Emmanuel

Emmanuel. "God with us"

Beautiful words, but have we forgotten their meaning?

Consider the implications of God being with us.

The concept alone should leave us searching for words.

The Cosmic Creator of limitless power became a fragile human being.

A dirty little village held the conduit to eternity.

Its darkened streets concealed the God of all the universe.

His eternal nature might have shattered time by His mere presence.

With only a thought, His infinite power might have ripped apart the building blocks of reality.

This being, who is the sum of every hope and every fear mankind can think of, laid down His infinite might.

Why? To be closer to you.

And now, restored to his infinite glory, He waits. You have only to ask, and He will once again rip through the fabric of space and time, just to be near you.

Because, Emmanuel isn't just His name on Christmas. It's His name every day of our lives.

Buttons!

Ryan, our Graphic Designer, just made these really cool animated buttons for the Spirit Blade Productions website! I've got one of them at the top of this page and I've been geeking out finding other places to use them.

Ryan did a really great job, so if you want to help spread the word about Spirit Blade Productions, grab one of the animated buttons to use on your website, blog or podcast site!

You can find them at http://www.spiritblade.net/site.cfm/sbp/media

See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen

A Christmas Present From Us!

Hi Everybody!

In celebration of Christmas, we're GIVING AWAY free high quality mp3 downloads of our entire feature length (2hrs 25min.) audio drama, "Spirit Blade"!

To get your FREE download of "Spirit Blade", all you have to do is send an e-mail to "info@spiritblade.net" with the subject "Free Spirit Blade" between December 16th and January 2nd. (One free download per person. We will not sell or give your e-mail address to anyone else.)

ANYONE is eligible for this, so if you haven't experienced this sci-fi action epic, consider it our Christmas gift to you or someone you know!

Merry Christmas!

Paeter Frandsen

Creator- Spirit Blade Productions

In Search Of Truth, Truth In The Songs Of Christmas

Something a little different today...


All too often, during the Christmas season, we find ourselves breezing through Christmas carols without understanding or stopping to ponder their meanings. Between over-familiarity, archaic language and obscure Biblical and historical references, some Christmas carols may make us "feel good" in a sentimental sort of way, but beyond that their power to penetrate our hearts is lost.


We've done a little historical and biblical research on a few Christmas carols that we thought you might enjoy. Paeter will share his research on seven during next week's podcast, but here are three right now to get your mind working and focused on the Truth, even as you do some last minute "panic shopping". We hope you enjoy!



Hark The Herald Angels Sing




Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!" Joyful, all ye nations, rise! Join the triumph of the skies! With th’angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"


Christ, by highest heav’n adored. Christ, the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate Deity, pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"


Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, ris’n with healing in His wings. Mild, He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth. Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"


This song is filled to the brim with wonderful truth. It is first helpful to understand the old English which can keep us from hearing the message of this song. Ironically, that is the exact opposite effect the author would prefer. The original first line read, "Hark how all the welkin rings", but as the language became dated, Charles Wesley, author of the text, made changes to modernize it and make it more accessable. A few other hands were involved in further modifications in keeping with the times. However at some point, despite previous efforts on the author's part,tradition locked it into its current state.


"Hark" comes from the word harken, which means "listen". A herald is an announcement. So to "Hark the herald angels sing" means to "listen to the announcement" the angels sing. And in this song, the announcement is the Good News in a nutshell: God and sinners are being reconciled. The relationship between them is being repaired. This is news worth getting excited about! It means that mankind, by the power of Christ, can have triumph over death, hence the "triumph of the skies" we are encouraged to join in celebrating. The second verse talks about the mystery and wonder of God becoming man. Christ, who is adored in heaven, who is the eternal, everlasting Lord, was born into flesh. Christ was part of the Godhead, but "veiled in flesh". He was content to live as a man among men; To be Emmanuel, "God with us".


The last verse makes reference to Christ’s coming judgment by quoting Malachi 4:1-2. The Lord warns of the coming judgment where the wicked will be burned up and completely consumed, but for those who fear the name of the Lord, the "Sun of Righteousness" will rise "with healing in his wings", and will set free those who believe in the Lord. How is this possible? It was Christ’s mission, as the rest of the verse explains. Paraphrased, it says:



Mildly, the eternal God laid down his infinite glory, and was born so that man would not have to die anymore. He was born to raise humanity (the sons of earth) from the dead, and give them a second birth. For this reason, listen to the announcement the angels sing, "Glory to the King of the Universe, who has just been born."



Joy To The World! The Lord Is Come


Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heav’n and nature sing.


Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns. Let men their songs employ while fields and floods, rocks hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.


No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.


Based on themes in Psalm 98, this is not really a "Christmas" song. Psalm 98 is in anticipation of Christ coming to rule the earth. Our favorite verse is the third. When sin came into the world, death came with it, effecting not just people, but the world in which we live. One day, Christ will make a new earth, where there will be no sin and no corruption in nature, such as the thorns that infest the ground. He will make his blessings flow wherever the curse of sin is found, and death will be eradicated.



Angels From The Realms Of Glory




Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth. Ye who sang creation’s story, now proclaim Messiah’s birth! Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ the newborn king!


Shepherds in the fields abiding, watching o’er your flocks by night, God with man is now residing. Yonder shines the infant light. Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ the newborn king!


Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar. Seek the great desire of nations. Ye have seen his natal star. Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ the newborn king!


Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear, suddenly the Lord, descending, in His temple shall appear. Come and worship! Come and worship! Worship Christ the newborn king!


Although the title suggests a song focusing on the angels of Christmas, each verse focuses on a different group from the Christmas story, including present day believers who now anticipate Christ’s coming to judge the world. (Malachi 3:1)


The phrase "desire of nations" comes from Haggai 2:7, where God speaks of both the temple and the Messiah. This song reminds me that the truth of God becoming a man is for all. Cosmic angelic creatures, blue collar workers leading simple lives, philosophers who may think Christ is below their complex contemplations, and believers, who place faith and hope in Christ’s promise to come and remake the world. All are called to come and worship Christ, the King of the Universe.

Holiday Rush!

We're feeling a little bit of the "Holiday Rush" around here as we try to get ready to close down shop for an entire week!

We've never done anything like this before, but since WE need a vacation now and then, too, we've decided to shut down the office from December 23rd through December 31st.

The Spirit Blade Weblog will not be updated during those dates. We're also debating whether or not we'll do the podcast that week. Guess it'll be a surprise!

More than anything, Paeter's working extra hard to mix scenes for Dark Ritual so that the time spent off won't slow us down any more than it needs to. Paeter will also be taking a laptop and his copy of "The Pilgrim's Progress" with him out of town so that he can continue doing a little script work for our next big project. (Yeah, sometimes it's hard for that guy to REALLY take a vacation.)

We hope you're enjoying the Christmas Season and remembering the cosmic event that it's all centered around! Have a great weekend!

Paeter= Raan?

If cows ever learned how to fly, snowball fights became common in hell and Spirit Blade was ever made into a major Hollywood movie, I think I would petition very strongly to play the part of Raan.


You might think that's odd, since I do the voice of Merikk in "Spirit Blade". However two things lead me to playing Raan:


1. Merikk is the "leading man", and they'll want someone willing to do more sit-ups than I am for a part like that. (This is still Hollywood we're talking about, after all.)


2. I think I might have more in common with Raan than any other "Spirit Blade" character. At least Raan as he is in "Dark Ritual". I don't know anything about technology, but as Raan struggles inwardly with self-doubt, as he escapes the pain of life by fleeing inward to solitude and his imagination, I feel a unique connection to him.


It probably sounds obvious for me to say I feel "connected" to the characters I'm writing a story and dialogue for, but sometimes I forget that these characters came from my mind. They take on a life of their own and at times I feel like nothing more than a spectator.


Of course, if all I do is watch, then their story will never be told! So I'd better get back to mixing!


-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Acts 6

Acts, Chapter 6


"Organized Religion". The phrase already has a negative connotation to many ears. Organized religious entities have certainly done their part, over the years, to earn the red flag that the term now sends up. But is the concept, by nature, corrupt? Scripture shows us that this isn't the case.


