Quarl-ing

Flatter not thyself in thy faith in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbor.

    Author: Francis Quarles

Fault line

Had we not faults of our own, we should take less pleasure in complaining of others.

    Author: Francois Fenelon

Today in fact

This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people.

    Author: C.S. Lewis
    Source: The Case for Christianity

See You on the Other Side

Voices, a thousand, thousand voices

Whispering, the time has passed for choices

Golden days are passing over, yeah

I can't seem to see you, baby, although my eyes are open wide

But I know I'll see you once more

When I see you, I'll see you on the other side

Yes, I'll see you, I'll see you on the other side

Leaving, I hate to see you cry

Grieving, I hate to say goodbye

Dust and ash forever, yeah

Though I know we must be parted, as sure as stars are in the sky

I'm gonna see you when it comes to glory

And I'll see you, I'll see you on the other side

Yes, I'll see you, I'll see you on the other side

Never thought I'd feel like this

Strange to be alone, yeah, but we'll be together

Carved in stone, carved in stone, carved in stone

Hold me, hold me tight, I'm falling

Far away, distant voices calling

I'm so cold, I need you darling, yeah

I was down but now I'm flying straight across the great divide

I know you're crying but I'll stop you crying

When I see you, I see you on the other side

Yes, I'll see you, I'll see you on the other side

I'm gonna see you, I'll see you on the other side

God knows I'll see you, I'll see you on the other side.

--O.Osbourne - L.Kilmister - Z.Wylde

The righteous atheist

If you read the previous post, can you spot the problem with Mr. Asimov's argument?  I would say that God would have no problem with a righteous atheist, a righteous Hindu, a righteous Muslim, a righteous Jew, or a righteous Christian.  But therein lies the problem:

"There is no one righteous, not even one" --Romans 3:10

All alike are guilty before God.  From the cleanest living person, regardless of faith, creed, or background, to the most wicked and vile.  I've had people strongly disagree with me on this point, but it must absolutely be true, or Paul could not have said this:

"because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin" --Romans 3:20

Paul was an incredibly righteous person, as far as the law was concerned.  

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. --Acts 23:1

  How many can make that statement?  I know I cannot.  Yet Paul knew that he was condemned by the law just the same.  

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."--Galatians 3:10

And finally, our joy, our freedom, our salvation:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus"--Romans 8:1

The Relativity of Wrong

If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul.
--Isaac Asimov

Make heap good prayer

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

--Matthew 6:7

Hairy arms

'as Jacob did not of himself deserve the right of the first-born, concealed in his brother's clothing and wearing his brother's coat, which gave out an agreeable odor, he ingratiated himself with his father, so that to his own benefit he received the blessing while impersonating another. And we in like manner hide under the precious purity of our first-born brother, Christ, so that we may be attested righteous in God's sight... And this is indeed the truth, for in order that we may appear before God's face unto salvation we must smell sweetly with his odor, and our vices must be covered and buried by his perfection.'
--John Calvin

Not of my own

that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
--

Philippians 3:8b-9

Do you ever hear this message in your church?  If you do, you are very lucky.  

Boom-shakalaka

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”  ~ Corrie Ten Boom

Trail-Blaiser

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it with religious conviction. -- Blaise Pascal

I've been skewered!

 "You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough." --William Law

The poetry of Captain Bringdown

The Bell

I love thy music, mellow bell,
I love thine iron chime,
To life or death, to heaven or hell,
Which calls the sons of Time.

Thy voice upon the deep
The home-bound sea-boy hails,
It charms his cares to sleep,
It cheers him as he sails.

To house of God and heavenly joys
Thy summons called our sires,
And good men thought thy sacred voice
Disarmed the thunder's fires.

And soon thy music, sad death-bell,
Shall lift its notes once more,
And mix my requiem with the wind
That sweeps my native shore. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson