Stanley Simpson

Lord, I Need You

The next entry for my Blog is Lord, I Need You, which was written by Christy Nockels, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves, Kristian Stanfill, and Matt Maher. It was first released in 2013. A link to the Matt Maher performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Lord, I Need You

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
Where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

You’re my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

In this song, we hear the story of someone who realizes they cannot handle life alone. I believe these are people who have heard the word, know that Jesus is always waiting for them to take his hand, but have waited as long as they could before coming to the saving grace of Jesus. The son of God is always with us and waiting patiently for us, and in this case, we have someone who has finally bowed down to Jesus and confessed from the heart that without him, they will only have a life of hopelessness and failure. Notice that I said from the heart and not from the mind since the heart is who we really are. As they bow their heads in complete surrender and put their lives in the hands of Jesus, they finally find the rest and peace they have been seeking for all of their life. For too long they have tried to make their way or find their way; but have now realized that Christ is the only one who can lead them, guide them, and walk beside them every minute of every day.

As the song says, we all need Jesus every hour of our lives. There is never a time when we do not need the guidance that only he can bring. He alone can make us perfect in the eyes of God and fill us with his righteousness. He has removed all sin from us via his death and resurrection and God now views us as his sinless children. Through him, we can stand against Satan and the evils and temptations of our world. As we are told in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” All of our lives, we constantly give into the pressures of temptations that come from family, friends, our jobs, society, media, and the world in general. But the good news is that the love of Christ is stronger and deeper than anything the world can throw at us. In the deepest darkest pit that we may fall into, the light of Christ’s love and power will still shine through the darkness. Without the grace and mercy of Christ, we would never be free; with his mercy and grace, we will never be owned by the world again. It is true that we will continue to sin and make mistakes, but we will not be a slave to sin once we have become a child of God.

The song challenges us to lift up our voice, our song, to our Lord and Savior whenever we face temptation. We need to do this as soon as we recognize the temptation and call on Jesus to give us the strength and wisdom to stand strong. Our bodies may not fare well in the battles we face, but no one can defeat our spirit when we are walking with Jesus. Keep in mind that our physical life is only temporary, but our spiritual home is forever. Jesus is the only way to eternal life and will be there for us to lean on whenever we call upon his name. He alone is our permanent hope and a friend who will never let us down. Psalm 104:33 tells us “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Notice that this verse does not delineate between the good and bad times in our life, it just says to always sing as long as you live.

Is Jesus your first option, or your last; if your last, why? The sooner you lay your trials and challenges at the feet of Jesus, the sooner you can find that inner peace that only Jesus can bring. The inner peace lets you know that no matter how big the battles are, you will never be fighting alone. Just as Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead, as told in John 11, he can resurrect your spiritual life and give you the strength to take on the world.

Click to Hear Matt Maher Sing Lord, I Need You

He Was There All the Time

The next entry for my Blog is He Was There All the Time, which was written by Gary Paxton and released in 1980. A link to the Blackwood Brothers performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

He Was There All the Time

Time after time I went searching for peace in some void
I was trying to blame
All my ills on this world I was in
Surface relationships used me ’til I was done in
And all of the while someone was begging to free me from sin

He was there all the time
He was there all the time
Waiting patiently in line
He was there all the time

Never again Will I look for a fake rainbow’s end
Now that I have the answer My life is just starting to rhyme
Sharing each new day with Him Is a cup of fresh wine
And oh what I missed, He’s been waiting right there all the time

He was there all the time
He was there all the time
Waiting patiently in line
He was there all the time

When you believe you are on the verge of depression or just ready to give up on everybody and everything, what do you do? I am sure there are days where you just want to stay in bed and pull the covers over your head, perhaps you feel as if you want to crawl under a rock and hide from the world, and some people just wish they could just end it all. Maybe you have these bad times and turn to alcohol, or food, or even drugs. The end result is that none of the above brings forever happiness. Some of the options I listed perhaps bring some temporary relief, but all of the issues causing your negative feelings are still there. The sad part is we get into a vicious spiral that takes us down to rock bottom and we have a tendency to stay there.

While in this period of darkness in our lives, we try to blame anyone and everyone for the situation we are in. We want the blame to fall on someone else so we can shift the anger to that person, those people, or that thing. Maybe you start thinking you are too old, too big, too small, of the wrong race, of the wrong nationality, your friends are to blame, your parents are to blame……… We depend on other people so much in our lives, and inevitably they let us down. Some let us down unintentionally, although the pain is real, and we discover that some people were not the people we thought they were.

