Here’s the review:

”As I listened to these simple words, I realized that I say thank you so many times each day, and do I say it to Jesus that much? No, sadly no. It’s really nice when I hear a song for the first time and it opens my eyes and my heart.”

Amazing Grace may be one of the most iconic Christian songs ever written; Christian and non-Christian alike have heard it sung so many times that we’ve almost become numb to the real meaning of the song.  When I wrote my version I had no intention of sitting down and writing a new version of “Amazing Grace”.  I had no goal in mind other than expressing to God what was in my heart at the time- that His grace is so WONDERFUL, and so AMAZING!  The original words to Amazing Grace came to my mind at the time, but a new melody to express those words came out of my mouth!  It was just me, Jesus and my guitar when it happened; and so I decided to record it just like that- as simply as it came to me.

I was so happy that my first reviewer of the song “got it.”  They heard in the song what I felt when I wrote it- God’s grace is amazing and when we truly grasp that, thanks to Him will flow from our heart and lips.

I’ve spent most of my life being amazed by Jesus- I have no clue why He would love me as He does.  I certainly don’t deserve it, and yet, His tenderness, gentleness, and love are always there for me even when I’m at my worst.

I hope my song helps you to really hear the words that John Newton wrote so long ago when he penned Amazing Grace.  I hope by the time you’re done listening to the song you’re also “giving thanks to God” saying “Yes!!! Thank you Jesus, You are AMAZING!”

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16

I became a born again Christian in the summer/fall of 1984. I give the precise time a little leeway because I can’t say exactly when it happened. I like to say that God caught me by surprise because I had no clue what was going on with me- all I knew is that my life was in transition and I was suddenly alive to the reality of Jesus and eternal things! This wasn’t like my previous ventures into astrology, astral projection, and psychic fairs. I knew that in some way I’d never be the same again- I was riveted by the Word of God and captivated by Jesus.

During that time of transition I would devour the bible; I read it morning, noon and night. I was like a great big sponge just trying to soak in as much as I could. I found Jesus in my bedroom, not in a church, so any outside influence would usually come through radio or TV. It might sound strange, but I never even really thought of going to church until many months after finding Jesus. By that time I’d already completely read the bible through twice. The more I read, the more I wanted!

During those days I was a clerk at Radio Shack. The mall where I worked was almost uninhabited and I’d often not have a customer for hours. Some days I might only have a couple customers for the whole day! I spent the time reading my bible and listening to radio preachers. After work I’d sometimes drive to a local dance club that I used to hang out at before becoming a Christian. I was gloriously free and not in the least bit legalistic. Whatever changes that were happening in my life were because I wanted them, not because somebody told me I couldn’t do this or that. So I’d drive to our local disco listening to radio preachers the whole way!

I’ll never forget one cold winter night sitting outside the bar watching the dance floor lights bounce around and light up the room while I sat in my car riveted by the Word of God that was coming through my radio. Most times the reception was not that great and I’d often lean into the dash trying to pick out the words from the crackling speaker as the AM signal went in and out of range. On that winter night I was tuned into Charles Stanley, one of my favorite radio preachers. He had a program called InTouch and I couldn’t get enough of it. I still remember the teaching series he was going through that night- “Advancing Through Adversity”. As the lights continued to flicker and the music rumbled in the bar I listened to Charles Stanley as he taught about the life of the Apostle Paul and the adversity Paul went through; and how God used it all to bring about His glorious ends. I was captivated! Riveted by the Word of God! I couldn’t move from that place until I heard the whole thing. After the broadcast was over I looked over at the bar and it’s bright lights doing patterns on the dance floor, turned on my car, and drove away. I was done- I didn’t want it anymore.

Now you have to understand, I’m not one of those Christians who believes dancing is sinful. I didn’t think that way then, and I still don’t. It went much deeper than that: I had been riveted by the Word of God, captivated by a life that was so much more than what I was living. The whole bar scene just seemed empty compared to what I saw in front of me portrayed in the pages of God’s Word. He had something better, and I wanted it! So I said goodbye to one thing and opened the door to another. It wasn’t hard to do, and nobody told me it was something I had to do- I just drove off, sure that God had something more for me than what I’d been living.

When Jesus captivates your heart, everything changes… it’s really that simple. And so I was beginning a journey with Him, a journey that would turn out to be the best move I’d ever made: Not simply leaving the bar… choosing Jesus. What happened that night, is that in one small area of my life I decided to choose Jesus. I did it simply because the vision of who He is, and what He has for me, filled my heart and mind.

