Stanley Simpson

The River

The next entry for my Blog is The River, which was written by Colby Wedgeworth, Jordan Feliz, and Josh Silverber. The song was initially released in 2015. A link to Jordan Feliz performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

The River

I know a place where we can go
To lay the troubles down eating your soul
I know a place where mercy flows
Take the stains make you whiter than snow

Like a tide, it is rising up deep inside
A current that moves and makes it come alive
Living water that brings the dead to life, oh-oh-oh-oh
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)

I’ve seen it move in my own life
Took me from dusty roads into paradise
All of my dirt, all of my shame
Drowned in the streams that’ve made me born again

Like a tide, it is rising up deep inside a
Current that moves and makes it come alive
Living water that brings the dead to life, oh-oh-oh-oh
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)
Let’s go down
We’re going down to the river
Down to the river, down to the river to pray
Let’s get washed by the water
Washed by the water and rise up in amazing grace
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (You will leave changed)
Let’s go down, down, down to the river (Never the same)
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go down in amazing grace

Where do you go or what do you do when you just want to escape from everything, to a place of solitude? Sometimes life is just too difficult and we look for that special place or activity that brings us peace and allows us to get away, even for just a short time. This song tells us the best place to go to find the peace we are looking for and need. It is a place to bare our souls without being judged or ridiculed. It allows us to share our deepest darkest secrets and confess our wrongdoings without any retribution. It is a refuge where there is only peace, love, and comfort. What is really awesome about our special place of escape is that we can block out the misery of the world for just a bit, and then walk away feeling as if the dirt and grime from a sinful world has been taken out of our soul and washed our body clean. As we enter our area of solitude, we can almost feel the immediate impact of being there and feeling the only power that can cleanse away the darkness in our soul. The song says we are going Down to the River, but the river is not the water flowing somewhere under a bridge; it is the living water that only Jesus Christ can provide. This is the only water than can makes us whole again and cleanse our soul. The same living water that Jesus spoke of in the book of John, chapter 4.

Once you have experienced the living water, you will never be the same; your life is changed forever. When you open your heart to Jesus and accept him into your life, you always have that living water available and flowing inside of you. The challenge each of us face is that we must take the time to pray and actively engage that living water of peace inside of us. I know that Jesus is always available and always there, but it is in our court to listen to him and engage him; he is always ready and reaching out to us. I believe the primary obstacle we must overcome is making time for him, listening to him, and allowing his love to flow through us. When we go down to the River, we are essentially focusing on Jesus and not on the world around us. I am not sure how anyone really survives without having the River, for it is the only place where there is total forgiveness and no shame or guilt. It is the only place we can go for unconditional love and grace, and be who we really are.

We all have our struggles and our failures. I know I have said things I shouldn’t have said, done things I shouldn’t have done; but I also know that I haven’t always spoken up when I should have or taken action when I should have. We can dwell on the woulda, coulda, shoulda things in our lives or we can take the time to pray and ask Christ for not only his forgiveness, but also for his guidance and direction in our lives. Philippians 4:6 reminds us of what God does for us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” The day he died on the cross, he forgave us for every sin we have committed as well as all future sins. He wants us to come to him through prayer and just talk with him about what is going on in our lives. It is through this open communication that we feel his love, his forgiveness, and his power. If we do not take the time to pray and feel his arms around us, we will never have hope and we will never have peace; we will continue to be overcome by the influence of the world around us. Because of his amazing grace, we are forgiven and that we are worthy to hold his hand and walk with him. He starts the tide of cleanliness rising up inside of us every time we come to the River, our time of prayer and fellowship.

Hopefully you spend time every day just communicating and visiting with God. It doesn’t take special language or special words; you can talk to him like as a best friend or like a father. How long has it been since you experienced the power and love of Jesus Christ coursing through your veins and felt the peace that only he can bring? I thank him for being the River that washes the sin of the world off of me every time I come to him. The River is waiting for you.

