My hope

You're my hope for tomorrow
My peace for today
You're the joy in my sorrow
the Truth and the Way


-Jimmy Robeson, 2007

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,

Till released from flesh and sin,

Yet from what I do inherit,

Here Thy praises I’ll begin;

Robert Robinson, A Col­lect­ion of Hymns Used by the Church of Christ in Angel Al­ley, Bi­shop­gate, 1759.

Thrilling!

"When I enter the pulpit with the Bible in my hands and in my heart my blood begins to flow and my eyes to sparkle for the sheer glory of having God's word to expound."

John Stott, as quoted by Roger Steer in Basic Christian; The Inside Story of John Stott, IVP Press, 2009

Why Does Jesus Identify With Us?

Moses, like Jesus, was not ashamed to consider His people who were in slavery as His brothers, and He was prepared to identify with them in order to deliver them. (Exodus 2:11, 4:18, Hebrews 11:24-26).
Peter O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews, Apollos Press, 2010 page 118

He changes everything

 

Ever good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone, For,
He was sold, to buy us back;
captive, to deliver us;
condemned, to absolve us;
He was made a curse for our blessing,
sin offering for our righteousness,
marred that we might be made fair;
He died for our life;
so that by Him
fury is made gentle,
wrath appeased,
darkness turned to light,
fear reassured,
disposal despised,
debt cancelled,
labour lightened,
sadness made merry,
misfortune made fortunate,
difficulty easy,
disorder ordered,
division united,
ignominy ennobled,
rebellion subjected,
intimidation intimidated,
ambush uncovered,
assaults assailed,
force forced back,
combat combated,
war warred against,
vengeance avenged,
torment tormented,
damnation damned,
the abyss sunk into the abyss,
hell transfixed,
death dead,
mortality made immortal.
In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune. For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, ‘O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?’ it is because by the Spirit of Christ, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us.

John Calvin, as quoted by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault, Crossway Publishers, 2011, pg. 101

Jesus Leads Many Sons To Glory

The goal of His marvelous purpose is to ‘bring many sons (and daughters) to glory.’ In the Old Testament the theme of the Lord’s leading His people is familiar, particularly Israel’s exodus from Egypt (Exodus 3:8, 6:6-7, 7:4-5, etc) where God’s mighty action is underscored. As the elect people of Yahweh, Israel knew from the beginning of it’s history that the Lord was its ‘Leader’. 

For the author of Hebrews the typological significance of God leading His people out of Egypt is obvious. Language that describes this event is deliberately employed by our author to describe God’s action of leading many contemporary sons and daughters to glory. It is cast in terms of a new exodus with believers as ‘the new Exodus generation’.
Peter O’Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews, Apollos Press, Nottingham, Pg. 104

Talitha Cumi

“Banishing all from the house except the parents and His three chosen disciples, He entered the chamber of death to rob it of its prey.” 

- Henry Ironside commenting on Mark 5:40

Who is qualified to recieve God's grace?

God receives none but those who are forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead...He has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace.

Martin Luther, as quoted by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault, Crossway Publishers, 2011, pg. 17