Battlefield Magazine June 2005 by Jonathan Medina

www.warzoneministries.com

From the

Battlefield June 2005

ion

T Decor att ation O o r Des os ecrat

Reviews

Kids in the Way: Apparitions of Melody Jaci Velasquez: Beauty Has Grace Jars Of Clay: Redemption Songs Casting Crowns: Live in Atlanta

Star Wars: Episode III -Review

BOb a Gets g in Speed t! e Tick

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

www.warzoneministries.com

Contents C ontents June 2005

The Juice Stupidity of the Sexes 6- Girls - Innocent Seduction? 7- Boys - If You’re Broke, Don’t Fix It

drink it up

Bible Study: Death of the Double-Minded 8- Passage /Questions 23- Commentary Feature: 10- Tattoos: Decoration or Desecration

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

Reviews 14- Kids in the Way: Apparitions of Melody Jaci Velasquez: Beauty Has Grace 16- Jars Of Clay: Redemption Songs Casting Crowns: Live in Atlanta 17- Star Wars: Episode III

The Bubble we call home our christian bubble of protection

Laugh it Up Clown! 20- Bob Gets a Speeding Ticket! - Bob Smiley 19- Ministry Spotlight Positive 89.3

24- Five Lame Reasons for a Christian to get a Tattoo. 28- Prayers Challenging those who carry the label “Christian” to also carry their cross.

From the

Battlefield Magazine ________________________ Staff Designer : Jonathan Medina

Soldiers of the Month Art Consultants: Roberto Comparan Dionne Brocco Editor: Meredith Wyant _______________________ Contributors Writing: Jonathan Medina Meredith Wyant Bob Smiley Photography: Night Vision Artist Management (Kids in the Way Pg.14) Monthly Financial: Meredith Wyant Eve Medina Glory Skateboards Transformed Clothing Disciple Clothing

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

Name: John Pedone Age: 58 and still very young in mind, heart & spirit. Location: Vermont Favorite Verse: John 4:11, I have referred back to this scripture often when I have struggled with adversity in my life. It helps me deal with stressful issues. Beware of the satisfaction of sinking back and saying “It can’t be done”; you know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness is deep, but make the effort and look away to Him. I Dig Warzone Ministries Because: As a sports official and coach, I see so many young people, preteens and teens, who have no focus in their lives. Parents, believers and unbelievers, who live their lives as part of the world, give no guidance to these young people. Warzone Ministries brings to these young people what they need, to be at peace with themselves and who they are. It gives them hope and guidance where there is none through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They do it with language that kids can relate to and not, what I call “adult speak.” Believable, honest and spiritfilled articles that hit home with many of these kids. Merits: See Ministry Briefing.

Name: Delores Pedone Age: 56 and still very young at heart. Location: Vermont Favorite Verse: Psalm 23, Whenever I wane in my faith, the Holy Spirit guides me to those calming “still waters” to restore my soul. Although I have a difficult time memorizing scripture, I knew it was necessary for me to plant these verses within my spirit to bring to memory whenever needed. Through continuing trials, I am thankful for David’s heartfelt words reminding me of the Lord’s endless provisions. I Dig Warzone Ministries Because: Over the years, I have seen so few outlets for the young people especially Christian teens and young adults so when the Battlefield Magazine was created and distributed, I was excited. The articles genuinely address the issues young adults have to face daily in this immoral world. Warzone Ministries is on the cutting edge for our next generation of Christian soldiers. Thank you Warzone Ministries for persevering through the initial trials to make this a reality. Merits: See Ministry Briefing.

Ministry Briefing

Hola (That means “Hello” in Spanish.), We have a great issue lined up for you. We may stir a little controversy with our tattoo article, so we are excited about that. It looks like we didn’t meet our “early month release” goal. We are going to stick to the mid/late month magazine release. To the three people who were complaining, I apologize, try not to lose sleep over this. As you may or may not know, it costs a great deal of money to run a ministry like this. Don’t worry I am not asking you for any; you can relax. I want to share some of God’s work with you guys and publicly praise Him for His provision. Last month we had around $1400.00 dollars of unpaid ministry expenses. We hit a wall. We continually prayed all month. As the days passed, I became increasingly more curious about when and how God was going to provide us with the necessary funds. It was a Monday night; I was talking with a couple who have been supporting the ministry in various different ways. They said that they were going to do their annual yard sale and donate the proceeds to Warzone Ministries. I thanked them and throughout the week we prepared for the sale. Twenty five trips to the attic and one hundred boxes later, we were ready for the sale. Saturday morning we setup bright and early. We prayed for five hundred dollars, that was much more than they had ever made at one of their yard sales. Secretly, I knew God would do better. They told me that they didn’t have a chance to put it in the paper so God was going to have to bring the people. After an hour of sitting around looking at caterpillars, and chewing on grass we had our first customer; she bought a stuffed animal and a coffee mug. We were making strides! Only $499.25 to go. To make a long story, longer – we worked all day Saturday. As customer after customer came, I couldn’t help but to think of John 21:6. At the end of the day, the total was up to $960.00. We decided to continue the sale again Sunday after church. When all was said and done the yard sale yielded $1440.00. We truly would like to thank John and Dolores Pedone, for hosting the yard sale and for their continued support. They are our soldiers of the month. It’s people like them, who give selflessly of their time and finances that really allow for God’s work to be done through ministries like ours. God bless. 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. Battlefield Magazine 5

Check-It

Proverbs 7:21 With her many persuasions she entices him; with her ﬂattering lips she seduces him.

