November 2019 Issue by AngelicMagazine

JESUS.

MUSIC.

FASHION.

ANGELIC NOVEMBERÂ 2019

November TWENTY NINETEEN

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r e t t e L r o t i d E November I

'm thankful for the life God has given me. Today, I have air in

my lungs and dreams in my heart with a hope that my best days in life have yet to be lived. Are you thankful? I ask you to count your blessings and to tell the ones you love they matter because we aren't guaranteed tomorrow's breaths. I'm thankful for the scars in my past because they've made me stronger today. The blemishes are battle wounds of who I've become. And I am a warrior. I wear my scars as a shield of victory. Are you thankful for your scars? I ask you not to view life as wounds and hurts, but moments that only make us stronger. Better, and more prepared. Be thankful the best days of our life have yet to be lived. I tell myself to love wrecklessly and to not hold back. I ask you to love openly and to not regret it. This month, this fall, this time let's be thankful for the life we've been given and count our blessings. Happy Thanksgiving, Jesse Anaya

ANG EL IC M AGAZINE IS A 50 1 ( C) 3 NO N-PRO FIT O RGANIZATIO N. O UR M IS S IO N IS TO UTIL IZE CREATIV E EX PRES S IO N TO S PREAD FAITH AND D O THE W IL L O F JES US ARO UND THE WO RL D .

M U S I C

F E A T U R E

MUSICIANS: ANDREA BINLEY BRANDON GILL TREVOR DAVIS LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA

B I N L E Y

W O R S H I P

A N G E L I

M U S I C

Binley

BINLEY WORSHIP ANGELICmusic

Q+A

"WE CAN’T HELP BUT MAKE MUSIC FOR JESUS IT’S A HUGE PART OF WHO WE ARE. JESUS IS THE ONE THAT INSPIRES US TO CREATE, AND TO RESPOND TO HIS GOODNESS WITH OUR PRAISE AND JOY."

ANGELIC: What is the heart of Binley Worship? BINLEY: We exist to serve the Church by creating energetic and genuine worship experiences. I started the band to serve at local churches and students and young adults events by bringing relevant, upbeat, relatable worship sets to their events. Our heart is to see God glorified through fun music ANGELIC: How would you describe your sound/style? BINLEY: I describe our style as pop worship. Our songs are generally a little more synthdriven than some other worship music, and we have "dance break” type drops in a lot of them, almost bringing EDM into the worship genre. ANGELIC: Why make music for Jesus? BINLEY: A lot of us in the band feel that we can’t help but make music for Jesus it’s a huge part of who we are. Jesus is the One that inspires us to create, and to respond to His goodness with our praise and joy. This latest release, “Joy,” was a really meaningful collaboration with a very genuine and wise worship leader, our friend Trevor Davis. He’s been through a difficult life in a lot of ways, and when you get to create music with someone who has learned to praise God even when it’s not easy to, it adds depth to the message. ANGELIC: What is your ultimate goal with music? BINLEY: While it’s super fun, part of my “why” is also out of obedience; I really feel like God opened my eyes two years ago and gave me clarity about why He’d let me have all this pop writing experience, worship leading and ministry experience, why He’d brought me to southern California everything. It all seemed to be coming together, like He was highlighting to me that He’d gifted me for this one niche within Christian music. ANGELIC: What would you like our readers to know about your band? BINLEY: We’d love for everyone to hear the latest single, “Joy” anywhere they stream music. (You can find more about Binley and listen to their music at binley.band)

than

nkful

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT YEEZUS BY BRANDON LYONS

"KANYE WEST IS A CHRISTIAN AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT IT."

