Lord, I Am a Poor, Blind Child!

Jesus leads those who are burdened, and need a skillful, sure and gentle shepherd. Our journey to Heaven is across a waste howling wilderness, through an enemy's country all armed and combined to resist, dispute, and oppose our every step. It is a road, also, all untraveled and unknown. Over the entrance of every new path is written, "You have not passed this way before!" 

A new bend in our life transpires, a new path in our pilgrimage is presented involving new duties and responsibilities, new cares and trials. And with fear and trembling we gird ourselves for the new cloud-veiled pilgrimage which God in His goodness has appointed us. But why these doubts, these trembling's, these fears? 

Jesus is our Leader! He knows all the way we take has mapped every road and has appointed every path. As a Teacher, He leads us into all truth. As a Captain, He leads us from victory to victory. As a Shepherd, He leads us into green pastures. As a Guide, He leads us along our difficult path skillfully, gently, and safely. 

How does Jesus lead us? He leads us graciously. He leads us along all the stages, and through all the exercises of our Christian experience not leaving us when our frames are low, and our faith is assailed, and darkness, often thick darkness, covers our soul. Who could skillfully, patiently, and faithfully lead us along all the mazes, intricacies, and perils of our Christian course, safely to glory but Christ our Leader? 

Commit yourself, O my soul, confidently to the Lord's leading. The way may appear all wrong to you, but it is the right way. Mystery may enshroud it, trials may pave it, sorrows may darken it, tears may bedew it nevertheless He is leading you by the right way home. "Lord, I am a poor, blind child not knowing my way. And when I do see it, I am often so burdened that I cannot walk. Take me by the hand, and gently, skillfully lead me until traveling days are over, and I am at home with You forever! You have promised gently to lead the burdened and feeble who cannot keep up with the flock. Lord, lead ME!" 

[Octavius Winslow] 

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Isaiah 42:16 ... And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Isaiah 40:11 ...  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Psalm 31:3 ... For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. ❤

Gordon Quotes

There is more you can do after you pray but there is nothing you can do until you pray.

This is what is needed a mightier love for the Son of God, to overpower and subdue and lead captive these wayward and truant affections of the natural heart.

Sorrow is only one of the lower notes in the oratorio of our blessedness.

It is the great work of nature to transmute sunlight into life. Just so, it is the great end of Christian living to transmute the light of truth into the fruits of holy living.

Doctrine is the framework of life; it is the skeleton of truth, to be clothed and rounded out by the living graces of a holy life.

The Holy Spirit, not the pope is the vicar of Christ on earth.

[Adoniram Gordon]

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Powerful Tool

 Always pray.

It's the most powerful tool against worry, doubt and fear.

Luke 18:1 ... And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ❤

A House Without Light!

Our earthly fire, when it burns it shines, it casts a light. It has light as well as heat in it. But the fire of hell burns but it does not shine, it gives no light at all. It retains

the property of burning but it has lost the property of shining. Christ calls it "outer darkness," or utter darkness that is, darkness beyond a darkness.

Light is a blessing that shall never shine into that infernal prison. In Jude verse 6, you read of "chains of darkness." It would be a little ease, a little comfort, to the damned in hell if they might have but light and liberty to walk up and down the infernal coasts; but this is too high a favor for them to enjoy; and therefore, they shall be shackled and fettered down in chains of darkness, and in blackness of darkness so that they may fully undergo the scorching's and burnings of divine wrath and fury forever and ever.

In Jude verse 13 you thus read, "To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." The words signify exceeding great darkness. Hell is a very dark and dismal region, and extreme are the miseries, horrors, and torments which are there. Sinners, when they are in hell, when they are in chains of darkness, when they

are in blackness of darkness they shall never more see light! Hell is a house without light!

Though our earthly fires have light as well as heat, yet the infernal fire has only heat to burn sinners; it has no light to refresh sinners; and this will be no small addition

to their torment.

[Thomas Brooks]

Colossians 1:13 ... Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Matthew 25:30 ... And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Luke 11:36 ... If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. ❤

Judson Quotes

Doctrine is the framework of life; it is the skeleton of truth, to be clothed and rounded out by the living graces of a holy life.

If I had not felt certain that every additional trial was ordered by infinite love and mercy, I could not have survived my accumulated sufferings.

A mightier love for the Son of God, to overpower and subdue and lead captive these wayward and truant affections of the heart this is what is needed.

O slow of heart to believe and trust in the constant presence and overruling agency of our almighty Savior!

In spite of sorrow, loss and pain our course is onward still!

Sorrow is only one of the lower notes in the oratorio of our blessedness.

Our prayers run along one road and God's answers by another road; and by and by they meet. God answers all true prayer, either in kind or in kindness.

I beg you, not to rest contented with the commonplace religion that is now so prevalent. 

Thanks be to God, not only for rivers of endless joys above but for rills of comfort here below.

There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success, it is because someone will succeed after you.

