Look to Jesus

Look not to yourselves! You are by nature wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked; you cannot make atonement for your past transgressions, you cannot wipe out a single page in that long black list. And when the King shall ask you for your wedding garment you will be speechless. Look simply unto Jesus, and then the weight shall fall from off your shoulders, the course shall be clear and plain, and you shall run the race which is set before you.

~ J.C. Ryle

Free Music Download - Page CXVI

"Music is the handmaiden of theology, leading to a fuller appreciation of God."

                                                                                                                - Martin Luther

Over the last few years I have rediscovered the old sacred hymns; the kind of songs they used to sing in my grandparents church. Songs full of Scripture and sound doctrine. So I am always excited to see a new hymns project.

The group Page CXVI will soon release their second album of hymns and I can't wait. But until then, you can download their first album of hymns for free (CLICK HERE) until May 4th. But make no mistake about it, these are first rate musicians and vocalists. They are doing this because they have a passion for hymns and want to introduce them to a new generation.

If you're wondering what the story is behind the unusual name. Here is the story from their website:

The name comes from a reference to page 116 in our copy of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is a poignant passage where Aslan begins to sing Narnia into creation out of a black void.

It starts, “In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction is was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Of course, Aslan the lion is a Christ figure from The Chronicles of Narnia. I suspect that Lewis got the idea to have Aslan sing creation into existence from Zephaniah 3:17 which reads:

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Consider that passage for just a moment, the Almighty God will rejoice over His people with singing. That is too wonderful for words; and it is that type of awe and wonder that a well written hymn can help draw us to.

Monday music smile - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Charles Spurgeon - A love as deep as hell

“Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”
- Micah 5:2

The Lord Jesus had goings forth for his people as their representative before the throne, long before they appeared upon the stage of time. It was “from everlasting” that he signed the compact with his Father, that he would pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death, in the behalf of his people; it was “from everlasting” that he gave himself up without a murmuring word. That from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot he might sweat great drops of blood, that he might be spit upon, pierced, mocked, rent asunder, and crushed beneath the pains of death. His goings forth as our Surety were from everlasting.

Pause, my soul, and wonder!

Thou hast goings forth in the person of Jesus “from everlasting.” Not only when thou wast born into the world did Christ love thee, but his delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men. Often did he think of them; from everlasting to everlasting he had set his affection upon them. What! my soul, has he been so long about thy salvation, and will not he accomplish it? Has he from everlasting been going forth to save me, and will he lose me now? What! Has he carried me in his hand, as his precious jewel, and will he now let me slip from between his fingers? Did he choose me before the mountains were brought forth, or the channels of the deep were digged, and will he reject me now? Impossible!

I am sure he would not have loved me so long if he had not been a changeless Lover. If he could grow weary of me, he would have been tired of me long before now. If he had not loved me with a love as deep as hell, and as strong as death, he would have turned from me long ago. Oh, joy above all joys, to know that I am his everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to him by his Father or ever the earth was! Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night.

Pride and humility

Proud people don’t feel amazed at being treated well. They don’t feel deep gratefulness. But humble people do. In fact, they are made even more humble by being treated graciously. They are so amazed that grace came to them in their unworthiness that they feel even more lowly. But they receive the gift. Joy increases, not self-importance. Grace is not intended to replace lowliness with pride.

- John Piper, A Sweet & Bitter Providence

Notable quotables

"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."
- C. S. Lewis