"For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love"

The first time I heard Maverick City Music’s 2021 song “I thank God” was at a church service.  Here’s a sampling of the lyrics: “And just when I ran out of road, I met a Man I didn’t know, and He told me that I was not alone.  He picked me up, He turned me around, He placed my feet on solid ground.  I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, because He healed my heart, He changed my name; forever free, I’m not the same.  I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God.”  When I initially heard this song, it resonated deep within me.  And, upon hearing this song on the radio again today, it still does.

It was most fitting that I heard “I thank God” today.  Because I do thank God.  Romans 11:36 sums it up well for me: “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.”  Today I celebrate – as I do every April – how the Lord spared my life as a baby from a horrible disease.  On that day in April, decades ago, I flat-lined for 3 minutes, but God intervened; He put life and breath back into me, and the disease was gone, never to return!  I have also been privileged to see other miracles in my life as well.  I wish I could go on and on speaking about those episodes, but for today it will have to do to say, without these miraculous occurrences, I would not be here today.

I’m humbled by God’s grace and faithfulness.  Candidly, He has been faithful, even though I have not always been faithful to Him.  I told you back in January that I thought about calling that particular blog “I’m no Superman” from Lazlo Bane’s song, popularized by the theme song from the TV show “Scrubs”.  I want to reiterate that again today: God has not shown up in these miraculous ways because I’m some superhuman figure.  The Lord knows the sin that still so easily ensnares me (as Hebrews 12 puts it).  God chose to mightily show up in my life simply because He chose to do so, and I’m forever grateful.

Let me also go on record of saying that the greatest miracle, by far, that has occurred in my life is the gift of salvation from God; to have my sins forgiven, thanks to the shed blood of Jesus on the cross (Ephesians 1:7) is a gift beyond my words to properly express.  I was just a boy when I put my faith in Christ; and now all these years later, I still consider it the best thing that has ever happened to me.  “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1)!

To conclude for today, as I was praying over this blog today, I was reminded of a song by the group Avalon, a song that I had not thought of for years.  Back in 1997, on their “A maze of grace” CD, was a song called “Testify to love”.  The words of this song contain what I want to do, as long as I draw breath; they sing, “For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love; I’ll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough.  With every breath I take, I will give thanks to God above; for as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.”

God bless,

Kevin

"Sing like never before"

Back in January of 2023, I blogged about how I saw someone that I had not seen in almost 20 years.  This was a very odd, surreal experience.  I likened it to how an aged Bruce Wayne must have felt, in a clever time travel narrative on the show “Justice League Unlimited”, when he met his younger self.  Incidentally, this was just an analogy; I don’t consider myself to be aged – although it’s true that I’m not a young man anymore, either! 

I bring it up now because this phenomenon happened again, just recently.  I had the chance to catch up with someone that I had not seen in 3 years.  To be reminded of what would soon enter my life then – an ulcer, anemia, and days in the emergency room – was stark and jarring.  It was an incredible reminder that God chose to spare my life for this day, this hour.  It was a reminder that, while I’ve always been grateful for every day I see, today I feel this on a deeper, more visceral level.

Last month, I described how God has used these fiery ordeals I’ve experienced to refine me into a more complete, mature person.  But you know what else I’ve discovered as I consider all of this?  It’s the humbling fact that while I’m not the same person I was 3 years ago I still have so much more to go.  There is more work for the Lord to do in me.

I was reminded of a segment from a Christian radio announcer a few years ago.  By the way, whenever I mention something a Christian radio announcer said, it is a high compliment indeed; because my father – Jerry Bauer – was a fabulous radio announcer who set the bar very high in my eyes.  This radio personality was commenting on a line from Matt Redman’s excellent song “10,000 reasons (Bless the Lord)”; in the midst of worshipping God, Matt has the line: “sing like never before”.  This Christian DJ stated with all that’s going on in the chaotic world, it’s so important to remember to “sing like never before” to a watching world. 

“Bless the Lord, oh my soul,” sings Matt Redman (can you hear his voice in your head as you read this?), “oh my soul; worship His holy name.  Sing like never before, oh my soul, I’ll worship Your holy name.”  In this context of the trials I’ve been through, I resonate with the DJ’s sentiments.

While I’m on the subject of this Matt Redman song, there is a section of it that hits me differently now.  And I’ve been meaning to bring the concept up here anyway.  I’ll cite it, in conclusion.  He sings, “And on that day when my strength is failing, the end draws near and my time has come, still my soul will sing Your praise unending.  Ten thousand years, and then forevermore.”  Because of my faith in, and my relationship with Jesus, this will be my reality in Heaven one day!

God bless,

Kevin