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.

Thoughts on Good Listeners

A few days ago, I posted about the sermon we heard at Emily's church in Ann Arbor, MI. The substance of that message (at least to me), drawn from Genesis 16:7-16, is that God wants us to pour our hearts out to Him and that being a fully engaged listener to others honors Him. This message has kept my mind busy in contemplation ever since I heard it. Here are some of my thoughts on it:

1. Having someone give you the kind of listening ear that Pastor Del Belcher speaks of in this sermon is a very rare thing. In fact, its impossible in our humanness without God's enabling.
   
2. The gifts mentioned in His Word are not all there are (as, for example, there are so many, many ways to express love to others) but this one seems so incredibly important to me, although I know there is no hierarchy of importance among the gifts.
   
3. But my heart aches for those in need of the benefits of this gift in others. I've been the one who needed the listening ear and had no one to listen to me. I've been the one who offered (in my imperfect way) that listening ear to others.
   
4. The benefit of being able to pour your heart out to another and have them really listen is nothing short of healing.
5. Maybe loneliness and a feeling of isolation is the biggest epidemic in our culture. And in our churches too.
   
6. The opposite of this pandemic loneliness is a sense of community, even if that sense of community, of being loved and valued, is with only one other person. Ideally, especially in a church body, it should be with much more than that. It should be unity in the whole body of believers. Not unity of thought necessarily but a unity of underlying love for each other, the love of Christ.
7. Good listening is only one expression of this underlying love. But I am praying that God enable me to exercise it in increasing measure.
   

Blue Skies and Open Water!

We got a sneak preview of today's warmer, sunny weather yesterday afternoon after the snow storm but its continuing into today...as promised! Doesn't Crystal Lake look beautiful with the dark blue, open water between the snowy shoreline and the lighter, sunshiny blue sky!

Spring Changes

Almost overnight, it went from this:


to this:


Yes, its that most unpredictable of seasons...Spring. The one we may long for the most but its hide and seek game can be oh, so frustrating! For now, we've got about six inches on the ground in Crystal Lake, IL and its still snowing. Its that wet, dense stuff that clings to everything and is so lovely from the windows but backbreaking to shovel. Thank God for snowblowers! And for the promise of 45 degrees and sun tomorrow!

Sunday's Hymn: I Need Thee Every Hour

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like thine
Can peace afford.

I need thee, O I need thee,
Ev'ry hour I need thee,
O bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to thee.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Stay thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow'r
When thou art nigh.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly, and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Teach me thy will,
And thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Annie S. Hawks, 1872; refrain by Robert Lowry, 1872
Tune: Robert Lowry, 1872

Good Listeners

We went to Emily's church with her when we were recently in Ann Arbor, MI for the weekend and I've been thinking about the sermon we heard ever since. I wish it was online because, believe me, I'd be linking to it! As it is, you'll just have to put up with me telling you about the aspect of it that particularly interested me.

The pastor, Del Belcher, is working his way through Genesis on Sunday mornings and this sermon focused on Genesis 16:7-16. The passage follows the mistreatment of Hagar by Sarah (Sarai) after Hagar becomes pregnant by Abraham (Abram) at the instigation of Sarah. Here it is:

⁷ The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. ⁸ And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

⁹ Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." ¹⁰ The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

¹¹ The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the LORD has heard of your misery.

¹² He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers."

¹³ She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." ¹⁴ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Five points were made in this sermon about this particular passage but it was the second one that really intrigued me. The pastor pointed out that God gave Hagar an opportunity to tell her story in verse 8 when He asked "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" Certainly God already knew the answers to those questions just as He also knew the answers to the questions He asked of Adam and Eve following the Fall (Genesis 3:9,11, 13). And God asked the same sort of leading question of Saul in Acts 9:4; "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Furthermore, God gives each one of us the opportunity to come to Him and tell our story, tell our deepest thoughts and feelings to Him in prayer and confession. As if that isn't encouraging enough, there is more.

To be a good listener, to ask leading questions and be willing to really listen, to give someone an opportunity to pour out where they are coming from and where they are going is to behave in a manner that emulates God and honors Him. It demonstrates caring and love to others. This pastor put it even more strongly. He said that this sort of behaviour, this willingness to really listen, is an act of worship. But, he cautioned, you must be very patient if you ask these sort of open-ended questions of another. Be prepared to give generously of your time, your attention...and your love. So don't ask if you really don't want to know!

Note: My personal reflections to follow in another post.

You've Got to Read This One!

You've heard the expression "Truth is stranger than fiction," I'm sure, but the rest of that quote variously credited to Mark Twain or Blaise Pascal says, "but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." Well, here's a story to prove it. Its at Al Mohler's blog and it leaves me without much more to say than you've just got to read it! Especially if you are over 50...no, make that 40. And then tell me if you don't think of another expression..."There's a sucker born every minute." That one's from P.T. Barnum.

Sunday's Hymn: Christ of All My Hopes the Ground

Christ, of all my hopes the ground,
Christ, the spring of all my joy,
Still in thee may I be found,
Still for thee my pow'rs employ.

Let thy love my heart inflame;
Keep thy fear before my sight;
Be thy praise my highest aim;
Be thy smile my chief delight.

Fountain of o'erflowing grace,
Freely from thy fullness give;
Till I close my earthly race,
May I prove it "Christ to live."

Firmly trusting in thy blood,
Nothing shall my heart confound;
Safely I shall pass the flood,
Safely reach Immanuel's ground.

Thus, O thus, an entrance give
To the land of cloudless sky;
Having known it "Christ to live,"
Let me know it "gain to die."

Ralph Wardlaw, 1817
Tune: Hendon, H.A. Cesar Malan, 1827