and why on earth it matters

There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else. You may have noticed that the books you really love are bound together by a secret thread. You know very well what is the common quality that makes you love them, though you cannot put it into words: but most of your friends do not see it at all, and often wonder why, liking this, you should also like that. Again, you have stood before some landscape, which seems to embody what you have been looking for all your life; and then turned to the friend at your side who appears to be seeing what you saw-but at the first words a gulf yawns between you, and you realize that this landscape means something totally different to him, that he is pursuing an alien vision and cares nothing for the ineffable suggestion by which you are transported. Even in your hobbies, has there not always been some secret attraction which others are curiously ignorant of-something, not to be identified with, but always on the verge of breaking through, the smell of cut wood in the workshop or the clap-clap of water against the boat’s side? Are not all lifelong friendships born at the moment when at last you meet another human being who has some inkling (but faint and uncertain even in the best) of that something which you were born desiring, and which, beneath the flux of other desires and in all the momentary silences between the louder passions, night and day, year by year, from childhood to old age, you are looking for, watching for, listening for? You have never had it. All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been hints of it-tantalising glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. But if it should really become manifest-if there ever came an echo that did not die away but swelled into the sound itself-you would know it. Beyond all possibility of doubt you would say ‘Here at last is the thing I was made for.’ We cannot tell each other about it. It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work. While we are, this is. If we lose this, we lose all.
This signature on each soul may be a product of heredity and environment, but that only means that heredity and environment are among the instruments whereby God creates a soul. I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. The mould in which a key is made would be a strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you-you, the individual reader, John Stubbs or Janet Smith. Blessed and fortunate creature, your eyes shall behold Him and not another’s. All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have His good way, to utter satisfaction. The Brocken spectre ‘looked to every man like his first love’, because she was a cheat. But God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it-made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand.

The Call of the Kingdom

Hear the call of the kingdom
Lift your eyes to the King
Let His song rise within you
As a fragrant offering
Of how God rich in mercy
Came in Christ to redeem
All who trust in His unfailing grace

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To be children of light
With the mercy of heaven
The humility of Christ
Walking justly before Him
Loving all that is right
That the life of Christ may shine through us

King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus' name

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To reach out to the lost
With the Father's compassion
In the wonder of the cross
Bringing peace and forgiveness
And a hope yet to come
Let the nations put their trust in Him

Hear the call of the kingdom
Lift your eyes to the King
Let His song rise within you
As a fragrant offering
Of how God rich in mercy
Came in Christ to redeem
All who trust in His unfailing grace

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To be children of light
With the mercy of heaven
The humility of Christ
Walking justly before Him
Loving all that is right
That the life of Christ may shine through us

King of Heaven we will answer the call
We will follow bringing hope to the world
Filled with passion, filled with power to proclaim
Salvation in Jesus' name

Hear the call of the Kingdom
To reach out to the lost
With the Father's compassion
In the wonder of the cross
Bringing peace and forgiveness
And a hope yet to come
Let the nations put their trust in Him


Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2006 Thankyou Music

CCLI No:4930752.

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desire

We must not be unjust and require from ourselves what is not in ourselves. Do not desire not to be what you are, but desire to be very well what you are.

François de Sales

How deep

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom


Stuart Townend

Ye Sinners

Come Ye Sinners


Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore
Jesus ready stands to save you
Full of pity, love, and power

Come ye thirsty, come and welcome
God's free bounty glorify
True belief and true repentance
Every grace that brings you nigh

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms

Come ye weary, heavy-laden
Lost and ruined by the fall
If you tarry until you're better
You will never come at all

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms

I will arise and go to Jesus
He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior
Oh, there are ten thousand charms


~Todd Agnew

Grace Like Rain

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away

Todd Agnew

rest

It is not necessary to maintain a conversation when we are in the presence of God. We can come into His presence and rest our weary souls in quiet contemplation of Him. Our groanings, which cannot be uttered, rise to Him and tell Him better than words how dependent we are upon Him.

O. Hallesby

April Showers

Oh, like April showers on the slick cement
When I consider how our light is spent
Keeping the candles inside the cathedral
Hold on tight, Don’t go into the night
So full of evil, evil

Rain rain don’t go away
We need you this dry and dusty day
Rain rain don’t go away
Though some may say please go away

Like the April Showers on the slick cement
And the roads once straight have now become so bent
Weaving through the trees of vain security
Rounding round the hard rocks of hard morality

Rain rain don’t go away
We need you this dry and dusty day
Rain rain don’t go away
Though some may say please go away

And the sacred cows
Feed on the green
While the least of these
Are dying on the streets
And they’re crying…

~ Aaron Tate; caedmon's call

praises

Let us go and wake up the universe... and sing His praises.

Mariam Baouardy

You wore my thorns

You wore my thorns, that I may know Your grace
Pierced by my sin, that I may see Your face
Loved and forgiven from shame and deep disgrace
You wore my thorns, You wore my thorns.

You wore my robe, You let them mock and sneer
You took the beating, You knew I could not bear
In this silent moment, I turn and see You there
You wore my robe, You wore my robe.

You felt my nails, and watched the hammer fall
Legions of angels You refused to call
Watched they who loved You, holy and appalled
You felt my nails, You felt my nails.

