Tenth Avenue North Love is Here Lyrics
I have fell in love with this group. You have to listen to them and read the lyrics to this song.
Love is Here.
Also called the “Come to the Waters” song.
You can buy it on Ebay here.
[phpbay]602341012621 ,4, “”, “”[/phpbay]
Come to the waters, you who thirst and you’ll thirst no more.
Come to the father, you who work and you’ll work no more.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:
Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from
His hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here.
Come to the treasure, you who search and you’ll search no more.
Come to the lover you who want and you’ll want no more, no.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed,
Yeah:
Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Yeah
And to the bruised and fallen,
Captives, bound, and broken hearted.
He is the lord
He is the lord,
Yeah
By his stripes he’s paid our ransom
From his wounds we drink salvation
He is the lord
He is the lord
Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near,
It satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here
Love is here.
Acting In Unbelief
Recently, I have been thinking about how people who call themselves “Christian” seem to be unwilling to believe in the word of God. I know we all have doubt from time to time, but it should be the exception, not the rule. I often hear it from “church folks”, who are scared of being sued, or scared that something bad may happen in the church, or just scared to take a chance on life.
How can we as Christians, constantly run and hide from all the scary things in life. I don’t think we are called to play it safe. We love ourselves too much. Face it, you have been bought a very steep price. You are not your own.
I implore you, think about all the things you are worried about right now, and decide which of those things God can’t handle. Are there any? If so, you need to seriously consider your level of belief in the God of the universe. He is not wringing His hands, hoping things will come out all right, trust me.
Trust Him, for once in your life, give Him your trust. I am talking to myself now, but if it applies to you, then you know it.
I was reading this devotion today by AW Tozer. Read it. Think about it. God is closer than you think.
Human sin began with loss of faith in God.
When our mother Eve listened to Satan’s sly innuendos against the character of God she began to entertain a doubt of His integrity and right there the doors were opened to the incoming of every possible evil, and darkness settled upon the world. The Bible talks about mans being alienated from and an enemy to God.
Should this sound harsh or extreme you have only to imagine your closest personal friend coming to you and stating in cold seriousness that he no longer has any confidence in you. I do not trust you. I have lost confidence in your character. I am forced to suspect every move you make. Such a declaration would instantly alienate friends by destroying the foundation upon which every friendship is built. Until your former friends opinion of you had been reversed there could be no further communion. Only a restored faith could bring about a restored friendship.
Now, it is well known that people do not go boldly to God and profess that they have no confidence in Him, and no one except the rare professional unbeliever is willing to witness publicly to his low view of God. The frightful thing, however, is that people everywhere act out their unbelief with a consistency that is more convincing than words.
Tony Snow’s Beliefs on Dying
I have admired this man for a long time. Just to listen to him on Fox News, one had a sense he was a pilgrim here in this land. I got a sense that he had a faith that is uncommon in the news world.
Tony died this past week. He had a valiant battle with cancer, but most often the cancer wins these battles. I found out this week that a very humble servant and fellow deacon in our church has just found that he will be battling cancer as well. He is one of God’s most treasured servants, I am sure.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to such good people. That is a question we cannot answer. Tony Snow did an interview a year ago where he explained what he thinks about his cancer and how it effects him and others. You can read it here, called Cancer’s Unexpected Blessings – by Tony Snow.
This is a must read for all of us who look forward to that day with both fear and longing. Tony’s words may help you to relate to those who you know who are passing through this struggle.
Here is an excerpt from that article:
“Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer.
Those of us with potentially fatal diseases—and there are millions in America today—find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.
The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.
I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.
But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.
Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.”
I will see you later Tony….
Are we too comfortable here?
Are we too comfortable? Are we too entertained?
If you have read much on my site, you know how fond I am of AW Tozer. Maybe it is just a stage my life is in, but that man seems to me to be one of the wisest men I have ever read or listened to.
