March 25, 2011
NEW BLOG
Attention to all who come across this post. I started a new blog on tumblr and won't be updating this one anymore, so if you want to follow my current blog go to http://yesvak.tumblr.com. Thank you.
December 5, 2010
How Long?
Verse 1:
I come searching to hear your voice,only after I make a wrong choice.
In my heart your Word I do not hide.
How long will I not abide?
Chorus:
No greater love can be shown
than giving your life for whom you chose.
Only friends? What about your foes?
No greater love will I ever know.
Verse 2:
If your Word is true why do I chase
everything but you and try to replace?
Within myself, I have relied.
But I'm ready to in you abide.
(Chorus)
Verse 3:
Holy Spirit help me to fight.
I am called to live upright.
I'm not righteous under the sun.
Nothing in my hands but what you've done.
(Chorus)
November 12, 2010
Reflections on the Unashamed Tour
Two nights ago, myself along with 16 other people drove two hours to the town of Lima, OH to see the 116 Clique perform. The 116 consists of Trip Lee, Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, DJ Official, and they had special guest PRo and John Reuben. I knew ahead of time it wasn't about seeing them perform, but more so about worshiping the God who gave them the gifts and resources to perform.
Each individual makes sure the crowd knows why they are on stage and who should be getting the glory. They humble themselves and want you to know they are in the same boat as the rest of us: sinners in need of a Savior, and can only be saved by the grace of God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
They are there to serve the body and lead us in a time of worship to a holy God. They teach and use analogies in between songs and point us back to the gospel. Their lyrics all revolve around the gospel. At the end of the concert one of them will give a clear gospel presentation, and offer a chance for non-believers to talk more with them about having a relationship with God after the concert. I think it's pretty clear what the 116 Clique is all about. Even their name points to the gospel. 116 comes from Romans 1:16 which says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."
This is the third time I've been to one of their concerts. I saw Lecrae in January of '08, Trip Lee in August of '10, and now all of them in November of '10. I've had the privilege to talk with Trip Lee in August and all of them a couple nights ago. Both times have been great. They are just like you and me, and it feels that way when I've talked with them. They asked us (me and tyler) questions and wanted to learn about us and who we are. I feel like that doesn't happen as much with other "famous" people.
They are normal people that God has chosen to use, has made them leaders, blessed them with musical gifts, and given them a stage in order to magnify Christ to the people they encounter. We can learn and look up to these guys, but we need to make sure we don't stop there. We have to look further to where they are looking, which is the Trinity. If we want to be like Christ we have to look at him, learn from him, be transformed in our ways and thinking.
Thanks 116 for seeking the Lord's will for your lives, and faithfully following him where he has led you and will lead you in the future. He has blessed you guys with many gifts, praise the Lord.
Thanks 116 for seeking the Lord's will for your lives, and faithfully following him where he has led you and will lead you in the future. He has blessed you guys with many gifts, praise the Lord.
October 10, 2010
Unashamed Tour 2010: The Movement
It is exactly one month until the Unashamed Concert in Lima, OH with Lecrae, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Tedashii, DJ Official, and special guest PRo. I'm so excited to see the whole 116 clique, at one concert, with one purpose (to glorify God), and working as one body to build up the body (the church). I got to see Lecrae in January of '08 at a church in Chicago. At the time I just started listening to Lecrae and was discovering Reach Records. Over the past two and a half years, I have been able to find other Christian rappers that have the same goal of glorifying Christ with their lyrics and more importantly their lives.
The guys at Reach have become my favorite artists to listen to. They don't just try and set the bar high for other Christian artists, but they try and push the standard in secular music as well. By appearing on the iTunes charts multiple times, I think this is a good sign of how Reach Records has pushed the standard for all artists.
They don't just strive for perfection with their beats and music, but constantly perfecting their flows, rhymes, and ideas. And making sure they portray Christ in their lyrics, the same way Christ is portrayed in the Bible. They don't sacrifice good theology for catchy hooks. Just because something is catchy and it sounds good doesn't mean it's true, and these guys are all about proclaiming truth. God's Word (the Bible) is the only absolute truth, so their lyrics are clearly based around Scripture. Living in a world where the media can easily influence us, why not use it to bring glory to God and proclaim his Gospel to a fallen world.
I'm excited to see how the concert will be structured. When I saw Trip Lee this past August, his set was based around the Gospel, and he used his songs to walk us through and give an illustration of the Gospel. I'm really interested to see what creative route they are going to take in order to point believers back to Christ and to proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers.
I can't wait to worship God with the people who are going to be in attendance that night. I pray that God teaches, encourages, and convicts everyone, including myself, through the words that will be spoken on that stage. I hope the Holy Spirit works through the hearts of the people in the cities where the Unashamed Tour will be stopping.
August 29, 2010
Selfless Servant
I can safely say that Trip Lee is my favorite artist. His creativity with his lyrics is inspiring, I love the choices of music on his new album, it's great to always be pointed back to the Gospel through his lyrics, his authority is wholly based on God's Word, and the best is his humility. He doesn't seek any gain for himself, but his main goal is to glorify God with the gifts He has given to him. I see these qualities in Trip's lyrics, when he speaks in interviews and concerts, and was clearly shown to me after talking with him after his concert. Being able to see another man, who's only one year older than me, live out what he says in his lyrics is super encouraging to me. God has and is clearly doing work in Trip's life, and is using Trip as a broken vessel to minister to other broken creatures in order to point them back to the one who has it all together, which is Jesus. God has given Trip a servant's heart. He wants to serve people at his concert by pointing them to the Gospel. He wants to serve and shepherd a flock one day by becoming a pastor. Who would have thought humility would have been the best quality of a leader? Christ is definitely seen through Trip. His love, humility, servant's heart, seeking God's will for his life, and striving to glorify God are visual displays of Christ. His heart has been regenerated by God, he is being sanctified by the Spirit, and has been declared just before a holy God on account of Christ's work and none of his own.
I had a couple intentions for going to his concert last night. 1.) I wanted to be pointed back to Christ, the Gospel, encouraged, and hopefully convicted. 2.) I wanted to encourage Trip and show him how the work God has done in his life has effected me. I wanted to show him the fruits of his labors, and confirm that they are not in vain. Together we can praise God and give Him glory for the work He has done in Trip's life and the work He has done in my life through the use of Trip.
If God has used someone in your life to build you and grow you closer to the Lord then you can thank that person by all means, but let us not forget the source, the one we serve, and the reason we serve. That is God and his glory. Praise God for the mercy he has bestowed upon sinners and the grace He shows by allowing us to serve and take part in His kingdom work. God doesn't need anything from us, but everything we have is from Him.
