I was working on a site that needs to handle videos and uploading a video option is a must. One of my friend suggested to use VidiScript, so I downloaded a copy and hurriedly install it on my local server. The problem however is that I get Error 500 when I run the install scripts. I take a look on the scripts and discover that it uses .htaccess.
What is .htaccess anyway?
.htaccess files allows us to change configurations on our servers per directory or subdirectory. We may enable .htaccess files by editing our httpd.conf removing the comment on line from
;LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
to
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
we need to change the AllowOverride directive also from
<directory>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Satisfy all
</directory>
to
<directory>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Satisfy all
</directory>
You can also rename your .htaccess file by adding the line below on you httpd.conf file
65,000 Nursing graduates recently recently took the June 2008 nursing board examination. Expected release date would be 2 - 3 months after. In case you wanted to be notified when the results are out, just fill out the form found in the Nursing board exam results website
Manny Pacquiao the so-called “People’s Champion” have defeated Diaz on the 9th round of the Lethal Combination fight at Mandalay Las Vegas. The Filipino ring icon, successfully controlling the match with his right jab, ended David Diaz's sovereignty with a crisp left shot to win the WBC lightweight belt via an amazing knockout at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao snapped Diaz's head with a mean right jab, moved in closer to his opponent and unleashed a 1-2 capped by his powerful left that sent the Mexican-American down. Referee Vic Drakulich waved the fight off at the 2:24 mark of the round.
Leading on the scorecards by a mile, Pacquiao decided to put the pressure on Diaz, who surprised the Filipino with a granite chin that took a lot of beating.
"I gave a lot of power shots and he's still standing," an amazed Pacquiao told a television interviewer. "I was very surprised that Diaz was so tough. He's the toughest opponent."
Even more amazed was Diaz, who was hoping to stretch the match into the late rounds, where he is more comfortable fighting.
"I was saying he doesn't hit that hard and all of a sudden I was on the floor and what the heck," a gracious Diaz said. "He was fast," Diaz said. "I didn't see the left hand coming." But the left hand was just part of the whole package.
When the NBA champions Boston Celtics visited him at the dugout, Pacquiao got the surprise of his life after the match. Pacquiao had expected the Celtics to win in six games and the world champions repaid that faith by watching the match and cheering for him.
"I'm his No. 1 fan," Kevin Garnett, standing beside Pacquiao, said.
With Garnett were Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, two members of the Big Three, and the likes of Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell.
Pacquiao went to work early, controlling the first three rounds behind the jab before the left started to find its mark starting the fifth.
Diaz was in trouble in the eighth as Pacquiao twice had him rolling against the ropes. The Chicago-raised boxer kept bleeding out of his right eyebrow, but said the cut never troubled him.
"I kept telling the doctors that I could see perfectly," Diaz said. "At the end of the day, he caught me with a good shot and you just have to say that he was the better man."
Pacquiao's lightweight invasion comes after wresting the WBC super featherweight crown from Juan Manuel Marquez last March.
Laurente, a former lightweight champion of the Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation, improved his record to 29 wins with 15 knockouts to go with three losses and five draw when he defeated Steve Quiñones of the United States in Sunday's (Philippine time) boxing bout before the main fight between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz, the current WBC lightweight champ at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The US duelist seems to have taken the lead in the first three rounds of the fight. However, Laurente had knocked him down surprisingly in the fourth round and Quiñones started to lose momentum. There is no action took place on the fifth round since Quiñones have failed to continue because of the ankle problem making Laurente win through a technical knockout.
The 30-year-old Laurante from Palompon town in Leyte province, added glory and honor to our country Philippines on his US debut.
Manny Pacquiao is expecting the fight of his life as he attempts to complete his drive for five Saturday night when he faces WBC lightweight champion David Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
A legend in his native Philippines who is one of the sport’s most popular fighters due to his exciting style, Pacquiao (46-3-2, 25 KOs) enters his battle against Diaz trying to complete a quest to capture five world titles is as many weight classes.