ANGELICmusic

" W E DON ’ T N E E D A N OTHE R L E C R A E . W E A LR E A DY GOT ON E . W E N E E D K A NY E TO B E K A N YE . K A N YE THE C R E ATOR . K A N YE THE A R T IST . K A N YE THE R E B E L . K A N YE THE LI GHTN I N G R OD."

anye West is a Christian and I’m worried about it. What if becoming a Christian is the worst thing that could happen to you, Kanye? I love you Kanye, but I am concerned by what the Christians might do to you. I’m worried about how they’ll use you. Christians love their celebrity converts, just as long as they look like them and act like them. I don’t want to lose you to their whitewashing. I’m not an expert on hip hop, culture or creatives. All the same, I consider Kanye one of the most visionary creatives in music right now. He’s like the black David Bowie. I will listen to an argument for that being Prince, but don’t even try to tell me it’s Lenny Kravitz. Kanye transcends both music and fashion. Willing to experiment. His tendency to be misunderstood. He’s the fashion icon who thought up the leather jogging pants! The man behind Yeezy’s, one of the pioneers of the dad shoe. People be making fun of his new slides now, but just wait. Y’all be wearing them in 2020. Well, maybe not Christians. Before I go forward, let me apologize to anyone who feels I may be taking a shot at them. I’m not. I’m really not. I should also say I will never apologize for wanting to snuff out cultural Christianity. I will stand by the teachings of Jesus as I try to see the heart of Jesus in every situation, but Jesus reserved his sharpest words for those you’d think he should have agreed with the most. The religious, the pious, proud. Here, I’ll quote Jesus in

ESV so you’ll hear it. From Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single (convert), and when he becomes a (convert), you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” We don’t call them pharisees now, I call them cultural Christians. In their brand of Christianity, everyone needs to agree on a few things. Guns, good. America, good. Abortion, bad. Illegal immigrants, unwanted. Democrats, bad. Social programs, bad. White privilege, overstated. Police, to be trusted. Obamacare, bad. Patriarchy, good. New things, dangerous. I hate writing this list because I either agree or have agreed with most of it. I’ve been both the victim and perpetrator. The point isn’t a persons’ stance on any one issue. It’s an attitude that expects everyone else to comply, or you’re out of the club. Think like us our you’re out of the club. Kanye’s pastor was recently bragging that Kanye will now rebuke people who are cursing around him. Here’s a quote from his pastor quoting Kanye, “‘you can’t cuss when you’re with me. I’m a bornagain Christian.’” He’s also apparently sitting in studio with Kanye to help to make sure his lyrics are accurate enough. Which is progress as he considered quitting rap because “it’s the devil’s music.” Kanye has apparently already taken issue with his wife’s, Kim

Kardashian West, attire. Apparently, she dresses “too sexy”? I can hear the collective neck of the cultural Christians swaying as they nod their head in approval. They love a white tomb. Teach ’em early! I don’t know Kanye’s pastor. I’m sure I would admire him, but his spiritual formation concerns me. We are all products of our environment. I learned firsthand from volunteering at the juvenile hall that too often, the victims become the perpetrators. What burdens were put upon us, we in turn place upon others. The education he went through tends to build consistent, hardworking, and diligent people. For them, there is a right and wrong answer for everything. The handbook for his university would make any Southern Baptist proud, in the 1950s. Their standards frozen in time, harking back to the zenith of cultural Christianity. It’s a pharisaical arm of Christianity. No dancing, drinking, or gambling. They’ve condemned entire branches of the Christian faith. They publicly criticize pastors. They’re just straight rude to others. A stated opponent of social justice. The very kind of Christians Kanye rapped about when he said, “Here come the conservative Baptist claimin’ I’m overreactin’ like the black kids in Chiraq.” These Christians will put you on a platform, Kanye. They’ll set you up as an exemplar of repentance. They love what they can control. I should know. I was one too. I am still fall back into being one. Us against the world. I could only listen to Christian bands, and even then, only a few are accurate enough. Only books by a select group of Christian authors. My heart skipped over the part of Corinthians where Paul says, and I paraphrase, if you aren’t part of my church, you do you, that’s not my business. I was full of knowledge the puffed up but lacked love that built up. I somehow overlooked how Jesus entered into sinners’ homes, and just the presence of his love, his life of grace and mercy, led them to repentance. To the best of my knowledge, he never had to tell the broken how broke they were, “He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.” Paul says in Romans 15:1 that the mature sits with those who are less mature and endures. Yet, there’s a death field of broken reeds and burnt