"How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure that He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure."
If God has used someone in your life to build you and grow you closer to the Lord then you can thank that person by all means, but let us not forget the source, the one we serve, and the reason we serve. That is God and his glory. Praise God for the mercy he has bestowed upon sinners and the grace He shows by allowing us to serve and take part in His kingdom work. God doesn't need anything from us, but everything we have is from Him.
"How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure that He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure."
June 3, 2010
Pelican Problems and Human Hopelessness
I don't know who has stayed up to date on the oil spill in Louisiana, but I haven't been. I did however see some disturbing pictures of pelicans slowly drowning and being consumed by this oily filth. Some of the footage was so dreadful, I felt a deep pain for these pelicans.
Let me say that I don't have any special love or ties to animals, but I think I know what the difference was about these animals compared to most. I didn't see filthy birds covered in oil. I saw helplessness and hopelessness (h&h), and that triggered something within me.
Being a Christian I see h&h everywhere I go especially when I am at college, because there are so many non-believers walking in the town of Muncie, in this nation, and even in our world. There are so many people covered in oily filth and muck, and they continue to tread heavy, and the sad thing is they don't see it. At least the pelicans understand there true predicament, but people are walking dead in their transgressions.
Some of the pelicans are technically not dead yet, but they might as well be because there is nothing they can do to rescue themselves from the weight of the oil. They have no way of cleansing themselves. They have nothing to eat or drink except for the sludge they find themselves in currently. The only hope they have now can only come from an outside source. If someone has the desire to show compassion to one of these birds, then hopefully it's not too late and they can be spared.
This is basically how you could find me before I became a Christian, and how you can currently find non-Christians. We are technically alive: we breathe, walk, laugh, jump, cry, etc. At the same time you can pronounce us dead. Like I said earlier we are walking dead in our transgressions. There is nothing we can do to rescue ourselves from underneath the weight of our sin. We have no way of cleansing ourselves from the filth of our sin. There is nothing we can do or say outside of our totally depraved heart's. Same as the pelicans, we too need help from an outside source. Someone that desires to show love and compassion on putrid beings like ourselves. Unlike the pelicans, we don't have to unknowingly hope if it's too late or not to save us. If that special someone decides to show love and mercy on us, then we can be assured that we will be saved. It's not too late, it's never too late. We know that our filth will be fully taken from us, and will be made pure.
Friends that special someone is Jesus. He decided to show us love and mercy while we were walking dead in our transgressions. Jesus stepped in and took our filth from us, and by trusting in his work alone for our salvation we will be made pure and righteous before a just God. If we are truly trusting in God and nothing of ourselves, we can be fully assured that Jesus didn't miss a spot and he totally wiped away all our filth and shame.
Out of this truth let us walk in purity and holiness. Let us run away and repent from the muck that we have been saved from. Just because we have been cleaned doesn't mean we are allowed to get dirty again. Out of love and thanksgiving let us cling to our Savior and stay away from the oily pit of sin.
May 22, 2010
Awaiting the Mysterious and Rejoicing in the Revealed
For this blog post, I'm going to talk about Trip Lee's new album, Between Two Worlds, but there might not be too much order to this rant.
I'm very excited and anxiously awaiting this new album for a couple reasons. 1.) I'm interested in what the music will sound like for this CD. All the guys from the 116 clique has a different sound or feel to each of their CD's, so how will Trip's be different from all the others? 2.) I really want to see what analogies, creative outlooks, and play on words Trip is going to bring to the table. For instance, Trip's last album (20/20) was based around seeing God through the right lenses and seeing God in a correct biblical view, and from this we get the creative title of the album 20/20. 3.) I'm most excited to see how God has revealed himself to Trip, and how that revelation will be portrayed to his listeners. What has God put on his heart to write about and bless others with? How has the gospel become more alive in his own life, and thus transfer over into his music? These are the main questions that most excite me.
Being a musician and someone who rights his own lyrics, these are things I think about when writing my own songs. I take things that God has revealed to me, and I put it into a song that tries to relate what I've learned and give it to others. This isn't always my train of thought when writing songs. Sometimes they are more personal and relate to what I've gone through or what I'm currently dealing with in my life. Even though the song may be written for personal use, I've come to see that others can relate as well. Since we are all fallen creatures, I think that's why others can relate to my lyrics because there is always a problem and solution to my songs (fallen condition and gospel solution).
Going back to Trip's new album and me anxiously awaiting it's arrival, there is a biblical connection I've made from this. Me awaiting for the arrival of this album can be compared to Christians awaiting the arrival of Christ's return. I have some knowledge of this album, but there is a lot left unknown. I know when it is coming out, I know the premise behind the whole album, and I've listen to a track from it, but there is so much that I don't know that keeps me wanting to know more, and keeps me patiently awaiting its arrival.
In comparison there are also things we know of Christ's return but there is also so much left unknown. We know for a fact that Christ is coming back, but we don't know when. We know that Christ is not coming as a humble Savior, but he is coming as a mighty Judge. Is his return going to look exactly like the picture that is painted in Revelation, or is this just a human example for something that is beyond our knowledge? We know that there will be a new heaven and new earth, we will dwell with God, and we will be his people forever. There will be no more tears, pain, or death, and Christ will make all things new. But there are so many mysteries of God in the Bible, not just Revelation, that we won't know until we are fully glorified at Christ's return. The mysteries of God keep us coming back for more. Trying to figure them out keeps us anxiously awaiting the arrival of his Son, because when that time comes the mystery will be revealed, the unknown will be made known, and we will praise him for the work God has done for us.
The Father called his sheep and gave them to the Son. The Son gave himself up for them and brought them into right relationship with the Father through faith, which is given to us by the Spirit's work of regeneration in our hearts. Through the work of the Spirits regeneration we are given a new heart and a new life, which allows us to persevere to our final breath or until Christ's return. These truths are the reasons we will be giving praise to God for all eternity, and the work of God will never become old in our lives as long as we truly see the goodness of the Lord's sovereignty, mercy, and grace at work in our lives.
This post explains why I'm excited for Trip Lee's new album, and how we can make a biblical connection through this waiting process that I currently find myself.
May 9, 2010
The Only Reason for Boasting
So I went to a Cubs game last night down in Cincinnati. I don't know who is familiar with the electronic races that happen on the jumbotron TVs, but I'll try and explain them.
For this particular race there were three race cars on the TV, and then they showed the three people who represented each one of the cars. Person #1 would be paired up with car #1. Person #2 with car #2, and so on.
