Battlefield Magazine April 2005 by Jonathan Medina

www.warzoneministries.com

From the

Battlefield April 2005

Reviews

d n i M e h T f o n o i t i Malnutr

The OC Supertones: Faith Like a Child

David Crowder Band: Sunsets and Sushi Kutless: Strong Tower The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute Jennifer Lopez: Rebirth

Testimony: Brian Welch From Korn to Christ

Challenging those who carry the label â&#x20AC;&#x153;Christianâ&#x20AC;? to also carry their cross.

www.warzoneministries.com

Contents C ontents April 2005

The Juice

drink it up Stupidity of the Sexes 6- Girls - Integrity Quiz 7- Boys - Lego My Ego Bible Study: The Six Step (It’s Like a Dance) 8- Passage /Questions 23- Commentary

Feature: 10- Malnutrition of the Mind

Life as we know it we are alive...right?

Reviews 14- The OC Supertones: Faith like a Child David Crowder Band: Sunsets and Sushi 16- Kutless: Strong Tower Jennifer Lopez: Rebirth 17- The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute 18- The Incredibles

The Bubble we call home our christian bubble of protection

Laugh it Up Clown! 19- Is The Raft Half Empty or Half Full? - Kenn Kington 21- Ministry Spotlight: Glory Skateboards

26- Testimony: Brian Welch- From Korn to Christ 31- Prayers

Challenging those who carry the label “Christian” to also carry their cross.

From the

Battlefield

Magazine

________________________ Staff Designer : Jonathan Medina Art Consultants: Roberto Comparan Dionne Brocco Editor: Meredith Wyant ________________________ Contributors

Soldier of the Month

Name: Stephanie Hahn Age: 20 Location: California Favorite Verse: Philipians 1:21- For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. “I want that to be the cry of my heart. I want to know God better and to live for Him. My heart longs for Him and I want to see His face even if only for a moment. I can’t wait to be with Him. At the same time, I want the best for the kingdom of God- so if it’s better that I remain on this Earth as a witness, then so be it. I pray this verse daily- it rings true to my soul and to my very existence. For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I Dig Warzone Ministries Because: Jesus likes it- so that makes it cool and I dig cool kids. Merits: We picked Stephanie this month because she has been a source of encouragement since Warzone Ministries was ﬁrst being conceived. Recently she braved the fear of rejection, and mobs of hardcore kids to get us an interview with the band “Showbread”. You can read it next issue.

Writing: Jonathan Medina Meredith Wyant Kenn Kington

First, we would like to thank God for His provisions for our work as a ministry. He has provided for us in countless ways.

Photography: Bec Recording (Supertones Pg.14) Jonathan Medina Marilyn Whipkey (Brian Welch Photos Pg.26,27)

Special thanks to Marilyn Whipkey for hooking us up with the Brian Welch photographs. We looked high and low and couldn’t ﬁnd ones that were legal and affordable.

Artwork: Jonathan Medina Reverend Fun (Pg.21) Monthly Financial: Meredith Wyant Eve Medina Glory Skateboards Transformed Clothing Disciple Clothing

We would like to thank Kenn Kington, for taking some time out of traveling and stand up comedy to write an article for us.

Vision Statement Picture this: you and a small group of soldiers are behind enemy lines. Every day, you awake to the smell of smoke and burning ruins. You hear gun shots ringing out in a number of directions. The battlefield is saturated with the blood of your fellow soldiers. The enemy is everywhere and restlessly searching to find and destroy you. You and your small group make radio transmissions to the other groups fighting in different areas. The transmissions are diverse and helpful to other soldiers in many ways: warning of dangers, words of encouragement, directions to resources, and even an occasional joke. This is the essence of From the Battlefield Magazine. It’s much like the radio transmissions described above. This is reality. We awake to this battle everyday; in the spiritual realm, the battle rages and it continues without ceasing. Take heart soldiers, if God is for us who can be against us? We are promised victory. Let us press on toward the goal.

________________________ PO Box 661 Proctor, VT 05765 802.483.9940 www.warzoneministries.com

Ministry Briefing

We’re back for issue two with a vengeance. We have been getting tons of positive feedback, so thank you for the letters and contributions. As I suspected, we have received some complaints about the bullets. In response to that, we are going to use fuzzy teddy bears to rate our music reviews, because that is what true Christianity is about. We are also changing the name of the magazine to, “From the Tennis Court”, because that’s where real life happens. Those changes are scheduled to take place after the millennial reign, so keep your eyes open for that. (See page 28 for speciﬁcs on the bullets). In other news, this has been a jam packed month. Our subscriber numbers have been steadily climbing, as well as requests for Bibles. We have been working on a new website to support the immense growth that we are experiencing. Look for the release of the new site at the end of the month. We have packed this issue with a heaping serving of spirituality for your dining pleasure. If there is a topic that you would like to see us cover, please contact us, our information is on page 4. Thank you for joining us for issue two- Enjoy! Much Love, Jonathan Medina

Mail

Every Issue comes with an envelope. Drop us a line. We want to hear from you.

Hi, I really liked this mag. Thanks alot. I would love to keep receiving this magazine. It is the best thing I’ve gotten in the mail in a long time. ( I also loved the stickers). Guillermo Flores- California

I just wanted to write you guys this letter to say thanks I got my bible a few weeks ago and received my magazine last week. The ministry(s) you have are phenomonal. I really appreciate the devotionals in the magazine. The music review section was really cool

too. Since you mentioned my favorite band the OC Supertones. They’re a great band that has some inspirational lyrics. It’s too bad that this is their last year. Thanks again! Emily Kosanke - Wisconsin

I think your website is one of the best I have ever seen. Thank you for being a light in a dark place. Mike Johnson- New York

Battleﬁeld Magazine 5

Stupidity of

Girls

Integrity Quiz

Here is a pop-quiz for you all: What is most important to you- having integrity or being the center of attention? For those of you who don’t know the meaning of integrity- go have a look, before you answer. A few years ago, I would have answered that being the center of attention meant more to me. Then again, I was too busy trying to be the center of attention to even have time to consider my lack of integrity. I needed to lure guys in and try my hardest to keep them there, even if I didn’t have any interest in them. I liked the buzz of always having guys around who were attracted to me. It made me feel pretty darn special. Imagine how foolish I feel now, after learning that God’s love can supply me with that security. With Him, I know I am loved, and I can still feel pretty darn special, without having to sacrifice my integrity. Here’s a story for you: A few weeks ago, a friend called me wondering why all of these guys were thinking that she liked them. After digging a few more details out of her, I found out that she was leading them on, without even knowing it. She mentioned that she was lying in bed next to a guy (first mistake), when he attempted to kiss her she pulled away (too little too late), the guy tried a second time (guys are dense) and she kissed him back (the vicious cycle continues). Keep in mind she wasn’t even interested in this guy. Why was she lying next to him in bed, in the first place (Warning – Lying in bed next to a guy may be hazardous to your spiritual health, and is not recommended under any circumstances, with the exception of marriage.)? Talk about mixed messages. She was too afraid to tell him she wasn’t interested in him physically, for fear that he wouldn’t be interested in her at all. Many of us girls do this sort of thing. We want to be liked, and not rejected for telling a person how we truly feel; so- we carry on the opposite way, sacrificing our integrity in the process. Integrity is when you say what you mean, and do what you say. Your outside reflects your inside. Having the security of God’s love will be enough to keep you from sacrificing who you are and what you believe. And, to be honest, any guy that is worth your friendship will respect the honesty as well.

Check-It

Romans 8:38 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of

God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Psalm 25:21 (NIV) May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you;

I am Meredith-the mother of all things stupid. I have signiﬁcant experience with this topic. I have traveled the road of stupidity for… let’s just say,… a long time. I want to share my wealth of knowledge with you before it’s too late.

f the Sexes

Boys

Lego My Ego

No matter what kind of guy you are, there is always the ego factor that we have to deal with. If you’re an executive, it’s about who has the better Lexus, if you’re a football player, it’s about who can bench-press more; even if you’re a PC gamer, it’s about who “levels-up” faster in World of Warcraft; but what does it all mean? Why do we, as guys, always have to be “better” than the next guy? The simple truth is that, in the quiet stillness of our hearts, we know that we alone are worthless. In an effort to hide this fact we grasp at worldly treasures to define our value; to establish our identity. Amid mountains of disappointment, we continue to scramble for validation among men. Within this cycle, we will never find value or identity. This world and its riches can never satisfy us. The story remains the same. From King Solomon to countless celebrities today, no matter how much they accomplish or obtain, they still feel an emptiness inside. Solomon explained it best when he said, “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” We were designed to find our value in God. We were created to find our identity through God’s eyes. We are sinners whom God has sought to save. The death of your ego is when you realize you’re worthless without God. This evens the playing field, because without God, everyone is worthless. With God, everyone is worth saving. Worldly stature and titles can not change this spiritual dynamic. In the sight of God, you are no better than the next guy, and both of you are worth saving. Everyone is a sinner, and no one is worthy. Forget about your Lexus, your bench-press and your level 60 character, and fight for what life is really about: the building of God’s kingdom- not your own.

Check-It

Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NIV) Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Mark 9:35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “ If anyone wants to be ﬁrst, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Ecclesiastes 4:4 (NIV) And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring

I was a quick study in stupidity 101. Regardless of common sense and good advice, I was stubborn in my quest to make poor choices. I want to share with you some things that I’ve learned from falling on my face or watching others fall on theirs.

Scripture \\

Bible Study The Six Step (It’s like a dance) Read the passage and answer the questions afterward. Before you start reading, spend a little time in prayer, and ask God to speak to you through His Word. Acts 8:25-39 25 So, when they had solemnly testiﬁed and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. 26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court ofﬁcial of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGH-

TER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 33 “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

Battleﬁeld Magazine 8

Questions:

Answer the questions here and see page 23 for commentary. Describe what happened in this passage. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ What was the ﬁrst step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

What was the second step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What was the third step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What was the fourth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What was the ﬁfth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What was the sixth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Where do you personally see room for improvement in your witnessing approach? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ What was the gospel that Philip shared? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

? ?

How did Philip respond to the eunuch’s questions about being baptized? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

How is all this relevant to our lives? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Battleﬁeld Magazine 9

d n i M e h T f o n o Malnutriti that transformation (or lack of).

