(To Mr. H. B.) London, 1808

Dear Sir,

For three weeks after I wrote to you last, I enjoyed much of God's presence; "the candle of the Lord" shone bright upon my head and "his visitation preserved my spirit;" and I often thought this was fitting me for some serious affliction, and that I would soon be fast "bound in affliction and iron." And surely the thing that I greatly feared came upon me, so that my spirit was overwhelmed within me.

The enemy tried hard to turn me out of the chapel, telling me I was not fit to walk about; he has made me to skulk and hide myself where I could, like a thief that is detected. He followed me as close in my business, so that I was obliged to resign much of my employment. These things made me cry infinitely to God for help, for I knew not where it would all end. I could neither eat, drink, nor sleep; everybody perceived something was wrong with me, but none could find out the cause, for I told nobody the real state of my case. O what a hornet's nest appeared within! What rebellion, self-will, what tender compassion for self, and what secret anger sometimes against God—for not appearing immediately to deliver me!

I have often lain on the floor weeping and calling upon God for a long time together, and it seemed as if the more I cried and groaned, the less help I found. I thought I went in faith; but alas! there was no resignation, and conscience has often secretly told me that from my heart I could not add these words, "if consistent with your righteous will." O no! I would gladly be delivered at all events; no patiently waiting, nor quietly hoping. Here I lay for six weeks, like a fool brayed in a mortar.

God has at length given me light and understanding to see that it was his hand upon me, and that for good. He has given me a measure of fitness and submission, and enabled me feelingly to say, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." But then I am more brutish and prouder than any man, and therefore the furnace must be heated sevenfold. I would be something, and God is showing me that I am less than nothing. I was taking the highest room; but God has said, go down to the lowest, and give every man place.

Yours faithfully, James Bourne

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Turn Your Eyes to Jesus!!

A living, breathing relationship with the Savior of the world will drive porn out of your life quicker than anything else. When you turn your eyes to Jesus, there isn’t room for anything else in your heart because He fills it up. When you open the blinds of a pitch-black room, the sunlight drives away the darkness.

[Heath Lambert]

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Hebrews 12:2 ... Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Colossians 3:2 ... Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Philippians 4:13 ... I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. ❤

God's View of Sin ...

If we would know how God views sin, we must not measure it by how lightheartedly man treats it, nor by how common it appears in the world, nor even by how it wounds our own conscience. We must measure sin by the cross. Sin is not merely a mistake, a weakness, or an unfortunate choice. It is a direct offense against the holiness of the eternal God. Sin is a daring defiance of His Word, a trampling upon His glory, and a mockery of His authority.

But if we would truly understand the infinite evil of sin, we must look to Calvary. There, on the accursed tree, God unveiled His view of sin. He did not even spare His own beloved Son, when He stood in the sinner's place. What horror must belong to sin, when its payment required the abandonment of the sinless One by His own Father? What dreadful weight must sin carry, that it could crush the eternal Son of God into the dust of death? What must God think of sin, when He would lay upon Jesus the iniquity of His people, and exact from Him every drop of wrath which our guilt deserved? 

Behold the bloodied brow, the pierced hands, the parched lips, the darkened sky, the cry of dereliction: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!" (Matthew 27:46) These are God's thunderous declarations that sin is no trifle. Sin is not something He can simply overlook. Sin is a monster so vile, that it demanded nothing less than the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Here is a sight too deep for words: the infinitely holy One, bruised for the utterly unholy. Jesus, the Righteous, suffers for the unrighteous because God is too pure to let sin go unpunished. The cross is not only the supreme display of divine love, but also the supreme revelation of divine justice. Never again can we doubt how God views sin. He hates it with a holy hatred. And yet, in that same moment, we see something else: God's matchless grace. For He who spared not His own Son, has also made a way for sinners to be fully cleansed and forgiven.

Holy and righteous God, open my eyes to see sin as You see it. May I never trifle with that sin which nailed my Savior to the cross. Let the horror of Golgotha humble me, and let the mercy found there, lead me to hate sin and cling to Jesus, who bore it all in my place. Amen.

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[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Habakkuk 1:13 ... Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Psalm 5:4-5 ... For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. ❤

Real Friendship

The right friends won’t just comfort you in your pain, they’ll point you back to Jesus in the middle of it.

Because real friendship isn’t just about making you feel better temporarily. it’s about helping carry you closer to the One who can actually heal you. 