The cars drove from start to finish, and whatever car number won then the person who was paired with that number won a prize. It would show the person who's car won, and they were cheering as if they played a role in the race. If you didn't catch on earlier, the race is totally done by electronics and is totally random. I was probably the only person in the whole stadium that made a biblical analogy out of what I just saw.
Basically the winner is the one who is justified. What did he do to be justified? He didn't do anything. He sat and watched the car do everything for him. Then he started cheering like he was the one who was driving the car and had won the race. Are you starting to see a biblical connection?
We can only be justified because of what Christ has done for us, but most of the time we like to boast and act like we were the one's who have obtained our own salvation. That kid can and should only boast in the work of his race car, just as we can and should only boast in Jesus Christ and the work he did for us. He lived a perfect/sinless life, he atoned fully for our sins on the cross, and he proved his divinity by fulfilling the Scriptures and rising from the dead on the third day, and he is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for us constantly.
This analogy isn't anything special, but it does show us a picture of how we should view pride and our own glory. From what I just said, we shouldn't have any pride, because what have we done in order that we should benefit? We need to stop trying to justify our pride, and give it to God, the only one who has something to boast about. And for us, we can only boast in what God has done as well, because in him is where our benefit is found.
For this particular race there were three race cars on the TV, and then they showed the three people who represented each one of the cars. Person #1 would be paired up with car #1. Person #2 with car #2, and so on.
The cars drove from start to finish, and whatever car number won then the person who was paired with that number won a prize. It would show the person who's car won, and they were cheering as if they played a role in the race. If you didn't catch on earlier, the race is totally done by electronics and is totally random. I was probably the only person in the whole stadium that made a biblical analogy out of what I just saw.
Basically the winner is the one who is justified. What did he do to be justified? He didn't do anything. He sat and watched the car do everything for him. Then he started cheering like he was the one who was driving the car and had won the race. Are you starting to see a biblical connection?
We can only be justified because of what Christ has done for us, but most of the time we like to boast and act like we were the one's who have obtained our own salvation. That kid can and should only boast in the work of his race car, just as we can and should only boast in Jesus Christ and the work he did for us. He lived a perfect/sinless life, he atoned fully for our sins on the cross, and he proved his divinity by fulfilling the Scriptures and rising from the dead on the third day, and he is now seated at the right hand of God interceding for us constantly.
This analogy isn't anything special, but it does show us a picture of how we should view pride and our own glory. From what I just said, we shouldn't have any pride, because what have we done in order that we should benefit? We need to stop trying to justify our pride, and give it to God, the only one who has something to boast about. And for us, we can only boast in what God has done as well, because in him is where our benefit is found.
April 22, 2010
"Sinking Fast"
Verse 1:
You drowned your Son in our pool of sin.
Time after time we dive back in.
Send your Spirit and throw us a line.
Most gracious Father hear our cry.
Chorus:
Holy, Holy, is your name.
Only Your kingdom will still remain.
Let your will be done in our lives./ 3x through - Let your glory be our lives.
This is our heart; Lord hear its cries.
Verse 2:
Show us how deep the water goes.
How many times will we dip our toes.
It feels so nice and it's hot outside.
I think I'm going in just one last time.
(Chorus)
Verse 3:
I'm in the water now and I'm sinking fast.
I dove right in; I'm taking a bath.
But it's okay; the water has changed.
I'm swimming now in a pool of grace.
(Chorus)
You drowned your Son in our pool of sin.
Time after time we dive back in.
Send your Spirit and throw us a line.
Most gracious Father hear our cry.
Chorus:
Holy, Holy, is your name.
Only Your kingdom will still remain.
Let your will be done in our lives./ 3x through - Let your glory be our lives.
This is our heart; Lord hear its cries.
Verse 2:
Show us how deep the water goes.
How many times will we dip our toes.
It feels so nice and it's hot outside.
I think I'm going in just one last time.
(Chorus)
Verse 3:
I'm in the water now and I'm sinking fast.
I dove right in; I'm taking a bath.
But it's okay; the water has changed.
I'm swimming now in a pool of grace.
(Chorus)
April 18, 2010
"Godly Gravitational Force"
The cross of Jesus Christ is a magnet for souls. Everyone knows that positive and negative attract, so the positive in this case is the cross and the negative are God's elect. By God's sovereign will he draws us to the center of human history, which is the cross. Through this process we rebel against God and try to fight his pull on our hearts, but God's pursuit of his bride is in his sovereign hands and he will not and cannot fall short.
We fail to see the glory of the cross at times, and turn from it and act like it never happen so then we can go on sinning. But if the cross is at the forefront of our minds then why would we ever want to sin. At that moment, we see our Savior bearing our pain and suffering, we see our hope for eternal joy. Let's not forget about the resurrection though. Through that we now have a living Savior who is interceding for us, sin and death have no power over us anymore, Jesus has made a way to get to his Father. As Christians this is what we should be looking towards, running towards, and building our lives around. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul talks about the Resurrection of the dead. If Christ wasn't raised from the dead then our faith is in vain, but since he has been raised from the dead it proves that he is God and our work , if done for God, is not done in vain.
Back to the magnet analogy... Once we get to the cross and surrender ourselves through faith, the "positive" charge of Christ (his righteousness) is imputed to us and we have a new charge (identity). Now in one sense we have the same charge as Christ, so we take the good news of salvation we have received, and pursue the other negative charged elect that have yet to hear of the gospel. In another sense we still have a negative charge of our own, and need to continually be brought back to the cross ourselves. Basically justification and sanctification. We are fully given a positive charge (100% righteous), but we still have a negative charge as well (because of our depravity we won't be fully glorified until we reach heaven).
I know it's not a perfect analogy but the main thing I'm trying to say is that God calls people and grants us the grace to put saving faith in his perfect Son, and from the love, grace, and mercy that was shown to us we should be compelled to share it will others. That's the basis of the analogy. It's just a way to show God as the Good Shepherd of his sheep and the Bridegroom of his church.
We fail to see the glory of the cross at times, and turn from it and act like it never happen so then we can go on sinning. But if the cross is at the forefront of our minds then why would we ever want to sin. At that moment, we see our Savior bearing our pain and suffering, we see our hope for eternal joy. Let's not forget about the resurrection though. Through that we now have a living Savior who is interceding for us, sin and death have no power over us anymore, Jesus has made a way to get to his Father. As Christians this is what we should be looking towards, running towards, and building our lives around. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul talks about the Resurrection of the dead. If Christ wasn't raised from the dead then our faith is in vain, but since he has been raised from the dead it proves that he is God and our work , if done for God, is not done in vain.