I believe all of us have misery in our lives and just don’t know where to turn. The problem is that we explore every option to eliminate our unhappiness, and maybe then we turn to Jesus. As the song says, Jesus is always there; he has his hand out and is always asking you, begging you, to dedicate your life to him. Although the things and people around us may let us down, we are told in Hebrews 13:5 that “God will never leave us nor forsake us.” In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells us “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” So, the real problem is we try to solve all of our issues on our own or rely on those arounds us, but no one has the answers you seek except our Lord and Savior. All we have to do is open our minds and our hearts and take his hand so he can lead us through the darkness we are facing. He has always been there and will always be there and there is no end to his patience. No matter how stubborn we are, or how much we turn our backs on him, he patiently stands before us with open arms.

As we go about our lives, we endure a lot of rainbows that promise a pot of gold, but seldom does it work that way. We all have hopes and dreams, and sometimes they do come true, but too many times they do not because we try to be successful on our own. Think of how life could be if we walked in lockstep with our Savior toward our hopes and dreams. By being in step with Jesus, we will be marching toward goals he helped us to set as opposed to goals we set on our own. By being in collaboration with Jesus, we will never face that false rainbow again because we will be doing what he wants us to do, and by accepting Christ as our Savior we have the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it is eternal life.

We need to begin each day communicating with our Savior, walk with him every day, and then end our day still talking with him. If we don’t walk with him and talk with him, how can we understand what his plans are for us today and for eternity? Does your faith lie more with your friends, your family, your possessions; or does it lie in the hands of Jesus? Imagine starting and ending every day with Jesus on your mind and in your heart, allowing him to bring some peace to you as your day ends and the next day begins. Having Christ with you doesn’t mean that you will no longer have struggles and challenges in your life or that everyday is going to be a great day, but it does mean that you will never face your world alone. Even though we face this darkness in our earthly life; Christ has promised us an eternity of peace and joy once we reach our heavenly home.

He is there all the time, just waiting for you.

Click to Hear the Blackwood Brothers Perform He Was There All the Time

Go Light Your World

The next entry for my Blog is Go Light Your World, which was written by ‎Chris Rice and first recorded by Kathy Troccoli in 1995. A link to Kathy Troccoli performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Go Light Your World

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world

I think this song delivers a very powerful and clear message, and I wanted to add it to my Blog entries since I had never taken the time to really listen to the song and pay close attention to the lyrics, until now. Yes, I could sing along with the chorus, but didn’t let the meaning of the song sink into my heart. We all have a candle inside of us, as a Christian I believe this to be the Holy Spirt that Christ left with us as he returned home after rising from the grave. Those who have not received Christ do not have the promise of eternal life nor the Holy Spirit, but that can be fixed quickly! If we have not accepted Christ, our candle is dark and just waiting for the spark that salvation brings. We may have accepted Christ, but our candle could be just a slight flicker, or it may be generating as much light as it possible can. If we are letting the Holy Spirit work as it should, we always have that bright candle light that can penetrate the deepest darkness.

So, I have a candle, what’s next? Our mission is to seek the darkness and bring the light. This darkness refers to the darkness of this world, the people who have never accepted Christ. These people may be rich, they may be homeless, they may feel hopeless, and some of them don’t even know they are in the dark. These people are unaware that there is a light that can lead them to eternal life. Our job is to bring our light, our candle, our love for Christ to everyone who does not have this light burning in their soul. No matter what darkness we are facing, we have the light to penetrate that darkness, and the arms of Christ to protect us.

Many people have tried to get out of the darkness on their own, but have merely failed over and over again. They begin to believe they are a perpetual failure and almost settle into a life of deeper darkness and hopelessness. There are also those who have put their faith and hope in others, only to be let down, disappointed, and frustrated with their life. These are all people who perhaps have a candle, but they can never figure out how to light their candle no matter what they try. These are people who need that light which only comes from us who have the light of salvation burning in our souls. No matter their situation, no matter how long they have been without hope, our candle can bring them the light of hope today and an eternal home of light.

