The Life in Allegory "THAT I MIGHT BE LIKE UNTO HIM"

 AND it came to pass, as I travelled along the Highway of Life, that I saw in the distance, far ahead, a mountain, and on it One standing, upon whose face rested a divine compassion for the grief of the world.

His raiment was white and glittering, and in His hand was a cross. And He called unto the sons of men, saying "Come! Come! Who will take up his cross and follow me, that he may be like unto me, and that I may seat him at my right hand and share with him things glorious and beautiful beyond the dreams of earth and the imaginings of men?"

             And I said, "What is my cross, that I may take it up?"

            And a Voice answered, "There are many crosses, and thine shall be given thee in good time.

 And I said, "What will bring me near to Thee and make me most like Thee ?"

And the Voice replied, "There are many angels with whom thou canst walk; but see that they lead thee only toward me, and never away from me, for some there be that will cause thee to forget me."

And I said, "What angel shall be given me?" And I felt a hand laid upon mine, and saw beside me one with a smiling face, who said, "Walk with me; I am the Angel of Joy."

    Then all my life grew bright, and wealth was mine, and many pleasures, and friends crowded around me, and Love crowned me, and I knew no care.

      But suddenly I heard the Voice, and it sounded faint and far-off, and it said, "Alas! Thou art not coming toward me," And I fell upon my knees, crying, "Oh, forgive me that I could forget Thee! Take away the angel, since he leads me not unto Thee."

   Then the world grew dark and I heard a low voice beside me saying, "Come with me; I am the Angel of Sorrow."

      Then he took my hand in his, and I went with him, weeping. But now there were no friends around me, and pleasure palled upon me, and my heart was very sad. And as I went I saw that the Vision grew brighter, and I perceived that I was no longer walking away from it.

            But my soul was exceeding sorrowful, and I looked back often, and saw in memory the joys I had once known, until the tears blinded me, and I stumbled continually, for the path was rough, and it had begun to lead upward.

Then I heard the Voice again, and it said, "Look not back; regret not the past; I will send thee another angel who will help thee to forget the things that are behind."

Then the Sorrowful Angel vanished, and in his place stood one whose face was cheerful, and he said, "Come! let us be up and doing; I am the Angel of Work."

            And I went with him -- at first with lagging steps and a sore heart; but as my sight became clearer, I beheld many sick and discouraged, many who had fallen by the way. Then I heard the Voice again saying, "The laborers are few. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me."

So I began to help those around me, and as my hands grew busy, my heart lightened, and I forgot to look behind me and mourn for the lost joys of the past, and at times there was even a song upon my lips. But the road was rough and often dark, and whiles my courage failed me and my soul was disquieted within me. For there were sorrows I could not comfort, and hunger I could not satisfy, and burdens I could not help to lift; and I could only stretch out my hands, and cry, "Oh, Thou who hast helped me, help these, for I cannot." 

Then the Voice said, "Be not weary in well-doing. Thou art coming toward me. I will send one who will bring thee still nearer."

Then I saw beside me an angel with a veil before his face, who said in a grave voice, "Canst thou walk with me? I am the Angel of Sacrifice."

  But I shrank back, murmuring, "What wilt thou take from me ?" And he answered, "I will take nothing. Thou must thyself give it of thine own free will. It is thy Dearest Wish."

            "Then I hid my face in my hands, and cried, "I cannot! I cannot! Ask me something else! Give me some task to do! Have I not labored faithfully these many days? Did I not myself resign the joys that were once so precious to me, and turn away from them to follow Thee? And I will still follow Thee -- still work for Thee, only leave me this one thing! It is so dear to me -- it is my light in darkness -- my food in hunger -- my rest in weariness -- my comfort always! And yet I have not loved it better than Thee; it has not led me away from Thee, nor hidden from me the Heavenly Vision."

        Then the Voice said. "Thou canst do without all these things -- light and food, rest and comfort; but canst thou do without me? And thou must choose between us. Is it too hard for thee? And yet thou saidst thou wouldst be nearer me!”

  Then I cried in answer, "Yes, yes, I would; but oh! is there not another way? Take all else, and leave me only this!" But the Voice spoke no more.

            Then I struggled until the sweat broke out upon my brow in drops of agony, and my nights were sleepless, and my days troubled, and the Vision grew dim, and I saw no light.

            But then came a day when the Higher triumphed. and with broken voice and streaming eyes. I held out my Dearest Wish, crying, "Take it, take it! Thy will be done!"

      Then the Vision broke in splendor, and I heard the Voice saying, "Thou hast fought a good fight. Now thou art indeed mine; and behold! thy reward is even now beside thee."

            So I looked, and the angel had lifted his veil and was smiling, and lo ! it was the Wish I had given up, but changed -- beautified and glorified, a heavenly blessing in the place of an earthly.

 Then it vanished from my sight, and the Voice spoke again: "Thy sacrifice is accepted. Thou shalt see it no more on Earth; but through all the days of thy mortal pilgrimage it shall be to thee a blessed hope, and it shall meet thee at the gate of Heaven, to be thine through all eternity. And thou hast come much nearer unto me, and art more like me. Dost thou desire to draw still nearer to me ?" And I cried, "Yes, yes, still nearer l" And the Voice replied. "There is but one angel more for thee to walk with. It is the Angel of Suffering."

