Saturday, March 8, 2014

Youtube Video Posted

This video goes along with my other post about the Top 15 Worship songs so yeah...

Link to blogpost: http://theethannews.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-15-christian-worship-songs-since.html

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjkMyqLcOP0

Go check out both!

-Ethan

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Top 15 Christian Worship Songs since 2000.

Honorable Mentions:

1. Oceans - Hillsong United

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders,
let me walk upon the waters,
wherever you will call me."

I love this song. The lyrics are phenomenal. This would have been on the list, but I ran out of room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

2. Build Your Kingdom Here - Rend Collective Experiment 

"Build Your kingdom here.
Let the darkness fear."


I also love this song. It probably would be in the top 5 or 10, but it's not really a worship song. This song has an upbeat rhythm and Mumford & Sons sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwrszezKFEc

3. Rhythm of Grace - Hillsong United

"There's none beside You God"

I've known this song for a few months ago, but I just found out what it was called a few days ago. I love this song because you can shout it out, all that emotion in your words. But, similar to Oceans, I ran out of room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8EoFESw4iY

4. Cornerstone - Hillsong Live

"Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love"


I'm surprised that I didn't put this on the list higher. I really enjoy this song and always find myself singing it at random moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI

5. All Consuming Fire - Melissa How and Jesus Culture

"All consuming fire, you're our hearts desire, 
Living flame of love, come baptize us, come baptize us"

This song is great. That's all that needs to be said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beWTuiQiK1E


Top 15

15. Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle

"At the cross, You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words, so lost in love
Im sweetly broken, wholly surrendered"



I first heard this song on a missions trip, and was surprised it wasn't as popular when I went to go buy it. So much sorrow yet so much happiness in the same song puts this song on the list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL-mF_FwPnI

14. Freedom is Here - Hillsong United

"Freedom is here!"

Similar to Rhythm of Grace, it's one of those songs you can shout, with all your heart. It's one of those songs that you don't have to know to sing along. When worshipping the room is full of joy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmignZozEoA

13. Our God - Chris Tomlin

"Our God is greater
Our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other"


One of the most famous worship songs of all time. This song is iconic of the Christian worship era. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc

12. Cannons - Phil Wickman


Singing, you are holy, great and mighty,

the moon and the stars declare who you are"

When I first heard this song, I didn't think much of it. I thought it wasn't as great as everyone said it was. But after hearing it more often, it quickly became one of my favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSo46FWGh8g

11. Lord I Need You - Matt Maher

"Lord I need you
Oh, I need you
Every hour I need you!"

I love this song. It would be higher, but it's sang in worship as much. This song speaks to me on so many levels. From after I've sinned to when I just want God's presence when I'm worshipping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

10. 10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman

"Bless the Lord O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name"

Similar to Cannons, I didn't like this song at first. But after worshipping with it, I quickly began singing it non-stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

9. From the Inside Out - Hillsong United

"My heart and my soul, I give you control,
Consume me from the inside out Lord"

This song probably could have been knocked off this list, as it's older. But that's why I picked it. It's one of the most famous songs to ever be worshiped.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM

8. Scandal of Grace -Hillsong United

"Grace what have you done
Murdered for me on that cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away in your blood"

Oh boy, I LOVE THIS SONG. The lyrics are amazing and it's just sooo good. Something about it just makes me love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cka7fYhWj2E

7.  How He Loves - John Mark McMillan or David Crowder Band

"Oh, how he loves us, so"

This song has been gaining popularity ever since David Crowder Band covered it. The story behind it makes it so much greater. This is one of the first songs I started regularly listening to that was Christian, so it means something to me.

John Mark McMillian - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLvgqqZvLZk

David Crowder Band - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ

6. Holy Spirit - Bryan and Katie Torwalt

"Holy Spirit, you are welcome here
Come flood this place and feel the atmosphere"

This song. The lyrics. I first heard this song on a mission trip. When I got home, I was overjoyed to find out it was written by one of my favorite artists, Bryan and Katie Torwalt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcmUYDU-2DY

5. Beautiful Exchange - Hillsong Chapel 

"Holy are you God, (holy are you God)
Holy is your name, (holy is your name)
With everything I've got, my heart will sing,
How I love you"

This song I've known for a while and the first time I heard it I fell in love with it. It's amazing in worship. Sometimes I just want to fall on my knees and pray when I worship to it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-bUZj1bkoE