Twenty six years later I’m still choosing Jesus for the same reasons: The Word of God captivates me, rivets me- opens my eyes to who He is and what He has for my life, and I can suddenly see! Not that I’ve been perfect these 26 years; far from it. If anything, I wonder why He ever came into my life and showed me mercy in the first place. The years I’ve been a Christian haven’t proved that I was somehow worthy to be His. Quite to the contrary! All the years have done is make me wonder more at His grace and love- you’re not going to find me bragging about how good I am. I’m at His feet just as I was 26 years ago, seeking forgiveness- more aware than I’ve ever been at my need of Him and what He’s done for all of us at the cross.

And I’m still riveted.

Yesterday I drove up to our apartment parking lot and couldn’t get out of the car. It was my radio again! I’m still stunned, still amazed by the Word of God and the things I find in it. I see things in it, and hear things from it, that stop me in my tracks- just makes me sit there and go “Whew! That’s God’s Word!” It’s always new no matter how many times you’ve read it. It’s always got something to say directly to me. It can stop me short, cut me to the heart, and blow away all my excuses; it can comfort me in it’s next breath. It never ceases to amaze me, and never fails to reveal my amazing Savior, Jesus Christ.

We don’t like to be told, “Stop sinning!”  We like Jesus and all His benefits- that all sounds good… but stop sinning?  No, that’s not as appealing!

The story I read today in the gospel of John is really quite amazing…  Jesus encounters a man who’s been an invalid for 38 years.  He heals the man instantly: The guy picks up his mat and walks away with a fresh start.  It was the Sabbath, and some Jewish men see him carrying his mat on the Sabbath and call him on it, “Hey! The law forbids you to carry your mat today!”

Now many people I’ve heard teach on this passage focus on the hard hearted response this guy got.  After all, he’d just been healed of a 38 year condition!  But as I was reading the passage today I found myself a lot more interested in the healed man’s response to Jesus…

After being confronted for carrying his mat his accusers wanted to know who had the gall to tell him it was okay to pick up his mat and walk around with it on the Sabbath.  Well, the guy had no idea who Jesus was; all he knew was that he’d just been healed.  One thing I’m sure he DID know, is that the guys that were looking for Jesus weren’t out to give him a pat on the back!

Some time later Jesus found the healed man at the temple, and here’s where it gets interesting… 

Jesus tells the man, “See, you are well again.  Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”  I take it the man didn’t appreciate Jesus’ advice because he went away and told the accusing Jews who were looking for Him exactly who He was!

Thanks for the healing, but I don’t need the lecture!

I get the feeling the guy didn’t mind being healed, but he didn’t appreciate being told not to sin.  Jesus has this guy pegged, and quite honestly, the guy doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson.  As I read it, Jesus said, “See, you are well again.”  In other words he wasn’t always an invalid, there was a time when he was well, and to me it sure looks like it may very well have been something he did wrong that caused him to be in the condition he was in for 38 years.  Jesus tells him, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you!”  In other words, “It might be even worse the next time around… you better stop what you’re doing!”

I also get the impression that whatever it is this guy did that caused him to wind up as an invalid for 38 years, he went right back to it after he got healed!  The guy just gets healed and Jesus is already having to tell him, “Stop it!  Stop sinning… Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?”  38 years later and the guy’s back to his old tricks; as soon as he has a chance to sin again he takes it!

He may have been an invalid for 38 years, he may have ended up that way because of his own sin, but being shown mercy and receiving healing didn’t seem to change his hardened heart- His reaction to Jesus’ rebuke was to go out and cause trouble for Jesus!  What an attitude!  “Who is this guy to tell me to stop sinning!”

That’s the way I read it.  We don’t really know what happened later.  Hopefully the guy thought about it some more and humbled himself by turning from his sin.  If not, it wouldn’t surprise me if he found himself in an even worse situation, just as Jesus had said might happen.

Let’s not kid ourselves, Jesus has our number- We’re transparent to Him, He knows everything that’s going on.  The Christian life is not just “be made whole”, it’s “go and sin no more”.  If we think otherwise we’re only fooling ourselves.

