day no. 12,722: rhetoric can't raise the dead!

It’s no secret that I like Mars Hill and the teaching and music they produce. I found this video of Dustin Kensrue of The Modern Post doing an acoustic version of “Grace Alone”
 

  This led me to realize that Dustin Kensrue was the lead singer for Thrice, a band I have known about for some time, but never before really got much into for whatever reason… until now!
 

I love Kensrue’s live acoustic stuff which has introduced me to several Thrice songs which include some awesome lyrics such as: “It's true that you could snap my neck, I trust you'll save my life instead,” from Anthology.

Reminds me of Romans 5:10, “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!”

We were enemies and God’s response could have been to put down the resistance finally and forever with one death blow. He could snap our necks. But the same power and authority He has to punish sin, He used to offer a hope of salvation. The very same power and rule He exerts over our situations in sin, He can intercede into our situation for salvation.

I also love the line, “Rhetoric can’t raise the dead,” from Artist in the Ambulance.

This reminds me of Philippians 3:7-11, “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.”

All our accomplishments and arguments as to why we should be accepted and resurrected to life by God will fall flat if not for Christ.

So, in summary. I’m getting into Thrice lately and Dustin Kensrue specifically.

My kids know the words (read – the chorus) to “Down there by the Train” which is the closing song in his acoustic set from above. It’s a Tom Waits cover and it is AWESOME! It also includes some good lyrics. Check it out.