Your friendly neighborhood Pharisee

"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
--Luke 18:9-14

Modern Day Pharisees

Every time we stick our nose up in the air in arrogance at other people;
we may look righteous, like we are looking up to heaven,
but God is not fooled. God knows our hearts.

If we claim we are without sin; we deceive ourselves,
we are modern day Pharisees.

Every time we look down upon people
and place ourselves on a self-righteous pedestal;

and Every time we do not see the value
in each man, woman, or child we are modern day Pharisees.

Every time we think we do more than others,
Every time we think our gifts and talents
are greater than others;

Every time we are prideful, our gifts, our sacrifices
are not acceptable to God.

Every time our pride comes before God;
we are modern day Pharisees.

Every time we ask Christ, “Who is the Greatest?”
Every time we want to have the greatest
most important seat at the table;

Every time we want to wrap ourselves in robes of glory
before others; we are modern day Pharisees.

Every time we treat fellow believers or non-believers with harsh,
judgmental, vindictive words we are not followers of God’s WORD.

Every time we do not encourage and support fellow believers
in their ministry and their mission;
we are modern day Pharisees.

Help us dear Lord to be your people. You taught us to “love one another as Jesus Christ loved us.” When you washed your disciples feet you showed us that there is no greater love than to love one another and to be a servant to one another. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, to save us from our sins. Help us dear Lord, to give ourselves to you and to others as a holy living sacrifice for your Glory; not ours. Let us always remember that every time we approach God; we come to God with empty hands.

Amen

--Osten Aune, Bible Basics

A light, when all other lights go out

Though I am surrounded by troubles,
you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand,
and the power of your right hand saves me.

Psalms 138:7

The joy of Bob Ross

Some great Bob Ross quotes:

• "In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers. But when I get home, the only thing I have power over, is the garbage."
• "Oooh, if you have never been to Alaska, go there while it is still wild. My favorite uncle asked me if I wanted to go there, Uncle Sam. He said if you don’t go, you’re going to jail. That is how Uncle Sam asks you."
• "People might look at you a bit funny, but it’s okay. Artists are allowed to be a bit different."
• "That’s a crooked tree. We’ll send him to Washington."
• "The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe."
• "There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend."
• "Trees cover up a multitude of sins."
• "Water’s like me. It’s laaazy… Boy, it always looks for the easiest way to do things."
• "We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents."
• "We tell people sometimes: we’re like drug dealers, come into town and get everybody absolutely addicted to painting. It doesn’t take much to get you addicted."
• "We want happy paintings. Happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news."
• "Well, the little clock on the wall says we’re just about out of time. God bless you my friend."
• "I'd like to wish you happy painting, and God bless my friend."

Come, ye sinners

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

--Joseph Hart, 1759

Hymn 81

Oh beware of fondly thinking
God accepts you for your tears;
Are the shipwrecked saved by sinking?
Can the ruined rise by fears?

Oh beware of trust ill-grounded;
'Tis but fancied faith at most,
To be cured, and not be wounded;
To be saved, before you're lost.

No big words of ready talkers,
No dry doctrine will suffice.
Broken hearts, and humble walkers,
These are dear in Jesus' eyes.

Tinkling sounds of disputation,
Naked knowledge all are vain;
Every soul that gains salvation,
Must and shall be born again.

--From "Hymns composed on various subjects", by J. Hart, 1811.

Christ Alone Sufficient

Remember, sinner, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee–it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee–it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that is the instrument–it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of thy faith; and if thou doest that, ten thousand devils cannot throw thee down…There is one thing which we all of us too much becloud in our preaching, though I believe we do it very unintentionally–namely, the great truth that it is not prayer, it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ, and on Christ alone. We are apt to think that we are not in a right state, that we do not feel enough, instead of remembering that our business is not with self, but Christ. Let me beseech thee, look only to Christ; never expect delieverance from self, from ministers, or from any means of any kind apart from Christ; keep thine eye simply on Him; let his death, His agonies, His groans, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look for Him; when thou liest down at night look for Him. (The Forgotten Spugeon, Iain Murray, pg. 42.)