Click to Hear Jordan Feliz Sing The River.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

The next entry for my Blog is You’ll Never Walk Alone which was written by Oscar Hammerstein II and composed by Richard Rodgers for the musical Carousel, which was initially released in 1945. A link to David Phelps performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog. This song has a special meaning to me. I had a Sunday School teacher at a church in Birmingham, AL who died in a plane crash and left a wife and three young children behind. I was in a youth choir at the time and we sang this song at the church after his passing. I selected the performance of the song by David Phelps, because I felt it needed the emotion he provides in his version.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

We all face difficult times in our lives. I had been fortunate in that, up until a few years ago, I had not faced some of the challenges so many people face. My storms of life started in 2016 when I lost my dad and this was just the beginning. In 2017 I lost my sister, 2018 I lost my mom, and in 2019 I came within a few hours of death as a result of contracting an almost fatal illness after a missions trip to India. My wife had severe back problems in 2019 and my daughter had an eye stroke in each eye. Most of you have probably had experiences similar to the above or even worse. God never promised us a life filled with roses and rainbows, but he did promise us two very important things we should never forget. The first is the promise of eternal life upon acceptance of his son, and the second is that he will never leave us.

As we stumble through these storms of life, we see only the darkness and we doubt whether or not we can even take another step; wondering where that next step will take us. We try to push forward and we do so with our heads down and feel we have completely lost our way. I believe that people who take their own lives reach this point, because they believe they have no hope; they can’t fight the pain or loneliness any longer. For those of us who have accepted Christ and believe his promises, we should never reach this point; we must try to remember that we are never alone. We should hold our head up and know that God will take us through this latest challenge. Even though it seems as if we are encountering the darkest of days, God is there to bring his light that can pierce any darkness. I can’t help but remember the lines from the Footprints in the Sand poem, which is scripture based, when the Lord said “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

As we take God’s hand, he will lead us through the storm and we will see the bright and shining sun that lights our sky and hear the beautiful songs of the birds that he created. He does this to not only fulfill his promise, but to show us that every storm will pass and the sun will eventually overcome the darkness. As we face the howling winds and the pouring rain that bring us to a point of desperation, we must remember to not give up on our hopes and dreams of tomorrow as well as what eternity has in store for us. God is faithful and he will fulfill all of his promises. If we face the gloom ahead with hope, taking God’s hand, and hold our heads up; we will never walk alone. Romans 8:38-39 tells us we will never be alone, For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Next time you feel alone in the darkness, take God’s hand which is always reaching out to you.

Click to See David Phelps Perform You’ll Never Walk Alone

You Are My All in All

The next entry for my Blog is You Are My All in All by Dennis Jernigan and first released in 2000. A link to Nicole Nordeman performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

You Are My All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name

Taking my sin my cross my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down you pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name
Worthy is Your name

When people talk about strengths and weaknesses, they could be referring to physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is easy to understand the physical aspect, there are times when I feel as if I cannot take another step or drive another nail in my shop; I have reached a point of physical exhaustion. There are also times when I am so emotionally drained that I feel as if there are no more tears to shed and that I want to just go to bed and essentially close out the world. I believe all, if not most of us, encounter both of these situations multiple times in our lives. We can also reach points in our lives when we have a spiritual let down, this happens when we lose touch with God. Life happens, and the physical and emotional demands of our day to day lives overwhelm us and there just doesn’t seem to be enough to time or focus to talk to God.

What is amazing about the above is that God is the only one who can give us the physical and emotional strength we need; yet we don’t turn to him first. He will carry us when we need to walk a little farther, he will wipe away the tears of sadness, and he will bring us the spiritual strength we need to conquer the world and the fears it brings. Matthew 19:26 states, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Christ alone has the strength we seek. His love is like a treasure that provides us with everything we need and more than we could ever hope for; he is truly the treasure we should be seeking to overcome the challenges life throws at us.

Jesus is the source of eternal life, the source of hope, the source of peace; that bright and shining jewel of light that encompasses us and protects us. We should look for his light every day of our lives and seek him first instead of last. It doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges or disappointments or heartaches; but, with him, we will never face these events alone. I suppose the writer is correct in that we truly are fools if we think we can go through life without him.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; we no longer have any sin and we have no shame in the eyes of God. We achieved perfection in the eyes of God once Christ laid down his life for us. To help strengthen our belief, Jesus rose from the dead so we could see him and touch him. He knew, that as humans, we needed this proof that he could conquer death. Everyone thought he was dead and he would never be heard from again, but he knew he needed to prove everyone wrong since our faith is so weak. He could just as easily have told us he was now leaving to prepare a place for us and expect us to remember his promise, but he took the extra step of rising from the dead to show his power and to strengthen our faith in his promises.