Below is a quote from a daily devotion of Tozer and it is wrapped up with deep truths and solemn thinking that is scarce today.
“The answer is that we are too comfortable, too rich, too contented. We hold the faith of our fathers, but it does not hold us. We are suffering from judicial blindness visited upon us because of our sins. To us has been committed the most precious of all treasures, but we are not committed to it. We insist upon making our religion a form of amusement and will have fun whether or not. We are afflicted with religious myopia and see only things near at hand.
God has set eternity in our hearts and we have chosen time instead.
He is trying to interest us in a glorious tomorrow and we are settling for an inglorious today. We are bogged down in local interests and have lost sight of eternal purposes. We improvise and muddle along, hoping for heaven at last but showing no eagerness to get there, correct in doctrine but weary of prayer and bored with God.” —- written in 1962 or thereabout.
A fellow Christian at my church was once talking about a book he was reading (this was years ago) and he was telling a group of us that it seemed to him the more he read and studied about God, the more he wanted to just go to heaven, right now. I knew when I heard that , it should be true for all of us Christians, and I also know when I heard it, it was not true for me. I wanted to stay here on earth, in time, in my physical body, and have some more “life”….
Wow, how wrong that is. Well, I am learning to “want” to go to heaven, right now. Sometimes I actually feel that way, very few times, and they don’t last that long, but that is how we all should be. Does that sound strange to you? It probably should. We are basically taught from birth to preserve this life. And if we were not taught it, we have a deep subconscious desire to “live”.
Do you really believe? If we really believe that this temporary housing we call a body and this temporary environment of time, is really temporary and nothing compared to our real life which is to come, why wouldn’t we all long for that eternal life to start now.
I did learn that I can feel that way, and I am hopeful that as I get older, if God chooses that I do get older, I will more and more long to be in that new land.
This old hymn written by Edgar P. Stites says it pretty well. As Stites wrote the song he said, “It was in 1876 that I wrote ‘Beulah Land.’ I could write only two verses and the chorus, when I was overcome and fell on my face. That was one Sunday. On the following Sunday I wrote the third and fourth verses, and again I was so influenced by emotion that I could only pray and weep.”
You can listen to it on YouTube here.
Beulah Land
I’m kind of homesick for a country
To which I’ve never been before.
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
for time won’t matter anymore.
Chorus:
Beulah Land, I’m longing for you
and some day on thee I’ll stand.
There my home shall be eternal.
Beulah Land — Sweet Beulah Land
I’m looking now across the river
where my faith will end in sight.
There’s just a few more days to labor.
Then I will take my heavenly flight.
Where is the Hope?
I recorded this some time ago from the first part of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song, “Heaven in the Real World”. I wanted to put it back out to anyone who wants to listen. It’s Chuck Colson talking about hope. This three or four sentence summation is so poignant. It hits the truth square on the head. You must listen to this if you haven’t heard it.
He has a way with words! Where is the Hope?
You can read more about Chuck Colson here. He is a modern day wise man, I think.
Thanks to Bruce for correcting me on who this was speaking, as I always thought it was Billy Graham.
Asking Questions or Judging?
I will admit it here. I am a judger. I think that isn’t really a word but it should be. A judger is not a good thing to be. God says Judge not, that ye be not judged.; the King James version of it anyway. It’s pretty easy to understand in any version. I am not able to follow it though. How about you?
I notice it mostly in the parenting area, but I am sure my good friends notice it as well. The really difficult part is, I don’t want to do it. I try not to do it, yet I still do it. I think sometimes in parenting we get accused of it, when we really are just very interested in what our kids are up to. But, likely their perception is right many times. We are not simply asking questions, we have a "see I knew it" in our voice or on our face. We are really trying to catch them doing something they shouldn’t , then we let them have it about what is right and wrong. Or maybe we just kind of give them the look. You know the look I am talking about. The look that says, ‘you know that’s wrong, now start doing it right’.
