Stanley Simpson

Unashamed

The next entry for my Blog is Unashamed, which was written by Matthew West and A.J. Pruis. It was first released October 4, 2024. A link to Matthew West singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Three brothers in a fire
Willing to die for their faith
But You were with them in the fire
And they walked out the next day

And Daniel met a lion
Because he chose to pray
But You shut the mouth of that lion
And he walked out the next day

So what’s gonna be said of me when it’s all said and done?
Will I stand for my beliefs, or will I turn around and run?
Well, let the whole world hear me say

I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names

I’m unashamed
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed

I don’t answer to the crowd
I answer to a king
So the louder they shout
Oh, the louder I sing, yeah

What’s gonna be said of me when it’s all said and done?
Will I stand for my beliefs, or will I turn around and run?
Well, let the whole world hear me say

I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names

I’m unashamed
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed

At the name of Jesus
Every knee will bow
And every tongue confess
So let it start right now
Before you come back, Lord
Before the rocks cry out
I will lift my praise
Let it start right now

I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the name above all names

I’m unashamed, yeah
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed

oh, I’m unashamed
(I’m unashamed) I want the world to hear me say
I’m unashamed (I’m unashamed)
Oh, I’m unashamed
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed

Lord, I will stand for You
I tell the world about You, yeah
I’m unashamed

Do you ever take time to look around the inside your home, your office, or place of work and perhaps admire some of your accomplishments? Maybe you received special awards while you were in school or perhaps some special recognition you earned at work. In your home, do you have some certificates, awards, or maybe even trophies that reflect achievements you are so proud of? I know that I still have things that remind me of some of my accomplishments in my earlier years. If you are a Christian, can people see any evidence of your faith in addition to the things I referenced above? Can they tell you are a Christian by just the way you act? True Christians are identified by their actions and their words, not by dust collection items on a wall or a desktop. Please note that I believe you should be proud of all of your accomplishments in life, big or small; but the most important thing you can do in life is to secure eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior. The accomplishments in your life and the things in your life will not give you eternal life, they will only provide you with personal satisfaction during your life on earth.

This song points out the importance of what God has done in our lives, not what we have accomplished seemingly on our own. In the bible, in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, we find the story of three men who were thrown into a burning furnace because they refused to bow down to a ninety-foot-tall golden statue created by mandate of King Nebuchadnezzar. As the flames got higher, their prayers became stronger and they saw an angel appear in their midst and they were shielded from the flames. As the furnace cooled down and the captors raced to peer into the furnace, they saw the three men walking out with no damage from the fire. They were men of courage who loved their God and knew that he would either wrap his arms around them or take them to be with him for eternity. They were not ashamed of their beliefs nor did they let their fear of the fire or the king change the love and allegiance they had to their God. The king honored Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for their faith and their God.

Again, in the book of Daniel, chapter 6, we learn about how Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. He was one of the three lead administrators who supported King Darius. He was strong in his faith in God and he was a good administrator for the king. The other administrators were jealous of Daniel and reported to the king that Daniel refused to bow down and worship the king, he would only bow down to his God. The king had him thrown into the lions’ den. When the king and the administrator came back to the den the next morning, Daniel was unharmed, God had protected him. The king threw the other administrators into the lion’s den and they were immediately killed and eaten by the lions. Daniel stood by his faith and was willing to die for his God. He was not ashamed of his beliefs. The king honored Daniel for his faith and his God.

The two examples I gave above came from the bible, the word of God. If you are a Christian, do others know you worship, adore, and love God and his son Jesus Christ? After all, we are told in the book of Romans, 1:16-17, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (non-Jew). For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Do you take the time to tell others how God changed your life, how he has been there for you in your deepest darkest hours, how he has promised you eternal life? If you don’t let others know about your God and your faith, aren’t you really being ashamed of what you believe and what others think? I understand it is not always easy to share your beliefs, but let’s look at it from a different perspective. What if God told you that he was going to turn his back on you since you essentially are ashamed of him due to your lack of visible support and thankfulness of his gift of eternal life? Wow, I know this seems like a harsh statement, but take some time and let it sink in. The examples I gave from the book of Daniel show people who have true faith and a willingness to die for their beliefs. I think all of us need to openly profess our love and our faith in God, let the whole world know where we stand. You are either all in with God and have accepted Christ as your personal savior or you are ashamed, you cannot stand in the middle of the road, you must make a choice.

Is your love of God stronger than your fear of the fiery furnace or the den of lions? When your time on earth comes to an end, how do you want to be remembered, for your earthly accomplishments or for your faith in God? Let people know you are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Click to Hear Matthew West Perform Unashamed

You Will Be Found

The next entry for my Blog is You Will Be Found, which was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It was first released December 16, 2022. A link to Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Will Be Found

Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

So let that lonely feeling wash away
Maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay
‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand
Well, you can reach, reach out your hand

And oh, someone will come running
And I know, they’ll take you home

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
Lift your head and look around
You will be found
Yeah, you will be found
Ooh (hmm)

There’s a place where we don’t have to feel unknown
And every time you call out, you’re a little less alone
And oh, if you only say the word, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
From across the silence, your voice is heard, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
‘Cause you’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you’ll only look around (look around)
You will be found (you will be found)
You will be found, yeah, yeah

Out of the shadows (out of the shadows)
The morning is breaking (the morning is breaking)
All is new (everything is new)
Yeah, all is new (everything is new)
It’s filling up the empty
And suddenly, I see that (and suddenly, I see)
Everything is new, hmm

