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Friday, 18 April 2014

Illuminated Work + Why is Good Friday Good?

{WOYWW post below}
Hullo there everyone! 
Hanging on my bedroom wall is an Illuminated calendar for 2014, from the Hong Kong Christian Book Room. A lot of my texts are similar to their monthly images on the calendar as the book I learnt from (see - here it is) is written by the founder of this Book Room. 
Here is April's verse.. oriental this time - as it is printed in Hong Kong.
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 40) 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. 
 
                                      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 - if we have sought salvation in Him, the Lord Jesus.
"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 Him we have the certain hope of life forevermore with Him. 

The Easter story. The gift of His transforming love. The reminder of what Jesus has done for us.
His sacrifice brought us life.
Taken from a Dayspring e-card
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 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 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, as He speaks to each of us - it will help to keep life with a real perspective. 
"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.
This is the whole key to Easter... Eternity... and what counts for eternity. 
May we live this truth.
 May God richly bless you wherever you maybe and thank you SO much for  making my day - being real encouragers!
Shaz in Oz.x
 
Would like to join these over with:
Word Art Wednesday - anything goes    http://wordartwednesday.blogspot.com.au

10 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful hymn, Shaz! Thanks for sharing. Oh! the deep, deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free! I hope you had a truly blessed Good Friday and wish you a blessed Happy Easter!
    Love,
    Sarah

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  2. Shaz, such a meaningful post. Thank you for joining us this week and for posting your beautiful project in our Word Art Wednesday challenge.
    Blessings,
    Carole

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  3. Oh Shaz, This is absolutely beautiful. I want to copy it all to my blog...but I won't. :-) You have a sweet heart for all to see and I'm so happy that you aren't shy about sharing your faith with everyone around you.
    May you have a very blessed Easter, remembering the true reason we celebrate.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  4. Thank you Shaz
    gorgeous post
    have a lovely preparations for Easter
    hugs and blessings Tamara

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  5. I love that particular Easter Hymn Shaz. A beautiful post for Good Friday. Anne x

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  6. Such a beautiful perfect post Shaz, a wonderful sharing of the gospel!!! I loved your images an especially your illuminated verse!! you are such a blessing, I thank god for your friendship!
    Hugs,
    Ginny

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  7. A perfect Easter time post! xx

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  8. Happy Easter Shaz! Your coligraphy s amazing!
    Easter Blessing to you and your family.

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  9. That hymn is one of many that we learned at junior school and I can still sing the whole thing through from start to finish. It immediately takes me back to that warm comfortable classroom. xx Maggie

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  10. A moving and wonderful post my friend. Thank you.

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Thanks so VERY much for taking the time to encourage me by your comments! You REALLY make my day, and may God bless you for it!
Shaz in Oz.x
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