Pacquiao’s WBC super featherweight strap is not on the line.
Pacquiao, who already has won titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight, enters the bout against Diaz having won his last seven fights since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005. Included in that winning streak is a pair knockout wins over Morales.
Despite his recent success, the 29-year-old Pacquiao is preparing for a war against Diaz, a fellow southpaw.
“This will be my hardest-fought battle,” said Pacquiao, who won a split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in March to capture the super featherweight crown. “It has been over three years since I have changed weight divisions and I will be doing it against the lightweight division’s world champion.
“But this is my drive for five world titles in five different weight classes and I will not be denied. I am fighting for history, for destiny and for the people of the Philippines.”
The 32-year-old Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs) is making the second defense of his title after winning a unanimous decision over Morales last August, a verdict which sent the Mexican star into retirement.
In a non-title bout, Diaz won a majority decision over Ramon Montano on March 15. That fight was on the undercard of Pacquiao’s victory over Marquez.
Diaz, who suffered his only career loss via knockout against Kendall Holt in February 2005, has confidence heading into the biggest test of his career.
“I will shock the world and beat Pacquiao at his own game, power for power,” Diaz said. “He’s a great champion, but he’s fighting in my division - lightweight. I have worked too hard for this world title and I will not give it up to him.
“I have always done pretty good against southpaws. I hit them, so I really should be all right.”
M/V Princess of the StarsOFF SIBUYAN ISLAND — Rescue divers said they found many bodies yesterday inside M/V Princess of the Stars that sank with more than 850 people on board, confirming the worst fears of desperate relatives.
Anxious and angry family members had been clinging to hope their loved ones might still be found alive inside the doomed M/V Princess of the Stars, which capsized and sank Saturday when it got caught in the path of a typhoon.
But with blame flying over how the 24,000-ton ferry was allowed to set sail with the storm looming, shaken rescue divers said they had discovered the worst when they finally worked their way into the submerged ship yesterday.
”There are still many dead inside,” said one, who declined to give his name, coming back to his coast guard rescue boat from the wreck off the central island of Sibuyan.
He said one body was found on the bridge, wearing the uniform of a crewman �” and still clutching the ship’s radio in his hand.
Philippine civil defense chief Anthony Golez said 57 people had survived the sinking, one of the worst maritime disasters in the country’s history �” some of whom made it onto lifeboats.But many passengers reportedly had little time to react when the vessel, trapped when typhoon “Frank” suddenly changed path, began tilting and then quickly capsized off the central island of Sibuyan.
It reportedly developed engine trouble while trying to make it to safety.
There have been reports from local officials of dozens of survivors being found in nearby islands, but coast guard officials said they had yet to confirm those accounts.
In Manila, from where the boat set sail on Friday night, navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgardo Arevalo confirmed that many bodies were trapped in the vessel but said divers could not yet give more details.
”It was too dark inside to tell how many were children or elderly, but they did say they were mostly floating and they were apparently trapped inside,” he said.
Arevalo said the waters were still quite rough, making it difficult to enter and exit the sunken vessel.
”What complicates our problem is how to extricate the bodies. One of the ways they are thinking about is to weigh them down so they can take them out from the bottom of the ship.
Another option is to cut the hull,” he said.
The tip of the overturned hull is all that remains above water after the tragedy, which was the fourth disaster for the ferry company, Sulpicio Lines, since 1987 �” including the Doña Paz sinking that year which left around 4,000 dead.
The government slapped an immediate ban on Sulpicio’s vessels from leaving port on Monday.
But the company is one of the largest ferry operators in the Philippines, where people are heavily dependent on ferries to get around the country’s more than 7,000 islands, and said Monday it was still selling tickets.
”We are at a loss as to what really happened,” vice president Sally Buaron said.
She said the captain, Florenio Marino, sent a distress call moments before giving the order to abandon ship.
