panorama.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

come & live

the following write-up is from friendswithbotharms.com:

Chad Johnson is a man not satisfied to just listen to the music- he wants it to grow legs. He wants music to become a catalyst for real change. He risked it all to pursue this calling, and his faith is a testament to what potentials can be reached through a community of like-minded people. I met Chad through a mutual friend Graham- who has been working behind the Come & Live mission since it’s inception. Based out of Nashville, Chad spent nearly the passed decade working for the Christian music label- Tooth & Nail and felt called to start his own label that is run as a ministry- to foster artists as missionaries through their music. When that invitation to artists was sent out, they were met with an overwhelming response and interest was gaining momentum without even a running website to their name.

chadjohnson

It took an extraordinary amount of courage and dedication to see the early stages of running a non-profit music label until things really began to take off. Under their manifesto they say, “If we believe that our lives and music define our mission, then we should be willing to share it all, not under any financial obligation, but plainly given away as a gift. It’s one of the smaller ways we know how to spell “love”. Our artists are missionaries, spreading the gospel and worshipping our Creator while giving all they have to love others. Therefore I command you, “You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor” – Deuteronomy 15:11

It is a beautiful principle built on love and compassion. Please follow them and get involved as this idea spreads and becomes a movement.

Made to Love from Come&Live! on Vimeo.

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I love everything about this. It's a great mission and I encourage you to read more about this company at their website and check out the artists on the label. They offer a free EP compilation download as well, which I've provided below.

01. Intro - There is a Light by the Frozen Ocean - John Piper
02. Awakening - Daniel Bashta
03. Sing - Ascend the Hill
04. Come Away - Ian McIntosh
05. Run to You - The Ember Days
06. The Stars Will Bleed Your Name - I Am Alpha and Omega
07. New Life - Great Awakening
08. Hills Humbled - So Long Forgotten
09. There You Are - Lovelite
10. Caution - Sons of God
11. Between Failure and Fraud - Holding Onto Hope
12. Ghosts - The Frozen Ocean
13. Revival - The Neverclaim
14. Then They Will Know - Preson Phillps
15. Open Hands - Fallstar
16. The Crown (Instrumental) - Everett

DOWNLOAD

Love.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

excerpt from matthew henry's 1706 commentary on romans 8

There's a lot to read here, but stick with me. It's worth it.

Romans 8:28-39

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew Henry's commentary on this passage (originally published 1706):

The apostle closes this excellent discourse upon the privileges of believers with a holy triumph, in the name of all the saints. Having largely set forth the mystery of God's love to us in Christ, and the exceedingly great and precious privileges we enjoy by him, he concludes like an orator: What shall we then say to these things? What use shall we make of all that has been said? He speaks as one amazed and swallowed up with the contemplation and admiration of it, wondering at the height and depth, and length and breadth, of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. The more we know of other things the less we wonder at them; but the further we are led into an acquaintance with gospel mysteries the more we are affected with the admiration of them. If Paul was at a loss what to say to these things, no marvel if we be. And what does he say? Why, if ever Paul rode in a triumphant chariot on this side of heaven, here it was: with such a holy height and bravery of spirit, with such a fluency and copiousness of expression, does he here comfort himself and all the people of God, upon the consideration of these privileges. In general, he here makes a challenge, throws down the gauntlet, as it were, dares all the enemies of the saints to do their worst: If God be for us, who can be against us? The ground of the challenge is God's being for us; in this he sums up all our privileges. This includes all, that God is for us; not only reconciled to us, and so not against us, but in covenant with us, and so engaged for us—all his attributes for us, his promises for us. All that he is, and has, and does, is for his people. He performs all things for them. He is for them, even when he seems to act against them. And, if so, who can be against us, so as to prevail against us, so as to hinder our happiness? Be they ever so great and strong, ever so many, ever so might, ever so malicious, what can they do? While God is for us, and we keep in his love, we may with a holy boldness defy all the powers of darkness. Let Satan do his worst, he is chained; let the world do its worst, it is conquered: principalities and powers are spoiled and disarmed, and triumphed over, in the cross of Christ. Who then dares fight against us, while God himself is fighting for us?

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Amen, amen, and amen.

Wow. If you've never read any of Matthew Henry's commentary, I recommend that you do. My pastor quoted this in his message this past weekend and it was so powerful, I had to find it and read more. The whole six-volume commentary is available online for free. I used the version here (thanks Calvin College! This is the only one I found that has the scripture passage and the commentary together). I hope this brings you some encouragement today. It did for me.

Love.