In this chapter of Acts, we see that the early church was doing something very good. They were giving priority to caring for their widows. Making sure their needs were met. However one cultural segment of the church felt that their widows weren't being given the same attention as all the others. When the Apostles (also called "The Twelve") heard about this, they called a "church meeting". They examined the way they had been gifted and recognized that God had given the 12 Apostles a unique gift for speaking and revealing the words of God. Because this ability was so rare, and they knew they wouldn't live forever, they felt a sense of urgency to dedicate themselves to the task of speaking the word of God, delegating to others some of the administrative work required to serve people effectively.


When the church creates structure, it should be to play up our individual strengths and spiritual gifting. It may take some time to figure out exactly where everyone fits best, but the goal should be to have everyone serving where they are most appropriately gifted and passionate. The Apostle Paul talks some about the nature of healthy "organized religion", comparing it to a physical body and how it ought to function. You can read more about that in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.


It's an interesting side note that the Greek word used for "serving"(food) here, Diakonia, shares a grammatical connection to the Greek word for "Deacon". We might even consider this group of seven men, chosen to distribute food, to be the first church "board of deacons". Although Paul's writings will go into more detail about the criteria for being a Deacon/Servant in the church, we can look at this passage alone and conclude that those given positions of administration in a church, whether paid or volunteer, should: a. have a good reputation, b. have some visible evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their lives and c. be wise.


And since the "servant positions" mentioned here weren't yet formalized into what modern churches would think of as "Deacons", we can apply these desired character traits to ANY kind of administrative or leadership role in our churches today.


We can see in verse 7 that God chose to bless the church after this bit of "administration" was taken care of. In light of this, we shouldn't see administrative details and goals toward "organizing" our churches as "non-spiritual" elements.


The "Freedmen" mentioned in verse nine were named because of their descent from Roman slaves. They were a legitimate part of the religious culture, but were a lower class in society than many of the other groups of religious leaders. They may have not been as wealthy or esteemed, but they seemed just as motivated to hang onto their traditions at the cost of truth.


Stephen, one of the recently elected "table-servants", was blessed by God with a ministry that involved great "wonders and signs". He displayed a great deal of wisdom in what he taught and the Freedmen didn't know how to cope with what he was saying. So they started a smear campaign to falsely accuse Stephen and twist his words.


Eventually, they brought him to the Sanhedrin (Israel's supreme court, made up of rulers, elders and religious teachers) along with some false witnesses to testify against him.


In verse 15, the text tells us that when they looked at Stephen, his face was like the face "of an angel". Since this word can also simply mean messenger, we can't be sure of what they saw. It would seem that a miraculously "glowing face" would disrupt the proceedings a little, but the interrogation continues as normal in verse 1 of the next chapter so there probably weren't any "Hollywood visual effects" going on. However, we can at least assume that the Sanhedrin saw something in Stephen that was unusual. They may have even sensed that this man would have something very interesting or profound to say. And he did... but we'll check that out next week!


Coffee House Question:


What are some of the pitfalls you've seen when religion gets "organized"? What do you think might be some of the benefits of "organizing" our churches?


Next Week: Stephen's Last Stand!

The Golden Compass (Movie Review)

I had the chance to watch "The Golden Compass" and find out for myself:
1. If it was any good as a fantasy flick, and
2. What all the controversy is about.

If you haven't read the books, you're in good company. I haven't either. Not because of any desire to avoid a book that may reflect philosophy counter to my own, but because I generally do not enjoy stories where children are the main characters and are empowered to the point of making all adults look like idiots. It was cool, of course, when I was a kid, but it doesn't do anything for me now.

I should first say that my review is based only on the theatrical film. I have not read any of the books in the series, so I will not be reviewing this based on how it compares to Philip Pullman's book or where the story is going after this film. (My understanding is that the controversy increases in the second and third books of this trilogy.) I'll wait and judge each of those films on their own merit.

First off, I'll look at this from a Fantasy Lover's perspective:

This a was a really good movie. Not mind-blowing, but very good.
The cast all around did a wonderful job and I was pleased that Dakota Blue Richards (the main character) played her part convincingly, despite her young age. The film is peppered with a few stars, but not overwhelmingly so. And everyone is subject to the story. This isn't a vehicle for a movie star.

The costumes and set design of this world were very well done, feeling slightly alien but realistic at the same time. The special effects were certainly up to industry standards, although that still means that CGI looks like CGI. There are lots of animals running around in this movie that look great, for CGI animals. Still, it's a fantasy movie and so I don't think the eye demands as much. But you wouldn't buy these animals as real looking if it were a hard-boiled cop movie.

As for the story, I was refreshed by some fairly original fantasy concepts. While there may be "nothing new under the sun", there were some new or at least rare elements brought to the silver screen. Parallel universe stories are uncommon, but this film centers itself on the concept. Set in an alternate reality from our own, it feels familiar in some ways, but obviously different in others. In this reality, for example, the human soul does not exist invisibly within a person, but visibly in the form of a talking animal called a "daemon". (And yes, it's pronounced the same way as "demon".) A far cry from the usual concept of demons(Biblical or otherwise), the daemons in this film are simply a representation of a person's soul. They are as good or evil as the person they are associated with.

The story involves an appropriately "quest-like" journey that fantasy fans will recognize. There are plenty of characters and concepts to explore. There's not a lot of "magic" in terms of the "spell-casting" variety, but the world itself is magical enough that "sorcery" fans won't feel too great an absence.

The characters are engaging, Nicole Kidman's being one example. Even when the movie ends you're not quite sure what motivates her, or whether to call her evil or just misguided. Actors like Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Christopher Lee appear, although I can only assume they will be more prominent in future installments, since they weren't used a great deal in this movie.

The movie feels intense when it should and takes you on a pretty enjoyable ride. I'd certainly recommend it to fans of fantasy.

Now from a Truth-Seeking Christian perspective:

This is still a very good film that I don't think Christians should be afraid of. The philosophical rant in this film is against organized religion that values obedience to church leaders over examination of evidence and seeking out absolute truth. Christians should agree that placing obedience to church leadership over and above examination and obedience to scripture is wrong. In fact, though I'm sure it was not intended, I saw a great opportunity for comparing the Golden Compass (a device in the film used as the ultimate source of truth) to the Bible.

Some in religious authority might try to take the Bible away from us and keep the communication of "truth" in the hands of church leaders. However, we should be searching for truth in scripture just as much as Lyra searches for it using the Golden Compass. I'll quickly get behind the message of "truth over tradition" regardless of where it comes from. In that regard, this movie hits on a point repeatedly that I think is worth repeating.

Are there any sketchy aspects to the movie? Maybe, depending on who you are.

As I mentioned before, human "souls" in this movie's world are called "daemons" and walk around next to their human hosts in animal form. The fact that there are things called demons in this movie may upset some Christians. There are also witches in this movie that seem to be "good guys". The fact that witches and demons appear as good or at least neutral characters may set off some red flags. However, to fans of fantasy this isn't a big deal. Why? Because it's fiction.

In this movie it becomes quickly clear that "demons" in this world are not fallen angels. They are completely different creatures that share the same name. Like George Bush and George Lucas. It's fairly common in fantasy for creatures to be called "demons" and have no relationship to the Biblical concept. Neither is the movie implying that the Biblical concept of demons, that we as Christians believe in, are not evil and should be thought of as friends or sidekicks.

The same is true with witches. L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz" showed us years ago that, in fiction, witches can be either good OR evil if the writer desires. Christian writer C.S. Lewis used "magic" at great length in "The Chronicles Of Narnia" as a force for either good or evil.

Today there are "witches" that uphold many moral values and wouldn't be thought of as "evil" in the public eye. The Bible doesn't support the ideas they believe in and so naturally, as Christians, we should avoid practicing witchcraft. However, the Bible is silent on the subject of enjoying FICTIONAL stories involving FICTIONAL forms of witchcraft.

