"Stoep Talk" with Matthew Mole

Hey guys!

So last week we had a MASSIVE recording session with various people trying their hand at DJ'ing...

Choosing which show to put on the blog was a no-brainer....here's Bron's show, Stoep Talk, where she interviews the incredibly talented Matthew Mole, an up-and-coming South African musician - someone who you should definitely look out for!!

Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom by King Charles

By now it is no secret that Mandela's condition is critical. The world is watching with bated breath to see what becomes of our South African icon.

Artists from all over the world have been sending their best wishes to Mandela and last night we found a video of a song from one of my favorite artists at the moment.

 - King Charles. 

Watch it and tell us what you think!!

Peace and Love

A

Skillet: Rise

Release Date: 25 June 2013

Genre: Christian, Hardrock

Length: 48:11

Label: Atlantic Records

Similar artists: Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, Fireflight, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin

Rating: 4.5/5

“It’s time to change it all... unite and fight to make a better life… Tonight we rise,”

Where do I even begin with this album? There is so much that I wish I could say about it but to avoid an essay of epic proportions I will do my best to keep this bad boy short and sweet...

John Cooper brought to attention the fact that this album has been filtered through the eyes of a teenager, “coming into adulthood and he’s faced by the horrors that we see every day — floods, bombings, earthquakes school shootings... It’s about his path to salvation and wanting to be significant in some way.”  Throughout the album he is bombarded with feelings of horror, cynicism, and despair. Cooper also explained that “As we recorded them, we started to realize that there was something going on—that the album was really telling a story. Realizing that, I knew we needed to make it as powerful as we could.”

Rise opens up with the title track, which is a call to arms declaring that it is, “time to change it all... unite and fight to make a better life… Tonight we rise”. This track is not only powerful but meaningful as well, this song is the start of the story woven into the tracks within Rise. In this song we are called to "Rise in Revolution" against the things of the world.

“Good To Be Alive” incorporates instruments not usually associated with rock, or Skillet for that matter, such as the accordion, mandolin, dulcimer and bells. It’s a positive song in which the protagonist realizes there is a lot in his life that he has to be thankful for. The story continues with “Not Gonna Die” which refers to the fact that the protagonist of this story is not going to die, but rather have an eternal life in Heaven. “Madness In Me” is reminiscent of songs like “Monster” and “Sometimes”. In it, the protagonist finds that he has problems within himself saying that he, "Can't change the past, but I can fight to save today".

John Cooper explains that "The story's apex is the song "Salvation," where the protagonist realizes that he desperately needs to be saved." And in realizing this, he asks Jesus for forgiveness. “What I Believe” The last song on the album and it is about the protagonist taking a stand and boldly proclaiming his faith.

It’s hard for me to say whether or not Rise will do better commercially than Awake, but in my humble opinion it is the better album. The songwriting has more depth, there’s added diversity, the concept is very thought-provoking and inspiring without being too “preachy” which mean that this album will appeal to anybody and everybody. Fans of Skillet will find that there is a lot to like in this album, and new fans of the band will be attracted as well.

With so much right with this album I truly believe that it was well worth the wait for this album, and it almost certainly promises to set the bar high in the rock and roll genre for years to come.

This week, Song of The Week goes to: “Not Gonna Die”

Stay fancy Miss Nancy

D

Guest-writer, Jeremy P, goes back to basics

Hey everybody, Alex here! So this week we thought we'd let our good friend Jeremy write for us....he is an incredible man and shares this incredible-ness on his blog http://epawelan.wordpress.com/. So i urge you to check it out! His post raises quite a few touchy topics which we hope to address in the near future! 

Peace and Love everybody!

A

Hi readers
of Rocking it Christian style! My name's Jeremy and I've been given the honour
of writing this weekend's post. Just to explain myself, I'm pretty good mates
with Jal...I can't say that, it's too silly. Jason and Alex. I'm good friends
with those two, the guys behind this awesome blog.




I study a
physical-science type degree. I’m also a Jesus-Freak (a Christian but I don’t
want to be compared to some of the Bible-bashing conservatives who give us a
bad rep). I don’t have a problem with gay people. I don’t have a problem with
people of different faiths (there has to be a grain of truth in any religion
that looks at the beauty of the world and declares someone somewhere divine). I
try not to drink or party too wildly (occasionally it happens though, as it
does for any student).