A US navy supply ship and surveillance plane are helping with search and Golez said he hoped the Americans would have more sophisticated equipment that could help locate more people.
”As long as there’s small hope that there is an indication that people are still in the waters, we will continue to search,” Golez said. AFP
Typhoon Frank has devastated the central part of Philippines, Iloilo. Iloilo city acting mayor Jed Mabilog said at least 30,000 residents of Iloilo city are stranded on their rooftops because of the flood. Typhoon Frank hit the province and some part of Negros which caused flash floods and landslides. 14 people were reported dead and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands more into a safe area.
The National Power Corporation was forced to shut down its power plant in the area, triggering a blackout across the province, plant manager Nelson Hemona said.
Roads connecting the southern cities of Cotabato and General Santos were flooded, while a concrete bridge also collapsed, isolating some villages and towns, Catholic-run radio station DXMS reported.
The storm forced over 200,000 people to seek temporary shelter in the eastern Bicol region, the civil defense office said.
Heavy rains battered the Bicol region overnight, and over 600 people were stranded in various seaports there. Full story at ABS-CBN News Online.
Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Training involves purposeful, consistent, and diligent actions. But one research project found, on average, fathers in America spend five minutes or less each day talking with their children.
God has a plan to train children as He intended. Teaching our kids starts with a foundation of love. All people, especially the young, desperately need to feel accepted, loved, and valued. If they don’t find validation at home, they’ll look elsewhere. Children need to hear their parents say things like, “I love you,” “I value you,” and “You have what it takes.”
A second part of training a child involves the parent’s relationship with God. We can’t share what we don’t have. A person’s relationship with Jesus must be real and exciting. Otherwise, it’ll be impossible to teach others about how to have intimacy with the Lord.
You can use two effective training tools with children. The first one is your testimony. Share what God is doing in your life. The second tool is your example. A powerful lesson is driven home when a child sees his parent admitting fault, asking for forgiveness, or expressing gratitude for God’s mercy. The stakes are high. If we disobey the Lord and fail to teach our little ones correctly, we make them vulnerable to the world’s teaching. Not only does this harm our precious children; it also hinders the next generation.
Ending Gossip in Our Lives
READ | Ephesians 4:29-32
Spreading rumors about other people exposes little about their true nature but reveals a lot about the speaker’s own character. Such behavior shows a willingness to sin against the Lord by causing harm to someone else. Until a gossiping believer confronts his sin, he can’t progress toward becoming the person God wants him to be.
Confession is the first step in dealing with sinful speech. This should be followed by repentance by pledging to turn away from opportunities to talk about others. A useful scripture to pray daily is Psalm 141:3: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Second, be on guard against temptation. Believers have a responsibility to set themselves apart from gossip in order to keep thoughts and words pleasing to God. Being in the presence of one who spreads stories can tempt even a believer to participate. In a situation where rumors are being shared, the best course of action is to speak out against the practice and then leave.
Finally, instead of talking about someone, it’s wise to pray for that person. Getting into this habit will help train the mind to replace sinful patterns with God-pleasing ways. The Bible teaches us to encourage and comfort each other, and prayer is a good way to obey that instruction.
A gossiping Christian dishonors God’s name and his own. Instead of using words that disparage and injure, choose to speak well of everyone. Inso doing, you’ll bring glory to the Lord.
Taken from: In Touch Ministries
God wants us to obey so He can guide us to fulfill a divine plan and purpose for our lives. But submission to His will doesn’t come naturally.
To instruct us in obedience, the Lord requires we comply with earthly authority. Exodus chapter 20:12 says a child is to honor and obey his parents. God planned our early experiences of authority and obedience. This time would involve those who love us and care about our best interest. But, people are born with rebellion in their spirit. Toddlers often willfully defy warnings not to touch forbidden items. But as a child grows, a lesson’s learned from his parent’s repeated warnings and discipline. A child mastering rebellion leads to greater privilege and a solid relationship with Mom and Dad.