Back to the magnet analogy... Once we get to the cross and surrender ourselves through faith, the "positive" charge of Christ (his righteousness) is imputed to us and we have a new charge (identity). Now in one sense we have the same charge as Christ, so we take the good news of salvation we have received, and pursue the other negative charged elect that have yet to hear of the gospel. In another sense we still have a negative charge of our own, and need to continually be brought back to the cross ourselves. Basically justification and sanctification. We are fully given a positive charge (100% righteous), but we still have a negative charge as well (because of our depravity we won't be fully glorified until we reach heaven).
I know it's not a perfect analogy but the main thing I'm trying to say is that God calls people and grants us the grace to put saving faith in his perfect Son, and from the love, grace, and mercy that was shown to us we should be compelled to share it will others. That's the basis of the analogy. It's just a way to show God as the Good Shepherd of his sheep and the Bridegroom of his church.
April 2, 2010
"Good Friday Meditations"
- We welcome him (Jesus) in with the loudest praises of Hosanna, and we send him out with the loudest cries of crucify.
- He accepted both pleas with humility and made a plea of his own, which he prayed that his Father would be glorified.
- The most evil scheme of the devil was used for the greatest good by God.
- The sin that put our Savior on the cross was also paid for that same day.
- The darkest hours in all of history are the most glorious as well.
- The hands and feet that received the nails should have been mine.
- Jesus should mock us in our sin but he loves us instead. We mocked Jesus in his sin on the cross and shouted false
accusations, but he loved us through that as well.
- Christ can glorify God through the worst event in history and I forget to glorify God through the best times in my life.
God turned his back and poured out all his wrath on his own Son, and I will never have to experience that because of what Jesus has done, and the faith that he grants to me. Let's not forget that he did this evil to someone he loved. What about an enemy with God? What is he going to do to them? I was an enemy of God's at one time, and what did he do to me? He welcomed me into his family and allowed me to dine at his table. He called me a son and heir with Christ. I am a part of God's holy family. I am pure and righteous in the sight of God.
Let's see how I got to this point in my life. Well I go to church every week, God likes that. I went on a mission trip last summer, God must be all smiles after that. I read my Bible and pray sometimes, bonus points. I haven't done anything majorly wrong to anyone. I listen to the best Christian artists, and read only the holiest of books. I'd say I'm doing pretty well, wouldn't you... Hell No! What good is any of that to God? Why would I try to add onto the perfect atoning sacrifice of Christ? Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, shouted at, spit upon, scourged and flogged with whips that had pieces of glass, bone, and metal on the ends of them. He was beaten with rods, and had his beard plucked. He was stripped down to his flesh, which there wasn't much left of, and had a "crown" of thorns forced onto his head. He hiked up a hill in the blistering sun with a large cross-beam on his bone-piercing flesh. He basically had railroad spikes driven into his healing hands and faithful feet. He was hoisted into the air so everyone could see and scoff some more, they placed bets on his clothes. The soldiers probably placed a wooden block under his feet, so he could use it to push off with and catch a breath, but nonetheless it prolonged his life, so his crucifixion would be as long and excruciating as possible. With every struggling breath he took, his tender back was naggingly scrapping against the thorns from the wood.
This is no slap on the butt you get from your parents when you are in trouble, and it stings for a bit then the next moment it's gone, but our creator hung there bearing the weight of our sin for hours. Saying the Father crushed his Son is true but I feel like the word crushed just doesn't do justice, and I hope you now feel the same way.
Did Jesus go through all this so that one day ________ (insert your name) could try and gain, earn, or attain salvation through my own pathetic works. My greatest and awesome deeds are mere ashes under God's feet.
Did Jesus go through all this just so I could have a chance to go to Heaven one day, and live my life wondering, "Am I good enough? Will I get there?"
Jesus went through all this to glorify his Father and satisfy all the Father's wrath. He paid for our sins (actions, thoughts, and words). God cancelled the ransom that was placed on our lives by the fall of Adam, and it was paid in full by Jesus' death on the cross. Now I don't have to question and wonder if I will be good enough to make it to Heaven one day. The debt has been paid, and his sacrifice was sufficient. Stop trying to do something in order to stand righteous before God. If your foundation of getting to Heaven is the good deeds you have done, then what good is it if it falls to pieces with every sin you comment. If you're trying to outweigh the bad with the good then that is impossible. Even if you only sinned one time in your whole life, no amount of good deeds could ever make up for that one fall. This is why Jesus' atoning sacrifice is so important because without it we are still dead in our sin, but with it we are made alive with Christ and we can stand righteous before a Holy, Holy, Holy God.
When I say there is nothing left for us to do in order to obtain salvation, I mean there is nothing left for us to do. If your hope for salvation is found only in Jesus' perfect life, atoning death, and bodily resurrection, then rejoice with me today on this Good Friday.
- He accepted both pleas with humility and made a plea of his own, which he prayed that his Father would be glorified.
- The most evil scheme of the devil was used for the greatest good by God.
- The sin that put our Savior on the cross was also paid for that same day.
- The darkest hours in all of history are the most glorious as well.
- The hands and feet that received the nails should have been mine.
- Jesus should mock us in our sin but he loves us instead. We mocked Jesus in his sin on the cross and shouted false
accusations, but he loved us through that as well.
- Christ can glorify God through the worst event in history and I forget to glorify God through the best times in my life.
God turned his back and poured out all his wrath on his own Son, and I will never have to experience that because of what Jesus has done, and the faith that he grants to me. Let's not forget that he did this evil to someone he loved. What about an enemy with God? What is he going to do to them? I was an enemy of God's at one time, and what did he do to me? He welcomed me into his family and allowed me to dine at his table. He called me a son and heir with Christ. I am a part of God's holy family. I am pure and righteous in the sight of God.
Let's see how I got to this point in my life. Well I go to church every week, God likes that. I went on a mission trip last summer, God must be all smiles after that. I read my Bible and pray sometimes, bonus points. I haven't done anything majorly wrong to anyone. I listen to the best Christian artists, and read only the holiest of books. I'd say I'm doing pretty well, wouldn't you... Hell No! What good is any of that to God? Why would I try to add onto the perfect atoning sacrifice of Christ? Jesus was mocked, ridiculed, shouted at, spit upon, scourged and flogged with whips that had pieces of glass, bone, and metal on the ends of them. He was beaten with rods, and had his beard plucked. He was stripped down to his flesh, which there wasn't much left of, and had a "crown" of thorns forced onto his head. He hiked up a hill in the blistering sun with a large cross-beam on his bone-piercing flesh. He basically had railroad spikes driven into his healing hands and faithful feet. He was hoisted into the air so everyone could see and scoff some more, they placed bets on his clothes. The soldiers probably placed a wooden block under his feet, so he could use it to push off with and catch a breath, but nonetheless it prolonged his life, so his crucifixion would be as long and excruciating as possible. With every struggling breath he took, his tender back was naggingly scrapping against the thorns from the wood.