"YOU SAID JESUS WALKS WITH YOU, AND THAT WAS BEFORE YOUR CONVERSION. YOU WERE RIGHT. JESUS ALSO WALKED WITH PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN BEFORE THEY RECOGNIZED HIM AS MESSIAH." out candles. They cried out for us to bear with them. Instead, we made them twice the son of hell they were prior. That’s what cultural Christianity will do. Conflicted by the grace that won them, and the judgement that awaited them, they walked away. Disillusioned. Damaged. Never to return. Those who do persevere run the risk of perpetuating the wrong done against them. While the yoke of Jesus is easy and his burden light, we add our convictions, encumbering rather than freeing them. Embracing Jesus should be the most freeing experience of any person’s life. For the first time, you are dead to sin. Truly alive. To the Christian, all things are open. There is no taboo. There is no condemnation. God is alive in us. Not all things are wise or profitable, but in all things, we show charity. The grace that is poured into our lives should be poured into others. The Messiah who bore with Peter stands as our paradigm.

PHOTOGRAPHY: HEIDI SALMINEN

M O D E L: JULIA NIIRANEN LOCATION: KANGASALA, FINLAND

REJOICE H

BY ASHLEY HAUBENSCHILD

ave you ever wanted something so badly, that you’re afraid to pray about it? A desire so deep, that you didn’t want to say it out loud? I had a prayer like that recently. A big thing that I wanted for our family so dearly, that it made me want to cry whenever I thought about it. I actually held onto it for months before I uttered the words out loud to God. I was afraid that God would say no. I was afraid of what my response would be if He said no. I was afraid of feeling dumb for asking. But I felt the Father beckon to me gently, challenging me to simply ask. He reminded me He is a GOOD Father. He wants us to come to Him with the deep desires of our hearts. My husband’s job moved us across the country for training, and I was heartbroken. I remember it clearly; my husband calling to give me the news while I was at work. Me, trying to hold back tears in front of my coworkers. On the car ride home, I wrestled with God as I drove through a snowstorm. And on that precarious drive home, as I cried and pleaded and asked God why, He gently nudged me and said “Beloved”. “Beloved, didn’t you pray ‘Thy will be done’?” And with those words etched onto my heart, I was convicted. How many times had I prayed that the Lord’s will be done, but really had my own agenda? I had prayed these words, so sure that the Lord’s will would match my own. So I surrendered my desires and chose to believe the Lord’s will was the absolute best thing for us, even though it broke my heart. We moved to a training school for my husband’s work for a few months while awaiting them to give us our next home assignment. When the options for new home assignments came out, I decided to ask God for something big, and highly unlikely. I wanted to go back to Alaska.

I felt God challenge me to no thing, but to write it down in paper as a testament of my fai best interest, whether or not wanted. Well can you believe it? Go my big thing (and this N husband’s job). So there I was, on my knees sobbing with joy. I was laying Rejoicing with laughter. Over Crying happy tears. And then I was struck with so ALL the time. God is this good, even w seasons of waiting. Even in th silent. Even in seasons of heart God is this good all the time, And though our heads might many of us (myself included) d How can God be good whe How can God be good when How can God be good when falling apart? Friends, we live in a broken w God isn’t broken, but we are. brokenness be turned into som Over my many weeks of pra worked on my heart. I looked where God said yes, or no, or w And you know what? He w had a purpose every time. Even can look back and see how H how He faithfully had a plan bleak. He used my painful mom There’s a lyric from the so Music that has been on my he all of this.

ALWAYS

ot only ask Him for this big n my journal. To put it on ith that He would act in my it matched what my heart

d said yes. God said yes to NEVER happens with my

s in my daughter’s nursery, g my heart out before God. rflowing with thanksgiving.

omething. God is this good,

when He says no. Even in he seasons where He seems tache. and He sees you. t know that truth, I feel like doubt that in our hearts. en our world is so broken? n our hearts are breaking? n our lives feel like they’re

world full of broken people. . Yet only in Christ can our mething good. aying for my big thing, God d over past seasons of life wait. was faithful every time. He n when things looked bad, I He was so good. I can see n, even when things looked ments for a purpose. ong “It is Well” by Bethel eart as I’ve been pondering

"I CAN SEE HOW HE FAITHFULLY HAD A PLAN, EVEN WHEN THINGS LOOKED BLEAK. HE USED MY PAINFUL MOMENTS FOR A PURPOSE." “Far be it from me to not believe, Even when my eyes can’t see.” God knows so much better than we do. It seems like such a simple thought, yet I need to be reminded of it at times. I fell on my knees to praise God for this time where my will aligned with His; for this time that He said “yes”. But He is just as worthy of my praise when He says no. I was so overwhelmed with how incredibly GOOD He is, and that if I truly trusted that, I would be praising Him on my knees even when His answer was “no” or “not yet” or simply silence. Friends, what would our lives look like if we praised God like that all the time, no matter His answer? Can you imagine the kind of testimony that would be to the world, where we didn’t get rocked to pieces when our circumstances were less than desirable? That is my desire, to have a heart after His. It is my desire to have a faith that believes even when I cannot see or understand, and to rejoice and give thanks in all of life’s circumstances. Because God is good, even when life isn’t. So in this season of Thanksgiving, I want to challenge you. It can be hard to feel “thankful” in some seasons of life. Yet we as believers are called to “rejoice always”. God is so good all the time, and He chose you. He loves you dearly. And He is working on your behalf, even when you cannot see it. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1618

bles

ssed

HAMSTER WHEEL OF BUSYNESS "HUMANS HAVE A NATURAL TENDENCY TO CORRELATE BUSYNESS WITH

BY SHANNON STODDARD

usyness is a powerful tool of the enemy. Satan’s hope and agenda is to use the gifts God has given us to burn us out, wear us down to the degree that we start making careless decisions that will have life changing consequences. Humans have a natural tendency to correlate busyness with productivity. We are taught by our society to do more, so we can be more. The question is what are your motives? Who are you working so tirelessly for? Is man’s opinion more important to you than God’s? Let’s take a look at what Jesus did when he became man. Jesus consistently retreated to secluded spaces to spend time with His Father. There He was replenished and set apart for the mission ahead. Intimacy with His Father filled Him with strength and perseverance. Jesus like many of us had people desperate to meet their needs and He did. He didn’t ignore those needs but He did make time to rest. Rest isn’t just a good idea; it’s a strategy. We restore our minds and our physical bodies while building up resiliency against the enemy’s agenda. Rest isn’t sitting at your desk catching up on emails. It’s not planning out your week. Rest is going to your Father and laying down your burdens. “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” The Holy Spirit will then give you guidance to what needs to be removed and what needs your attention. There is a falling away that will supernaturally happen as we allow Jesus to have His way. He is a heart changer. He’s in the business of changing treacherous hearts. Here are some strategies.... Wake up and make up Spend alone time with your creator. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber. Wake up, time is running out. Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Journal to journey Spend at least a few minutes a day writing down your thoughts. Then test those thoughts against the word of God. You may find you’ve lost why you’re on this earthly journey.

PRODUCTIVITY."

Clear the clutter Take inventory of your priorities. Write down from 1 to 5 where you spend most of your time and resources. Put your loves back in order Rearrange your schedule to get your loves back in tiptop shape. God, marriage, kids, work, friends, hobbies, etc. Make sense Ask God to awaken your senses so you can see and hear what He is specifically telling you to do and not to do. That hurt me Talk with God about what’s hurting you. Allow him to show you where healing is needed. Unhealed wounds can be worse than the wound itself leaving you paralyzed from moving forward. Be kind to yourself, it’s a process. He sees all and knows exactly what is needed for your restoration. The enemy loves to see us put anything above God. Don’t fall victim to his deceit. He is after all the Father of Lies. He longs for us to be thirsty for more than God so he can slide in and entice us. He wants us to focus on earthly treasures that are filled with holes. Satan is full of trickery and the day is now. Build up your spiritual muscle so you can withstand when troubles come. Jesus promises to help you. His word will not return void. He’s your biggest advocate and the only One that can make this life worth living. Hang on; there is more to come. And remember this life, the one you are currently living is your dress rehearsal. Ponder for a moment how much time you have left. Though we don’t know that answer, we like to believe we have plenty. God only knows so let’s make a resolution to use our time, energy, and resources wisely. Wisdom is given freely. All you need to do is ask. Just like winter, spring, summer and fall, our lives are filled with seasons. There is a time for everything. What time are you in? Where do you possibly need to make adjustments? Do you need to simplify in order to multiple? Are you eagerly waiting for this season to come to a close? Perhaps God is trying to get your attention? Taste and see that the Lord is good. Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

always BY WHITNEY HANCOCK

He was sweetly whispering the forgotten wildness painting my imagination with every perfect hue begging my remembrance verses drip with affection. constant, He was restoring my soul.