As he matures, a child encounters other authority figures like teachers, police officers, and coaches. Then when a young adult takes a job, the command from Ephesians chapter 6:5 says to submit to one’s employer becomes relevant.
Romans 13:1 states God places authority figures in our life. Since these men and women are human, they’ll make mistakes and sometimes treat us unfairly. But they’re still His instruments.
Whether or not we approve of the way we are ruled, our parents, employers, and other authorities teach us that obedience has value. Disobedience has consequences. We already understand the basic principles of submission when it’s time to decide about yielding our will to God. He’s a perfect Father, who desires only the best for His children.
If you want a little snapshot of what the world considers “normal,” just glance at magazine covers near the grocery store checkout. You will find racks of lies, rumors, indecency, adultery, and betrayal. A movie star leaves his wife for another woman. A pop-singer mom loses custody of her children because of drug use.
Young girls are taught their self-worth is based on outward appearance. These don’t sound like traditional family values, do they? But as a culture, we aren’t shocked by what we see. Even worse, we enjoy it. We read articles and watch TV shows about such perversion, as if intoxicated by the “glamour” of such lifestyles. We fill our homes with a million little pictures of this distorted reality and then pack it neatly away when it’s time for church. Sadly, some of us are living two separate lives. The one we show God, and the one we show the world.
Romans chapter 12:2 confronts us with this contradiction head-on. As you think about the images above, consider the words of the apostle Paul.
He said “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you may prove what the will of God is, which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Is your home being conformed to the world, or is it being transformed by the Holy Spirit? Would others see you as a blind follower of culture’s ambitions? Or would they see the “good and acceptable and perfect” will of God in your life? Be honest with yourself as you talk to the Lord today.
The Lord has a plan for your life. He has a perfect will and a specific course in mind for you. Some believers are frightened of God’s will. The idea of a divine plan isn’t attractive, because it requires a great deal of trust and faith in the Father.
We’re usually quick to trust God with someone else’s needs. But, we’re often slow to trust Him with ours. To make things more confusing, some people misunderstand what the Lord’s will actually is. Some believe it’s a special bit of knowledge that He imparts only to super-spiritual people. Others think, it’s simply His call to do something dangerous, painful, or uncomfortable. Too often, God’s will is seen as something we have to do, whether we want to or not.
God’s will isn’t something to fear. It’s meant to give us clarity of purpose and power to live a life of many blessings. It provides us with direction at every turn. It gives us answers to important questions. In a time, where even our cars can get real-time, turn-by-turn directions from satellites in space, some people resist that kind of guidance for their lives.
Most likely, it’s because we want some advice about how to proceed but prefer to do the driving ourselves. We may let God suggest where we should go, but we want to be the ones holding the steering wheel. God knows where you’re going and how to get you there safely. Don’t trust Him with just the final destination. Let Him guide each step of the journey.
Too often, people fall into a belief that they have no real purpose in life. They get up, go to work, come home, and zone out in front of the TV. Then it’s time to go to sleep and start all over. Where in this routine are they making time to fulfill their true purpose? This isn’t the model that Jesus set for us. When we look at the life of Christ, we can clearly see His coming was no accident. His time was not wasted. He lived His life “on target.”
Scripture shows without a doubt Jesus was sent to serve. Many times in the Gospels, Jesus refers to having been “sent” by the Father. That word implies focus and intent. Our Savior didn’t stumble upon the earthly scene. His coming wasn’t an accident or a happy coincidence. The idea is not that Jesus just “appeared”. He was sent and to the world for a purpose.
Matthew chapter 20:28 reveals Jesus came not to conquer, but to serve. His life reveals a clear mission. Everything He does in the Gospels points back to a four-part purpose: to reveal the Father, die for sin, save the lost, and provide abundant life.
No matter where He was, who He was with, or what He was doing, the Lord always kept His eye on His purpose. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, so we are sent by Christ to carry His message of hope throughout the world. Is this purpose evident in your daily routine? Pray for clarity and focus as you serve the Lord today.
Jesus knew the importance of prayer and practiced it regularly. He often slipped away from the crowds to commune with God. He would receive the guidance and strength necessary to carry on His Father’s work. In teaching about the power of prayer, Jesus promised that God will answer. He used three words to help us pray effectively.
First, we must ask. We are to come to God with our requests. In doing so, we are acknowledging both our need and God’s ability to meet it. Jesus assures us that every request will be granted in accordance with our Father’s best for us and others.
Next, we should seek. Sometimes the Lord asks us to get involved in the situation that we’re praying about. We may be petitioning for Him to help us find a new job. He wants us to seek His wisdom and guidance. God also wants us to take practical steps to find what is available. When we obey His directions, God promises to provide the answer.
Finally, knock. In carrying out the Father’s plan, we’ll encounter obstacles along the way. Persistent praying may be required. Knocking implies a level of force being applied so a door will open. Once God presents the solution, we no longer need to ask. When He opens up a path, we should walk on it.
Prayer engages the Lord in the personal lives of men and women and in the affairs of government. It is the way we experience oneness with our Father and receive the essentials we need to carry out His work.
Something amazing happens when we reach out to our Father through prayer. We enter into God’s presence and can access His power on behalf of a lost, hurting world.
Jesus Christ made it possible for us to have communion with the Father. All of us inherited a sin nature through the first man, Adam. We’ve been separated since birth from holy God. Our sin nature placed us under a death sentence with no appeal. To give us access to Himself, God sacrificed His Son Jesus. God counted His death as payment for our sins.
When we make a commitment to Christ by receiving Him as our personal Savior, our sins are no longer counted against us. In God’s “accounting books,” our transgressions have been transferred to the Lord. His righteousness is credited to us. John chapter 14:13 says with our sins forgiven, we have a new position in Christ. We are free to approach God with the confidence that He will hear and answer our prayers.
The One who listens to our prayers also has the power to answer them. His authority is unlimited. Job chapter 42:2 confirms no individual or government is mightier. No one can stop His plans. Through Jesus’ life, we see God’s absolute power over nature, disease, and man’s plans. After the Savior’s death, God used His divine power to resurrect Jesus and bring Him to heaven. This same power is available to us when we pray.
Prayer is a key spiritual discipline in the Christian life and an awesome privilege. It opens the door for us to approach God and involve Him in our lives.
Many of us are at war with ourselves and don’t realize it. Some people experience inner turmoil because they’ve never made peace with God. That’s corrected by receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. Those of us who already believe may at times feel anxious. Inner serenity comes when we accept who God made us to be. Acts chapter 17:26 says our Father chose the time and place we would be born. He determined what we’d look like. God gave us our personality, talents, and spiritual gifts. Fussing over what He has chosen for us will keep us unsettled. Understand His purpose for our life. Proverbs chapter 3:5-6 reminds us that embracing God’s unique plan for us will bring satisfaction and peace.
Know that we belong to Him. Feeling disconnected can irritate us. You should remember that adoption into God’s family is permanent. It’ll keep us steady. The bible says in John chapter 10:28 that nothing can change the fact that we are His.
Maintain a clean conscience. When we are headed in the wrong direction, our conscience acts as a warning signal. We feel a sense of guilt or shame that troubles our mind and keeps peace away. Once we confess our sin and turn from ungodliness, our conscience becomes clear once again. Inner turmoil is replaced with calmness.
Keep a Christ-centered focus. Taking our eyes off ourselves and steadily looking to Jesus will give us a quiet spirit. A peaceful heart will become a reality when we embrace who we are in Christ, confess our sins regularly, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Mercury MTS is a nifty free mail server from the same company that offers the free mail client Pegasus. Both can be downloaded from http://www.pmail.com/ .
