the founder of salvation
5 Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13 And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:5-18Labels: scripture verses, the bible, the cross
erosion
Rain is a bad reminder of everything I don't wanna knowRain is a backseat driver that takes me where I don't wanna goAnd it looks like the sky is caving in againI'm dry and cracked, the sky goes blackAnd tut, tut, it looks like rainErosionOh, Spirit fall like rain on my thirsty soulErosionOh, sweet erosion, break me and make me wholeThe thirstiest grounds can't take the rainMy undecided vices washing on down the drainAnd it looks like the sky is caving in again My heart is cracked, the sky goes blackAnd tut, tut, it looks like rainErosionOh, Spirit fall like rain on my thirsty soulErosionOh, sweet erosion, break me and make me wholeOh, Erosion, would You wash away my sinsOh, Erosion, I need a second start againOh, Erosion, would You break my heart againOh, Erosion, I am a broken hearted man"Erosion" by SwitchfootLabels: music, songs, switchfoot
friday night concert
Okay, I bet you all are just on the edges of your seats waiting for me to tell you about the Concert for Life (w/ Jeremy Casella and Joe Bassett) I went to last Friday... or not. But I will tell you anyway! It was
awesome! :-)
Joe opened up with a few songs, with Jeremy Casella accompanying him on guitar and his wife Rhonda singing background vocals on 2 of the songs. He sang some songs from his new album coming out May 15th (which I preordered by the way - can't wait to hear it), including the title track, a very cool song called "Nothing Hurts Like the Truth"
(which, by the way, has been stuck in my head ever since the concert, so sometimes I start singing it out loud, to the great annoyance of my sister Abby.)
Then,
Jeremy did some songs. He also did some new songs, from his new album coming out May 15th (yes, the same day as Joe's... I also preordered this one). They were
fantastic. I especially loved the one he did on the piano: "Hand of God". Absolutely beautiful! He also did some of my favorites from one of his his other CDs "10,000 Angels", such as "Love that Will Not Let Me Go" and "Cast Away Stones".
So, all in all, it was one great evening of music. I would highly recommend checking out these guys (click on their names to visit their sites) and ordering their new CDs coming MAY 15th!!!!! (Did I say that already? Sorry.) I hope Jeremy and Joe do another concert together soon!
So long & fare thee well!
Katherine
Labels: concert, music
only hope
Depth of mercy, can there be
Mercy still reserved for me,
Can my God, your wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare
It's my only hope,
You're my only hope,
It's my only hope of Heaven,
At the cross forgiven
I have long withstood your grace
Long provoked you to your face,
Would not harken to your calls,
Grieved you by a thousand falls,
It's my only hope,
You're my only hope,
It's my only hope of Heaven,
At the cross forgiven
There for me the Savior stands,
Shows his wounds and spreads His hands,
Face to face before the Son
And like Isaiah I'm undone
Depth of mercy, vast and free,
So much deeper than the sea,
God of love, you heard my cry,
Now into your open arms I fly
It's my only hope, You're my only hope, It's my only hope of Heaven, At the cross forgiven
"Only Hope" by Caedmon's Call
Labels: hymns, music, songs, the cross
the rescue
This is something that some of you may remember from the old Twiggs blog. I posted it there back in November. Anyway, I thought since tomorrow is Good Friday, it would be fitting to post it again.
the rescue
by Steven Estes and Joni Eareckson Tada
The face that Moses had longed to see -- was forbidden to see -- was slapped bloody. (Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his own brow...
"On your back with you!" One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier's heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner's wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier's life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds his molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17) The victim wills that the soldier live on - he grants the warriors continued existence. The man swings.
As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm -- the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless -- the nerves perform exquisitely. "Up you go!" They lift up the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.
But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being -- the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father's eye turns brown with rot.
His Father! He must face his Father like this!
From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.
"Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped -- murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten -- fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk -- you, who molest young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revelutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp -- buying politictians, practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves -- relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?"
Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.
The Father watches as his heart's treasure, the mirror image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah's stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.
"Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?"
But heaven stops its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply.
The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The Rescue was accomplished.
Labels: the cross
prayer for my boss
Hey guys...
I would really appreciate it if you guys could just pray for my boss, Joe. He is going through a really hard time right now. Please pray that Joe would fix his eyes on the Savior during these struggles and that God would fill him with His perfect peace. Thanks guys...
Labels: prayer, work
