Top 25 Jesus Quotes: #24

I never heard of S. D. Gordon until doing a tiny bit of research on number 24 of azquotes.com's list of "Top 25 Jesus Quotes."

Gordon was born in 1859 and died in 1936 after a life of Christian speaking, writing, and missionary work. He published over 25 devotional books, most of which were part of his "Quiet Talks" series (e.g., Quiet Talks on Prayer, Quiet Talks about the Tempter, Quiet Talks on Power, etc.).

It's only a guess, but I'm thinking today's featured quote is probably from his book, Quiet Talks about Jesus, published in 1906.

Jesus is God spelling Himself out in language that men can understand.

I'm happy to report there are Scriptural references to back up S. D. Gordon's assertion:

Matthew 1: 23  -  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

John 14:9  -  [Jesus talking] Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

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Truth is...even though I agree with Gordon's quote, I have to admit that there are still things about Jesus that I don't completely understand. But you know what? I think that's part of the plan. If our minds could totally explain Yahweh, he wouldn't be much of a God, now would he?

For more on the inability to understand Jesus, featuring a Rich Mullins song, take a look at this post from 2015.

Stop Trying So Hard

Can we finally kill off the notion that our relationship with Yahweh is determined by the balance of good and bad deeds we accomplish? Can we stop living our lives in fear of not being good enough?

According to Keith Green's song, "When I Hear the Praises Start," the answer is yes...yes we can.

My son, my son, why are you striving

You can't add one thing to what's been done for you

I did it all while I was dying

Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you

For when I hear the praises start

I want to rain upon you

Blessings that will fill your heart

I see no stain upon you

Because you are my child and you know me

To me, you're only holy

Nothing that you've done remains

Only what you do for me

My child, my child, why are you weeping

You will not have to wait forever

That day and that hour is in my keeping

The day I'll bring you into heaven

For when I hear the praises start

My child, I want to rain upon you

Blessings that will fill your heart

I see no stain upon you

Because you are my child and you know me

To me, you're only holy

Nothing that you've done remains

Only what you do in me

Just what you do for me

My precious bride, the day is nearing

When I'll take you in my arms and hold you

I know there are so many things that you've been hearing

But you just hold on to what I told you

For when I hear the praises start

My bride, I want to rain upon you

Blessings that will fill your heart

I see no stain upon you

Because you are my child, and you know me

To me, you're only holy

Nothing that you've done will remain
Only what you do for me
©1977 April Music

https://youtu.be/W5HGNyBfhbU

Truth is...the good news of the gospel really is good news. We don't need to try to live up to a list of rules and expectations. Our challenge is to live lives of gratitude for what Jesus has already done on our behalf.

Wise Words Ignored By Their Speaker

Every so often, Hollywood comes up with some words of wisdom that have the potential to change lives for the better.

The example I'm thinking of right now is a short line spoken by a fictional character named Lance Clayton:

"If you're that depressed, reach out to someone. And remember, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem."

Truth is...the movie was 2009's World's Greatest Dad and the actor playing the part of Lance Clayton was Robin Williams...who committed suicide August 11, 2014.

Oh, if only Williams would have truly allowed the scriptwriter's words to sink into his heart. If you're on the brink yourself, learn the lesson he didn't. Call 800-273-TALK or 800-NeedHim.

Top 25 Jesus Quotes: #25

If you've never been to azquotes.com, I urge you to make the trip. There you can find words of wit, wisdom, and whimsy. You can search by subject or by who the quote was spoken/written by.

And you can also find a list of the top 25 quotes about Jesus, as selected by the thousands of users of the site.

Or, you can hang out here for a while as we take a look at the quotes and those who are being quoted.

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Napoleon Bonapart was a man of war and political intrigue. Among other official positions, he was Emperor of France from 1804 to 1815. His biography reads like a script for an action-packed thriller.

And yet, he seems to have recognized the superiority of the spiritual when he uttered these words...

Truth is...Jesus knew there was a difference between him and the political leaders of his day. When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36)

And to verify Napoleon's assessment, consider these words of Christ from John 13:35: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."