Depending on the modules that you choose during setup, Mercury can act as a stand-alone SMTP server and client (to send and receive emails directly), SMTP relaying client (to send emails to Internet recipients through a mail server at your ISP), POP server (to deliver mail to local users) and POP client (to retrieve e-mails through your ISP's mail server, and deliver them locally through the Mercury POP server), mailing lists, filtering rules, aliases, support for black-listing spammers (ORBS, RBL), server-based email directory through PH, etc. Quite amazing for a free mail server!
XAMPP package includes Mercury and during installation the user is provided with the option to whether install the Mercury or not. Installing Mercury with XAMPP is as smooth as just clicking next button until the installation is finished.
I tried installing XAMPP on my local server and immediately test the PHP mail() function to test the mail server. The first error I encountered is this one:
Warning: mail() [function.mail]: Failed to connect to mailserver at "localhost" port 25, verify your "SMTP" and "smtp_port" setting in php.ini or use ini_set() in C:\xampp\htdocs\ramises\sendEmail.php on line 72
which made me realize that there isn't any mail server running on my local server. I opened the XAMPP control panel and made sure that Mecury is running. The XAMPP control panel has a "start" option on each of the modules. If Mercury is not running on your server, simply click "start" to make use of its service.
This time I am confident that the dummy script I made will run perfectly, but I have this problem now:
Warning: mail() [function.mail]: SMTP server response: 553 We do not relay non-local mail, sorry. in C:\xampp\htdocs\ramises\sendEmail.php on line 72
If ever one of you meet "Server Response: 553", open the XAMPP control panel, click the admin button on the Mercury row to open the Mercury window. Go to "Configuration->Mercury SMTP Server->Connection control" and uncheck the "Do not permit SMTP relaying of non-local mail".
Running my script again . . . . and whoaaalaaaaa, script runs perfectly!
A compass indicates four points of north, south, east, and west. All are necessary for finding direction in the physical world. For guidance in living the Christian life, Proverbs chapter 3:5-6 also gives four points.
The first point is trust God. James chapter 1:17 states He deserves your complete confidence because He alone does not change.
Second, do not rely on your own understanding. The human mind has limited comprehension. Only God is all-knowing. Hebrews 4:13 shows us that every thought and motive is visible to Him. There is nothing that He doesn’t see.
The next point in trusting God is to acknowledge Him in all your ways. As the Maker and Savior of all mankind, God has the right to plan every life. He knits each person together in the womb. He provides redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. God gives spiritual gifts to be used on His behalf. Just as a child will look to his father for help, believers are to include their heavenly Father in everything. Success may tempt people to feel proud. But, Christians must guard against this thinking because it can lead you in a harmful direction.
God promises to make your paths straight. Spiritually, the direct route is easier to travel and requires less time. But it is not obstacle-free. As you follow the first three directional signs, the Father will work on your behalf to overcome barriers along the way.
Will you follow God’s spiritual compass and trust Him wholeheartedly? As you reject self-reliance and acknowledge dependence upon Him, you will stay on the straight path of godliness।
Taken from: In Touch Ministries
Life can seem confusing at times. Sudden changes in our circumstances or the people’s behavior can make us wonder how to go forward. That’s why God gave us His Word as a reliable compass to point the way in difficult times. But we need an abiding trust in Him if we are to effectively use His guidance and follow His instructions.
We know God is trustworthy. He is the One who created us. God sent His Son to die in our place. He adopted us permanently into His family. With His great power, He resurrected Christ. With that same power, He is able to keep every one of His promises. These are solid reasons that we can depend upon Him.
There are several signs that we don’t trust the Lord. Sometimes we rely on other things to determine our course of action. We lean on our reasoning power, material desires, or feelings. You may also seek advice and help from other people instead of from God’s Word. These ways show a lack of trust in Him.
