Justice and Mercy-Flyleaf

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

Lovingkindness and truth go before You. Psalm 89:14

 

The Lord has many attributes. Two which seem to be in conflict are justice and mercy. The Lord is completely just in all His ways; yet at the same time He is mercy towards His creation. We see these as opposites: if there is justice then there is no mercy but if there is mercy then there is no justice. However, the Lord does not work within our sphere of understanding. While we are completely ruined and hopeless deserving of God's total justice in our lives, He provides mercy through the cross of Jesus. We are children of wrath therefore Jesus was subjected to wrath on our behalf.

 

Flyleaf marries justice and mercy:

We're human
We reason
We're breathing
Protecting
You're living and dying, surviving, we're trying
To breathe in safety
Come home safely

Mercy screams its violent love
Justice..
And mercy
Justice..
And mercy
The death of us created for
Justice..
And mercy
Justice..
And mercy
This is where they kiss

Life, here sacrificed
Someone who paid the price
Blood in our hearts
Blood on our hands
We cry out, we're fighting, it's warfare, we're dying
Believing we're winning, it's ending, we're singing
It's already done
We've overcome

 

I am thankful we serve a just God, but I am overwhelmed by the mercy of our God.

Instead of a Show-Jon Foreman

I hate all your show and pretense
the hypocrisy of your praise
the hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show

Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when your
singing ‘em
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood
of justice
An endless procession of righteous
living, living
Instead let there be a flood
of justice
Instead of a show

People like to put on a big show in God's name. They bring in famous speakers, musicians, or leaders to "go big" for God. They spend tons of money on fancy buildings, elaborate lights, and shiny gadgets to catch peoples eyes; but all they have is empty entertainment. That is not what God wants from us. He knows that those who seek Him are not impressed with grandeur and pompous social occasions. All these gatherings are more of a way of showing off to each other rather than praising God. Instead, God desires we use our time, talent, and money on helping those in need. His heart is for justice and mercy:

I hate, I reject your festivals,

Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.

"Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,

I will not accept them;

And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.

"Take away from Me the noise of your songs;

I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

"But let justice roll down like waters

And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream Amos 5:21-24

If our lives are full of sin and evil, God will reject us no matter what show we put on. Our focus should be on our inward righteousness and holiness. Would we put the same efforts in our lives if we knew God was the only one watching? Let us remember that God cares more about our holiness than happiness and more about our character than comfort.

I Will Find You-Jimmy Needham

I recently read John 9-the story of the man blind form birth. As a read verse 1,
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth
it struck me that Jesus was the one who initiated the healing. It reminded me of the song from Jimmy Needham about how Jesus is the One who finds us when we are lost and blind:

When you’re lost and eyes are blind, too
I will find you, I will find you
Soon the stars will start to shine through
I will find you, I will find you
There ain’t no stoppin’ me now
It’s just a matter of how
My voice calls, My hands stretch out
And well, let Me remind you: one day I will find you

It can be easy to forget that Jesus initiates the healing in our lives. This blind man was not looking for Jesus or even really knew Him. But Jesus knew that HE would heal this man and that God would get the glory for it. We should be cautious not to think that we are the reason for the healing in our lives. No matter what we have been healed from, God ultimately get the glory because He seeks us out. HE finds us at our worst and gives us sight to see the world as we have never seen it before.

Rising Sun-All Sons and Daughters

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13

 

The Lord is worthy of all our praise. Even though we don'y deserve to pray and sing to Him, HE accepts our humble offerings. All Sons and Daughters does an awe inspiring job of writing praise songs.

 

Praise Him all you sinners
Sing oh sing you weary
Oh praise Him all you children of God
We lift high His glory
Shown throughout our stories
We praise Him as the children of God

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Praise His name forever
Speak it loud and clear now
Oh praise Him all you children of God

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Hallelujah
Name above all
Simply to speak Your name is praise
Hallelujah
Now and always
Forever we lift Your name in praise
Hallelujah
Our God, You reign
Simply to speak Your name is praise

Our great redeemer
Glorious Savior
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Light of the morning
You shine forever
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun
Your name is higher than the rising sun

Hallelujah name above all
Hallelujah name above all
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Death of Me-Red

How can you help my affliction
If you're the sickness and not the cure
Too long I've faked this addiction
Another sacrifice to make us pure
You tear me down and then you pick me up
You take it all and still it's not enough
You try to tell me you can heal me
But I'm still bleeding
And you will be the death of me

Satan is a liar. He uses any means necessary to promise us wonderful things in life but all he delivers is pain. He seeks to destroys all man regardless of whether they follow Christ or not. Only Christ brings life, Satan only brings death.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour 1 Peter 5:8

We must be aware of his lies and deceptions by asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the spiritual forces around us.

Double Life-We As Human

Don't pretend that it never happened
I was there and I know what you did
You can hide underneath that grin
I see right through you

Now you face the consequences
Now you have to live with all of this
Now you get what you deserve when you
Live this double life
Now you run in casings of the truth
Now your past is catching up with you
Now you get what you deserve when you
Live this double life

This song brought to mind the story in Acts 5 where a husband and wife conspired together to lie to the church about giving money. They appeared righteous and sacrificing giving money from selling land but they had kept back some for themselves. Everyone found out what they did when they died in their sin.

Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well."  Acts 5:9

When we claim to be one thing but live differently, our lie catches us. We not only lie to others but we lie to God as well. We do not need to pretend to be anything. We only need to live the life God calls us to live as followers of Chrisy-one of holiness and righteousness.

 

Something Greater-Southbound Fearing

Lately I have been such a selfish man
Won't You bring me back again, back to Your plan
Cuz I'm shooting for the stars, I'm reaching to the sky
Won't You take me by the hand, oh I say
I long for something greater, something different now
My weary soul cries out
My dry bones are calling out like barren desert now
Lord, our Your Spirit down

When we live for ourselves, we such the life out of ourselves and people around us. Our selfishness spreads like cancer even to our bones. We are lifeless and useless to all around us. It is not until we surrender and allow the Spirit of the Lord to bring us back to life that we learn what living is all about. The life that God gives is greater, better, and sweeter than anything we could imagine. Although it is not easy, nothing worth having is ever easy. There is beauty in the struggle.

