Jamie the Go Fish Guy

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of you!  Thanks for reading my blog and for always being so supportive of the Go Fish Guys.  Here's a little Christmas video from one of my all time favorite preachers.

 

The Movie

3 Hour Christmas Gift

Thanks to everyone who downloaded our new Go Fish Christmas song "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee"!  We hope you enjoy it.  If you missed the free giveaway, you can still hear clips from our Christmas CD by clicking HERE!

 

It's About The Cross

I am often asked about how I go about writing a song.  Oddly enough, I can rarely remember what it was that sparked an idea, tune, or lyric.  Ironically, the songs that I truly labor over are usually not very memorable.  Likewise, the ones that just seem to appear from nowhere tend to have the greatest impact.  One of our most popular Christmas songs, It's About The Cross, is one of those rare songs that came easily and continues to make an impact every year at Christmas Time.

So here's my little prideful confession: I can't stand it when somebody suggests I rework a song that I think is finished.  In my mind the song is already a done deal...time to move on to the next thing!  However, there are certain people that I truly trust and when they give me a suggestion, I take it to heart.  One of those people is Darren Rust, a producer who has had a huge impact on our music.

I'll never forget when we recorded It's About The Cross.  We were almost done recording the entire song when he said, "I really think you need to write an extra section for the final chorus of this song.  It needs something there".  I initially blew him off but he wasn't going to let it go.  Finally he pretty much kicked me out of the studio and into the next room to see if I could come up with a few more lines.  Honestly, I had no intentions of writing anything.  But when the following lyrics came to mind, this bullheaded songwriter had to admit that his old pal Darren was right!

It's about God's Love Nailed to a tree

It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should've been me

Looking back, I cannot imagine this song without those lines.  I remember this songwriting experience because the irony is glaringly obvious.  Even while writing a song about the cross, I was full of pride!  This is just one of a million examples I could share of how my best attempts at being "good" fall drastically short of God's holy standard.  I am a sinner.  God knew that I was literally helpless to combat my sinful nature.  I am saved only because Jesus took the punishment I deserved.  Without God's love and mercy I'd be just another dead man walking.  All I have to do is look into the mirror of God's law to know that I have been a recipient of a gift I do not deserve.  I am grateful that my life is not defined by me or my attempts at being good.  My life is defined by what a holy, loving God did on my behalf for His glory.  It's about the cross.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.    1 Corinthians 1:18

 

08 It's About The Cross

 

Christmas With A Capital C

I realize that many of you are finding this blog as a result of the "Christmas With A Capital C" video on youtube.  Because of this, I wanted to take a minute and explain why I wrote this particular song and why I think people have such extreme reactions to it.

Year after year it seemed the annual debate would start to surface.  It was maddening to me to hear people talk in circles about saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" without ever addressing the true issue.  That is why I decided to write this song.

I wanted to get beyond how you greet your fellow man and get to the heart of why people have issues with the word "Christmas".  I know what the issue is.  The issue is Jesus.

Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

The Bible goes on to say in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

These are not very politically correct statements.  They made people mad back then and they make people angry today.  Hebrews 13:8 says that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." So no wonder the name of Christ continues to demand a response.  You can't be a moderate when it comes to Jesus.  You either accept him or you reject him.  It has always been that way.

I pray that this simple song will challenge you to take a deeper look at what you think about Jesus.  All you need to do is read the comments on youtube to see that he still solicits a hot or cold response.  Jesus said this would be the case and warns us about making the wrong choice in Matthew 10:32-34.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.  Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

Like the songs says, we've broken God's laws (sinned) and when we stand before God someday when we die we will be judged accordingly.  However, God loved us so much that he provided a way for us to be saved from our unholy nature.  This extreme problem of sin (which is so easy to see all around us in this fallen world) required an extreme solution.  God provided this solution by sending his one and only son Jesus to this earth.  He lived a perfect life and was killed on the cross as a sacrifice for all the wrong things you and I have done.  He rose from the dead 3 days later proving that he was God and achieving victory over the penalty of death.  He did this for you because there is nothing you can do on your own to earn your way to God.  Like Jesus said, he is the only way to the Father.

It's truly quite amazing.  Unlike other religions, with Jesus you can't do anything to be saved.  It's already been done.  You just need to believe, turn from your sin, ask Jesus to forgive you, and live your life for him instead of yourself.  It sounds simple, yet so many choose to live their own way and reject God by choosing sin over God's forgiveness.  I beg you to not reject Jesus.  To do so is truly the worst choice you could ever make and you will regret it for all eternity.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  1 Corinthians 1:18-19

That's what I believe and I'm stickin' to it!

Merry Christmas.

(Originally posted in October 2009)