            Then a great trembling seized me and I said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I know not if I can endure. Yet do with me as Thou wilt, for I am Thine."

 Then suddenly there appeared before me an angel whose face was lined and furrowed as with the deep strokes of a chisel, yet over all there was the beauty of a conquered peace -- a peace wrested from great tribulation, the look of one who had forgotten how to weep.

And one hand he held out to me, and with the other he pointed to the ground. And I looked and saw before me the cross which I had last seen in the hand of Him upon the Mount.

            Then the Voice said, "This only is the way by which thou canst approach nearest unto me and be most like me. This is thy cross. Lie down upon it without shrinking and without fear, Thou shalt not be alone; I too have been there. I sounded all the depths of pain, and at the last I was forsaken by the Father; but that last, worst suffering thou shalt not know, for I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

 So I lay down upon the cross, and I rest upon it even unto this day. And the Angel of Suffering watches upon my left hand, and upon my right is one who comes always with him -- the Angel of His Presence.  And of late there has been another, the Angel of Peace. And the three abide always with me. 

 And the Vision is a Vision no longer, but a Reality. And it is not a stern Judge, nor a merciful God, but a loving Father, who bends over me. The way has brought me almost to His feet. There is but a narrow valley that divides us, the Valley of the Shadow, and the angel who shall lead me through it is the Angel of Death.

    I wait his coming with a tranquil heart, for beneath the mask that frights the timid human hearts which dread his summons, I shall see a face I know --the face of the Son of God, who has walked beside me in the furnace of affliction, so that I passed through without even the smell of fire on my garments.

            And when I go down into the deep waters, it is His arm I shall lean upon, and the voice that welcomes me upon the other side will be His.

  And from the bank of the river the path leads upward to the City, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they that enter in shall go no more out forever.

And at the gate my Guide shall leave me, and I shall see Him no more until I behold Him at the right hand of God, having upon His head many crowns, and on His vesture a name written, "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords", before whose face heaven and earth shall flee away.

      And the nations of them that are saved shall stand before Him, and they that come up out of great tribulation, who endure unto the end, and inherit all things, and they shall cry with a loud voice saying, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."

And in Him who sitteth upon the throne I shall know the Man of Sorrows, Whom I saw upon the Mount of the Vision, holding in His hand a cross and calling unto the sons of men, "Come! Come! 

Who will take up his cross and follow me, that he may be like unto me, and that I may seat him upon my right hand, and share with him things glorious and beautiful beyond the dreams of earth and the imaginings of men?"

A Prose Picture of a Poet

Written by Herself

             Only one prose production of Annie Johnson Flint is extant. Just once she turned from the poet's muse, and it is not strange, that even then, instead of writing common prose her pen ran from poetry to allegory.

            Outside of Bunyan's immortal work, we wonder whether a sweeter picture in allegorical form has ever been drawn. It presents in a fascinating manner a spiritual interpretation of her own life, and breathes the same air of faith and love, and confidence in the guidance and goodness of God that marked all she wrote.

            It was found among her papers in her own handwriting, with corrections as she had made them, ere laying down her pen. Before presenting her life story it makes a fitting Autobiography in Allegory of Annie Johnson Flint.

BUT JOY!

BUT JOY!

In this life are many hard challenges. Whether you are saved by the blood of Jesus or whether you are not. BUT, when you have the LORD He is always there to bring you through and with a blessing. JOY cometh! 

While in the middle of a trial it may be hard at times to be joyful. But God's word tells us...JOY cometh. We may not be able to see the purpose of the fiery trial that has been laid upon us, but God has a purpose and if we keep our eyes on the Lord and stay encourage knowing that "ALL THINGS work together for good" then as sure as the night came the sun will also rise! 

Isaiah 35:10

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting JOY upon their heads: they shall obtain JOY and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Weeping may endure for the night BUT JOY cometh in the morning! 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.

Horatius Bonar, faithful Scottish pastor,1846.

Is ANYTHING to hard for GOD?

Good morning! Today I thought I would write about how BIG our God is! The question, Is ANYTHING to HARD for GOD? I say NO! Not ANYTHING! 
Our God, who created heaven and Earth.

He commands the winds and the rains.

He freed His people from the hand of Pharaoh.

 He flooded the ENTIRE earth,

 but saved those who where righteous. 

He parted the Red Sea to make a way for His people to cross.

 He dried up the River Jordan for His people to "go and posses the land".

 He made the walls of Jericho fall!

 I say it again, Is there ANYTHING to hard for God? 

The Word tells us that by Faith, with God we are able to do anything, according to God's will. FAITH is believing! To have faith we must BELIEVE.


Hebrews 11: But without FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him: for He that cometh to GOD must BELIEVE that he IS, and that he is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him.


The word of God say's that if we ask anything according to HIS will it SHALL be done! The real question is DO you have Faith and do you Believe GOD?

God is asking...

Jeremiah 32:27

Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Genesis 18:14

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

I say NO! There is nothing to hard for GOD! 

Hallelujah! He is RISEN!!!

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

But these are written, that ye MIGHT BELIEVE that JESUS is the CHRIST, the SON of GOD; and that BELIEVING ye might have LIFE through his name.

~THANK THE LORD~