raymond blogs…

(Note: It’s hard to put the chords above the correct words so you need to figure out when to transfer the chords.) 

I like this song because of the simplistic melody and the content of the song. In Don Moen - Thank You Lord, where this song is included, there are songs which are more musically artistic… but still, this one became my favorite. So here it is…

Rescue by Don Moen

Abm - B/Eb - EM7
Abm - B/Eb - EM7

Abm B/EB EM7 F# Abm
You are the source of life

B/Eb EM7 F# Abm
I can’t be left behind

B/Eb EM7 F# - Abm
No one else will do

B/Eb EM7 E9
I will take hold of you

B
Cause I need you Jesus

Gbsus/Bb
To come to me rescue

C#m7 E
Where else can I go

B
There’s no other name

Gbsus/Bb
By which I am saved

C#m7 E
Capture me with grace

Abm Ebm7 - EM7
I will follow you

Abm Ebm7 - EM7
I will follow you

My heart is yours for life
I need your hand in mine
No one else will do
I put my trust in you

Cause I need you jesus
To come to me rescue
Tell me Where else can I go
There’s no other name
By which I am saved
capture me with grace

Abm Ebm7 EM7
I will follow you I will follow you

Abm Ebm7 EM7
I will follow you This world has nothing for me

Abm Ebm7 EM7
I will follow you This world has nothing for me

Abm Ebm7 EM7
I will follow you This world has nothing for me

Abm Ebm7 EM7 E6
I will follow you This world has nothing for me

C [go one fret higher]
Cause I need you Jesus
To come to me rescue
Where else can I go
There’s no other name
By which I am saved
capture me with grace

I will follow you
I will trust in you
This world has nothing for me
I will trust in you
This world has nothing for me
I will follow you

. … .

Notice: Don Moen - Rescue lyrics, artist names and images are copyrighted to their respective owners. Don Moen - Rescue song lyrics are restricted for educational and personal use only.

We all have 24 hours each day. No one have more, no one have less. What is then the difference for it is evident that others accomplish more than the rest?

Respect of time. We must realize that time is a limited commodity. Our time on earth is limited, our years are numbered. So we must be wise then to redeem our time.

The desire to grow. You can use all your time digging dirt or you could use some of your time to polish your brain to have it function in its higher caliber. The question is, do you have the guts to do it? Are you motivated enough to make a change for good?

Growing is one of the most painful of all experiences. Suffering makes one grow. We didn’t plan to suffer but when we refuse to grow or mature, we suffer nonetheless. In that situation, being wise enought, we then make the decision to grow.

Imagination. We can use our imagination to work for us or against us. You can imagine that there is a lion waiting at the streets to eat you up, thus you are afraid to venture in the open in fear of being eaten up by a lion! So what is your lion? Isn’t it just a figment of your imagination that you created so that you can have an excuse to pamper yourself in bed all day?

Your imagination can do you unspeakable good. Take a good look at the city, tell me is there a single building that was built without an architect who designed it first conceptually on paper. Yes all creation starts at the mind. Be careful though that it will not die in there. Let your dreams grow strengthening it continually by feeding your mind with positive thoughts.

Direction. Where am I to go? That is one of the most difficult questions I have to answer recently. I have two job offers that compete each other in offered benefits but that doesn’t give me the reason not to decide. As painful as it can be we must make decisions that either break us or make us.

So where do we get our directions? The apostle Paul preached the good news from place to place. Like fire that burns everything in its way so is the apostle preaching the good news of salvation in every place he goes. But not always… at times the Holy Spirit hindered him to enter certain villages to direct him to other places instead.

We must be sensitive enough to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The bible says that the Children of God are led by the Spirit of God.

Rest. As important as utilizing our time wisely is taking time to rest. When we rest, we enable our bodies and imagination to recharge itself.

It is only by resting that we can accomplish more for it maintains the most important asset we use to achieve our goals – our physical bodies.

. … .

I wrote this article years ago and offered it on article directory sites for webmasters to use for free. A friend asked me to have it here, so here it is!

–Raymond

This is not a theological writing for I am not learned enough to do any serious theological musing. I heard over coffee conversations with friends about the debate of whether Judas was saved or not. Those who say that he was saved reasoned that Judas was instrumental in the crucifixion of Christ which fostered salvation to the world, so he should be saved! The negative side would retort that what Judas did, he did maliciously so he should be condemned!

But let us consider… Judas repented, didn’t he?

But then again some would argue that his repentance is not true repentance that leads to life (let me write on that some other time.) Others would say that he cannot be saved because he committed suicide; but then, I would ask, is there a verse in the Bible that specifically says that those who commit suicide would never be saved? Isn’t it that repentance can happen even on the last second of one’s life?

After some exchanges of this kind, a few would resign and say that the issue is not conclusive after all and that we should be content to just wait until we get to heaven to find out the truth of the matter.

Let me offer an insight that I got from my casual reading of the Word of God. Here is the fateful story:

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:1-5, NIV)

It seems clear to me that Judas repented for he said “I have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood.” So what then is the issue? It is clear that there is repentance so he must be saved then!

Not too fast, I think otherwise.

Let me back track for a moment to point that Judas followed Jesus at first because he believed that this man is the Messiah prophesied long ago by the prophets. After following and communing with Jesus for a considerable period of time (could be 1-2 yrs), he arrived to the conclusion that this man is not the Messiah after all. So he thought for himself and betrayed an innocent blood for some small fortune. (And we read that he repented of that afterwards.)

Allow me to bring into here the account of one of the criminals who, at first, heaped insults to Jesus together with the crowd. After a few hours of hanging on the cross, he changed his mind, looked towards the direction of Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42 and 43 NIV)

This unnamed criminal made it to heaven, Judas did not. This criminal believed that Jesus will come into his kingdom and reign as the King Messiah, Judas did not.

Judas failed to recognize his messiah, thus, he was filled with absolute hopelessness in front of a righteous God… and in desperation, took his own life.

Judas knows no savior.

. … .

But how about you?

I was eavesdropping on the other passengers’ conversation as we waited for more passengers to fill that small jitney at Market-Market Mall at around 10 o’clock PM giving me a glimpse of their lives. It’s no big deal, however, for these are no private but only casual conversations of salesperson’s experiences of the day; besides, there are no other things to catch my attention.

We love stories like Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, and more. We love watching good movies and in every good movie is a good story.

Have you read the latest adventure of Harry Potter or the best-selling novel The DaVinci Code?

These stories entertain and even give us their own brand of reality.

(Could it be that a person’s search for meaning leads him to search even on novels? What if novels tell the truth, you know? Could it be that our search for truth leads us to search anywhere just to find it?)

I know of another story — the story of Jesus. It is the never ending story for after reading about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, you are now faced with the decision of either receiving a brand-new life or continuing in your unredeemed old life leading to death.

(You may not like that statement but your attitude towards the truth doesn’t change the truth at all.)

Please allow me to quote Deuteronomy 30:19 saying “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (ESV)

Buddha or Confucius never said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV) Only Jesus can say that!

Now face it, either Jesus was lying or Jesus was telling the truth. Either he is the only way (as he claimed he was) or he was only confused when he said those words.

In closing, consider these words: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12 ESV)

Man, these are heavy words today.