We must realize that we cannot achieve this life on our own despite all our efforts. IT only comes from the Spirit of the Lord as Ezekiel states:

I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it," declares the Lord.'" (Ezekiel 37:14 NASB)

There is such freedom in lifting our hands to the Lord in praise for what He has done because we could never do it on our own.

Back to You-Natalie LaRue

 
Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually. (Hosea 12:6 NASB)

Some people have a view of God as an angry judge waiting to sentence us for every little thing we do wrong. But that is a distorted view. The Lord is holy but He is also mercy and grace. His kindness leads us to repentence, not His anger. As Natalie LaRue tells us, we can always go back no maatter where we have been.

I am coming up dry

I am running on empty
my burden is time and the hours pass slowly
here in the dark
in the seasons of night

​

I am broken up clay

that is worn an​d is brittle​

your water is life
But hurts just a little going down

as I swallow my pride

 

And so I come back to you, back to you today
I will come back to you, back to you
Oh, how I love the way,
Your kindness keeps on rolling,
like a river swells with rain,
calling me back to you, back to you, Today

​

Lift It-TFK

Through all of life's ups and downs, there is one thing followers of Christ must do: PRAISE! When we learn to praise the Lord for everything we have and encounter in this life, whether it be good or bad, we start to see  and experience life through His Spirit. For it is only by His Spirit that we are able to praise Him. We out to have the attitude of the psalmist:

I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul will make its boast in the Lord;

The humble will hear it and rejoice  Psalm 34:1-2

 

TFK also had the idea of continuously praising the Lord regardless of circumstances:

 In my temptation to walk away
And through the endless troubled days
There’s a hundred million ways
For me to release Your praise
And by and by, through the tears
And things You’ve taught me through the years
My whole life was designed by You
I’ll never know anyone half as true
So I lift it, I lift it up to You
And I’ll never forget the times that we’ve been through
So I lift it, I said I lift it up to You
And I surrender all of me, to You, to You, to You
Everything I’ll ever be, to You, to You, to You
I surrender all of me, to You
Everything I’ll ever be
To You

 

Begin your day lifting up praise to the Lord, end you day lifting up praise to the Lord and all throughout.

 

Those Nights-Skillet

Small group-people who get together to study the Bible and live life in community.

I grew up going to a traditional Baptist church with Sunday School and worship service. It was good but it never went deep; it never felt like community. I first became introduced to the idea of small groups in college through the BCM. We met on a particular day and studied the Bible. We also hung out, played intramural sports, and simply lived life together. (It was easy due to living on a small campus but that's besides the point.)  Being in that small group and in the BCM taught me what community from a Biblical perspective looked like. I have been in several small groups since college but the one that has meant the most is the one we just ended. My small group members lived out humble regard for each other like I have never seen before. Acts 2:42 describes this group perfectly:
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. This particular small group was born out of the darkest days of my life. Though they did not completely understand what I was going through, they climbed into my pit and literally became the arms of Christ holding me and letting me cry. We went through so many changes and life events together over the five years as a group. People got married, moved away, had children, lost loved ones, lost their way, found their way, and most of us went through healing of some sort.

The song that comes to mind with this group is Those nights by Skillet:

I remember when We used to laugh About nothing at all It was better than going mad From trying to solve all the problems we’re going through Forget ‘em all Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall Together we faced it all Remember when we’d Stay up late and we’d talk all night In a dark room lit by the tv light Through all the hard times in my life Those nights kept me alive We’d listen to the radio play all night Didn’t want to go home to another fight Through all the hard times in my life Those nights kept me alive This group of amazing, godly, inspiring ladies will hold a huge part of my heart. God worked in and through our group in miraculous ways. God created us for community-to have nights of laughing, crying, sharing, and loving the life HE gave us. I urge all followers of Christ to find other believers to share life with and lean on them when life isn't what its expected to be.

Awakening-Switchfoot

Last week found me living for nothing but deadlines,
With my dead beat sky but, this town doesn't look the same tonight
These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere
And I don't know if I've ever felt so alive, alive

I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want a heart that I know is beating,
It's beating, I'm bleeding.
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to live like I know what I'm leaving
I want a heart that I know is beating,
It's beating, I'm bleeding

Switchfoot reminds us how many times we go through our lives thinking that we are living but we are not. We think that getting the right career, spouse, family, friends, and milestones means we have lived a fulfilled life. However, they would be wrong. So many people realize their life is empty and vain. They are dead inside but don't realize it until God wakes them up.

For this reason it says,

"Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you

Eph 5:14

 

When we awake to Christ, we finally come alive.  So, dear ones I urge you if you have not awaken to Christ, sleep no longer and find out what you have been missing in life.

The Call-Least of These

 Then I said,

"Woe is me, for I am ruined!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts Isaiah 6:5

Most Christians think that only missionaries and pastors are called to spread the Gospel, but that is not true. All followers of Christ receive the call, most just do not answer it. There are so many people who have never even heard of Jesus, yet so many of us go on with our daily lives like they do not exist or wait for someone else to go. The band the Least of These feels this as well as they write in their song The Call: 

 

They don't even know

If they could only hear

If they could only hear

I've got five fingers on each of my hands to count all the commands that I've broken

Woe is me for i am a man of unclean lips

You set the coal upon my lips and take away my shame

Our lips are unclean because of the excuses we make of why we don't share Jesus. We must cast off our fear and apathy and answer YES when God calls us to go and share Jesus whether it be across the street or across the globe.

Where My Heart Goes-Colton Dixon

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. Eccl. 10:2

We can drive ourselves crazy when it comes to decisions. We want to be in God's will, but we often wonder what it is. We must trust that if we follow Christ then He will direct our lives. We need to be wise in our decision making but let it not consume us. When Christ is the center of our lives the. We can trust our heart because He is in control.