“You are what you eat,” my father said sternly. I whipped around in my chair and asked, “What do you mean?” He continued, “If you sit there and feed yourself garbage all day, that’s what is going to come out. You reap what you sow.” You might think he was reprimanding me about eating my dessert before dinner, but instead he was teaching me a spiritual truth. I don’t remember what I was doing that day- maybe watching MTV or playing Nintendo - but I’ll never forget what he said. Throughout my life my father’s words have continually proven true. We, as Christians, should understand that we are a product of what we put into our minds. We never think much about what goes on in our heads. For some reason, our thoughts don’t hold as much spiritual bearing as they should. We have become careless in our thought-life. Think about it: What do you allow yourself to get away with, in your thoughtlife? What are you mentally consuming? Every action is a thought, before it is an action. The Bible says, “for as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). A healthy mind is critical to our spiritual life. Our thoughts build a foundation for our actions. As we develop thought patterns, behavior patterns follow in their tracks. The mind is how we are transformed, and our actions are a by-product of

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. The Bible says that we are transformed by the renewing of the mind. That’s awesome- but what does it mean? What are we being transformed from- or more importantly, what are we being transformed into? Why does our mind need renewing? Since the beginning of the world, man has been driven by his nature. It’s the force that allowed Eve to eat the fruit, Cain to kill Able, and the city of Sodom to saturate itself in sexual impurity. It lives in all of us, or better said, we live by it: the flesh. The transformation is from the natural man (the flesh) to the spiritual man (the Spirit). Through the transformation, our nature becomes submitted to the Spirit. The heart of the conflict is whether to renew our minds, or to conform to the ways of the world. Our answer is in what we choose to fill our minds with. The Choice For thousands of years, Satan has been at work, before you and I even existed. He has been carefully crafting a culture that would occupy our mindsso that God can’t. He has mastered the outlets of media, entertainment, and even the church; creating a steady stream of distraction for our lives.

Battleﬁeld Magazine 10

He has created thought patterns to snare people with, and addictions which make a stronghold in the mind. You name it, and he has covered it. With such a treacherous enemy, how can we even stand a chance? Our hope is in God, our mighty defender. He has given us all the tools to overcome Satan. It is as simple as a diet, and it boils down to this- we choose what we eat. Isn’t it beautifully ironic that the only weapons Satan has against you are the ones that you give him? How can we make our mind healthy? It’s time for a diet.

Christians try to rationalize what is ok to mentally consume. The Bible helps us with the following scriptures: Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the ﬂesh in regard to its lusts.

The Diet Raise your hand if you’ve tried to go on a diet before. Ok- now how long did it last? I tried the Atkins diet (don’t laugh), but it didn’t last long, because I lacked some dieting essentials. For a diet to work, you need at least these three elements: First- you need to know what you can and can’t eat. Second- you need discipline (this is where most diets fail). Lastly- you need a goal or a destination. What Can You Eat? When I did the Atkins diet, I was constantly asking my mom what I could and couldn’t eat (she was the Atkins guru of the house). The problem was that I wasn’t exactly sure what was on the diet and what wasn’t. This is the same with your mind. You need to know what not to put in it. If you want to kick sinful habits, you need to stop feeding your mind sinful things, and start feeding it godly things. This is always where Battleﬁeld Magazine 11

By: Jonathan Medina

Make no provisions. This is similar to feeding a stray. If you continue to put food out for it, you can count on him always coming back. If you don’t put food out, after awhile, he won’t come around anymore. Psalm 101:3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Put no vile thing before your eye. Hmm… that narrows our choices. This is the standard that God has given us; as with everything, God expects us to be balanced in our discernment. Discipline Even though I was fuzzy about what may or may not be on the Atkins diet, there were still those items that I knew were off limits. Take doughnuts, for instance. From a bakery case, a scrumptious double chocolate doughnut would be staring me dead in the eyes. My dilemma didn’t last long; I would rationalize my choice to eat the doughnut by downplaying the ramiﬁcations to my diet, or by saying, “I am going to exercise today.” I would scarf down the doughnut in the car, before I got back home.

Sin carries the same nature. We are often tempted to consume spiritually unhealthy things. Satan dresses them up and makes them attractive, like the doughnut. We try to rationalize our decision, by saying a little won’t hurt, or I am going to do something extra spiritual after. Before long, we consume that thought, image, or attitude; it goes down smoothly. We do these things in the secret places of our mind, where no one can see, just as I ate the doughnut before I got home. Eventually, if I continued to secretly eat doughnuts, I would become unhealthy. My family and friends would start to recognize my swelled cheeks and a little extra padding around my mid- section. The same is true of an unhealthy thought-life; it will manifest itself in sin. The Goal Usually we go on diets to ﬁx a health condition. Most people have the mentality that, after the health condition is ﬁxed, the diet is over. This usually isn’t recommended, since a poor diet is probably the reason for your health condition. Then what should the goal of a diet be? To adapt your lifestyle Continued on Page 17...