 Read the story in John 5:1-15

“I know so many things have changed
But Jesus Christ is still the same,
And He is standing at the gate
Calling to you

You might think after all you’ve done
He wouldn’t care about you now,
But that’s the thing about His love
It keeps holding on…

And I’m praying for you,
cause you used to follow Jesus…”

Today’s lyrics are from a song I wrote called, “I’m praying for you”.  Over the years I’ve had many friends, and known many people, who started down the path of life and for one reason or another got sidetracked.  Some started well, but when faced with life’s disappointments, questioned the reality of a loving God.  Some chose sin over obedience and seemingly just walked away.  Another was hurt badly by someone else sinning against them.  One friend of mine rose like a rocket and burned brightly for a brief moment in time, and then just as quickly, fizzled out and faded away.  I could go on and on about all the possible reasons people fail to stay in the faith.  I could enter into the debate of whether they were even saved in the first place, and know that some would probably say they were never really Christians at all.  But what would be the point?  All I know is that the love of Jesus Christ is the strongest thing in all the universe. 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

When I think of those who once named His name and now no longer follow Him, I appeal to the love of Jesus and I pray for them.  I know He’s longsuffering; I know He just doesn’t let go, as we so often do when frustrated by others.  There is no love like the love of Jesus!  Do you believe that?  Then pray!  Call out to Him and appeal to His mercy and love for those you know who have left the way. 

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”   (Matthew 18:12-14)

“He’s God’s only forgotten Son
Pushed away by a world gone wrong,
For there’s never a thought
Of the love that He brought
And no thanks for the things that He’s done

He’s the treasure of God’s own heart
To a world living in the dark,
And if they only knew
Even had just a clue
Their denial would tear them apart…”

Do you need any more proof of the reality of sin than that God’s only begotten Son could be so easily laid aside and forgotten?  The world goes on from day to day with barely a thought that it lies under the judgment of God, oblivious to the obvious… we will all one day die and have to face Him.  What’s even more startling though is God’s made a way of escape for all of us and we ignore it:  He sent Jesus to free us from the certain judgment that awaits us, and we don’t even care!  Tell me that sin isn’t real!

Deception and blindness is at the heart of all sin; Adam and Eve succumbed to it in the garden (Genesis 3) and we’re still blinded to this day.  The serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die”.  If there was ever a one trick pony, it’s the Devil.  He hasn’t changed a word since his original lie, and we keep falling for it… hook, line and sinker.

Do you want to know if sin has actual power?  Ask yourself what sane man would willingly board a bus to hell when God is offering a ticket to heaven free of charge?  The very Creator of the universe sent His Son into the world to rescue you from an eternity in hell and you don’t even care? I don’t need anymore proof of the blinding power of sin than that!  God’s Son comes to forgive you, and wash away your sin, and you toss Him aside because you have better things to do with your life than mess around with “religion”?  I hate to say it, but you’ve been blinded to the greatest love the world has ever known!

“The god of this age (the devil) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The greatest thing that’s ever happened to this world was the entry of Jesus into it.  Do you know Him?  Are you living for Him?  Is He forgotten, or loved by you?

If you’re seeking, go here.

If you’re wandering away from the truth, go here.

“Why did a Holy God
even give us another thought?
He could have held His breath
and the world have died-
Adam by Eve’s own side.
and that would have been the end.”

I heard a preacher recently thunder the wrath of God.  Actually he was very soft spoken, but His words carried the message of God’s judgment.  I’m not totally against that either.  You’ll find that I talk about these things in many of my posts.  There are biblical truths that have been largely discarded, and the message of God’s holiness, wrath, and judgment is almost completely absent in today’s church.  These are truths that need to be taught again.  Scripture teaches, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”  (Hebrews 10:31)  The NASB version puts it this way:

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

I wonder how often you hear that preached today?  It is the truth, and it’s something we need to remember and take very seriously.  Our God is holy and we better be careful to never forget that.  I won’t mention names, but there are some who have appeared and taken up that message, and taken it up very strongly.  You can find their videos on YouTube, their messages on various blogs, and maybe you’ve even gotten an email or two from a friend who’s been shaken by the gravity of what they’ve heard, and it’s caused them to sit up and evaluate their relationship with God.  I think that’s a good thing.  If the bible is telling us that it’s a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God while we go about acting like it’s no big deal to encounter Him, we’ve got a problem!

But I would like to mention another problem:  If we get so focused on the message of God’s judgment and wrath that we forget His mercy, we have an even bigger problem!

“He could have held His breath
and the world have died-
Adam by Eve’s own side.
and that would have been the end.”

