went to World Changers for the first time, I think one of the best thing about doing this project (other then sharing the love of God because that was number one) was all the friends I made. One of the things done at World Changers projects are called encourage-grams. It is basically a small note you leave to others for encouragement. When I went I was not with anyone else from my Church and I am kinda a shy person so I was a little worried about getting to know others. Well I after that week I gained many new friends which I am still chatting with a year later, now via texting.

So always remember to give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

A first time for everything July 16, 2010

Well everyone has to do something for the first time at some point. You have the first time of walking, the first time you start school, first time on the phone, and the first time to drive. Well today I get to announce to y’all that I am doing a new first, I am helping make a movie.

Now that is something I did not plan on doing this week. It actually was not in my plan’s till yesterday. My friend put on Facebook that he was making a movie so I contacted him about helping and now I am helping with Social Media Promotion.

I can’t say everything about the movie now but I will share more soon!

Where I have been (part 2) July 9, 2010

So you know how I said I would be blogging more often in my last post…….well I failed that goal. So once again I will try to blog more often.

So now you have been wondering why I have not been posting much, well I had been trying to think of something to blog about but I have not been able to think about things to blog about. I have also been working on school, working on a goal to launch a new website, and working on VBS. I have also been exploring Yahoo Pipes which I have found to be an awesome tool. I will be working on a blog post about that soon, I have already wrote a few app’s for my self with it but I am still learning.