Enjoying a movie like this, as a Christian, is going to come down to one thing: What do you allow to shape your life? If you find that you or your children change the way you think about the world after watching a well-made, exciting and emotionally involving movie, this is one you may want to avoid. However, if you make a habit (as we all should) of learning truth by examining evidence and being a student of the Bible, you won't be in danger from watching this film.

I'll wait until my son is old enough to understand clearly the difference between fiction and reality before I let him watch this movie and others like it. But to Christians who are willing to explore truth and discern the difference between what is true and what is not, using a critical mind and the scripture as their tools, this movie can still be very enjoyable. In fact, I think some Christians have a responsibility to watch this film. Not all but some.

If you don't know anyone in your life that might enjoy this movie, or fantasy fiction in general, then there's no need to see this movie if you don't have any interest in it. There's certainly no need to protest this film, especially if your goal is to keep people from seeing it. Controversy breeds interest, so leave your picket signs and e-mail campaigns as ideas in your own head, please. The only thing they will accomplish is a confirmation for others that Christians are closed-minded, ignorant and judgmental idiots.

The more productive approach, I believe, is to see this movie and talk about it. If you know someone that seems to live life in imitation of the entertainment they enjoy, you can equip yourself better to minister to them by seeing this movie if they see it, than by scowling in ignorance when the subject comes up.

One great opportunity this movie presents, is to talk about the concept of "Truth". How do we determine what is true? A magical "Golden Compass" would be great if it existed. But without that, how do we know what's real and what's not? What's your Golden Compass? Does it work every time, and if not, how do you know when and if you can trust it?

If you'd be interested in a bridge to that kind of conversation with someone you know, especially if they are a fan of fantasy, offer to buy their ticket and go see this movie with them. It's a very enjoyable fantasy adventure and the car ride home might open up some doors that have never been available before.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence
Quality: 9.0/10

Relevance: 9.0/10

What Is Your "Golden Compass"?

We hope you're enjoying your Christmas season so far! This time of year often presents some great opportunities for examing Truth together.

Paeter had the chance to see "The Golden Compass" and since many people will be seeing this controversial film this season, you may find his thoughts interesting. Check them out by visiting "Paeter's Brain" or by listening to tomorrow's episode of "The Spirit Blade Underground Podcast".

Have a great weekend and in all things... Seek The Truth!

Prolonged Torture

Although I've started into some dialogue scenes that require fewer sound effects, I've discovered that one of them still may take a fair amount of editing.


Merikk Scythe finds himself being brutally tortured by a sadistic captor. Sean Anthony Roberts gave me so many great options to choose from that it's taken some time to narrow down the best of the best. Likewise, I spent a great deal of time screaming, weeping and moaning into the microphone over the summer and now have to narrow down the most appropriate levels of pain and anxiety for Merikk to be experiencing based on Sean's performance in the final edit.


The process still doesn't take as long as an action sequence to mix, but there are certainly elements I'd forgotten to factor in. Nothing that will get us off schedule. Just enough to remind me that I'm always learning something new in this game!


(You can check out my interview with Sean Anthony Roberts on the "Media" page of www.spiritblade.net!)


-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Acts 5

Acts Chapter 5


Does God change? Is God more "forgiving" in the New Testament than he is in the Old Testament? The Bible clearly tells us that God's nature does not change (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, James 1:17) even if he changes his strategy in dealing with men. With the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of humanity, God instituted a system of grace AND justice far superior to the system of animal sacrifice. However, God is the same God. He hates sin just as much and when he chooses to act, he carries out punishment with the same swift justice he always has. We see a very clear example of that in this chapter of Acts.


Ananias and Sapphira, a husband and his wife, both decide to sell some land and give a portion of the money to the church, while claiming to give the full amount. The problem with this action is not that they kept some of the money for themselves, but that they lied in order to be given credit and praise from other people. Why did God do this? When others in Israel were stealing, raping or killing, why would God make an issue out of this "little white lie"?


Well, we don't know the mind of God. Let's be clear on that point. But we can at least make some educated guesses. Proverbs 3:12 tells us that God disciplines those he loves and considers his children. Hebrews chapter 12 expands on that idea. While all humanity will ultimately be judged by the same standard, it makes sense that God would spend more time disciplining his followers. After all, they know better and even claim to love God, right? More than that, they represent God to the world(2 Corinthians 5:20)! What does it do for the message of Christ when the world sees Christians involved in financial scandals or hypocrisy of any kind? A painfully easy question to answer in today's culture.


Although Ananias and Sapphira may have been genuine believers who are now in the presence of Christ, God chose to remove them from his church on earth. This not only purged their hypocrisy from the young and growing church, but set an example, making it clear to the church at this critical time in their development, that God does not tolerate sin.


The miraculous acts of the Apostles continue and result in their imprisonment by the jealous and prideful religious leaders. This didn't last long as they were released by an "angel of the Lord" during the night. Found preaching again in the temple court the next day, the Apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin (another group of Jewish religious leaders) and questioned by the high priest.


Although the Apostles knew they had been told by the Jewish religious authorities to not teach about Jesus, the Apostles took a stand, saying "We must obey God rather than men!"


In a break from the norm, one of the Pharisees, named Gamaliel, became a voice of reason in the emotionally charged environment. He asked his fellow religious leaders to be patient and not quite so quick to pronounce judgment. If we aren't careful, we can also over-react and arrive at conclusions too quickly. Gamaliel wasn't suggesting that the Apostles be ignored if they are truly sinning. But in the absence of clear evidence that they were doing evil, he suggested that the Apostles be left alone. Another great example for us today.


God has made each of us so different from each other. We all were placed in unique environments with unique opportunities to serve God. If you're concerned by the behavior of an "out of the box" believer that you know, search scripture to look for clear evidence that what you are concerned about is sin. And if so, confront them on it with scripture, clearly and gently. If you don't see clear evidence from scripture that they are sinning, be patient. Get to know them. Ask them questions and show interest in what they think and believe. Let God sort out the details and avoid standing in the way of what God may be doing through this other person's life.


Finally, we see an idea that may sound odd to us: "The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name". Were the apostles masochists? What kind of crazy talk is that? Who likes being beaten and whipped?


It wasn't the pain that the Apostles took any satisfaction from. It was the REASON for the pain. They realized that they were experiencing pain because they were living counter to the natural current of the world. They'd seen Jesus live the perfect life and suffer terribly for it. They considered it an honor to be attacked for trying to be like Jesus. In a sense, the pain was an indicator from God that they were doing something right!


Many times, we'll experience pain because life simply sucks here on earth until Christ finally fixes it all. Other times our own sin will result in pain in our lives and the lives of those we hurt. But there is a special measure of encouragment we can gain from knowing that our GOOD choices are resulting in the pain we may be experiencing. If you're experiencing pain today, examine your life. Make right what you've made wrong and with the pain that remains, thank God for teaching you discipline and patience. And remember, if you've put your trust in Christ, Jesus is ALWAYS with you. (Matthew 28:19-20)


Coffee House Question:


If your idea of Christianity were based only on what you've seen in movies/television/news, how would you describe Christianity? What would you say Christians believe?


Next Week: Religion gets "organized" while the end approaches for one brave believer.

Steady Pace

Progress on "Dark Ritual" is moving forward at a steady, even pace. Out of some 30 scenes we've now completed primary mixing on nearly 12, putting us between one third and one half of the way to completion. We've also finished mixing on nearly three songs for the project.


As we head into the Christmas season and the extra activity that always brings, we're very excited to be on schedule for our spring release of "Dark Ritual". Hopefully you're excited along with us!


Have a great weekend!

Yay For Dialogue!

Can I just say how wonderful it is to be working on some dialogue centered scenes?


Granted, in audio drama, dialogue is the center of almost every scene, but as the artform has entered the modern age, sound effects have become more complex and the audio experience more layered than it ever was during the golden days of radio drama in the 30's.


