Stanley Simpson

First Things First

The next entry for my Blog is First Things First, which was written by Jordan David Ward, Caleb Paul Ward, Jake Hess, and Grant Timothy Bias. The song was initially released March 17, 2023. A link to Consumed by Fire performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

First Things First

All the things that I have held dear
The vanities that whispered in my ear
What would I do if they all disappeared

Riches and fame and all that they could buy
I’ve come to find they never satisfy
What would I gain if my soul’s the price

I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you

First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first

I give it all
My life an offering
My heart is yours
So have Your way in me
Your kingdom’s all I wanna seek

I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you

To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first

All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first

If a friend took a close look at you, what would your friend say are your primary drivers in your life? Then take a good look at yourself, what are the everyday things in life that are most important to you? I am thinking you may come up with items such as friends, family, close relationships, jobs, money, retirement, your next car, your next place to live, or maybe that special someone in your life. Some more personal things may be your clothes, your looks, fame, and even how you fit into the world. Now, think about your view of the world around you and what you are willing to do to just fit into the crowd. Are your really happy with all aspects of your life or do you feel as if you are constantly chasing happiness and trying to escape regret?

This song then asks an extremely thought provoking question, what if everyone and everything you listed above just disappears? As you answered the questions above; was God, your faith, and your salvation part of the list? If not, then that should quickly tell you that your focus is on the wrong things. Everything I listed is temporary except for the eternal life that we gain by accepting Christ as our personal savior. I John 2:16 tells us that we cannot truly love this world and love God. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

The initial lyrics of the song references all of what we perceived to be the best things in life, but having what we perceive to be all without putting our faith in God, only makes us continue to search for true peace and happiness. The reality sinks in along the way and as the song says, we can only gain eternal hope and happiness through faith in God and the plan of salvation he offers us. Once we have accepted God’s plan and accepted his son as our savior, he will meet our every need. This is validated in Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. This doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things, homes, cars, great friends, or a wonderful family; it just means that we need to seek God first and let him guide us in each of our decisions so we can achieve the eternal happiness that he wants each of us to have.

The chorus of this song is extremely powerful and tells us what we need to do. We must start and then continue putting first things first. Open your heart to God, read the bible to find out how he works in us, and talk to him in prayer to understand what he expects of each of us. Turn away from the sins and temptations of the world, and turn your eyes and heart toward God. Ask God to show you the way he has chosen for you instead of you trying to find the right paths. As the song says, give God your all and he will direct your path. This doesn’t mean you turn away from everything and everyone in your life, but it is asking you to turn your eyes and heart to God first and let him guide you along the right path instead of you finding your own way. Our way will never give us eternal life, it only takes us from the day we are born to the day we physically die. God’s way gives us our period of time on earth, and then an eternity with him. All we have to do is accept his son, Jesus Christ, as our personal savior. Accepting Christ does not make you perfect, it does not mean you will not make mistakes in life; but it does mean you have an eternal life in heaven and not just a temporary life on earth

It is time to make first things first and seek God’s will instead of our own. We must put our trust in God and the path he wants us to take. The good news is that we are told in many places in the bible that God, via his son Jesus, will never leave us once we put our faith in him. Hebrews 13:5 states, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.“ None of us can ever achieve true happiness until we can put First Things First and put our lives in the hands of God and his son.

We all need to decide if we want to live for today or do we want to live for eternity. Isn’t it time to put first things first?