I believe
God spoke the universe into being…13 odd billion years  ago. Today
scientists are not sure what caused the Big Bang. They know it happened, but
cannot tell us why. I believe God spoke it. Until it can be replicated in a lab
under chaotic, random conditions I will continue to believe that.




I believe
God spoke life into existence…3.8 billion years ago. Until a scientist can
create life from scratch in lab conditions repeatedly, using only the elements
of the periodic table I will continue to believe this. I know smart scientist
types have created their own virus from scratch, coding the DNA themselves, but
they had to use a blank cell as the base, and using what I believe is God-given
intelligence to manipulate the world around us is not wrong or unnatural.




I believe
humans evolved over millennia parallel to apes from common ancestors…under
divine guidance. I know Richard Dawkins has written numerous books to try and
disprove this, but I’ve read Origin of Species, and until someone can
sufficiently explain how we evolved with such an intricate body (with things
such as our eyes) that still suffers greatly and disgustingly from the common
cold (which seems counter-evolutionary…I know the cold would have evolved as
well, but still) I will continue to believe that.




I believe a
man called Jesus existed +- 2000 years ago…and that he was divine and the Son
of God. Contemporary Roman and Jewish sources of the time state they had heard
of a man called Jesus and that he was a great teacher. They state nothing about
his divinity. That part of my belief comes from my personal experiences in
life, along with the Bible and testimonies of people who have no reason to lie.




The problem
with some anti-religion promoters is that they refuse to accept the testimonies
of millions of people who have personally experienced God. While all those
testimonial experiences can be explained rationally, I personally think that
such hallucinations  on such a grand scale are far too coincidental to be
coincidence. There’s no way so many people can experience such similar mass
psychosis separated by countries and decades or even centuries.




I believe
fully in science and I believe fully in God, and I hold Newton’s 3 laws for
macroscopic objects as close to my heart as the 10 commandments. Jesus also
never, ever mentioned homosexuality in the Gospels, so this is why I believe
persecution of the gay community is so wrong. Jesus came not to shackle but to
free




Sorry for
the long post not related to music. But seeing as though this blog explores
Christian life-style I thought I'd get back to basics :)




Jeremy

Haste the Day: Attack of the Wolf King

Release Date: 29 June 2010

Genre: Christian Metalcore

Length: 38:25

Label: Solid State Records

Similar artists: Demon Hunter, Oh Sleeper, Destroy the Runner, Inhale Exhale

Rating: 4/5

A step into the past….

When Haste the Day tried to expand their sound on albums such as Pressure the Hinges and Dreamer, they seemed to end up making their music sound too simplistic and generic; and because of this a lot of their fans started to lose interest. However with Attack of the Wolf King, Haste the Day returned to their roots, using basic metalcore concepts and improving upon them with the band’s newfound musicianship. This is a result of various member changes that were made in the years leading up to this album’s release. In Attack of the Wolf King; raging guitars, combined with well executed choruses, tactically placed drums and face-thrashing double bass help to create an awesome album. Not to mention Stephen Keech’s vocals, which have come a long way since his debut with the group. With Attack of the Wolf King, Haste The Day are fuller, more diverse, and as ferocious as ever.

It saddens me to think that just as Haste the Day were beginning to reach a new peak in their potential, they disbanded. Attack of the Wolf King is a glorious tribute to a truly awesome band. The Christian-metal scene lost a truly significant band in March 2011. With that said let’s dive right in shall we?

I have to say that Keech's vocals in this album peak in "Un-Manifest." Long gone are the weak and flowery songs he attempted in Pressure the Hinges, and his skills at mid to low screams have really improved since the last album, becoming an entirely new level of menacing. Aside from the vocal improvement, Haste the Day also manages to create an atmosphere throughout the album that connects all of the songs together, giving Attack of the Wolf King a more cohesive feel than past efforts.

Another noteworthy feat, not only for the band but for any metalcore act, is successfully pulling off a slower, all singing song. “White as Snow” sounds like it came off of a Deftones album; it has a dark mood with beautiful, ambient guitar melodies that complement the vocals and add a much needed break from the intensity of the album.

