The Commission

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


See my hands and look at my feet
It’s okay if it’s hard to believe
I have faith you will do greater things
It’s my time to go but before I leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Don’t forget the things that I taught you
I’ve conquered death and I hold the keys
Where I go you will go too, someday
But there’s much to do here before you leave

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the

End of the journey, the end of the road
My spirit is with you wherever you go
You have a purpose and I have a plan
I’ll make you this promise
I’ll come back again but until then

Go tell the world about me
I was dead but now I live
I’ve gotta go now for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

go tell them about me
(Go tell the world) I’ve gotta go
(Go tell the world) for a little while
But goodbye is not the end

Many of us who know about Jesus realize that he died on the cross for us so we could have eternal life in heaven.  For those who don’t know about Jesus, I hope this entry will provide you with a little better understanding of Jesus and his purpose.  I also believe there is a very key message that often gets forgotten and overlooked in the Christian community and that is the most important command that Jesus gave to everyone.  The time period for the song takes place after Jesus has risen from the dead and is appearing before those who loved him and followed him.

It was foretold for thousands of years that Jesus would be born, would die, and then come back to life.  People had waited throughout the centuries for his coming, and then it finally happened.  I believe that people today who have read about the prophecies of Jesus, the life of Jesus, and have accepted him as their personal savior; have failed to realize one command that Jesus left with them.   This one command is what this song is all about.    Think about the people who saw Jesus after he rose from the dead, what were they looking at when they saw him and what were their thoughts?   After seeing his face, I would probably look at his hands and his feet to see if those nail scars were there.  The last time I had seen him, he was hanging from the cross with blood coming out of his hands and feet.  In this song, the writer notes that Jesus is prepared for this first impression and gives us a little time to take in what we are seeing.  He understands our unbelief, but he has a mission for us and has faith in us taking on this mission.

His command to us is to tell the world about him.  Let the world know about who Jesus is and why he came, and that his coming had been foretold for many centuries.  We are told that he believes we will do even greater things than he did.  I know this is hard to believe, but we have so many more opportunities to spread his word and love.  His time on earth was short and he could only reach those he came in personal contact with.  Think about the options we have today to share his message; we have churches, video, music, cell phones, and social networks that span the globe.  We can reach more people in a single day than he could have reached in centuries.  His mission for all of us is also known as the Great Commission, and is found in the book of Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are reminded to not forget the things he taught us about love, acceptance, forgiving, and eternal life.  As we accept this mandated mission, we are told to make everyone aware of everything we know about Jesus.  Everyone needs to know how they can be brought from the deep despairs of life into an eternal life of love.  Yes, we will still have our daily struggles, but our eyes and our hearts need to always be looking towards the ultimate goal; eternity in heaven in perfect peace.  If you have accepted Christ as your personal savior, have you accepted the Great Commission and put it into practice?  Have you witnessed the joy on someone’s face once they accepted Christ into their lives?  When does your commission start?  Today.  When does your commission end? When you draw your last breath. 

Jesus said, Go tell the world about me…….

.

Click to Hear Cain Sing The Commission

He Was There All the Time

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

He Was There All the Time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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