Black Keys Melody

As I continue to search both myself and the Scriptures, I am amazed at the short-sightedness of Man. For many of us, accepting Christ's wondrous salvation was the first and last life-altering and soul-liberating decision we made in our spiritual existence. Once we have secured our eternal destiny, we put no effort towards establishing our God-given identity. Jesus Christ has freed us from Satan's stronghold, but we linger about the premises, fearing the unknown.  Whilst reading through Mark, I came across the passage where Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy. Reading that portion of Scripture in chapter 9, I realized that we have all been paralyzed and possessed like that young man. It is the work of Christ in our spirit that saves us from that torment. Christ's salvation is welcomed into our life by faith. In Mark 9, the father of the demon possessed boy demonstrates his faith and begs for more. "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things ar...

Recently, someone told me: "God loves you unconditionally". That statement should not have surprised me, but it did. If my childhood Sunday school teachers saw my surprise at the idea of God's unconditional love, they would be grieved. Had I never heard those children's songs--"Jesus Loves Me" or "Jesus Loves The Little Children"? How could I forget something so fundamental to the act of salvation? After all, the Bible says: "For God so loved the world". The basis of all Christianity--the basis of a restored relationship between God and Man--is the ultimate, self-sacrificing, Agape  love of God.  Yet, hearing someone say that God loves me  and that He loves me unconditionally  left me dumbfounded. In my mind, I was knowledgeable of God's love, but I had not let that knowledge seep into my heart and become a life-changing belief.       Let me say it to you. Maybe you will find it as surreal as I did.  God Loves you.  My knee-jerk react...

We all have that moment. The pain is so concentrated that even thinking back on that situation or that place makes you ball your fists in anger, tears springing to your eyes. Nearly every night, I lay in bed, and I pray in an attempt to accept that moment in my life. I say that God had a purpose, that I am better for the suffering, and that He is in that moment with me. But the tears still threaten to fall and the fingers still curl at the memory of feeling so absolutely helpless. Beyond all else, I wish I could justify that time in my life, but I cannot. Instead, I entertained other thoughts, trying to explain why those unjustifiable days ever had to happen.  Does God love me? Yes, I double checked. The Bible mentions His never-ending, omnipotent love many times. Besides just that, I knew logically that He loves me. If He did not love me, why would Jesus have ever come to save me? That made me pause. God loves me, and I suffer. God loves Jesus, and Jesus suffered. If God is the...

Like thousands of people across America, my birthday happened to be during quarantine this year. Shopping for gifts would be considered nonessential, so orders and packages were my lot. I love receiving mail, but only days after my gifts were ordered, shipping warehouses across the country closed down for months on end. Today, months after my birthday came and went, I finally received my gifts in the mail. I was exuberant to see the quality of what my family had ordered, and I made a remark that stuck out to me: "This gift was definitely worth waiting for".  Just earlier this week, I was struggling with oppressive and depressive thoughts all centered on that one idea: waiting. I was frustrated because I could not justify the trials I recently endured. I wanted to believe God loved me, but I could not understand why He would allow me to suffer. I wanted to look towards the future with excitement, but I only felt apprehension, wondering when I would have to suffer again. ...