Click to Hear Consumed by Fire Sing First Things First

God is in this Story

The next entry for my Blog is God is in this Story, which was written by Jeff Pardo, Ethan Gregory Hulse, and Katy Nichole. The song was initially released June 10,2022. A link to Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

God is in this Story

There’s torn up pages in this book
Words that tell me I’m no good
Chapters that defined me for so long
But the hands of grace and endless love
Dusted off and picked me up
Told my heart that hope is never gone

God is in this story
God is in the details
Even in the broken parts
He holds my heart, He never fails
When I’m at my weakest
I will trust in Jesus
Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story

So if the storm you’re walking through
Feels like it’s too much and you
Wonder if He even cares at all
Well, hold on tight to what you know
He promised He won’t let you go
Your song of healing’s written in His scars

If it reads like addiction
If it reads like disease
He’s the One who frees the prisoner
He’s the healer of all things
If it reads like depression
If it reads broken home
He’s the One who holds your sorrow
He won’t leave you here alone

Always in the highs and lows
The One who goes before me
God is in this story (you’re in this story)
God is in my story (right here in my story)

Have you ever really stopped and thought about everything that has gone on in your life? I know that many of us refer to a chapter in our life or reflect on the many experiences we have had over the years. Suppose all of this was documented in a book, what story would it tell? What would be the theme of your life story? How does each chapter begin and end and what caused you to fail or succeed in each chapter? I believe this song encourages each of us to take the time and answer these questions.

The song starts out by referring to torn pages. When I see this, it makes me think of books where the pages have been dog-eared, high-lighted, and perhaps torn at times. The cover is probably torn as well. These are indicators of constantly referring back to the same pages over and over again. In our lives, don’t we often seem to be caught in a roundabout? Maybe it is a series of bad relationships, choosing the wrong friends, difficulty in the work place, poor decisions, or just that we can’t seem to escape the situations we get into. These reoccurring events in our lives are the worn out pages in our story. We become so defined by our past, that we really don’t focus on what we could be and how we could turn around our lives. The end result is we spend too much time dwelling on our past instead of focusing on how to get out of our rut and becoming who God wants us to be.

The good news is that Christ is always there to pick us up whenever we decide to accept his outstretched hands. He knows the stories of our past, because he was with us every chapter in our story. Not only does Christ know the chapters, but he also knows the most intimate details of every chapter; most importantly he knows how our story ends. Jesus was always there with his outstretched hands that we did not accept because we either forgot him or decided we didn’t need him. We may think we are lost forever, but Christ is always there to love us; no matter what we have done wrong or how many times we have made mistakes. His love never fails and he never gives up on us. We are told in Matthew 28:31 to give all of our burdens to him. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Once we adhere to and accept this verse, we can move on to the next chapter in our life.

As you enter into that next storm thinking you are alone and that no one cares about you, take the hands that Christ has extended to you and feel his arms around you. He promised to never ever let us go. It is at this time that you will realize that you are not alone, have never been alone, and can start focusing on tomorrow instead of repeating yesterday. Feel the comfort in his love and the nail scarred hands that he has because of each of us. As we face addiction, sickness, depression, rejection; know that you never face these alone and walking with Christ will keep these events from being the dog-eared chapters in your life. It doesn’t mean our lives will be easy and that we will not stumble, but we will never be alone when we realize that God is in our story. The good news is that he is with us even before our story begins and stays with us until the last chapter is complete. 1 John 5:4 tells us that God has overcome the world and with our faith in him, we too shall have final victory and spend eternity with him. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Put your faith in Jesus and make him an integral part of your story.

Click to Hear Katy Nicole and Big Daddy Weave Sing God is in this Story

The Commission

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

The Commission

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

I write a lot of Blog entries focused on becoming a Christian and what Christ can do in our lives, but have never really written much about what Christ expects of each of us who have accepted him as our personal savior. I believe this song provides definition around Christ’s expectations of us.

The very first line has us drawing our attention to the sacrifice Christ made for us, he was nailed to the cross and died for our sins. He knows that it is perfectly normal, as human beings, to doubt that it would be Christ standing in front of any of us. He then makes an amazing statement, he who has conquered death says, “I know you will do even greater things.” Wow, stop and give that some thought! My first thought is, you have to be kidding, how can any of us possibly accomplish more than Christ?

The simple statement that follows, in the first line of the chorus, is to basically tell the world about him. He is asking us to essentially tell his story since he will be leaving them, but he did promise to return again one day, so it was more of “I will see you later” as opposed to “this is good bye.” This is the same commission Christ gives all of us in Matthew 28:16-20. ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.

He doesn’t just ask us to go out into the world without preparation. To be successful in our task, we are firstly told to focus on the things Christ has taught us. Each of us needs to take a quiet time and reflect upon everything we have been taught via his teachings. How we should love everyone, how we should pray for everyone, that we should never be ashamed of his teachings, and that we proclaim his word wherever we go. Many of these things he has commanded us to do will take us outside of our comfort zone. Take a minute or two and reflect on these things we are told to do and assess your willingness to follow through on his commands for us.

A strong encouragement he gives us is that he conquered death and he now holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Those that accept him as their Lord and Savior will join him one day. Jesus knows there is a lot for each of us to do as we try to reach the world around us, but he died for our eternal life, so I don’t think it is an unfair request.

Jesus tells them his time on earth is done, but he leaves us with the Holy Spirit, which dwells in every believer, to guide and comfort us. In John 14:26, we find this promise, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Another point of note is that we are all given a purpose, but only he knows the plan. For these who believe they know all of God’s plans for them are terribly mistaken, we all want to operate within God’s plan since that is the only valid and successful plan. Jeremiah 26:4 tells us, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jesus promised eternal life to all of those who accept him as their personal Savior, and he also promised that he would return to the earth one day. We do not know the day of his return, but we all need to work on the commission he has laid out before us. We want to work on The Commission until he takes us home. When we are finally called to our eternal home, wouldn’t it be great to hear our Savior say, “well done my good and faithful servant?”

Click to Hear Cain Sing Great Commission

Hold On To Me

The next entry for my Blog is Hold On To Me, which was written by Lauren Daigle, Paul Brendon Mabury, and Paul Duncan. The song was initially released in 2021. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Hold On To Me

When the best of me is barely breathin’
When I’m not somebody I believe in
Hold on to me

When I miss the light the night has stolen
When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You
When I let go, hold me again

When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending
When I’m tired of all my pretending
Hold on to me

When I start to break in desperation
Underneath the weight of expectation
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You (I’ll hold on)
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You (I’ll hold on)
When I let go, hold me again

I could rest here in Your arms forever
‘Cause I know nobody loves me better
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

Have you ever gotten the feeling that all you do every day is fight one battle after another just to survive in this world? The battles may be associated with just putting food on the table, dealing with family issues, health, or external influences that just sap all of your energy. You fight these battles every single day and eventually reach the point where you have nothing else to give and all of your emotional and physical strength is gone. You are no longer the person you used to be and are ready to just throw up your hands and say I quit. The person you are ceases to exist in your mind, the world has defeated you, and you cry out to God to hold on to you and not give up on you. Despite where you are in your life, you can still know that God is always there and his arms are always open for you.

When we find ourselves in this situation, we sometimes become focused solely on the negative issues in our lives and view everything that goes on around us with a negative perspective. We do not even try to look for the positive. Many times, windows of light and doors are being opened right in front of us, and we disregard them since we are lost in the morass of darkness we are living in. Our friends try to talk to us and cheer us up, but we just ignore them; we have the attitude of “they just don’t understand.”

The chorus is a desperate plea for help. We may have reached a point where we are just ready to leave this world via suicide or perhaps give into the call of drugs that give us short term relief before a final addiction ends our life. The plea to God is that even though I have forgotten you, please wrap your arms around me and never let me go. In the book of Deuteronomy 31:8, we find these words, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

As we start to question the value of our life, maybe we have the attitude of “why bother” and why should my friends continue to try and bring me out of this deep hole, I am just not worth the wasted effort. We just feel as if we are putting up a façade to everyone else, but fading away and giving up on the inside. We can no longer handle the weight of the burdens as we try to carry them alone nor can we meet the expectations of all of those around us. The good news is that our savior is there to help us with your heavy load. We are told in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. “

I really like the way she closes out this song; because at the end she has once again found peace, comfort, and love; all coming from our heavenly father. She recognizes that her focus should only be on him since he is the only one who can solve our problems and loves us more than anyone else ever could. The great news for us, is not only does God love us, but has a plan for us! This comfort is found in the book of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future”. We need to try and remember to look to God first as opposed to viewing him as our last hope.