Maybe we think we have a bright candle and maybe we are surrounded by family and friends who may have seemingly bright candles as well; if so, we know we will all be together for eternity. What about those who need the light we have? What have you done to share your light with others? I believe too many of us, and too many of our churches, do not work hard enough to share this bright and burning light with others. If we are not sharing, maybe we only have a small flicker of light since we are not taking the effort to share our light with others. If this is the case, then we are disappointing our heavenly father since he would love to have all of his creation in eternity with him. Yes, I know that everyone will not accept the light from our candle, but if we don’t try to share, how do we know who will accept and reject?

Note that the song says to hold out your candle so ALL can see it, it doesn’t give us a restriction. Matthew 5:14-15 talks about the light, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” I believe the house that is referenced in this verse refers to where ever we are, not just the home we live in.

What kind of candle do you have and when was the last time you raised your candle for all of the world to see?

Click to Hear Kathy Troccoli Sing Go Light Your World

Mary, Did You Know?

The next entry for my Blog is Mary, Did You Know, which was written by ‎ Buddy Greene and Mark Lowry. It was first recorded in 1991 by Michael English. Michael English and Buddy Greene were part of the Gaither Vocal Band. A link to Pentatonix performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Mary, Did You Know?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God

Mary did you know? Mary did you know? Mary did you know?
Mary did you know? Mary did you know? Mary did you know?
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great I am

Mary did you know? Mary did you know? Mary did you know?
Mary did you know? Mary did you know? Mary did you know? Oh
Mary did you know?

I believe most parents have big dreams for their children, and when a child does accomplish great things; the typical parent says they knew their child was going to do great things. Imagine if you are told by a messenger from God that the accomplishments of your child would surpass all expectations and that you are told this before your child is even born! Let’s bring Mary on stage, she is the only person told by God that their child would be the son of God and change the world. Take a look at Luke 1:26-35, “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”

I am convinced Mary was the most honored woman in history, but I am not sure she really understood the magnitude of the gift that God had given to her and to the world. Based on the culture of the time, it is most likely that Mary was in her early teens when she was engaged and that she was in her early teens when she conceived Jesus. I can’t even comprehend the emotions she was going through after she got this message. I am sure she had lots of questions going through her mind regarding what it really meant to be the mother of the son of God. Please note that I am not minimizing Mary in any way, I am just thinking about the human side of what a teenage girl was experiencing. Little did Mary know about the true greatness of her child, yet she accepted the task her Lord had given her.

I wanted to share the thoughts above to sort of lay the groundwork for the song. The song references some of the many miracles performed by Mary’s son Jesus and are probably miracles most of us are familiar with and understand at some level. Mary would not have seen these type of miracles in the past, but would have at least understood the concept, even if she didn’t understand the how. The miracles I am referring to, which are in the song, are Jesus walking on water, calming the storms, giving sight to a blind man, bringing the dead back to life, and healing the sick. We have a good understanding of what each of these mean, even if we don’t understand all of the circumstances surrounding each event nor do we always fully understand why these people were called out. The above are just a few of the many miracles performed by Jesus.

I believe the actions Mary would struggle to understand prior to the ministry of Jesus are more challenging to comprehend since there never was and will never be another Jesus. The religious faithful knew that God would send a Savior one day, but once the Savior arrived; they didn’t initially completely understand his role. Jesus came to save us from sin as well as our sons and our daughters and all future generations. He saved us from an eternity in hell and guaranteed us eternity in heaven as long as we accepted him as our personal savior. In the case of Mary, she too would become a new person with an eternal life as she accepted her son as her personal savior. For most/all of us, this idea is hard to get our arms around, the very child that we raised becoming our savior, taking away all of our sin, and preparing a place for us in heaven. As I referenced above, we all have great dreams for our children, but I don’t believe any of us could envision our babies becoming our saviors.

As we dig in a little deeper into what else Mary and all of us need to understand, it is important to realize that the essence of Christ was in heaven. Christ was there at the time of creation, he walked in heaven with the angels, and he was already the king of kings before he even arrived on this earth. When God sent Christ to earth to be born of Mary, he came without any sin and was the perfect gift for this world. No other being on the earth since its creation had been sinless until Christ came. He is the king of kings today just as he was some 2000 years ago. We indeed have and have had our earthly kings during all generations, but none have had the power of Jesus. Our king has the power over life and death, power over the wind and seas, and the power to give eternal life; no earthly king can do this.

