Wolves at the Gate

Music Friday: Sprout Edition

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Recently, I had a post about Covid Life with my daughter, Sprout, and I told the story wherein she listed her top five play list. So, here it is. I’ll skip Number 1, as it is what she called ‘Frozen songs’. These are obviously the songs from the Frozen movies, which I will not post here because anyone with kids has heard them too much, and I am afraid Disney will sue me. So, Number 2:

Mommy Songs – Mrs. MMT happens to be an award winning singer/songwriter. We listen to her songs sometimes, as well as other independent female artist. Not surprisingly, Sprout is a big fan, and this is my favorite song by Mrs. MMT, so I selected it as representative of Sprout’s ‘radio’.

Number 3:

Fire Songs – These are alternatively called ‘daddy songs’, her favorite, and mine (they’ve been posted multiple times here) is Wolves at the Gate. She calls them ‘fire songs’, due to the use of fire (at least three of their videos alone), which also feature prominently in this video. She has asked me when she can get a ‘ring nose’, as well.

Number 4:

Piano Songs – As mentioned above, Mrs. MMT is a bit of musician, and play the piano. We listen to a good bit of ‘Piano Guys’, so that may be what she is talking about, though we listen to true classical as well. Even more so, she is a big fan of Cello, especially during Christmas music season, so I’m going to go with these guys. Bonus points, some Frozen in there.

Number 5:

Pizza Songs – So, every Friday night for probably about a decade Mrs. MMT and I have had pizza for dinner. First, it was out, then frozen pizzas, then making from scratch. Probably since Sprout has been little, we’ve also listened to our Pandora station of Irish Pub songs, which includes a lot of folk, parody/comedy, and drinking songs. For whatever reason, likely the ease of singing, she has really enjoyed these songs. So much so, that when she was three and in pre-school, the week she was the ‘star-student’ she was able to pick the song of the week, and she chose the one above, from a 90’s Canadian fold band about loggers. These guys seem to be her favorite, and this is the song she knows best, along with ‘No, Neigh, Never’, ‘Good Luck to the Barely Mow’, and ‘Byker Hill’. As she had her whole pre-school class listen to this song, I thought it was best representative.

So, if Sprout could listen to five stations on her radio, this is what they would be. Hope you enjoyed. Should be fun for her to see this when she is older. You always wonder what will remain. Hopefully, at least ‘Frozen’ will be gone.

Good Metal Friday 2019

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I post the guys all the time, but only because they have the best content of any Christian Metal out there. This song is taken/based on a quote from the puritan John Flavel. See the quote below, watch the video, listen to the song, and think (maybe even ponder) and the bargain that Christ made for us. He took on our debts, our sins, and trespasses, and paid them all, paid them in full; with his blood. He drank the cup of God’s wrath, that we would have everlasting life.

Today, on Good Friday, we commemorate His death, His propitiation of our sins, that we me be seen as blameless before God. His death was the substitutionary atonement for our sins. He took our place, so that we can have a place with Him, as adopted sons and daughters of God. Reflect on this tomorrow, as we await the commemoration of the resurrection and think of the hope we have.

“Here you may suppose the Father to say when driving His bargain with Christ for you.The Father speaks. “My Son, here is a company of poor, miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lay open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them.” The Son responds. “Oh my Father. Such is my love to and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally I will be responsible for them as their guarantee. Bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee. Bring them all in, that there be no after-reckonings with them. At my hands shall thou require it. I would rather choose to suffer the wrath that is theirs then they should suffer it. Upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.” The Father responds. “But my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite. Expect no abatement. Son, if I spare them… I will not spare you.” The Son responds. “Content Father. Let it be so. Charge it all upon me. I am able to discharge it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures… I am content to take it.”

  • The Works of John Flavel, Vol.1, “A Display of Christ in His Essential and Mediatorial Glory”, 42 Sermons, Sermon Number 3, “The Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Redeemer”, Use 6.

 

Easter 2018

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He is risen!

We celebrate Easter today and commemorate the Resurrection of Christ. Jesus isn’t dead, and did not stay in the grave, but instead we worship the living Son of God whom is seating at the right hand of the Father. He conquered death, so that we will never truly die, but will one day be brought up with him. There is no sting in death, no victory for the grave, as Christ is victorious, and we will now live.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Mystery and Victory

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

 

Good Friday 2018

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Matthew 26:36-42

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

 

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch[a] with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 

 

Propitiation of our sins and Substitutionary Atonement, means that Christ took the Wrath of God for us. Every sin of every person, past, present, and future, was laid to rest on Him that day. The sky went dark and the Son was separated from the Father. We call today Good Friday because it was good for us. He took on death, that we may live. However, we should remember, on this day especially, the seriousness of sin and the wrath of God. Jesus even prays, in the verses above, that if there is any way other than to drink the Cup of God’s Wrath, to please let that happen, but if not, He will do God’s will. He consumed that cup for us, taking the full measure of wrath, that He who never sinned, would become as sin for us, so that we would become as righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

He was distressed until it finished
The pain endured was not diminished
Until the vict’ry’s sound and was won
“Not My will but Yours be done.”