Click to hear Lauren Daigle Sing Hold On To Me

Jesus is Coming Soon

The next entry for my Blog is Jesus is Coming Soon, which was first released in 1968 by The Sheltons. The original lyrics were written by W. E. Winsett in 1942, during WW II. A link to The Oak Ridge Boys performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Jesus Is Coming Soon

Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear
Freedom we all hold dear now is at stake
Humbling your hearts to God saves from the chastening rod
Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake

Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies, heavenward bound

Troubles will soon be o’er, happy forevermore
When we meet on that shore, free from all care
Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye
Homeward we then shall fly, glory to share

Oh, Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies, heavenward bound
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon

Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies
Going where no one dies, heavenward bound
Heavenward bound, heavenward bound

I am writing this entry during a time when the world is experiencing a lot of chaos, fear, and transformation. Most of the world has been impacted by the COVID-19 virus for several months. We are now facing numerous protests, riots, and lootings as we struggle with racial equality issues. It is almost as if this song was written for today, although it was written over 75 years ago during the time of World War II. People are scared. They fear for their lives due to the virus pandemic that has seen millions of people become infected. Now, people are afraid of being attacked by angry mobs seeking violence, note that I am not saying that all protestors are violent, I am only referring to the individuals who are more interested in violence and looting than they are delivering a peaceful message. People are starting to ask, what’s next? Are we going to have to live through the seven plaques of Egypt before we are free again? Our freedoms have been slowly disappearing via the pandemic quarantines and the violence in our streets. Where do we turn? I think this is one of those times in life when we cannot handle the challenges before us alone. It is time for us to fall to our knees, turn our lives and challenges over to God, and put our trust completely in him. We do not want to be beaten by the wickedness of our world. By putting our hearts completely in God’s hands, we have hope knowing that he can overcome every challenge put in front of us. Psalm 25:9 reminds us of the value of being submissive to God, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way.” It is time to put our fears behind us and trust in God and to let him lead the way. The lyrics of the song say to “seek the way pilgrims trod” and I view this as us putting ourselves out there as Christians and following the path that God has commanded us to follow. It doesn’t mean we have to take a pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Mecca or any other location known for its place in religious history; to me it means we follow the unique path that God has laid out for each of us. As Christians, we have the same savior in Jesus, we have the same eternal home in Heaven, but our paths are unique in that God has a special purpose for each of us. The real question is, what are you waiting for to get back on your path and letting God lead you?

Everyday puts us a day closer to the day Jesus will be returning and taking us to our eternal home. As long as we have accepted him as our personal savior, our home/mansion in heaven awaits us. Maybe he will come the day you are reading this, maybe tomorrow, or maybe fifty years from now. The day and time of his return is not what we should focus on, the real focus should be on making sure our hearts are ready! Our hearts are ready if we know him as the only way to heaven. When Christ returns, the heavenly trumpet will sound and all of those who are bound for heaven will meet him in the skies as he takes us to our new home where there is only eternal life. We find this good news in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” Sadly, there will be millions of people across the earth who are left behind, those who have rejected Christ as their savior.

Once we get to our final home and arrive on that heavenly shore, there will be no more sadness and no more troubles; we will only know love and happiness. Imagine being in a place with no worries, no pain, no depression, no death, no wars, and everyone is equal and treated as equal. Think about telling this despairing world goodbye as you rise up in skies. I keep envisioning meeting those who went on before me, to hold them in my arms once again, and knowing I will be spending eternity with my savior as well as those I loved during my brief time on earth.

As the world seems to be crumbling around us, are you prepared to join our savior in our heavenly home?

