Your Redemption Plan

Your Redemption Plan

 

Your Love walked the earth as man

To share the message of Your redemption plan

 

You put Your Love upon the cross

Your intention is to save who’s lost

 

Your Love is who defeated the grave

Because Your Love I know I’m saved

 

He rose to life after three days

The penalty for sin has been paid

 

You went to hell to free the slaves

From the prison of their graves

 

Inside our heart is where You live

Service to You is what we give

 

Your Word is what transforms my heart

It calms my storm and is where newness starts

 

Now I’m free to live for you

To trust Your Word through and through

 

Your Spirit is now my guide

From Your Truth I can no longer hide

 

I’m thankful for Your Redemption plan

For Your Love that died for man

 

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2019

Our Redeemer

Our Redeemer

 

Jesus overcame

What no one could ever do

He paid the price for sin

To give life to me and you

 

He trampled over death

Then conquered the grave

This all happened on the cross

So our penalty for sin could be waved

 

He is our King of Kings

Yet gentle as a dove

He is seated with our Father

Which is in our home above

 

He called us out of darkness

Into His marvelous Light

He is our strength in our struggle

He is our help in this fight

 

When I’m falling down

I can reach up for His hand

He came as the redeemer

For this is God’s master plan

 

My security is in Jesus

He is my salvation plan

I’m thankful to God

He sent Jesus to save man

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2019

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

I’ll Forever Be Your Slave

I’ll Forever Be Your Slave

 

You are Holy, You are Righteous

Thru His Blood is how You see us

Not of works by our hands

It was all Your master plan

 

This is love, this is grace

We’ll forever sing Your Praise

You took our place on the cross

You paid it all though we were lost

 

Your love covered our sin

You pulled us from the mess we’re in

Now we’re heirs to Your Throne

How sweet heaven is our home

 

I am free, I’m free at last

To never live my past

I’ll forever walk Your way

Then testify to Your Grace

 

It was love at first sight

Now I’m living in Your Light

I’m free to forever live

Service to You I must give

 

I’ll forever be Your slave

Since You helped me over-come the grave

I’ll testify to Your grace

As I walk with You in this race

 

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

My Old Friend

My Old Friend

Hello darkness, my old friend

Your time is coming to an end

You were my friend when I was lost

When I seem to never count the cost

It was a time that seemed so fun

Though I was always on the run

My life was always full of stress

Full of fear I must confess

It seemed I was always on the go

Who my friends were I had to know

I met a man who died for me

He was on a cross at Calvary

With arms stretched wide He provided grace

He dried the tears that ran down my face

Then picked me up when I was down

He put me up on solid ground

Now I’m blessed in a whole new way

On this path I think I want to stay

Hello darkness my old friend

Your time is coming to an end

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

What Makes the Good News The Good News

What Makes the Good News

The Good News

The Gospel is called the Good News, ever wonder why? With all the evil that’s going on in the world, is there really good news. What is the Good News and what is not the Good News? John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son. That who so ever believe in him shall nor parish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9 says, That if you confess with your mouth” Jesus Is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The Good News refers specifically to the Gospel of Salvation. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:16-17, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew then for the Gentile. 17. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

You know there is a lot of things going on in this world and a lot of circumstances that are out of our control. There is also a lot of evil going on in this world and have you ever felt like there was no hope around? What if you lived a good long life and you got to the end of your days and let’s say you looked out into the world and said is this it? Is there nothing else? Or what about this. You go to the doctor and he reveals your check-up results to be that you have a terminal illness and you wonder what’s next? Create a situation or scenario of any kind and I bet you can find one out there in the world that is happening at any given time. Just pick one and ask do they have hope of something else, is there an afterlife? I tell you what, how about this. You are professing Christian and one thing after another keeps bombarding you and you can’t seem to get up on your feet to save your life. You start battling depression or a chemical addiction of some sort, you have no money to pay your bills and don’t know where your next meal is going to come from. Or maybe you are just down on your luck and can’t seem to find any help or support and therefore have no hope. You’ve lost your way in life and need a friend but have no one to turn to. Is there really any hope out there, somewhere, anywhere? Then someone approach’s you with what they call the Good News and you ask yourself is there any real Good News?

We call the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it really is the Good News. For anyone looking to have any hope in their life, Jesus Christ is the hope for a new way to live and therefore is the good news. You see Jesus came to this earth with a message for all who have lost their way or are in some way broken or lost. He came to save mankind. Are you asking why this Jesus came to save mankind? Well let me tell you. The world (the people) is lost and without hope. When I say lost and without hope, I mean living separated from the Creator of the universe. If you were to die in a separated condition, apart from God, you would be eternally hopeless and therefore separated from God FOREEVER. See the world is sinful and sin by definition is an offense or transgression against the law of God. An offense against moral law, Gods law. In essence it means missing the mark.

Now let’s get something straight. You don’t have to be living an evil or wicked live to be lost or broken. You can be the nicest, most compassionate person or be a type of person that is a giver, that does right and kind things for humanity and people and still be lost and without hope. You see Jesus came to save us and free us from the bondage of sin. Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose to life three days later to give us salvation. All those that believe in Jesus will be saved and have eternal life. This my friends is the Good News. The Good News for me is that I believe that when I die I will live eternally with Christ. And there’s even more Good News. That life until I die, I can live free of guilt and shame and no longer have to live a life defeated against anything. Now that my friends is the GOOD NEWS.