[message from the Internet]

Galatians 6:2 ... Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Proverbs 17:17 ... A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ... Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. ❤

Greatest Earthly Blessing

I bear witness that the worst days I have ever had, have turned out to be my best days. In the same way, when God has seemed to be the unkindest to me, He has then been the most kind. If there is anything in this world for which I would thank Him more than for all else, it is for pain and affliction. I am sure that in these things, His richest and tenderest love has been most manifested towards me. I am certain that I have never grown in grace, one-half so much anywhere else, as I have upon the bed of pain. I have learned to kiss the wave, that throws me against the Rock of Ages.

Affliction is the best piece of furniture in my house. It is the best book in a minister's library. Those who dive in the sea of affliction, bring up rare pearls.

God's love letters are often sent in black envelopes. The cloud that is black with horror, is big with mercy. We may not ask for trouble; but if we were wise, we would look upon affliction as the harbinger of an unusually great blessing.

Dread the calm: it is often treacherous; and the pestilence is often lurking beneath its wing. Fear not the storm: it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel, then the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.

God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. The furnace of affliction is the most beneficial place for you, Christian.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Hebrews 12:5-12 ...   And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

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Shelter ...

 Safe in His shadow!!

www.ChristianPhotoshops.com

Psalm 91:1-2 ... He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.❤

Arranging of Our Own Lives

Dear friend, in the matter of your present trial and trouble you have been trying to figure out the design of the Almighty, but without success. You must realize that His ways are past finding out. In all probability, you may never discover God's purpose in your present trial, on this side of eternity.

But that He has a purpose is certain, and His purpose is a wise and kind one. It is such as you yourself would delight in, if you were capable of understanding it. If you could have a mind like God, then you would exactly act as God does, even in this matter that now troubles you. At present your thoughts are far below those of God, and therefore you err when you try to measure His ways.

If you have a quarrel with your heavenly Father about a bereavement or a sickness, then end it at once with humble shame. If it ever comes to a question as to which is right: a poor, ignorant, inexperienced child or a great, good, wise Father; then there cannot be a moment's deliberation: the father's will must be better for the child, than its own will.

Jesus knows what He is doing, and why He is doing it. He has a wise and good reason for loss of your health, those pains in your body, your depression of spirit,

your lack of success in business, even for the allowance of the cruel tongue of slander to inflict its wounds upon you!

In every trial and affliction, we must always trust that Jesus knows what He is doing and that all He does is done in infinite wisdom and love for us, and so it is the best for us.

(The following quotes are also from Spurgeon, but from various other sermons:)

"If we were as wise as God, then we would do just what He now does with us. If we could see all things as He sees them, then we would order all our affairs exactly as He orders them."

"Had we the choosing of our lot, and could we see the end from the beginning, then we would say, 'Lord, choose for me!' For we would feel that if we were as wise as God, then we would make precisely the same choice which He has made for us."

"If we had the arranging of our own lives, and the disposing of all events, and were as wise as God; then we would let things stay exactly as they now are."

"Beloved, if you could be as wise as God, then you would never wish to have a single trial altered. You would desire that the whole course of your life should be precisely as it is."

"The Lord has lent me everything that I have. And now that He has called them back, I will bless His name for having let me enjoy them for so long."

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Job 1:21 ... And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Psalm 119:67 ... Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Romans 8:28 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ❤

Habit of Wealth

Through God’s promises, we participate in the divine nature. But if we want to express the divine nature in our human nature, we must form habits and the very first habit we must form is the habit of recognizing God’s provision. 

Do you often find yourself saying, “I can’t afford it”? One of the worst lies is tucked up in this statement. It’s considered bad taste to talk about money how much you have or don’t have and the same is true of spiritual riches. We talk as though our heavenly Father has cut us off without a cent. We think it’s a sign of modesty to say, “It was a real struggle, but I got by.” Meanwhile, all of God Almighty is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we obey God, he will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us. 

What does it matter if our external circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be? If we indulge in the luxury of misery and give way to self-pity, we banish God’s riches from our lives. No sin is worse than self-pity, because it erases God and puts self-interest on the throne. It opens our mouths to spit out streams of complaint, and our lives become constantly craving spiritual sponges, with nothing lovely or generous about them. 

When God is beginning to be satisfied with us, he will impoverish every source of phony wealth in our lives, until we learn that true wealth lies only in him. If we aren’t consciously aware of the fact that his majesty and grace and power are being manifested in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Learn to lavish the blessings of God on others, and his blessings will come through you all the time.