Proverbs 7:24-26 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not stray into her paths. For many are the victims she has cast down, And numerous are all her slain.

Innocent Seduction? It’s a wonderful rush, isn’t it? The adrenaline’s pumping, the guy’s full attention is on you, there is the feeling of being in control, and that new sense of power in your feminine nature is coming through. Do you actually know what that buzz feeling is? For the inexperienced...probably not. It’s a very subtle feeling; so hard to detect when it’s there. It is so subtle, yet powerful, that a girl might not even see what she’s doing in order to get the rush. A girl might not notice that she is sitting on a guy’s lap, or holding another guy’s hand a little while later. To her, she might not even know she’s doing anything wrong. Her mind might be saying, “But they are just my brothers in Christ, right? They know I’m not serious.” Now- let’s review this: First, would the rush be any good, if the guy wasn’t affected by it? Let’s say that the guy wasn’t paying you any attention, and that you weren’t in control. Would you even bother sitting on the guy’s lap in the ﬁrst place? Would you even bother to rub up against him? I mean, obviously, if you’re feminine nature isn’t getting any feedback, why would you bother? Play NiceYou like the guy as a friend: Be respectful of his feelings. Don’t play with his head. If you know that he cares about you, be straightforward, and tell him how you feel about him- or you will become as bad as the guys you complain about.

Girls

You like the guy as more than a friend: Slow down. Why the rush? A relationship shouldn’t be entered into lightly. God wants to direct this process. If God feels you aren’t ready, and that you need more time to grow in Him, take that time and cultivate your relationship with Him ﬁrst. When you are ready and are strong in the Lord, He will make the path known. Don’t torture this guy. It isn’t right to tempt him, and to lead him astray for your own personal gain. Be respectful, and wait on God’s timing for the rest.

Meredith Wyant 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. Battleﬁeld Magazine 6

James 1:2-3 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

If You’re Broken, Don’t Fix It. Men, myself especially, have an innate desire to fix things. I remember one time when I was about 12 years old; a radio that we had been using broke. Right away, I grabbed my Philips head screwdriver and said, “I’ll fix it.” I took the radio into my room and set it on a makeshift workbench (an old cabinet door with 2 bricks on either end supporting it). I worked for hours and took the radio completely apart. I fiddled with the insides, but after awhile, I was helpless. Not only did I fail to fix it, but now I couldn’t even put it back together again. It sat forever in the corner of my room as a pile of screws and plastic. It’s funny how so many of us approach our lives in the same way. When something in us breaks, we start tinkering around; changing the way we do things, trying to fill the sporadic blotches of emptiness. There are three things you must know about being broken: One, we all break. Two, you can’t fix it. Three, there is a purpose. We all break. It usually happens in the dark, cold, and harsh moments of our lives. We realize that there is something wrong and we try to fix it, but can’t. Jesus promises we will break-either we fall upon Him and are broken, or He falls upon us and scatters us like dust. In other words, we will realize our inadequacy either by letting God fill us or by continually trying to fix ourselves to no end.

Boys

You can’t ﬁx it. It’s a humbling experience when your best efforts fail. When you are vulnerable and helpless, that is when God’s power is most apparent. God wants you to know that you can’t live without Him. That’s why we cannot ﬁx ourselves.

There is a purpose. God continually breaks us throughout life. He leaves us in the dark, hurting, to build faith. He stretches the path, longer than you ever expected, to teach you endurance. In the end, He breaks you to rebuild you. Everyone breaks. Resist your urge to try and ﬁx it alone. Pray without ceasing, live God’s word in your life, and He will ﬁx you. Don’t resist brokenness- search for God in it.

Jonathan Medina 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. Battleﬁeld Magazine 7

Check-It

Luke 20:18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Scripture \\

Bible Study Death of the Double-Minded

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.

James 4 1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7 Submit therefore to God Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11 Do not speak against one another, brethren He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a proﬁt.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Battleﬁeld Magazine 8

Questions:

Answer the questions here and see page 23 for commentary. What is the source of their quarrels and conﬂicts? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Why don’t the people get what they ask for? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

Why are the people being called Adulteresses? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Can you be a friend of the world and of God? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Who does God give grace to? Why do you think that is? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ In verses 7-8 how are we instructed to live? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Why are they told to be miserable and mourn? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ How can we be exalted by God? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Why should we not speak against our brethren? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

? ?

What do verses 13-15 say about making plans? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Based on verse 17 how would you deﬁne sin? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Battleﬁeld Magazine 9

Tattoos Decoration Or Desecration Written By: Jonathan Medina

This article is likely to start a fist-fight in some churches. If that happens, make sure you do it in an open area (not the nursery) and have plenty of tissues available for the “bloody nose” possibility. All jokes aside- I want to clearly state what this article is not about: I am not condemning those who have tattoos, nor can I say that everyone who has ever gotten a tattoo has been wrong or sinful. The purpose of this article is to test our thinking. I’m sure that you’ve heard of “crash testing;” they do it with cars. They take a car, put a dummy into it, and drive it into a wall at high speeds. After the crash, they examine the car and the dummy to rate the safety of the car. The more the car holds up, the better the rating. Today we are going to check the safety rating of tattoo avocation. Here’s how it’s going to work: I am going to defend the idea that tattoos are spiritually unhealthy (crowd jeers and boos). I know, I know, it is not a popular pick, but it’s what God has impressed upon my heart. So before you start whining in self justification or raging in misplaced annoyance for my view, take some time to test your thinking with me. We will not cling to Leviticus 19:27-29, nor will we get caught up in dogmatic ideals; instead, we will examine everything carefully (1 Thessalonians 5:21). So let’s buckle up as we test the spiritual safety of “Tattoo Avocation.” Leviticus Before we get too deep, let’s talk about the first thing that comes up when you mention tattoos. Leviticus 19:27-29 27 You shall not round off the side-growth

of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD. “I guess that settles it. Everyone who cuts their sideburns or gets a tattoo is going to be thrown in the ﬁery pit.” Whoa, one second, let’s look at the scripture in context. These verses were part of what is called the Levitical law (say that 7 times fast). The law is an instruction manual for how the Jews should conduct themselves as the chosen people of God. “Oh, then it’s only for the Jews, let’s just ignore it.” Not so fast turbo, sit down for a second and let’s dig deeper. Clearly we should not respond like either of the above commentsboth are premature and imbalanced. The question we should be asking is: why does God want His people to conduct themselves in this way? The true value of this scripture is found in the answer. God wants His people to be separate and set apart for Him. When this scripture was written, the things that God says not to do, were things that the heathens practiced. God didn’t want His people getting tattoos, because it would identify them with the heathens. Do you think that tattoos still represent rebellion? It’s been my observation that they do. Rebellion against: society, parents, your image, authority, and even God. Is it right for God’s people to be identiﬁed with a culture of rebellion? God makes it clear in Leviticus that He wants His people to be set apart. You may be saying “Tattoos don’t identify you with a culture of rebellion.” Ok, fair enough. If you don’t accept that tattoos represent a rebellion culture then tell me

Battleﬁeld Magazine 10

what culture they do represent. No matter what you say, we all know that they do not belong to Christian culture. In essence, getting a tattoo is separating yourself from Christian culture and identifying yourself with a different culture. Your body is a temple This is the second thing that usually comes up when we debate tattoos: the fact that your body is a temple. This is where the title of the article comes from. By getting a tattoo, are we decorating or desecrating the temple of God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? Though I believe wholeheartedly that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and that we should make every effort to keep them healthy, presentable, and Godhonoring, I want to focus on the other part of the scripture. “You are not your own.” I think we as Christians have missed this concept. We don’t even own our own bodies. It’s like renting a movie from Blockbuster, marking all over it with a Sharpie, and then trying to return it. What response do you think you’d get? Your body is a temple, but for who? Think about your actions: whom do you commit your service to?

Who are you really serving? The problem is that in crafting a self-serving spirituality, we have learned to ask the wrong questions, such as: How is what I am doing wrong? Who is it hurting? Asking these questions may help to justify your actions, but alone, these questions will not satisfy God’s call for you. If you can’t see how it is wrong, then you should ask how it is right. If you can’t see that your decision will hurt anyone, then you should ask how it will help someone. God’s call on our lives is to live beyond legality, beyond the attitude of “how much can I get away with, without sinning?” Our attitude should be “how close can I live to God’s law? How much can I serve Him?” Is getting a tattoo really about serving God? Motives Why get a tattoo? Motives really represent the heart of the matter, not to mention the heart of the person. This is the proving ground. God looks to your heart for the verdict. Motives originate from one of two places: Selfishness or Holiness. Selfishness I won’t mince words with you- to get a tattoo for selfish motives is foolishness. It’s silly that I should have to remind you of your vow to serve God, instead of yourself. If that isn’t what you signed up for when you became a Christian, then you should check the Word of God. We have committed ourselves to death, and to house the life of Christ in us. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Holiness Is it possible to get a tattoo with the motive of holiness? Christians who support tattoos often say something to this effect: “It’s ok to get a tattoo if it is for witnessing.” Well, what does it mean to be a witness?