Battleﬁeld Magazine 12

Music Reviews The OC Supertones: Faith Like a Child Release Date: 03.15.05 Label: BEC RECORDINGS / EMD After over a decade of rocking the Christian world, the OC Supertones make what may be their last album- they will be disbanding later this year. Is this worthy of being their last album? Will it satisfy fans who wanted one last project from the Tones? Sadly, I don’t think it makes the cut. It’s a great album, but there are no new Tones originals, and the worship stuff is from a project that was shelved by the record company ages ago. If you ask me, something smells like sloppy joe. Musically

+The Supertones carried

their unique style into this

worship project; it’s worship music, with a Supertones feel. The slower pace of the album really accents Matt’s vocals.

-It is hard to get used to the switch in vocals from Matt to Dan.

Spiritually +They really won me over by singing some hymns. I think that, in alot of cases, hymns are more pungent than the typical 7x11 praise songs (the same 7 words 11 times). The originals, that the Tones chose, really help to cultivate a heart of thanks to the Lord.

- None Highlights Louder Than the Mob, Come Thou Fount One Word: Supercalifragilisticexpi-

Battleﬁeld Magazine 14

iew v Re nd c e i us Leg

alidocious (No need to look it up, it’s spelled right.)

Kutless: Strong Tower Release Date: 03.01.05 Label: BEC RECORDINGS / EMD I listened to this CD 7 times waiting for it to work its magic, but to no avail. It was much like the feeling of getting ﬁreworks as a child. I would get home, rip open the package, and light the fuse, only to ﬁnd that it was a dud. Musically

+ It’s a good album for background noise.

Ammunition You may be asking, “Why use bullets as a rating system in music reviews, isn’t that a bit violent?” I have 2 things to say in response. 1) Read the name of the magazine again. 2) We live in a violent word where abortion (killing babies) is a form of birth control, forget about my rating system and go pray for these people. Musically Basically this section is about how the band sounds. We look at everything from production and instrument skills, to originality and style. X1 Sounds like a 2nd grade ﬂute-aphone concert.

- Their debut album was a driving rock

album that sounded a little too much like Creed. With their sophomore release, they broke into their signature sound with a more complex, mature and unique album. Then came Strong Tower, which I could at best call blah rock; it’s so standard that you lose interest quickly. The music is mediocre at best. Spiritually +They salvaged a couple of points for the 2 originals on the album. The originals serve the worship album nicely. They picked a nice mix of praise for the selection.

X2 I hear American Idol is having an audition near you. X3 Hey! That sounds like music. X4 Flippin sweet! X1 The kind of CD you listen to for three months straight.

Spiritually This section is about the content of the CD. Is it edifying? We look at everything from lyrical expression to doctrinal concepts.

X1 Satan has this one in his CD case. X2 Maybe if there was content it would be spiritual. X3 I feel a pulse!

- None

X4 Enough spiritual content to choke a horse*.

Highlights Take Me In, Strong Tower, I Lift My Eyes Up One Word: Mediocre

X1 Jesus would Jam to this CD.

*No horses were harmed in the writing of this legend. Battleﬁeld Magazine 15

Spin Of the Month The David Crowder Band: Sunsets and Sushi Release Date: 02.15.05 Label: SPARROW / EMD David Crowder does remixes? I was very skeptical. I liked The David Crowder Band since the ﬁrst time I saw them live, but I really haven’t been following them too closely. They never did anything that caught my attention, until now. I was ﬂoored when I heard this CD. It was the same DCB lyrics with a fresh new mix of electric, beat-based music. Musically

+It’s like chillout meets praise

music. Not only did DCB step out of their norm, but they did it well. The beats have a spacious, gritty feel to them. The vocals complement the new mix very well; I never would have guessed that they could make that work.

-None Spiritually +This is a spiritually solid album. DCB has been known for writing thoughtful, energetic, praise music, and that hasn’t changed.

- None Highlights O Praise Him, Intoxicating One Word: Joyful

Jennifer Lopez: Rebirth Release Date: 03.01.05 Label: Sony First things ﬁrst, if I could say anything to Jennifer Lopez about the cover art, I would say, “put some clothes on.” That aside, this album is disgustingly mediocre. If you’re looking for spiritual content, the only place you will ﬁnd it is in the liner notes where she thanks God. Musically

+This is where the album

scrapes up the little value that it has. Even so, the music isn’t extremely impressive. It has average, nice mixing, straightforward beats.

-Same old Pop/R&B formula, lacking

style and personality. Maybe she needs to bring Puffy back to produce, and mix it up a bit. Spiritually

+None

- This album is 12 songs of promiscuous, “boy meets girl”, pop-oganda. It is seriously lacking wit, purpose, and substance. Highlights None One Word: Lame If you are an under-appreciated music critic and you think you’ve got the stuff to write for “Battleﬁeld” magazine, then drop us a line.

