Believer's Book Hits Atheist Top Sellers List

Last Thursday, a new book, You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think, soared to the top of Amazon.com's sales charts, nabbing top spots in the Atheist category and Apologetics category.

Authored by evangelist Ray Comfort, the book knocked Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion to the No. 2 spot in the Atheist category. Overall, Comfort's book ranked in the top 50 bestsellers on Amazon.

The book, subtitled "Answers to Questions from Angry Skeptics," is a response to a movement known to many evangelical leaders as Militant Atheism, a new breed of atheists who aim to eliminate Christianity.

Ray Comfort believes the key in witnessing to atheists is to appeal to their conscience, rather than their intellect. Every person has been given a conscience or "inner light" by God that "leaves us without excuse for our sin," according to the book.

"The issue isn’t the existence of God. If the atheist is wrong and there is a Creator, then he was wrong. He gambled and he lost. No big deal. The real gamble is that there’s no hell. That’s what makes the player sweat just a little. 'What if?' is the deep and nagging doubt."

You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can't Make Him Think was released on Feb. 12 to coincide with "Darwin Day," which marks the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Consequently that is also my birthday.

"It was Darwin who devised, for the first time in history, a way to explain Creation without the need for a Creator," stated the Living Waters Web site, a ministry founded by Comfort.

Check it out for yourself on Amazon.

FCC Changes Are Coming To Your Church Music Department

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has reallocated and auctioned off the 698 MHz to 806 MHz spectrum, generally referred to as the 700 MHz frequency band. The space will now become home to public safety and commercial users, which means wireless microphone users - such as churches - that are operating in that spectrum have to "vacate the premises" by February 17, 2009. The Digital Television deadline move to June does not change the 700 MHz frequency deadline.

According to Stephen W. Nease Jr, media director for the Leesburg, Virginia Church of the Nazarene, if a church gets cited by the FCC for operating the illegal units, the fines can be quite high on a per-unit-used basis. "As Metro Area Wireless Internet (WiMax) and Public Safety users start moving onto the 700MHz space," says Nease, "there will be FCC monitors out and about." Although it may not be this bleak, Nease cautions it's better to error on the safe side, "seeing who we represent."

For more information, see the following websites:

www.sweetwater.com/feature/wireless/white-spaces.php

or http://www.churchmedia.net/

Music Monday - Capital Lights

There comes a time in every band's life when abandoning commercial expectations in favor of heartfelt musical expressions and relatable lyrics takes center stage. For the Tulsa-based pop/rock foursome Capital Lights, that realization came remarkably early in its already impressive career, following a name change and stylistic shift from members' days in locally acclaimed screamo act afterEIGHT.

"We had a couple people leave the other band's line-up, I stepped up from bass to singing, rewrote our material and we changed styles completely," says front man Bryson Phillips of Capital Lights' debut disc This Is An Outrage. "The main thing we've learned personally is to really focus the writing on what you like rather than trying to be like all the other bands around. When we were doing the screamo thing, we were seeing other bands and trying to be just like them. But in Capital Lights, I started writing on an acoustic guitar without trying to plug into any particular formula, just being ourselves and playing 100 percent exactly what we wanted."

Outside of being drawn in by the band's vibrant blend of Relient K and Jimmy Eat World, there was an underlying originality to Capital Light's peppy surge of power chords and relevant writing subjects. Those ideas were soon fleshed out in a Seattle studio stationed within the illustrious Capitol Hill neighborhood (hence its slightly tweaked moniker) alongside producer extraordinaire Aaron Sprinkle (Pedro the Lion, Anberlin, The Almost).

"Going into the studio was different than we expected, mostly because we'd never worked with a producer before," admits Bryson. "We were expecting it to be a really stressful thing with him on top of us all the time, but we went in really prepared and he was seriously the most laid back and coolest guy. He made a lot of notes on our bridges and choruses and helped cut them down in length, but he was much more a friend who made it very comfortable to talk and hang out with."

The resulting dozen tracks throughout This Is An Outrage range from pure bred alternative pop to assertive modern rock, wrapped around a topical plane that spans the palette of meaningful, whimsical and satirical. The scalding "Kick It Off" is sure to be a fierce concert classic and "Worth As Much As a Counterfeit Dollar" possesses one of the most contagious choruses in recent memory. "Night of Your Life Is When You Die" is an anthem for anyone who embraces the straight-edge scene, suggesting the party hearty mentality isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The energy escalating "Return" is amongst the disc's most inspirational, while the historically slanted "Frank Morris" provides a fictional account of the famed Alcatraz prison escape.

"We're really big proponents of writing about the experiences we deal with on a day to day basis," Bryson verifies of that varied songwriting swath. "My vocals are very fast paced in the way they present what we have to say and we're hoping people take away something positive from this project because there's already enough negativity out there."

Thus far fans old and new alike have been flocking to the material, thanks to extensive touring, including headlining dates and time supporting Hawk Nelson and Run Kid Run. No matter with the format, Capital Lights' fan base continues to expand like lightening, as evidenced by feverish MySpace activity, downloads and CD sales at shows.

