Keep me.

"If believers are lost, God loses more than they do, for he loses his honour, he loses his
character for truthfulness, and the glory of his name is tarnished". 1429.468

"If anybody said he had eternal life and lost it, he would be flatly contradicting
himself. It could not be eternal, or else he must still have it". 2120.691
"Further, if Christ had intended to cast us away because of our sins, why did he ever
take us on?" 2720.147

"True, we are unworthy, but we always were, and if thou didst want a reason for
leaving us thou hast had ten thousand reasons long ago". 2923.87

C.H. Spurgeon.

50 minutes of words that changed my life.

October 9th, 2005. Minneapolis, MN. Sunday morning. Convention center.

A few months after my eyes had been opened to recognize my sinfulness, and desire Jesus as my savior... I listened to these words... which caused me to recognize the "goal of creation"...or why we, or anything else exists.

VIDEO: The Suffering of Christ and the Sovereignty of God

From eternity past God had a plan. That Jesus Christ, the Lamb, would be slaughtered to ransom the Church: His "bride"...to display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God.

After asking myself, "what is my purpose"?

I heard a resounding answer coming from the Bible...

"Even as he chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved...so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." (See first Chapter of Ephesians)

So why do we exist? "We exist to glorify God by enjoying Him forever."

Welcome back music library...

Hello, iTunes music library...nice to hear you again. Specifically, Tenth Avenue North. It's been a few weeks...

Never have I encountered a whole CD that has captured my attention for so long. I am a sporadic song listener--usually cannot listen to a whole song without changing it. Yet when it comes to "Over and Underneath" by Tenth Avenue North... I can't get enough. For 3 reasons.

1. Truth. 10th Ave's lyrics are first and foremost Bible-saturated and Christ-centered. There is nothing better.

"Look at these hands and my side//They swallowed the grave on that night//When I drank the world's sin//So I could carry you in//And give you life//I want to give you life"
(By Your Side)

2. Spirit. The Bible tells us to worship in Spirit and in Truth. So not only in truth...but also in spirit... with emotion, with passion, with delight, with joy. The lyrics are so honest... expressing fears, failures, and dependence on Jesus Christ. Not with stiff, emotionless law or words...but sincere emotion-packed charismatic spirit...

"One tear in the dropping rain//One voice in the sea of pain//Could the maker of the stars//Hear the sound of my breakin' heart? //One light, that's all I am//Right now I can barely stand//If You're everything You say You are//Won't You come close and hold my heart"
(Hold My Heart)

3. Good music. These guys are actually talented... and their songs are enjoyable to listen to. Again, and again, and again!

We have a mind that comprehends words so that we might know the Truth. We have emotions so that we might delight in things--and the ultimate, all-satisfying delight is knowing God through Jesus Christ. This CD is breaking me down, building me up, and spurring me to know...to really know my Lord...and encouraging me to take delight in seeing others come to see and savour Christ for the first time as He ought to be valued.

"Well you've been a mistress, my wife//Chasing lovers it won't satisfy//Won't you let me make you my bride//You will drink of my lips //And you'll taste new life
"Cause you're my beloved//Lover I'm yours//Death shall not part us//It's you I died for
For better or worse//Forever we'll be//Our Love it unites us//and it binds you to me"
(Beloved)

God keeps his covenants. He made a covenant through His son's blood...and no power is able to divorce Christ from His bride--the Church. Not because of our power, but His power...that Christ may receive all the glory because He, who was without sin, became Sin for His sheep. God is good!

Moral of the post, enjoy 10th Ave because through their music...we can worship God in spirit and in Truth...for His glory because of the Lamb who was slain.