God's Goodness on Good Friday

 Hullo there everyone! sorry for the very long silence, health is the usual reason. Since today is one of the most important days of the year, I had to pop in with this post.

  This is an April Illuminated calendar for 2014, from the Hong Kong Christian Book Room. They sadly don't make them any more, but I learnt from their book how to do my texts (see - here it is) is written by the founder of this Book Room. 

 

Isn't it a beautiful verse? 

It is the true reflection of what occurred on Good Friday all those years ago. On a rocky hillside, in sorrow and pain, a young Man shed His blood on a cross - a shameful, sinful death.

WHY?

Years ago (over 50) I well remember my sister's teacher asking me on a hillside (here near the beach) if I knew why Jesus had died? 

I said, " No."

.. and so she told me He had died for my sin, and the sins of everyone. 

Now I was a child.. and you may wonder - how a child can have sinned?

.. but believe you me, there was not argument at all from me on that point.

I knew I had done wrong.. and that was sin.. but that Jesus had died to take away my sin totally blew me away. 

That memorable day, when I saw Jesus on the cross for my sin, has lived evermore for me in these words of this hymn. (or see link here)

 

                                      There Is A Green Hill Far Away

                        There is a green hill far away, without a city wall,

                        Where the dear LORD was crucified, Who died to save us all.

                        We may not know, we cannot tell what pains He had to bear,

                        But we believe it was for us He hung & suffered there.  

                        He died that we might be forgiven , He died to make us good,

                        That we might go at last to Heaven, saved by His precious blood.

                        There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin,

                        He only could unlock the gate of Heaven, and let us in.

                        Oh, dearly, dearly has He loved, & we must love Him too, 

                        And trust in His redeeming blood & try His works to do. 

By C.F. Alexander

 

Jesus is our Living Redeemer, Saviour and Friend.

Or He is LORD Jesus once I have believed on the LORD Jesus Christ as my Saviour. 

 

"God sent His Only Begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him."
1 John 4:9

This is why Good Friday is Good.

 

By faith in the LORD Jesus we have the certain hope of life for evermore with Him. 

For more see here - Who or What is a Christian? or see sidebar.

The Easter story = The gift of His transforming love.

  Jesus' sacrifice brought us life.

There is sadness in the story. 

There is pain in the story. 

There is death. But there is more. 

The whole story includes the beauty of Easter. 
The triumph. 
The joy.

I would dearly love that all who read this might know or already KNOW that Beauty, Triumph, and Joy.. in Jesus.

I would like to close with a very early Illuminated text done in the early 1990's. 

(sorry, it is very poor "best-can-do" enhanced image - bad flare from old camera, etc. not digital.)

 The observant among you will realise it's the verse done on the header of my craft blog. 

It is also on the very first post I did on my blog, back here.

(I have done it four times now, three different colours, and one was duplicate of one on the header.

This, the original is the one and only one done in Aluminum leaf - very hard to work with but will not tarnish like silver leaf.)

 

May we all take time to ponder the importance of these words of the Lord Jesus.

"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36

 

Zip, zero, zilch is the answer... 

The whole world will profit us nothing.

  YES, this is the whole key to Easter... 

Eternity... and what counts for eternity. 
May we live this truth.

 

Truth will help to keep a real perspective on life -  is it ETERNAL?

 

 May God richly bless you wherever you maybe and thank you SO much for poppng over and saying hi, I trust this blesses your heart!
Shaz in Oz.x

PS. If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on. 😁

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