God could have ended everything with Adam and Eve.  He could have withheld His breath and their sin would have been the last human sin He ever had to deal with, but He didn’t do that.  What does that tell us about God?  It tells me that His heart of mercy is greater than His desire to send judgment.  It tells me that His love is higher on the ladder than His wrath:  God will find a way to send mercy, and remove judgment, even if it means Him paying the highest price.  He proved that to us by sending His Son as a sacrifice who would bear the penalty for our sins, taking upon Himself the wrath we deserved. 

A return to holiness preaching

Yesterday while listening to a revival preacher in a church we were visiting I heard 1 1/2 hours about God’s judgment, wrath, and displeasure with sin, but God’s answer to our sin problem was never really presented!  I was left with the feeling that God could, and would, smote me for my disobedience and that I “better get right with God”.  The way that I was “to get right with God” was by repenting of my sin.  (More on that later…)  Furthermore, I was told (along with everyone else in the room) that when I stood before Him, if I hadn’t gotten rid of all my “blots and blemishes” I wouldn’t have a prayer in the world of getting into heaven and would be cast straight into hell!  Over and over we were told of our need to be righteous and to live right.  We were reminded that God hates our secret sin.  We were reprimanded for not truly being His disciples if we failed to live correctly, and warned that we would ultimately be found to be fakes and cast out by Jesus with a word:

“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

You could hear a pin drop!  And rightly so.  Where do you hear anything like this preached today with any kind of seriousness?  There are tons of places in the bible that warn of self deception, sin and God’s wrath, so why don’t we ever hear any of these things being preached? Many in the church are waking up to the fact that just calling oneself a Christian doesn’t cut it.  Just praying a prayer to “get saved” doesn’t cut it…  So we’re beginning to hear the other side:  God is a holy God and wants us as His children to be holy.  Preaching holiness is scriptural and we need it… but…

Working my way to heaven?

Somewhere during this preacher’s message I began to get concerned however.  Where was Jesus in all this?  The gospel was never really mentioned!  It was all about me “getting right” and I couldn’t help but think, “Man! Without Jesus, I have no righteousness.”  It was all about me repenting, all about me being a disciple, all about me getting rid of my own “blots and blemishes”, all about me “getting my robe clean”.  Hold on!  I thought Jesus was my righteousness.  I thought Jesus clothed me with His robe of righteousness.

“It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)

The most serious error of all!

As much as I truly believe there needs to be a return to holiness preaching and “walking as Jesus walked”, we need to be careful that we don’t fall into the most serious error of all:  Forgetting Jesus!  After everything’s said and done, the only way we can stand before a Holy God is to be hidden in Christ.  He alone is our righteousness.  The most serious error of all is to forget that fact.  Like my wife said later as we sat in the parking lot discussing this… “I could scrub and scrub my robe all day long but it still wouldn’t be clean enough.  I would still have so many stains…”  Exactly!  You can’t scrub your robe clean enough to stand before a Holy God.  If you think you can, you still don’t understand just how Holy He is, (or how sinful you are!).

Hearing this “preacher of righteousness” reminded me of a few things:

1. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment.  The fact that the human race continued after Adam and Eve proves that fact!  He could have ended the whole thing right there.  Don’t get so focused on His wrath that you forget His mercy!
2. Even so, we need to preach about God’s wrath and judgment because those things are very real too.  God sent a flood, and He tells us that the present world we live in will be destroyed by fire.  We should be telling people the whole counsel of God, and talking about God’s judgment is part of that.
3. Don’t exchange one error for an even bigger error:  God’s Word tells us over and over again that we are to live holy lives because our God is holy.  Omitting to teach and practice this truth is a serious error.  However, in our zeal to reclaim the truth of holiness we need to be careful that we don’t commit an even more serious error.  Jesus alone is our righteousness, and He alone is the reason we will be able to stand before a Holy God.  If we forget this truth we have made the most serious error of all! 

We are not saved by our works, we better very careful that we don’t give people the impression that we are!

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”

(Galatians 1:6-9)

There’s one thing worse than not preaching holiness… it’s failing to preach that ultimately Jesus alone is that holiness for us.  No matter how hard we try, no matter how holy we get, if we don’t realize that Jesus alone is the only way to stand before a holy God, we’ve made the most serious error of all!