We aim to be a production company that pushes the complexity and layering of audio effects even further. More of our action scenes are being expressed through sound effects alone, with little or no dialogue to "spoon-feed" visual descriptions to you. It makes for a great challenge that requires a lot of thought and time spent editing. I think the result is well worth the effort, but even so, I'm thrilled to have reached a few scenes in a row where people are in rooms having conversations. Although, does it still count as a conversation when one person talking is also being tortured into feverish, puking, delirium? Hmm... Maybe this scene won't be as simple as I thought.


Now where did I put that "vomit splattering" sound effect...


-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Acts 4

Acts, Chapter 4

For the first time we see this rapidly growing "movement" encounter opposition from the religious leaders. The Sadducees were a Jewish sect descended from the priestly bloodline. They had a lot of political power in Israel and controlled both the temple and the priesthood. They also considered only the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) to be holy and did not believe in any possible resurrection for those who die.


Since their aristocratic positions gave them prominence, comfort and power, they were very motivated to maintain the social status quo and knew that the ideas Peter and John were sharing could eventually hurt the Sadducees.


Soon, Peter and John stood before some of the same religious leaders that condemned Jesus, namely Annas and Caiaphas. The Holy Spirit continues to give Peter a newly forged confidence as he quotes Psalm 118:22, telling these religious leaders that they have rejected Jesus, the foundational figure of God's people. Peter continues with a statement that stings the ears of our post-modern relativism: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." The Bible continually affirms the controversial idea that although salvation has come FOR anyone, it doesn't come FROM just anyone.


Despite undeniable miraculous evidence, Israel's supreme court, made up of rulers, elders and religious teachers (called "The Sanhedrin"), still made an effort to ignore and even cover up the truth so that they could maintain the comfort they'd grown used to in life.


This presents an opportunity for us to examine ourselves. Take a moment and ask yourself a couple of questions:


1.Where in my life might I be ignoring truth to hold onto a little more comfort?


2. Am I willing to re-examine the Bible with an openness to learning something new or even contrary to what I believe now, or am I only willing to explore those parts of the Bible that will confirm what I already believe?


Ultimately, the Sanhedrin is stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding what to do with Peter and John and so they let both men go free.


At the close of this chapter we're reminded of the importance of being spiritually active with other believers. After meeting and praying together, this group of "Christ-followers" was blessed by God to be even more effective in their ability to serve him and share the truth with others. They also made a habit of caring for each other's needs in very practical ways.


Next week: We'll see both persecution and corruption within the new and growing church and how the Apostles "perform" under pressure.


Coffee House Question:


Have you ever changed your mind about something you thought or believed for most of your life? If so, what did you change your mind about?

What We Can All Be Thankful For!

Regardless of where we are at in life, we've all got one thing we can be thankful for. Take a look at Psalm 136-

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who placed the earth on the water. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights- His faithful love endures forever.

the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.

and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.

He brought Israel out of Egypt. His faithful love endures forever.

He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.

He led Israel safely through, His faithful love endures forever.

but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the sea. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.

He killed powerful kings- His faithful love endures forever.

Sihon king of the Amorites, His faithful love endures forever.

and Og king of Bashan. His faithful love endures forever.

God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance- His faithful love endures forever.

a special possession to his servant Israel. His faithful love endures forever.

He remembered our utter weakness. His faithful love endures forever.

He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.

He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

Think it's possible there is something in this Psalm that God really wants to hammer into our heads?

We hope you're having a great Thanksgiving weekend and that you're remembering this incredible truth that we can all thank God for! "His faithful love endures... forever"!

See you Monday!

Another scene done!/BIG Price Drop!!

Finished another big action sequence today! This one was a lot of fun. Cyborg blasters verses magic spells! The next three scenes I work on will be dialogue centered, which will be a nice change of pace and they will probably be completed more quickly as well.


I was thrilled to discover that www.spiritblade.net is #2 in the Yahoo search results when using the term "Christian sci-fi"! We've also now made it to the first page of results in google using the same search term. (And of course we're number one when searching with the phrase "spirit blade".)


If you've stopped by our website this week, you may have noticed that we've dropped the price for both the CD and mp3 download of "Spirit Blade"! The CD set (originally $15.00) is now just $7.99 (shipping is still free!) and the mp3 download (originally $10.00) is now only $5.99! We've also made the entire first HOUR of "Spirit Blade" available to download for FREE in high quality mp3 format.


With everything going on, it's never been a better time to visit www.spiritblade.net!


Have a great Thanksgiving!


-Paeter Frandsen

"Spirit Blade" On The Radio!

We have a VERY exciting announcement today!

"Spirit Blade", our premiere audio drama, will be broadcast this Tuesday night on CKDU FM in Halifax at 9pm Atlantic time. Several other Canadian radio stations will be airing it also throughout the week. For a list of these affiliate stations, visit http://sonicsociety.org/ and click on "Syndicate Stations" in the upper right of the page. And while you're there you may like to get aquainted with the sonic society if you're a fan of Audio Drama!

And if you'd REALLY like to help us out and you live within frequency range of any of these stations, give them a call or pepper them with e-mails after the broadcast and tell them you loved hearing "Spirit Blade"!

In Search Of Truth, Acts 3

Acts Chapter 3

Peter and John, two of the disciples closest to Jesus, are going to a prayer service together. The crippled man that begs for money gets much more than he asked for when he is healed. Peter is quick to take advantage of the opportunity, speaking with boldness and clarity about Jesus.

When Peter blames his listeners for Jesus’ death, he may be doing so literally. Jesus crucifixion had only been a few weeks earlier and since they, like many religious Jews, were on their way to a service at the temple, there may have been some present who also cheered on the death of Jesus. Even so, Peter makes it clear that they can have their record of sin wiped clean (v.19-20) by repenting (having genuine remorse for sin and a “change of mind” regarding how they want to live) and trusting in who Jesus is.

This promise still exists today. Regardless of what we have done, we all have the opportunity to “change our minds” and choose to trust and follow Jesus, the Christ.

Peter also used prophecy and Old Testament writing to make his case to a Jewish audience. He reminded them that God promised a special prophet that would be like Moses. Although there had been several prophets between Moses and Jesus, no prophet until Jesus had led God’s people in such a significant way. Moses had been used to rescue them from a life of slavery in

Egypt
and now Jesus, even more importantly, was rescuing people from lives of slavery to sin and saving them from a just but terrifying judgment after life on earth.

Peter paraphrases Moses words, which you can see for yourself in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. And although the Jews were chosen by God to represent him to the world, God told Abraham that through his descendants, the entire world would be blessed. (Genesis 12:3,

22:18
) The forgiveness and freedom promised through trusting in Jesus is not just for the Jews to enjoy. It’s for the whole world. We’ll see this more as we continue through Acts and watch the Apostles begin reaching those outside of Jerusalem.

Next Week: The heat is turned up for Peter and John as they face jail time and the religious leaders of Jerusalem!

Coffee House Question:

What is something you are very grateful or thankful for in your life right now?

Just Like Magic!

Although there are still a few maintenance issues to resolve, we've been able to move forward again with mixing for "Dark Ritual". Currently we're designing new sound effects to represent a supernatural force that our heroes will be up against. The sci-fi and fantasy genres collide even more in this story than they did in "Spirit Blade", and we're enjoying the challenge of bringing a distinctly "magical" sound into a story that has, until this point, been dominated by sci-fi elements.

We're also counting down to our big price drop next week on the 23rd. Both the CD set and digital download for "Spirit Blade" will be reduced significantly in price, making it easier than ever to join the gripping action experienced by the Underground Liberation!

Lastly, we've added another free download to the "Media" section of www.spiritblade.net. It's a featurette comparing audio clips from the very first read-through of "Spirit Blade" to the final product! Paeter Frandsen(Merikk), Michael Tully(Raan) and Michael E. Bryce(Isaiah) were all present for this historic event and you can tell by listening that they had a blast not taking themselves, or the script, too seriously! You don't want to miss this candid look at the origins of "Spirit Blade"! Jump over to www.spiritblade.net and click on "Media" to check it out and listen in!