This is no slap on the butt you get from your parents when you are in trouble, and it stings for a bit then the next moment it's gone, but our creator hung there bearing the weight of our sin for hours. Saying the Father crushed his Son is true but I feel like the word crushed just doesn't do justice, and I hope you now feel the same way.
Did Jesus go through all this so that one day ________ (insert your name) could try and gain, earn, or attain salvation through my own pathetic works. My greatest and awesome deeds are mere ashes under God's feet.
Did Jesus go through all this just so I could have a chance to go to Heaven one day, and live my life wondering, "Am I good enough? Will I get there?"
Jesus went through all this to glorify his Father and satisfy all the Father's wrath. He paid for our sins (actions, thoughts, and words). God cancelled the ransom that was placed on our lives by the fall of Adam, and it was paid in full by Jesus' death on the cross. Now I don't have to question and wonder if I will be good enough to make it to Heaven one day. The debt has been paid, and his sacrifice was sufficient. Stop trying to do something in order to stand righteous before God. If your foundation of getting to Heaven is the good deeds you have done, then what good is it if it falls to pieces with every sin you comment. If you're trying to outweigh the bad with the good then that is impossible. Even if you only sinned one time in your whole life, no amount of good deeds could ever make up for that one fall. This is why Jesus' atoning sacrifice is so important because without it we are still dead in our sin, but with it we are made alive with Christ and we can stand righteous before a Holy, Holy, Holy God.
When I say there is nothing left for us to do in order to obtain salvation, I mean there is nothing left for us to do. If your hope for salvation is found only in Jesus' perfect life, atoning death, and bodily resurrection, then rejoice with me today on this Good Friday.
March 8, 2010
"Who Am I?"
Being an art major and a Christian, I have came up with an analogy that talks about God's love, mercy, grace, and sovereignty. Being an artist and especially a character animator means I get to play God in the sense that I am in control of how my art turns out, or how a character will move. I take the role of sovereign ruler, and I can show however much love, mercy, and grace I want to my characters.
1.) When my characters don't move exactly how I want them to, or if things aren't going how I feel they should be going, then I can get frustrated and might stop working on my project for the day. 2.) If a certain character isn't easy to use then I can give up on them and try a different character that is more user friendly. 3.) There are hundreds of characters to choose from when figuring out which one I want to use to animate a scene; the choice is up to me. 4.) I choose the scenery, I choose which characters will be placed in the same scene with each other, and what their situation is in life or in the story.
Let's look at how this relates to Christians. 1.) God instructs us how he wants us to live our lives, but we decide to glorify ourselves instead of God. Instead of God getting frustrated like I do with my characters, God is patient and shows his love and grace. 2.) He doesn't give up on his creation like I tend to do. He is always in control and is always watching over us. Even the people with the hardest of hearts, God can soften. God is persistent with his sheep. 3.) There are billions of people that God could choose to use to carry out his will, and it's a privilege that he would choose to use any of us. It shows God's sovereignty in his choosing, his love by choosing to use sinful people to carry out his plan, and the grace he gives us to speak truth. 4.) God chooses our parents, the people we come in contact with, and the friends that God provides us with. He puts us in what country, state, providence, island, or town he has planned for us. He gives us the talents we have, and the health or lack of health that we have.
Basically, we should be grateful for anything that God gives us, but we get mad at God when things don't go the way we want them to, or if we don't get what we want. Like good things are entitled to us. Who are we to complain to a God that has given us his own Son, who lived a perfect life, died in our place, rose from the dead to conquer sin and death, and made us righteous before a holy, holy, holy God. We have access to God through Jesus Christ now. WOW! That's incredible. But we continue to complain about so many little things in our lives, and forget the greater truth of the Gospel, which never changes.
The point of the analogy is to show how humans respond poorly to meaningless situations in life, and how amazingly God responds to our sinful actions everyday. What a great God we serve. His patience through all my sin continues to amaze me. He continues to call me a son of God and an heir with Christ. Why? What have I done to deserve such grace?... simply nothing.
1.) When my characters don't move exactly how I want them to, or if things aren't going how I feel they should be going, then I can get frustrated and might stop working on my project for the day. 2.) If a certain character isn't easy to use then I can give up on them and try a different character that is more user friendly. 3.) There are hundreds of characters to choose from when figuring out which one I want to use to animate a scene; the choice is up to me. 4.) I choose the scenery, I choose which characters will be placed in the same scene with each other, and what their situation is in life or in the story.
Let's look at how this relates to Christians. 1.) God instructs us how he wants us to live our lives, but we decide to glorify ourselves instead of God. Instead of God getting frustrated like I do with my characters, God is patient and shows his love and grace. 2.) He doesn't give up on his creation like I tend to do. He is always in control and is always watching over us. Even the people with the hardest of hearts, God can soften. God is persistent with his sheep. 3.) There are billions of people that God could choose to use to carry out his will, and it's a privilege that he would choose to use any of us. It shows God's sovereignty in his choosing, his love by choosing to use sinful people to carry out his plan, and the grace he gives us to speak truth. 4.) God chooses our parents, the people we come in contact with, and the friends that God provides us with. He puts us in what country, state, providence, island, or town he has planned for us. He gives us the talents we have, and the health or lack of health that we have.
Basically, we should be grateful for anything that God gives us, but we get mad at God when things don't go the way we want them to, or if we don't get what we want. Like good things are entitled to us. Who are we to complain to a God that has given us his own Son, who lived a perfect life, died in our place, rose from the dead to conquer sin and death, and made us righteous before a holy, holy, holy God. We have access to God through Jesus Christ now. WOW! That's incredible. But we continue to complain about so many little things in our lives, and forget the greater truth of the Gospel, which never changes.
The point of the analogy is to show how humans respond poorly to meaningless situations in life, and how amazingly God responds to our sinful actions everyday. What a great God we serve. His patience through all my sin continues to amaze me. He continues to call me a son of God and an heir with Christ. Why? What have I done to deserve such grace?... simply nothing.
January 25, 2010
"God's Love Through the Gospel"
The love of God is something that I can’t grasp, but strive to grow in my understanding of by the power of the Holy Spirit. He created us to be a perfect reflection of himself, and to bring our creator glory. Our sinful nature inherited from Adam keeps us from fellowship with the Father.