"Even though we're a brand new band on our debut album, we've had the chance to meet so many amazing new listeners all across America and we're hoping the word keeps on spreading," sums up Bryson. "We've always dreamt of going out on the road and we absolutely love it so far. From here on out, the goal is just to stay steady on the road, get these songs in front of people and hopefully continue to write songs that mean something to us and those who check them out. This is something we want to turn into a long term career for as long as we possibly can, and of course, we're here to have fun and bring as many people as we can along for the ride."

I actually have a personal connection with this band. One trival fact about me is that before meeting my (now) husband and becoming a mother to my step-daughter, I was a concert photographer. I spent every weekend and many days during the week photographing major and local concerts and band photo shoots. I met Bryson Phillips (vocals) way back when he was still in high school and he and his band were trying to get their feet wet in the local music scene. In fact, afterEIGHT was one of the first bands I ever photographed (though if I remember right, they were called something else before choosing afterEIGHT). As they were diving into the local music scene, I was diving into the photography scene as a concert/band photographer. There was another high school aged band trying to create their own space in the local music scene who allowed me to tour with them and photograph all their shows. Bryson's old band used to play a lot of shows with them and so I got to know him pretty well. I was extremely thrilled to see Bryson's face in a band photo with an upcomming release. He's matured a lot from the little high school boy I used to know. Then again, haven't we all?

Check them out!!!

Capital Lights - "Outrage"

A Daily Development

A Daily Development
By Max Lucado
“God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13

Wouldn’t a bride and groom have to be more married on their fiftieth anniversary than on their wedding day?

Yet, on the other hand, how could they be? The marriage certificate hasn’t matured. Ah, but the relationship has, and there is difference. Technically, they are no more united than they were when they left the altar. But relationally, they are completely different.

The same is true of our walk with God. Can you be more saved than you were the first sat of your salvation? No. But can a person grow in salvation? Absolutely. It, like marriage, is a done deal and a daily development.

Natalie Grant - "I Will Not Be Moved"

I'm Back

It has been a few weeks since posting.

I'm back now and will continue posting regularly.

Thanks for reading!!

Building 429 Announces Spring Tour!

It's absolutely no secret that I'm a fan of the band, Building 429. I have been since I heard their very first release on the radio years ago. I haven't been disappointed by any of their releases since! I am certainly excited for the announcement of their 2009 tour! (Dear Building 429, The next time you stop through Oklahoma (preferably Tulsa), please contact me. I would love to meet you!)

Building 429 has recently announced plans for the spring 2009 continuation of their “Truth, Hope & Love Tour.” Once again, GRAMMY nominee After Edmund will be accompanying the band alongside new EMI artist Above The Golden State and emerging female group, Kimber Rising.

With 30 dates on the calendar, the “Truth, Hope & Love Tour” will travel across the country from February-March of 2009. World Vision will continue to partner with the tour as they did with the successful fall 2008 Tour when Building 429 shared the stage with the new female-fronted band Addison Road and After Edmund.

“It has been a thrill to be a part of the ministry of Building 429 this last year,” says front man Jason Roy. “With the release of our new record, the success of the debut single, ‘End Of Me’ and fall tour, we now have the blessing of cranking up the bus and heading back out on the spring leg of the ‘Truth, Hope and Love Tour.’ In the fall, we saw thousands of children sponsored through World Vision and countless numbers of decisions for Christ, which was far above and beyond our expectations.”

Building 429 recently released their fourth self-titled studio album with INO Records on October 21. Their debut single “End Of Me” is currently climbing the radio charts, now in the Top 15 on CHR & AC Charts. The band’s second single “Always,” is scheduled to release this spring. It is a powerful ballad that Roy wrote following an encounter with a woman who shared her heartbreaking story about how her son’s life was taken away by his own father.

Roy explains, "There is a moment in each of our lives that will undoubtedly define our existence from that point on. The moment when, for the first time, we stare injustice in the face. When an innocent child is murdered, when a father walks out on a family, when life seems completely unfair. That moment undoubtedly brings us to our knees asking the question: ‘God, Where are you?’ This is the true story of two people who faced that very question and found peace in the storm in the truth of God with us."

TRUTH, HOPE & LOVE TOUR DATES can be found here.

Blind Ambition

Blind Ambition
By Max Lucado
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility.”Proverbs 18:12

Blind ambition. Success at all cost. Becoming a legend in one’s own time. Climbing the ladder to the top. King of the mountain. Top of the heap. “I did it my way.”

We make heroes out of people who are ambitious. We hold them up as models for our kids and put their pictures on the covers of our magazines.

And rightly so. The world would be in sad shape without people who dream of touching the heavens. Ambition is that grit in the soul which creates disenchantment with the ordinary and puts the dare into dreams.

But left unchecked it becomes an insatiable addiction to power and prestige; a roaring hunger for achievement that devours people as a lion devours an animal, leaving behind only the skeletal remains of relationships…

God won’t tolerate it…
Blind ambition is a giant step away from God and one step closer to catastrophe.

Casting Crowns - "A Slow Fade"