Jesus Paid It Some

I hear the Savior say,
“You’re not doing enough;
Work your fingers to the bone,
I will save those who are tough.”

Jesus paid it some
I will do the rest
Sin had left a crimson stain
Now I will give my best

For now indeed I’ll try
To earn your love and grace
I’ll add the works I have
To complete the price you paid.

REFRAIN

And when before the throne
I’ll give my deeds to you,
I’ll hope I’ve done enough
To make you let me through.

REFRAIN (3x just to be sure)

--Stephen Altrogge

Pride: a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

You have abandoned your people,
the house of Jacob.
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination like the Philistines
and clasp hands with pagans.
Their land is full of silver and gold;
there is no end to their treasures.
Their land is full of horses;
there is no end to their chariots.

Their land is full of idols;
they bow down to the work of their hands,
to what their fingers have made.

So man will be brought low
and mankind humbled—
do not forgive them.

Go into the rocks,
hide in the ground
from dread of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty!

The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled
and the pride of men brought low;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

The LORD Almighty has a day in store
for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted
(and they will be humbled),

for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty,
and all the oaks of Bashan,

for all the towering mountains
and all the high hills,

for every lofty tower
and every fortified wall,

for every trading ship
and every stately vessel.

The arrogance of man will be brought low
and the pride of men humbled;
the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

and the idols will totally disappear.

Men will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from dread of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.

In that day men will throw away
to the rodents and bats
their idols of silver and idols of gold,
which they made to worship.

They will flee to caverns in the rocks
and to the overhanging crags
from dread of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.

Stop trusting in man,
who has but a breath in his nostrils.
Of what account is he?

Isaiah 2:6-22

Dad

I watched Chet Atkins sing this song last night:



A few years ago, my Dad scared us with a surprise surgery (stints). It was the first time I've ever really had to consider the idea that he wouldn't always be there...

If you're out there in rabidfrog blog land today, Dad, I love you.

The atheist understands.

"The only function the law has in this theology is to make certain that everyone is guilty, not to actually give people guidelines to lead an innocent, socially agreeable life. It's law in name only; it's really nothing but a trap." --blackwolf72

This is a post that an atheist made on a blog I was reading. He is really quite "spot on" for the most part. I would argue that the law did indeed give guidelines to live a just life, because the scriptures say "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good." --Romans 7:12. Going back a verse, "for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." --Romans 7:11

But the other part is absolutely right. "Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God." --Romans 3:19

So then, what do we Christians teach about law-keeping? Do those around us believe that becoming a Christian means all your past sins are forgiven, and now you must keep the whole law in order to "maintain" your salvation?

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." --Romans 7:4

Not what my hands have done

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

--Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, 1861

Do you ever feel like you're not able to face the challenges of life? Well, you're right.

Not what I am, O Lord, but what Thou art;
That, that alone, can be my soul's true rest;
Thy love, not mine, bids fear and doubt depart,
And stills the tempest of my tossing breast.

It is Thy perfect love that casts out fear;
I know the voice that speaks the It is I,
And in these well-known words of heavenly cheer
I hear the joy that bids each sorrow fly.

Thy Name is Love! I hear it from yon Cross;
Thy Name is Love! I read it in yon tomb:
All meaner love is perishable dross,
But this shall light me through time's thickest gloom.

It blesses now, and shall for ever bless;
It saves me now, and shall for ever save;
It holds me up in days of helplessness,
It bears me safely o'er each swelling wave.

'Tis what I know of Thee, my Lord and God,
That fills my soul with peace, my lips with song;
Thou art my health, my joy, my staff, my rod;
Leaning on Thee, in weakness I am strong.

More of Thyself, Oh, show me, hour by hour;
More of Thy glory, O my God and Lord;
More of Thyself in all Thy grace and power;
More of Thy love and truth, Incarnate Word.

--Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Time flies

How can I possibly know whether or not I'm saved? What must I do to be saved?

All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. --1 John 4:15

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. --John 1:10-12

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. --John 3:16

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. --John 3:18

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. --Acts 2:21

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. --Romans 10:13

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. --Acts 16:31

"Then they said unto Him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." --John 6:28, 29

Thank God for His Word, and for the great teachers like Harry Ironside

That is, we experience death to the world, death to the law, death to sin, in order that we may live a heavenly life down here in the liberty of grace, manifesting that holiness which the Spirit alone imparts. This indeed is to know the power of His resurrection.
This was the truth which the apostle pressed upon the young preacher, Timothy, when he wrote exhorting him to "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12). And this is the ideal which, I am persuaded, the majority of Christians have before them from the very moment of their conversion; yet many of them have to confess with sorrow that they never seem to realize it practically. What, then, is the trouble? Why is it that so few of us know the power of His resurrection in our daily lives? May I suggest again three things?

Causes of Defeat
First, it takes us so long to get to the end of ourselves! Even after we have realized that "the flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:63), so far as earning salvation or justification is concerned, we still imagine that, saved by faith in Christ, we are to be made perfect by the flesh. So we endeavor to harness our carnal nature and to bring it into subjection to God by law, forgetting that the Holy Spirit has declared: "The carnal mind ... is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).
Therefore we struggle on, vainly endeavoring to please God on a merely human plane, "doing our little best" to work for Him and to glorify His name, only to learn at last that this old nature of ours is as incorrigibly weak at the end of years of Christian testimony as it was at the beginning. This discovery has a tendency to cast us into doubt and gloom and to make us wonder whether we have ever been converted at all, or whether everything is a hopeless sham. At such times we are tempted to give up the conflict, to cease witnessing for Christ, and to sink back to the low level of that world from which we sought deliverance. But "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). He, the blessed Holy Spirit, holds us fast. Deep in our hearts we know, through the inward witness, that we have passed from death unto life; that a great change has taken place; and that, unsatisfactory as our actual experience may be, we are the children of God. With many there is then the tendency to assume that there is no real way to escape from the hopeless conflict as long as we are still in the body. This leads to a settling down to a low level of Christian living, as though it were the best we could expect to be under existing circumstances. Yet the Spirit of God is constantly seeking to make us dissatisfied with such a state and to long for something better. Little by little we come to the place where we are ready to admit the hopelessness of the flesh: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18).
Then, in the second place, comes another step, one that we are generally very slow to take. We have to learn that, just as we were saved through the blood of the Cross, so we enter into a life of victory through the death of the Cross. When George Muller was asked on one occasion how he accounted for the marvelous way in which God had set His seal upon his work throughout the years, he replied in substance: "There came a day when George Muller died, and then God began to work." This is the experience into which we all need to enter. Judicially, we have died with Christ; His death was our death; but we are so slow to realize this practically and to say "Amen" to that which God has already declared to be true. Perhaps we try — try to die to the flesh, try to die to selfishness, try to die to ambition. But alas, we find in the hour of stress that we are just as much alive as ever! It is a great thing when we learn experimentally, in the presence of God, that we have died, and when in faith the soul can exclaim: "I am crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). Then the struggle is over, for nothing is expected of a dead man.

How to Triumph
Yet in the Word of God we are exhorted to strive, and to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12). How shall we do this if we are dead? Ah, now we come to the third point, to that which the apostle expresses in our text. We are called to know Christ, the living Christ, and the power of His resurrection working in us, overcoming our enemies, defeating the world, the flesh, and the devil, and leading us into a life of triumphant victory. Then the soul exclaims: "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). Thus the soul's quest is attained. Resurrection life is enjoyed even in a mortal body, and the risen Christ is seen in those whom He has purchased with His blood. This is bliss indeed — a foretaste of that which will be ours eternally in the city of God!

Copied from Care for God's Fruit-trees and Other Messages by H.A. Ironside. Rev. ed. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, [1945].