Colton Dixon sings of this :

Where does my heart go
When I have a choice to make
Who do I follow
When my character is at stake
Will I run from you or to your arms
Will I fight to be right where you are
‘Cause life is pulling me a million different ways
This is my song that I sing forever
You are my home, you are what I treasure
I want you to be where my heart goes
And if it all breaks
If it goes to pieces
You are the one that I will believe in
I know you won’t ever let me go
(You won’t let me go)
I want you to be where my heart goes
There’s no denying
What this world will promise me
But I have decided
You are the only thing I need
So take everything

Christ is everything we need. We should let go of our desire to control our lives and just live by faith in Him.

Masters of the Flattery-Sons

When the water rose above my knees, I took my flesh and I threw it to the sea. My darling I'm drowning in disbelief. Fire and brimstone is what they preached to me, but I see the fire they couldn't reach. With their hands outstretched every one of them was making amends with God, but the fire wasn't hot enough and now you're burning alive. Get your kicks while you can. We are the masters of the flattery for every man; Handing habits to the free and taking all that we can. I can't believe in this, not even if I try as hard as I can. I'll be the judge of who's wrong and who's right and who's rightfully damned. Don't play me like a member of your congregation. You're just as crooked as this "Christian" nation. Wait I have made a mistake. Take me back for Heaven's sake. I have found myself alone. Grace, you have made me a saint. How could you not know my name? I was lied to all along.

Sadly, there are many "preachers" who spread lies about God, the Bible, and the Gospel. They lie to the many people who listen to them. They use whatever tactics they can to persuade people that what they spew id the truth, but they are deceivers. Unfortunately, many people turn away from Jesus after seeing these false teachers for what they really are: workers of Satan.

Jude warns us to be on guard against these people in verse 16:
These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

As followers of Christ, we must know His word and surround ourselves with those who seek truth. The best thing we can do for those who have been hurt by false teachers  is to love them and show them grace. Let us never be that person who compromises the truth of God's word.

Constant-House of Heroes

It is good to give thanks to the L ord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, (Psalms 92:1, 2 NASB)

There is one thing I know: The Lord is constant. No matter what we go through, His love and faithfulness towards us never changes. Even if He disciplines us, it is out of love.

House of Heroes reminds us the Lord is constant
All thru the night
Your love is faithful to me
All thru the night
Your love is right here with me
All thru the night
Your love is holding me

All thru the night I was fallin'
Straining to see your light shinin'
You never gave out
You never gave in
You never quite gave up on me
You are my constant

Let us never forget that through the valleys and the mountains The Lord is our constant. He will always be there and his love for us will never change.

Made-Hawk Nelson

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. (Psalms 139:14 NASB)

So many times the culture tries to convince us to hate ourselves: we're too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, wrong hair or eye color, etc. they teach to try to change everything about us, but the truth is God made us and loves us just as we are. Our personality, quirks, and humor were given to us by Him.

Hawk Nelson reminds us that we were made beautiful by God

'Cause everything changes when you find yourself in His light
So tell me what you see, what you see
And I'll tell you what He sees
You're beautiful, wonderful
You're perfectly made, perfectly made
You're meant to be what you see
You're not a mistake, not a mistake
Brighter than stars that shine
You light up the Maker's eyes
And you'd believe if you could see
The smile on His face
The moment you were made

Don't let culture define you. See your beauty through the eyes of your Maker.

Rise to You-Jason Castro

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

There are times when we feel as if there is no way out of the mess we get ourselves into. But by God's grace, we do not have to stay in our mess. God always provides a way out if we are willing to reach for Him. Jason Castro sings about this in his song Rise to You:

It feels like more than I can handle
It seems so hard to be hopeful
And all I ask is for a different path
Every way I know is a struggle

Some days I feel so broken down
Just hoping I can make it out
But knowing that You'll see me through
I'm gonna rise to You
Give me all the strength I need
Get me off these busted knees
To do the things that I can't do
I'm gonna rise to You
Rise to You

We never have the excuse that we cannot overcome temptation because Jesus was tempted in every way but never sinned, therefore, we have an opportunity to chose not to sin but instead turn to Jesus and ask for help. Let us not get overwhelmed with the pressures of this world, but instead rejoice in the freedom found in Christ.

Pieces-Red

I've come undone
But you make sense of who I am
Like puzzle pieces in your eye

Then I'll see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole

Often times we think we can fix ourselves. Unfortunately, we end of messing things up worse than when we started. The Lord God is the one who made us and only He can fix us. We are clay in the hands of our Potter:

But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. (Jeremiah 18:4 NASB)

When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He takes us as a broken mess and makes us into a vessel honorable to serve Him. We cannot do it on our own. So dearly loved, gives Jesus the pieces of your life and let Him make you whole.

Every Good Thing-The Afters

That it's a beautiful life we live
I don't want to miss the moments like this
This is a beautiful life You give
You're the reason for
every good thing, every heartbeat
Every day we get to breathe
You're the reason fo
anything that lasts, every second chance
Every laugh
Life is so sweet
You're the reason for every good thing
Every good thing, every good thing
There will be days that give me more than I can take
But I know that You always make beauty from my heartache

In a world of Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy it can be easy to forget where our gifts truly come from-God. We get entangled in the grandeur of giving gifts while ignoring the One who is the giver of all good gifts.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17 NASB)

Whether it be sun, moon, stars or friends and family or jobs or whatever brings us joy, it is from God. He gives us our next breathe along with everything else we have. We should spend our days thanking and praising Him instead of imaginary beings.

Better Now-The Vespers

He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see John 9:25

John 9 tells the story of a man born blind. Jesus comes across this man and heals him, however, the Pharisees do not like it so they question the man and his parents repeatedly. The man answers the same way that he was blind but now he sees. Later he finds Jesus and becomes a follower of Christ. The man did not care of the agenda of Jesus nor the Pharisees, all he cared about was the fact he could now see. HE was better off now than he was blind. Once his physical eyes were opened, he spiritual eyes were opened as well and he received salvation. Needless to say, it was a great day for this man.