I am a disgusting person in need of a Savior, and I don’t always see my sin for what it truly is. Actually I never see my sin for what it truly is. It is wretched, dirty, corrupt, gross, shameful, filthy, disgusting, perverted, nasty and so much more when compared to a holy, just, merciful, upright, perfect, righteous, and a sovereign God.
This is the reason I need a Savior, but a Savior was not something I asked for. I didn’t seek a Savior from my worldliness. Jesus found me and willingly saved my soul. He wasn’t forced or tricked into dying on the cross.
This is the love that I can’t grasp; how God would give up his only Son, so I could have him. It was God’s idea and plan that his Son would be crushed and broken beyond human recognition, and his blood would flow from his ripped flesh. He came up with this sick idea! There was no plan B! How could a loving God do something this wrathful to his own Son?!
The answer is love. Love for a sinful race and self-serving world. There is one more part to the story. We have to put our faith in what Jesus accomplished through his perfect life, death on the cross, and his bodily resurrection, which is the full atonement for our sins.
There is nothing else we can add on to the blood of Christ on the cross. We are justified by our faith; not baptism, going to church, reading our Bibles, praying to God, good works, or anything else we can come up with. Why would God kill his Son if we still had to do something on top of Jesus dying to obtain salvation? That would not be grace, because grace is a free or unmerited gift from God. How is us doing something for God a free gift to ourselves? It’s not.
Along with faith will come justification, but on top of that comes sanctification and on going repentance. The Holy Spirit will start changing our hearts and make it more like Christ’s. We will see our desires change, our minds be set on things of the Spirit, our actions will start to reflect Christ, we are given a new heart, and we will serve one master, which is Christ. This is only possible because he first loved us.
I am a disgusting person in need of a Savior, and I don’t always see my sin for what it truly is. Actually I never see my sin for what it truly is. It is wretched, dirty, corrupt, gross, shameful, filthy, disgusting, perverted, nasty and so much more when compared to a holy, just, merciful, upright, perfect, righteous, and a sovereign God.
This is the reason I need a Savior, but a Savior was not something I asked for. I didn’t seek a Savior from my worldliness. Jesus found me and willingly saved my soul. He wasn’t forced or tricked into dying on the cross.
This is the love that I can’t grasp; how God would give up his only Son, so I could have him. It was God’s idea and plan that his Son would be crushed and broken beyond human recognition, and his blood would flow from his ripped flesh. He came up with this sick idea! There was no plan B! How could a loving God do something this wrathful to his own Son?!
The answer is love. Love for a sinful race and self-serving world. There is one more part to the story. We have to put our faith in what Jesus accomplished through his perfect life, death on the cross, and his bodily resurrection, which is the full atonement for our sins.
There is nothing else we can add on to the blood of Christ on the cross. We are justified by our faith; not baptism, going to church, reading our Bibles, praying to God, good works, or anything else we can come up with. Why would God kill his Son if we still had to do something on top of Jesus dying to obtain salvation? That would not be grace, because grace is a free or unmerited gift from God. How is us doing something for God a free gift to ourselves? It’s not.
Along with faith will come justification, but on top of that comes sanctification and on going repentance. The Holy Spirit will start changing our hearts and make it more like Christ’s. We will see our desires change, our minds be set on things of the Spirit, our actions will start to reflect Christ, we are given a new heart, and we will serve one master, which is Christ. This is only possible because he first loved us.
January 19, 2010
"Meaningless Material"
Why do the "common" people want autographs from the "famous" people? What good does an autograph do? If you get a T-shirt signed it will eventually wear off. If you get a program, ticket, or random piece of paper signed, it will collect dust in a drawer, on a dresser, or in a closet. You might be thinking, "That's not what happens to my autographs." "I have a collection of autographed memorabilia in my house." "I sell my autographs on eBay, and make money off of them." So what happens after we get an autograph? I mentioned it does nothing and collects dust, we create a collection/shrine of them, or we sell them and get something that is actually useful to humans, which is money. What I'm trying to get at is that autographs are worthless. If they sit around and collect dust, then I think I've made my point on that one. If you create a collection/shrine then what are you getting out of that? Something to show off or boast about to your friends and family. Something that you truly treasure, and becomes an idol in your life. Two different types of sin, take your pick, it doesn't matter they are both sin, so there is no escaping that one. If you get an autograph and immediately sell it on eBay, then i guess it's not important enough to you in the first place to actually keep, so you exchange it for money. Money can be good, because we all need money to live and get by, but how much money do we need and how much do we just want for our own personal spending. With all that extra money, what are we gonna do with it? Are we gonna give it to charities, churches, hospitals, schools, Haiti, or other worth-while causes? Or are we just gonna go buy more stuff that is gonna sit around and collect dust?
We love stuff and material possessions even though we don't really get anything out of them. Think about the things you have bought lately, or things that you are thinking about buying, or things that you wish you could buy but will never have the money to. Ask yourself, what percentage of those things do you use on a regular basis and what percentage gets put up on a shelf, slid under the bed, put in a closet, stuck in a box, or put somewhere on display only to look at for as long as you live. For the Christians, some good questions to ask before making a purchase could be; How is this going to help me or others grow closer to God? How will this benefit the kingdom of God? How will this edify God or is it even possible to bring glory to God through this purchase? Can I even use this object or is this something that can only be put on display so others to admire my neat toys?
We need to conscientiously ask ourselves these types of questions before we buy things on the fly. We need to be more discerning with our purchases. I don't say these things because this is what I do already, but I write this because I NEED to start doing these things in my own life. I'm too careless with my money, and as a Christian I feel like I am called to manage my money to the glory of God, and keep myself from falling into sin. For instance, I mentioned idolatry and pride earlier. We need to identify specific sins in our lives, classify those sins specifically, and find ways to eliminate them from our lives. If we don't throw them out the door now, then God will deal with them on his own terms.
What things are we treasuring in our lives? What do we get excited about buying next and why do we get excited about buying that specific item? Is God what we are treasuring? Are we excited to buy a brand new pair of shoes when you just bought a new pair last week? Are we seeking to try and bring joy to ourselves through our spending, or are we going to bring glory to God through our spending?
If you are having some tough times dealing with some of these questions because you are trying to justify your material possessions, and your spending, then maybe this is an idol in your life. We don't like to hear the truth sometimes, because we are scared what's going to happen if we give up our idols. I'll tell you what is going to happen; God is going to strip you of your idols and leave a huge hole in your life... but he won't leave the wound without a bandage. He will fill it with himself, and provide true happiness in a life that was formerly corked up with false joy.