Some things keep us from placing our full confidence in God. One obstacle is a lack of awareness that God desires an intimate relationship with us. If we don’t realize that He is deeply interested in our affairs, then we won’t look to Him for guidance. A second barrier is pride. We often would rather rely on ourselves than depend solely on Him. Placing our confidence in the almighty, eternal triune God is always wise. He can be trusted in every situation.
Jesus knew the importance of harmony both in the church and in believers’ personal lives. In one of His last recorded prayers, He asked the Father three times for unity among Christians (John 17:11, 21-22).
In today’s passage, Paul teaches that there are several aspects to our unity as believers:
• One body. God adopts people into His family without regard for race, gender, or denomination. Faith in Jesus Christ is all that matters. Everything that divides human beings is insignificant (Galatians 3:28).
• One Spirit. All Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We’re different on the outside, but as believers, we all have the third member of the Trinity inside to empower and guide us.
• One hope. As believers, we share in a common hope—the return of the Messiah and a future life in heaven with Him.
• One Lord. Jesus’ lordship extends over all people. We are to acknowledge and submit to His authority in every area.
• One faith. Believers are united in one faith, which is founded on several basic truths: Jesus is God incarnate; born of a virgin, He lived a sinless life, died in our place, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Reconciliation with God is possible only through faith in the saving work of Christ. We can do nothing to earn our own salvation.
By learning to see what we have in common, we can more easily overlook differences. Seeing our unity, people will be ready to hear the good news that God offers a way to have peace with Him and with others.
In a music industry cluttered with throw away pop that gets forgotten in mere nanoseconds, rare indeed are artists who go against the grain and stand for music that has lasting value.
And the Katinas are as rare as they come.
With a lifetime of making music as a tight-knit family, this quintet of brothers - without question the premier vocal group in Christian music - have taken the road less traveled with the aptly named Timeless, a carefully chosen collection of classic Christian songs that have informed and inspired them, all updated with modern arrangements and the Katinas' singularly unique melodic and vocal style.
But Timeless - which includes tracks penned by the likes of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Andrae Crouch, Keith Green, and Randy Stonehill (who wrote the first single, "Shut De Do") - is way more than a tribute to the pioneers of Christian music. For the Katinas, it's a musical timeline that literally traces their faith journeys as individuals, as brothers, and as a band.
"We grew up listening to these artists," says James. "We lived in American Samoa, 2,000 miles south of Hawaii, so the only way we could keep up with what was happening in Christian music at that time was through the cassettes and records our cousins mailed us from the states. That's how we discovered these songs; they're the reason for our love of music."
Choosing the tunes wasn't a walk in the park, though. One might assume that a final lineup with the likes of Green's "Your Love Broke Through" and Crouch's "My Tribute" was easily attained, but the fellas started with more than 100 songs in the hopper. "There are so many great ones in Christian music," Joe notes. "We'd have five to 10 meetings on just one song choice."
"It was a long process, but it was worth it," James adds. "We're excited - we feel that the Christian music lover and audience is ready for a record like this."
And with production handled and overseen by longtime studio vet Brown Bannister, the Katinas assured themselves that Timeless would contain a voice and vision that not only spans the decades but also is filled with power and uncanny consistency despite the disparate material.
"He's probably the most decorated producer in our industry;" says John. "We have experience under our belts too, but what Brown brings to the table in terms of stability and wisdom is priceless. This is the best work we've done so far, and Brown is a big reason why - he's great at making sense out of everything and pulling out the best performances from each of us. And when you have five brothers in a band, often with five different ideas, you need someone to be a sounding board - and Brown was the guy."
"When we put our stamps on these songs, the credit goes to Brown and [coproducer] Dan Needham for keeping the reigns on and still encouraging our creativity," says James. "The result is exactly what we wanted to accomplish - our best record with our most cohesive sound."
In keeping with the Katinas road-less-traveled outlook, one of the first tunes they chose for Timeless isn't actually part of the Christian music canon - "Living Years" by Mike & The Mechanics.