Battleﬁeld Magazine 16

The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute Release Date: 03.01.05 Label: UNIVERSAL I wanted to review this album, but after the ﬁrst whacked out 15 min. track I decided that I would can the review. I listened to the album three times, and it was more painful each time. If you are looking for music, this isn’t for you. Now if you are looking for a horror ﬁlm soundtrack this is a good pick. The music was too abrupt and obscure to listen to. The band even admits that there is no intentional message in the lyrics. I can think of a hundred other ways to spend ten bucks.

t Nex

h...

t Mon

Continued from Page 12

from an unhealthy one, to a healthy one, this can be looked at as being transformed. Looking at this in a spiritual sense, we see the parallel. Our goal should be the cleansing of our mind, because that’s how we ought to walk, not to temporarily tend to a bad spiritual condition. We should watch our intake, so that we can be transformed. Our goal is to live holy, as Jesus did. Conclusion As you walk through life, and are faced with the stream of media and ideals that the enemy has prepared for you, stick to your diet. Don’t make provisions for your natural man; take another step toward being transformed into the spiritual man that God desires. How Heathy is Your Mind? 1) How many hours do you spend watching TV per week? ____________________________ 2) How many hours do you spend in prayer per week? (If you have to count in minutes, you have bigger problems?) ____________________________

Seventh Day Slumber: Once Upon a Shattered Life Bleach : Farewell Old Friends Lifehouse : Lifehouse Showbread: Show Review and more...

3) How many hours do you spend reading secular books and magazines per week? ____________________________ 4) How many hours do you spend reading the Bible per week? ____________________________ 5) How many hours do you spend reading Battleﬁeld magazine per week? ____________________________ (See page 24 for quiz results.)

Battleﬁeld Magazine 17

DVD Reviews

The Incredibles: Comedy Rated: PG Distributed By: Disney/Pixar Directed By: Brad Bird Staring: Craig Nelson- Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible Holly Hunter- Helen Parr/Elastigirl Samuel Jackson- Lucius Best/Frozone Brad Bird- Edna Mode Dominique Louis- Bomb Voyage Eli Fucile- Jack Jack Parr Elizabeth Pena- Mirage Jason Lee- Buddy Pine/Syndrome John Ratzenberger- Underminer Sarah Vowell- Violet Parr Spencer Fox- Dashiell Parr/Dash Wallace Shawn- Gilbert Huph

I watched this movie in the theater, it was very entertaining. Although I was laughing, and enjoying the movie, some greater themes were tugging at me. Get ready for a heavy review... The Story Super heroes are starting to wear out their welcome in the world. People don’t want to be saved anymore. Class action suits against the super heroes begin to cost the country millions of dollars. Super heroes are forced to go into hiding, and live normal, mundane lives. The story is about a family of super heroes and how they interact in regular life. The Skinny The movie’s story has much more to say underneath the surface. The story, as a whole, reminds me of the way society has pushed God out. We proclaim we don’t want to be saved. It’s like our arrogance has demanded that

we stand alone; that we ﬁght our own battles without a superhero waiting in the wings to save us. If we were to keep this analogy, the story would go on to show that even though we have forced God “into hiding”, so to speak, He is still secretly operating for our good. Amid the conspiracy to wipe Him out, He still triumphs. On a lower level, the movie speaks of exceptional people who can’t ﬁnd happiness in the average life. The Bible says that “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48) If we are blessed as Christians, we should put that blessing to work! There is no excuse for living the “average” Christian life. Check this movie out with those themes in mind and you may get something out of it. At the very least, you will laugh and be entertained.

Battleﬁeld Magazine 18

Laugh it up clown!

.C G.A.

Is The Raft Half Empty or Half Full? - Kenn Kenington On a sunny day in August, we met our friends for a leisurely ride down the Chattahoochee River. We’ll call them Tommy and Monica since… those are their names. They purchased a neverbeen-used raft at a sale that sells new/old stuff. I guess it is the same place that provides new antiques. We quickly discovered one of the reasons why it was such a great deal. The screw-in plug that keeps the air hole closed was missing. My mind immediately went to the next idea for the day, since the raft trip was obviously over, but not Tommy’s. “Let’s go ﬁnd some,” he optimistically proclaimed. We sheepishly asked every rental place within several miles of the launch, if they had this type of plug. After the laughter each time, we were informed that those types of rafts have been gone for years. Several of the younger rental experts claimed to have never seen a raft that old. “Is that what the Indians used during the Civil War?”, one menza candidate inquired. The last place we checked actually had an old, rotted raft in the back with

the plugs still attached. The guy felt great pity and told us they were ours if we wanted them. The air was pumped in, and the raft was ready. A very slight hiss was coming from the one plug, but we decided such a small leak could not possibly let out enough air, in such a big raft. We did notice a bit of squishiness to our boat during our three hour tour down the river. It was not until we reentered the yellow craft after lunch that we realized this little leak was a big problem. More than half the air was gone and water began pouring into our raft no matter how we sat. Others would paddle by offering to help, but our pride had taken over and all we replied was, “We’re OK.” Our raft was now a large yellow taco. It was so folded up that we couldn’t even reach over the sides far enough for the paddles to touch the water (well, I mean the water on the outside of the boat). The paddles could touch the water on the inside of the boat just ﬁne; but did us no good in our attempt to steer.

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The fun parts were when we lacked any form of buoyancy, and got caught on every rock in the river. Tommy and I would have to jump out and dislodge the big yellow taco. After repeating this frustration about forty times I had enough. I was frustrated enough to beat the band, and ready to just try to swim to the end. Then we spotted the exit ramp. At that moment, we hit the ﬁnal rock in the river and got stuck yet again.

to count on a little forgiveness, this was it. Before I could let my stored up frustration loose, I looked to the other side of the boat where Tommy had just emerged from the same face-down-ina-foot-of-water position. I ﬁgured we would cuss together and feel a moment of relief. Instead he screamed, “This is AWESOME!”