We love stuff and material possessions even though we don't really get anything out of them. Think about the things you have bought lately, or things that you are thinking about buying, or things that you wish you could buy but will never have the money to. Ask yourself, what percentage of those things do you use on a regular basis and what percentage gets put up on a shelf, slid under the bed, put in a closet, stuck in a box, or put somewhere on display only to look at for as long as you live. For the Christians, some good questions to ask before making a purchase could be; How is this going to help me or others grow closer to God? How will this benefit the kingdom of God? How will this edify God or is it even possible to bring glory to God through this purchase? Can I even use this object or is this something that can only be put on display so others to admire my neat toys?
We need to conscientiously ask ourselves these types of questions before we buy things on the fly. We need to be more discerning with our purchases. I don't say these things because this is what I do already, but I write this because I NEED to start doing these things in my own life. I'm too careless with my money, and as a Christian I feel like I am called to manage my money to the glory of God, and keep myself from falling into sin. For instance, I mentioned idolatry and pride earlier. We need to identify specific sins in our lives, classify those sins specifically, and find ways to eliminate them from our lives. If we don't throw them out the door now, then God will deal with them on his own terms.
What things are we treasuring in our lives? What do we get excited about buying next and why do we get excited about buying that specific item? Is God what we are treasuring? Are we excited to buy a brand new pair of shoes when you just bought a new pair last week? Are we seeking to try and bring joy to ourselves through our spending, or are we going to bring glory to God through our spending?
If you are having some tough times dealing with some of these questions because you are trying to justify your material possessions, and your spending, then maybe this is an idol in your life. We don't like to hear the truth sometimes, because we are scared what's going to happen if we give up our idols. I'll tell you what is going to happen; God is going to strip you of your idols and leave a huge hole in your life... but he won't leave the wound without a bandage. He will fill it with himself, and provide true happiness in a life that was formerly corked up with false joy.
January 9, 2010
Judging Others
Matthew 7:3-5 says,"3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Do these verses describe you? I know it describes me. I think of all the "Christian" and "holy" things I do to try and draw closer to God, but shortly after I will completely disregard what I learned. Since I have put my faith in Christ I put myself higher up than non-believers and sometimes other Christians who are not as far along in their relationship with the Lord. I quickly forget that I still have major sins to take care of in my own life, and forget what God has saved me from. I don't acknowledge that where I am in my faith is only because of his grace in my life in the first place. What do I have that is not from God? Nothing. Everything I have obtained has come from him, so why don't I live in light of that. I give in to easily to earthly desires, and do not look at God through a gospel-centered lens. I need to see what Christ has done for me, and accomplished for me by his death and resurrection. I need to see MY sin nailed to the cross, and know that it will remain there forever because God's atoning work is finished. Romans 8:1 declares that "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." So if God doesn't condemn me then why do I? And if he does not condemn other followers of Christ because of Romans 8:1 then who am I to do so. We as followers of Christ need to be more Christ-like, which is forgiving and giving grace to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to leave the harsh judgement up to the Lord, and point each other to Christ in a loving and patient manor instead of one that is judgemental and condemning.
Let us love our great God and Savior, which should lead us to love our neighbors just the same.
By God's Grace,
Nov
Do these verses describe you? I know it describes me. I think of all the "Christian" and "holy" things I do to try and draw closer to God, but shortly after I will completely disregard what I learned. Since I have put my faith in Christ I put myself higher up than non-believers and sometimes other Christians who are not as far along in their relationship with the Lord. I quickly forget that I still have major sins to take care of in my own life, and forget what God has saved me from. I don't acknowledge that where I am in my faith is only because of his grace in my life in the first place. What do I have that is not from God? Nothing. Everything I have obtained has come from him, so why don't I live in light of that. I give in to easily to earthly desires, and do not look at God through a gospel-centered lens. I need to see what Christ has done for me, and accomplished for me by his death and resurrection. I need to see MY sin nailed to the cross, and know that it will remain there forever because God's atoning work is finished. Romans 8:1 declares that "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." So if God doesn't condemn me then why do I? And if he does not condemn other followers of Christ because of Romans 8:1 then who am I to do so. We as followers of Christ need to be more Christ-like, which is forgiving and giving grace to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to leave the harsh judgement up to the Lord, and point each other to Christ in a loving and patient manor instead of one that is judgemental and condemning.
Let us love our great God and Savior, which should lead us to love our neighbors just the same.
By God's Grace,
Nov
January 7, 2010
"Failing to Stay Awake"
When driving alone on a road trip it could be easy to get drowsy and come close to falling asleep. At that point it becomes a battle just to stay awake. We try and think of ways to combat this urge to fall asleep, so there are a number of things we could attempt. We could crank up the music, sing along with the music, take a 5-hour energy shot, or call someone on our cell phone. If it’s cold outside roll down the windows and do a “freeze out.” Find a way to make the temperature of the car uncomfortable so it keeps you more aware.
So we have all these options in order to keep us awake, but do we ever use these resources that are so readily available to us? I know for me I normally just let the drowsiness get the best of me and fall asleep.
If you haven’t figured what’s really going on then listen closely. This is an analogy for fighting/battling sin. “Driving alone” is us trying to deal with sin on our own power. The “road trip” is our life. Our “drowsiness” is our sin temptation. “Falling asleep” is the act of sinning. Throughout our lives we are tempted to sin, and we can either fight it or let it consume us, and eventually lead to our death, so the battle has begun.
I said we have multiple options right at our fingertips to try and “stay awake.” With technology today, we have so many resources we could use to fight sin. The Internet can be used to actually fight off sin instead of indulging in it, believe it or not. There are online Bibles, Christian music, and sermons we can listen to. Facebook chat could be used to let someone know you are being tempted at that very moment, and you could ask him or her to pray for you.
Cell phones are another great resource. Did you know that you could call and even text a friend using a cell phone? YES! You did know that! So why don’t we in times of need, but every other moment of the day we can’t put our phone down, and especially in regards to things that don’t matter as much as fighting sin and pursuing holiness.
Let’s go back to online Bibles, Christian music, and sermons. With all the new phone companies coming out with the Internet built into the phones, there is no excuse why we can’t use it to read God’s Word in times of temptation. The Word that can change hearts isn’t going to change yours in times of need if you don’t open it up.
Prayer is a perfect example of accessibility. How more accessible can you get? All you have to do is start talking to God out loud, or even easier, in your head. God knows our thoughts; so let’s start talking. In times of temptation, pray that God would remove this desire from you. Pray that God would draw you to himself.
