I’m enjoying the new album from For King and Country! This Youtube clip is from a few days ago. 40 minutes of time well spent. The messages of their songs are quite beautiful!
From the clip details:
We’re bringing our brand new album straight to your living room! Join us for ‘WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?’ THE WORLDWIDE SPECIAL: a global streaming event from the Mojave desert🏜🎶 in partnership with Convoy of Hope benefiting Ukrainian refugees.
Donate to support Ukrainian refugees by visiting: convoy.org/forUKRAINE or text to give “forUKRAINE” to 68828 Stream/download WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?: https://forkingandcountry.lnk.to/what…
Greetings all, just quickly want to share an album I’m now playing on repeat. It is based on CS Lewis’ writings, with overtones of Narnia! There is so much to explore. Enjoy!
Last year John Piper penned a great little book at the start of the pandemic, and 12 months later his words still ring true:
“The coronavirus is God’s thunderclap call for all of us to repent and realign our lives with the infinite worth of Christ.” (77)
“Disasters are a gracious summons from God to repent and be saved while there is still time. . . . I think that’s God’s message for the world in this coronavirus outbreak. He is calling the world to repentance while there’s still time.” (79–80)
“What God is doing in the coronavirus is showing us—graphically, painfully—that nothing in this world gives the security and satisfaction that we find in the infinite greatness and worth of Jesus. This global pandemic takes away our freedom of movement, our business activity, and our face-to-face relations. It takes away our security and our comfort. And, in the end, it may take away our lives. The reason God exposes us to such losses is to rouse us to rely on Christ. Or to put it another way, the reason he makes calamity the occasion for offering Christ to the world is that the supreme, all-satisfying greatness of Christ shines more brightly when Christ sustains joy in suffering.” (82)
The quotations above are courtesy of a Gospel coalition post (link below). But don’t forget you can access Piper’s books as PDFs anytime. Follow the link https://www.desiringgod.org/books/coronavirus-and-christ. It is worth reading for yourself. Blessings!
1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
This song from Mercy Me is a great encouragement in the midst of the weariness and challenges which 2020 has brought us. The film clip is also quite a unique and creative one! I trust you find these words from the bridge an especially beautiful glimpse of the joy of heaven to come.
“I know that the cross has brought heaven to us But make no mistake there’s still more to come When our flesh and our bone are no longer between Where we are right now and where we’re meant to be When all that’s been lost has been made whole again When these tears and this pain no longer exist. . .”
Are you disappointed Are you desperate for help You know what it’s like to be tired And only a shell of yourself
Well you start to believe You don’t have what it takes ‘Cause it’s all you can do Just to move much less finish the race But don’t forget what lies ahead
Almost home Brother it won’t be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home
Well this road will be hard But we win in the end Simply because of Jesus in us It’s not if but when So take joy in the journey Even when it feels long Oh find strength in each step Knowing heaven is cheering you on
We are almost home Brother it won’t be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home Almost home Almost home
I know that the cross has brought heaven to us But make no mistake there’s still more to come When our flesh and our bone are no longer between Where we are right now and where we’re meant to be When all that’s been lost has been made whole again When these tears and this pain no longer exist No more walking we’re running as fast as we can Consider this our second wind
Almost home Brother it won’t be long Soon all your burdens will be gone With all your strength Sister run wild, run free Hold up your head Keep pressing on We are almost home Almost home Almost home We are almost home Almost home Almost home We are almost home
Defender You go before I know That You’ve even gone to win my war
You come back with the head of my enemy You come back and You call it my victory, oh ooh
You go before I know That You’ve even gone to win my war Your love becomes my greatest defense It leads me from the dry wilderness
And all I did was praise All I did was worship All I did was bow down, oh All I did was stay still
Hallelujah, You have saved me So much better Your way Hallelujah, great Defender So much better Your way
You know before I do Where my heart can seek to find Your truth Your mercy is the shade I’m living in And You restore my faith and hope again
And all I did was praise, oh, oh ooh All I did was worship All I did was bow down, oh All I did was stay still, stay still
Hallelujah, You have saved me So much better Your way Hallelujah, great Defender So much better Your way
When I thought I lost me You knew where I left me You reintroduced me to Your love You picked up all my pieces Put me back together You are the defender of my heart When I thought I lost me You knew where I left me You reintroduced me to Your love You picked up all my pieces Put me back together You are the defender of my heart
Hallelujah, You have saved me So much better this way Hallelujah, great Defender So much better Your way So much better Your way (I know it’s so much better) So much better Your way (I know it, I know it)
And all I did was praise All I need to do is worship Lord, I will just bow down I’m just gonna stay still
If you need songs for a series on Ephesians, here is the list we worked from. Make sure you check out ‘Oh the Mercy of God‘ which is Ephesians 1 in song – a great place to start!
Amazing Grace (original hymn or Tomlin’s My Chains are Gone)
Beautiful Saviour (Stuart Townend)
By Faith (Getty & Townend)
By Our Love (Christy Nockles)
Come people of the Risen King (Getty)
Faithful are your mercies Lord (Hosanna)
From the Inside Out (Hillsong)
Grace has now appeared (EMU music)
Glories of Calvary (Sovereign Grace)
God of Grace (Getty)
Hear our Praises (Hillsong)
Holding on to Me (Garage Hymnal)
How Great is your love, O Lord (Hosanna)
I’m Forgiven (You are my King – BJ Foote)
I will Rise (Hillsong)
In Christ Alone (Getty and Townend)
Made Alive (by Citizens and Saints – Mars Hill Music)
I'm Ash. I love Jesus. I'm a wife and a mum. I'm a teacher. I'm also studying my Masters of Counselling. I started studying a few years after started the very hard work of engaging my own story of harm and trauma. This is a place where you'll hear my stories, as well as the stories of others. I'll also reflect on faith, healing and walking with Jesus. I pray that these words might encourage you to do your own painful but life-bringing work of examining your own stories, and allowing Jesus to heal the parts of you still locked in shame. For He came that we might have life, and have it to the full. Welcome, fellow traveller.
Words, words, words... well said Hamlet! A little blog to go off on tangents within the worlds of history and literature that interest me. From the Tudors to Tom Hardy's Tess, or from the Wars of the Roses to Wuthering Heights, feel free to browse through my musings to pick up extra ideas and points for discussion!
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
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