a conversation piece where the mention of God can occur, but is that truly witnessing? It’s like my “I love Jesus” boxers. I am sure if I walked into the supermarket wearing only my “I love Jesus” boxers and a Kutless T-shirt, I would start some conversations. Some of these conversations could possibly give me the opportunity to talk about God (or explain why I don’t have any pants on), but like a tattoo, my appearance may also detour people. If you credit a tattoo for witnessing opportunities then you must also give it credit for the missed opportunities it may cause- missed opportunities that you will be responsible for. The truth is that a tattoo does nothing more than what a t-shirt can do. Being a witness isn’t about tattoos, t-shirts, or bumper stickers, nor is it about casual conversation in the supermarket. It is about consistently representing God to the people in your life. A true witness is built over time through relationships. It’s about pointing people to God through an obedient lifestyle. Conclusion I won’t say that God has never used tattoos for His glory, but by the same token He has also used the death of loved ones to bring His glory. Should we go out and start killing people’s families to give God the opportunity to show His glory? Absolutely not! Just because God can use/has used tattoos for His purposes, doesn’t mean it’s something we as Christians are called to do. Where do you stand? What motive can really justify a tattoo? Is it ok to identify ourselves with a culture of rebellion, or mark a body that doesn’t belong to you? Will you accept conversations in the supermarket as your acceptable service to share God’s love and hope? Will you settle for a selfserving spirituality that seeks self-justiﬁcation instead of sanctiﬁcation? How long will we let society infect our Christian culture? How long will we allow compromise into our lives? Walk in peace brethren.

There is no argument that tattoos can be Battleﬁeld Magazine 12

Tattoos: Decoration or Desecration Your Voice

We asked you what you thought about Christians getting tattoos. Here is what some of you said.

Naomi Tull- Pennsylvania : Honestly, how could we possibly improve the appearance of the body which has been made in the image of God? Are tattoos really a witnessing tool or marketing gimmick? There are many groups in the world that are identifiable by their tattoos, but it is impossible to further the gospel using the world’s methods. God doesn’t need gimmicks to do His work... True Christianity is about deflection, not attraction anyway. We are to deflect attention from ourselves and towards God. Brittany Ballew- South Carolina: I do think that tattoos are fine for a Christian to have. I have not read any where in the bible that says you cannot have a tattoo and be a Christian. I really don’t see what the big deal is about having one any way. I mean I can understand if the tattoo on the Christian is inappropriate. But other than that I don’t think that it is wrong to have a tattoo and be a Christian. But hey that is just my opinion most people would not agree with me. Paul Thompson- Nebraska: I do not believe it is appropriate for a Christian to get a tattoo. For one, in the Old Testament tattooing or marking of the skin is forbidden because it was a pagan practice. On a personal belief level, I don’t think it is right because if God wanted us to have scribbles and markings on our bodies He would have given them to us. I think He made us just the way he wanted us. If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t that be considered desecration? When God told Solomon what He wanted the temple to look like, when He got to the end of the description of how to build it, did he say, “OK, now, get a bunch of paint, paint a bunch of graffiti on the bricks.”? No, He didn’t. It would be considered blasphemy to spray paint the temple and it is a desecration to the temple of the Holy Spirit to mark all over it. It also says that a person is not happy with how God made them. Jayson Payne- California: As for tattoos, personally I don’t have any, I was really never into them. I don’t see anything wrong with them though, we actually give out free promotional Transformed Clothing tattoos at all our events. They are only bad if they are your idol or if they display artwork that blasphemes God. That’s my 2 cents. Kimberly Newberry- Georgia: ‘But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”’ 1 Samuel 16:7 Our bodies belong to God. “Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Tattoos also cause cancer. Keith- Bournemouth: I have six tattoos on my body, none that you can see if I wear a t-shirt, I got them since I have been a Christian and don’t see a problem as long as they are not blasphemes and rude.They are an outward expression of one’s emotions and dreams, each pattern, each symbol represents a gift that we are proud to be visually reminded of. Battlefield Magazine 13

Music Reviews Kids in the Way: Apparitions of Melody Release Date: 05.10.05 Label: Flicker Records Genre: Rock These guys are so crazy that they play with matches (and wear nail polish). Their website states “Frequently undermined by superﬁcial glitz and marketing gimmicks, today’s rock acts have lost sight of the real, visceral feeling that ﬁrst inspired rock ‘n’ roll.” Come on, like these four guys who look like they are about to cry are going to re-inspire rock ‘n’ roll. Ok, enough picking on the super cool screamo band. Appearances aside, let’s dig into the album. Musically

+ It’s the high energy guitars

and intense vocals that drive this album home. Unlike some screamo rock bands, you can actually understand the lyrics when they are singing.

- Does anyone else notice the strikingly similar aspects between this album and Alien Ant Farm: Anthology? Spiritually

+ Their name represents the

idea that we as Christians are “In the Way” of society. Instead of keeping the negative connotation, they wear the title proudly. The album is lightly sprinkled with spiritual themes and Biblical imagery. Their song “Sad and Guilty Ways” seem to be a song about repentance. The song “Burt Rutan” observes the depravity of society.

- Their lyrics are smart, but most of the time, they are too vague for an unbeliever or new believer to even identify them as Christian.

Highlights Breaking the Legs of Sheep, Sad and Guilty Ways One Word: Thick

Battleﬁeld Magazine 14

iew v Re nd c e i us Leg

Jaci Velasquez: Beauty Has Grace Release Date: 05.03.05 Label: Word Entertainment Genre: Pop/Folk Now, after the release of a Spanish pop album, and her big screen debut (Chasing Papi), people are starting to wonder about Jaci’s faith. Jaci returns to the Christian music scene with her new album “Beauty Has Grace.” With the help of producer Martin Terefe (Coldplay), Jaci makes her songwriting debut, and delivers an interesting result. Musically +This album isn’t your average Jaci Velasquez album. Musically, it is more advanced than her usual stuff. Most noticeably: her vocals are strong and ﬂexible, going from soft and low, to angst screams (not enough to classify the album as a rock album). Her new blend of pop/folk music suits her well, but it may be a curve ball for die-hard Jaci fans.

- None Spiritually +The theme of letting God lead is prevalent. God’s love is also an ongoing theme.

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. 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.

-The thing that gets me is that the album

X3 I feel a pulse!

doesn’t seem personal. For example: We all know God’s love is more than enough, but how is she seeing it speciﬁcally in her life? The themes are lacking depth, and are repetitive. Highlights Lay It Down, When You Hold Me

X4 Enough spiritual content to choke a horse*. X1 Jesus would Jam to this CD.

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

Battleﬁeld Magazine 15

Spin Of the Month Jars of Clay: Redemption Songs Release Date: 03.22.05 Label: Brentwood / BMG Genre: Gospel/ Folk

One Word: Warm Casting Crowns: Live in Atlanta Release Date: 05.10.05 Label: Reunion Records Genre: Worship/Rock

I thoroughly enjoyed Jar’s debut release. The question had lingered in my head: “Can they make another album as musically organic and spiritually relevant as their debut?” Good newsthey did. Before I go on, I just want to personally recommend this album.

This CD/DVD is a nice setup. The DVD is pretty cool, once you get past the cheesy, soft angel glow lighting during the concert. Some of the other features in the DVD give you a chance to get to know the people behind the music.

Musically

from their usual pop/rock sound to visit a folk/gospel sound. They even got some help from the Blind Boys from Alabama, in the vocal area. Vintage piano, slide guitar, and warm acoustic sounds, blend nicely for a refreshing sound.

cent of bands like Sonicﬂood and the whole “New Worship” movement. The guitar whines with simple but effective beats.

+Jars of Clay took a detour

- None Spiritually

+ It’s great when modern

groups re-do hymns. There is so much more substance in hymns than in the lyrics of today. It’s hard to talk about the theme of the record because it covers a lot of ground, which is a good thing.

- None Highlights God Be Merciful to Me, I Need Thee Every Hour One Word: Vibrant

+ Musically this CD is reminis-

- It’s musically mediocre. I don’t mean

to dog on these guys, but I have to be honest. The good news is that they have a new album coming out soon, and I am expecting more development in the musicianship area. Spiritually +The songs on this album originated from the pastors of a youth group. It’s a spiritually centered album, without all the corporate vagueness that seems to be injected into most Christian albums today.

- At times the lyrics seem a little trite. Highlights If We Are the Body, The Voice of Truth, The American Dream One Word: Heartfelt

Battleﬁeld Magazine 16

mOVIE Review WARNING:

Reading this article may result in spoiling the movie if you haven’t seen it. Battleﬁeld Magazine is not responsible for a spoiled movie experience and will not refund your ticket money. Events of the movie will be discussed as well as the end of the movie. Please read responsibly.

Star Wars: Episode III: Adventure/Action/Sci-Fi/Fantasy Rated: PG-13 Distributed By: 20th Century Fox Directed By: George Lucas Starring: Ewan McGregor- Obi-Wan Kenobi Natalie Portman- Padmé Hayden Christensen- Anakin Skywalker Ian McDiarmid- Supreme Chancellor Palpatine Samuel L. Jackson- Mace Windu Jimmy Smits- Senator Bail Organa Frank Oz- Yoda Anthony Daniels- C-3PO Christopher Lee- Count Dooku a Sith lord, and offers to help Anakin save his wife; this in exchange for his allegiance to the dark side.

George Lucas completes his 6 part saga with Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. As one of the most anticipated movies ever, it does not disappoint. My expectations were low when I ﬁrst went to see Episode III; after the previous two installments, I was ready for a letdown. Much to my surprise, Episode III was the darkest, and most thought provoking Star Wars to date. The Story Though the plotline is another staple (the big galactic story of good and evil), it is centered on the choices of one man: Anakin Skywalker. Young, and talented Jedi Anakin Skywalker is tempted to join the dark side of the force when he starts having fearful visions of his wife dying. A good friend of Anakin and powerful leader, Chancellor Palpatine, reveals his identity as

The Skinny: Wow, this movie is thick and fully loaded with spiritual parallels. I will only touch on two today: the role that fear plays in a believer’s life, and the exponential results of sin in a person’s life. Let’s dig in: Fear The catalyst for Anakin’s conversion to the dark side was fear. Yoda warned Anakin about this in the private meeting they had. Yoda said, “Fear is a path to the dark side, you must learn to let go of everything you fear to lose.” In our lives as believers, it’s fear that drives us to take control of elements in our lives. Anakin fears to lose Padmé and seeks to take control, by joining the dark side. Ironically it was his ﬁght for control that ultimately killed Padmé. Doesn’t this concept sound familiar? “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will