Every day, more likely every hour, we fall down in our faith and step back onto the paths of sin. We continue to march once again down this road of despair until we just fall flat on our face again, but Jesus is always there to pick us up; he never gives up on us. No matter where we are physically or emotionally, his hand is always extended to pull us back up and his arms are then open wide for that great big hug that brings us peace and love. As he picks us up, he re-energizes our spirit, our hope, and our love for him. We no longer have an empty cup of loneliness and helplessness; he has filled that cup with love and peace to the point of overflowing.

Christ is the sacrificial lamb, he died for us so we could have an eternal home with him and the father. Without him, we would never be worthy enough to enter heaven; he alone is worthy of our love. Because of him, we can look to an eternity of joy and happiness. He alone is worthy and we were made worthy because of his love and sacrifice.

What else can be more important than seeking the Lamb of God?

Click to Hear Nicole Nordeman Sing You Are My All in All

Not for a Moment

The next song for my Blog was written by Jacob Sooter, Mia Fieldes, and Meredith Andrews and was first released in 2012. A link to Meredith Andrews performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Not for a Moment

You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

And every step every breath you are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my hurt at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Even in the dark
Even when it’s hard
You will never leave me
After all

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

There are times in our life, when we wander completely away from where we wanted to be in our life. Maybe we are taken off course due to family issues, marital issues, health issues, job issues, financial issues, or relationship issues. The emotional and physical pressure from these issues make us want to escape from everyone and everything and we start a downward spiral into deep uncontrollable despair. We look around and see nothing but darkness and loneliness and reach a point where we have lost all hope. We no longer even know who we are and we don’t even know who to turn to in order to give us hope as we fall deeper into the pit of despair. We ask ourselves, will I ever be the same again or is this the new normal for me? As we flounder on this uncharted path, we get farther and farther away from God and become completely overcome by the storms of life that seem to be destroying who we are and everything we have known.
All of a sudden, we see his hand reaching out to us through the storm and he is walking across the water as if it were dry ground. We couldn’t see him coming because we had briefly lost our faith in him as well as his power. Even though we were thinking he was thousands of miles away out of the rain, he was there with us all of the time. Regardless of our negative thoughts about him and our lack of faith, he was there. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed”. So even when we think God is thousands of miles away, he is really right by our side.

The fact that God is unchanging is a difficult concept for many of us to grasp. Everything in our world changes every day, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse; but God is unchanged in his expectations nor is he going to go back on his promises. He is the only source of truth we can depend upon and he is the almighty king. People may fail us, our dreams may not come true, our life may not have turned out the way we wanted it to; but God will keep his promise to watch over us, be there for us, and have our eternal home in heaven ready for us. We just need to remember that he said he would never ever forsake us or go back on his promises.

Not only is God there when we need him, he gives us peace and calm. When we realize he is there, that song of joy fills our hearts and we remember his promises of faithfulness that lasts for all eternity. A song of love is always on his lips even when we are not listening. He picks us up and carries us in the darkest periods of our life and will bring the light and joy back into our life, we just need to fall into his arms to experience the peace and comfort that only he can bring.

When Jesus left this earth, he left us with the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us and is there to remind us of God’s promises and of his presence. Everywhere we go, every step that we take, God is there with us. Whenever we hurt, whenever we shed a tear, he is there to help us heal and wipe away our tears. All of this doesn’t mean we will not have the hard times, the dark days, or the feeling of the world crumbling around us; but what we do know is that God promised he would never leave us or forsake us. He left his twenty-four hour a day comforter with us and has our eternal home waiting for us. Until we arrive in our forever home, we each need to realize that we will never be alone or forgotten, not for a moment.
I believe the best scripture to close out his blog entry is Psalm 23, please take the time to read it and let the power of the word sink into your soul.
We are never alone, not for a moment.

Click to See Meredith Andrews Perform Not for a Moment

Click to See Meredith Andrews Perform Not for a Momen

Make Me a Servant

The next song for my Blog is a song that was written in 1982 by Kelly Willard. A link to the Maranatha Singers performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Make Me a Servant

Make me a servant,
Humble and meek,
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak,
And may the prayer of my heart always be
Make me a servant,
Make me a servant,
Make me a servant, today

This is basically a simple chorus, but I believe the words of this song get lost in today’s world, even in our churches. It seems as if every time I turn on the TV, go to the internet, or go to social media; I am overwhelmed with the news of athletes and entertainers seeking more money than they will ever need or politicians fighting for personal gain instead of truly supporting the needs of the country. I hear of people who do whatever it takes to become the best, or perhaps spend their entire lives focusing on the next higher position in their job. I suppose it all boils down to, it is the “all about me” attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone should always do the best they can and that we should do what is necessary to support our families, our friends, and others that have needs.

The question I have for you today is, are you a servant, or are you the one who has to always be in control of everything? Being a servant of God basically means you are willing to do whatever he asks of you. It is always putting others first instead of yourself. In Philippians 2:6-8, we find out how Jesus was a servant for us, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross.”

Just imagine, the very son of God became a man and became a servant to all of us. He carried the power of his father, but he willingly gave up everything for us. He obeyed his father because of his love for him and for us. Jesus came to earth to save us, to meet our needs, heal our sickness, give us hope, encourage us, to let us know we are never alone, to be a leader for us, and the list goes on. He wants us to do the same thing for others in need. We need to be meek, mild, respectful, humble, and encouraging to others. He expects us to be there for others as they need help; to take off the “me” hat and put others first. Many believe meek to mean someone who can be taken advantage of or run over, but it incorporates the attributes mentioned above as well as teachable, patient under suffering, and willing to share the gospel as directed by Christ. This doesn’t mean we are weak or unwilling to fight for what is right, it merely means we have the desire to do what God has told us to do in his word. The song spells out the qualities of a servant and also asks that God make us a servant. Perhaps the greatest thing we can ever become is a true servant to God and others. As a servant, we lift up others and make them strong

We find another example of Jesus being a servant in John 13:12-17, these are the verses that Jesus delivers his message of being a servant after he washes the feet of his disciples, When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

In the above scripture, we are shown that we can be both a leader and a servant. The key attribute of the leader Jesus describes is that the leader leads based on the needs of the followers and not to be in the role for self-edification, power, or control. The best leader is going to be one who has the qualities of a servant and who wants to lead others based on direction from God. Imagine the King of Kings on his hands and knees washing your filthy feet that have been in sandals walking on dirt streets all day. Yet he did this cleansing without complaint and to show that even he was not too good to be the servant that God expects all of us to be.

Have you ever asked God to make you a servant and meant it with all of your heart?

Click to Hear Kelly Willard and The Maranatha Singers Perform Make Me a Servant

This is Amazing Grace

The next song for my Blog was written by Jeremy Riddle, Josh Farro, and Phil Wickham and first released in 2013. A link to Phil Wickham performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

This Is Amazing Grace

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You’ve done for me

Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory, the King of Glory
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy, worthy, worthy

Have you ever had the power go out in your home and end up in a room that is just pitch black? I sometimes think this is what our world would look like if we could see the darkness created by all of us sinners. It is awesome to know that our God, alone, is the only one who can overcome this darkness and squelch the grip that sin has over us. He loves us so much that he refused to let us stay in this darkness and he brought the light to us through his son. His love for us brought a light so bright that the darkness in our lives disappeared once we accepted God’s gift. There have been many many kings during the time the earth has been around and many of them were powerful and ruled large portions of the world, but our king is the king of all kings since he has the power to rule the entire planet and overcome every obstacle/temptation Satan puts in front of us. Our God is the King of Glory, meaning he alone is worthy of our praise; there is no other person or being who deserves this honor and distinction.

I like how the song refers to the power of God through thunder. A lot of times we may be having a major thunder storm and some of the thunder seems to shake the house. This shows the power of God and his unseen hand and how our strength pales in comparison to his. Not only do we see the power of storms, we also see the incredible beauty of sunrises and sunsets that leaves us in awe of everything God does. He wants us to understand his love, his power, and enjoy the majesty of all of his creations. I can’t even imagine how beautiful heaven must be, but I am sure it will even more amazing than the most incredible sunsets and sunrises we have ever seen.

He made getting to heaven easy for us since he forgave us of all of our wrongs. His gift of eternal life through grace is something we never could have earned. His grace is an amazing gift that allows us to spend eternity with him. He has never left us and he has always loved us, no matter how we treated him or how often we ignored him. God was even willing to send his only son to die for us just so we could spend eternity with him. He didn’t ask us to die on the cross for our own sins and he didn’t tell us we are not good enough. He had his only son take our place. Take some time just to think about the depth of God’s love for us. All of this happened so we could be set free of sin, become children of God, and know that he has already prepared our eternal homes for us. This is definitely something to talk about, sing about, and share with others so they can have this same promise.

Part of the challenge of every day is just getting our arms around everything we need to do, and this is seldom easy to do. So many things pop up that just turn our plans for the day upside down. Only God can give us the peace we need and help turn our daily chaos into order. Through prayer and leaning on him, we can make it through each day as we let him guide us. I know it is hard to let go and let God lead, but that is the only path through the challenges and darkness we face.

So many times we feel alone and perhaps even unloved or unwanted. Maybe we don’t have any family around anymore, perhaps no close friends who are like family, maybe we don’t have a significant other, or maybe we truly are an orphan. The good news is that God loves us as his children and we are therefore, never unloved at any time nor are we ever an orphan. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us we are part of the family of God, “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.” Each of us has become part of the family of God. Our God and father watches over us, meets all of our needs, and rules the world with absolute truth and justice. It is true that Satan is here and tries to control every aspect of this world, but he is only here because our father allowed him to be here. Satan is still under the control of God our father and the day will come when Satan is locked away. It is awesome knowing that God loves us unconditionally and that he has accepted us as his children. We can never be separated from his love. Romans 8:38-39 confirms this, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are not worthy of his love, but his worth to us is more than we can even imagine. He is worthy because he sent his son to die for us instead of us having to pay the price for our own sins and he is worthy because he let his son rise from the dead to come back to heaven and prepare a home for us.

We are free because of God’s gift of amazing grace. We will all be singing about his amazing grace.

Click to Hear This is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham

Who You Say I Am

The next song for my Blog was written by Ben Fielding and Rueben Morgan and released in 2018. A link to Hillsong singing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Who You Say I Am

Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh His love for me
Oh His love for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes I am

Free at last
He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father’s house
There’s a place for me
I’m a child of God
Yes I am

I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am

I think all of us have been in a situation where we feel as if we do not belong. We have such feelings as we are under dressed, over dressed, not good enough, not of the right social class, or just a general feeling that we shouldn’t be wherever we are. Imagine, that despite who we were, who we are, or where we come from; we are always welcome to be with the greatest king of all; our God. He doesn’t care about our past, but only who we have become. We are welcome in his kingdom at any time. When we were lost and wondering what the future held for us and sometimes were lost in the quagmire of life, he invited us, through his son, to join him for eternity. The only thing our king asked was that we accept his only son as our lord and savior. We can’t even begin to understand the depth of his love for us or even why he should believe we are even worthy of his love.

We have been set free of all of our transgressions, our mistakes, and our lack of obedience to God, all because the Son of God died on the cross so that all of these sins would simply disappear. The really good news is that everything we have done wrong and will do wrong, is eternally dismissed; we are truly free of our past. For sure we will have memories and scars from our past, but God wants us to look to him and to the future and to not dwell on the past since we are finally absolved of all guilt. We have become a child of God, yes we are! John 8:34-36 delivers this message to us: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Whether you accepted Christ as a child or as an adult, you became free for the first time in your life with a guarantee that you are free for eternity. Christ paid the debt, just like the old hymn Jesus Paid it All tells us;
‘Cause Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow
The ransom/debt was paid in full so we could be completely free. It is by his grace, which means that God loves us even though we don’t deserve it. Sin owns us throughout our life until we decide to become a child of God. Jesus died for me and for all of us, and through his death; sin and Satan lost their power over us. I can honestly say that Christ died for me and you can say he died for you, isn’t it amazing that we can have a personal relationship with the son of God? Each of us can claim him as our own, just he claims each of us as his own. We are told in John 14:2 that when Jesus returned to heaven that he was preparing our eternal home for us, In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. So not only has God promised an eternity with him, he has already prepared our new homes in heaven. We may ask, who does this type of thing? The only answer is the King of everything.