Even when the dark comes crashing through
And when you need a friend to carry you
And when you’re broken on the ground
You will be found
So when the sun comes streaming in
You’ll reach up and you’ll rise again
If you’ll only look around
You will be found

This is such a powerful song that reflects experiences that most of us have probably encountered at some point during our lives, even for only a brief period of time. As I listened to this song a few times in preparation for this entry, I started thinking about experiences I may have had, those I have heard about, or perhaps those I have witnessed. Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you felt as if you were all alone and that no one cared about you. It was a time when you may have truly believed that no one really loved you or wanted to be with you. For many people, these are feelings they have had in the past, or perhaps are having today as they are reading about this song. It is almost as if you enter into a bad dream of being all alone in the middle of nowhere and then you start to believe it is all true. You start thinking about whether or not people would even know you have disappeared. The thoughts like this continue to overwhelm and totally consume someone as they fall deeper into the bit of depression and despair. I believe the most descriptive example I can come up with is being stranded on a small deserted island all alone with no hope. I know there are many comics that depict this setting, but this is a real issue for many people. You truly feel as if no one really cares about you and would never miss you if you disappeared.

At some point, people give up all hope and fall to their knees in despair. This is perhaps the lowest point in someone’s life and the song states we just need to raise up our hand and know that it will be taken by the hand of God. He is always watching over us and is always there to help us in times of need. He doesn’t force us to do things, but once we turn to him and ask for this help; he grabs our outstretched hand and begins to bring us peace, love, and comfort. It doesn’t mean all of our problems go away, but it does mean that we do not have to face our problems alone. He is the ship that will rescue you from the island of despair and help bring love, joy, and hope back into your life. Once you have God in your heart and holding your hand, you can be lifted out of the deepest darkest pit or the smallest deserted island. He is the friend that perhaps you never had, a true friend you can depend on at all times. There are times when you have fallen flat on your face into a world of hopelessness, but he reaches down and brings you into his arms. He brings the sunshine back into your life and regardless of where you fall down or how often you fall down, he is there to put you back on your feet and fill you with hope. We can find the comfort we seek in the parable of the lost sheep in the book of Luke 15:3-7. “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

We are the sheep that God protects and he never wants us to be alone and he doesn’t want us to be lonely, depressed, or discouraged. He knows we will have dark times in our lives and that we will stumble and fall in our lives, but he wants us to know that he is always there to bring light into our lives and always has his hand extended out to each of us. When you see that bright ray of sunshine breaking through the deep dark clouds, that is when you know God is there. The darkness of this world will continue to try and overcome us, but nothing can overcome the love and light that God brings. The more we call out to him, the less lonely we become, and the stronger we become as we face each and every day. We are never out of his sight, he is always there with us. He alone can lift us out of loneliness, addiction, despair.

Does this song describe the world you may be living in? If so, it is time for you to turn to God for hope, love, and direction in your life. You need to find a supportive church, you need to develop true friendships, and you may need to seek medical guidance. Just know that God will be with you every step of the way and will pick you up whenever life fails you. God doesn’t have to find you, he is there beside you. He promises us this in the book of Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Select to Hear Natalie Grant and Cory Asbury Sing You Will Be Found

You’re the Only Jesus

The next entry for my Blog is You’re the Only Jesus, which was written by Gordon Jensen. The song was first released in 1983. A link to David Wills, of the Imperials, singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

If not in you, I wonder where
Will they ever see the One who really cares?
If not from you, how will they find
There’s One who heals the broken heart
And gives sight to the blind?

‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see
And you’re the only Words of Life
Some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom
Is all they’ll ever need
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see

And if not you, I wonder who
Will show them love
And love alone can make things new?
If not from you, how will they learn
There’s one who’ll trade their hopelessness
For give joy in return?

‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see
And you’re the only Words of Life
Some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom
Is all they’ll ever need
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see

So let Him shine, let Him show
Let them see Him in you
You gotta let them know

‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see
And you’re the only Words of Life
Some will ever read

So let them see in you the One in whom
Is all they’ll ever need
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus
You’re the only Jesus
Some will ever see

This particular song is one that is not well known, but I believe it delivers a very powerful message regarding how we impact the lives of others. It is a song which spells out how our actions and inactions positively or negatively impacts others we come across in our lives. I have heard the phrase, which is the title of this song, many times over the years; but I have never truly stopped and taken it to heart. I view myself as a good person, but probably a person who doesn’t always say or do the right things when it comes to others. I believe that most of us are good people, we perhaps have strong family units, some good friends, but we struggle when we get outside of our comfort zone when it comes to people outside of our circle. This song challenges us to step outside of our comfort zone while at the same time reminding us of our role to help others. In the bible in the book of Mark 16:15, we find this command coming from Jesus, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

So what exactly does helping others outside of our circle mean? I am not sure there is a one size fits all answer to this question since I believe there are times when we can be passive in our actions and sometimes more aggressive in our actions. As Christians, we are given the mission to share the message of Jesus, the son of God, wherever we go. I am of the opinion that most of us do not verbally share the message as we should, but it is also possible that people start to figure out who we are by our actions. Think of the times you have been around a small child or children, don’t they often mimic some of our actions? Maybe someone makes the comment, how he or she acts just like their mom or dad. What about when you are watched by others as you go about your daily life and routines, don’t you think that others are watching you? Maybe they don’t know you, but they are just people-watching such as many of us do from time to time. Take the time to do a little self-reflection on what they may see you do and hear you say. Maybe your actions or words seem inappropriate to this casual observer, who doesn’t really know you. Maybe it is someone who works in a place you frequent, maybe it is someone in your favorite restaurant, or maybe it is someone you pass by who is perhaps down on their luck and looking for a handout to get them through the day or a rough period in their lives but hangs out around some of the places you pass by. Now, take a few minutes to dwell on this scripture from James 2:15-20. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