Click to Hear The Oak Ridge Boys Sing Jesus is Coming Soon

Amazing Grace

The next entry for my Blog is Amazing Grace, which was written by John Newton in 1772 and first published in 1779. A link to Celtic Woman performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see

Was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
This is perhaps one of the greatest and most renowned hymns ever written. It has been around for almost 250 years and my assumption is that it is in most Christian hymnals. Just the name of the song tells us a great story of what God did for all of us. When thinking about the meaning, it is definitely a sweet sound. I don’t think the word “amazing”, in this case, can be adequately described by words. God created us and when we went too far off track in our lives and actions, he sent his son to come and die for us. Some of the amazing aspects are that he sent a part of him to us from a heaven of perfection. He allowed his only son to suffer everyday as he was ridiculed and rejected. He let him be beaten. He let him die on the cross. And then he completed his plan by allowing Christ to rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. How amazing is that, that God loved us this much??? As wonderful as this is, God took one more step, he wiped our slate clean of all of our past, present, and future sins via his grace. We are/were so undeserving of his love, yet he loved us enough to make sure we have a home in eternity with him. God sacrificed his only son for all of mankind and the only thing God asks of us is that we accept his son as our personal savior. As we accept Christ, we become suddenly aware of the bright eternal future that God has prepared for us, our hidden destination has been completely revealed to us.

The sound of the word “Grace” should bring us to our knees since no one else can offer this gift to us. In the purest sense, grace is defined as when we get what we don’t deserve. In the context of Christianity, there is no word more powerful. We all have the exact same opportunity, despite our past. In the grand scheme of life, aren’t we all wretched in some way? Maybe it is our heart, our thoughts, or our actions; or perhaps just the way we view life. The word wretch, as defined in the old English, is associated with a banished person, someone despicable, or perhaps someone who seems perpetually unhappy. My personal view is that deep inside, most of us are unhappy in some way. Maybe our unhappiness stems from relationships, jobs, finances, or just general misfortune. When Christ was sent to die for us, he gave us the promise of a perfect eternity. It doesn’t mean we won’t experience negative challenges in our life, it just means that we will never face these alone and that every barrier put in front of us is very temporary when compared to eternity with him in heaven. With him, we no longer have to be wretched, we are no longer wandering around lost in our lives, and we no longer have to worry about what the ultimate future brings.

As we begin to understand grace, we come closer to understanding the heart of God and how he despises evil. When the bible refers to fear the Lord, it means to respect the Lord and his message for each of us. Proverbs 8:13 tells us, “To honor the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words.” If we fear/respect the Lord, we will despise these same things; we will be transformed as opposed to conforming to the world around us. There is no doubt that we will be assailed by the world and its message every single day of our lives, but we can know that at the end of the day, God has been there to protect our soul from anything Satan and his groupies have thrown at us. The day we accepted Christ as our personal savior, is the day we received the full power of God’s love and protection. It was on this day that we became his forever and that all of our sins passed away.

Take a little time today, or maybe right now, to reflect on all of the trials you have had in your life, and how each of these helped to make you who you are. The song refers to these as dangers, toils, and snares; a pretty good description of life’s journey. What did you learn from each challenge and how each made you a stronger and better person? As a Christian, it is nice to know that God is with us every step of the way and that he forgives and forgets every mistake we make during our journey through life. This is what grace is all about, we can go through life unencumbered with guilt and shame if we just turn everything over to him. Just as he has been there with us in the past and present, he is still there to walk with us as we continue on the path to our eternal home. The grace that has been given to us will never fail us, no matter how far off track our journey will sometimes take us. With God’s love, the forgiveness we received by accepting Christ, and the power of grace; there is nothing that we have to fear and there is nothing that Satan can throw at us that we can’t overcome.

Isn’t grace truly amazing?