I screamed, “Where have you been?!” Smiling ear to ear he laughed as we dragged the lifeless taco from the river. I was stunned by his response. I had Pushing off, we had to jump back into just experienced the same circumstancthe flimsy sides causing the taco to es, yet he had the ability to find pure shift. I was face down in a foot of water joy in it. I have since found that having as I contemplated breathing again, but Tommy’s ability on several occasions instead I arched back and prepared to has produced some of the best comedy cuss really loud. I am a firm believer material. It really is true that circumin grace, and if ever there was a time stances do not have to rule us. Special thanks to Kenn for taking some time out of his busy schedule to write us an article.

Kenn Kington Kenn is one of the most sought after comedians in the country, and one of the most creative and humorous marriage and singles speakers anywhere. Check out his website www.kennkington.com/

Comments: We may laugh at this cartoon, but surprisingly we often do the same things in our lives. We tie God’s hands by leaning on our own understanding.

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Ministry Spotlight Glory Skateboards The setting in America is tragic. The youth are being exploited and the “MTV Kingdom” is being built on their backs at the expense of their integrity. Kids are enslaved to trends; any effort to be free comes at the price of rejection and ridicule. One company has launched an attack against the pop culture machine. Armed with the gospel of Christ and skateboards, Jonathon Mills and his company, Glory Skateboards, are teaching kids to stand up and stand out. I had a chance to interview Jonathon Mills (owner) and Jason Armatis (rider) about the focus and future of Glory Skateboards. Warzone Ministries: What is Glory?

Jonathon Mills: Glory Skateboards started with one deck, a folding table and big dreams. I remember thinking, “someday we will have a website, or maybe someday we can host skate parks at Billy Graham crusades.” Those big dreams have become a reality for us. We have set up shop at places like the Billy Graham crusades, Spirit West Coast, and we have a great website up too. Warzone Ministries: Are all the employees of Glory Christians? Jonathon Mills: All the employees at Glory are Christians. What fellowship does light have with darkness? At Glory we surround ourselves with the light and people who are like minded. Jason and I both agree that this is their strongest team in the last 2 years.

Jonathon Mills: Glory is a traveling skateboard company, whose focus is evangelism. Our motto here is “All for His Glory”. From the management to the athletes, we are all seeking to use our talents and treasure for God’s glory. We want kids to know that they can be part of what is in and have fun without sacriﬁcing their personal beliefs. There is no need for sex, drugs and rock & roll.

Warzone Ministries: What obstacles do you see in the future for Glory Skateboards?

Jason Armatis: I was a skater before I got saved. God knows the desires of our hearts. He gave me the sport back and now I do it to let the kids know that there is something bigger than skateboarding. We might not be the best skaters, but we all love God, and if you love God then He will open doors for you.

Warzone Ministries: How are you addressing this?

Warzone Ministries: How did Glory start?

Jason Armatis: Another issue I see is: it’s not only reaching the kids, it’s the people

Jonathon Mills: One thing that is hard is when Glory leaves a show or festival. How can we get the kids to continue to stand out? Glory opens the door for dialog, but I feel some responsibility to carry this on even after we leave.

Jonathon Mills: We try to get them plugged into a local church. We also give them our contact information and they can keep in touch with us via email or something.

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they are looking up to. The people like the youth pastors and leaders. I read somewhere that something like 9% of Christians actually truly hold to a Christian world view, and that shows. What you wear says something about what you stand for. We need to start showing the leaders that what they wear tells the kids something about them. Jonathon Mills: Parents also need to start taking responsibility for their kids. I was appalled to see what some of these girls were wearing at Spirit West Coast. These girls were walking around with nothing on, and the guys are getting in trouble for looking. I know the guys shouldn’t look, but the girls should be watching what they wear. How do you change the parents’ view of what is too short? All of this chaos is stemming from what society wants us to listen to, and what society wants us to wear. Glory wants to educate the parents and the church leadership on what the world is selling and offer them an alternative. Warzone Ministries: What do you mean by “educate parents”? Jonathon Mills: Kids are spending money on brands like Vans and Tony Hawk, when they don’t even know that there are ministries out there trying to reach people. It is important to invest your money in ministry. Glory gives you an opportunity to do that and to get some cool gear at the same time. Warzone Ministries: What is the next move for Glory?

Jonathon Mills: We are moving into a whole new phase in 2005. We want to make a mobile skateboard competition with prizes. This will not only get the kids in the youth group involved, but also the kids in the community. The vision is to have a bunch of competitions, then narrow it down to 3 skaters. It would be once a year, in one arena, with one winner. Warzone Ministries: Do you have any plans to take this beyond California? Jonathon Mills: Yeah- eventually the vision is to take it to other states, but for right now we are going to start in California. Our product is available to anyone in the US. Warzone Ministries: Is there anything else you want to add? Jonathon Mills: This absolutely needs to be in the article. I would like to thank my wife Elizabeth for all that she has done. I could not have done it without her. In the beginning she worked 3 jobs just so I could do Glory. We have been married for 6 years, and we now have a new daughter Hailey Reagan Mills. I would also like to thank my father (biological) for all the wisdom that he has shared with me and the team. Jason Armatis: I would like to thank my wife also, for standing by me through the struggles. Sometimes it seems that we are doing this selﬁshly, but she can see what God is doing through us. Even when we were getting spit on by the world, we still know we are doing right.

