Sunday's Hymn: Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done;
They bid my fear depart.

To whom, save thee,
Who canst alone
For sin atone,
Lord, shall I flee?

Thy pains, not mine, O Christ,
Upon the shameful tree,
Have paid the law's full price
And purchased peace for me.

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ,
Has borne the awful load
Of sins that none in heav'n
Or earth could bear but God.

Thy righteousness, O Christ,
Alone can cover me:
No righteousness avails
Save that which is of thee.

Horatius Bonar, 1857
Tune: Darwall's 148th, John Darwall, 1770

Daffodils!

Daffodils just might be my favorite flower! At least, they are my favorite flower at the moment because they are prolifically in bloom right now! I love their cheerful faces, especially this spring when we've waited so long for them to come. So this sunny bouquet from my dear friend, Norma's garden, cut fresh this morning was so very, very welcome.

Sunday's Hymn: To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that we may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus forgiveness receives.

Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Fanny J. Crosby, 1875
Tune: William H. Doane, 1832-1916

Sunday's Hymn: Lift High the Cross

Refrain

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Refrain

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Refrain

George W. Kichin and Michael R. Newbolt, 1916

Tune: Crucifer, Sydney H. Nicholson, 1916

He Has Risen! He Has Risen, Indeed!

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11

Quotes About the Cross

¹¹When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. ¹²He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:11-14

This week, Rebecca is gathering our posts of quotes related to the cross of Christ. Please visit her to share your quote in celebration of Holy Week or read the posts of others.

Quotes About the Cross

It was quite essential that Christ should die neither a natural nor an accidental death; and that He should not die by the hand of an assassin, but under a judicial sentence. He had to be counted with the transgressors, had to be condemned as a criminal. Moreover, it was providentially arranged by God that He should be tried and sentenced by a Roman judge. The Romans had a genius for law and justice, and represented the highest judicial power in the world. It might be expected that a trial before a Roman judge would serve to bring out clearly the innocence of Jesus, which it did, so that it became perfectly clear that He was not condemned for any crime which He had committed. It was a testimony to the fact that, as the Lord says, "He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due." And when the Roman judge nevertheless condemned the innocent, he, it is true, also condemned himself and human justice as he applied it, but at the same time imposed sentence on Jesus as the representative of the highest judicial power in the world, functioning by the grace of God and dispensing justice in God's name. The sentence of Pilate was also the sentence of God, though on entirely different grounds. It was significant too that Christ was not beheaded or stoned to death. Crucifixion was not a Jewish but a Roman form of punishment. It was accounted so infamous and ignominious that it might not be applied to Roman citizens, but only to the scum of mankind, to the meanest criminals and slaves. By dying that death, Jesus met the extreme demands of the law. At the same time He died an accursed death, and thus gave evidence of the fact that He became a curse for us, Deut. 21:23, Gal. 3:13.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 339-340

As we approach the celebration of the most significant of events for Christians, that is, Easter, Rebecca has suggested that we post quotes relating to the Cross of Christ on our blogs this week. To read what others have posted or contribute something of your own, visit Rebecca Writes.

Quotes About the Cross

He is entered "into heaven itself"...there "to appear in the presence of God." There in His glorified human nature, bearing plain marks of degradation and suffering--"a Lamb as it had been slain"--He appears before the throne of God for us, as our Representative, as our Advocate, making intercession on the ground of His all-prefect atonement.
John Brown, Hebrews, p. 425

Join Rebecca (and many of us) in celebrating Holy Week, the week leading up to the celebration of Easter, a very significant season for Christians, by posting a quote relating to the Cross of Christ and letting her know so she can gather them all on her blog.

Quotes about the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
1 Corinthians 1:18-19

For each day of Holy Week, Rebecca is posting quotes referring to the cross of Christ. She invites us to join her as she gathers them in her posts each day. Let's spread the message of the cross of Christ to our readers this week.

Seasonal Confusion

Is it winter or spring? Maybe sprinter. These bright green shoots of my roadside day lilies sticking up through the snow seem like such a reflection of both seasons at once. At least the sun is shining and I'm grateful for that any day of any season!

Early April Morning

Last night's April showers came in the form of snow showers. But, oh, it is pretty, isn't it!

Sunday's Hymn: God Be Merciful to Me

God, be merciful to me,
On thy grace I rest my plea;
Plenteous in compassion thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within,
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions I confess,
Grief and guilt my soul oppress;
I have sinned against thy grace
And provoked thee to thy face;
I confess thy judgment just,
Speechless, I thy mercy trust.

I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Saviour art,
Teach thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

Broken, humbled to the dust
By thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice
And in gladness hear thy voice;
From my sins O hide thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true;
Cast me not away from thee,
Let thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation's joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

Sinners then shall learn from me
And return, O God, to thee;
Saviour, all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing thy love;
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord

From Psalm 51:1-15
Tune: Ajalon (Redhead No. 76), Richard Redhead, 1853

15 Words or Less Poem

God's perfect plans
Unfold with sovereign beauty.

To participate or read more 15 Words or Less Poems, visit Laura Purdie Salas.