With such a unique name as Attack of the Wolf King, it is no surprise to learn that it is a concept album. It tells of a herd of sheep protected from a pack of wolves by righteous lions. To open with "Wake Up the Sun," a group of individuals (the sheep) are running from an unnamed threat, but feel that their "hearts are empty." "We've tried to run, but it's no use and all this time we've reached the point of desperation." With "Dog Like Vultures" comes the arrival of the lions. "Our eyes are upon you and we will protect you, be assured no fang will breach your fleece." This story can be taken as a basic analogy of our weakness, and Jesus' willingness to protect us. In "Travesty," the sheep proclaim their praise to the lions, as we to our Savior, "With love that the blindest eyes will see, you cover the darkest part of me."

The Christian-metal scene has known few bands as tough as Haste the Day. Since the departure of their old lead singer Jimmy Ryan, they have taken a rough ride, a ride that most bands would not be able survive, but they soldiered on. Even when they struggled to find their sound, they kept the faith. The significance of Attack of the Wolf King is equivalent to the quality of the album, and though the sound that Haste the Day was conceived in has gone, their identity has stayed the same. Further still, by warping the different styles that their previous two albums have presented and adding in quite a few new features that come naturally with new personnel, Attack of the Wolf King is without a doubt a high for Haste the Day.

Forever in our hearts!

Song Of The Week goes to; “White As Snow”

Stay looney George Clooney

D

An Everyday Missionary

Hey guys! So today’s post isn’t music related, but it’s definitely something that God has laid on my heart. We had an American missionary come preach at our church a couple of weeks ago, and what an impact he had! He emphasised the importance of ALL Christians being ambassadors for Christ WHEREVER they are.

I stay in a commune filled with missionaries who have given up the comforts of being in their own country to come and minister to those in need. I find this difficult task to be an incredible inspiration (and is definitely something I want to do at some stage) but what I often forget is that I don’t have to travel to a foreign country and preach the Gospel to be a missionary, I can be one at home!

I am a firm believer in the fact that God has put me in this specific place, studying this specific degree, with these specific people around , for a reason. I am the first to admit that I do not have the impact on the people around me that I would like to have.  With studies, I often find myself being consumed by work, almost hiding myself from the world until my assignment or test is done. I feel a heavy conviction with regards to this area of my life and it is something that I am now working on.

I was hit hard after reading Mark 16:15 where Jesus commands us to go unto ALL THE WORLD and spread the Good News. I thought about who I was impacting around me...I have many Christian friends who are positive influences on me, but it’s not them that I need to share the Gospel with. I have many friends whom I love incredibly, but do not know the Lord and I often ask myself “Am I doing all that I can for them?”, “Do they see something different in me? Do they see God’s light in me?”.

Charles Spurgeon , a British preacher in the 1800’s, gives us Christians such a strong challenge – “if sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees. Let no one go there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for.“

I know this is heavy, but it’s really something God has opened my eyes to. We, as Christians, need to be constant lights in the darkness. 1 Peter 1:13-16 sets us another difficult challenge: “Therefore, prepare your minds for ACTION; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the GRACE to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

I just want to remind you that living for God’s glory should be at the centre of all our lives, and we should focus on sharing what God has done in our lives with others...focus on sharing His love with those around you...be that light in the darkness...Remember that being a Christian isn’t “just for Sundays”, we must be constant ambassadors for Him wherever we find ourselves.

I pray that you all have a fantastic week...and, being Father’s Day, don’t forget the unconditional love our Father in Heaven has for us and give Him thanks and praise!

Peace and Love everybody

A

Moriah Peters: I Choose Jesus

Release Date: 17 April 2013

Genre: Contemporary Christian

Length: 33:51

Label: Reunion Records

Similar artists: Jamie Grace, Sarah Groves, Laura Story, Wendi Foy Green

Rating: 3.5/5

This album reminds me of my first love… Underneath her pop sparkle and her beautiful voice we find a solemn collection of songs driven by a deliberate and confident message. In I Choose Jesus, Moriah proclaims her faith, and it is clear that encouraging the spiritually of others is the goal from the very start. Her message however, does not lessen the beauty of any of her songs. All of them still maintain a feel-good, catchy quality. Fans of soulful and summery pop music will love this album and I believe a very promising career can only grow for Peters from here.

