This is a song that I wrote a little over a year ago. It's really just my personal testimony about how I came to God, and what I had to go through in order to realize my need for Him. I hope you like it!

By the way, sorry the video/audio quality isn't that great. I had tech trouble making the vid...

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

                            -I Corinthians 10:13

No doubt, this is a verse that has given comfort to millions upon millions of people since the day it was penned. I can't count the number of times that I have seen individuals going through difficult times that have drawn strength and encouragement from these words, knowing that the Lord won't bring them to it if He can't bring them through it.

The part of this verse that I really want to focus on, though, is the phrase "way of escape." In early Greek usage, this term had the sense of a landing place for a ship. In other words, Paul was not necessarily saying that God will "pull us out" of our trials when things get rough; rather, he was saying that He will allow us to land safely on the other side of them! Does not the Word of God say that, "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."? (Acts 14:22)


Though they are never fun, trials our a necessary thing if we are to grow in the Lord. Through them, our faith is strengthened, and we learn patience. We ought to learn to do as James exhorted us in James 1:2, and count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations, knowing that the darker the night, the brighter Jesus can shine!

"Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."

                                -Acts 27:25

The Word of God is full of promises. Promises of comfort in difficult times (II Corinthians 1:4), peace in the valley (Philippians 4:7), and answers to our prayers (James 5:16). No matter the circumstance we may be facing, there is always a promise of God that we can stand on to draw encouragement in that situation. In this passage of Scripture, Paul told his fellow shipmates that in spite of the great storm raging around them, they would all survive because he believed the Lord was going keep His word. Likewise, when the clouds start rolling in, the wind begins to blow, and the rain is beating down upon us, we can still stand on the promises of God; " For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen..." (II Corinthians 1:20)

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"

                               -Hebrews 6:18

We read in this verse that it is impossible for God to lie, for He is "...the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6) In a world where you can't count on anybody or anything, we can always count on God to keep His promises. As the author of Hebrews says, what a strong consolation!

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail;
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God


Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior
Standing, standing, I'm standing on the promises of God. *

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you..."

                            -John 6:26, 27

According to Scripture, this life is but a vapor (James 4:14). We are here for only a short time, and then we are swept away into our eternal home. It makes sense, then, that if we are only here for such a brief period of time, that we should do as Jesus said in this passage of Scripture and seek, not after temporal things, but after eternal things.

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"

                            -Matthew 6:19, 20

The amount of success we experience on this earth, or the level of accomplishment that we may attain to, will be of no value whatsoever when eternity calls our name. That is why we must strive with everything that's within us to make each and every day we are given count for eternity. A thousand years from now, the size of our bank account, or the number of friends that we have, will be nothing more than a faint memory. Thus, we are instructed not to waste time laying up a treasure that is of no lasting value, but instead to lay up our treasure in heaven, "...where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"

Where is your treasure?

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

                            -Hebrews 10:26, 28, 29

Many people tend to use Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as an excuse to continue living a sinful lifestyle. It's as if they think they can keep sinning, and God will keep forgiving - over and over again. But the Word of God puts an end to this idea when it says that if we sin willfully (i.e. on purpose), there is no more sacrifice for sins. That is, Jesus did not endure all the pain and agony of Calvary so that we could continue in sin; instead, He died that we might be free from sin!

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

                            -Romans 6:22

The author of Hebrews puts it well in 10:28-29 when he says that by sinning willfully one is treading under foot the Son of God and treating the blood that He shed as an unholy thing. How could we claim to love God when we are yet holding on to the very sins that put His Son on the cross? The Lord will not allow His amazing grace to be abused!

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself..."

                            -I John 5:18 

Let us be careful to remember the words of the apostle Paul: " Be not deceived; God is not mocked..." (Galatians 6:7)

"...for He [God] cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

- Psalms 96:13

The Bible tells us that the day is coming when God will "judge the world with righteousness". The Bible also tells us "...There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Romans 3:10). After reading only two Scriptures, we can plainly see that things do not look very bright.

In the Old Testament, God lets us know what His standard of righteousness is. One of the primary ways He did this is by giving us the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17). Examples of these commandments include "Thou shalt not lie", "Thou shalt not steal", and "Thou shalt not covet." Who of us can deny being guilty of breaking at least one of these commandments at some point in our lifetime? Jesus even said that in God's sight lust is the same as adultery and hate is the same as murder. In other words, God's standard is very high.

By definition, sin is the transgression of God's law. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see that we are all guilty of breaking God's commandments. If we are guilty of sin, we are therefore a sinner, and God will not allow sinners into heaven (Isaiah 13:9).

You may well be asking yourself "Who then can be saved?" (Luke 18:26). If God will not allow sinners into heaven, and we have all sinned, who then can escape God's wrath? The answer to this question is found in I Timothy 1:15:

"...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..."

Jesus Christ came to earth as man and bore the punishment for our sin on a cross. While on the cross, Jesus was paying the price for our sin by experiencing all of the pain and suffering that we deserved. Just before He died, His last words were "It is finished" (John 19:30). Or in other words, "The debt has been paid". After three days in the grave Jesus rose again from the dead!

Through Christ's sacrificial death, God can look at our sins and say "The debt has been paid", and therefore we do not have to experience the terrible punishment of hell that Jesus said awaits sinners (Matthew 8:12). In order to partake of this forgiveness, all we must do is repent of our sins (i.e. confess and forsake), and ask God to forgive us (Luke 13:3). From then on, we are instructed to stay away from sin and live a life that is pleasing to God by allowing Christ to dwell within us and guide us as we live out the remainder of our life (Hebrews 12:14).

Sounds simple doesn't it? It is...

To me, the most difficult type of witnessing is coming up to a person that you have never spoken to before and telling them about Jesus. "What do I say?" and "How do I say it?" where questions that I asked God countless times. I mean how do you pack the entire message of salvation into a conversation that may not last more than a minute? I believe the answer to this problem is easy: give them the Gospel in its simplicity. We often make the Gospel sound much more complicated than it really is, which will turn a soul away from God much quicker than just about anything else. Tell them that salvation is God's free gift and all they have to do is repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is something that even some Christians have a hard time accepting, but it is the simple truth of the Gospel. Paul said, "But I fear, lest by any means...your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (11 Corinthians. 11:3)

I have also found that it is helpful to have some "ice-breakers" on hand. Think of a subject that many people will be able to relate to, and how you can turn a conversation on that subject into a conversation about God. One method that I have found to be very easy and successful is looking for somebody in the sporting goods section at Wal-Mart and strike up a conversation with somebody about hunting, fishing, or whatever they appear to be interested in. After the conversation gets going, hand them a gospel tract and say, "Hey, did you get one of these?" When they ask what it is, simply say, "It's a gospel tract." Sometimes just handing somebody a tract will give you an opportunity to verbally share your faith or even invite them to church. Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be in the sporting goods section, just wherever you happen to be at the time.

We should also bear in mind that our personal testimony is one of our greatest weapons. Even the apostle Paul, who was arguably the greatest evangelist in history, used his personal testimony as a means of witnessing. Some people may complain that they have a "boring testimony", but I believe that those who make such statements are those who do not realize what God truly has done for them. It doesn't matter if you were saved when you were five years old, or if God delivered you from a life of drug abuse, God rescued you from an eternity without Him, and that is something worth talking about. People can argue with your convictions, your doctrines, and your Bible, but it's difficult to argue with a personal experience.

"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."

-Ezekiel 3:18, 19