Now I’m free to live. Does that mean I don’t sin, no I do sin but what I do is I repent of that sin and live my life for Christ. Repent means to turn from sin and confess it to Christ to be forgiven. You see in 1 John 1:9 it says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Now that my friends are a promise and is good news.

I have an analogy I like to use: when we get saved it’s like and old weather beaten and worn book. The outside is my shell and the inside are my life, you could say my story. What Jesus did on the cross is that God took out my story and replaced it with Jesus’ story so the when God now looks at me He sees the righteousness of Christ not all my old baggage. What He does is He takes my story and turns it in to Christ’s story for Christ sake. I mean to tell you, if that isn’t good news I don’t know what is.

1 Peter 3:15 says Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies in you. The hope I have is what Jesus did to save me and change my life. He changed my heart from the inside out. I was a hopeless dope fiend, my sin was drugs, women, motorcycles and whiskey. I even had a dog but most of the time I was the dog. I walk on people, hurt people and sold out the people that were closest to me, even my wife. Hurt people hurt people. I was living without hope even while having a life in the church, but while I was in the process of using up and losing everything in my life that meant anything to me Christ met me in my sin, right where I was at. I was praying, and I know a whole lot of people were praying on my behalf and my prayer was to have a desire to really know God while others were praying that I would change, and Christ started to do a work in my heart. He took away the drugs, everything changed. I started wanting to know Christ again and got deeper in studying the Bible. One thing I never stopped doing was I never stopped going to Celebrate Recovery, which pointed me to the healer which is Jesus Christ. John 8:31-32 says To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ”If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” My friends I have freedom today. Freedom from guilt and shame, free to live without worry. I still screw up but I don’t quit any longer. I do my best to persevere no matter how hard it gets and when I get knocked down and I really do get knocked down, guess who picks me up. My Lord picks me up, He is so faithful even when I’m not. God loves me and I know it. I have a new identity today and it’s not me. My identity is, I’m a child of God and Christ is my identity. I am who He says I am and I’m loved by God.

 

 

© Copyright By Bart Hickey, All Rights Reserved 2018

Your Burdens In Exchange For His Grace

Know the Lord and He will know you

Obey His Word and know that He’s true

He’s faithful and kind for this I know

Walk in His ways and His Truth will show

Draw to the Lord and He will draw you in

He died on the cross to forgive all your sin

He conquered death and rose from the grave

He obeyed God so your soul He will save

Give Him your life and submit to His will

Your life will have joy that’s more than a thrill

He will give you His Spirit and guide your way

From His path you will never have to stray

Call out to God and He will give you His hand

He will free you from bondage so you can enter the land

He knows your struggles that hold you back

He’ll hold you close when under attack

When you want to hide behind a wall of fear

He’ll hold you in close and dry every tear

He will forever be your guiding light

By removing the scales to give you His sight

Now ask Him for strength to run this very race

Then bring Him your burdens in exchange for His grace

 

 

 

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

He Called Me Out Of The Grave

He called me out of the grave

From the sin in which I was enslaved

I’m now alive and free to live

All my sins He did forgive

He is my rock in which I stand

Now my life has a plan

My life has purpose as I live

A servants heart is what I give

Ask me how and this I say

He said, follow Me I know the way

I looked around, then counted the cost

I knew just then how I was lost

He said, on the cross I paid for sin

I knew right then the mess I was in

He changed my heart from inside out

He held me near when I was in doubt

He freed my soul from the devils grip

Now I’m free for the Lord to equip

Even though I am still flawed

Freed by Love from my God

I once was dead, now I’m saved

It was Christ who called me out of the grave

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

Forever He’ll Reign

Our Savior was hung on a criminals cross

Dying for all, forgiving who’s lost

He was born by the Spirit, yet walked as a man

Walking in obedience, He completed God’s plan

He is the reconciliation between man and God

He is our redemption since man has been flawed

Let’s rejoice in our sorrow and rejoice in our pain

He came as our Savior, Forever He’ll reign

He is Alpha, Omega, the Beginning and End

After the ascension, His Spirit He did send

I stand in amazement, I stand in awe

He takes me as I am, with all of my flaws

I rejoice in sadness, I rejoice when in fear

I know I can call out, He draws me in near

I submit to His Lordship, I submit to my God

I’ll forever be His, He’ll forever be awed

I stand in His mercy, I’m saved by His grace

He is my strength to persevere in this race

He called me out of darkness, into the light

I answered His call, I walked away from my plight

He offered me freedom, He set me apart

It’s a new life He gives right from the start

I’m sealed by His Spirit, forever His child

All because of Jesus I have been reconciled

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

God Is Sovereign, He Is In Control

God is Sovereign, He’s in

control

He sent Christ to save our

soul

He walked the earth as a

man

With a message to complete

Gods plan

Christ came to save all

who’s lost

By giving us grace thru

the cross

If it wasn’t for Christ, we’d

have no hope

There would be no way for

us to cope

Life would then just be a

waste

Living then dying in so

much haste

But there is a way to be

born again

We’ll then be free from a

life of sin

In Jesus’ name we must

believe

Cling to His Word is how

we cleave

His Word is Truth and life

it gives

To understand His Word is

how we live

If you believe all this to be

true

Christ Jesus is looking to save

you to

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