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Episode III Eye Candy preserve it (Luke 17:33).” The Exponential Result of Sin At the end of the movie, you ﬁnd yourself asking, how did Anakin get so messed up? He goes from defending the galaxy, and upholding the Jedi order, to (in his darkest hour) killing kids (younglings) in the Jedi temple. If you watch closely, Anakin’s path to the dark side is slow going. It starts with him harboring anger and hatred due to the death of his mother. This anger and hatred is what compounds his fear of losing Padmé. Once Anakin gives into the dark side, he rapidly deteriorates. Anakin’s pride fuels his thirst for power, thus driving him deeper into darkness. He becomes a slave to his lusts, and looses all that was formerly important to him. This is identical to the nature of Sin: once it takes root, it infects your person. You become a slave and with each step your depravity becomes deeper. But if you are familiar with the movie series, you see that even in a person’s deepest depravity, there is still hope for redemption. This movie is deﬁnitely a must see. The cinematics alone are amazing. Try to hone in on the spiritual parallels while you enjoy the light saber duels and starship battles.

Awesome, Battleﬁeld Magazine is.

Praise and worship at a Wookie church.

Ok, Anakin when the ball comes, hit it!

Have you seen my tooth brush?

Look, we can make an “X” with our sabers!

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Positive 89.3 New England’s Best Christian Radio Station

Ministry Spotlight Think about your daily routine. It is likely that somewhere along the line, you plug into a Christian radio network; whether it’s listening in the car on the way to work or school, or punching in the web address to play while you surf. Positive 89.3 is one of the coolest radio stations on the east coast.

.C G.A.

They have a range of programming, spanning from morning talk programs to a rock show on Saturday nights. Our favorite is late nights with Ken Williams. We got a chance to talk with Ken about the share-a-thon that they did last month. Like many Christian radio stations, Positive 89.3 is listener supported. What is a share-a-thon? Share-a-thon is our time as a ministry to go to our listeners and ask for their support- to keep this station running. Our budget for six months is $240,000. We have two share-a-thons a year to make up the support we need. We take three days out of the week; it always falls on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We stop the regular schedule of DJ’s and programming and we play up-beat and happy music during these three days. We read a lot of listener emails about how much the station means to them and their families, we take calls from people who want to praise God for this station and what we are doing in the community, state, and around the world. Where does the money go?

This isn’t some ﬁgure that we’ve thrown around so we can eat out everyday, and all get new fancy cars; this is what it takes to run a radio station, believe it or not. One of the big things we are raising the money for is to expand down into Mass. and New Hampshire so that is going to take a good chunk of the money right there, as well as doing community projects and holding concerts. We aren’t looking for people to write us million dollar checks or empty out their bank accounts. All we have been asking of our listeners is to pray, and to see what God lays on their hearts on how to give. We are a praying ministry, we believe in the power of prayer; we know that the Bible says where two or more are gathered in His name then He will be there, and we are sticking to that promise. In your own words, what is the vision for Positive 89.3? We are trying to ﬁll the world with God’s glory by spreading the Gospel through music that has a message, through songs that parents don’t have to worry that their kids are singing. 24 hours a day, we are trying to be that glory, just shining out for the world to see. Positive 89.3 has raised $195,008 of their $240,000 goal. It’s not too late to kick in a little cash if God lays it on your heart. Check them out online at positive. fm, where you can listen online or learn of ways you can get involved.

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Yeah, We get alot of dirtbags on this road. I am here to enforce the law. If you go 48 in a 30 on my watch, you‛re going down, that‛s all there is to it.

Laugh it Up Clown! Bob Gets a Speeding Ticket! Bob Smiley I got a ticket. Actually, I got a ticket months ago. It was after a church picnic. Josh Bowling had made his non-famous “Chili-Tabasco-peppercolon express surprise!” My wife and I both had several bowls because we are not afraid to stare down the barrels of death. However, at the time of the ticket, we were staring down the long road that led to our bathrooms at home. Looking back, it would have been better to just get a big bowl of Josh’s chili and go dump it straight into the toilet and cut out the middle man. Wendy and I were playing paper, rock, scissors to see who got to use the “good” bathroom at home...the one with all the good reading material. We were arguing over the fact that paper wins out over rock, (I felt that a rock could be thrown right through a thin piece of paper so I should have won) when I heard the siren. Now, we live way out in the country, on a dead end road with about 6 other houses, and I believe the cop chased after us just because he was angry we drove by and woke him up.