Back on Track!!/Holiday Season

It's great to be back on track with mixing! Since I've been working through scenes in close to chronological order, I was able to listen to the whole story so far yesterday before jumping back in. Now I'll be delving into some new genre-bending sounds, ambiences and effects as our heroes are taken from their "sci-fi" environment and thrown into combat with what appears to be a group of dark robed wizards in the middle of a dense forest! Just what the frezz is going on here?! That's what Merikk, Raan and Vincent are all thinking right about now. Only time will tell!

I wanted to let you all know that there are some VERY exciting events coming up this holiday season! We'll start things off with another big (and permanent!) price drop for both the CD and digital download of "Spirit Blade", just in time to stuff the stocking of your sci-fi fantasy fan this Christmas! Watch for the price drop to happen November 23rd.

We'll also be making nearly half of "Spirit Blade" available to download in high quality audio format for free! That will be happening at around the same time, but we'll be sure to make an announcement.

Lastly, (and this is a BIG one!) right around Christmas we're gonna... hmm. No, I think I'll let that one be a surprise!

See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Acts 2

Acts, Chapter 2



The small but growing group of believers encounters God in a major way when the Holy Spirit comes to their meeting and enters into many of these new believers for the first time. (The Apostles received the Holy Spirit in at least some sense already when Jesus breathed on them in John 20:22, but this may have been the completion of the work started there.)


The Holy Spirit gives this group of believers the ability to speak in existing foreign languages that they ordinarily did not speak. Like a good historian, Luke gives very specific references to each country represented among the witnesses of this event.


Before Christ came to do his work on earth, the Holy Spirit entered and left the hearts of God's followers in response to God's will. It was unheard of for the Holy Spirit to be so commonly active in a large group of people. But Peter uses Joel 2:28-32 to remind his Jewish listeners that this kind of widespread activity from the Holy Spirit was prophesied a long time ago in connection to the time leading up to the Messiah's arrival to judge the world.


Peter makes a point here that is so often missed by our culture today. Jesus was given over to be crucified as part of God's plan for humanity. While those who crucified Jesus were responsible for their actions before God, it was also God's choice to allow Jesus to be crucified in order to pay for our mistakes and allow us to have a right relationship with God. Jesus was not just a martyr we should honor or a victim we should pity. Peter boldly states here that although evil was intended by humans, it was God's plan all along to use it for the greatest good humanity has ever known.


Peter explains that Psalm 16:11, written by King David, was a prophecy of the Messiah, who would be descended from David.


For Jesus' genealogy you can check out Matthew 1:1-16 (Genealogy from Joseph's side. Although Jesus was not related to him by blood, genealogies were valued and ordered by the male side, not the female.) and Luke 3:23-31 (A genealogy of Jesus believed to be traced on Mary's side, given the wording and the name "Eli" listed for Jacob's father. We believe Eli was very likely his father-in-law, Mary's biological father.)


Peter explains that Jesus fulfills this prophecy since, although David died, Jesus was not abandonded to Hades, nor did his body have time to undergo the ravages of decay.


Likewise, Psalm 110:1 was confusing to Jews for many years until Jesus came and provided an understanding that God is more than one in person, which is why David could say, "The Lord said to my Lord..."


Peter says that God has made Jesus both Lord (meaning master, or we might say "boss") and Christ (meaning "Anointed One" a prophetic name for the Messiah of Old Testament prophecy).


When those listening realized there was real truth in what Peter was saying, they asked him what to do. Peter uses the Greek word "metanoesate" for "repent". This word indicates regret for one's actions, but also a change of mind, resulting in a different view and understanding of things. When we are called to "repent", God wants us to recognize and have genuine regret for our sins and to have a real desire to change the way we live so we can follow God more closely.


Although some believe that the act of baptism is required for salvation, Peter doesn't use the same "command language" for this in the Greek. While we are still meant to be baptized as a tangible symbol of what God has done spiritually, it is not an act that is required in order to have the promise of forgiveness and eternal life.


Take a look at verses 42-47 and imagine what this kind of church would be like today! Imagine a church today with people who devote themselves to learning from the Bible, who have a strong sense of community, who pray together and for each other, who witness God do amazing things in their lives, who readily share their possessions and who sacrifice financially to help the poor. Imagine a church where people are sincere and aren't simply putting on "good Christian" appearances, where people genuinely love to focus on God and draw people's attention to how awesome he is and where every day there are new people coming and more that are choosing for the very first time to believe in and follow "the Christ".


Now... why don't we ask ourselves, "What can I do to help create this kind of atmosphere at my church?" It can be easy to complain and blame the leaders of our churches for not doing enough to make this kind of church a reality. But the truth is that the kind of church described here existed because EVERYONE was involved in "making it happen." Consider having a heart-to-heart talk and reality check with God this week and ask him, "What part do you want me to play?"



Next Week: More miracles and the "New and Improved Peter" keeps telling it like it is!






Coffee House Question:
What are one or two things that you would really love to be true of the people or atmosphere at a church you attend? (Not necessarily your real church, but an ideal church.)

Computers Suck

Sometimes computers are just very, very lame. This has been one of those weeks. Our files for "Dark Ritual" are backed up and safe, but this has been a "computer maintenance week" and so not a lot of creative advances toward the completion of "Dark Ritual" have taken place. Still, these parts of the puzzle are just as vital and so while it's not as fun, we're doing what's needed anyway.

Have a great three day weekend!

Playing Catch-up!

Busy, busy! This week I've had to put some of Spirit Blade Productions on the back burner. After my weekend out of town I raced to catch up with various things on Sunday night before starting a three day gig with the public schools.

Naturally I'm bummed to not be working on "Dark Ritual" much right now, especially since after a weekend of playing fantasy boardgames with my friend Mark, I feel more inspired than ever to create! Still, sometimes you've gotta go with the gig that pays better.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a productive day, although I've been running into some issues with my computer lately that I may need to look into before getting back into "Dark Ritual". Have no fear, I've backed up all of my work to an external hard drive and will continue to make that a habit.

So there's the skinny at the moment. Catcha later!

-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Proverbs Topical Guide

We're giving a little extra preparation time to Acts Chapter 2 and so will post some thoughts on that next week. This week, we thought you might enjoy a topical guide that Paeter put together two years ago for the book of Proverbs. Although the book of proverbs contains incredible wisdom that we can still learn from and apply to our lives today, the book itself is not organized by topic. Below you'll find the results of Paeter's personal journey through the book of Proverbs. Feel free to print this guide out and keep it in your Bible for those times when you need to hear the wisdom of God applied to a situation you're facing.


See you next week for Acts, Chapter 2!


Coffee House Question:


How would you describe someone who is WISE? How is this different from being INTELLIGENT?





PROVERBS Topical Guide






Resources/ Finances- 3:9-10, 6:1-5, 10:15-16, 22, 11:4, 15-16, 18, 24-26, 28, 12:27, 13:8, 11, 22-23, 14:4, 20-21, 24, 30, 15:6, 15-16, 27, 16:8, 17:8, 16, 18, 18:11, 16, 23, 19:4, 6, 7, 14, 17, 20:16, 21, 21:5, 6, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 30, 22:1, 2, 7, 9, 16, 26-27, 23:4-8, 23, 24:27, 27:12, 13, 23-27, 28:6, 8, 11, 15, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29:3, 7, 14, 30:8, 9


Provision- 10:3, 29-30, 11:8, 12:7, 21, 13:21, 25, 14:8, 11, 26-27, 15:3, 25, 29, 16:1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 17, 20, 33, 18:10, 19:12, 21, 23, 20:4, 13, 24, 21:5, 13, 30, 31, 23:17-18, 27:7, 28:6, 25, 26, 30:5


Pride- 3:7, 34, 11:2, 12:9, 13:10, 15:33, 16:5, 18-19, 17:9, 18:1, 12, 20:9, 22, 21:4, 22, 24, 25:3, 6-8, 27, 26:1, 8, 12, 27:1, 2, 21, 28:11, 26, 29:23, 30:12, 13, 30:32