It would be wrong (I think) if I were to describe Moriah as having a “bubblegum pop” feel to her music, that would be unfair, however she does have a very pop-feel to her music. The whole album is essentially full of very pleasant songs, sung with Moriah's silky sweet voice that you cannot help but like. Even if you're a rock lover or a dance raver, this is the kind of music that doesn't offend. I Choose Jesus has a mix of great songs that are about Jesus and His love for us, and other songs that have a very positive message about living a good life. I think very highly of Moriah as an artist, she has such a rich and wonderful harmonious voice that you could just listen to all day

Given the genre of music that Moriah falls under it is understandable to expect a rather empty teenage pop-music feel on this young singer’s album. In fact, there is not an autotuner or a predictable synth riff in earshot and thanks to the sure hand of producer Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Bebo Norman) the sound here is organic enough that one has to take the 21 year old's album seriously. Peters comes across as a very bubbly personality, with a childlike heart with which she sells in these songs, many of them are bold declarations of her faith, which makes it impossible to dismiss her as yet another ‘dime-a-dozen’ girl with a guitar. Stars of her age often try to appear “too-cool-for-school”, but Peters seems unconcerned with appearances

Moriah has skillfully constructed ten gems, with many treasures to find every time you listen to them. With her fresh and pleasing attitude towards life, unlike many other female mainstream artists, Moriah has beautifully used her youth and creativity to her advantage, additionally dropping in some of her own personal stories into the songs making them that much more relatable to the listener.

Moriah will certainly grow up to be a very influential artist in the Christian music world. I take my hat off to Moriah. Her faith in Christ is fresh and energetic, with the lyrical maturity beyond her years, Moriah incorporates smart songwriting with musical genius to create ten tracks of easy-listening, yet at the same time, songs that will motivate and encourage the listener

I Choose Jesus is packed full of insightful and thoughtful messages that a listener of any age could learn from. I believe that this album would make a great addition to your favourite playlist.

Song Of The Week: “All The Ways He Loves Us”

Stay dandy, cotton candy

D

How About Some Local Flavour?

Nakhane Touré and Matthew Mole – two local musicians who make you feel proud to be South African.  After recently watching one of their shows at the Brazen Head, Sandton, I felt it would be a heinous crime not to sing their praises!

They present completely different sounds, yet both magnificent in their own way.  Nakhane. His incredible voice and intricate guitar playing commands your undivided attention... If truth be told, I simply do not have the vocabulary to describe how utterly captivating he is on stage. The powerful emotion that his voice evokes is truly something to behold! Then you have Matthew.  His down-to-earth presence, boyish charm and joyful music brings happiness wherever it goes. Listening to his folky tunes, you can’t help but smile.

The venue was by no means big but this allowed for a unique, intimate interaction between the musicians and their audience.  It felt as though they were playing to a room full of friends and not complete strangers, as Nakhs and Matthew both cracked jokes and apologised constantly for talking too much between songs!

Nakhane and I first met at church a couple years ago and I’ve only recently gotten to know Matthew (we currently go to the same church), but I can say with absolute conviction that these are two honest and genuine people.  I’ve asked them both on a few occasions what it’s like having that sense of fame.... Ooh that reminds me of a story, Matt and a few of our friends were walking through the Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein, when all of a sudden two girls yell something at Matt who looked at them in a rather confused fashion, after which the girls ran off giggling, whispering “He looked over here!”... I ask if things like this are weird for them both, but they both reply with similar answers.  For them, it’s really not about that.  They love music and they love sharing it with others.

They really deserve all the attention they are getting and with both of them releasing debut albums within the coming months, exciting times lie ahead!

If this is the first time you are hearing about either one of them, I urge you to check them out ASAP!!! You don’t know what you’ve been missing!!!

Do yourself a favour and check out the links below!

https://soundcloud.com/matthew-mole

https://soundcloud.com/nakhane-toure-1

Peace and Love everybody!

A

T-Shirt Designs v1.0

Hey all!