So, here is the problem. Some judge or law maker one day laughingly put up a 30 mile an hour sign on our road to protect us from the other 6 people that daily drive down this wasteland. Not that I am angry at the town of Spring Hill for being out of touch with their townspeople and obviously the part of their brain that holds logic. I was crawling along at 48 miles an hour, in no danger to myself or others, when the lights began ﬂashing behind me. The cop approached our car, as I rolled down the window. I tried the usual “excuses” hoping I’d get a laugh and a warning. I said, “Sir, my last girlfriend ran off with a cop, and when I saw you behind me, I thought you were that guy and you were trying to bring her back to me...that is why I was speeding away! Unfortunately, this ofﬁcer had just had a successful Charisma transplant and quickly gave me a scowl and a ticket. I am not writing to complain about the stupid speed limit on my road to my house that the town of Spring Hill put up in a power play so pathetic that I don’t know whether to be mad or just pity them. This is not my intent because A. we should support our towns’

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officials and B. the city officials are too dumb to know how to get on the web, much less be able to find this article. I am writing because I just left traffic court. My ticket said, “Court will begin promptly at 4:00PM. Do Not Be Late!” So, I arrived at 3:42 which is ironic because that is right when the Judge (paid by our tax money) showed up...only, of course, one hour later. He strolled in at 4:42. Obviously, he had not read my ticket concerning promptness. Or maybe he got his own special judge ticket that said, “Court begins promptly at 4:00 PM or whenever you decide to show up.” All I wanted to do was say, “Guilty, I desire traffic school,” and get out of there. The Judge comes in and gives a brief 18 minute speech on the dangers of speeding and other illegal offenses. He then says that he will call our name and for us to approach the podium. Then he said those terrible words that brought fear to my mind: “Ashley Adams.” They were going in Alphabetical order. Great for Ashley Adams. Bad for Bob Smiley...of course not as bad as it was for Zeb Zetter. That guy is probably still there. Have you ever noticed that when you are in a hurry other people tend to move slower than normal? The people in the court room that day had to have all belonged to The National Association of Snail Like people suffering from Turtleidis. The judge would call out a name...”Ned Norush.” Then, Ned would

slowly get up from his seat, slowly walk (or crawl) to the bench and slowly say (to be read slowly over the course of a couple of days), “I’ve brought these charts and films to help in my discussion of my speeding ticket, sir.” Meanwhile, I had little Jessica to entertain me. I knew her name was Jessica because her mom kept whispering things like “Jessica, stop hitting that man’s leg.” (That man being me.) Once she actually stopped hitting me long enough to perform her other talent which is to eat an entire styrophome cup. (And scientists say they are not biodegradable. Ha! Those scientists haven’t met Jessica the cup eater/ leg hitter.) Meanwhile, the judge is calling people up, telling what they did wrong and asking how they wanted to plead. Now, to the best of my knowledge, everyone was saying one word, “Cool.” Now granted, I was in the back of the room, but “Cool” is what I heard. So, when the judge called my name he said, “Mr. Smiley, You were going 48 in a (Ha, Ha) 30 mile per hour zone. How do you plead?” So, I said, “Cool.” The Judge looked puzzled and said, “Thanks, Fonzie for the ‘cool’ complement but do you plead guilty, non guilty or do you wish to take traffic school?” Feeling like an idiot, I said, “School...Oh Yeah...School. That’s what I heard... uh...meant. I’ll go to traffic school.” So, anyway, I do traffic school in two weeks with the other people from N.A.S.P. I’ll keep you posted.

Comedian Bob Smiley lives in Texas with his three sons and incredibly beautiful and talented wife, who writes all his short bios that appear at the end of his articles. For more laughs or to order his comedy DVD, go to: www.bobsmiley.com Battleﬁeld Magazine 21

Mail

It’a always a blast to share our mail with you. If you want to write us you can do it two ways. Snail Mail: Warzone Ministries, PO Box 661, Proctor, VT 05765 EMail: info@warzoneministries.com

I haven’t looked over your website in a while, but I did this morning, and in looking over your website, I was angry to see so much worldliness. For example: The way that you present the cross on your front page is very irreverent and blasphemous. I think in order for you to justify the cross to be on your site you thought the cross looked “cool”. But if you were to deﬁne “cool” it would go hand-in-hand with lukewarm.

website. Can somebody say legalism?

Rev.3:16 says: “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth.”

Fluke or predestination? Just Kidding. Thanks for stopping by our webside (www.warzoneministries.com) You are right, our generation is getting less and less tolerant of Jesus, I am sure it has to do with the increasing growth of depravity.

The music you have playing by the David Crowder Band is trance/rave sounding, and sang very fleshly. I sing myself and know to sing that way in itself would have to come completely out of my flesh. And by playing that song on your site you are condoning it as a reflection of God. I would like to ask what do you believe to “carry up our cross and deny ourself daily” means? Since you say across the top of your site “Challenging those that carry the label “Christian” to also carry their cross”. What does that mean to you? Your page only speaks of the flesh and what comes out of the flesh - though there are good words, there isn’t any fruit of holiness or godliness. Jen Mooney, CA

I’m really glad I found this site - which was by a ﬂuke - it is a wonderful idea to have an internet community based on Jesus. I want to say that the coming generations will not tolerate the tag of Christianity anymore, but Christ’s Followers, keep on keepin on. Fellow Barbarian. Kenny Ponton, FL

Warzone Ministries sounds like a cool name for anything that would be Hardcore and relating to Christianity. I found your site from Brian “Head” Welch’s site and was surprised to ﬁnd you don’t have anything relating to hardcore heavy metal Christian music on your site. GET ON IT, YOU GUYS!!! Unknown, Cyberspace I have two things to say about this. 1) Christianity is hardcore all by itself. The battle is fought here in ordinary life not in far off places. 2) Look for a “Hardcore” music section on the website. It will be coming in a couple months.