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Bible Study // Commentary Acts 8:25-39 Commentary Describe what happened in this passage. In this passage, Philip is instructed by the Spirit of God to pursue an Ethiopian eunuch. Philip obeys; this leads him to an opportunity to share the gospel. After hearing the gospel the eunuch gets baptized. We can look at this like a road map to witnessing. What was the first step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? The first step was Philip’s state of mind. He was receptive to the Spirit of God. This is evident because he hears the instructions loud and clear. What was the second step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? After hearing the Spirit, Philip had a choice: he could either ignore the Spirit or follow it. Philip chose to follow the Spirit. This was his second step. What was the third step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? By listening to the Spirit Philip found himself running alongside the eunuch’s chariot. He heard the eunuch reading from the book of Isaiah and asked him if he understood. The third step Philip took was recognizing a need or opportunity and he made himself available to fill it. Philip recognized the eunach’s need for knowledge and understanding. What was the fourth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? Step four is the one that most Christians miss. As you can see from the passage, Philip didn’t run along the

Bible History 101 Eunuch Literally bed-keeper or chamberlain, and not necessarily in all cases one who was mutilated, although the practice of employing such mutilated persons in Oriental courts was common (2 Kings 9:32; Esther 2:3). The law of Moses excluded them from the congregation (Deut. 23:1). They were common also among the Greeks and Romans. It is said that even today there are some in Rome who are employed in singing soprano in the Sistine Chapel. Three classes of eunuchs are mentioned in Matt. 19:12. Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary

side of the chariot and yell over, “Hey eunuch, let me tell you what that passage means.” He waited for the eunuch to ask, “How can I understand it if no one explains it.” As Christians, we have a tendency to just charge ahead into people’s lives without an invitation. It’s no wonder why people get defensive. Remember that if the Spirit led you there, the invitation will come. What was the ﬁfth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? Step ﬁve is another one that is missing from the common Christians’ witness approach. Philip was ready to present the Gospel. Without hesitation, starting with the very scripture that the eunuch was reading, Philip presented Christ to him. What was the sixth step that Philip took in witnessing to the eunuch? The last thing Philip did was stick around. Philip could have gone his

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separate way after preaching. Imagine Quiz Results if he did, he would have missed the These results were made for Christians; we baptism. I know I can personally say that have a responsibility to guard their hearts and mind from secular ideas. This was intended to I have jumped off the proverbial chariot after witnessing. I am guilty of not follow- be fun so take everything on this list with a grain of salt, but also consider your numbers. God ing up with people or not staying with may be telling you something through them. people through their time of questions. 1) How many hours do you spend watching It is important to stick around or to “go TV per week? down the road” for a time with people. Where do you personally see room for improvement in your witnessing approach? This question should be answered personally. What was the gospel that Philip shared? It was short and sweet; Philip told him that Jesus was lead like a lamb to the slaughter for him. How did Philip respond to the eunuch’s questions about being baptized? Philip told him, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” Verse 37 was noted to be absent from early transcripts according to the NASB footnotes. Regardless, it is still very possible that Philip confirmed the eunuch’s sincerity, which is an important factor in any conversion. How is all this relevant to our lives? In our daily walks remember the six steps. Talking to people about Christ is like a dance. You don’t want to jerk your partner around the dance floor. Instead, you want to lead your partner. Step one, be receptive to the Spirit. Step two, move by the Spirit’s direction. Step three, recognize a need or opportunity and make yourself available to fill it. Step four, wait for an invitation. Step five, be ready. Step six, travel the road with them.

0-5 You lost your remote and you don’t care. 6-12 Still in the safe zone. 13-23 Do you drink from sewer pipes too? 24-Up Congratulations. You just wasted a whole day of your week. Keep this up for a year and you could literally waste nearly 2 months out of a year in front of the TV. 2) How many hours do you spend in prayer per week? (If you have to count in minutes, you have bigger problems?) 24-Up God will be taking you soon, since you spend most of your time with Him anyway. 13-23 You must be praying for others. 6-12 More than the average Christian, but is that a good thing? 0-5 God called, He wants His heart back. 3) How many hours do you spend reading secular books and magazines per week? (Studying doesn’t count, as if you would spend over an hour studying.) 0-5 Reading is not a crime. 6-12 At least you’re not watching TV. 13-23 Fahrenheit 451 is your worst nightmare. 24-Up I have good news and bad news. The good news is you are an avid reader; the bad news is you’re a heathen. 4) How many hours do you spend reading the Bible per week? 24- Up You have two things running through your veins: blood and scripture. 13-23 Bible thumpa (that’s a good thing). 6-12 Nice. It looks like you’re making a habit out of it. 0-5 The Bible was not meant to be used as a door stop. 5) How many hours do you spend reading Battleﬁeld magazine per week? 24-Up Step away from the magazine. 13-23 You must be digging deeper. 6-12 Is it that good? 0-5 I promise next issue will be better.

