I Have Seen The Light

I once was fatherless,
a stranger with no hope;
Your kindness wakened me,
Awakened me, from my sleep

Your love it beckons deeply,
a call to come and die.
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take your life.

Sin has lost it's power,
death has lost it's sting.
From the grave you've risen
VICTORIOUSLY!

Into marvelous light I'm running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

My dead heart now is beating,
My deepest stains now clean.
Your breath fills up my lungs.
Now I'm free. now I'm free!

Into marvelous light I'm running,
Out of darkness, out of shame.
By the cross you are the truth,
You are the life, you are the way

Lift my hands and spin around,
See the light that i have found.
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light
Lift my hands and spin
See the light within...

Marvelous Light
songwriter: Charlie Hall & Eugene Lii
album: Live Roots

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

You Think You're Better Than Me?

When I was a freshman in college, I went to a lot of parties. I just went to socialize. I didn't drink or do drugs. I didn't even hit on girls. I just wanted to hang with my friends and band-mates.

I remember one party particularly well. I had been offered beer for what was probably the fifteenth time that night and, as usual, I respectfully declined. The guy who offered the beer to me was at least five years older than me and wasted out of his mind.

He looked at me, all confused and concerned, and murmured, "What... You don't drink?"
"No."
"Well, what are you doing at this party?"
"I'm just hanging out, having a good time."
"So, what? You think that just because you don't drink, and I'm drunk, that you're better than me?"
"No. Not at all. I just don't drink. That's my choice."
"Well, I respect that."

And then he kinda stumbled away to harass someone else.

But it got me thinking. Do I think I'm better than anyone else? That's a question that has kept me in check over the past several years. Because, whenever I start feeling like I'm more special or more important or more useful than anyone else, God has this way of bringing me back to reality. He usually begins by showing me all the things I'm not getting right. Then He shows me people who have it together better than I, which reminds me I have a long way to go to reach the perfection He has called me to. But then He takes it a step further and shows me other people who are struggling more than I could ever imagine. And then, the final nail in the coffin, He shows me people who are lost; people who don't know Jesus, or worse, people who have no desire to know Jesus.

So, do I think I'm better than anyone else? How could I when Jesus loves us all the same, which is so much more than we could ever know? No, I don't think I'm better than anyone else. I think I'm blessed to have a great family, wonderful friends, and steady work. I'm blessed to have a roof over my head, food on my table, and clothes on my back. And I'm blessed more than anything to have the relationship with God that I do, but I'm no better than you or any other person on the planet.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

We Only Have Today

I'm sure some of you readers are wondering why I have been so adamant this week about sharing the Gospel and writing "salvation posts" or whatever you want to call them. Well, the reason is this. I don't want to see anyone spend eternity without God. That is the true definition of "hell," life without Jesus.

We live in unsure times. No one knows when it's their time to die, but we will all die at some point or another. The question is, "Will we die safe in the arms of Jesus or painfully in a sea of regret?"

Maybe I sound a bit dramatic. That's the point.

This is real!

Let me explain. In May of 2001, I got the call from my Dad that my brother, Earnest, had passed away suddenly. I love my family very much, so that news destroyed me. Partially because it was my brother, but moreso because of the way he was living. He had grown up in a Christian home (Dad's been a preacher since 1941... no exaggeration), but when he retired from the United States Air Force, and had seen combat in Operation Desert Storm, and had to kill people, he felt his only escape from those memories was the bottle. He became so dependent on alcohol that he drove everyone who loved him away. He separated from his wife of nearly 20 years, he became an extreme recluse ("hermitism" runs in my family, but usually not to the point of complete isolation). He was plagued by all kinds of physical and mental health problems. He was a small man who convinced himself that he needed to take diet pills.

He had completely walked away from God. He would say things like, "Me and God have an understanding. I don't need church or anything like that. I'm fine." Or, the one that tore me apart, "When it's time for me to check out, I'm gonna be all alone."

Sadly enough, he was.

He had been dead for a couple days when my Dad found him. Dad and I both felt, and still feel, guilty for not having witnessed to Earnest enough. I know Dad tried at least to get him back to church. That was way more than what I had done... nothing.
I wasn't even praying for him.