Think about all of the people I referenced above, and then one day one or more of these people hear you talking about church with some of your church friends. These bystanders that have been seeing you can hardly believe that you go to church. Maybe they don’t know a lot about church, but probably have a general belief that the church people try to be good people and go to church to learn to be better. They had some view of God and had perhaps heard about Jesus, but never understand what this is all about. The sad part is when these same people who have been seeing us in our daily lives, had no idea that we were a church person. We never took the time to acknowledge them, perhaps were never kind to them, or perhaps were rude in our overall demeanor. Now these people start thinking that if these are the kinds of people coming out of that church across the street, then I don’t want to be associated with those church people in any way. Since we did not really talk to these people, we never told them about Jesus, and we are judged solely on our actions or lack of action. Not only do we fail these people by not telling them about Jesus; but we have potentially turned them against the church forever. Take a moment and let that last statement sink in. These people have been reading your life to determine what being a Christian is all about. Did they see you help anyone in need? Did they see you engage when someone needed someone to talk to? Did they hear you tell the message about the love of Jesus and eternal life? You see, our role as a Christian is to act like Jesus in every way. Yes, we will fall short because we are not perfect, we are not Jesus. If we all think about what Jesus wants us to do and what he expects of us as Christians (not just church people), and what he commanded us to do; wouldn’t we become the only Jesus some will ever see?

Please take time to think about the message you send to others by your words and actions.

Click to hear David Will of the Imperials sing You’re the Only Jesus

Start Right Here

The next entry for my Blog is Start Right Here, which was written by Bernie Herms, Mark John Hall, Matthew Joseph West, and Seth David Mosley. The song was first released October 26, 2018. A link to Casting Crowns singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Start Right Here

We want our coffee in the lobby
We watch our worship on a screen
We got a Rockstar preacher
Who won’t wake us from our dreams
We want out blessings in our pocket
We keep our missions overseas
But for the hurting in our cities
Would we even cross the street?

Huh but we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

I’m like the brother of the prodigal
Who turned his nose and puffed his chest
He didn’t run off like his brother
But his soul was just as dead
What if the church on Sunday
Was still the church on Monday too?
What if we came down from our towers
And walked a mile in someone’s shoes?

Hmm ’cause we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

We’re the people who are called by His name
If we’ll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land but it starts right here
We’re the people who are called by His name
If we’ll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now
It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

As I prepare to produce my Blog entries, I take the time to listen to multiple songs and then select the one that really touches my heart at that particular time. As I listened to this song a few times, it helped me to better understand the real mission that each of us has in front of us. We are probably all creatures of habit and we really don’t want to change unless forced to do so, this perspective can be good or bad. Think of some of the habits you have implemented in your life, note that I say implemented not just random things you do every day that perhaps you used to do differently. The writer lists of few of these, some may apply to you and some may not. You may ask, what is wrong with a regular routine or habit? The writer is not condemning habits, the writer is calling out the negative impact of certain habits.

Some of our habits are harmless and are perfectly ok, but some of our habits can take us farther away from God and his mission for us. We are always willing to change if it doesn’t impact us too much since most of us don’t like a lot of change in our lives. One of these habits is how we personally define the role of the church in our lives and how our habits impact the mission we were given from God through his word. Many churches today have live broadcasts or recorded broadcasts, so we can enjoy the message of the pastor without getting out of our pajamas, leaving the house, or worrying about our next cup of coffee. We may be listening to an awesome speaker who speaks about the joys of the Christian life and what the ultimate future holds for us, a promise of eternal life. Perhaps the preacher doesn’t focus on our responsibilities as a Christian, so we count on him to do his job and get the people outside of the church into the building so that they ultimately accept Jesus as their personal savior. The preacher’s message probably helps us grow as Christians every time we hear the message and we want the unsaved to hear that same message. This all sounds great doesn’t it? We don’t have to do anything but enjoy our Christianity from the comfort of our recliners. Before I continue, note that I am not criticizing the broadcast of messages from the church. There are many reasons for some not physically going to church including being out of town, working, not physically able, etc. The issue that the song raises is, what about all of the people in the world who do not know Christ and are completely unaware of the possibility of eternal life. Many of these people have perhaps never set foot in a church and never seen a broadcast from the church. It all comes down to the mindset that it is all about us as opposed to sharing the blessings that Christ has given to us. Who is out there telling people the good message of eternal live that only Jesus can give? Is it really the responsibility that falls only upon the preacher and missionaries?

Jesus did indeed die on the cross so that everyone in the world could have the opportunity for eternal life. He depends on his followers to tell the world what he did for all people, his message to his followers is found in the book of Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This directive applies to everyone who has accepted Christ as their personal savior. It is up to the Christians to share this message everywhere they go. The writers pose the question as to whether or not the followers of Jesus today are even willing to cross the street to help someone and deliver his message. Do we try to spread Christianity merely from our pockets or do we actually support Christ with our presence, our words, and our actions. Can we do any of the above if our Christianity only lives in our family rooms or our churches?

I truly believe that most of us are Sunday Christians, I believe this to be the direct message coming out of this song. As we go to church or watch church on our TVs, we do absorb the message being presented, we do grow in our love for Christ, and we do pray for others to become part of the body of Christ. We leave Church with good intentions, but these all dissipate before we even get back into our comfy recliners or sofas in our homes. The writers then ask a question we probably don’t want to hear, what if the church was still a church on Monday? I would take it a little farther and ask, what if the church was still a church seven days a week? In theory, everyone in the church is like minded when it comes to the teachings of Christ and his directives for all of us. The issue is that so many of us, probably too many, ignore the directives once we get away from the building. Christianity is not a building and that is where many of us fail in our Christian lives. We should be fed the word of God when in the church and we should be delivering the word and helping others when we leave the church. If someone is sick, do we only pray for them once? Do we only visit them once? Do we only take them meals once? If our friends and family need something, we will be there as often as we need to be and provide whatever is needed. If we truly want to follow what Christ commanded, our mission of spreading his word is never complete. As someone once said, “you are the only Jesus some will ever see”, keep this in mind as you start every day.

We all need to attend church if able, but we all need to remember that the church is not really all about the building or the preacher, it is all about the people who make up the church. Christ gave us our mission long ago, have you taken up this mission and become part of the real church? If not, now is the time and outside of the building is the place. If you are not ready to start right now on the mission you were given, when will you start? If your answer is that you have not started, take some time right now and ask yourself what is holding you back from the one mission your savior asked of you. Take the first step right here and right now.

Click to hear Casting Crowns sing Start Right Here

Perfectly Loved

The next entry for my Blog is Perfectly Loved, which was written by Andrew Ripp, Ethan Hulse, and Rachel Lampa. It was first released April 8, 2022. A link to Rachel Lamp and TobyMac singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Who said that you weren’t beautiful
And that you didn’t belong in your own skin?
Who said that you were all alone
And that you’re never gonna find love again?

So many little words, so many little lies
That have followed you all of your life
Looking for the truth, look into your eyes
And you’ll see it’s been there the whole time

Ooh, even when you were running
Even when you were hiding
Never been a moment that you were not perfectly loved
When you barely believed it
When your eyes couldn’t see it
Every single moment, you’ve always been perfectly loved
Ooh, perfectly loved
You’ve always been perfectly

In the hands of the Infinite
As the wounds of the world became His
See the kindness Heaven has for you
And how He’s always been drawing you in

So many open doors (so many open doors), so many miracles (so many)
That have followed you all of your life
Looking for the truth (looking for the truth), look into your eyes (oh)
And you’ll see its been there the whole time

Ooh, even when you were running
Even when you were hiding
Never been a moment that you were not perfectly loved
When you barely believed it
When your eyes couldn’t see it
Every single moment you’ve always been perfectly loved
Ooh, perfectly loved
Ooh

You’re not a problem
You’re not a mistake
Don’t need fixing or solving
In the arms of His grace

You’re perfectly human
Made from the dust
You’ve got a heart, broken and scarred, yet perfectly loved

Oh, even when you were running
Even when you were hiding
Never been a moment that you were not perfectly loved
When you barely believed it (when you barely believed it)
When your eyes couldn’t see it
Every single moment you’ve always been perfectly loved
Perfectly loved
You’ve always been perfectly loved

Ooh
Perfectly loved
You have always been perfectly loved

Have you ever been told that were not pretty, or beautiful, or handsome? Perhaps you were told that you were too skinny or too big or perhaps that you had an unusually shaped body. Maybe you were told you didn’t have the right looks. As young people, we may have been made fun of by groups of other people. It seems as if their mission in life was to ridicule others and just make them feel unworthy. In some instances, people are denied jobs because they don’t have that right look, however right look is defined. The really sad part in all of this is that many people are actually scarred for life because of the ridicule they faced in their younger days. As these scarred people enter adulthood, they firmly believe that no one will ever love them and that they will live a life alone. It is so easy for some people to feel they are not good enough whenever they experience these types of situations. It also seems there are some people who have the right look, the right build, the right personality, and seemingly glide through life never understanding those who didn’t fit the perfect model that the world expects. We may be the one in the background saying please pick me. I know I have painted sort of a grim picture, but I firmly believe there are people who fit this mold and many of us have felt this way at some point in our lives. What is most important and perhaps more challenging in some ways is that we need to focus on what God wants us to look like. In 1 Peter 3:3-4, we are told what God expects, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” Many people may say that this scripture is directed to women, but I believe it really speaks to men and women, especially the second sentence. I also believe that the first sentence can apply to both sexes, especially in today’s world. The bible also tells us that we were created in the image of God. We find this in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This scripture is talking about our inner self and our spirit, not the external body. God loves us because of who we truly are on the inside. Our closest friends know us and love us based on who we are and do not take the worldly view of our physical appearance. It is our inner spirit that communicates with God, our external look means nothing in his eyes.

We can try to run and hide from the world and all it represents, but we can never hide or get away from God. He has always loved us even when we were trying to run and hide from him and the world. Since he is always with us and loves us unconditionally with a never-ending love, it is impossible to hide from him. So even in your deepest darkest moments, he is there to bring you peace and love. All we have to do is open our heart and let our inner spirit rejoice in his love. No matter what we do our how much we change, God’s love for us never waivers, it is an eternal love that no one can take away and is also something we can never escape. In the eyes of God, we are never a problem, we are his perfect creation and his love is unconditional.

Some of the people who read this may be thinking that God has never been there for them. They believe that God is merely a name or a spirit that cannot be touched or seen, so how do we know he is there and that he truly does love us. Take a few minutes to think about some of the challenges that you have faced in life. As some of those challenges ended, did you ever think about how these challenges were overcome? Was there someone new who came into your life? Did you get that job you thought you would never find? Did you suddenly find out that you could have that child when you thought it would never happen? These types of questions tend to be non-stop, but take some time to focus on answers that have come along the way. Do you believe that some of these issues in your life just magically went away? It is God who is in the middle of this and he is the one answering your requests and the only one who has never failed you. He brought that right person or people into your life, he helped you get that right job, he helped you when your heart was lonely, he helped you get food when you were hungry. God alone can meet your needs and he is the only one who will love you unconditionally for your entire life. He has known us since before we were born and he has great plans for each of us. We are told this is Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Just as God had a plan for Jeremiah the prophet, he has a plan for each of us.

God also tells us in Psalm 139:13-14 that he knew us before we were born, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” I believe that if you take the time and focus on the 2 scriptures above and reflect back on your life, you will find that you were never really alone; you were just unaware of God’s hand reaching out to you. You have never been truly alone and never will be, all you have to do is open your hearts and feel God’s love and presence. He alone will never leave us or forsake us. God is never-ending and perfect love.

You indeed are perfectly loved.

Click to hear Rachel Lampa and TobyMac sing Perfectly Loved

Truth be Told

The next entry for my Truth be Told, which was written by Matthew West and Andrew Pruis. It was first released October 18, 2019. A link to Matthew West singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Lie number one you’re supposed to have it all together
And when they ask how you’re doing
Just smile and tell them, “Never better”

Lie number 2 everybody’s life is perfect except yours
So keep your messes and your wounds
And your secrets safe with you behind closed doors

Truth be told
The truth is rarely told, now

I say I’m fine, yeah I’m fine oh I’m fine, hey I’m fine but I’m not
I’m broken
And when it’s out of control I say it’s under control but it’s not
And you know it
I don’t know why it’s so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

There’s a sign on the door, says, “Come as you are” but I doubt it
‘Cause if we lived like it was true, every Sunday morning pew would be crowded
But didn’t you say the church should look more like a hospital
A safe place for the sick, the sinner and the scarred and the prodigals
Like me

Well truth be told
The truth is rarely told
Oh am I the only one who says

I’m fine, yeah I’m fine oh I’m fine, hey I’m fine but I’m not
I’m broken
And when it’s out of control I say it’s under control but it’s not
And you know it
I don’t know why it’s so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

Can I really stand here unashamed
Knowin’ that you love for me won’t change?
Oh God if that’s really true
Then let the truth be told

There’s no failure, no fall
There’s no sin you don’t already know
So let the truth be told

This is a very thought-provoking song. It directly challenges the honesty of each of us. I think most of us are likely to get offended when someone tells us we are not being honest, but in this case; I believe the writers are telling the truth about all of us. When someone asks you how you are doing today, what is your typical answer? Maybe we say I am fine, life is wonderful, never been better, and these types of responses seem never-ending. Why are we so reluctant to be completely honest with everyone? I know there is a litany of reasons, but I think the main reason is we just really don’t want to talk about it. We believe our problems are our problems and no one else needs to know about them. We basically put on our false façade and go on with our lives.

We are also of the opinion that everyone else’s life seems to be perfect, at least the piece of their lives that we see. Our view is that they don’t need to know what we are going through. Why do we take this approach? Maybe deep inside we are envious that their lives seem so perfect and we believe our lives are a mess when compared to theirs. So, once again we put up our façade and life goes on. We many times struggle to tell the truth to our friends and our family, even though they are perhaps the people who can help us the most. As I listened to the words of this song, it was a very sobering moment for me. I understand not wanting to share every intimate detail of our lives and also believing that my issues are my own and no one else’s business, but this mentality only hurts us more. Friends are actually our family in so many ways and they are the ones who are willing to listen to us, help us when they can, and not be judgmental. If your friends can’t meet these qualities, perhaps you need to evaluate the people in your life that you call friends. These are the people who love you and are not there to judge you, but are there to lift you up whenever you fall. I can understand that opening your heart and soul to true friends is a real challenge, it requires us to let our guard down in order to share our hurts. It requires us to let things go and realize that our friends are there to help us carry our burdens and give us the love and support we need.

With all of the comfort that our friends can offer, they still come short of giving the true inner peace that only God can provide. He is really the first place we should turn. It is great to have friends we can talk to who know us and care about us, but the true inner peace we are looking for can only come from God. He is the only one who truly knows our heart and our soul and is perhaps the only one who casts no judgement upon us. He is also the only one who can give us an eternal life of joy and happiness and unconditional love. He created us, he knows us, and all he asks of us is to accept his son Jesus as our personal savior. Once we accept Jesus, we are guaranteed that one day we will live in complete peace and harmony that far exceeds anything in our dreams. He is also the one who puts friends and loved ones in our lives so that we will have people who love us and want us to be happy and free from sadness and pain. Another positive in accepting Jesus as our personal savior is that we are then indwelt with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is there to help bring us peace and help us to feel the love of God within us. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us we should not worry about anything and to put everything in God’s hands, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Maybe, one of the most disturbing thoughts in the lyrics, is the reference to “come as you are.” I believe there are some places you can go and no one cares how you look, the status of your clothes, or even perhaps your cleanliness. There are various entities that truly do reach out to many people that perhaps some churches may reject. Is it really true that churches are sometimes not the welcoming place you would expect them to be? If you attend a church today, and I hope that you do, I sincerely hope that your church has its doors open to all. Just like God accepts us as we are, we should let people come into our church who are seeking help. Maybe they are wearing ragged clothes, maybe they are unkempt, and maybe they know nothing about Jesus; are they still welcome? Jesus judges us by our hearts and not our appearance, his arms are open to everyone at all times. This is reinforced in perhaps one of the most quoted scriptures, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God let his only son die on the cross for us so that we would have a path to heaven. Once we accept Jesus as our personal savior, our past is gone and forgotten by God. So if our church is based on the gift of Jesus dying on the cross for all of our iniquities, shouldn’t our churches welcome all who wish to come in?

So, there are perhaps things we don’t want to share with our friends, and that is perfectly fine; but we still need someone we can talk to about everything going on in our lives. Jesus is there to listen to our words and our inner spirit, to wrap his arms around us, and to love us unconditionally. Truth be told, there is no one else but him who can truly listen, understand, love, and judge.

When is the last time you took the time to share your heart with Jesus and bared your soul to him? Let the truth be told.

Click to hear Matthew West sing Truth Be Told

Goodness of God

The next entry for my Blog is Goodness of God, which was written by Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Edward Martin Cash, Jason Ingram, and Jenn Johnson. It was first released January 4, 2019. A link to CeCe Winans singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night You are close like no other
I’ve known You as a Father
I’ve known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

‘Cause all my life You have been faithful, oh yes You have
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

With my life laid down, I surrendered now
I give You everything, oh Lord
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me
With my life laid down, I surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after meAnd all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
I’m gonna sing

All my life You have been faithful
(All of my life You’ve been faithful)
All my life You have been so, so good
(So good with every breath)
every breath that I am able
(Every breath I’m able)
I will sing (I’m gonna sing)
Of the goodness (of the goodness of God, yes I am)
I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I’m gonna sing of the goodness of God

I would like for you to stop for a minute and think about the very first line in this song, “I love you Lord.” Have you really taken time to tell God how much you love him and thank him for all he has done for you, your family, and your friends? I strongly believe most of us spend a lot more time asking things of God as opposed to thanking him for every blessing of every day. I would like for you to take some time right now to think about why you love someone and make sure that God gets that same amount love if not more.

Love is such a powerful word, but we don’t always stop to think about what it means. This song does a great job telling us what God is doing every day in our lives and how he runs after us because he loves us and never gives up on us. Wherever we go, he is there with us. Whenever we try to run from him, he runs beside us. Whenever we try to hide, he finds us. Whenever we feel like we cannot fight any longer and fall to our knees in despair, he is there to join us in the battles of life. When we are lonely and feel unloved, his arms are wrapped around us. As you think about these things and remember how he kept you safe, how can you not love God? God’s mercy, his unending forgiveness, is there to bring us peace; regardless of the mistakes we have made in our lives or the times we have ignored him.

Not only is God with us at all times, his hand is always extended to us so we never have to walk alone, no matter the challenges we are facing. It doesn’t matter where we are, where we have been, or where we are going; his love surrounds us. Think about all of the challenges in life you have faced. Now, think about how you survived those challenges. You survived because God was there with you the entire time and had his arms wrapped around you, you just didn’t realize it. In our greatest moments of hopelessness, despair, and darkness; God was always there to lead us back into the light. The song writers state how they love the voice of God. Some may say I have never heard the voice of God. Is his voice a booming sound that wakes us up and brings us back to reality? In our times of despair, we may feel as if we need a loud voice to bring us out of our despair. The reality is that if we have accepted God’s son Jesus as our personal savior, the holy spirit dwells within us and is our internal communication link with God, we find this in the book of John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” All we have to do is open our hearts and minds to God and we will be able to hear that still small voice. It is that voice that helps to calm the storms of life we face, and bring us an inner peace as we fight our battles. The Holy Spirit is with us from the day we accept Jesus until the day our life on earth is no more. This is what the goodness of God is all about, he loves us unconditionally and sees no fault in any of us who have accepted him and his son.

I love the line in the song, “your goodness is running after, it’s running after me.” Most of us probably have the tendency to believe that we have to reach out to God and get his attention before he can help us. The reality is he is trying to get our attention to keep us out of the situations we get into, but we tend to ignore him until we are in complete desperation. In effect, he is trying to head off the issues ahead of us, but we don’t take the time to ask for or listen to his guidance. We seem to prefer to proceed with doing things we shouldn’t do instead of listening to that still small voice that is reaching out to us. He is always faithful to us, even when we are unfaithful to him. In some ways it is like parenting. As a parent, I want to watch out for my children and try to keep them out of trouble, but there is only so much I can do when my children don’t listen. Even when my children disobey me and choose their own paths, I still love them as much as I always have. We find commitments of God’s eternal faithfulness to us throughout the bible and here are just a couple of the many passages of scripture. Psalm 108:4 “For Your mercy is great above the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 117:2 “For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.”

Since God has been there with us every step of every day, isn’t it time for us to praise him with every breath we take and time to sing of his mercy and his grace? It is time to stop running away from God, it is time to fall into the security of his promises and his love. Are you one of the people who have continued to run from God? If so, isn’t it time for you to quit running away and accept his son as your savior?

Select to hear CeCe Winans Sing the Goodness of God

Me on Your Mind

The next entry for my Blog is Me on Your Mind, which was written by Matthew West, Jeff Pardo, and Anne Wilson. It was first released February 18, 2022. A link to Matthew West singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

I’ve read the words in red
How You leave the 99
To find the one missing
Feels like that was written
With me on Your mind

And the prodigal son who ran, leaving his home behind
The part where the father came running to meet him
Did You say that with me on Your mind?

Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
Who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are”?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

Just knowing You’re mindful of me
Just knowing You call me Your child
It’s flooding my soul with unspeakable hope
Thank You, Lord, that it’s me on Your mind

I’ve read the words in red of a heavenly home on high
You’re preparing a place where the sorrow’s erased
And when I stand before You, I’ll find
All along, it was me on Your mind

Who am I that the King of the world
Would give one single thought about my broken heart?
And who am I that the God of all grace
Wipes the tears from my face and says, “Come as you are”?
You paid the price, You took the cross
You gave Your life and You did it all with me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
With me on Your mind (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)

Woah (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
It was me on Your mind

I believe we all have times in our life when we feel all alone and we often get down and out and feeling sorry for ourselves. Unfortunately, many people have this feeling way too many times and they lead very sad lives. Maybe our friends and our families try to encourage us, but they really don’t understand. The words of encouragement and friendly hugs and prayers may be there, but your heart is still hurting and sad. Some people, such as our Christian friends, may encourage us to read our bibles and read about the promises of God in hopes that it brings us out of our depression. Have you ever been in this situation before? If so; didn’t you feel completely hopeless? It seems even more distressing when you are in a group of people and everything in life seems perfect with them.

The writers of the song refer to the text in the bible that is written in red. These red letters are words that came from Jesus, the son of the almighty God. Not every bible has these letters, but the red-letter editions always put the words of Jesus in red. There is a story in the bible that Jesus shared in the book of Matthew 18:12-14, which tells us just how much Jesus loves us and views each of us as his children. “If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” We are the lost sheep until we acknowledge Jesus as our savior and God as our father. No matter how far we wander away from God, he will be there with us. Yes, the 99 sheep are still as important to him as they have always been, but for that moment in time; he is focused on getting us into the flock and becoming part of his eternal family. When I reflect on the scripture above, it does seem as if I was the lost sheep Jesus came after and the red letters I had been reading were referring to me. It is so important to know that none of us are ever alone and we can never hide from the eyes of God.

The writers of the song also tell us about a family member who ran away from home with the dreams of getting everything he wanted in life. His father gave him his share of the inheritance and he went and squandered it all within a short time. This parable is found in the book of Luke 15:11-22, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. None of us are perfect, we all make mistakes every single day. We say things we don’t mean and do things we don’t really mean to do. God loves me when I hold him close to my heart and God still loves me when I wander away. So maybe this story fits all of us in some way.

The chorus of the song is so powerful as it describes how the king of this entire world with its billions of people, still loves me and watches out for me every single day. Why am I so special that he wipes the tears from my eyes, heals the hurts in my heart, and loves me unconditionally? It is because each of us are his children and no matter how bad we act, he loves us unconditionally. He allowed his only son to suffer a brutal death on the cross, so that we could spend eternity with him. He wants us to come to him as we are and find comfort in his love. I don’t know if I will ever be able to comprehend the depth of God’s love, but I do know he always has me on his mind and in his heart. One day I will join him in the heavenly home he has prepared just for me and he has a special home for everyone who accepts him as their father and Jesus as their savior. The day Jesus died, you and I were on his mind.

Click to Hear Matthew West Sing Me on Your Mind

The Commission

The next entry for my Blog is The Commission, which was written by David Blake, Neesmith Cain, Logan Cain, Carter Frodge, Taylor Matz, and Madison Jonson. It was first released December 11, 2021. A link to Cain singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

See my hands and look at my feet
It’s okay if it’s hard to believe
I have faith you will do greater things
It’s my time to go but before I leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Don’t forget the things that I taught you
I’ve conquered death and I hold the keys
Where I go you will go too, someday
But there’s much to do here before you leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the

End of the journey, the end of the road
My spirit is with you wherever you go
You have a purpose and I have a plan
I’ll make you this promise
I’ll come back again but until then

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

go tell them about me
(Go tell the world) I’ve gotta go
(Go tell the world) for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Many of us who know about Jesus realize that he died on the cross for us so we could have eternal life in heaven. For those who don’t know about Jesus, I hope this entry will provide you with a little better understanding of Jesus and his purpose. I also believe there is a very key message that often gets forgotten and overlooked in the Christian community and that is the most important command that Jesus gave to everyone. The time period for the song takes place after Jesus has risen from the dead and is appearing before those who loved him and followed him.

It was foretold for thousands of years that Jesus would be born, would die, and then come back to life. People had waited throughout the centuries for his coming, and then it finally happened. I believe that people today who have read about the prophecies of Jesus, the life of Jesus, and have accepted him as their personal savior; have failed to realize one command that Jesus left with them. This one command is what this song is all about. Think about the people who saw Jesus after he rose from the dead, what were they looking at when they saw him and what were their thoughts? After seeing his face, I would probably look at his hands and his feet to see if those nail scars were there. The last time I had seen him, he was hanging from the cross with blood coming out of his hands and feet. In this song, the writer notes that Jesus is prepared for this first impression and gives us a little time to take in what we are seeing. He understands our unbelief, but he has a mission for us and has faith in us taking on this mission.

His command to us is to tell the world about him. Let the world know about who Jesus is and why he came, and that his coming had been foretold for many centuries. We are told that he believes we will do even greater things than he did. I know this is hard to believe, but we have so many more opportunities to spread his word and love. His time on earth was short and he could only reach those he came in personal contact with. Think about the options we have today to share his message; we have churches, video, music, cell phones, and social networks that span the globe. We can reach more people in a single day than he could have reached in centuries. His mission for all of us is also known as the Great Commission, and is found in the book of Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are reminded to not forget the things he taught us about love, acceptance, forgiving, and eternal life. As we accept this mandated mission, we are told to make everyone aware of everything we know about Jesus. Everyone needs to know how they can be brought from the deep despairs of life into an eternal life of love. Yes, we will still have our daily struggles, but our eyes and our hearts need to always be looking towards the ultimate goal; eternity in heaven in perfect peace. If you have accepted Christ as your personal savior, have you accepted the Great Commission and put it into practice? Have you witnessed the joy on someone’s face once they accepted Christ into their lives? When does your commission start? Today. When does your commission end? When you draw your last breath.