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Testimony : Brian Welch

From Korn to Christ

Photos By: Marilyn Whipkey Written By: Jonathan Medina

It’s like an eclipse; that rare and exciting occasion when a heavy metal icon repents and turns to Christ. This was the case with Brian Welch or “Head” from the crazy guitar duo, behind the platinum metal band, Korn. After years of living the heavy metal lifestyle, Brian Welch found himself against a wall. He was addicted to methamphetamine; he had a six year old daughter and wanted to die. In his desperate search for a way out, Brian found himself in church, as a last ditch effort to kick his drug habit. Even though he submitted his resignation letter to Korn’s management on Feb 8th 2005, God was tugging on his heart long before. Brian was quoted by MTV News “I’ve had a problem with the way things were going since the second record. I mean, we would do things, and I would be like, ‘Oh, this is metal! This is the rock and roll life!’ But inside, I thought they took it too far. It was a little

too crude for me.” He pointed out, “I can go up there and play those songs, and those solos, but I distanced myself from Korn for probably a year and a half, two years.” On February 20th 2005, Korn fans in the Bakersfield area couldn’t believe their ears as Brian elaborated on his recent conversion to Bakersfield radio station KRAB: “I just wanted to fade away, it was crazy. I was so gone, but I found my way out and I want to help anyone that wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel.” The Sunday following his radio interview, Brian gave his testimony to 10,000 people over a span of three services. When asked what his life was like before Christ, he responded, “I thought I had everything. I had money. Money was pouring in. Women. Everything, like when you were a teenager you thought was life. Money to me was everything, but through the years I found that it’s nothing; because money can’t buy happiness. Happiness comes from one place and that’s the Lord.” He also shared about his addiction. “I was addicted to meth. I was reading and I was trying to quit for months. I was on it for 2 years of my life. I fooled everyone, no one knew it. I was reading on the internet trying to quit. I went to a rehab place. I couldn’t quit. I believe He made me go through that; I believe He made that drug because there is only one cure. Rehabs cannot cure it. I hit rock bottom, but once I came here (Church) (he snaps his fingers) just like that. I quit. I came here and I just said show me how to quit, and I quit. I couldn’t do it man. I tried man, I‘m telling you.”

He concluded his testimony with, “I am on fire for the Lord; I’m not going to lose it. I’m going to dump it out.” Shortly after sharing his testimony, Brian flew to Israel to be baptized by Pastor Veitti (Valley Bible Fellowship) in the Jordan River on March 5th. Since then, Brian has been busy with everything from teaming up with Steven Baldwin, to writing a song for rapper 50 cent (he says it’s a letter from God to 50). He even launched a website (www.headtochrist.com). Brian plans to release a solo project soon; all of the profits will go to funding skate parks and furthering his ministry efforts. He is also planning to do a reality TV show as a witness to his changed life. Another testimony. Another life changed. God continues to save people in ways that blow our minds and bring Him glory. Keep Brian in your prayers, and be encouraged by God’s mercy in his life.

Brain Welch signing autographs outside of Valley Bible Fellowship Church

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midst of danger and violence. Ephesians 6:12-13 12 For our struggle is not against ﬂesh and blood, but against the

O H MY ! , s r a e B d n a , ds rulers, against the ts, Battlefiel

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powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand ﬁrm.

As I mentioned in our “Ministry Briefing”, we have received some negative feedback on the bullets and other war-related imagery that we use. I would like to clarify the reasoning behind using such imagery. I want to start by saying that we are not here to promote violence or killing. We are not calling people to act violently in any way. Our ministry is based on the simple truth that we are in a spiritual war. Here is the situation as the Bible explains it: 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy...” We have an enemy that wants to hurt us. Wouldn’t you say that the scriptures above are pretty violent? Should we take them out of the Bible because of their violent nature? Of course not; we must understand that we live in the

This scripture confirms that there is a struggle. There are forces of Darkness and wickedness that we must protect ourselves from. Saying that we live in a spiritual warzone, or on a spiritual battlefield isn’t as much a metaphor as it is the truth. We are trying to awaken people to that truth. 2 Peter 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. We are soldiers of Christ. The Bible is clear that we should take up arms for the spiritual battle that is happening right now. Lastly, I would like to deal specifically with the bullet rating system. We chose bullets because they relate best with our overall message. We are trying to communicate how much ammunition that the specific albums carry, specifically in a spiritual sense. In war, ammunition is crucial; with that in mind if you examine how much ammunition an album has, that will tell you how helpful it will be on “The Battlefield” of real life. I hope this was helpful in understanding our vision.

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Do you want to receive “From the Battlefield” Magazine every month for “whatever you can afford?” OK, here is what you do: - Cut this page out- I know, it’s painful but it must be done. - Cut the cards out - follow the dotted line. - Fill out your information - with a pen. - Buy a stamp and put it on the back- I know 37 cents is a lot, but see if you can get a loan or something. - Put it in the mail and wait by the mail box for your first issue. Don’t be selfish. Hook one of your friends up, that’s why there are two. You can also subscribe @ www.warzoneministries.com From the

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