"It's not a blatant Christian song," Joe says. "But it was the first or second one picked - when we decided on the concept for this album, 'Living Years' was an immediate choice." With its well-known lyrical plea for people at odds with each other - especially family members - to forgive and patch up differences before death comes, "Living Years" addresses age-old issues that the Katinas have observed not only in their fans' lives but also in their own.
"As we travel, we're seeing the hurt and pain in peoples' lives that stem from family relationships," Joe continues. "And as we get older, we find ourselves going to more funerals and hearing about more deaths, so we just couldn't do this record without addressing this issue." But "Living Years" speaks even more loudly to the Katinas' relationship with their dad.
"Our dad was a strict disciplinarian when we were growing up; it was a relationship born out of fear," Joe notes. "And when our mom died in 1988, there was a huge vacuum between us and our dad. We know that he has regrets, but we also know he did the best he could. In 1993 restoration and healing began - but it's still not always the easiest thing.
"So it taught all of us - because we're all husbands now - that we need to keep communication open between us and our loved ones as much as we can. We never had that growing up, so we want to make sure our kids and our wives get it from us. Like the song says, 'Say it loud, say it clear,' and do it while you're alive. It's a message we hope that future generations will continue to carry."
Another tune not found in the canon of classic Christian music (because it's a brand new tune the Katinas wrote with coproducer Dan Needham toward the end of the recording process) is "Lifetime."
"We were wanting a more up-tempo track," Jesse explains, "and we also felt like we needed to say something from our own hearts as a response to all these great songs, and 'Lifetime' really reflects the album's concept of spiritual longevity and deep purpose."
And even as the band traced their spiritual journeys during the final song selection process, the experience of recording the tracks showed took things to even deeper levels of realization and breakthrough.
"We first heard many of these songs when we were really young," says youngest brother Jesse, who sings lead along with John. "When you're younger, you get a sense of the melody, but you don't pay as much attention to the lyrics because you're not at a place in your life where you can relate to them as well. So it wasn't until we actually got into the studio to work on our own versions that we really appreciated what the songs were saying lyrically.
For instance, Amy Grant's 'Arms of Love' was really familiar to all of us, but it wasn't until I dove into the lyrics and tried to wring the emotion out of the words and the vocals that I fully appreciated the song. And when you read the lyrics for these songs back to back to back, you understand how powerful they still are."
Joe couldn't agree more: "When you're a kid, the world is awesome. But then you grow up, you go through things, and you can get jaded about life. So recording these songs reminded us how we used to look at life and music, about how much fun it can be, and the love we've shared-but I'm mostly reminded of God's love.
"Through all the good and bad things we've experienced, the challenges, God's love brought us through every single thing."
The idea of living forever has great appeal, especially if there is a guarantee of joy, health, and security. Revelation 21:4 presents such a picture of the believer’s condition after death. Because everyone’s spirit will exist in one of two places after this present life, where we spend eternity is an important consideration.
Heaven, God’s dwelling place, is open to everyone whose sins have been forgiven through the atoning work of Jesus. At salvation, God credits Christ’s righteousness to our “account” and adopts us into His family. His home becomes ours. Jesus Himself said He was going to prepare a place in heaven for all who believe in Him (John 14:2).
However, if we refuse God’s invitation to have a relationship with Him through His Son, we remain in our sinful state and will be separated from Him forever. Holy God won’t allow sinful man into His presence or His heavenly home. Instead, those who reject Christ will go to a place of suffering and torment, permanently isolated from God and His goodness. This state is called eternal death.
Many people are ignoring this crucial subject. Young people as well as men and women in their middle or later years often dislike the topic of dying and prefer not to think about eternity. However, to be with God in heaven requires faith in Jesus.
A non-decision is really a decision—and an unwise one at that. By doing nothing, people face everlasting separation from God. Let these truths about eternal life and death fuel your prayers and actions.
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