You bore my cross, You bore Your father’s frown
Tears on His face, His judgment took You down
Now it’s my turn to wear the thorny crown
For You bore my cross, You bore my cross.

You died my death, You gave Your life for me
Laid in my tomb of sin, You set me free
You loved a girl, who hurt You terribly
You died my death, You died my death.

Teach me to love what once I so despised
Live for Your smile, the love light in Your eyes
Ignite a flame of love that never dies,
You wore my thorns, You wore my thorns!

Jill Briscoe

"Come to Jesus"

Oh, my baby, when you're older
Maybe then you'll understand
You have angels that stand around your shoulders
'Cause at times in life you need a loving hand

Oh, my baby, when you're prayin'
Leave your burden by my door
You have Jesus standing by your bedside
To keep you calm, keep you safe,
Away from harm

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

Oh, my baby, when you're cryin'
Never hide your face from me
I've conquered hell and driven out the demons
I have come with a life to set you free

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Oh, my baby, when you're dying
Believe the healing of His hand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms

~by Mindy Smith, album "One Moment More", Vanguard Records 2004
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live thus

To live thus -- to cram today with eternity and not wait the next day -- the Christian has learnt and continues to learn (for the Christian is always learning) from the Pattern. How did He manage to live without anxiety for the next day -- He who from the first instant of His public life, when He stepped forward as a teacher, knew how His life would end, that the next day was His crucifixion; knew this while the people exultantly hailed Him as King (ah, bitter knowledge to have at precisely that moment!); knew, when they were crying, Hosanna!, at His entry into Jerusalem, that they would cry, "Crucify Him!", and that it was to this end that He made His entry. He who bore every day the prodigious weight of this superhuman knowledge -- how did He manage to live without anxiety for the next day?

Søren Kierkegaard

how we think of God

In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised. I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except insofar as it is related to how He thinks of us. It is written that we shall, “stand before” Him, shall appear, shall be inspected. The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God…to be a real ingredient in the Divine happiness…to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son – it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.

csl

enabled

If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them.

John Owen

Mind Games

Your thoughts can make yoU believe or make yoU doubt. They can be true or false. They can lead yoU toward a healthy lifestyle or steal away your ability to live a fulfilled life. Perhaps most powerfully, thoughts have the ability to free yoU, or they can enslave yoU inside the worst cage of all…yourself.
…
I believe God has placed inside each of us a desire for intimate passion, soulful purpose, and mind-boggling potential. Yet too often we let our minds (or the way we think) get in the way of all that. We let our poor thinking dictate how we aRe going to live. We invest poorly in our minds, so we get a poor return on our investment. In short, we play mind games with ourselves.
…
I’ve played mind games for most of my adult life. One day a couple of years ago, I woke up and decided I was going to stop cold turkey. No more playing the games that had so often left me feeling depressed, anxious, obsessed, alone, fearful, codependent, and paranoid. I’m no shrink or theologian, and I will not pretend to be, but I’ve learned over the past several years what God can do with the human mind. And I’m living proof that he can use just about any type of mind for his purpose and glory. The book you’re now holding, Mind Games, is one part my story and one part lessons I’ve learned about my mind and how I cannot survive without thinking free – and neither can yoU.
…
I coined the term ‘freethinking’ to describe a mind that is free of game playing, free of bondage, free of self-absorption. A mind in pursuit of being surrendered to the passions and dreams of Jesus is truly free. I’ve often had to learn this the hard way on my journey of faith. But I’ve come to realize that the more I surrender, the more I am able to be free from bondage of worry, anxiety, and depression. It’s not like I don’t ever feel those things; I do, but they no longer define who I am. They don’t lock me up in a cage. They don’t control me. My pursuit of being dependent on Jesus sets me free from that cage.
…
Reality brings challenges into our lives that can send us into mental tailspins. I’ve been there. You’ve probably been there, too. But no matter whether it’s depression or anxiety or codependence or anger or lack of confidence or fear that cripples our ability to think free, God can heal it. That’s what freethinking is all about – finding freedom and healing. And we all need it no matter what our stories entail…

Matthew Paul Turner (The opening to Mind Games)

only

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.

Saint Augustine

spring

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime.

Martin Luther

Romans

Dr. N.T. Wright wrote, "Many have given (Romans 9-11) up as a bad job, leaving Romans as a book of "gospel" for eight chapters, four of "application" at the end, and three of "puzzle" in the middle" adding, "it is as full of problems as a hedgehog is full of prickles." We believe its all "gospel" so we need to study it - prickles and all!

Western

We sometimes come to God, not because we love Him best, but because we love our possessions best; we ask Christ to "save Western civilization", without asking ourselves whether it is entirely a civilization that Christ could want to save. We pray, too often, not to do God's will, but to enlist God's assistance in maintaining our "continually increasing consumption". And yet, though Christ promised that God would feed us, he never promised that God would stuff us to bursting.

Joy Davidman

Swete

There are times when we cannot pray in words, or pray as we ought; but our inarticulate longings for a better life are the Spirit's intercessions on our behalf, audible to God who searches all hearts, and intelligible and acceptable to Him since they are the voice of His Spirit, and it is according to His will that the Spirit should intercede for the members of His Son.

Henry Barclay Swete