Freedom!

"A soul alive, is one quickened by Christ. True spiritual life depends entirely on daily grace, as the same power that initially gives life is required to sustain it." - C.H. Spurgeon

What are you thinking about and why does it matter? Throughout the Bible, we see verse after verse reminding us of the importance of our thoughts and why we need to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. But we also need to be aware of our true condition before we can appreciate the freedom that God desires and equips us to have in Christ!

"The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." - Genesis 6:5

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." - Romans 3:11-12

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." - Proverbs 14:12

So if we incapable of doing good in God's eyes, what chance do we have of pleasing God? Fortunately God does not leave us without redemption, Praise God! Read on for the Good News!

Oh, The Places I've Seen (Part I)

 

Chuck Swindoll "Five Statements To Remember"

When God rescued me from myself in my late twenties, He had a lot of work to do in my heart and soul. My worldview needed to be replaced with biblical truth and God used a few different Pastors on the radio to help get me started in this journey. I was working as a Vice-President for Southern Food out of Nashville, but that title was just a fancy re-dressing of the more accurate description of supervisor. I was in charge of seven Wendy's restaurants, with locations as far south as Rome, GA and as far north as Cleveland, TN. and as you can imagine, I spent a lot of time in my car. NOTE: This was right at the cusp of mobile phones becoming an essential tool and though my company had purchased a bag phone (look that up kids) for my purposes, it was rarely utilized.

During my travels, the local radio stations were my entertainment of choice. I've always enjoyed talk radio and during my commute I found a couple of stations that had programs from preachers such as, Tony Evans, Charles Stanley, Steve Brown, Chuck Colson, and my favorite, Chuck Swindoll. I look back with great fondness of driving those distances accompanied by some of my favorite teachers, pointing me to the truth about Jesus Christ and the life He desired me to live. Driving through the hills of Northern Georgia, the sun fighting to stay relevant on the horizon, with the promise of clarity that only the night is so quick to impart, were special times indeed. 

Harry Chapin

 

Harry Chapin was a generationally talented songwriter, and an even more gifted performer. His life was cut short before he turned 40, but the songs he wrote continue to outlive his short career. And looking back so many of his songs dealt with the brevity of life, and the choices between dreams and family, (or passion versus responsibility - whichever way you choose to look at it . . .) 

The song above, W.O.L.D., as well as his classic, "Cats In The Cradle, are probably two of his most popular songs but his most haunting hit, in my opinion, is "Mr. Tanner". He was in heavy rotation in my late 70's playlists, which probably seems like a weird choice for a teenager. But there was something about his voice, that built a bridge, imparting hard-earned wisdom, tinged with pain, that demanded my attention. And his stories turned into lessons with the passage of time and the accumulation of my own experiences, and that is why I struggle to find the words to express my gratitude for his art.

Whatever your favorite Chapin song, I'll bet we'd agree that his talent was immense and burned brightly for too short a time.