Godliness- 10:6-7, 9, 20, 27, 29-32, 11:4, 5-6, 10-11, 19-21, 28, 30, 12:2, 5, 10, 12, 28, 13:5-6, 9, 21, 25, 14:2, 9, 11, 14, 19, 34, 15:8-9, 26, 33, 16:2, 6, 8, 14, 17, 31, 17:5, 18:3, 19:16, 20:2, 9, 11, 21:3, 4, 8, 10, 21, 22:4, 24:15-16, 24:21-22, 25:26, 28:1, 4, 7, 9, 12, 29:7, 16, 18, 24, 27


Correction-3:11-12, 6:20-23, 9:7-9, 10:8, 10, 17, 11:14, 12:1, 15, 13:1, 10, 13-14, 18, 15:2, 5, 10, 12, 14, 22, 31-32, 16:20-21, 17:10-12, 18:15, 19:3, 20, 25, 27, 20:5, 12, 18, 30, 21:11, 22:17, 18, 23:9, 12, 19, 23, 24: 5-6, 26, 25: 11, 12, 27:5, 6, 9, 17, 28:14, 29:1, 18


Love/Hate- 10:12, 11:17,25, 12:2,10,20, 13:2, 14:17,21-22,35, 15:1, 16:27, 17:5,13, 20:22,28, 21:10,21, 22:16, 24:15-16, 17-18, 25:17,20,21-22, 26:21, 27:3, 28:3, 29:13, 30:14


Serving- 3:27-28, 14:21, 17:17, 18:16, 19:6,17,


Pain- 14:13, 17:22, 18:14


Conflict(resolution)- 10:18, 11:29, 14:9, 15:7, 16:7,14, 17:11, 18:18-19, 20:3,22, 22:10, 24-25, 24:8-9, 25:21-22, 26:4, 5, 17, 20, 21, 29:22


Sacrifice- 14:4, 18:16, 21:3, 25:4


Leadership—14:28, 34-35, 15:22, 16:3, 10,12,13, 14-15, 25, 32, 17:7, 19:10,12, 25, 20:8, 26, 28, 21:1, 22:11, 24:7, 25:2,3, 5, 6-7, 26: 6, 8, 10, 28:2, 12, 15, 16, 21, 28, 29:2, 4, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 26, 31:4-5


The Heart- 4:23, 14:10, 12, 15:8, 11, 13, 15, 16:2, 17:3, 20, 22, 18:8, 14, 19:2, 20:9, 27, 21:2, 27, 22:11, 23:19, 26, 24:12, 27:19




Hope/Fear- 10:24-25, 28, 11:7, 23, 31, 12:3, 7, 21, 25, 28, 13:12, 19, 21, 14:11, 14, 26, 27, 30, 32, 15:24-25, 29, 16:4, 9, 17, 33, 17:3, 18:10, 19:21, 23, 20:24, 28, 21:30, 31, 23:17-18, 24:10, 19-20, 28:1, 29:25


Words/Language- 4:24, 10:11, 13-14, 18-21, 31-32, 11:9, 11-13, 22, 12:5-6, 13-14, 16, 18, 23, 25-26, 13:2-3, 17, 14:3, 23, 15:1-2, 4, 7, 23, 26, 28, 16:23-24, 27-28, 17:4, 7, 9, 14, 19, 20, 27, 28, 18:2, 4, 6-7, 8, 13, 20, 21, 19:28, 20:5, 15, 19, 25, 21:19, 23, 28, 22:11, 14, 17-18, 24:1-2, 9, 25:8-10, 11, 15, 20, 23, 25, 26:6, 7, 9, 18-19, 20, 22, 23, 24-26, 28, 27:14, 28:23, 29:5, 20, 30:6


Integrity/Honesty- 11:1, 3, 5, 12:17, 19-20, 22, 13:5, 7, 17, 14:5, 25, 15:4, 27, 16:11, 13, 29-30, 17:4, 7, 8, 15, 23, 18:17, 19:1, 5, 9, 22, 28, 20:6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 19, 23, 25, 21:6, 14, 28, 22:5, 12, 28, 23:10-11, 24:28-29, 25:14, 18, 19, 26:18-19,23-26, 28, 27:6, 19, 28:6, 10, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 29:5, 10, 12, 24, 30:6, 8, 10


Relationships/Marriage- 5:3-6, 7-14, 15-17, 18-23, 6:24-29, 30-35, 7:4-5, 6-27, 12:4, 13:20, 14:1, 7, 22, 15:17, 30, 16:7, 28, 17:1, 17, 19, 18:19, 22, 24, 19:13, 14, 19, 22, 20:6, 21:9, 10, 19, 22:14, 23:27-28, 25:17, 20, 24, 27:10, 14, 15-16, 17, 28:7, 29:3, 30:19, 20, 31:2-3, 10-31


Judging- 11:27, 13:23, 16:10, 17:9, 18:13, 17, 19:11, 20, 8, 24:23-25


Family/Parenting- 13:24, 14:1, 15:20,30, 17:6,17,21,25, 19:13,18,19,25,26, 20:7,20,29, 21:18, 22:6, 15, 23:13-14, 22, 24-25, 26:3, 27:8, 11, 28:24, 29:3,15,17,21, 30:11,17, 31:10-31


Work- 6:6-11, 10:4-5, 26, 12:11, 14, 24, 27, 13:4,11, 14:4, 15-16, 23-24, 15:19, 16:3, 26, 18:9, 19:15, 24, 20:4, 13, 21, 21:5, 17, 25, 26, 22:13, 29, 23:20-21, 24:27, 30-34, 25:13, 26:13-16, 27:18, 28:19


Justice- 11:31, 12:5, 21, 13:6, 14:14, 32, 15:3, 25, 16:5, 12, 17:5, 11, 15, 23, 26, 18:5, 17, 19:5, 9, 28, 29, 20:2, 22, 26, 30, 21:7,11,12,15,18, 22:8, 22-23, 24:11, 17-18, 19-20, 23-25, 28-29, 25:5, 21-22, 26:2,27, 28:4,5,12,17,18,28, 29:6,9,14,26, 31:8-9


Wisdom- 9:10-12, 10:1,13-14,20-21,23, 11:9,30, 12:8,23, 13:15-16,20, 14:3,6,8,18,33, 15:14,21, 16:16,21-22, 17:2,7,24, 18:2,15, 19:2,3,8, 20:29, 21:6, 22:12, 23:1-3, 23,26, 24:3-4, 5-6, 13-14, 25:2, 26:12, 27:12, 22, 28:11, 29:3, 30:24-28


Jealousy- 12:12, 14:30, 23:17-18, 24:1-2, 19-20, 27:4


Sin’s Consequences- 9:16-18, 10:2, 20:1, 17, 25, 23:29-35, 24:17-18, 21-22, 26:27, 29:24,


Discipline/Self-control- 16:32, 20:30, 21:18,29, 22:3, 23:23, 25:15, 16,28, 26:3,11, 27:20, 22, 29:19


Anger- 12:16, 14:17, 29, 15:1, 18, 17:14, 19, 27, 18:1,6, 19:3,11,19, 20:3,22, 22:10,24-25, 24:17-18, 26:27, 29:8,11,22, 30:33


Addiction- 20:1, 23:29-35, 31:4-5, 6-7

Can Christians Be Freaks?

  This was a really good week! We're now approximately 1/3rd of the way through mixing on "Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual" and couldn't be happier with how things are shaping up!

Paeter also had a great interview this week with Stephen Weese, creator of "Fans For Christ", an online community for Christians who like sci-fi, fantasy, comic books, RPGs and all other things "fanatical". Their conversation covered an issue very close to our hearts and relevant to all that we're doing here at Spirit Blade Productions. And you can hear it all right now on the podcast! http://paeter.libsyn.com

This is one you don't want to miss!

Happy Halloween!

Hope you all have a great night, tonight! We're really looking forward to having some friends over to play the "Zombies!!" boardgame while we take turns handing out candy.

The great thing about our neighborhood is that we don't get many trick-or-treaters, but we still buy plenty of candy "just in case". I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my week hyped-up on the "just in case" candy!