We, who have accepted his son, are his chosen people. He could have easily walked away from us because of the way we have turned our backs on him, but he refused to forsake us, He promised us eternity and that he would never leave us. Yes, I am a child of God, I am who you say I am!!

Click to Hear Hillsong Perform Who You Say I Am

As the Deer Panteth for the Water

This hymn was written by Martin J Nystrom in 1984 and is based on Psalm 42:1. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the end of this blog entry.

As the Deer Panteth for the Water, So My Soul

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee

You’re my friend
And You are my brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything

Chorus

I want You more than gold
Or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joygiver
And the apple of my eye

Chorus

Have you ever been really thirsty or hungry? Perhaps your thirst/hunger is a longing for something you are missing in your life. Whether the emptiness is due to a physical need or an emotional need, we are constantly struggling to feel well and whole again. This song starts out referring to a deer that is actually panting for water, its life is truly in danger; without finding water, it’s life may soon be over.

Some of us may have been starving before or maybe almost dying from thirst; but most of us have probably never come close to physically dying of thirst or starvation. There are times when although our life supporting needs are met, we still have an emptiness that seems to gnaw at us. We know something is missing, but no matter where we turn; we can’t find peace. I believe this is a time where we have wandered away from God and the holy spirit within us is trying to bring us back to that comfort that only God can give us. Our soul is reminding us that our one desire should be our relationship with the father, this is more important than anything this world of Satan can offer us. Matthew 16:26 reminds us of what is most important, And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Just as the song tells us, just as the deer needs the water to survive, we need the relationship with Christ to survive. Though the water will only keep the deer alive for its allotted number of years, our relationship with Christ will give us eternal life. Our time should be spent seeking and worshipping God and making that the mission of our heart.

Though we are not worthy of being in the presence of Christ, he is still our friend, a family member, and a confidant. He is a king who has accepted us as being just like him in that we are all the children of God. He loves us just like we love our families and friends. We should return his love with all of our heart, our soul, and all of our being. He gave his life for us so we could spend eternity with him, the least we could do is give him all of our love and all of our attention and seek his will every day of our lives. What in your life is more important than Christ and what benefit does it give you over and above what Christ has committed to us?

It is true that we want nice things in our lives and most of those things require money. We work hard to not only support our family, but to also have enough money to enjoy life. Sometimes this causes us to get so focused on our jobs and our wants that we forget what is most important. There is nothing more important than having Christ in our lives. We may ask, but how do I provide for my family if I am not working hard at my job? Christ doesn’t tell us that we shouldn’t work, he is simply saying that we should not be focused on how much we make, that he will make sure we have what we need. It is challenging to have that much faith in Christ meeting our every need; but we must seek his guidance on every need we have; including financial.
We see God’s promise of meeting our needs in Matthew 6:25-34, 25 Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto [a]the measure of his life? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

It is only after we hand everything over to Christ that we can experience true joy and freedom. The song says he should be the apple of our eye, in other words; the person/thing we cherish about all else. He alone is our strength, our shield, our constant source of joy, and the only one who can give us eternal life.

What is your heart’s desire?

Click to Hear Hillsong Perform as the Deer

Fill My Cup Lord

This next song was written by Richard Blanchard and released in 1964. A link to CRC performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Fill My Cup Lord

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy:
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
Draw from my well that never shall run dry

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more–
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole

So, my brother, if the things this world gave you
Leave hungers that won’t pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you,
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more–
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole

What makes you happy? Maybe it is a relationship, an awesome vacation, a new car, a new house, a baby? When you do obtain what makes you happy, how long does the happiness last? As the happiness starts to wane, we typically start looking for the next fad for happiness. I believe the above is the cycle for most people. Basically we have difficulty settling in with what we have and who we are and we therefore spend a life in pursuit of happiness. This becomes an ongoing activity throughout our lives.