Click to Hear Celtic Woman Perform Amazing Grace

Greater Things

The next song for my Blog is a song written by Mack Brock, Jacob Sooter, and Jonathan Lindley Smith. It was recorded and released by Mack Brock in 2018. A link to Mack performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Greater Things

My life is built on Your faithfulness
My hope is held in Your promises
I take each step with Your confidence
‘Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

You never fail
You never will
I trust Your name for greater things
You will come through
You always do
I trust Your name for greater things

You cleared a way in the wilderness
You brought me back from my brokenness
You took my shame and You buried it
What You’ve done
I won’t forget

You never fail
You never will
I trust Your name for greater things
You will come through
You always do
I trust Your name for greater things

I will not fear for You are with me
I’ve seen this fight from the victory
No power of hell could stand against me
‘Cause I’ve seen this from the victory, yeah

I will not fear for You are with me
I’ve seen this fight from the victory
No power of hell could stand against me
‘Cause I’ve seen this from the victory

You never fail
You never will
I trust Your name for greater things
You will come through
You always do
I trust Your name for greater things

What makes up the foundation for your life? Just like every house and every building needs to have a strong footing to stand the tests of time and nature, we need a strong foundation for our life. I believe we have all learned over time that we cannot survive alone in this world and that is why a firm foundation for life is needed. A constant in our lives is God’s faithfulness, he never fails us and he provides a base for us that can never be destroyed. By leaning on him, we cannot be defeated by anyone or anything. He has promised us eternal life through the death of his son and we find in the bible that his promises are always kept. There are many many stories of how the promises of God have come true, not only in the bible, but through the lives of those around us. With our faith and hope in him, we can move forward in our lives with confidence. Yep, we will face struggles, we will face temptations, and we will have lapses in our faith; but we can always know that he is there for us to lean upon and give us hope of a brighter tomorrow. As the writer says, we are his and his alone. Satan may distract us, our friends may lead us down the wrong path; but he will never leave our side and will bring us the hope and guidance we need when we turn to him again for hope and guidance. It is because of the love and power of God, that we can have confidence with every step of every journey we take in our lives, knowing that he is by our side to guide us and support us. Psalm 118:6-9 reminds us of the power of God, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”
God has never failed us and he never will. We are told this in Deuteronomy 31:8, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Because we have him as a foundation, a guide, and a leader; we are equipped to accomplish things that we could have only imagined before we let God into our lives. We are truly able to do greater things, all we have to do is put our trust in him.

The writer goes on to reference how God cleared a way in the wilderness. The bible tells in several passages how God took care of his people in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. We see how he fed the people every day, how their clothing lasted the entire time, and how he ultimately led them to their new home and out of bondage. He will also help lead us out of our wilderness. Our wilderness may not be the endless desert, but don’t we often look at our surrounding and have no idea what path to take to reach our goals or how to get out of the deep dark hole of despair we have fallen into? Just as the Israelites would have wandered aimlessly forever in the wilderness, don’t we do the same thing as we face the challenges in our lives? Each challenge we face that overcomes us adds to our despair and brokenness; sometimes it just seems never-ending. Our challenges cease to be never-ending when we trust in God to take our burdens. He carries the burdens for us, if we will only let him; and our load becomes so much lighter and allows us to focus once again on where he wants us to be in life. He allows us to hold our heads up high, despite our failures and falling away from his chosen path for us. All of our shame and our mistakes are gone, because he has erased our past and given us a new tomorrow.

I love the line, “I have seen this fight from the victory.” The awesome news is that the bible tells us not only some of the battles we will face in life, but it also tells us the end of the story. We know that Satan will ultimately be completely defeated, since he cannot successfully stand against God, and he will be removed from our presence forever. The end of our story is not really the end. We can perhaps visualize the end of the story of our life as it ends on earth, but I don’t believe we can even begin to understand the life prepared for us as we enter those heavenly gates.

Knowing that you have unlimited power with God by your side and the victory he brings to our daily challenges, what things can you accomplish that you had never dreamed possible? These are the greater things.