PHOTOGRAPHY: VICTORIA HILLSON OF AURORA PINES PHOTOGRAPHY

C O U P L E: PETER BLANEY JAMIE WEEKLEY LOCATION: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

I Wonder, Love So True BY JESSE ANAYA

I wonder what it'll feel like to feel a love so true. To find a dream come true. Beating fifty percent with you. I wonder. Instagram jealousy, Our very own virtual reality. I wonder what it'll feel like to mask up our flaws Press pause, So we can paint a picture perfect. I wonder. Is it worth it? Flaunt it. Fake it. Paint it. Break it. I wonder what it'll feel like to find a love like You. To finally live a dream come true. Beating fifty percent with You. I wonder. Two sinners as one Undone by fear of missing out And we missed out, on a love so true Because we rushed what wasn't meant of You I wonder. Timing. Patience. Maintenance. I'll trust in You. So I can find a love so true. My dream come true.

valu

ued

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALANIE SAYER LOCATION: LAFAYETTE + BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

THE WAITING ROOM "I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT FAITH IS BELIEVING WITHOUT FEELING OR SEEING BUT I’VE BEEN IN THIS SEASON OF DESPERATELY NEEDING TO FEEL CONTENTMENT IN THE WAITING AND THE GOODNESS OF HIS TIMING"

BY ALANIE SAYER

’m sure I’m not the only one who has been in this room wondering why God would be so slow in giving us what He has promised. What I’ve learned is like 2 Peter 3:9 says, He’s not slow but patient and careful in working out his redemptive purpose in the BEST way. The Lord has been teaching me how important and just how beautiful His timing is. That He never works without a purpose and His purpose is always for good. I can’t help but think about how patient and resilient Abraham was during his and Sarah’s twentyfive years of waiting. TWENTYFIVE YEARS. Their only hope was God’s promise. “No unbelief made Abraham waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised” Romans 4:2021. Oh, how I admire Abraham’s faith. I’ve always known that faith is believing without feeling or seeing but I’ve been in this season of desperately needing to feel contentment in the waiting and the goodness of His timing. I can’t keep track of how many times the enemy comes in and consumes my thoughts with what I think I’m not good enough for, what I think will never happen, and all of the lies he tells me causing me to discredit myself. I’ve been so intentional about hearing Jesus’ voice lately. Recognizing it, looking for it, repeating it, and holding onto it oh so tightly. But the thing is, what’s ours is ours and trusting that God has it all figured out for us and that His timing is perfect is a peace I want to daily rest in. There have been so many nights of laying my desires and burdens at His feet with tears burning down my cheeks. Aching to see His promises for my life come to fruition. The Lord is so good at reminding me that this season is not a curse, rather a preparation for what is to come and where I am now is necessary to get me where He wants me. I know the wait will always be worth it and turn out way better than I could have planned myself. I’m so thankful that He is gracious and gently reminds me why we are in the season we are in. I’m grateful that He isn’t shaken by my doubt or fear, my insecurity or my tendency to think my plan would totally work better. How relieving it is to know that The Lord who has the best plan mapped out for us is leading our steps. “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.” Joshua 23:14 The good news is that His promises WILL come to pass He will not fail us, but timing is everything. It is with purpose and careful consideration from the One who has it all figured out. So, let’s dance in the valleys because with trials comes perseverance and strength and depth. He is able to do what He has promised. He is who He says He is and He will do what He said He would do. Today, I sit in this waiting room with a renewed spirit of hope and joy that we serve a God who has it all figured out for us and will bring it to fruition in His perfect timing. The harvest is just ahead.