We are very much like the woman at the well described in John 4:4-42. I am only extracting verses 13-15 for purposes of this entry, but encourage you to look at the entire passage: Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” Everyday this woman comes to the well to get fresh water because she is thirsty and needs this water to meet her everyday needs. Jesus was obviously speaking from a spiritual perspective and she was initially thinking from a physical perspective.

As the life of the woman unfolded, I believe she is somewhat like all of us in that she could never find true permanent happiness. Jesus is the only one who can give that happiness and it is a joy that is in the soul. The soul is eternal, therefore isn’t it better to focus on eternal joy as opposed to temporary joy? Jesus is the only one who can bring this type of joy, the joy that only comes with a cup that is always overflowing with his love and promise of eternity. Yes, it is great to have that new home, that new car, a wonderful vacation and I hope you have them all; but these things only help us to live for the moment. As we lift up our cup and give our lives to Christ, we experience joy and peace as we have never known and our cup will always be running over.

We will go through life wanting excitement, new things, and fun and this is ok; but is it enough? The world will bring us a lot of good things and a lot of bad and we will sort of be living on a rollercoaster as we look for that one thing that brings us joy. The only way to get the real peace and joy is to give ourselves completely to Christ. We each need to fall on our knees and ask him to come into our hearts and dictate our lives instead of us being in the driver’s seat. Once we do this, we can have that permanent peace inside of us. It is true that we will still enjoy things in our lives, but we will also realize that the only permanent joy comes from Christ and dwells within us at all times. The good news is we can also start getting the joy of sharing this love with others, just as Jesus did with the woman at the well. We can become a blessing to others while living the life Christ expects of us while enjoying the things he puts before us each day.

How will your cup be filled and who or what will be the one filling it?

Click to Hear Fill My Cup Lord

Shout to the Lord

This next song was written by Darlene Zschech in 1983. It was first released in 1994 by Hillsong Worship. A link to Hillsong performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Shout to the Lord

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hand
Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have
In You

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

You’re my comfort
And my shelter
You’re my tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease…

Most if not all of the people reading this Blog have probably heard of Jesus, know a lot about Jesus, and have maybe even come to know Jesus in your heart. The beginning of this song puts the love of Jesus into a better perspective. He is not just the son of God and the one who died for our sins, he is a personal savior for each of us. All of us can have a personal relationship with Jesus. When we accept him as Lord and savior, he becomes your Jesus; the one person who really knows your heart. Each of us can say ‘My Jesus’ and not be selfish. John 10:14-15 reminds us of how the shepherd knows his sheep and Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus should be thought of not just as the son of God, but a personal savior and the closest friend we could ever have. Why wouldn’t we want to sing our praises to him as long as we live? There is no greater love and no greater friend than Jesus our savior.

Not only has he prepared a place for us in heaven by giving his life for us, he is the only person who we confess to and not be judged for our mistakes. He died for those mistakes, but is always there to let us fully open our hearts to him. His door is always open to us to give us the comfort we need in times of trials and suffering; as well as being the strength we need to overcome whatever the world throws at us. Because of what Christ does for us and has done for us, we should worship him with everything we have and fall on our knees before him. Some seem to believe they only need to do this on the day(s) they go to church, but isn’t he worth much more than this?

All of us should carry the message of Jesus to the world. The world can be your home, your neighborhood, your town, your country, or all of the globe. Note that the song says shout to the Lord. I believe this means to speak openly and not be ashamed of the message of Christ. There is no greater power than God and all of creation is the work of his hands alone. There would be no mountains without him, no powerful and beautiful seas, and no gorgeous sunsets.

The song references many times that we should sing the praises. Perhaps this is because we are more likely to sing from the heart and talk from the head. I also believe that even though we may not memorize scripture as we should, we may know a lot of songs that share the message of Christ. It is true that many of us can hardly carry a tune, but God is hearing what is coming from our heart, not the sound coming from our throats. Our songs should be songs of joy, praise, and thankfulness since no one or no thing can even come close to matching the promise of eternal life.

Click to See Hillsong Perform Shout to the Lord