So due to it being exam time my procrastination levels have been sky high! I've spent the last little while designing some simple shirts...here are a few of them:)

 

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more!!

Peace and Love

A

J & A's Playlist - June 2013

J's Playlist

Matthew Mole - Autumn

Demon Hunter - Tomorrow Never Comes

Hawk Nelson - Made

Moriah Peters - Well Done

Martin Smith - God's Great Dance Floor

__________________________________________________________________

A's Playlist

The Foresters - Your Joy Will Be My Strength

The Civil Wars - Poison and Wine 

Run River North - Foxbeard

Deserts & Storms - Cameron Ernst 

Nakhane Toure - Christopher 

So there we have it!! It's been a great weekend for both myself and J. We watched the immensely talented Nakhane and Matthew Mole live last night! What an encouragement it was to see them glorifying God with their talents! Anyways...we hope you all have a relaxing and blessed Sunday!

Peace and Love

A 

Demon Hunter: True Defiance

Release Date: 10 April 2012

Genre: Christian, Metalcore, Heavy Metal

Length: 48:37

Label: Solid State Records

Similar artists: Becoming The Archetype, War of Ages, Disciple, Haste the Day

Rating: 4/5

Crucifix is an excellent pacesetter to start off True Defiance (Demon Hunter's sixth full-length album). Annihilating drum fills and Ryan Clark pouring out some of his best vocal performance in years. Clark’s vocals are magnificent once again as his crisp voice has perfect tone and his screams add just the right amount of “in-your-face” aggression.

People that are new to Demon Hunter will find "God Forsaken" and "Dead Flowers" especially pleasing, and more 'core listeners will enjoy "We Don't Care" and "This I Know". True Defiance seems to juggle a combination of metalcore, groove metal, thrash, and emo, offering up a truly great addition to Demon Hunter’s repertoire. While still holding on to Demon Hunter's signature and incredibly unique take on the metalcore scene, True Defiance truly stands out as one of their best albums thus far and when I found out that the album was mixed by Jason Suecof (Trivium, All That Remains, August Burns Red), I knew that it was going to sound amazing!

Several of the tracks on this album are “bold” if I can put it that way, but they do not make you stop and think, “Wow, that’s load”… instead they are rather pleasing in their brashness. The track "Wake" really hits you out of the blue after its crippling introduction. The choruses on tracks like "God Forsaken", which the first time around gave me goosebumps, and "My Destiny" are passionate and even beautiful in a distinctly metal way. The album's two ballads are also intensely melodic. The highlight of the two is unquestionably the haunting tune of "Dead Flowers," although "Tomorrow Never Comes" is excellent as well.

"This record is without a doubt our most aggressive. Every Demon Hunter record must be a step up from the last. I know that's a goal for every band, but it seldom works that way - especially today, especially in metal. It seems like most band's prime years are long behind them. I refuse to let that be the case for us. We've been extremely underwhelmed with metal for the last five years or so, and that's been the fuel to create this record. With an extreme over-saturation of false, fleeting, trend-hopping noise in today's metal scene, we had to make something we've been longing to hear. Something truly meaningful and artistic. Something our fans would love and something that will turn the heads of those who have ignored us for the past decade." - Ryan Clark, on the band's direction with True Defiance.

I believe this is the heaviest album we have reviewed to date, and for many of you True Defiance will not be you particular cup of tea. It saddens me to think that many, many music lovers across the world are convinced that all metal bands are evil in some way, they are scared by the loud, heavy and aggressive nature of the songs, I’ve had many conversations with people about this subject and I’m sad to say that more often than not people ask me “Is there really such a thing as Christian Metal?? I thought all metal was from the devil”. Demon Hunter is one of many bands that break that particular way of thinking.

True Defiance is in many ways just the kind of album that you would expect to get from a band as old as Demon Hunter. It's not highly experimental nor is it particularly cutting-edge; instead it is a very well-polished tribute to the genre of music that Demon Hunter has taken by storm for all these years. You can say that instead of changing their formula, they have simply fine-tuned their sound to a point of near faultlessness. 

