Good Friday thoughts

“Even the excruciating pain could not silence his repeated entreaties: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ The soldiers gambled for his clothes. Some women stood afar off. The crowd remained a while to watch. Jesus commended his mother to John’s care and John to hers. He spoke words of kingly assurance to the penitent criminal crucified at his side. Meanwhile, the rulers sneered at him, shouting: ‘He saved others, but he can’t save himself!’ Their words, spoken as an insult, were the literal truth. He could not save himself and others simultaneously. He chose to sacrifice himself in order to save the world.” 
― John R.W. Stott, The Cross of Christ


“Self-denial is not denying to ourselves luxuries such as chocolates, cakes, cigarettes and cocktails (although it might include this); it is actually denying or disowning ourselves, renouncing our supposed right to go our own way.” 
― John R.W. Stott, The Cross of Christ


“Thirdly, Christ’s salvation must be a free gift. He ‘purchased’ it for us at the high price of his own life-blood. So what is there left for us to pay? Nothing! Since he claimed that all was now ‘finished’, there is nothing for us to contribute.” 
― John R.W. Stott, The Cross of Christ

My best thought...

When I am tired in my occupation. When I am tired of my earthly endeavors, when I am tired of my own failures in life, or my very own lack of ability to truly be good. It's when I'm at the end of myself, when I am supremely glad to remember these words from this old Scottish Hymn..

"Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence, my light."

Whatever my thoughts are in a day, the best thought I can have is of Him. The thought of His person. His Forgiveness, His Word, His Grace, His Love for me.

Another great Hymn that perfectly describes my feelings, and experience are noted here...

I look to thee in every need,
And never look in vain
I feel thy strong and tender love,
And all is well again:
The thought of thee is mightier far
Than sin, and pain, and sorrow are.

Discouraged in the work of life,
Disheartened by its load,
Shamed by its failures or its fears,
I sink beside the road;
But let me only think of thee,
And then new heart springs up in me. 

Thy calmness bends serene above,
My restlessness to still;
Around me flows thy quickening life,
To nerve my faltering will:
Thy presence fills my solitude;
Thy providence turns all to good.

Embosomed deep in thy dear love,
Held in thy law, I stand;
Thy hand in all things I behold,
And all things in thy hand;
Thou leadest me by unsought ways,
And turn'st my mourning into praise.

Amen.

- Samuel Longfellow (1819 - 1892)

I'd rather be...

Best quote of the week!

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. — George Washington

The quote, "I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world," was said to be George Washington's response to newspaper criticism of his presidency. But it may well have resonated with Washington in other ways. With a debt crisis, a war (on the northwestern frontier) and upheaval in Europe to deal with, plus a growing partisanship within his own administration, probably nothing sounded better to the president than the rolling acres and pastoral views of the Potomac he enjoyed on his Mount Vernon estate.

A great musical piece as well! 

NPR report "I had rather be on my Farm" with Vocal Composition.

What if Satan took over a city?

That question was brought up over half a century ago and answered by a Presbyterian Minister by the name of Donald Grey Barnhouse.

Speculating that "if Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The Children would say, "Yes sir" and "No ma'am," and the churches would be full every Sunday... where Christ is not preached."

This illustrates to me, that it is only when we see our humanity and ultimately our sin (our very own sins) as God sees it, that we can understand what God has done in the Cross of Christ. When we don't see it for what it is, and we do not understand our own condition... then the message of the Cross, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to our human mind. And how can we be grateful for something that we think we don't really need? If we hold "sin" as not really relevant, then neither will the Life, Words, and Work of the cross of Jesus seem relevant to us. And this is exactly why we need to hear God's Word, for there He tells me all about my sin and my true condition, and knowing who God is as He has revealed Himself to us in history, and in His Word. God is Holy. Perfect. And He is Love. Perfect love. Then... Everything changes. We can then, from that place of repentance, and acknowledgement of our sin, truly see the Cross, and the work of Christ with our hearts lifted up, praising the one, who in Love, saved us. 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  – 1 John 3:1

"Who has believed our message? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1

The only two options available

So there are really only two religions in the world: a religion of human striving to ascend to God through pious works, feelings, attitudes, and experiences and the Good News of God’s merciful descent to us in his Son. 

The religions, philosophies, ideologies, and spiritualities of the world only differ on the details. Whether we are talking about the Dalai Lama or Dr. Phil, Islam or Oprah, liberals or conservatives, the most intuitive conviction is that we are good people who need good advice, not helpless sinners who need the Good News. 

- Michael Horton 


So the law reveals the righteousness that God is, by which we are judged (and therefore condemned); the gospel reveals the righteousness that God freely gives to sinners through faith in Jesus Christ… Salvation, from start to finish, is his work for us, not a matter of saving ourselves or even of cooperating with him. It is a divine rescue operation. Even our sanctification is grounded in God’s act of justifying us and uniting us, by his Spirit, to Christ’s death and life.  (Romans 6)

My life is not the Good News.

Talking about some of our modern Christian churches who focus their teaching towards living better lives, and more piety, community, giving, and seeing Christ as our "example" of how we should live, so we can 'have out best life now'... Author Michael Horton in his book "Christless Christianity" says this... "In every generation, our natural tendency to put the focus back on ourselves - our inner life, piety, community, and actions - withers the very root of faith that yields love and service."

And later says this " That my life, is not the gospel is good news both for me and for my neighbors. Because Christ is the Good News, Christians as well as non-Christians can be saved after all. ...the Good News is not only enough to create faith but to get us back on our feet, assured of our standing in Christ, ready for another day of successes and failures in our discipleship."

A heart transformer

“Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good, he came to make dead people
live. The good can be as lost as the bad, it is the heart that needs to be transformed. ” – Ravi Zacharias

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 ESV
http://bible.com/59/rom.12.2.ESV