hopelessness – Song Dive

You’re the Only Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goodness of God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Select to hear CeCe Winans Sing the Goodness of God

Hold On To Me

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

Hold On To Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click to hear Lauren Daigle Sing Hold On To Me

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

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

Glorious Day

The next entry for my Blog is Glorious Day by Casting Crowns and first released in 2011. The original lyrics were written in 1910 by John Wilbur Chapman and the song was titled One Day and the initial verse melody was created by Michael Bleecker and updated by Mark Hall. A link to Casting Crowns performing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Glorious Day

One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

Chorus

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Chorus

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Chorus

The song starts out with heaven rejoicing and singing the praises of Jesus. I can’t even begin to fathom what that sounds like, but can just imagine everyone’s heart bursting with joy. Up until the coming of Christ, the angels were the only ones who could see the deep dark atmosphere of sin that covered the earth, God’s creation. I am sure the angels were sad every time they looked upon this world and saw how Satan was destroying God’s perfect creation. A light began shining through this darkness, it was the birth of Jesus, God’s only son. Not only was the birth of Jesus a miracle, but being born of a virgin was another miracle. I guess that in reality, neither of these events was necessarily a miracle since God is able to do all things. We may call it a miracle, but God calls it love. God had been teaching his people through strong examples, leaders, and prophets since the time he created us; but he decided we needed a perfect example of the life we should we live as his children. What better way to do this than to send his perfect son to bring us not only his love, but to take away the darkness of sin through his love and promise of eternity. The word of God was brought to life in Jesus

The chorus puts into simple words what Jesus did for all who are willing to accept him. He lived and walked among us and showed us how much the father loved us. He died to save us from a life of hopelessness and to give us eternal life. He was buried after his death on the cross and took all of our past, current, and future sins away forever. He rose from the dead and showed us his power over the grave and that he could not be conquered by death. By rising from the dead, he showed us that he has the power to return again and he promised us he would return to take everyone to their eternal home. Yes, what a glorious day it was and will be again.

The supporters of sin, the haters of Christ, decided the way to take care of God’s example was to make him an example of their own. What better way than to have Jesus suffer the same death as so many of the other criminals; let him die on the cross with others who have committed crimes. After his beatings and humiliation, they took him to Golgotha, to die on the cross. Golgotha is on a main thoroughfare leading into Jerusalem, so everyone who entered the city through the Damascus gate would be able to see Jesus and the criminals hanging on the cross. These displays of torture and punishment helped the Romans rule through fear as people witnessed the penalty of breaking the law. Jesus had been laughed at, he had been beaten, he had been rejected, and he had been mocked; but with his dying breath he honored his commitment to die for us. As the hands that wielded the power of God were nailed to the cross and the life of Jesus faded away, our sins went with him. Every moment of his life led up to this one event, which brought us eternal life. All we have to do is accept him as our Lord and savior. Little did the Romans know that their actions were all a part of God’s glorious plan.

On the third day of being in the tomb; the world discovered that neither the cross, nor death, nor a tomb could destroy God’s son. The great stone had been rolled away from the tomb and Christ proved that he would indeed rise from the dead, just as he said. We find his promise in Matthew 20:17-19, “Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” He walked this earth again after his death and the people in the city saw him as did his followers. They could see him, touch him, and hear him speak. These same people also got to see him ascend into heaven as he returned to the father’s side; Satan had no power over the son of God.

The good news is that Jesus told us he will return and there will be a trumpet announcing his coming. We find this promise in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
The whole world will know of the return of Jesus as the skies light up with his glory. He will come to take us home to the place he has prepared for us, just as he promised in John 14:1-3. What a wonderful day that will be, as we join the family of God in our eternal home.

Click Here to Hear Casting Crowns Perform Glorious Day

Redeemed – Entry #1 of 4

The next song for my Blog was written by Benji Cowart, Michael Weaver, and Michael David Weaver and first released in 2012. A link to Big Daddy Weave performing the song is at the bottom of this Blog entry.

Redeemed

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “son
Stop fighting a fight that’s already been won”
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I’m redeemed
All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember oh God, You’re not done with me yet
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
Because I don’t have to be the old man inside of me
‘Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I’ve got a new name, a new life I’m not the same
And a hope that will carry me home
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
I am redeemed, You set me free
So I’ll shake off these heavy chains
And wipe away every stain now I’m not who I used to be
Oh God I’m not who I used to be
Jesus I’m not who I used to be
‘Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed

I will begin the first entry in this Blog by analyzing the first four lines of the song.

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last

Whenever we read/see/hear the news today, it is all about the negative things going on throughout the world. It is about death, illness, destruction, family issues, disease, and on and on. It is almost to the point that there is very little time for the news to dedicate to anything good.

With all of this going on, it is not wonder that we start thinking about our lives and the struggles we have. It is easy to focus on what could have been, mistakes we made, things we should have done, relationships or family situations that went wrong; you can almost feel as if your life is as negative as the news. We put ourselves in a pit and struggle everyday to get out of that ever-deepening hole. It is these ghosts of the past that seemingly appear whenever we are alone or in the darkness of the night; these unwanted spirits torment us whenever we are vulnerable.

Every time we try to move forward, it is as if we have a shackle and chain attached to us and holding us back. Perhaps we came out of a failed marriage or relationship and we are scared to open ourselves to being hurt again. Our emotions are raw, the hurt is deep, and we question whether or not we will ever love again. We are sometimes so cautious that it is difficult for us to engage in a new relationship because we don’t want to feel that pain and emptiness again. The fears of being hurt are a shackle that holds us back.

Maybe we had a friend or friends that let us down. The friend was someone we trusted and someone to whom we had poured out our soul and deepest secrets. It is a friend who we trusted with our life. This was a person who was always there for us when we needed them, but one day that friend betrayed us. We may never understand why that betrayal happened, but we feel like an outcast and find it difficult to become strong friends with anyone ever again. This fear of fully trusting someone else is another shackle that we might carry.

Many of us might have a child who did not turn out the we way we wanted and expected. The relationship between parent and child is strained as the parent perhaps watches that child make one bad decision after another. The mom and/or dad feel the pain of their child and just pray for the day that child gets back on the right path for their life. Maybe the relationship between family members is not what it should be, but the love and pain are there nevertheless. This feeling of hopelessness may be yet another shackle we have added to our lives.

There are many other shackles and chains which might be attached to us that are maybe related to jobs, poor experiences at churches, feeling as if we are different in some way, or maybe just generally feeling like a failure in whatever we do.

The shackles we carry weigh us down and impact our lives every day. I don’t know that one shackle is bigger or heavier than another and I don’t know if the quantity of shackles makes a difference. What I do believe is that having only one of these attached to us is probably all it takes to drag us into the pit of darkness, failure, and even depression.

We ask ourselves, how long is this going to last? Am I ever going to escape this feeling and have the seemingly happy life that others seem to have? Is there anyone I can trust again? Is there anyone out there for me?
The good news is that we have hope and I will discuss this hope in the second blog entry for this song.

Click Here to Watch Redeemed Sung by Big Daddy Weave