Tonight will also be our son's first Halloween. Not that he'll be aware of it. Although he'd make a very convincing "lobotomized mental patient", we've got a little Superman pouch with arms and a cape that we will be putting him in for our own amusement.

I'm also gearing up for another marathon weekend of playing "Descent" with my friend Mark in California. You can see more of Mark over at "Paeter's Brain" (link above) in the C-FOS movie. We try to get together about two or three times a year to have these Marathon boardgame weekends, skipping sleep and overdosing on crap food.

Lastly, if you want something gross and scary to remember the day by, go over to "Paeter's Brain" (again, link listed above, but okay here it is- http://paetersbrain.blogspot,com) and watch the video I just put up today. (You may want to read the warning first, however.)

So be safe (to avoid cars), be polite (to avoid egging) and be a FREAK on the one night that it's socially acceptable to do so!!

-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, Acts 1

Acts, Chapter 1



This book was written by Luke, a doctor by trade and a close companion of the Apostle Paul. Although Luke was not himself an Apostle, he used reliable sources and eye-witness accounts to summarize the life of Jesus (in the Gospel of Luke) and to write the book of Acts. The early church (meaning the believers during the first 100-200 years after Christ's resurrection) required a book to be written or approved by an Apostle for it to be considered scripture. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were both approved to fit this category by the early church.


Acts was written 33-40 years after Christ's resurrection. Luke was a non-Jew (Gentile) writing to a non-Jew named Theophilus. (He also wrote the Gospel of Luke to Theophilus.) It's believed that Theophilus was a Roman official or someone that Luke knew would be publishing or preserving his letters in some way.


So there's the groundwork. Now we'll take a look at what this first chapter tells us:


Jesus prepares them to receive the Holy Spirit. (John the Baptist said this would happen in Luke 3:16.) Jesus knew that these men would not be able to carry out his work without him. So first he promised them power from the Holy Spirit so that they would be equipped to share the truth with everyone on earth.


The intention of Jesus is not that his followers be only Jews, or Europeans or Americans. Christianity is not simply an American tradition. Jesus did so much more than start a new cultural religion. He revealed the truth about God and humanity and wants EVERYONE to understand it.


Verses 10-11 clearly indicate that when Jesus returns it will not be metaphorical or represented symbolically in some way. It will be a visible, physical, and local event.


We think of the word "church" as referring to a building, usually with pews and nice carpet. The word "church", (first used by Jesus in Matthew 16:18) comes from the word Ekklesia and means "the body or group of those who are called". Only in a secondary sense did it ever mean a specific local group of people. But still, the "church" is a "body", not a scattered number of people on isolated spiritual journeys. And it has always been that way, even since the very first church meeting recorded right here in Acts 1:14.


Pretty soon the number grew from a couple dozen to more than 100. And almost immediately this church began to organize. Peter makes the point that one, among the original "12", rejected Christ and so should be replaced. So they held a meeting to determine who would take the vacant position.


For many people being "spiritual" seems right, but they'd like to avoid "organized religion". But we can see as early as this chapter that there has to be some level of organization if we expect to be as effective as possible in carrying out what God is asking us to do. If we're going to care for the poor and teach truth to those who've never heard or understood it, we'll need to organize. If we're going to really move forward in our spiritual journey's, we'll need to be around other people that can help us learn, give us encouragement and provide us with opportunities to serve.


The Bible supports continued meetings of Christ's followers in Hebrews 10:25-


Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


So the real problem isn't the fact of organization. The real problem is poor organization, or defective leadership. Unfortunately, these issues exist at some level in all churches and even more so when a church is organized based more on man-made ideas than biblical ideas. But rather than avoiding organized groups altogether, we should make an effort to find a group, or "church", that makes a real effort to teach straight from the Bible and gives priority to the things it prioritizes. The more a church is willing to trade in its man-made traditions for biblical truth, the more effective it will be in following Christ and serving others.



Next Week: The Holy Spirit changes everything for the growing church and we see a clear example of what today's churches should be about!



Coffee House Question:

What positive or negative images or memories come to mind when you think of the word "church"?

Michael Bryce Junior!/Release Dates

This week Paeter was excited to have Michael Bryce Junior chat it up with him in the Monitor Room. Michael played the role of "David" in "Spirit Blade" but was unable to continue the role of the mysterious boy in "Dark Ritual" because...well, he started growing into a man.

Look for Paeter's interview with Michael during the main feature of this weekend's podcast. http://paeter.libsyn.com

This week proved to be another slow week with paying gigs taking up more of Paeter's time. Still, he's nearly finished working on another heavily layered action scene. We keep saying that the scene we're currently working on is "one of the most complex and exciting in Dark Ritual". We've been saying it more often than we thought we would because we keep finding more ways to make this project a nail-biter!

Lastly, a word on "Release Dates". You may have noticed that the release date for "Dark Ritual" has changed from December 2007 to Spring 2008 on our main website. Since this is only our second project, we're still trying to get a sense for pacing and how long it takes to finish projects of the size we create. While announcing official release dates can be exciting and help build anticipation, we don't want to see an ounce of quality lost because of a rush to meet a deadline. You've seen enough of that in both movies and video games that are rushed to meet a studios deadline and better serve the "almighty dollar".

We've decided, at least for the forseeable future, to give only rough estimates for our release dates so that when our projects are REALLY ready, and meet the quality standards we demand of ourselves, you'll be able to experience them the way they've been envisioned with zero compromise.

Rest assured, we're not using this new policy as an excuse to slack off or waste time. We'll continue to keep you informed on the latest developments and progress for each project we're working on. When we've got a new product ready, you'll see it coming and be the first to know. We're working hard to bring you the absolute BEST in Christian Sci-fi and Fantasy! We think you'll appreciate the results.

Have a great weekend!

Paeter's Brain

I was hoping to have a link here for a video I'm trying to post over at "Paeter's Brain", but since I'm having trouble getting it to work and I need to post here today I thought I'd just remind everybody about my personal blog.

"Paeter's Brain" is the weblog that I post on three times a week on topics such as Movies, Comic Books, Video Games, Boardgames, TV Shows and whatever else is of interest to me.

I make a regular habit of posting reviews there from the perspective of a Christian geek. Everything I review is given a rating for Quality (how skillfully or artistically something was done or made) and Veracity (how likely you are to have meaningful, truth-oriented conversation with someone after watching, reading or taking part in the subject of the review).

Currently, I'm working on posting all the old horror/sci-fi/superhero movies I made with my friends in college, episodically in chronological order. It's really bad stuff. In fact, if I were using my own review system, they'd all get a 0 in both categories. But at least they give anyone interested a peek into my twisted mind and odd sense of humor. Or, in other words, a peek into "Paeter's Brain"!

If you haven't checked it out yet, just follow the link at the top of the page. Then be sure to stop by and leave me a comment!

See you there, if you dare! (ooh, that rhymed!)

Later,

Paeter

(Hey, that's another one!)

In Search Of Truth, John 21

The Gospel Of John, Chapter 21





The final chapter in this Gospel feels almost quiet in comparison to the events that have taken place in the previous few chapters. Jesus reveals himself to the disciples in a way that would have special meaning for Peter. The miraculous catch of fish he gave them was almost a reproduction of the miracle he displayed when he and Peter had first met. (Luke 5:1-11) Although, this time the strength of the net proved miraculous as well!


Peter, passionate as ever, jumped out into the water to reach Jesus first. A few moments later, we read a heart-wrenching conversation between Jesus and Peter. As a counterpart to Peter's three denials of Christ, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. The first two times, Jesus uses the word "Agape" for love. This kind of love is the type that is willing to sacrifice and think of others before itself. The third time Jesus uses the word "Phileo" for love, referring to a close friendship built upon affection and common interests. Each time Peter answers, Jesus tells him how to carry that love out. Jesus makes it clear to Peter here that loving God is not simply about passionate speeches or deep feelings. Loving God is carried out through our actions and the way we prioritize our lives.


His call is for Peter to take care of Christians, teaching them and loving them. In the same way, if we really do love Jesus, we should want to help others understand more about who Jesus is. We should do what we can to make sure that the Christians around us are cared for, loved and are genuinely learning and growing in their desire to know and follow God with their lives.