I saved the most overwhelming action confronting Mary, and that is every time she kissed her baby; she was kissing the face of God. Wow, think about that for a while. I think of Moses as he trembled when he confronted God in the burning bush and on holy ground. Yet the child of this same God, had come as a baby for Mary to love and protect. Think about balancing motherhood, worship, adoration, reverence, and knowing that you are holding and kissing your son, the son of God.

Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus and she overcame all of the above challenges. I am sure she did not fully comprehend what was happening to her, what the future held for her, nor the true power of her son. Has God given you a challenge that appeared to be too big and too overwhelming? If so, did you accept the challenge or tell him that you are not able to take this burden? Think about what Mary did and what she faced from the day she found out that she was to be the mother of the son of God. Can your challenge possibly be greater than what this teenage girl faced so many years ago?

We don’t know what the future brings, but we must all trust Christ to lead us through the life he has chosen for us. He will take us safely through the life he chose for us, just as he led Mary. Maybe there are times in our lives when we need to look back and compare what we know now compared to what we knew then, this will help us better understand what God has done in our lives. We will be able to better understand the question of Mary Did You Know, as posed in this song.

Click to Hear Pentatonix Perform Mary Did You Know

Little Drummer Boy

The next entry for my Blog is Little Drummer Boy, which was written by ‎ Katherine K. Davis in 1941. A link to Pentatonix performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see,
Pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him
Pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too,
Pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our King
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you!
Pa rum pum pum
On my drum.

Mary nodded
Pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him
Pa rum pum pum
I played my best for Him
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me
Pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Ok, I know this is not necessarily considered a Christian song, but I believe there is a very nice message when you stop and think about what is being sung. The little boy who played the drum was asked to come and play before a new born king. I have to think that this little drummer didn’t truly realize the magnitude of what he had been asked to do. The song says the others with him are bringing their special gifts to this king to honor him, to show him how important he is to them. Note that the little boy isn’t bringing a specially purchased gift for this infant king, he may have been so young that he didn’t understand the significance of this king and why a gift is even necessary.

As the group arrives at their destination, the little boy sees the infant king lying in a manger in a stable. The little boy has probably had nothing of value his entire life and he assumes this baby lying in the hay is heading for the same life, so a bond is already being formed. The boy sees the gift the others have brought and laid at the feet of the infant king and now he probably feels bad that he didn’t bring a gift, maybe he would have to go without food to get this new king a gift; someone he didn’t even know. He only had one gift to basically share, and that was a song he played on his drum. Perhaps that is how he earned money to eat, playing on the streets of his home. It is interesting in that even though he said he had no gift, the father had given him the ability to play a drum. As Mary, the mother of the infant king, hears the question; she nodded. I am sure she understood the little boy was giving all he had for her son.

A little humor is added when the lyrics reference the ox and lamb keeping time with the drummer, it is almost as if these creatures created by God, knew this was a special time. The little drummer played his very best and was rewarded by the best gift he could ever imagine, a smile from the son of God. The little boy had only a song to bring and the infant king gave him a smile, which was the only thing he could give at this point.

Yes, I basically repeated the lyrics with some additional commentary; but go back and look at the words again and try to apply them to you and your life and the lives of others. There are many who never knew who Jesus was and what he had to offer until someone told them about him. Maybe you went to church all of your life and had heard about Jesus every Sunday, but what of those who have never been to a church, never had a bible, or never heard the message of salvation? This little drummer probably did not understand what just happened to him until later, but what if he had never come to that stable that day? We don’t know if he became a Christian, but to me; the smile on the face of Jesus would be with this little boy forever and hopefully for eternity.

Many people are ashamed when they start thinking about Jesus and what he did for them. They think about all the bad they have done, the people they have hurt, and the fact that they have been keeping their back turned to God. Christ gave his life for us, a bunch of sinners. He gave the ultimate gift so we could spend forever with him and our fellow believers. The little drummer gave all he had when he played his drum. What has Jesus asked of us? He only asks us to accept him as our Lord and Savior, and we will spend eternity with him. He gave us this life on earth and all he asks in return for eternal life is to become his children. So, the little drummer boy gave all he had, Jesus gave his life, and all we have to do is accept him as our sacrifice.

Even though this little drummer boy is not in our bibles and maybe we have only heard about him in this song, I would like for you to think about how you too can give all you have to Christ. Hopefully he will put a smile on your face!