“Almighty God, omnipotent
thy wrath is strong-
but love was sent

Upon the cross, the word made flesh
gave us His robe
of righteousness…”

Jesus could have wiped me off the face of the earth because of my sin and been completely justified in doing it, but He didn’t!  Who believes in the God of the bible anymore?  The God of the bible is Almighty: all powerful, all knowing… and just.  He sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah.  In Noah’s day he sent a flood, saying, “I will wipe mankind, whom I’ve created from the face of the earth…” (Genesis 6:7)  He hasn’t changed.  In the New Testament we find this:

“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

God may have been tamped down and tamed in the minds of modern men but it would be wise to remember that He is still Almighty God.  He tells us what the future holds in 2 Peter 3:1-17 where it’s graphically laid out for us:  The same God who sent a flood will be sending fire!

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

I urge you to read the whole chapter; the God of the bible is very much alive, and as my lyrics express, his wrath is strong.

Why the Lamb of God?

“Upon the cross, the word made flesh
gave us His robe
of righteousness…”

Praise God!  His wrath is not the end of the story:  Wrath will come, but first love is sent!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

We are living in a time of unprecedented grace.  God came to earth… His name is Jesus.  He put on our mortal flesh and walked among us.  He went to the cross and died for us as the sacrificial Lamb of God.  In that act of sacrifice, His blood was shed for our sins.  He paid the price and penalty of God’s judgment in our place.  All that we deserved as punishment for our sins, He took upon Himself.  In that act of love, He did something more… He gave us His righteousness.

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Jesus gave us His robe of righteousness!  He took your sin, and gave you His righteousness.

Why judgment waits

2 Peter 3:9 tells us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Judgment is being held back because God in His patience is giving you a chance to escape it!  Will you take His offer of love?

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

The same God who hates sin, who has sent judgment in the past, and who promises that one day the world will be destroyed by fire, is holding out His hand of forgiveness, mercy, and love to you.  Will you take it?

If you’re answer is yes, go here.

If you’re wandering away from the truth, go here.

How do you become a Prodigal son or daughter?  It’s not that hard really; all you have to do is walk away from the Father’s love.  Sometimes we just walk away and everyone knows it; we go back to the pigpen of the world and it’s obvious to everyone.  Sometimes it happens like erosion; we don’t even know how we got where we are.  We’re still “talkin’ the talk”, going to church, smiling our Christian smile… but if we just stop to think about it, there’s nothing inside; it’s not real anymore.  You’ve become a prodigal. 

The scariest thing is that you can be a Prodigal and not even know it!  Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that they are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”… but they have no clue! They have “Prodigal” written all over their foreheads but don’t see it at all. You can look, sound, and act like a Christian… and be a million miles away from your Father’s house.

I wrote this song because I’ve been there, and it just seemed such a strange contradiction to be a “Child of the King” and be so empty inside. Our Father’s heart is that we’d come to our senses and return home. He’s so ready to receive us with open arms!

The Prodigal Son:  Luke 15:11-31

The song, “It Shouldn’t Be Like That”  is available at iTunes and amazon.com .  Also available on my site here, and at CD Baby here , and at other download sites.

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

I love this verse.  If the truth is told, I deserve to be “consumed” by the fires of hell.  It’s not because I have no guilt that God spares me, it’s because of the LORD’S mercies!  It’s not because I “fail not” that I receive His love, it’s because HIS compassions never fail.  But the best part is that they are new “every morning”.  I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to bed thinking, “Oh Lord, what have I done?  I’m so sorry…”  only to awake and think of this verse and remember that it’s all washed away by His mercy and compassion.  The blood of Jesus never fails.  What He did on the cross for us cannot be undone.  If only the whole world could grasp the love and kindness of God, “that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”  What guilt could be taken away!  How different the world would be if everyone understood His love!

I had just released and uploaded my song, “Where is the love?” on June 25th and on that day found an email from David Wilkerson’s ministry titled, “Are you a merciful person?”   It was one of those God moments that stops and makes you think.  My new song is all about showing mercy and how Christians judge each other and the hurting world around them, so getting an email about that subject the very day I released the song was bound to get my attention!  You should go and read what he has to say.  You can find his article here.  I appreciate what he wrote, and can say that some of the things he spoke were all too real to me as our small home group went through a rough spot recently.  The scripture tells us that “if one part suffers, every part suffers with it… “  (1 Corinthians 12:26)  Do we understand that we can make the suffering worse by our lack of mercy?  But love covers a multitude of sins. Mercy triumphs over judgment!  (James 2:13)  If only we could grab a hold of that!