Cleck to Hear Mack Brock Perform Greater Things

I Give You My Heart / This is My Desire

The next entry for my Blog is I Give You My Heart / This is My Desire, written by Reuben Morgan and first released in 1995. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog

I Give You My Heart

This is my desire
To honor You
Lord, with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me
I give You praise
All that I adore
Is in You

Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
And every breath that I take
Every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

This is my desire
To honor You
Lord, with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me
I give You praise
All that I adore
Is in You

Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

And I will live
And I will live for You
And I will live
And I will live for You
Oh and I will live
And I will live
And I will live for You

Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul, I live for You alone
Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake
Lord, have Your way in me

Have Your way
Have Your way, have Your way

Have you ever taken time to sort of stop your world and think about what you desire most in life? Probably most of our desires center around friends, relationships, families, jobs, and our future; which are all things that are always on our minds. Where does God fall into this list of desires? I don’t believe any of the above desires are wrong, but without the right relationship with God, I do not believe any of our desires will be fulfilled to the level they can be. Notice in the lyrics, the writer says this is my desire, to honor you Lord. To me this line states that honoring the Lord should be our greatest desire. This is confirmed in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

We are to desire God above all other people and things and we should worship him with all of our heart and praise him with all of our inner being. All of us have probably heard this before, but how many of us have ever done it? I do desire that right relationship with God, I do worship him, and I do praise him; but I am not sure that I have ever done this with all of me. I believe we all struggle with this as well, but I think the primary issue with us not giving our all, is that we are not willing to sacrifice parts of our lives and give them to God. The song points out that we must adore everything about God. For us to adore God, we must treasure who he is and what he wants for us as well as all he has to offer. In order for us to give him our all, we must first assess what is more important to us than the relationship with God that he desires. This requires a lot of soul searching and being completely honest with ourselves to fully understand what is truly keeping us from dedicating our lives fully to God. I realize this is a seemingly impossible task since there are so many things that we cling to and are unwilling to give them up to God so we can give ourselves fully to him.

As you do this soul searching, think about what it would mean to fully give your heart, your soul, and your life to the father of creation. Consider asking God what he wants you to do each and every day and following his direction. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on your family, quit your job, or become a missionary in another country; it just means that you are trusting in God to lead you down the right path. It will help you to be a better spouse, a better parent, maybe a better employee, and will likely set your heart on fire in regards to telling others about the eternal life that Christ made available to each of us. It would take away a lot of the worry and angst that each of us faces every day. Trust in God and believe that he will be there for every breath your take and then will take you to your eternal home once you have taken your last breath. By putting ourselves completely in the hands of God, he can lead and guide us down the paths where he wanted us to be. Maybe we can’t find the right path on our own, but God can put us on that path and make sure we stay on it as much as possible; all we have to do is live for him as he lives through us. All of our earthly desires, plans, and wishes will fade away, but the promise of God will never fail. 1 John 2:17 tells us, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Since the things of earth fade away, what are you waiting on to focus on God and his eternal blessing? What is more important to you than following the path that God has prepared for you?

Click to Hear Hillsong Sing I Give You My Heart

You Are My Hiding Place

The next entry for my Blog is You Are My Hiding Place by Michael Ledner and first released in 1980. A link to Selah performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Are My Hiding Place

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
I will trust in You

You are my hiding place (I will trust in You)
You always fill my heart (Let the weak say I am strong)
With songs of deliverance (In the strength of the Lord)
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

When you are trying to escape whatever is going on in your life, where is your go to place or activity? I am talking about times when you need a diversion to get your mind off whatever is weighing you down. Maybe you dive into your go-to comfort foods, you pig out on sweets, perhaps you turn to alcohol, or maybe you just pull up the covers and stay in bed. Be honest, do any of these options last for very long? It is short term gain, but the pain and dread is still there.