Click to Hear Pentatonix Sing Little Drummer Boy

What a Beautiful Name

The next entry for my Blog is What a Beautiful Name, which was written by Ben Fielding & Brooke Ligertwood. The song was initially released in 2017. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

What a Beautiful Name

You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ

What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now

What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
You silence the boast of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names

What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus

What do you think of when you hear the name Jesus? What makes this name special and why would anyone say it is a beautiful name, isn’t it just another name? When many people think about beautiful, their thought process focuses on the outward appearance; whereas true beauty is much much more than physical appearance. A person can be beautiful because they are loving, caring, compassionate, sacrificial, and put others before themselves. Thinking of these attributes, which type of person would you rather have around you? Now let’s think about what comes to your mind when you think of Jesus. Of course, we can start with the attributes listed in Isaiah 9:6, “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”, but this is just the beginning when we start applying attributes to the name of Jesus. The names in Isaiah illustrate the power of God, his compassionate nature, his love as a father, and someone who only wants peace among his children. Take a moment to think of other names or attributes that come mind when you hear the name of Jesus.

We often think of God being around forever and Jesus starting his life on earth, but we are told in John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Basically, these verses tell us that Jesus was a part of God and with God since the beginning. God loved us enough to let Jesus become flesh so he can walk among us and let us see the true glory of God and who he really is.

He had created us in his image and then gave us a perfect and sinless place to live, and he was there to meet our every need. In spite of having all we needed, we wanted more and gave into the temptations put forward by Satan. Even though his creation had sinned and even though he was probably disappointed, he didn’t want us to spend eternity away from him. Sin had separated us from him since heaven is a place of perfection and with no sin, we would no longer have an eternal home to look forward to. To keep all of us from spending eternity in hell, God sent Jesus to die for all of our sins. Once we accept him as our personal savior, all of our sins are forgiven and we are now able to spend eternity in heaven with the father, since we are now perfect and sinless in his eyes. God hated our sin, but he loved us enough to sacrifice his only son. It had to be a difficult time for God and Jesus since God had to turn his back on Jesus for that brief time on the cross when Jesus took on all of our sins forever. He had to do this because God is perfection and Jesus had just taken on all sin and this caused this temporary break with his own father. We know there is a place in the heavenly kingdom for us because Jesus said in John 14, prior to his crucifixion and resulting resurrection, that he was going to prepare our eternal homes for us in heaven with the father. Christ knew what was ahead, but he still loved us enough to go through the agony of the cross; he couldn’t just turn his back on us since we had no other way to get to heaven.

As Jesus arose from the dead, the people who knew him were completely overwhelmed since I am sure that not all of them were convinced he would be coming back as he said. It wasn’t a matter of not trusting in Jesus, it was the fact that if he had died; who could bring him back to life since they thought he alone had the power to resurrect people from the dead. Jesus conquered the grave and proved that not even death can overcome the power of God. For the Christian, death is just the transition from our temporary home to our eternal home. As Christ rose from the dead, I am sure the angels were rejoicing and that heaven was really rocking; and the devil just tucked his tail realizing he had been defeated once again by the incredible power of the father. There is no one who can rival the power of Jesus and no one else who deserves our praise and glory.

Yes indeed, Jesus is a beautiful, powerful, and wonderful name.

Click to Hear Hillsong Sing What a Beautiful Name

10,000 Reasons

The next entry for my Blog is 10,000 Reasons, which was written by ‎Jonas Myrin‎ and ‎Matt Redman. The song was initially released in 2011. A link to Matt Redman performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

(Chorus)
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Chorus

You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Chorus

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Chorus (2)

Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
Lord, I’ll worship Your holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I’ll worship Your holy name
I’ll worship Your holy name

This song is a little different since it starts off with the chorus, but I believe it is intentional in that the chorus reminds us of the way we should be all day every day. In blessing our Lord, we are making him first, we are honoring him, we are letting him know that there is none greater than he, and we are giving him all honor and glory. He gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us, comfort us, and remind us of his presence. When we bless God, our words and our honoring of him should come from deep within us; it is not the words we say, but the love and thankfulness we express. When we worship him, we are thanking him for what he has done for everyone who has accepted his son as our Savior, how he is there to give us strength in every step we take, and how he brings light into our lives that only he can bring. We should be singing songs of joy, sharing his praises, and letting the whole world know about our God! No where does God say we have to sing well or be eloquent in our words, he just wants us to sing his praises everywhere we go.

