A PURE FAITH IN JESUS
O sacred Head,
now wounded
With grief and shame weighed down
Now scornfully surounded
With thorns, Thine only crown
How art Thou pale with anguish
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
Which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, has suffered
Was all for sinners' gain
Mine was the transgression
But Thine the deadly pain
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve Thy place
Look on me with Thy favor
Vouch safe to me Thy grace
Sacred Head now wounded
Sacred Head with shame weighed down
What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend
For this Thy dying sorrow
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee!
Sacred Head now wounded
Sacred Head with shame weighed down
With grief and shame weighed down
Now scornfully surounded
With thorns, Thine only crown
How art Thou pale with anguish
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
Which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, has suffered
Was all for sinners' gain
Mine was the transgression
But Thine the deadly pain
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve Thy place
Look on me with Thy favor
Vouch safe to me Thy grace
Sacred Head now wounded
Sacred Head with shame weighed down
What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend
For this Thy dying sorrow
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee!
Sacred Head now wounded
Sacred Head with shame weighed down
How many things have crowded
out a pure faith in Jesus? The church itself whirls around being driven here
and there and with all kinds of issues and doctrines, and all the while complicating
the faith. And like a Christmas tree with so many ornaments the tree is
completely obscured, so has the church obscured the crimson glory of the
crucified and Risen Christ. Where oh where have we allowed the axe head to sink
and walking away have we left it under the waters of this life? Oh count the
many things we desire and that have become dreamers within our hearts. And yet
Jesus awaits those who might worship Him alone in spirit and in truth.
Where are those who humbly
reject the dictates and cares of this world to experience the soaring knowledge
of Him? All the promises are yea and amen in Him. And these promises are no
small things that like earthly presents are enjoyed for a season and tossed
away later. These promises are eternally sure and enduring even unto the end of
time. And yet this Jesus, Creator of all that is, beckons us to the spectacle
of the cross. Oh He is no longer writhing upon those planks, and He has indeed
conquered death itself, but still He presents to us in written Scripture and
the leadings of the Spirit that same bloody hill.
Where have we left His
sufferings and wounds? When did the cross become a place for doctrines and
creeds and not a place for sacred worship? Are we undone when we survey that
wondrous cross? We reject the crucifix of Romanism, but have we sanitized our
worship of that crimson glory? Do we seek joy and laughter while avoiding
brokenness and sacred weeping? Has the message of His beatings and bruising become
stale? Has familiarity become contempt? Have we no grief? Have we now sorrow? Have
we no tears?
Has the mystery of His cross
been removed? He did not offer His blood by some painless extraction, and He
did not suffer for Himself. The sufferings within those six hours cannot be
understood with human minds nor revealed with human words, however God’s Spirit
graciously pulls back the veil ever so slightly to those who wish to worship
Him in His redemptive work. But to enter that sacred temple will cost. This kind
of glory is not given to distracted believers who wish a Sunday morning experience
which quickly makes way for a resumption of self centeredness as the service
ends.
Oh but who can voice the
miracle of worship that floods from a human spirit when he bows before the
specter of that cross? Yes we know He has risen from the dead and He lives
evermore, but that just makes our worship more deep and profound since He that
hung on that tree receives our worship in the present and for all eternity.
Even John’s vision said he saw a “Lamb as it had been slain”. A mystery and
much more! The Risen Christ and the Lamb that was slain. Do not be afraid to
bow before the cross and view that wounded head as if you are somehow
dishonoring the resurrection. God forbid, you are proclaiming it! Without the
cross there would be no resurrection, and the resurrection proclaims the cross!
This is a pure faith. This is
Jesus.
When all the doctrinal
debates end, I desire Jesus.
When all the end time signs
are solved, I desire Jesus.
When all the wars have been
fought, I desire Jesus.
When all the denominations
have been formed, I desire Jesus.
When all the moral issues
have forged sides, I desire Jesus.
When all the heretics have
been uncovered, I desire Jesus.
When all the church buildings
have been built, I desire Jesus.
When all the clever
evangelistic tools have been exhausted, I desire Jesus.
When all the preachers have
been adored, I desire Jesus.
When all the Christian
bookstores are empty, I desire Jesus.
When all the arguments over
the Bible have ceased, I desire Jesus.
What language
shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend
For this Thy dying sorrow
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee!
This is pure faith. This is
Jesus.
To thank Thee, dearest Friend
For this Thy dying sorrow
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to Thee!
Posts
3 comments:
I am mixed with sorrow and anger. Where was this kind of teaching and preaching? The church has robbed the children of God so much it is unspeakable.
Through tears of grief for so much wasted time. I am angry at myself for taking my family to "Church" and now they are lost. They won't listen and it is all my fault.
Oh Dear Lord forgive me! The music, the fellowship, the Godless preaching, the choir practice, the pot luck dinners, the movies, the website, the stuff that doesn't matter, but seemed to then.
And I thought it was all okay even with the nagging doubt. I ignored the nagging doubt to my detriment and my family's.
Oh where was this before? Where? Dear Lord help me to help them. The blind leading the blind. Why did I not act sooner.
Praise God for truth and a pure Faith in Jesus no matter what the cost.
truly broken this day,
Cherie c.
Dear Cherie; I feel your pain about feeling disillusioned at playing church. I hope you know that even though it feels like a waste, it isn't. All those things you did in the past, the choir practice, pot luck dinners, the stuff that doesn't seem to matter, all those results may have planted a seeds in people's lives at your church. God is so faithful, that even when the church isn't up to His par, that He still blesses those who are genuinely seeking him.
I've come to the conclusion, that whatever we do in Jesus' Name, that it will multiply at some later point in someone's life. I remember going as a guest to church's before I was saved, and I left feeling a real tugging at my soul. They won't forget that song that the choir inspired them to worship the Lord where He meets them in worship. There's a verse where it says that He inhabits the praises of his people.
I always remember an elderly man in our church, years ago, who would just glow and praise God everytime he heard, "When the Saints Go Marching In" - he'd have a big smile on his face and every time he had a chance to come to church, he'd ask the band to play that song. He was dying and eventually passed away. But we remember how one little song gave him that sense of how he so wanted to join the saints in heaven.
Thanks Anonymous for the kind words. I guess what I was really saying after rereading my post was that it began to feel like nothing. After a while it was all perfunctory and it didn't seem like church anymore. More emphasis was on putting on a good show for services. The Pastor actually told us to think of what we did as if in a Broadway show. Huh? Things were changing that the Word was somehow minimized to a two or three minute message. Bible study became life groups, Sunday school for the kids changed to some group activity etc. It was like no more God involved in our life at church. It was tearing me apart because my husband decided to quit playing Sunday softball to be there. Boy, it was his kind of church, little Word of God, lots of activities and social functions. Some how, and I know it sounds strange, but he actually got worse being there then before he came to church?!
I feel somewhat responsible. I saw the changes and waited too long to leave. I even thought I could help stem the tide if I worked with the Pastor and Ministries Director. Nope it go really bad. Finally I left, my husband stayed, my older son renounced God and my younger son stayed to help stem the tide with the youth group only to be reprimanded by the Pastor in front of the VBS. Then the attacks on Facebook, unbelievable. I truly believe now, that those who will persecute us will be those who say they are Christians and really are not. If the Roman Church could do that in the middle ages, I am sure that the church in America today will reach that milestone soon. I was told that some Christian leaders are calling for hits on Pastors like Pastor Rick who preach the truth, and people like Dave Hunt etc. Really scary what is happening in today's walled church. Keep praying. Thanks for the fellowship.
your sister in Christ Jesus
Cherie c.
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