As we continue along in the current COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world, most of us are quarantined in our homes and told not to go anywhere except to purchase groceries or go for medical attention. So now we are “stuck” in our homes with our family and/or roommates twenty-four hours a day. I realize that most of us really love our families, but togetherness has its limitations, especially as weeks and months pass by in isolation. We feel as if there is no escape and our patience wears thin after a while and we feel as if we are at wits end with no place to turn. Everyone’s question is, will this pandemic ever end?

There is only one place we can hide successfully and this place is identified in Psalm 32:7, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” The other escape options I mentioned above are perhaps our first actions, but we eventually end up turning to God for the ultimate hiding place. He is the one who can give us the protection we are seeking, the love we need, and comfort that only he can bring. Not only do we get that secure feeling as he holds us, but we are surrounded with the songs of hope and deliverance, perhaps through the voices of angels. All of this gives us the peace and freedom that we have never felt before. Just think, we can get this incredible peace where we are; he comes to us. If we look to scripture again, we read that God is always there for us when we are afraid, David tells us the following in Psalm 56:3, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Here, David is acknowledging that God is his hiding place and that he knows there is no better place to put his trust than in the hands of God. Isn’t it amazing how this song has essentially taken 2 verses from scripture and almost used them verbatim in a song? Every time you sing this song, you are basically singing straight from the word of God.

One of the steps we must take to gain full advantage of what God offers us as our hiding place and his strength, is to acknowledge that we are indeed weak when it comes to facing the obstacles we face every day of our life. We must face the reality that we cannot do it alone and that we certainly can’t win the battles of this world alone. The writer of this song once again went to God’s word for the next line of the song. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul writes, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul is telling us that once we understand how weak we truly are, then we are ready to accept how strong God is and what he can do for us. As long as we keep trying to do things on our own, we will remain weak.

This song is basically a repeating chorus, but it has taken scripture straight from the bible and turned it into a song. I believe this is scripture turned into a song we can sing everyday of our lives, and it will continually remind us of the love of God and what he has to offer us. Singing to God using his scriptures helps to make an even more powerful prayer. It is true that we gain eternal life beyond this earthly life by accepting God’s only son as our personal savior, but isn’t it wonderful that he gives us a place of refuge during our time on earth?

Click to Hear Selah Sing You Are My Hiding Place

He’s Alive

I am taking a little different approach to my blog entry for this week, which is Holy Week with this upcoming Sunday being Easter. One of my favorite songs this time of year is He’s Alive, which was written by and first by Don Francisco in 1977. Note that God wrote the story and Don wrote the lyrics. My original plan was to write my views of the song, as I do for other songs each week, but as I listened to the song today; I realized that the song clearly sends a message so much stronger than any message I could ever write. My ask is that you listen to this song, the link is below, and just close your eyes and absorb the message the lyrics bring. Our Savior hung on that cross and he died for our sins, so we could have eternal life. He told those around him this was going to happen, and that he would return from the dead. He also knew, that being the humans we are and most of us being like Doubting Thomas; that we needed to see him and touch him to truly believe what he said.
I am so grateful for what he has brought to my life, what he has done for me, and what he has planned for me for eternity. I don’t need to be afraid of this world, I don’t have to fear Satan; because I know he came back to wrap his arms around me and protect me. So, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes of your time, eliminate all distractions around you, and listen to this song with your heart and not just your ears.
He’s alive!

Click to Hear Don Francisco Sing He’s Alive

He’s Alive

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hope of sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin’ through
To drag us all away
And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers’ feet

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she’d been
She said they’ve moved Him in the night
And none of us know where
The stone’s been rolled away
And now His body isn’t there

We both ran towards the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they’d taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn’t lift me very high
‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him
Then I saw Him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I’d promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn’t be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I ever had
Just melted into peace

He’s alive yes He’s alive
Yes He’s alive and I’m forgiven
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive yes He’s alive
Oh He’s alive and I’m forgiven
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive He’s alive
Hallelujah He’s alive
He’s alive and I’m forgiven
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive He’s alive He’s alive