As we begin our day, shouldn’t we focus on the most important thing in our lives? The song says that we should start singing our praises as soon as our day begins. I think the key word in this first verse is “again.” This is making the assumption that we ended yesterday praising God, so why not start out the new day praising him? As we encounter the challenges the world throws at us today, we will know that we are not fighting these challenges alone. It doesn’t mean that we won’t face tough times and lose battles along the way, but with God at our side; we know what eternity brings. It is not all about winning every battle you face, it is about approaching the battles with God in your heart and by your side, and knowing that you ultimately win the war. Jesus died for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about our final home, but Satan still tries to steal our joy even though he knows the war ended almost 2000 years ago when Christ died on the cross for us. May the song that started anew in our hearts this morning, continue as our day comes to closure.

God is unfailing love and despite our many faults and many mistakes, he doesn’t turn his back on us or stop loving us. God is very compassionate and caring, but the bible does list many times when he became angry. He became angry and he showed his power and might as he punished those who disobeyed him. The exceptionally good news is that when we accepted Christ as our personal savior, all of our sins and punishment disappeared forever. It is true that we will continue to sin, but God will not see this sin since Jesus took all of our past, current, and future sins to the grave with him. So, when God sees us, he only sees us as being without sin. It is true we will make mistakes and do things we shouldn’t do and end up suffering the consequences of our actions, but God doesn’t get angry since he does not see us as sinners; he sees us as his children who will spend eternity with him. We know people who will forgive and probably never forget and may even get angry at us for a time, but fortunately; God does not act like his children. What would help all of us to stay on the right path would be to think about all of the things God has done for us our entire life. The list of blessings will be more than the 10,000 number offered up by the writers of this song. It seems like a very big number, but it is actually a very small number. Take a moment to think about what you were thankful for yesterday, each one of these are blessings and reasons we should praise our God. Take the number you came up with and multiply by the 365 days in a year, are you surprised? If you then take this number over a lifetime, 10,000 is in indeed a very very small number.

God is with us every hour and every day of our lives and walks every step with us. The day will come when we realize we don’t have much longer before we join our heavenly father. As our life ebbs away, he will still be bestowing blessings upon us. Maybe these blessings are in the people he sends to us, the people we have known in our lives, and maybe our memories; but the most important thing is that he is still by our side. As we finally make the move into our heavenly home, we should be leaving this home with his praises in our hearts and knowing that soon we will be able to praise him face to face. I don’t mean for this to be a somber ending to this blog entry, I just believe that each of us needs to realize that God has always been with us; from the time before we were born until the day we join him in our eternal home. God has been with us since before we were born. He told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” We have never been alone and will never be alone.

I hope that you will take the time and think about the blessings God has given you. As you think about these blessings, let your heart sing as it has never sung before. As you leave your home and encounter other people, hopefully someone will ask you why you are so happy today and I hope you will tell them how they can be just as happy as you are. Today, start singing his praises as you have never sung before. As the old hymn tells, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Click to Hear Matt Redman Sing 10,000 Reasons

Rescue

The next entry for my Blog is Rescue, which was written by Jason Ingram, Paul Mabury, and Lauren Daigle. The song was initially released in 2018. A link to Lauren Daigle performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Rescue

You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You’re not defenseless
I’ll be your shelter
I’ll be your armor

I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you

I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you
I hear the whisper underneath your breath
I hear you whisper, you have nothing left

I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you

Oh, I will rescue you

Sometimes in life, we feel sort of like the person that got lost in the deep dark forest in a Disney movie. We look up and we can’t see the sky due to the towering trees, we can only see so far ahead since the sun seems to barely make it to the forest floor, and the path we used to get there now looks so overgrown that we are not sure that is the right path. Have you ever reached this point in your life? A time when you feel lost, forgotten, cast out, alone, and/or unloved? The events in our life cause us to want to just disappear. As we start to come back to our senses, we realize we don’t know the way back home and a feeling of hopelessness overwhelms us, we don’t want to stay where we are, but we don’t know how to get back to where we were. We may also reach a point where we are convinced that no one can find us and perhaps there is a feeling that no one even cares. This is sort of a dire situation that maybe all of us have reached at some point in our lives or have at least been on the verge due to the events of our lives just beating us down.