The Vespers tell this incredible story in their song Better Now:

Mama says I can’t be healed
Papa says I’m through
They say I can’t use my eyes
Will never be good as new

Oh but I’m better now
Why do you shake your head no
Oh but I met a man
Oh and He’s saved my soul

You don’t believe me when I say
The man you knew was blind
But Jesus told me He’s the light
Then Jesus healed my eyes

Oh and I’m better now
Why do you shake your head no
Oh but I met a man
Oh and He’s saved my soul

You ask again and again
Don’t you believe
Lift up your blinded heart
He’ll help you see

You could be better now
Why do you shake your head no
Oh and I met a man
Oh and He’s saved my soul
You could be better now
Oh well don’t shake your head no
Oh but I met a man
Oh and He’s saved my soul

Sweet Revenge-BarlowGirl

Did you see that I was hurt
Did you know that you had left me crying there
Now I’m holding all your words close till you feel this pain too, yeah
You live on so unaware
While I thought somehow this hate would heal me
But this hate is never ending and it’s only killing me

Oh sweet revenge you’ve lied again

I find I can’t get free till I release this vengeance that I seek
Forgive you, the only thing I want to live I’m ready to be free, to be free

We like to hold on to the hurts that others that have placed on us. We feel a sense of power as we plot our revenge. We do not realize, however, that revengence holds us captive. We are a slave to it as we hold on to it tightly, and the more tightly we hold on to it, it holds on to us. We become angry, bitter, and hateful. The love, peace, and joy of Christ can have no part of a heart that is vengeful. Therefore, God tells us to let go and let Him who is perfect in justice handle revenge.

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord Romans 12:19

If we humble ourselves and see things from God's perspective, we will realize that ultimately He is the One being unjustly sinned against and He is the only One that is justified. The only path to freedom is to let go and let do what only He can do.

Hiding Place-Home is Calling

find me searching for You, I need Your grace
find me longing for Your embrace
only You will be my resting place
only You will be my hiding place

When life is hectic and we feel like we cannot go on, we have a refuge in the Lord. He will be a place of hiding where we find rest and refuge from the world. He is our comforter, sustainer, and deliverer.

You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. (Psalms 119:114 NASB)

Don't try to take on the world by yourself. Run to the arms of Jesus and trust in His strength and victory.

Life after Death and Taxes-RelientK

Never forget

There’s life after death and taxes

And forgiveness comes

Then all of the rest is what passes away

Death and decay can’t touch us now

Every breath that I inhale is followed by exhaling

Sure as the one who never fails, I know will never fail me

We know that Jesus loves us and died for us. Now it's up to us to believe and trust in Him. When we do we get life and death never touches us. Yes our physical bodies die but we live forever with Christ.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24 NASB)

Failure to Excommunicate-RelientK

Jesus loved the outcasts

He loves the ones the world just loves to hate

And as long as there's a heaven, there'll be a failure to excommunicate

So people think that Jesus only loves the people they love, but that's not true. Jesus loved everyone even those considered outcasts.

While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:12, 13 NASB)

Lepers were considered unclean and no one wanted anything to do with them. They were sent to the outskirts of the city so they affect the other people. Jesus didn't care about that and he didn't let fear about what could happen stop Him from healing that man. Many people today are considered outcasts-homeless, prostitutes, gang members, etc-but that should not keep us from sharing the love and healing of Jesus. We must cast off labels and go to those who are lonely, hurting, and lost.
We must be Jesus.

Crawl-Superchick

The inspiration for the song Crawl from Superchick comes from Psalm 13:1-2:

 

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart all the day

 

We have this great hope that God is not only near but He is with us all the way through. When we fall and when we crawl, He is there falling and crawling too. What a great God we serve!

 

How long will this take?
How much can I go through?
My heart, my soul aches
I don’t know what to do
I bend, but don’t break
Somehow I’ll get through
Cause I have You

And if I had to crawl
Well You’d crawl too
I stumble and I fall
Carry me through
The wonder of it all
Is You see me through

O Lord, where are you?
Do not forget me here
I cry in silence
Can you not see my tears
When all have left me
And hope has disappeared
You’ll find me here

When everything I was is lost
I have forgot, but You have not
When I am lost, You have not lost me
You have not lost me

East to West-Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns also deals with the idea of forgiven sins. In their song East to West, they explain why our sins are forgiven:

 

I know You’ve washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can’t live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I‘m not holding on to You, but You’re holding on to me
You’re holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don’t have to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other

Because Jesus gave His life for ours, our sin was paid for through His death. They are removed from us as far as east from west:

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

If you start traveling east, and continue traveling east, you will never go west. And vice verses. Therefore, your sin will never find you again because of Jesus.

Ocean Floor-Audio Adrenaline

What happens when your sins are forgiven? According to Audio Adrenaline, they are sent to the ocean floor:

My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They're not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty wave
A mighty wave, mighty wave

They're all behind you
They'll never find you
They're on the ocean floor
Your sins are forgotten
They're on the bottom
Of the ocean floor

 

They may not be far off in their thinking:

 

He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19

 

God does not hold our sins against us once we confess and repent. Therefore we should not hold on to them either. I have found that a symbolic way of letting go is to write them on a piece of paper and throw them into the sea/ ocean (or whatever body of water you have around you). Once you throw them in, you can never get them back. And so it is with our sin. So go ahead and watch your sin sink to the bottom of the ocean floor.

Collide-Skillet

There's something deep inside
It keeps my faith alive
When all you can do is hide from the fear that's deep inside of you
Something to hold me close when I don't know
There's something deep inside that keeps my faith alive

Where does faith come from? And where is faith when fear is haunting you? These are questions Skillet is asking.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26 NASB)

We have faith because of who Jesus is and what He did for us. When faith and fear collide, we look to the cross knowing faith wins.

Secrets and Regrets-Pillar

no matter how hard you try to
you can't make the clock rewind to the moment that you lied to yourself
it never really mattered how they felt

your secrets and regrets are keeping you from going very far
and you can't let all this get you down and keep you living in the dark
cause all you're looking for
is love
you're living in the dark
you just can't get enough
your secrets and regrets

 

So many times we have secrets we try to hide from people. We fool ourselves into thinking that we can hide behind fake smiles and polite conversation. We are afraid that if our brothers and sisters in Christ knew the "real" us then they would judge us and turn away. Unfortunately , there are many in the church who judges others. But that should not compel us to keep it all buried deep within ourselves. There is One who knows all of secrets and regrets-the Lord Jesus. 

