The Lord Wants a Relationship With... Me?

"The arms that hold the universe are holding you tonight
You can rest inside, it's gonna be alright
And the voice that calmed the ragging sea is calling you his child
So be still and know He's in control, He will never let you go."

I first heard those lyrics in the car with my brother. The words hit my eardrums, resounded, and then re-resounded. At first it was nothing but lyrics to a song to me.

When we got home I was listening to that same CD, and that song came on again. This time I realized how absurd that sounded to me. I mean, come on. We've all heard the story of the disciples on the boat when a storm came. Jesus was sleeping, they woke him, scared stiff. He rebuked the storm, and... well it listened. He told the winds and the waves "Quiet! Be still!" And they did exactly that. So I didn't really see how that same voice could want to call me, a hell-deserving sinner, his child.

But now I see why. He doesn't see my sin. Heck, He doesn't even see me. He sees His son, His son's life, and his son's blood that covers my sin.

Lyrics were taken from Fee's "Arms That Hold the Universe"

Being Anchored in The Gospel

This last weekend our Church went on a retreat, and guess what we talked about. Anchors.

Anchors, yaya, those kind of anchors, the big steel things that boats toss over the edge during a storm to keep them grounded where they are. How are those related to the Gospel of Christ? Well just as those anchors were used to ground and steady boats during a storm; so is the Gospel used to be a foundation for our faith, so when the storms of life and trials come like driving rain we will can stay strong in our faith because of the Gospel.

The Bible gives us a clear picture of what the gospel truly is:
"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:21-26

Whoa, slow down there! Justified? Propitiation? Redemption? What do all these big four-syllable words mean?

Well in simple-mans terms, this is the gospel spelled out easily: Basically God sent his own son, his perfect son down to Earth do live the life we couldn't live in our sin and He then died the death we should have died. Through that god satisfied his wrath for our sin on his own son. Because of that we all are declared not guilty in God's eyes, and all of this was a gift; Not because we deserved it; Not because God thought we had earned it, but because He Loved us enough to do that. And all we have to do is believe that He did that for us, and that it is the only thing that can save us.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

That might just be the most wonderful sentence in the entire Bible, because if that sentence was not true, then even though God sent his son for us, that would all be for not, because when Jesus was up on that cross, we canceled the power of sin and condemnation.

So whether you've been a Christian all your life, and are still struggling with some foundational Gospel issues, or have just experienced the love of God for the first time, we all can learn a thing or two from the basics, THE GOSPEL!

My Way Home; The Song and The Story Behind That Song

The Story:
"Food and Gas - 45 Miles"
Drive Past
"Next Town - 63 Miles"
Drive Past

Watch as the speedometer reaches 74, with nothing around me but the monotone sound of the engine, and faltering yellow lines every 10 feet on the desolate road under my wheels.

Desolate, just like me.

I wonder to myself if they have even noticed that I left; probably not. But neither would I, if I were them.

Nothing but me, my wallet with a total of 36 dollars and some odd change in it, and my guitar case, whose ever hour is spent silently collecting dust, and the desolate road under my wheels.

Desolate, just like me.

Pull in to some no-name, one street town. All lights are out at 8:59, except for one lowly gas station with two pumps, one pump, the other is broken. Step inside to get some dinner and maybe a drink. "Rusty" read the clerks dirty name tag, poorly fastened to his oil stained shirt. Talk to him for 20 minutes or so.

First conversation, in 3 hours and 17 minutes and 42 seconds.

He said something, muffled by his beard with the stench of alcohol on his breath, but I still heard. That sentence caught me like a dear in the headlights on a desolate road, like the one I just pulled off of.

Desolate, just like me.

Thank him for his time and services, fill up with gas, using the rest of my 36 dollars and 83 cents. Pull out of gas station, back on to the one desolate street of that town.

Desolate, not like me, not anymore. I have found my way home

The Song:

Verse 1:
I ran away looking for a place to call my own
A place to call my home
And she probably doesn't still remember
That night in December

Chorus:
I see her standing there as my train pulls near
All my fears leave when she smiles back at me
I don't really know why I left
I only know is that I've found my way home

Verse 2:
I had never looked back since the day I left that day last year
I left what I held dear
And I have now found out what I most missed
Was what she had promised

Chorus

Bridge:
Well I've been up and I've been down
I was feeling all along when I left that town
I'm back home and I can see
What I really needed was right in front of me

Chorus (x2)

Outro:
I've found my way home
Now I'm home