At some point, maybe as a last resort, we reach out to God and put our faith, hope, and trust in him to get us back home. Of course, we should have reached out to him earlier, but we often want to try to work everything out ourselves and then reach out to him when we discover we cannot handle our situation on our own. Fortunately, he always knows where we are physically and emotionally, so we are never hidden from him. He is the light in the darkness and there is no darkness that his light of love cannot penetrate. He sees us through the darkness and shines his light so that we can see him as the darkness dissipates around us. His word tells us that we will never be forgotten, especially since we are children of God once we have accepted Christ as our savior. He always hears our plea, our SOS, and we soon feel his love surround us in the midst of our dark world. We are now filled with hope and begin to realize that we were never really alone and that he is the great physician who can heal any brokenness we may feel. As the lyric says, he whispers to us that we are ok; he doesn’t have to shout since he knew where we were all the time.

To complete our healing, God sends his army to rescue us. We are told in Psalm 23 that we are the sheep of his pasture and John 10:14-15 where Jesus says “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” It doesn’t matter how far away we are physically or emotionally, his army will come; every single sheep is important. I view his army as our family, our church family, our friends, and maybe even people he brings into our lives for a short time to help provide the healing we need. They all come to seek us out and each will play a part in helping to make us whole again. His army may visit us in person and hold us, give us a call, maybe they send their love in a card, an email, or other electronic message. The key is that they are sent by God and doing what they need to do. All the while, God is protecting is us from more damage while serving as our hope and our shield. God and his army will fight for us until the battle is won.

It is true we will probably need help from this mighty force again, but all we have to do is reach out at any time and from any place and God will rescue as again. We must always remember his promises to find us and protect us no matter where we wander.

“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” Ezekial 34:11-12.

Click to Hear Lauren Daigle Perform Rescue

Let Them See You in Me

The next entry for my Blog is Let Them See you, which was written by Scotty J Wilbanks and Jason Weeks. The song was initially released in 2006. A link to the JJ Weeks Band performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Let Them See You

Take away the melody
Take away the songs I sing
Take away all the lines
And all the songs you let me write
Does the man I am today
Say the words you need to say

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Let them see you in me

Who am I without your praise
Another smile, Another face
Another Breath, A Grain of Sand
Passing quickly through your hand
I give my life, An offering
Take it all, Take everything

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Just let them see you in me

With every breath I breathe
I sing a simple melody
But I pray they’ll hear more than a song
In me, In me

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you

Let them see you, In me
Let them hear you, When I speak
Let them feel you, When I sing
Let them see you
Let them see you in me
Let them see you in me

Included in many of my Blog entries is the fact that Jesus commanded us to keep his word and to share his word. Most of us strongly believe in the command to share the word, but it is so difficult for us to follow this command. We worry about offending people, alienating people, maybe being concerned about what others may think of us, and just generally feeling uncomfortable when putting ourselves out there and sharing the word. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the fear we are trying to overcome and I clearly understand the command. I believe this song helps to address this challenge for us by stating that we share in many ways, some of those ways by actions and not just words. Please note that I am not saying we should not execute the commands of Christ, I just believe that words are only part of the command.
The lines of the song could be strictly interpreted as being applied to a song writer, but let’s focus on how we can make each of these applicable to our individual lives. Do people know who you really are, or do they only know the front you have created? Do you realize that most of the people you know don’t really know who you are? We may have a church persona, a work persona, a being with friends persona, and maybe a home persona. We don’t want to be who we really are. What would happen if people saw the true you? All of a sudden, the personas disappear and you are left with only the real you. How will people accept the real you once all of the false fronts have been removed. Will people see you the way you really want to be seen? As the song asks, does the man I am today, say the words you need to say? Maybe a different question to ask is, would people know you are a disciple of Christ by your actions?

It is at this point that we come to the reality of who we really are and perhaps how poorly we have represented our savior and how we have failed his commandment to share his word. Not only have we not verbally shared the gospel, but we have also failed to show others by our actions that we are his child. The chorus of the song should become a challenge and a prayer for us. We need to have others seeing us as being different by the way we act and the actions we take. The words we speak should be words of kindness, compassion, and love as opposed to gossip, complaint, and negativity. When we sing songs of praise, people should be able to tell that we are singing from our heart, not going through the motions. As we change from hiding behind a façade to becoming more of a disciple, we may have people coming to us to find out why we are so different. It is so much easier to share once someone has opened the door for us and invited us in.

