Godspeak

Justin Michael (from Compliments of Gus) :: an interview

What do you do to stay fresh?

Mentos. Actually Listerine have these great little squares you can put in your mouth now, they’re great!

What are you reading right now?

Phillip Yancey, “The Jesus I Never Knew”. He is a fresh thinker and he offends everyone just like Jesus did, its great!

What are your goals as a Christian artist?

Initially as a kid I knew I wanted to stand on stage and sing music and entertain. I thought to be valid you had to have X amount of people at your gigs and X amount of record sales. As we’ve grown as a band, as people and as Christ-followers all that stuff goes by the wayside.

The question to ask is did I do what God sent me here to do? That’s our goal. Everywhere you put the sole of your foot, well, he’s ordered that. As soon as we start to realise the gifts that we have are God-given, that’s when they start to take effect.

So why is the Bible important? Why should we read it?

It records real events, real people in real time and space. It’s got everyone in there, those with epilepsy, the poor and down trodden, the rich…everyone. Anyone recorded in that book has helped change the world! The Bible also teaches us how to accept ourselves and shows us how to make a difference in others lives.

Tell me about the song you recently wrote to perform at the Bible Society’s Wordfest? (at the Australian Gospel Music Festival)

It was a great experience, really good fun. We sat down and decided we needed a song from scripture. At the time I was studying the end of First Corinthians 13 where it says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

It was that last part that really excited me. We always talk about how God knows us, but scripture states, “we are fully known”. That means everything…all our hang-ups, every internal struggle is known somewhere along the way. One day we’ll meet God and we’ll say, “Wow, you knew all that”.

The Bible is the most powerful book every written. It has something fresh to say to us everyday. As soon as you realise it relates accounts of real events and real people, it just hits you.

Click "play" to see Compliments of Gus perform 'Rain Down'.

 

 

 

• Poetry
• Songs
• Sons of Korah