 

Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Psalm 44:21

 

God knows everything about us, all our secret desires, thoughts, and attitudes. The beauty of this is that HE loves us despite them. HE longs for us to come to Him and give all our secrets and regrets to Him. When we do, we find forgiveness, freedom and we can stop living in the dark, but rather in the light of His love.

Thrive-Switchfoot

I'm always close but I'm never enough
I'm always in line but I'm never in love
I get so down but I won't give up
I get slowed down but I won't give up

Been fighting things that I can't see in
Like voices coming from the inside of me and
Like doing things I find hard to believe in
Am I myself or am I dreaming?

No I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
A steering wheel don't mean you can drive
A warm body don't mean I'm alive
No I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I want to thrive not just survive

 

Life can be overwhelming at times.We tend to focus on the negatives things that surround us. We get caught in the comparison trap of I' so much worse off than everyone else so I deserve the most pity. So many of us never experience life to the fullest. We get caught in the hamster wheel of life and keep running and running with no joy or purpose. That is not life; that is existence. But we were made for more.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

 

We must stop listening to the lies of Satan. He is the deceiver who wants to keep us enslaved to a life a sin; all the while telling us that we are free. The full, abundant life comes only from Christ. When we surrender ourselves to Him, we find true freedom. We learn all about joy, peace, forgiveness and love. We cease to merely survive, we begin to thrive.

 

Buried in the Grave-All Sons and Daughters

He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee Luke 24:6

Our hope comes from the resurrection of Jesus. His defeat of death means life eternal for us. If there is no resurrection, there is no eternal life just a dead man. But we have this hope, this joy that our Lord is alive and we will reign with Him forever if we repent and believe.

 

 There was a day we held our breath
And felt the sting of bitter death
When all our hopes were buried in the grave

Our eyes awake, Our hearts were torn
Between our faith and what we knew
Before our King was buried in the grave

Grace was in the tension
Of everything we've lost
Standing empty handed
Shattered by the cross

All we had, all we had
Was a promise like a thread
Holding us, keeping us
oh from fraying at the edge

All we knew, all we knew
is you said you'd come again
You'd rise, you'd rise up from the dead

There was a day we looked for proof
That you had risen from the tomb
And all our doubts began to roll away

We touched the scars upon your hands
You kept your word, Son of Man
You buried death by taking on the grave

You came here to save us
'Cause everything was lost
No longer empty handed
Clinging to the cross

Thief-Third Day

And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise Luke 23: 41-43

My favorite song to listen to on Good Friday is Thief by Third Day. They paint the portrait of the thief next to Jesus with such peorty and emotion:

  I am a thief, I am a murderer
Walking up this lonely hill
What have I done? I don't remember
No one knows just how I feel
and I know that my time is coming soon.
It's been so long. Oh, such a long time
Since I've lived with peace and rest
Now I am here, my destination
guess things work for the best
and I know that my time is coming soon
Who is this man? This man beside me
They call the King of the Jews
They don't believe that He's the Messiah
But, somehow I know it's true.
And they laugh at Him in mockery,
and beat Him till he bleeds
They nail Him to the rugged cross,
and raise Him, they raise Him up next to me
My time has come, I'm slowly fading
I deserve what I receive
Jesus when You are in Your kingdom
Could You please remember me
and He looks at me still holding on
the tears fall from His eyes
He says I tell the truth
Today, you will live with Me in paradise
and I know that my time is coming soon
and I know paradise is coming soon.

Carry My Cross-Third Day

So I’ll carry my cross
And I’ll carry the shame
To the end of the road
Through the struggle and pain
And I’ll do it for love
No, it won’t be in vain
Yes, I’ll carry my cross
And I’ll carry the shame

I feel like I’m alone here
And I’m treated like a criminal
The time has come for me now
Even though I’ve done no wrong
Father, please forgive them
They know not what they’ve done
In this world

 

Here is Jesus, the sinless Son of God, giving Himself up for the sins of the world. He carried the cross of guilt, shame, and punishment for everyone who ever lived, past, present, and future. His life was not taken from Him-He gave it for you and for me.

They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha John 19:17

Let that thought sink in as we reflect on Good Friday and why we called it good.

Can't Take the Pain-Third Day

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away." Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed. Matthew 26:69-74

Jesus told Peter that he )Peter) would deny Him (Jesus) but Peter said he would never do such a thing. Yet after Jesus had been arrested and his world turned upside down, Peter did deny Jesus.

Third Day captures what might have been through Peter's mind and heart at this time:

No, I didn't see this one coming
It suddenly snuck up on me
I can't say you didn't tell me so
I can't say you didn't warn me
I can't take the pain of knowing that I left You
I can't bear the shame of knowing I was wrong
But I'll take the blame for everything that I've done
I can't take the pain of leaving you alone
Of leaving you alone

I was there when they accused you
but I guess I was too afraid
Not just once and not just twice
But three times I denied your name

I never thought I'd get even a second chance
But you've given that and so much more
And then for every time I ever did deny
You ask me if I love you, You know I do, Lord

So I'm off to follow in your steps
it won't be easy, it's safe to say
There are only tow roads I can walk on down
The road less traveled is the one you paved

Lord, You took the pain even though I left You
And You took the shame and You made it all Your own
Why'd you take the blame for everything that I've done?
Lord, You took the pain
You and You alone, You and You alone

 

We also have moments where we deny Jesus, maybe not directly but when we fail to speak up for Jesus or when our actions do not show that we are believers. We must do as Peter did, repent and resolve to follow and share Christ whenever and with whoever possible.

Jealous Kind-Jars of Clay

They made Him jealous with strange gods;

With abominations they provoked Him to anger

Deuteronomy 32:16

 

We are an adulterous people. We claim to love the Lord and promise to be faithful to Him, but we tend to stray. The Lord is jealous for those He loves. He made the sacrifice for us and yet we turn to worldly pleasures that do not last.

 

In their song Jealous Kind, Jars of Clay paints a picture of us as harlots and God as our jealous lover: 

 

 You know I've been unfaithful
With lovers in lines
While you're turning over tables
With the rage of a jealous kind
I chose the gallows to the aisle
Thought that love would never find
Hanging ropes will never keep you
And your love of a jealous kind
Love of a jealous kind

Tryin' to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading
Solace in the shift of the sinking sand
I'd rather feel the pain all too familiar
Than be broken by a lover I don't understand
'Cause I don't understand

We cannot understand the great love that God has for us, however, we must make every effort to be His faithful bride.

Alas My Love-dc Talk

Alas my love, you say goodbye
Wipe the poison from my brow
Alas my love, this guilty night
It gives me up like a foster child
And in this moment I take my vow
These angels sleeping at my feet
And in this moment you do not know how
How my spirit wants to flee

You see it was one man against the night
Taking on a multitude
That had left Him high and dry
No candle burning vigil could light the way
Darkness hit the ground like a fallen satellite
He wrestled until morning
With human souls and dark angels
And there He finished His work
On the third day

 

Easter is near. This poem written by Kevin Max of depicts how Jesus might have felt during His prayer in the gargen before His crucifixition:

 

 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." Matthew 26:39 

Mind's Eye-dc Talk

Can you catch the wind? See a breeze?
Its presence is revealed by
The leaves on a tree
An image of my faith in the unseen

In my mind's eye
I see Your face
You smile as you show me grace
In my mind's eye
You take my hand
We walk through foreign lands
The foreign lands of life

This is the best song about seeing God without actually seeing Him. I remember the first time I heard it and how much sense it made that though we cannot see God with our eyes, He is the lens through which we see everything else. I do not have a visual picture of God, but I have a mental picture because of His word and how He has worked in my life and those around me.

Jesus tells us about the Spirit:
The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8

When the Holy Spirit is in us we are able to see spiritual things even if others do not. That is how we can tell the work of the Spirit in our lives. This is our faith.

What Have We Become-dc Talk

What have we become?
A self indulgent people
What have we become?
Tell me where are the righteous ones?
What have we become?
In a world degenerating
What have we become?

Speak your mind, look out for yourself
The answer to it all is a life of wealth
Grab all you can cause you live just once
You got the right to do whatever you want
Don't worry about others or where you came from
It ain't what you were, it's what you have become

Our culture tells us that the most important person in the world is ourselves. We are the only thing that matters, therefore, we should be able to do and say anything that makes us happy. The problem with selfish people is that no one looks out for those who cannot help themselves like the orphan and sick. People have made themselves gods and do whatever their flesh tells them; and in the process they have devoured all those who stand against them. They cry for justice but give none, for tolerance but show none. They mock the Lord and laugh at Christ. The Bible tells us these people are fools.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools Romans 1:21-22

We must be on guard about popular ideology and hold true to what the Bible says in regards to how we are to conduct our lives. We will either be fools in the worlds' eyes or fools in God's eyes. Let us be careful of what we become.

In the Light-dc Talk

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
'Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

Darkness and light can have no part of each other. If we have darkness in us, then we cannot be a part of the Light. If we have Light in us then darkness can have no part of us. Jesus is the Light that cast away the darkness of sin in our lives. When we walk in the Light of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are able to enjoy the presence of God and other believers.

but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin 1 John 1:7

Like it, Love it, Need it-dc Talk

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatains 5:1

Jesus is the only One who can set us free from the bondage of slavery. Once we receive the freedom
that comes from forgivesnes of sin, it is foolish to return to that same sin. Yet, though it is foolishness, many times we find ourselves returning to the things that we know we were freed from. We must turn to Jesus and ask His help to keep us from our foolishness. Once we truly let go of what keeps us in bondage and embrace our freedom, we will wind that we like it, love it and need it.

You gotta like it, you gotta love it
I know you need some freedom from the strife
You gotta like it, you gotta love it
I know you need some Jesus in your life

Between You and Me-dc Talk

If confession is the road to healing
Forgiveness is the promised land
I'm reaching out in my conviction
I'm longing to make amends
So, I'm sorry for the words I've spoken
For I've betrayed a friend
We've got a love that's worth preserving
And a bond I will defend

Just between you and me
I've got something' to say
I wanna get it straight
Before the sun goes down
Just between you and me
Confession needs to be made
Recompense is my way to freedom now
Just between you and me
I've got something to say

Relationships are hard work regardless of the type it is-parents, family, friends, spouses, etc. We say and do things we wish we could take back but we can't. We also are wronged by others. In those moments, we have to choose how we will handle the situation.

Paul tells us:
Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, Ephesians 4:26

It is OK to get angry at certain things as long as it is a righteous anger. But, we have a responsibility to deal with the situation and not let it go on for days and days as it festers. We must give and receive grace and forgiveness to those we love.

Day by Day-dc Talk

"Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways," Isaiah 58:2a

dc Talk tells us how we can seek God each day:

Day by day, day by day
Oh dear Lord, three things I pray [one, two, three]
To see thee more clearly [day by day]
To love thee more dearly [day by day]
To follow thee more nearly [I got to take it]
Day by day

We must take the veil off our eyes to God as He is in the light of His truth found in the Bible.
We must love Him above anything and everything else in this world.
We must walk as He walked in service and love to Him and others.
By doing these things, we will daily grow in our walk with God.

What If I Stumble-dc Talk

Father please forgive me for I can not compose
The fear that lives within me
Or the rate at which it grows
If struggle has a purpose on the narrow road you've carved
Why do I dread my trespasses will leave a deadly scar
Do they see the fear in my eyes? Are they so revealing?
This time I cannot disguise all the doubt I'm feeling

What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?

All of us have some kind of fear of failing. Especially with those we care about the most. One reason is the judgement that comes from others when we do stumble or fail. As followers of Christ, many people on the outside are looking at us waiting for us to fall from grace. Not only them, but also other Christians. It is a sticky trap we can fall into-not wanting do anything wrong but also not being legalistic. We have freedom in Christ not to live up to the expectation of others but we should not use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith.

Paul puts it like this:
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. Romans 14:13

There is grace to cover our stumbles and falls, therefore we should extend that grace to others when they also stumble and fall. We need to be mindful of our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and help them and not cause them to fall in their faith. 