If we keep living our lives the way we have been, nothing will change. We really are just another face, another voice, another life with no purpose, and another person who is lost in the world. The way we stop this is to fall to our knees and ask Christ for his strength in becoming the person he wants us to be. He can take us and mold us and put us on the right path; but we have to let go and let him take control. You will see people around you change and a lot of these people will see that you are different and they will become interested in your story and maybe ask you how you keep that song in your heart. Letting go is a challenge for all of us, but can we really become Christ’s disciple if we don’t trust him with our all? You can also become a better spouse, parent, child, and friend; because your actions are guided by the son of God and not dependent upon your situational persona.

Our lives gradually become easier because we are just who we are wherever we are. Let everyone we encounter see Christ in us. It doesn’t mean they will accept us or like us or agree with us; but at least we are acting as a child of God instead of trying to be someone we are not.

I agree that giving our daily life to Christ is not an easy thing to do and it will cause us pain and perhaps loss of acquaintances, but it still much less painful than being nailed to a cross and having your father turn his back on you.

Let today be the day where you give your life to Christ and to live as his disciple. As Joshua 24:15 commands, choose this day who you will serve. Are you ready to drop the facades and pick up the cross?

Click to Hear JJ Weeks Band Perform Let Them See Me

Mighty to Save

The next entry for my Blog is Mighty to Save, which was written by Benjamin Fielding and Reuben Morgan. The song was initially released in 2006. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Mighty to Save

Well, everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
But let mercy fall on me
Well everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

My Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
And fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender

Chorus
Chorus

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King

Chorus
Chorus

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We’re singing for the glory of the risen King
Jesus

Repeat

Are there some people who perhaps need sympathy and compassion and you want no part of it? I am thinking about the people whom we might consider to be wicked or maybe just down right mean. What about the people who are struggling who injured you at some point either physically or emotionally? I believe we know these people need compassion, but we are unwilling to meet this need because of who they are or what they have done. The truth is that everyone, regardless of what they have done, deserves compassion and love. They need someone who really wants them to become a better person, someone who wants them to be healed; they need someone who will forgive them for all they have done. As I think about some people and their actions, I find it extremely challenging to ever forgive them or help to improve their lives. Have you ever felt this way?

What if Jesus had felt this way? What if he said that you had contributed to ruining someone’s life by your actions, your words, your lack of forgiveness, or your lack of love? If Jesus felt this way about the hearts and minds of people, do you think he would have ever come to earth? He did come and he showed kindness to all and he gave everyone hope. People could tell that he cared about them as he taught them, as he healed them, and as he forgave them. They could tell he did not hold a grudge or harbor resentment against anyone. He came to be our Savior and to provide that love and compassion for everyone, to give everyone hope and love.

He is the only one who can overcome every barrier from the mountains to the seas. He came to save all who would accept him as their Lord and Savior, and no one could stop him from executing his plan and his directive from the father. The name Jesus is synonymous with salvation, he alone can offer salvation to all. He carries the might of God and was strong enough to conquer the grave as well as any obstacle thrown in his way by the evils of this world. Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us of the power of our God, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

The best news is that he takes us just as we are at this moment in time. He doesn’t care about our past, our failures, or our imperfections. He never gave up on us and never will; he is here to breathe hope into our lives every single day; no matter how many times we fail him. He is here so we can feel love at all times and know we are never alone. All we need to do is surrender our lives to him to gain this eternal love, peace, and hope. As a result of accepting Christ as our savior, we should feel his love deep inside of us, and we should be sharing his love with others. Those around us should see his light shining through us. The world should see that we are different by our actions, our words, and our compassion and love for others. Our desire should be to have his love in our hearts and his word on our lips as we share his message and sing songs of praise.

Jesus is the light of the world and he expects, no commands us to share his unconditional love with others; just as he shared his love for us and died for us. Matthew 5:14 reminds us of our responsibility as Christians, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Is there someone you know who needs that message, that love, and that forgiveness? Who is going to share this with them if not you? I don’t think this is an easy task for any of us; but neither was dying on a cross in the midst of people who hated you.

Click to Hear Hillsong Perform Mighty to Save.