Like Peter, we can look at the task of following Jesus and say, "Well what about that guy? Does that Christian have it as tough as I do? Are you asking as much of him?" Peter had this attitude when he asked Jesus about John, and how he would die. But Jesus deflected this attitude and brought Peter back into focus. "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me."


When following Christ, it can be very tempting to compare our spiritual walk with others and be content to journey only as far (or just a bit farther in our own estimation) as those we know. But we're not being called to be "as good as the next guy". Our eyes are to be locked only on Jesus and what he's asking us to do through the Bible.


If we're using the Bible, and not some constantly shifting social standard, as the guide for our lives, we'll be on a journey that never ends and that constantly brings us closer to the perfected final product God wants us to be. Being "content" where we are spiritually breeds impotent stagnancy, but a journey that's always questioning, always learning and always growing will bring about a life of true meaning and fulfillment!


That's the journey we're committed to and we hope you'll stay onboard as we keep things going in the book of Acts!


We'll see how these insecure, inept disciples became powerful and heroic followers of God. How did "the church" get started and what can we learn from it that will make our churches today less stuck in a "religious" box and more focused on what's important? Who is this "Apostle Paul" guy and why did he write so much of the "New Testament"? What kind of misconceptions about Jesus and his message did these disciples-turned-apostles have to face?


The book is called "Acts" for a reason, since the action never seems to stop! Come search for truth with us as we start this new part of our journey next week!


Coffee House Question: How would you describe someone that really seems to love God?

18 Seconds Of Awesome!!

After the monotony of cutting and pasting dialogue for two days, Paeter spent Thursday afternoon working on a sequence no longer than 18 seconds, but so layered with action and sound effects that it proved to be one of the most complex sequences yet!


Although we won't spill the beans on what exactly is happening, we'll say that alot of very nice people are being hurt very bad by someone very good at what they do.


"Dark Ritual" is proving to be more brutal in its action sequences and this is one that may have you wincing a few times while your ears try to keep up with the action!


Have a great weekend and don't forget to join us at the podcast! (http://paeter.libsyn.com)

Sometimes Boring Is GOOD!

Not much to report on yet. Yesterday I took advantage of a subbing gig. And Monday I was completely drained of all creative energy.

For a few minutes at the beginning of the day I stared at my screen and couldn't think of a thing to do that didn't require creative energy. I could ALWAYS do marketing and work on X-tras for the blogs, podcast and website, but I'd already done a good amount of that the week before and I felt behind on my work for "Dark Ritual".

Then it hit me. I had all these files of lines for peripheral roles and extras that I needed to sift through and decide who I would use for which lines. Cut, paste, evaluate, repeat. Oh, the beautiful monotony of it all! It was just what I needed to be mindlessly productive and keep things moving forward for "Dark Ritual". In fact, I might still be in the mood for some more. See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen

In Search Of Truth, John 20

The Gospel Of John, Chapter 20



Today we arrive at the most important event in human history. We've commented on how the crucifixion of Jesus is central to the Christian faith, but if Jesus did not come back to life, he was not God as he claimed to be. And if he is not God, then the life he sacrificed isn't worth any more than another person's. And if it has no greater worth, then it could not have paid for our sins and made it possible for us to have a peaceful relationship with God forever. (1 Corinthians 15:14-19) The resurrection proves the identity of Jesus and it is the reason we can believe that our sins really can be forgiven and God can still be absolutely just.


The "disciple whom Jesus loved" is revealed (by comparison to other Gospels) to be John, the author of this Gospel. The Greek word used here for "loved" is Phileo, and means (in its root): "To have common interests with". It has been suggested by secular sources that Jesus and John may have had some form of homosexual relationship. However, a look at the original language makes it clear that their connection was one of close friendship.


It's not clear why Jesus was not immediately recognized by those who knew him. There are at least a couple different theories:


1. Jesus still had the scar tissue from his torture and crucifixion and it was significant enough to change his appearance.


2. His resurrected body was perfected, aside from the scars in his hands, feet and sides that he kept. In his perfected form he looked different. (For more on the changes of Christ's resurrected body and the future resurrected bodies of his followers, see 1 Corinthians 15:20-21 and 35-55.)


When Jesus tells Mary to stop clinging to him in verse 17, he's not being rude, but indicating that his work isn't finished. Soon after, he met with the other disciples and "breathed" on them. This seems to echo the creation account, where God breathed life into Adam. But this time, Jesus was giving them the Holy Spirit, which they would apparantly receive more completely in Acts chapter 2.


We should pause and look at verse 23. Although Jesus says that those the disciples forgive will be forgiven, he does NOT say that they will be forgiven as a result of the disciples forgiveness. The more literal "New American Standard Bible" reads: If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them. The ability and right to forgive or condemn is still God's alone.


Before this day, these men were merely disciples, which means "learners". Today they began their journey as Apostles, a word that means both disciple and representative. Verse 23 indicates that with the unique guidance of the Holy Spirit they would have greater ability to discern truth. (An example of this is found in Acts 5:1-11.)


Jesus' words to Thomas are very meaningful today. "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway." (v.29) Consider listing your doubts regarding the truth of the Bible. Then look at that list and ask yourself if you really would believe if those issues could be resolved logically in your mind. Would you be ready to trust in and follow the Jesus of the Bible? Or would you find some other explanation that would require no change or sacrifice in your life?


Having doubts and asking questions can be very good if our aim is to discover the truth. But if the true motivation for our doubts is to avoid a reality that will bring discomfort or change, we'll never find the real answers to life's questions.


The offer of "life" through Christ that John makes (v.30-31) refers not simply to physical life. The word for life here, Zoe, refers to the quality of life that is the highest and best possible. John isn't suggesting that a person that trusts in Jesus will skip around smelling roses every day. John is saying here that his account of Jesus' life and ministry was written to convince readers to trust in Jesus so that they can have a genuinely purposeful life right now and the ultimate realization of their existence in eternity with God.





Coffee House Question:
What do you think is the difference between "Faith" and "Blind Faith"?




Next week we conclude our look at The Gospel Of John and reveal the next book of the Bible we will examine together!


Don't miss out!

He's Leading Me

This week Paeter finished the rough mix on another song and from here will either be picking up scenes again, or tackling another song. (Wherever the creative winds take him!)


The song completed this week uses the working title of "He's Leading Me" and is based on the classic hymn of similar name.


Michael Tully, as Raan, lends his vocal talents to the haunting melody(now in a dark minor key), while the track settles into an Eastern flavored groove.


This song has been something of a stylistic experiment and will continue to evolve as we get closer to our target release date in the first half of this coming Spring.


If you haven't checked out the new free downloads on our media page, don't forget to jump over to http://www.spiritblade.net/site.cfm/sbp/media and enjoy something different in your i-pod this weekend!

Updates! Updates!

First off, my apologies for not updating the website content more often. I'm still trying to find the right balance between working on current projects and supporting our currently available project.

I decided to spend my entire day yesterday working on the website, changing and adding a few things.

First, be sure and let all of your friends know that it's easier than ever to join the Spirit Blade experience! We've dropped the cost of the CD set from $15.00 to $11.99 (that includes taxes and shipping is still FREE!), and the digital download has gone from $10.00 to $7.99!

I've also rotated in some new material to the Media page that you can download for free! Part TWO of my "Spirit Blade Commentary" is now available, along with our first EVER interview with Randy Hesson, the voice of Vincent Craft!

If you missed the first part of my commentary, I've added it to the download section as well, along with the interview I had with Sean Anthony Roberts of "Dark Ritual". If you missed the podcast where we sat and talked about his character in "Dark Ritual", you'll want to check out this great interview.

And although it's been there for awhile, if you've never checked out my two-part interview with Michael Tully, the voice of Raan Galvaanik, you don't know what you're missing!

You can check out all these free downloads by going to the "Media" page at www.spiritblade.net, or just jump there right now at : http://www.spiritblade.net/site.cfm/sbp/media !

Catcha later!

-Paeter Frandsen