[Oswald Chambers]

2 Peter 1:4 ...  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

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Submission to Gods Will

Our wills are naturally selfish. We love to have our own way. It's not easy to submit to the will of another, unless there is some strong motive that impels us to submission. The carrying out of our wills in a selfish way, only leads to more selfishness and to a stronger inclination to have our own way. It is this selfish inclination in the will, that makes it necessary for God to demand submission from us.

His will is never selfish, but always benevolent. The cheerful doing of it always leads to an increase of benevolence in us. Therefore, when God demands us to submit our wills to him, he is doing that which is best for us. The more consideration for others and true benevolence is developed within us the more our natures are purified and exalted and the more we are able to fulfill the purpose of our creation.

Submitting to God is often the hardest of all tasks, yet it's the most necessary, if we're to be exalted to fellowship with God and enjoy the highest development of our faculties and powers. Selfishness always tends to degrade. Its ignoble exercise tends to dwarf and blight the finest things in our characters. The adoption of a submissive attitude toward God and his will, paves the way for the natural development of those qualities within us which are most worth developing, and which ennoble us most when they're developed. The more our souls run out God-ward, the more like him we become; and the more like him we become, the happier and more useful we are. Unselfish devotion to benevolent service toward God and toward our fellow man, enriches the heart and life as nothing else can do, and leads the way to happiness, peace, and contentment, which make one truly blessed.

Submission to God is the one necessary thing in order to enjoy the Christian life. The more fully we are submitted to his will, the more cheerfully we can carry it out, and the sweeter and richer will be the joy of doing it. Reluctant submission to God is not real submission. Reluctant obedience is never real obedience. It's only when the heart responds to God willingly and cheerfully, that the power of such service to make one joyful is realized. We must conquer our reluctant wills. "The essence of sacrifice of self is the sacrifice of the will. Unwilling offerings are a contradiction, and in fact, there are no such things. The quality of unwillingness destroys the character of the offering and robs it of all sacredness. Reluctant Christianity is not Christianity."

True nobility of both the inner and the outer life comes from submission to, and cooperation with, God. The nature of our relations with God depends upon the extent of our submission to him.

[Charles Naylor]

Matthew 6:10 ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Philippians 2:13 ... For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Colossians 1:9 ... For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ❤

If I could Hear Jesus ...

The priesthood of Jesus is unlike anything this world has ever known. Earthly priests came and went, bound by mortality and sin. But Jesus, the sinless Son of God, lives forever. His priesthood is permanent, unchanging, and perfect.

And because He lives forever, He is able to save completely. Not partially. Not temporarily. Completely. From the deepest guilt; from the power of sin to the punishment, it deserves. He is mighty to save. No believer is ever beyond His reach.

No sin is too dark for His cleansing blood. No soul is too entangled in sin for His delivering hand.

This complete salvation flows from a wondrous truth: He always lives to intercede for His chosen and redeemed people. Even now, in this very moment Jesus is interceding for US. He is not pleading for mercy as one who is uncertain of the outcome. Rather, as the crucified and risen Savior, He presents His perfect sin-atoning sacrifice before the Father. His nail-scarred hands are the eternal evidence that the price has been paid in full, the wrath of God has been satisfied, justice has been upheld, and His mercy flows freely.

We are not kept by our own power, but by the power of God. If we had to keep ourselves, we would be like the spider's web swept away by the first rough wind of temptation or persecution. The saints shall never perish. They are not only saved, but safe. They are not only pardoned but preserved. The same grace that chose them and redeemed them also secures them to the end!

If I could hear Jesus praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference He is praying for me.

What comfort this brings to every believer. When our prayers falter, His do not. When our faith is weak, His intercession is strong. When Satan accuses, Jesus speaks. We do not stand before God on the strength of our own performance, but on the everlasting merit of our High Priest. Our Priest lives; and while He lives, His people are safe. The unchangeable Christ is the rock of our confidence. Your salvation is as secure as His throne in Heaven!

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Hebrews 7:24-25 ... But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

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Shoes of Peace

Have you ever tried to walk through a thorn bush in flip-flops? Not recommended. The "Shoes of the Gospel of Peace" are about readiness. They allow you to stand firm when the ground gets shaky. If you’re feeling anxious or disconnected, it might be because you’re barefoot in a spiritual forest. You need shoes with traction. 

The Practical Application: Before you leave the house (or open your laptop), decide that you will be a carrier of peace. Peace isn't just the absence of noise; it’s a quiet confidence. If a meeting gets heated or a family member is being "extra," remember your shoes. You are standing on the solid ground of God’s peace. You don’t have to join the chaos. You brought your own atmosphere.

         

                                                          word-of-encouragement.com

Proverbs 4:11-12 ...  I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. ❤