From Alien To Citizen

From Alien To Citizen

 

Ephesians 2:19-22

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20. Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21. In whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into the holy temple in the Lord. 22. In him you are also are being built together in to a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

 

As I was listening again to the message from Sunday, 8/8/2021 I am being reminded how before I knew Christ as my personal Savior, I was an alien in this world without hope, meaning I was a sinner that was not yet saved by God’s grace alone. Listening this morning I am reminded that for people that are not citizens of the United States, there is a process that one can go through to become a citizen of America. Now I don’t profess to know what that’s like because I am a natural born citizen, but I expect there are classes you would have to go through to learn history, language amongst other things to become a citizen of the United States.

 

Well, if you are without Jesus and therefore without hope you are an alien and stranger to the family of God. What I mean by this is you are a sinner and therefore belong to this world. Well unlike the process of having to go through to become a citizen of some nation, there are no classes that one would have to go through to become citizens of God. All’s one would have to do is believe in the all sufficient, all saving name and the power of Jesus Christ.

Romans 10: 9-10 says, 9. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

That’s right all you have to do is believe in Jesus. You can’t earn it or do anything to get it, just believe and confess as Romans 10:9 says. Jesus did all the work, there’s no more sacrifices to be made no more priests having to atone for the sins of the people, Jesus literally went to the cross, took on his back all our sin and shame, basically accepting the wrath of God for us, me and you, so that we can be citizens in the family of God. We are co-heirs with Jesus, what a way to live.

 

All my life, because of my upbringing,  felt as though I never belonged to anything. I tired football, baseball, rodeo, work, you name it I tried any and everything to belong. I even thought for a long time that I’ve sinned too much, done to much damage to ever be able to have the grace of God. What God spoke to my heart is only Jesus can save me and that I need to confess my brokenness to Christ and believe in him to be saved. Today Jesus is my Savior and Lord base on what Jesus did on the cross and only what Jesus did, as again what Roman’s 10:9-10 says.

 

If you are without hope, and an alien in this world, and would like to be a citizen in the family of God, you would like to belong to something more loving and powerful that anything in this world, put your trust in Jesus Christ, who is all sufficient and all powerful to save, and you then will gain an inheritance that no one or nothing in all creation, this world can take away from you. I love you and hope you trust Jesus today.

In His Service

Bart

 

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By The Power Of Jesus

By The Power Of Jesus

 

Every chain has been broken

By the power of Jesus

I hear the chains a fallin

By His power He frees us

 

When I was in prison

Chained to these walls

The prison of my mind

Where I fall and I fall

 

Every chain has been broken

By the power of Jesus

I hear the chains a fallin

It’s by His power He frees us

 

I was stuck in this prison

Where there was no getting out

I would hear the voices in my head

Where they would do nothing but shout

 

Every chain has been broken

By the power of Jesus

I see the chains a fallin

By His power He frees us

 

I heard a new voice

Whispering in my ear

Come to Me My child

Let Me draw you in near

 

I will open up your heart

Then come and live inside

You’ll want to live with me

You’ll never ever have to hide

 

Every chain has been broken

By the power of Jesus

I see the chains a fallin

It’s by His Power He frees us

 

 

Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2021

Brokenness

Brokenness

 

As I stare at this broken mirror

The brokenness that stares back is clearer

It’s brokenness that I need to know

Tells me what I want to show

Brokenness is not for the weak in heart

Nor is it for the one who’s smart

Brokenness has a many of scars

They come from battles and wars

Brokenness can tell a story

Some details can even get gory

Brokenness has character

Find out as the pot gets a stir

Most brokenness gets pushed around

It even gets dropped to the ground

Look up look down look all around

Can you see brokenness on this frown

Brokenness has a side you’ll want to know

This is a side that can steal the show

Here’s a side I want you to see

It has strength and shows bravery

Oh yes, strength is a must

To last any time there has to be trust

Brokenness didn’t happen just like that

It was initiated by a cause that’s a fact

Brokenness doesn’t mean I’m weak

No, there’s not even a mean streak

Brokenness says; Hey I am strong

Look don’t get me wrong

I ain’t no push over that’s for sure

Brokenness has to have a cure

His Name is Jesus

Brokenness is not how He sees us

He saw my brokenness and touched my heart

He’s healing my brokenness, now that’s a start

Way back when I said strength is a must

It’s my Jesus who I trust

It’s because Jesus that I lasted this long

To carry brokenness, to say I’m strong

It’s because of Jesus I stood the test

Then made it thru such a mess

In all my weakness, He is my strength

As long as I don’t keep him at arms length

 

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2019

 

Covered By His Love

Covered By His Love

 

Dungeons and prisons, do they exist

In my mind, they come with a twist

For a time, I lived without God

Entertaining my life with all of my flaws

I twisted and turned at every little bend

In a dark world, would my heart get to mend

I would go over here, then go over there

Lost in darkness, pulling out my own hair

While entertaining my flaws, I loved my own sin

I was lost in confusion and the mess I was in

It felt like a tunnel, I know I was in a war

To live this dark life became such a chore

This was an addiction, there was no escape

My world was darker than any landscape

At the end of this tunnel, I saw a dim light

But I was lost in this battle, lost in this fight

With nowhere to go, I was at the end of my rope

Holding nothing but pain, with no way to cope

This is the time I knew that I was lost

He stretched out His hand, then led me to the cross

My burdens I brought Him, to that cursed tree

He died for my sins, forgiveness was offered to me

Now I’m white as wool, clean as fresh fallen snow

I belong to my Savior, I know which way I must go

I study His Word, I want to know Him more and more

I’m thankful to God, there was a Knock on my door

From dungeons and prisons, I’m freed by His blood

He washed over my sin, He covered me by His Love

 

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

Covered By His Love

Covered By His Love

 

Dungeons and prisons, do they exist

In my mind, they come with a twist

For a time, I lived without God

Entertaining my life with all of my flaws

I twisted and turned at every little bend

In a dark world, would my heart get to mend

I would go over here, then go over there

Lost in darkness, pulling out my own hair

While entertaining my flaws, I loved my own sin

I was lost in confusion and the mess I was in

It felt like a tunnel, I know I was in a war

To live this dark life became such a chore

This was an addiction, there was no escape

My world was darker than any landscape

At the end of this tunnel, I saw a dim light

But I was lost in this battle, lost in this fight

With nowhere to go, I was at the end of my rope

Holding nothing but pain, with no way to cope

This is the time I knew that I was lost

He stretched out His hand, then led me to the cross

My burdens I brought Him, to that cursed tree

He died for my sins, forgiveness was offered to me

Now I’m white as wool, clean as fresh fallen snow

I belong to my Savior, I know which way I must go

I study His Word, I want to know Him more and more

I’m thankful to God, there was a Knock on my door

From dungeons and prisons, I’m freed by His blood

He washed over my sin, He covered me by His Love

 

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

Broken Pieces

Broken pieces, don’t seem to have worth

Formed from clay, drawn from the earth

Broken and scattered, they got threw away

This sounds like me, oh come what may

 

Broken pieces, represent this old life

For most of it, I was caught up in strife

I know one thing, I was formed by my God

But lost and broken, I was caught up in my flaws

 

Broken and lost, I was without hope

Felt unloved, I had no way to cope

Beaten and bruised was my only friends

There were times I thought my life might end

 

I was on a path, I could only see one way

It wasn’t for righteousness, that I did stray

It was very dark, the darkest I’d ever seen

The walls were black, tainted with mean

 

I was so broken, lost without hope

Sliding down, down a slippery slope

One day I saw a light, it caught my eye

Love was displayed, then I breathed with a sigh

 

I heard sound, it was a soft voice

He calmed the chatter, that was all noise

He held out His hand, he gave me a lift

It’s called grace, it’s His free gift

 

Salvation, is His master plan

He designed it, to redeem man

He included me, wow, I was in awe

I soon discovered, I was not stuck in flaws

 

I hear His voice, it’s now coming in clear

Oh, how I love, how He drew me in near

Broken Pieces, they all matter to God

Come everyone, no matter your flaws

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

Thank You Jesus

Thank You Jesus

My mind keeps spinning, round and round

I hear a voice but not a sound

I’m broken, beaten, black and blue

My scars and shining, they’re breaking thru

I try to hide and push them down

But up they come, like breaking ground

 

I’m falling, falling, can’t get up

My mind is scattered, like a broken cup

I get twisted, twisted in a knot

My temper rises, like a boiling pot

Add water to the boiling pot

Sizzle, sizzle, it’ll never stop

 

I’m deaf and blind, don’t know what to do

I lost my way, got stuck like glue

My mind’s still spinning, round and round

I’m sinking, sinking, like I’m gonna drown

On this journey, I seemed to be lost

But thank You Jesus, I see the cross

 

Thank You Jesus, I see Your way

You are my Savior, You saved the day

You came to me, when I lost my way

You guided me, so I wouldn’t stray

You picked me up, when I was falling down

You set me back up on solid ground

 

Now I’m walking, walking, running this race

Thank You Jesus, You provided me grace

Because of Your mercy, I’ll never die

I love You Jesus, I’ll do more than try

It’s because Your love, You died for me

In my place at Calvary

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

Christ Broke My Chains

Christ Broke My Chains

He Set Me Free

 

You broke my chains to set me free

I now have hope because I believe

 

I believe in Jesus, He is the Christ

He is the perfect Lamb that was sacrificed

 

His Blood was spilled on that tree

He died on the cross to set me free

 

He conquered death over the grave

Three days later to life He was raised

 

He ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne

Heaven is the place we now call home

 

He called me out of darkness into the light

He gave me His Spirit to help in this fight

 

When I stumble and when I fall

I know His voice when He calls

 

When I make mistakes and my sin sticks out

He’s always there to show me a different route

 

I want my desires to match His ways

So, on this path I will not stray

 

I now have hope because I believe

Christ Broke My Chains

 He set me Free

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

It’s You Lord

Lord, when I’m weary and broken down

Can’t pick my frown up off the ground

It’s Your love that You alone provide

So in my shame I no longer hide

 

When the world has me breathing hard

My character has then been charred

It is Your mercy that provides me grace

So I then can continue in this race

 

When I break down and give in to sin

Then rebel against the Spirit within

I get stuck and lost in pride

But Lord You never leave my side

 

I’m amazed and awed by You

How Your Word is always true

Even tho I wander and stray

You still mold me just like clay

 

It’s Your character You want to perfect

My ideas I still try to inject

But You Lord prune my ways

So on Your path I’ll always stay

 

When my scars are shining thru

And my flaws stick like glue

You freed me from my chains

So I no longer have to strain

 

It’s Your love You hung on that tree

Then died and rose for me

To free me from this fight

Then be my guiding Light

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved, 2011-2018

The Lord Is With Me Wherever I Go

The Lord is with me wherever I go

Whether wading thru water, quicksand or snow

No matter the valley, no matter the peak

My Lord words are true, for it’s me He will seek

 

There’s been a time or two where I’ve strayed away

Then found myself lost with nowhere to stay

These are the times that I thought are so rough

These are the times when I’ve tried to be tough

 

These are the time where I saw no way out

These are the times I did nothing but doubt

My Lord extended mercy, for He extended me grace

For He gave me all I need to run this very race

 

He even reached down to take my little hand

To lead me across the river into the promise land

My Lord will go before me where ever I go

For He will never leave me for this I now know

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved, 2011-2018