Wow, I guess she doesn’t like the new Battleﬁeld Magazine 22

Bible Study // Commentary James 4 Commentary What is the source of their quarrels and conflicts? The second sentence of verse 1 reveals that the source is their pleasures. Pleasures are viewed as something that wages war inside you (your members). What war? What do you think the pleasures are fighting against? This may sound like an alien concept to you but it goes on every day. It’s like the two voices on your shoulder-one tells you what is right, and the other is telling you what would feel the best (the voice of pleasure). It’s these pleasures that are causing conflict. Let’s read on to find out why: Why don’t the people get what they ask for? They don’t get what they ask for because of two reasons: One- they aren’t asking God to provide. Two- when they do ask God, they ask with the wrong motive- to use God’s blessings to serve themselves. Why are the people being called Adulteresses? God views our relationship with Him like a marriage. Those who are unfaithful to Him are considered adulteresses. James was writing to Christians who were being unfaithful to God. Can you be a friend of the world and of God? The answer is no. Not only does it say that you cannot be a friend of the world and of God, but that “friendship with the world is hostility toward God.” Why do you think that is? It’s because God and “the world” are completely opposite.

Who does God give grace to? Why do you think that is? It says that He gives grace to the humble. The humble are those who can receive grace. The proud think they don’t need grace. In verses 7-8 how are we instructed to live? There are five things that are listed in these scriptures: Submit to God- Notice that the relationship we are to have with God is one of submission to Him; a dependant relationship. Resist the Devil- This is a commandment with a promise. The promise is that if you resist the devil, he will flee. All you have to do is resist and you will have victory over Satan. WOW. Draw Near to God- People complain that they dont know how to draw near to God, but it’s simple. Time. Spend time with Him. Set aside time specifically for drawing near to God. Cleanse our hands- Does this mean to wash your hands? Even though it’s good to do that from time to time, this scripture is about making sure your “works” are God-honoring. Purify our hearts- This is the counterpart for cleansing your hands. This one is about making sure that your insides are God-honoring. Why are they told to be miserable and mourn? What is up with this? Should we all be miserable? Doesn’t God want us to be

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happy? We have to understand that particular audience in order to understand these statements. These passages deal a lot with pride and humility; we can see from the text that there was a problem with this. The people didn’t realize the grave ramiﬁcations of their reckless ways. God wanted them to look at their lives and mourn. We should also mourn sin in our lives and the lives of others. How can we be exalted by God? Here is the theme of humility again. The situation is that these people are taking their lives into their own hands. The message of this chapter is for them to submit their lives to God. This is the only way to be prosperous. Why should we not speak against our brethren? By speaking against our brothers/sisters we are putting ourselves in the place of God as judge. It says, “There is one law giver and judge…, but who are you to judge your neighbor?” You have no authority to speak against the brethren. Keep in mind that this is not talking about exhortation or counsel.

Five Lame Reasons for a Christian to get a Tattoo: Disclaimer: Even though the stuff on this list is wildly sarcastic, our hope is that it will make you think. 1) To Glorify God: Yeah, because stuff like: changing your life, raising His son from the dead, and creating the universe, wasn’t glorifying Him enough. 2) To Be a Witness: This is a perfect time to “witness” someone wasting God’s money. 3) To Be Relevant: Hey, fornication is in this year, let’s do that, too. 4) My Friend Got One: Well, at least you’ll have company in the ﬁery pit. 5) To Be Cool: If you’re that lame, a tattoo isn’t going to help you.

What do verses 13-15 say about making plans? It says that making plans without seeking the will of God is arrogant and evil; simply because we have no control over our life span. It says that “we are a vapor;” before claiming plans we should first see if God wills us to live another day, and if He wills that our plans be carried out, then it will happen. Based on verse 17 how would you define sin? Sin is often defined as doing something wrong, but here it tells us that sin is also not doing what you know is right. Battlefield Magazine 24

Word of Mouth Tell your friends about us, the more people that we can serve the better. Don’t be an ogre pass around your Battleﬁeld magazine after you’re done with it. Prayer Remember us in your prayers. We are a young ministry and we need all the prayer support that we can get. Here are some things you can pray for, guidance, perseverance, ﬁnances, and spiritual insight.

Contact Information There are a number of ways for you to contact us. Mail Warzone Ministries PO Box 661 Proctor, Vermont 05765 Website www.warzoneministries.com EMail info@warzoneministries.com

Contributions If you have talents (no balancing a spoon on your nose isn’t a talent) that you would like to contribute, contact us. We need: writers, artists, designers, Bible thumpers, and passionate everyday people like you. Donations Geez, I wonder why a ministry would need money? You can make checks payable to Warzone Ministries or donate with a credit card online (warzoneministries.com) I know it’s a shameless plug. Feedback We want to hear from you. We appreciate all feedback positive and negative.

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Prayers

We are but beggars and our loving God is still faithful to hear and answer our prayers.

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