"Nothing is impossible," said one of the seven sages of Greece, "to industry." Let us change the word, 'industry,' to 'persevering prayer' and the motto will be more Christian and more worthy of universal adoption. God loves importunate prayer so much that He will not give us much blessing without it.

Love to Jesus is a sure title to the greatest possible happiness; for Jesus is omnipotent and has determined to make his friends happy, and surely will not forget a single one in whose heart is enkindled one spark of love.

We cannot sit still and see the dear Burmans, flesh and blood like us and, like ourselves, possessed of immortal souls that will shine forever in Heaven or burn forever in Hell, we cannot see them go down to perdition without doing our very utmost to save them. And thanks be to God, our labors are not in vain.

[Adoniram Judson]

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No Way Out!!

 There are many ways to get into Hell.

"For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13

There is only one way to avoid Hell.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

There is no way to get out of Hell.
"They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever!" Revelation 20:10

"They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power!" 2 Thessalonians 1:9

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Piety At Home ...

The Christian is first to manifest godliness in the family circle. We would especially press this upon the attention of those who are so anxious to engage in what they term "service for the Lord." 

The "service" which God requires from all of His people is not a running about here and there, asking impertinent questions of total strangers and prattling to them about Divine things but to be in subjection to Himself, and to walk obediently to His Word. 

To talk to other people about Christ, is far easier than the task which He has assigned to His people to deny self, take up our cross, follow Him, and to show piety at home. For if there is no piety in our home life then all our seeming piety in the Church, and before the world is but hypocrisy and self-deceit! 

[A.W. Pink] 

1 Timothy 5:4 ... But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

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The Rules for Domestic Happiness

1.  Be humble. "Pride only breeds quarrels."

2.  "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit."

3.  Find your own happiness in trying to make others happy.

4.  Mind your own business. Do not be meddlesome.

5.  Beware of a fretful, suspicious, or censorious temper.

6.  "Overcome evil with good." "Bless and curse not."

7.  "Love one another deeply, from the heart."

8.  Do not magnify the trials or afflictions of life.

9.  Beware of sloth. There is no greater enemy of peace and happiness.

10. Make it your business to serve God.

11. Keep out of debt. "Owe no man anything." Loans breed bad tempers and harsh dispositions.

12. Keep the ultimate purpose of life in view to glorify God. This will repress many vain wishes and chasten immoderate desires.

13. Let your prayers be frequent and fervent.

14. Never listen to scandal nor backbiting.

15. Do not grieve or worry over things which cannot be helped.

16. Set the Lord always before you. Seek His glory. Do and suffer His will with readiness. Let Christ be all and in all. Trust in the Lord forever.

[William S. Plumer]

Psalm 37:4 ... Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ❤

Little Nook in the Very Heart of God

God's plan for every marriage is happiness. 

Marriage is meant to be a miniature of Heaven; a fragment of the celestial blessedness, let down into this world. Marriage is meant to be a little sanctuary, into which husband and wife may flee from earth's storms and dangers, where in love's shelter, their hearts fed with affection's daily bread-they may dwell in quiet peace. Marriage is meant to be a shelter in which, covered from the frosts of the world and shielded from its cold and tempests-two lives may grow together into richest beauty, realizing their sweetest dreams of happiness, blending in whatever things are true, whatever things are pure, and attaining the finest possibilities of godly character. Marriage is meant to be a holy ark, floating on the wild floods of human life-like Noah's ark on the deluge, bearing to Heaven's gates, to the harbor of glory-the lives which God has shut within its doors. 

A godly marriage is a little nook in the very heart of God, where faithful souls are held close to the Father's heart, and carried safely, amid dangers and sorrows, to the home above! 

[J.C. Ryle]

Ephesians 5:31 ... For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

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Reading the Bible

1. Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it. Do not be content to just read the words of Scripture. Seek to grasp the message they contain.

2. Read the Scriptures with a simple, childlike faith and humility. Believe what God reveals. Our reason must bow to God's revelation.

3. Read the Word with a spirit of obedience and self-application. Apply what God says to yourself and obey His will in all things.

4. Read the Holy Scriptures every day. We quickly lose the nourishment and strength of yesterday's food. We must feed our souls daily upon the manna God has given to us.

5. Read the whole Bible and read it in an orderly way. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable." (2 Timothy 3:16) I know of no better way to read the Bible than to start at the beginning and read straight through to the end, a portion every day, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

6. Read the Word of God fairly and honestly. As a general rule, any passage of Scripture means what it appears to mean. Interpret every passage in this simple manner, in its context.

7. Read the Scriptures prayerfully, ever asking the Holy Spirit to illumine the Word. "Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45) "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." (Psalm 119:18)

8. Read the Bible with Christ constantly in view. The whole Book is about Him. Look for Him on every page. He is there. If you fail to see Him there, you need to read that page again.

[J. C. Ryle]

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Encourage One Another!

One day, we will close our eyes to time and open our eyes to eternity. Keep looking up!

2 Corinthians 4:18 ... While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. ❤