pride – Song Dive

Unashamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click to Hear Matthew West Perform Unashamed

At Calvary

The next entry for my Blog is At Calvary, which was written by William R Newell in 1895. It can be found in many church hymnals. A link to the Islington Baptist Church Choir singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

At Calvary

Years I spent in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
At Calvary

By God’s word at last my sin I learned
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned
Until my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary

[Chorus]
There Your mercy and Your grace was free
There Your pardon multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

Now I’ve given Jesus everything
Now I gladly know Him as my king
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary

[Chorus]
There Your mercy and Your grace was free
There Your pardon multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

I used to be a worship leader in a small church many years ago and on Sunday evenings, I let the members of the congregation select the songs we would sing. Every Sunday evening, one young boy around eight years old, would ask to sing #226. This hymn number was “At Calvary” and every time I hear it or sing it, I think of that little boy so many years ago. It seems as if so many people in the world go about their daily lives and never think about the sacrifices others made so they could even have a life. These people revel in their successes and their families and how successful they have been. I think it is great that people are willing to work hard to succeed, but it is important that everyone is aware of the one decision that determines eternity for them. I don’t believe people think much about eternity and what is next in their lives, they are too focused on today. Wouldn’t it be great to know that we all have the opportunity to maybe once again see our loved ones who passed away over the years? These people don’t realize what took place over 2000 years ago and how their future is truly determined. To me, this is the time the song is referring to when referencing vanity and pride. These people have probably heard about Jesus, the son of God, dying on a cross and have probably seen pictures of the crucifixion; but they don’t realize that he willingly gave his life so each of us could have eternal life. He died on that mount called Calvary, just for us.

The reason for his death was to clear a path for all of us to an eternal home in heaven. His death provided us with forgiveness for every sin or wrongdoing we have ever committed as well as any future wrongdoings. All of this was done without us having to spend any of our time or money. You ask, so what is the catch, no one does anything for free. The only requirement given by God and his son is that we accept Jesus as our personal savior and acknowledge that he is the only way to eternal life. All of the burdens that we carry inside of us are lifted at the time we accept Jesus. We are told this in the book of Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It doesn’t mean we won’t worry and fret about things, but it does mean that we have someone to turn to in prayer whenever our hearts are burdened. We are no longer alone when the weight of our worries start to overcome us.

As we start a new spiritual life as a result of accepting Jesus, we become eager to learn more about him. This quest for knowledge leads us to the bible, which is God’s word and lays out the life we are supposed to lead; a life of love, compassion, forgiveness, praise, and worship. Hopefully the quest for knowledge leads us to a wonderful church and church family. As we compare how we have lived our life to the way God wants us to live, we have a sadness that comes over us when we think about all of the things we have done wrong in our lives. We learn the real meaning of sin and how Jesus died because he loved each of us so much and wanted to take away all of our sins. Not only does he want us to get on the right path in our lives, but he also wants each of us to spend eternity with him.

God has a master plan for all of us, his plan starts before we are born, it encompasses our life on earth, and it concludes with our eternal home with him and others who will be joining us in heaven. In the book of Jeremiah 1:5, we find this scripture about God knowing about us before we are born, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”

It is because of God’s master plan that we have hope, even in the darkest of days. Take some time and think about the darkness and hopelessness of this world and contrast that with the eternal life we are promised. We also learn how we can escape this darkness of life and enter a life of pure love and hope, this is the gap that God bridged for us by sacrificing his son. What an amazing plan that God has put into place!

It is all because of the execution of God’s master plan on the mount called Calvary. Isn’t it time for you to accept Jesus and become part of God’s plan for you? God is always willing to accept us back into his flock. He promises us this in Isaiah 53:6. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Click to Hear the Islington Baptist Church Choir Sing At Calvary

Amazing Grace

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

Amazing Grace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isn’t grace truly amazing?

Click to Hear Celtic Woman Perform Amazing Grace