Jesus Freak-dc Talk

What will people think
When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it's true
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguising the truth

Jesus Freak by dc Talk is my absolute favorite song in the world. I was 15 years old when I heard it and was a relatively new Christian at the time. It seemed at the time that I was the only Christian at my school and I felt a heavy burden to share the light and love of Christ without compromising my beliefs. This song became my anthem. Most of my fellow classmates did not understand my devotion to Christ and my faith and this song encouraged me every time I felt defeated. This song taught me that the only opinion of me that matters is that of God's.

As followers of Christ, many people are going to ridicule and insult us, but we must stand firm in our faith and remember to never be ashamed to boldly claim that we are JESUS FREAKS.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Colored People-dc Talk

Ignorance has wronged some races
And vengeance is the Lord's
If we aspire to share this space
Repentance is the cure

We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place
We're colored people, and they call us the human race
We've got a history so full of mistakes
And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace

People try to separate themselves from others whether it be sex, race, social status, age, etc due to their own insecurities. We don't like things that are different because they scare us. We want to remain in our comfortable little bubble where everything is safe and secure. History is filled with wars due to the oppression of a people for some external factor. 

If we are honest with ourselves, all of us are prone to prejudice in some form. The only cure is to realize that we must see people as Jesus sees them. God is impartial. He loves all of His created children the same. His offer of grace and redemption is extended to all. External factors cannot save us from our sin, only Jesus can, therefore all who are saved are the same in the eyes of God. 

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Let us put our prejudices and differences aside and truly become the body and bride that Christ died for.

So Help Me God-dc Talk

I throw myself at mercy for I am the chief of sinners
But daily taking up my cross
Has brought it's share of splinters

You're there when I call
And You're there when I fall
Even though I don't deserve it all
You, You light my way
Through the night and the day
And from You I will not stray

So help me God
To put my faith in You
So help me God
Before I come unglued
Call it my addiction
I can't get enough of You
So help me God
To put my faith in You

 

Faith is hard. Trust is hard. But grace makes both possible. The hope we have when our cross seems too heavy to bear is Jesus crucified. He died that we will live. When we realize He gives us faith though we are faithless, He gives us trust though we are untrustworthy, and He gives us grace though we are sinners, we will truly understand the mercy of God. It will cause us to run to Him and never let go despite our deficiencies.

 

Paul reminds us that though we are great sinners, God's mercy is greater through Jesus:  

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life 1Timothy 1:15-16

There are times in our lives when our faith is weak and small; in those times we must cry out to the Lord and ask for His help in trusting Him.

Jesus Freak album-dc talk

There is one album that transformed my life. It is my go-to album and the one album I would keep if I could only have one. It is Jesus Freak by dc talk. I can still remember the first time I listened to it and the feeling I had. The next several post will come from the entire album. It's that good.

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine-Switchfoot

We have a tendency to focus on the negative. I just spent 35 hours either in an airport or plane with plenty of delays and surprises. I could focus on the negative but I choose to focus on the fact that I am in one of the most beautiful places on God's earth.

Switchfoot tells us to remember that we cannot see a shadow without the sun.

Oh Lord why did you forsake me
Oh Lord don’t be far away, away
Storm clouds gathering beside me
Please Lord don’t look the other way

I’m a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Dry eyes in the pouring rain, when
The shadow proves the sunshine
The shadow proves the sunshine

We all feel forsaken like there are only shadows in our lives:

But You, O Lord , be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. (Psalms 22:19 NASB)

Let us remember that instead of complaining about the shadows, we should rejoice in sun.

My Hope is You-Third Day

To You, O Lord , I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. (Psalms 25:1, 2 NASB)

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
In you, O God, I place my trust
Do not let me be put to shame
Nor let my enemies triumph over me

My hope is you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is you

I am, O Lord, filled with your love
You are, O God, my salvation
Guard my life and rescue me
My broken spirit shouts
My mended heart cries out...

Boasting-Lecrae

But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:17

We like to boast in many things: sport teams, friends, family, possessions, and ourselves. But the Bible tells us that we should only boast in the Lord.

Rap music is known for boasting in the wrong things, but Lecrae changes that with his song boasting:

If this Life has anything to gain at all
I count it lost if I can’t hear you, feel you, ’cause I need you.
Can’t Walk this Earth Alone.
I recognize I am not my own, so before I fall
I need to hear you, feel you, as I live to make my boasting you alone.

Tomorrow’s never promised, but it is we swear.
Think we holding our own, just a fist full of air.
God has never been obligated to give us life.
If we fall for our rights, we be in hell tonight.
Mere sinners own nothing but a fierce hand.
We never loved him we pushed away his pierced hands.
I rejected his love, grace, kindness, and mercy.
Dying of thirst, yet, willing to die thirsty.
Eternally worthy, how could I live for less?
Patiently you turn my heart away from selfishness.
I volunteer for your sanctifying surgery.
I know the spirits purging me of everything that’s hurting me.
Remove the vale from my darkened eyes.
So now every morning I open your word and see the Son rise.
I hope in nothin, boast in nothin, only in your suffering.
I live to show your glory, dying to tell your story

 

Let learn from Lecrae and spend our lives not bragging on ourselves but on what the Lord has done, is doing, and will do for His glory.

Everything I Hoped You'd Be-Bebo Norman

To You, O L ord , I lift up my soul. (Psalms 25:1 NASB)

Take me to the desert
You will be the water
I will drink forever to fill my soul

Lead me through the fire of darkness and desire
You will be my shelter, You will be my shelter
I'll find you there, I'll find you there

It's here that I call out It's here that I fall down
It's here that I find out
That you are everything I hoped you'd be

Take me to the river
Lead me to the healer
Let it wash me over, oh my soul

Take me to the mountain
Lead me to the alter
We will build together And I will remember

I found you there, I found you there...