Ernie's death created this conviction in my heart that has never gone away, and I don't think it will. That's why I've been so moved to share Christ in whatever ways I can. If someone is reading my blog who doesn't know Jesus, it's time you get to know Him. If there's someone reading this who knows Jesus but has turned away to do his or her own thing, it's time to turn back to Him. He's waiting for you. He wants you to know He loves you.

We only have today to love, serve, forgive. We only have today to make the best of every situation. Tomorrow isn't promised. Yesterday is gone. We only have today to live! And only in Jesus will we truly live! Please, don't wait any longer. The choice is yours, and I pray that you will choose the life that is found in Jesus Christ!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

I'm All In

All In (Letting Go)
artist: Toby Mac
album: Portable Sounds (2007)

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

So Long Self

Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self

Stop right there because I know what you're thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end
And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Can't you see

So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two, so you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong, but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, good-bye, don't cry
So long

Don't feel so bad (don't feel so bad)
There'll be better days (there'll be better days)
Don't go away mad (but by all means)
Just go away,go away

So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two, so you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong, but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, good-bye, don't cry
So long self
farewell, goodbye (so long self)
farewell, goodbye (so long self)
farewell, goodbye (so long self)
farewell, goodbye (so long self)
farewell, goodbye (so long self)

So Long Self
artist: MercyMe
album: Coming Up To Breathe (2006)

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

It Doesn't Matter

It doesn't matter where you've been;
it matters that you go the right direction now.
It doesn't matter what you've done;
it matters that you do what's right now.
It doesn't matter what you've said;
it matters that you speak the truth now.
It doesn't matter who you've hurt;
it matters that you treat people as you want to be treated now.
It doesn't matter who has hurt you;
it matters that you forgive others and yourself now.

Regardless of where you've been, what you've done, what you've said, who you've hurt, who has hurt you;

Regardless of the pain you have felt, or the pain you've dealt;

Regardless of anything and everything in your past, Jesus loves you right now, in the present, without conditions, without questions.
He loves you this very moment. He will love you in the next moment, and the moment after that, and the moment after that, too. He always has loved you and he always will love you. You cannot do anything to make him love you more. You cannot do anything to make him love you less.

I want you to understand this fully and completely. He loves you more than you could ever know or think or imagine. He loves you so much that he sacrificed his very life for you. But the best part is that he came back to life so he could give you the opportunity to love the way he loves. He will love you beyond forever. He wants you to love him, but he won't force you to do so. He wants you to choose him because he gives eternal life. And life without him is hell!

It doesn't matter how you feel about Jesus;
it matters that he loves you now. Period.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate

It's Time

It's time. If you don't know him by now, it's time for you to get to know the greatest man who ever lived. His name is Jesus. He was born to a young virgin named Mary, grew up in Nazareth, became a carpenter, taught teachers the truth, healed the sick and lame. He took all of the sins of the world on himself, allowed himself to be tortured and murdered, was buried on a Friday, and raised from the dead the following Sunday morning. No other person in the world has ever done anything like that, and never for the reason he did. He took all the torture and punishment and death for you because He loves you more than you could ever imagine. There has never been anyone like Jesus, and there never will be, because Jesus is the Son of God. If you don't believe me, I'd like to recommend a book to you that will explain all of this much better than I ever could. The book is called The Holy Bible and it is the inspired word of God. Here's a short excerpt from the book of Romans from the Bible.

Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know they love God, but they don't understand what makes people acceptable to him. So they refuse to trust God, and they try to be acceptable by obeying the Law. But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary for those who become acceptable to God by faith.

Anyone Can Be Saved

Moses said that a person could become acceptable to God by obeying the Law. He did this when he wrote, "If you want to live, you must do all that the Law commands."
But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?" Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"

All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.

The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. All who call out to the Lord will be saved.

How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has anyone believed what we said?"

No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ.

Romans 10:1-17 (CEV)

So, will you take the biggest step of your life? What are you waiting for? Get to know Jesus personally and intimately right now. Don't wait. You may not get another chance. It's time.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate