"Thank you for your merch and forgiveness.
You paid the price on Cavalry."
The Church of Laodicea

While making the lyric video for "Everything I Have Is Yours," I stumbled over 2 morbidly-humorous potential typos.  Instead of "mercy and forgiveness," I accidentally wrote "merch and forgiveness," and when the line about Calvary came up, I had to make sure I didn't accidentally write "cavalry."  "Thank you, Jesus, for the T-shirt, and for storming the gates of hell with the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army."  Of course, since these are the Last Days, I wouldn't be surprised to hear a sermon about how Jesus fought the Vietcong after winning the Superbowl with an all-atoning field goal.

Cuz there's nothing more appealing to angry, disenfranchised youth than a bunch of normie parents trying to be cool by acting as uncool as humanly possible.

Also, as I learned in the gift shop of the "church" after the service/halftime show, the Roman soldiers tasked with mocking Christ couldn't decide what to write on the primitive post-it note affixed above the head of the Saviour.  They cast lots on whether to channel their inner Roman Boomer and write something traditional, such as, "IESVS NAZARENVS REX IVDÆORVM," usually abbreviated as INRI, and meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews," or something progressive and catchy, such as "IESVS NAZARENVS FIRST AIR CAV," usually abbreviated as IN1AC, and meaning "Jesus of Nazareth of the First Air Cavalry."  Most historians and people with a healthy fear of righteous judgment opt for the former interpretation, but since these are the Last Days, somebody found a velvet AI painting of some middle-aged soyboy flying around the "stage" of the "church" on a wrecking ball like a cowgirl, while Jesus is coming to save the world on a horse (or possibly helicopter) shaped like a cross.  He is of course surrounded by the heavenly host, who may or may not be dressed like British soldiers.  You can tell that He's the Christ, by looking at the patch on His cross/horse/bullet-riddled Huey, etc.

First Air Cavalry to the rescue.  Assisted by a lukewarm, closeted homosexual dressed like a football referee, who actually pretends to be a spiritual leader, and who drinks strawberry milk for dinner every night.

I'm scared to even joke about it.  It isn't funny.  It's horrific.

I had to blur the image of Christ with a 1st Air Cav. logo above His head.  It bothered me.  I can't look at it.  It hurts my Spirit.  I feel bad that it was up for an entire hour.  Even if I didn't "mean it," and it was just to make a point.  It isn't exactly a point that's begging to be made.

Is it.

The last thing Christ needs is to be dragged behind the horse of mockery, even if the horse isn't real, and the mockery is directed toward the mockers.  Even then, He doesn't need it.  Which is why I made these 2 videos, of songs from my album Everything I Have Is Yours.  The secular material is fun and has its place, but without the Spirit behind these songs, there is nothing.  "Old Rugged Cross" is one of those songs that transcends songwriting and cuts straight to the subatomic marrow writhing in pain at the bottom of the sea.  "Everything I Have Is Yours" is all about repentance.  Without repentance, there is no cross, there is no forgiveness, there is no salvation.  You can't water down the true gospel message without watering down your own bloodstream.  Anyone who tries to, is in desperate need of the gospel message.  And probably a transfusion.  Jesus didn't pay the price on cavalry; He paid the price on Calvary.  It's not the same thing.

Thanks for listening.

Everything I Have Is Yours

Lord can you hear me
across the chasm of my sin?
Lord please forgive me
let me begin again

Lord I'm sorry that I hurt you
Lord I'm sorry I let you down
Lord Jesus won't you save me
save me Lord before I drown?

I am nothing without you Lord
only You can set me free
everything I have is yours, Lord
and everything that's yours
belongs to me

why do I think these evil thoughts?
why do I hate my fellow man?
why do I curse the gifts you give me?
why do I curse the state I'm in?

Lord I know that I've been slipping
Lord I know my heart is wrong
Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness
You've been with me all along

You carried the cross of my sin
You paid the price on Calvary
everything I have is yours, Lord
and everything that's yours
belongs to me

©2012 Nathan Payne