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. ❤

Pumpkin Jokes

 🎃 What does a queasy pumpkin say? "I don't feel so gourd." 

🎃 What do you call a fat jack-o'-lantern? Plump-kin.

🎃 Where do pumpkins live? In the seedy part of town.

🎃 Why are jack-o'-lanterns so smart? A candle makes them bright.

🎃 What is black, white, orange, and waddles? A penguin with a pumpkin.

🎃 Where does a pumpkin preach? From the pulp-it.

🎃 What do adventurous pumpkins do for fun? Go bungee gourd jumping.

🎃 What did the orange pumpkin say to the green pumpkin? "You look a little sick."

🎃 What did one pumpkin say to the other? "Happy Hollowing!"

🎃 Why do pumpkins sit on people's porches? They have no hands to knock on the door.

🎃 Why do pumpkins perform so poorly in school? Because they had all their brains scooped out.

🎃 What kind of romance do pumpkins enjoy? A mushy romance.

🎃 What's the problem with eating too much pumpkin pie this time of year? You'll get autumn-y ache.

🎃 When asked how he was feeling, what did the pumpkin say? "I'm vine, thanks!"

🎃 What did the pumpkin say to the pie baker? "Use apples, instead."

🎃 What did the pumpkin say after Thanksgiving? "Good pie, everyone."

🎃 What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? Squash.

🎃 Where do pumpkins hold meetings? In the gourd room.

🎃 What do you call a pumpkin that works at the beach? A life gourd.

🎃 What's a pumpkin's favorite genre? Pulp fiction.

🎃 What does a pumpkin use to repair its pants? A pumpkin patch!

🎃 Why was the jack-o'-lantern afraid to cross the road? It had no guts!

🎃 What did one pumpkin say to the pumpkin who asked where the patch was? Ah, a talking pumpkin!

🎃 How does a pumpkin listen to Halloween music? On vine-eel.

🎃 What's a pumpkin's favorite Western? The Gourd, The Bad, and The Ugly.

🎃 Why was Cinderella bad at football? She had a pumpkin for a coach.

🎃 What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its diameter? Pumpkin pie.

🎃What is a pumpkin's favorite sport? Squash.

🎃 Who helped the baby pumpkin cross the road? The crossing gourd.

🎃 What do pumpkins say at happy hour? Let's get smashed.

🎃 What did the jack-o'-lantern say to its barber? Surprise me!

🎃 What did the pumpkin say to its carver? Cut it out!

🎃 What do you call an athletic pumpkin? A jock-o-lantern.

🎃 How do you repair a broken jack-o'-lantern? Use a pumpkin patch.

🎃 Why was Cinderella sticky at the ball? Because she went there in a pumpkin!

🎃 Why was the jack-o'-lantern so forgetful? Because he's empty-headed.

[The Pioneer Woman]

I Am Poor and Needy!

O my soul, sit down and reckon up your unsearchable riches in Christ! By nature, and practice, I am a child of a bankrupt father, Adam, who lived insolvent and died wretchedly poor in himself, having left only an inheritance of sin, misery, and death, with the loss of divine favor, upon the whole race of his children! By nature, and by practice, I am poor in the sight of God, despised by Him because of my loathsome disease of sin! In myself, my understanding is darkened, my will is depraved, my passions are corrupt. 

I am proud and rebellious against God. I am a slave of Satan, a willing captive in his drudgery! I am daily hastening to deserved damnation! Such, my soul, was my state by nature; and such, and far worse, would have been my state forever had not Jesus intervened, looked upon me, and loved me when I was cast out to perish, with no eye to pity me or rescue me from eternal ruin. 

O my soul, I can now say: "Though I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me!" Oh, blessed Jesus! You do indeed think upon me, provide for me, and have given me the grace to see and to feel my spiritual poverty, need, and misery and to live wholly upon You and Your alms, from day to day. Lord Jesus! I would be poor; I would be needy. I would feel more and more my nothingness, worthlessness, poverty, and wretchedness that You may be increasingly precious, and Your salvation increasingly dear. 

Oh, for grace, as a poor needy debtor, daily to increase the awareness of my sin so that my conscious need of You and Your fullness, may be increasingly blessed. Let my daily motto be: "As for me, I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me!" 

[Robert Hawker] 

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Ephesians 1:3 ... Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Psalm 40:17 ... But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. ❤