The last thing I want to mention is meditating. When I say meditating, I’m talking about focusing on God, and/or thinking deeply. Thinking deeply about the characteristics of God. Focusing on certain promises of God. Going into the depths about the gospel, and what Christ did for us on the cross, and not only what he did but what he achieved, which is salvation for those who believe in his atoning sacrifice.
With all these resources so available to us, why do we keep falling into the same old habitual sins? I think there are a few reasons.
1. Our sinful desire and nature to please ourselves.
2. We are passive, which relates to point 1.
3. We don’t see God as being Holy, Holy, Holy, and our sin as being despicable, perverted, and displeasing.
4. We don’t understand the price that was paid for our sins.
5. We doubt the promises of God that we find in his Word.
6. We really don’t desire to grow.
7. We don’t want to give up certain areas of our life to God.
So we have all these options in order to keep us awake, but do we ever use these resources that are so readily available to us? I know for me I normally just let the drowsiness get the best of me and fall asleep.
If you haven’t figured what’s really going on then listen closely. This is an analogy for fighting/battling sin. “Driving alone” is us trying to deal with sin on our own power. The “road trip” is our life. Our “drowsiness” is our sin temptation. “Falling asleep” is the act of sinning. Throughout our lives we are tempted to sin, and we can either fight it or let it consume us, and eventually lead to our death, so the battle has begun.
I said we have multiple options right at our fingertips to try and “stay awake.” With technology today, we have so many resources we could use to fight sin. The Internet can be used to actually fight off sin instead of indulging in it, believe it or not. There are online Bibles, Christian music, and sermons we can listen to. Facebook chat could be used to let someone know you are being tempted at that very moment, and you could ask him or her to pray for you.
Cell phones are another great resource. Did you know that you could call and even text a friend using a cell phone? YES! You did know that! So why don’t we in times of need, but every other moment of the day we can’t put our phone down, and especially in regards to things that don’t matter as much as fighting sin and pursuing holiness.
Let’s go back to online Bibles, Christian music, and sermons. With all the new phone companies coming out with the Internet built into the phones, there is no excuse why we can’t use it to read God’s Word in times of temptation. The Word that can change hearts isn’t going to change yours in times of need if you don’t open it up.
Prayer is a perfect example of accessibility. How more accessible can you get? All you have to do is start talking to God out loud, or even easier, in your head. God knows our thoughts; so let’s start talking. In times of temptation, pray that God would remove this desire from you. Pray that God would draw you to himself.
The last thing I want to mention is meditating. When I say meditating, I’m talking about focusing on God, and/or thinking deeply. Thinking deeply about the characteristics of God. Focusing on certain promises of God. Going into the depths about the gospel, and what Christ did for us on the cross, and not only what he did but what he achieved, which is salvation for those who believe in his atoning sacrifice.
With all these resources so available to us, why do we keep falling into the same old habitual sins? I think there are a few reasons.
1. Our sinful desire and nature to please ourselves.
2. We are passive, which relates to point 1.
3. We don’t see God as being Holy, Holy, Holy, and our sin as being despicable, perverted, and displeasing.
4. We don’t understand the price that was paid for our sins.
5. We doubt the promises of God that we find in his Word.
6. We really don’t desire to grow.
7. We don’t want to give up certain areas of our life to God.
"Live, Die, Live Again"
Verse 1:
Why do you call me your son?
Why a child such as I?
Without your hand on my heart,
My hope would be no more.
Bridge 1:
Fully God in human form,
But unlike us he did not conform
Chorus:
But instead he took our place, on the cross.
He bled and died and bore our shame.
There was more we should have known,
Cause then he rose and sat on his throne
Bridge 2:
Oh what a mystery; we search but our minds cannot conceive.
Praise God for what he reveals through his Word; gives us life and makes it real.
Our hope is found in Christ.
So I shall give my life.
Verse 2:
I will go where he leads me.
No need to fear our God is here. I trust his sovereignty.
He’s love, he’s just, he died for us, he lied there in the grave.
He rose in three days.
Our faith is not in vain.
We have been reclaimed.
That’s why we’re not ashamed.
Why do you call me your son?
Why a child such as I?
Without your hand on my heart,
My hope would be no more.
Bridge 1:
Fully God in human form,
But unlike us he did not conform
Chorus:
But instead he took our place, on the cross.
He bled and died and bore our shame.
There was more we should have known,
Cause then he rose and sat on his throne
Bridge 2:
Oh what a mystery; we search but our minds cannot conceive.
Praise God for what he reveals through his Word; gives us life and makes it real.
Our hope is found in Christ.
So I shall give my life.
Verse 2:
I will go where he leads me.
No need to fear our God is here. I trust his sovereignty.
He’s love, he’s just, he died for us, he lied there in the grave.
He rose in three days.
Our faith is not in vain.
We have been reclaimed.
That’s why we’re not ashamed.
"1 Peter 1"
Verse 1:
Praise to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our living hope. (v. 3)
By his great mercy we receive a brand new life cause he rose from the dead. (v. 3)
Our inheritance is unbreakable. It’s undefiled. It’s unfading. (v. 4)
By God’s strength and power we’re assured of our faith until the end. (v. 5)
Verse 2:
In this hope we sing even though we go through trials, it tests our faith. (v. 6-7)
Though we don’t see him, we believe and rejoice with joy, filled with glory. (v. 8)
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the triumphant news of Christ our king. (v. 12)
We long for the time when your fullness of grace is revealed to all your saints. (v. 13)
Verse 3:
We’re children of God so let’s throw aside our old ways, the pride in our lives. (v. 14)
In his Word it says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” (v. 16)
We were not bought by riches of the world, but by the blood of our spotless lamb. (v. 18-19)
The flowers may fade, but the Word of God shall remain forever. (v. 24-25)
Praise to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our living hope. (v. 3)
By his great mercy we receive a brand new life cause he rose from the dead. (v. 3)
Our inheritance is unbreakable. It’s undefiled. It’s unfading. (v. 4)
By God’s strength and power we’re assured of our faith until the end. (v. 5)
Verse 2:
In this hope we sing even though we go through trials, it tests our faith. (v. 6-7)
Though we don’t see him, we believe and rejoice with joy, filled with glory. (v. 8)
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the triumphant news of Christ our king. (v. 12)
We long for the time when your fullness of grace is revealed to all your saints. (v. 13)
Verse 3:
We’re children of God so let’s throw aside our old ways, the pride in our lives. (v. 14)
In his Word it says, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” (v. 16)
We were not bought by riches of the world, but by the blood of our spotless lamb. (v. 18-19)
The flowers may fade, but the Word of God shall remain forever. (v. 24-25)
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