4. Beautiful Things - Grungor

"You make me new, you are making me new"

I have such a weird story about this. I first heard this song at my church, and litteraly all my family members couldn't stop humming it or singing it. Not to mention what a great song it is. Also, it's one of those songs that the chorus is loud and awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1spkhp41ig4

3. Forever Reign - Hillsong Live

"And oh, I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms
the riches of your love will never be enough"

I really enjoy this song. When I hear those lyrics above this, I just feel like I'm giving God a big 'ol hug. It's probably one of my favorites of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3EGgISYMc

2. All the Poor and Powerless - All Sons and Daughters 

"Shout it, 
Go on and Yell it from the mountains, 
Go on and tell it to the masses,
That he is God"

This song. Not only are lyrics amazing, the best part is that It gradually gets louder until you hit that part in chorus. Everyone pauses, and wow. I litteraly sing this song with a smile on my face and happiness sputtering out, and when we hit the chorus I explode in love for God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6fheuBf0Pk

and finally...

1. Set A Fire - Will Reagan and the United Pursuit

"Set a fire down in my soul,
that I can't contain control"

This song is amazing. This and #2 could easily interchangeable. I almost always feel God's presence when I hear this song and worship too it. When I first heard this song I fell in love with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8almp_nCU

Sadly, a few of my favorite songs didn't make the cut. Hope you enjoyed the list.

-Ethan

Caesar Never Died...

... In Julius Caesar by Shakespeare that is. 

*spoiler* (kind of)
In English class we have to right an essay  on the book Julius Caeser. In that essay we have to make a point that can be easily argued both ways. I went all out. I came up with 3 ideas:

1. Julius Caeser was in on his death the whole time.

2. Julius Caesar faked his death. He pulled in Elvis (I'm not saying Elvis is still alive.)

3. Brutus never felt truely guilty.

I picked number 2. Since it was shot down by my teacher, I decided to post about it on here. 

So, we needed 3 quotes and what u proves so here it is, and you decide if this is enough proof that Caeser faked his death.

Quote/Reason 1 - Caesar's Ghost
Proves - Explains the sightings of Caesar's ghost, it was really Caesar walking around. 

Quote/Reason 2 - The mob of politics surrounded Caesar when they "stabbed" him. 
Proves - They easily could have fake stabbed him and add fake blood around him... This explains why there was blood all over them.

Quote/Reason 3 - THEY TOOK THE BODY.
Proves - Why would they take the body? Where would they put it? They took it to make sure no one checked if he was still breathing (he was...)

So does this prove the Caeser faked his death?

-Ethan




Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Christianity

I don't normally talk about my faith on my blog. I only do when I come back from a missions trip or something of that sort. I never realized the potential this blog has to share my faith. So here it goes I guess.

 I'm a Christian. That is a very generalized term though. There are many people who call themselves "Christians".  In other words I accepted Jesus Christ in to my heart as my Lord and Savior. I don't really have one of those amazing stories like, I was addicted to drugs when I crashed into a church and my life changed forever, I started going to that church. But mine is just as cool as I became a brother of all the other Christ followers in the world. I'll share my story.

I grew up in a Christian household, which meant Church every Sunday, youth group ever tuesday or something of that sort. Anyway, I was coming home from my christian pre-school in my dad's car, and we stopped at a red light or we were just about to leave, (I can't remember which). I was about 5 at the time. I asked my dad, "Can I accept Jesus into my heart?" or something along those lines. We went through the process of accepting Jesus and I was reborn, a new person in a sinful world.

Honestly, I would go through the motions of being a Christian, since I still didn't fully understand it yet. I still saw Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but I lead a sinful life because it got me popular. Especially in fourth grade I would swear, I would not listen. I was bad. That would all continue until around sixth grade where I stopped swearing. But, it wouldn't truly stop until I went to my local Christian youth group to get to know people before the Missionary trip I was planing to go on. After that, I began to not go through the motions any more. 

What's the point of my story? Much to contrary belief, Christians aren't perfect. We're all sinners, from a top pastor at a church to a serial killer, we all sin. But Jesus wanted to change this, he died for our sins. One of the most famous (and my favorite of all time) verses sums it up pretty well:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16. If you want to profess your faith and join me and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, comment below, and I can help you.

-Ethan