This week’s Song Of The Week is “God Forsaken”

Stay loose baba ghanoush

D

Christian Music News: June 2013

As I Lay Dying Members Respond To Lead Singer's Murder Plot Allegations

As most fans of As I Lay Dying may know, lead vocalist Tim Lambesis was arrested in early May for allegedly hiring a third party in a plot to murder his wife.

Tim's fellow As I Lay Dying members had this to say:

“To our fans,

As we post this, the legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We'll keep you informed as best we can.

Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation - and with our fans, whom we love and draw strength from.

Thank you for understanding, and as always, for your support of As I Lay Dying.

- Jordan, Nick, Phil, and Josh”

Update: Tim Lambesis has been released on $2m bail.

The judge said Mr Lambesis, who denies the charge, must stay away from his wife and children, wear a GPS monitor and observe strict travel restrictions.

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Announces 2012 Gospel/Christian Winners 

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), widely recognized as the world's leading songwriting event, recently announced its 2012 winners. There were over 20,000 entries from 119 different countries!

For a complete list of 2012 ISC winners, hear the winning songs, and download low-res photos of all winners go to  http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

2012 Gospel/Christian Winners Include:
First Place
"All Things New" - Alan Thomas - Little Rock, AR, USA

Second Place
"Cross Of Love" - Derek Henbest (The Waiting Kind), Phil Wickham - Boise, ID, USA / San Diego, CA, USA

Third Place
"Chasing Me" - Joseph Pfeifer, Jimmy Robeson - San Diego, CA, USA

Falling Up Launches Kickstarter To Print Two New Albums In Physical Form

Rock band Falling Up has been working on two new projects for the past year and now they're asking for fan support via Kickstarter to get CD copies of the albums Hours and Midnight On Earthship printed up. As opposed to most ambitious Kickstarter campaigns, Falling Up is only asking for the humble $2,000 needed to print the projects, and they're already halfway there. However, the band hopes to raise more in order to have new band photos taken, a new song added, and finally, a music video produced.

Skillet Released Another Track Off Their New Album Rise  

Skillet released the title track off their forthcoming album, Rise, which is available June 25th. The song "Rise" is part of the band's first ever concept album, as singer John Cooper explains, "The narrative idea happened after we had 10 or 11 of the songs chosen. As we recorded them, we started to realize that there was something going on - that the album was really telling a story. Realizing that, I knew we needed to make it as powerful as we could." The title track is available on iTunes now.

MercyMe Celebrates Billboard Music Award Nomination

This multi-platinum and award-winning band is once again celebrating several nominations for the upcoming Billboard Music Award show and K-LOVE Fan Awards.

After 10 years of waiting, Amy Grant’s New Album, 'How Mercy Looks From Here' has finally been released!

Shine Bright Baby Debuts CD Dreamers, Releasing July 23^rd

BEC Recordings is set to release the first recording from the band Shine Bright Baby. The debut album titled Dreamers, is set to release July 23. 

"For Today’s" Prevailer Digital Film Has Been Released  

Prevailer features a 90 minute film about the band from their humble beginnings to wordwide success. It includes live footage that was filmed from the band's full summer spent on the 2012 Van's Warped Tour as well as from their 2012 Fight the Silence headline tour. The movie also features many of the band's official music videos (six in total). The Prevailer film was directed by former Devil Wears Prada's keyboardist, James Baney.

Family Force 5 Announce New Electronic Album Releasing June 18 

Family Force 5 announced a brand new project via their newsletter that will boast remixes as well as a few new tunes. The announcement read: "We have some really cool news - we are making... AN AMAZING ELECTRONIC ALBUM!! COMING JUNE 18th!!”

Hillsong Live Set to Release Their 22^nd Album, Named Glorious Ruins, In Early July 

Hillsong LIVE will release their 22nd live-recorded album, Glorious Ruins, on the 2^nd of July. This album unlike others was recorded live in two locations - London, England and Sydney, Australia - Glorious Ruins is consistent with Hillsong's passion to resource the church around the globe. The live album offers the church a new era of worship anthems that will cross multiple denominational and cultural boundaries.

"Ruins can speak of crushing defeat or perhaps of something abandoned, but the good news today is that the ruins come to life," explains Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church Brian Houston. "Through Jesus Christ what we look at is ruins that become glorious."