Music Monday [KJ52 - Brand New Day]

New mercy

I am loving this new song from KJ52.  From the title to the period of these lyrics, the whole song just meets me in my faith growing season.  

Favorite lines are...and my responses to the lyrics are in red.

Your life is all I chase ~ Yes, Lord take my life...make it yours!
I run right upon this race ~ Running to You brings new opportunities to discover You!
Cause in you I’m gone put all my faith ~ There is nowhere else that satisfies like you God.
Some nights I lose my way ~ Some days I lose it too.
Sometimes I walk and stray ~ Sometimes I run away.
But you come right inside my space ~ I'll open the door for You.
And each time you come you give me strength~Your strength that I don't have.
This time I fix my gaze ~ So help me through this maze.
This time it wont be the same ~ I am praying You will make me Your different.
This time I wont be ashamed ~ Honestly, I will let it out.
So this time I can’t help but say that. ~ I must say my things to give You praise.

Your sunlight is on my face ~ Your Light reflects your wonderful grace.
I look back how far I came ~ And I am amazed at what you have tamed.
I think about how much I’ve changed ~ Change is hard, but changes are good.
It was hard at times but I’m not the same ~ How can I not be changed?

Why would I want to be the same?  That is a great question!  I don't know why I would want to refuse God's best.  When I read His word...I am changed.  There is always some truth that I can apply to my life.  And because of His truth, He is changing me to be more and more like Him.  I have come some distance, but anytime my nowhere collides with God's somewhere, well..that's a corner I want to camp out on.

So....no...I’m not where I want to be, but I’m not where I used to be.  God's not done with me yet.  He's not done with you either.

What changes have you seen God do in your life?

Can You Ever Forgive? {Dangerous - KJ52}

A right and different perspective on forgiveness is found in the lyrics of KJ52's song "Dangerous".  As he points out, it's one thing to forgive, but a whole other story to forget.  The problem is when we don't move past our hurts we are the ones held captive by the dangerous ways of resentment and bitterness.  


You have been abused by someone you trusted?  


You have regret for not making someone pay for a wrong they did towards you?  


You have poured out your heart for your wayward son to come home and he still hasn't looked back or said "boo"?  


Your family has fallen apart after an affair?  


Someone has walked out and said "I can't take this anymore!"


You have been by hurt a co-workers harsh words and treatment? 


A stranger ran over your sister and then drove home?  


Fact...there are major hurts in the world that happen on a hourly basis.  We live in a fallen world with people who hate, cheat, wound and break.  This is life, and we have to deal with it.  We've all had our heart broken at least once or twice, and yet we are told as Christians that we have to forgive.  It's not that easy.  


We can be consumed with infectious bitterness and animosity over the littlest or biggest of reasons.  If we don't deal with the hurts we will harbor unforgiveness in our heart for whatever reason that doesn't matter and it ends up festering feverishly in our already broken and bleeding heart.  Don't get caught up in all the infection.  


The bottom line is that we have been forgiven by God for all our sins, so we in turn have to forgive.  It's not a choice really but obedience.  God covered ALL our sins with the blood of His son Jesus.  We received God's grace free and clear.  We received forgiveness with the same degree of grace.  We didn't have to die on the cross for our own sins, nor should we crucify people on our crosses because of the ways we have been wronged.  By holding onto an unforgiving spirit you are really the one being held captive for what has hurt you.  


Forgiveness is the result of the outward act of Christ on the cross.  Don't let the inward bitterness leave you groping in the dark places of hate and malice.   It's a long hard road to nowhere.  It's a dangerous way to live.  


We have to remember we serve a God of great compassion and he forgets our sins without holding ours sins against us.  His heart is captive for us in a forgiven state.  He is slow to anger.  He doesn't get riled up easily.  

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  Psalm 145:8

He loves us in spite of our sins and this same kind of love compels us to let go of the daggers of words and actions that can plant deep in our wounded hearts and restore relationships as He intended.


It's a dangerous love, a forgiving love, it's grace filled love and freedom!  Forgive and forget as you have been forgiven and as your sins have been forgotten from the east is from the west.  And then multiply that 70 x 7 times.   And then hit repeat.


If forgiveness isn't central to our faith, is our faith really Christian?