On the other hand, parenting is a bunch of guidance in what is right and wrong. So how do we get around the judging part. I don’t know. I do know it’s much easier in the short term to just let kids do whatever they want. The long term is what I am parenting for though. It’s not easy or popular. but I am trusting God that it will be worth it.
I guess what I’m saying is we have to be careful, with kids and with family and friends. On the one hand we need to be strong and do right and be willing to say what is right, no matter how unpopular that is. But on the other hand, we need to be loving and accepting of people, and let God do what God does.
What do you think about Judging and Parenting? Are you a Judger?
Heroes and Heart Talk
Have you heard of a man named Wesley Autry? You need to see this video.
This man showed a love that was not borne from any selfish thing. I don’t know why he did it. It doesn’t make sense. He had two very young daughters with him and deserted them to save a stranger? Doesn’t make sense.
God did this for us. Jesus told parables of a shepherd that left all his sheep to find one. (And back then, when you left your sheep alone, you were taking a big risk that the wolves would come and kill some in your flock) This guy jumped from the subway platform and laid on top of a man he did not know to save him from an oncoming train.
Love like this. I can’t imagine a love like that.
Jesus did this for all of us. He died for us while we were still sinners. We did not deserve that sacrifice. The guy Wesley Autry did this. The guy he saved did not deserve it. (or maybe he did, I don’t know). Point is, Autry did this for a man he did not know.
God’s love is far superior to this, but this makes a point. God knew what you would be like, He knew what a low down selfish person you would be and He still did it. Do you know who I am talking about?
If you don’t know God, really know Him, now is a good time to get to know Him. God will meet you right where you are, not when you get good enough. You’ll never be good enough for God to accept you. You must believe in faith, and receive Him.
Call out to Him today. He will not turn you away.
.
.
Empty Me by Chris Sligh
I just love this song. You can buy Running Back to You
[phpbay]881410004228 ,2, “”, “”[/phpbay]
Empty Me by Chris Sligh
I’ve had just enough of the spotlight when it burns bright
To see how it gets in the blood.
And I’ve tasted my share of the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
I’ve seen just enough of the quick buys of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you, compared to you.
Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you so I surrender all?
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you.
Empty me.
[phpbay]881410004228 ,6,307,,,,,,,,,,,, 2,[/phpbay]
Buy his new album, Running Back to You
Trust is Like a Tree
I just got an estimate to get a huge tree cut down in our backyard. I have wanted it gone from the day we moved in but until now , the family wasn’t convinced it should go. It is a huge Tulip Poplar tree. It has huge leaves and becomes a giant umbrella over our deck when the leaves are out. 
Now I am feeling a little bad about cutting it down. I have no idea how long it took to grow that big. Maybe 50 years? The guy who is cutting it down will take about 2 hours or less.
Trust is like that. Trust takes so long to build and grow. It’s like a tree growing. Just a little each day, hardly perceptible. 50 years and this tree can be gone in 2 hours.
50 years of trust can be killed in less than that. Don’t do it. If someone trusts you, in a marriage, in a business relationship, or just a friend. Don’t ruin it. Don’t kill it. Integrity demands that trust be upheld.
Once the tree is gone, we won’t be able to put it back. We could plant a new tree and grow it and someday, it might be as big.
It would take a long time.
Some seed falls on stony ground
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:1-8
What kind of seed are you? Likely someone in your life was a sower. They maybe 
invited you to church or just talked with you in a rough time, and encouraged you to talk with God. That sower is looking to see if you will grow. God is looking. Will you grow? Will you mature and become a sower yourself, or will you be like the seed that fell on stony ground and died.
You have your future in your hand. God is wanting you to take a stand for Him.. He took a stand for you.
Jesus went on to explain the parable because his disciples asked Him , why he spoke in parables? I find it hard to believe they didn’t understand the parable, but He explained it as follows.
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Seeds have the potential to feed a country of hungry people. They must live and grow and mature, then reproduce.
What kind of seed are you?