Jesus said, Go tell the world about me…….

Click to Hear Cain Sing The Commission

Man on the Middle Cross

The next entry for my Blog is Man on the Middle Cross, which was written by AJ Pruis, Matt Jenkins, Matthew West, and Rhett Walker. It was first released July 21, 2023. A link to Rhett Walker singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Heard the Preacher talking about three wood crosses
Up on a hill everyone to see
Two sinners on the outside couldn’t save themselves if they tried
All I could think is man that sounds like me

I’ve been the one on the left full of guilt and regret
Long gone on the wrong side of living
I’ve been the one on the right always looking for a fight thinking I could never be forgiving
I’m standing here today
Overwhelmed by grace cause I know who paid my cost
Thank God
for the man on the middle cross

He didn’t have to do it But for me it went thru it
A love like that I’ll never understand
Lord knows I don’t deserve it And I know I couldn’t earn it
Mercy rained down on this desperate man

The cross is where he went
But that ain’t where he stayed
He brought me back to life when He rose up out of that grave
Someday I’ll stand before him
See Jesus face to face
I’ll worship and adore him
For a life forever changed

Perhaps many of you reading this blog were not aware of the crosses that are spoken of in Christian religions, maybe some of you know about the cross Jesus died upon, and some of you may be familiar with the three crosses this song talks about. The bible does indeed tell us there were three crosses together, with Jesus being on the center cross and felons on the other two crosses. We find this in the book of Luke 23:33, “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.” The mount where the crucifixion occurred was call Golgotha, which translates into the word skull from the Aramaic language. As the preacher was delivering the message that the song writer heard, maybe it was the first time the writer had really listened to the scripture about the crosses. So many times, we may be the same way, the message may be one we have been aware of for years, but we never allowed it to resonate in our life. I believe most people who are aware of Jesus are probably aware that he died on a cross, but have little awareness of the fact that two criminals were also crucified on either side of him. The good news is that Jesus came back to life after his death on the cross, but the two sinners on either side of him had no chance of returning to life on this earth,

Obviously, none of us are perfect and most, if not all of us, struggle to be the best person we can be every single day in our life. The writer of the song assigns backgrounds to each of the two people on either side of Jesus, the purpose is so he can help show all of us how we may fit into the scenario. How many times have you felt guilty about something? Maybe your guilt is from long ago or maybe it is from a few hours ago; but how does it make you feel inside? Sometimes I sit and reflect on the past and think about the things I should not have done and the people I may have hurt. As I do this reflection, I think it was very insensitive of me to say what I said or act the way I did. This is when we are similar to the person hanging on the cross on the left. We realize where we have failed in our life and finally recognize that the acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and savior is the only way to gain eternal life. We have come to the realization that we can never gain eternal life until we give our soul to Jesus.

Unfortunately, some of us are similar to the man on the other cross. We are bitter, vindictive, and only care about ourselves. In common vernacular, these types of people are recognized as hardened criminals who are unwilling to ever change. We go about our lives without even thinking about who we hurt. The hurt we inflict may be emotional, violent, physical, or destructive. The goal is to gain whatever we can without even considering the damage we cause along the way. We form the opinion that because we believe that no one loves us or cares for us anyway, why should be act any different. Our most secure prisons are most likely filled with people of this mentality. There are also many people roaming the streets today who have the same mindset of if I want it, I will take it and are willing to harm anyone who gets in their way. This is perhaps the mindset of the man on the cross on the other side of Jesus. We find the scripture about the two criminals in the book of Luke 23:39-43, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Regardless of which camp of people we fall into, God views us all as disobedient to him. He doesn’t evaluate us based on the wrongs/sins we have committed; he just knows that we have not accepted his son as our savior. He also knows we are walking through a world that we can’t control and that we feel all alone with no hope. All of us are on the first cross I mentioned above at all times and some of us cross over to the other cross if we wander too far away from where we should be. This takes us to the middle cross, where Jesus, the son of God, was hanging. He died on that cross and when he died that day, he gave us grace. Grace basically means that if we accept him as the son of God and his sacrifice for us, then all of the wrongs we have committed in our past and all of the wrongs we will commit in the future have been forgiven. God then views us as a perfect being and no longer sees the blemishes we gathered over a lifetime. This is basically what transpired with the criminal the writer depicted as being on the left side of the three crosses. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect in our actions and thoughts every day, but it does mean that we have an eternal life in front of us as we traverse the way to heaven.

Just imagine someone loving you so much that they would lay down their life for you. I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like to finally see Jesus face to face and worship him and thank him for dying for me and coming back to life just to help me realize that he truly is the son of God. The cross couldn’t kill his spirit, the tomb could not contain his body, and nothing on earth could stop him from walking among his disciples three days after he came out of that tomb.

Which of the people on the cross would you most likely be if you were on Golgotha that fateful day? Would you be the one who believed in Christ or the one who rejected him? Now is probably a good time to do a self-assessment to determine the priorities in your life and where Christ fits. We will all face death one day, we just don’t know when. The good news is that we can decide today on which cross we would have hung long ago.

Click to Hear Rhett Walker Sing Man On The Middle Cross