It's here that I call out It's here that I fall down
It's here that I find out
That you are everything

I hoped You'd be the sun that always shines
I hoped You'd be the everlasting life

It's here that I call out It's here that I fall down
It's here that I find out
That you are everything
I hoped You'd be

A Man With a Hammer-Showbread

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NASB)

So many times Christians like to claim this verse for themselves but not for others. They categorize sinners into groups of sinners like themselves- the ones who do minor sins- and "major" sinners. But that is not what this verse is talking about. Whether we lied to our parents, stole from people, or murdered someone, we are all guilty before the Holy One. God looks at all people the same-condemned. But because The Lord is holy, just, and love, He did not leave us in condemnation. He provided the slain Lamb-Jesus to take away our sin; regardless of how big or small we think it is. It is because of His great love and nothing we have done.

Oh the thought of what sets a person free
Before I could ever love you back
You gave your love to me
Now I see my sentencing reprieve
You offer me your everything
Even though I am still me

Thieves and liars
Murderers and whores
Homosexuals, extortionists
Pedophiles, abortionists
Junkies and rapists
Adulterers and terrorists
Every woman, every man
All ransomed by your love for them

After Your Heart-Phil Wickham

Acts 13:22 tells us that David- 2nd king of Israel- had a special title:
After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will

A man after God's own heart. Through all of his successes and failures, David is forever remembered as the one person who God called a man after His heart. David received this title because of his great love and devotion to the Lord. When confronted with his sin, David wept and repented. HE did not try to justify his sin like others, he acknowledge it and went before the Lord a broken man. He worshipped the Lord with reckless abandon and did not worry about what others thought.

Phil Wickham encourages us to be a people after God's heart:

Can I have your attention
What are we starting here
Just look around you the answer is clear
Listen, listen
and hear the coming sound
All of the children are singing it loud

Let’s be the revolution
That lives for hold nothing back, nothing back

We’re after Your heart, after Your heart
All of the walls now are breaking apart
Live like we see it love like we mean it
This is the start we’re after Your heart

Start the ascension
Begin the holy climb
Up to where heaven and the earth collide
Bring your affection
All that you have inside
Enter the kingdom and become alive

We must cast off the opinions of others and follow hard after the Lord. We must be diligent in pursuing the things of God's heart-love who He loves, serve who He serves,  give as He gives. When we lay aside all that worries us and chase God's heart, we will become alive and find true freedom

Breaking the Legs of Sheep-Kids in the Way

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls 1 Peter 2:25

When a sheep continuously wanders away, the shepherd must discipline it by breaking its legs and carrying it on his shoulders. This may seem quite cruel, but it is for the good of the sheep. There are many dangers that await a lost, lonely sheep-wolves, cliffs, death. Therefore, the shepherd must teach the sheep that to remain with the herd is the safest place,

We are prone to wander from the Lord like sheep. And we, like sheep, need discipline not for harm but for our good. If we are left on our own in the wilderness, then many perils are sure to come our way that leads to death. We have a good Shepherd who loves His sheep so much that HE died for them so they could live. He knows that we are safest when with Him.

Kids in the Way understood this concept in their song Breaking the Legs of Sheep:

Lay me down in fields of green
This heart has seen things I never should have seen
You're breaking my legs and teaching me

I never saw my own pride
I never thought my lips could taste of lies, and kiss your crying eyes
And all the scars you've gained, from crimson covered hands
That held your face when they were strong, my hands used to be so strong
Oh, the damage they've done

I found my place among the seas, I found this grace upon my knees

When we realize that we are being disciplined because of our wanderings, we must do as the song says and fall to our knees to repent and receive grace.

Beautiful Things-Gungor

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB)

Many people get this verse wrong. They think there will always be a happily ever after or e everything magically works out like in the movies. But God does not promise that it will be good, only that it will be for good. The good might be for someone else or for a greater purpose. Our pain, suffering, hardship may never go away but God can make something beautiful from it. A person might come to Christ, someone may get another chance at life, or you may be the only person to identify with another's pain. Whatever way you look at it, God takes the broken and makes it purposeful.

Gungor sings of this in their song Beautiful Things:


All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make me new, You are making me new

Trust that God loves you and will bring hope to the darkness you are facing.

Redemption-August Burns Red

I trust in you for life to live, and air to breath.
Purity fills my lungs.
I no longer live in solitude.
No longer bound.
My heart beats with great devotion.
This is the start to a new beginning.
On my knees praying for mercy.
Hands raised high, humble and broken.
Wanting your grace.
Wanting your security.
Memories of laying face down, motionless, with such a hollow feeling inside.
Soon I would end this life I was living.
I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands.
I am a fallen victim.
Lord, show me the way.
I ask of you Father, let my words be your words.
Let my thoughts be your thoughts.
To you, I give my praise.
Show me the way.
Take me in your arms.
Never let me go.
Lord, show me the way, as I give myself to you.
Never let me go.
Hold me with your everlasting love.
Be my strength.
Be my voice.
Be my glory.
Set me free.

 

This song by August Burns Red is about surrender. They understand that Jesus is Lord and seek to live according to His words. The truth of Christ sets is free:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

 

They have found freedom through Christ and through this song they encourage all do so as well.

 

Joyful Noise-Flame

Man I'm trying to lift Him high, higher than the stars
I am not of this world like I'm from the planet Mars
I love to preach Jesus, you can read it in my bars
I'm pretty straightforward when I'm speaking about my Lord
He paid the sin price, being beat by Roman guards
But when He resurrected, gave us life free of charge
Now me and my boys need to be in a psych ward
Cause we went crazy for God, our lives were scarred
Now in the Book of Life, our names have been written down
We're casting our crowns before His feet on the ground
It's such a holy melody and a Heavenly sound
Hearing "holy holy holy" coming out of the mouth
Of the four living creatures by His throne all around
Can you picture the scene, this is how it's going down
You just need a little faith and a new set of eyes
And a telescopic lens to look in and see God
I love it!

Angels surrounding His throne and
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
The whole earth is full of His glory
All nations bow to His name
His majesty fills the Heavens
Our hearts give thunderous praise
Declare the Lord is forever
Make a joyful noise in this place

 

 

When we think about eternity, those of us who are followers of Christ have a reason to be joyful: we will there forever with Him. In heaven we will sing the song of the angels

 

 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

 

I cannot sing here on earth' but I can't wait for the time when I sing endless praise to my Creator and Savior. As Flame sings, let us imagine the scene where we reign forever with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!