He drank it all, the cup of God’s wrath

Music Friday – Broken Bones

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I haven’t done it in a while, so here is another Wolves at the Gate song, from their latest CD Types & Shadows. I’m torn on the videos for this whole CD. I like that they decided to put all the words up, because the words in these songs are incredible. On the other hand, with the exception of ‘The Fountain’, all of the videos look like ice cream and sprinkles.

Check out the words, though, I really like the line here where he says

“Don’t be nervous to face the truth that you’re not fine, you never were,
So don’t be frightened to see the Light when you open up your eyes”

Good Metal Friday 2017

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Posting has been spotty, but I’m on my last paper of the courses for this semester tonight. Book reviews should return as early as next Wednesday, and my random ramblings will be sporadic as always.

So, I post the guys all the time, but only because they have the best content of any Christian Metal out there. I had hoped to have this up earlier, so that my dozen or so readers could reflect on this longer. This song is taken/based on a quote from the puritan John Flavel. See the quote below, watch the video, listen to the song, and think (maybe even ponder) and the bargian that Christ made for us. He took on our debts, our sins, and tresspasses, and paid them all, paid them in full; with his blood. He drank the cup of God’s wrath, that we would have everlasting life.

Today, on Good Friday, we commerate His death, His propitation of our sins, that we me be seen as blameless before God. His death was the subsitutanary atontement for our sins. He took our place, so that we can have a place with Him, as adopted sons and daughets of God. Reflect on this tomorrow, as we await the commeratation of the resurrection and think of the hope we have.

“Here you may suppose the Father to say when driving His bargain with Christ for you.The Father speaks. “My Son, here is a company of poor, miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lay open to my justice. Justice demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them.” The Son responds. “Oh my Father. Such is my love to and pity for them, that rather than they shall perish eternally I will be responsible for them as their guarantee. Bring in all thy bills, that I may see what they owe thee. Bring them all in, that there be no after-reckonings with them. At my hands shall thou require it. I would rather choose to suffer the wrath that is theirs then they should suffer it. Upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.” The Father responds. “But my Son, if thou undertake for them, thou must reckon to pay the last mite. Expect no abatement. Son, if I spare them… I will not spare you.” The Son responds. “Content Father. Let it be so. Charge it all upon me. I am able to discharge it. And though it prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish all my riches, empty all my treasures… I am content to take it.”

  • The Works of John Flavel, Vol.1, “A Display of Christ in His Essential and Mediatorial Glory”, 42 Sermons, Sermon Number 3, “The Covenant of Redemption between the Father and the Redeemer”, Use 6.

I’ve posted this video before (last Easter, actually), but this one is put to a movie. I have no idea why Jesus is super white and pretty, or the reason for the Spanish subtittles. You can reflect on the words and images, nonetheless.

Easter Sunday

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Special edition of Metal Friday, Sunday version.

I’ve always found this song a powerful victory song. That’s what today is. He conquered death and the gates of hell will not prevail against Him. We worship a living God, we served the one that overcame the grave, that we may never die, but have eternal life.

Death – where is your sting, where is your victory?

They thought that You were bound by nature’s laws
He is risen! He is risen!
For the veil that was torn in two and the darkness that would ensue
A symbol alas that the debt was finally paid
When the stone it was rolled away, He was no longer where He lay
Surely our King had risen from the dead

From their CD Captors

Good Metal Friday

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I hope that’s not sacrileges.

Think today, as we remember and reflect on the Lamb that took our place and suffered the Wrath of God. He, for our sake, was separated from God (hell) so that we would be counted righteous and be adopted sons, never to be snatched away, but spend eternity praising Him, who is on the Throne.

The Father of grace and mercy has poured out His wrath completely,
on His Son for our sake, we are free, brought the Lamb to slaughter for me

There is love! Here is love! This is love! There is love!!

 

 

Metal Friday

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Has returned.

We’ve been going through John at church. This past Sunday part of the verse was John 18:11 – So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Listen to the lyrics here – “He drank it up, the Cup of God’s Wrath”