I'd rather be...

Best quote of the week!

I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. — George Washington

The quote, "I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world," was said to be George Washington's response to newspaper criticism of his presidency. But it may well have resonated with Washington in other ways. With a debt crisis, a war (on the northwestern frontier) and upheaval in Europe to deal with, plus a growing partisanship within his own administration, probably nothing sounded better to the president than the rolling acres and pastoral views of the Potomac he enjoyed on his Mount Vernon estate.

A great musical piece as well! 

NPR report "I had rather be on my Farm" with Vocal Composition.

What if Satan took over a city?

That question was brought up over half a century ago and answered by a Presbyterian Minister by the name of Donald Grey Barnhouse.

Speculating that "if Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The Children would say, "Yes sir" and "No ma'am," and the churches would be full every Sunday... where Christ is not preached."

This illustrates to me, that it is only when we see our humanity and ultimately our sin (our very own sins) as God sees it, that we can understand what God has done in the Cross of Christ. When we don't see it for what it is, and we do not understand our own condition... then the message of the Cross, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to our human mind. And how can we be grateful for something that we think we don't really need? If we hold "sin" as not really relevant, then neither will the Life, Words, and Work of the cross of Jesus seem relevant to us. And this is exactly why we need to hear God's Word, for there He tells me all about my sin and my true condition, and knowing who God is as He has revealed Himself to us in history, and in His Word. God is Holy. Perfect. And He is Love. Perfect love. Then... Everything changes. We can then, from that place of repentance, and acknowledgement of our sin, truly see the Cross, and the work of Christ with our hearts lifted up, praising the one, who in Love, saved us. 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  – 1 John 3:1

"Who has believed our message? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1

The only two options available

So there are really only two religions in the world: a religion of human striving to ascend to God through pious works, feelings, attitudes, and experiences and the Good News of God’s merciful descent to us in his Son. 

The religions, philosophies, ideologies, and spiritualities of the world only differ on the details. Whether we are talking about the Dalai Lama or Dr. Phil, Islam or Oprah, liberals or conservatives, the most intuitive conviction is that we are good people who need good advice, not helpless sinners who need the Good News. 

- Michael Horton 


So the law reveals the righteousness that God is, by which we are judged (and therefore condemned); the gospel reveals the righteousness that God freely gives to sinners through faith in Jesus Christ… Salvation, from start to finish, is his work for us, not a matter of saving ourselves or even of cooperating with him. It is a divine rescue operation. Even our sanctification is grounded in God’s act of justifying us and uniting us, by his Spirit, to Christ’s death and life.  (Romans 6)

My life is not the Good News.

Talking about some of our modern Christian churches who focus their teaching towards living better lives, and more piety, community, giving, and seeing Christ as our "example" of how we should live, so we can 'have out best life now'... Author Michael Horton in his book "Christless Christianity" says this... "In every generation, our natural tendency to put the focus back on ourselves - our inner life, piety, community, and actions - withers the very root of faith that yields love and service."

And later says this " That my life, is not the gospel is good news both for me and for my neighbors. Because Christ is the Good News, Christians as well as non-Christians can be saved after all. ...the Good News is not only enough to create faith but to get us back on our feet, assured of our standing in Christ, ready for another day of successes and failures in our discipleship."