I have a hot thread going on my Facebook page about this but thought I’d just go ahead and throw a post up because…well…because.

Have you heard of the band Twenty One Pilots?

I am obsessed. Thought it was cool when I found out we used to go to church with the drummer. Of course, he was like 11 years old at the time, but still.

Their music. Their lyrics. The most christian lyrics I’ve ever heard. The artistry knows no bounds. I cry at almost every single song.

As somebody who has struggled the majority of my life with depressing thoughts. Thoughts no person should ever have. Thoughts that only the enemy could have put in my head with the intent of destroying me. These lyrics they sing are felt out. They are deep. They almost always point you to God. Nearly every single song.

One of my most favorites is Holding Onto You. My current favorite that had me crying while driving home the other day is Johnny Boy.

“I will carry all your names and I will carry all your shame”

That’s God singing to His children.

Dang, I’m crying even writing that.

I am so thankful that God put these lyrics in them to share with all of us. So much hate in this world and here you have two men singing to reach others who are where, I assume, they’ve been. You don’t sing with that much passion and with those kind of lyrics without knowing the pain and without knowing the hope there is to be had.

Well, this wasn’t a thought out post so I may write about them again later. I mean, I could write an entire post about each and every song.

Even Taco Bell Saga.

Ok, so not all their songs are pointing to God.

And for those who have never heard that one, you’re welcome 😉

It’s bedtime now, so till next time.

Blessings!

One sin.

That’s all it takes.

One sin can destroy so many.

I began writing this post a while ago but I want to address a current situation in the news. Hugh Hefner died. You guys, I don’t know anything about him. I don’t know how he created Play Boy. I don’t know what his thought life was like. I can assume he was not a Christian. But I know absolutely nothing of him. He’s not somebody I’ve ever spent time looking into. All I know is that he alone did not cause so many to sin. Hugh did not become famous on his own. It was all of his customers that made him famous. He did not force anybody to buy his magazines. People were eager to indulge their flesh and he saw a money making opportunity. Was it wrong of him? Absolutely! But it was personal choice that caused these sexual sins. Personal choice is what destroyed families. Personal choice is what scarred memories and ruined futures. We simply can not put our blame on somebody else. When we sin, we need to own it.

We take sin so lightly sometimes. Yet all it takes is one solitary sin to destroy multitudes. It effects so many. There are ripples that touch and scar those who are close to us and those we may never know. Dreams could be torn apart. Families could be rampaged. Sin has one mission and that is to kill and destroy. Let’s remember, always, that old sins cast long shadows. Though one small sin may seem gone and never to be heard of again, it may be effecting so many years later. We never know.

Repentance is so important and yet so foreign in this day and age. It’s so easy to hide behind our screens and act like our lives are Instagram perfect. To repentant is to accept that what we’ve done was evil in God’s sight. To apologize and seek forgiveness from those we have damaged.

When we see the light we are never the same again. Ever. Our eyes are no longer on ourselves, our sight is on making Him look greater. I saw a church billboard the other day that was spot on.

“Sin is like a credit card. Enjoy now. Pay later.”

Oh but that payment. We can try and pay but we will never ever be able to cover the payments. Only One can pay. And it’s up to ourselves whether we allow Him to cover our dirtiness with His love.

To see a truly repentant man is to see one who hates what his choice to sin has done. Who chooses to use his wrong doing to help others to not make the same wicked choice. We could all go about sinning and apologizing. But the beauty in helping others out of their current or possible future sin is lost. We have the ability to reach somebody now and protect them from going down the same dangerous road we walked. We need to be the light that they need to guide them towards their true Protector.

God can make beauty from ashes. But those ashes are wide spread. Wider than we may ever know. Influence others with Christ’s love while you can because we don’t deserve it. We don’t deserve such a loving Father. We deserve Hell. But because of His grace, love, and forgiveness we have the ability to change our lives and so many others.

Sin is self focused, but no sin is beyond the forgiveness of God.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13

Blessings!