Author Archives: Rev. Dr. David Bissett

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About Rev. Dr. David Bissett

I pastor a church in upstate NY. I'm happily married and the father of seven kids. It's fun, really! Leave me some feedback...

Does the Great Shepherd guide you?

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From J.C. Ryle’s comments while teaching on Mark 7 — 

Let us remember this as we look forward to the days yet to come: We know not what our days may be – bright or dark, many or few – but we know that we are in the hands of Him who does all things well. He will not err in any of His dealings with us. He will take away and give – He will move and He will settle – with perfect wisdom, at the right time, in the right way. The great Shepherd of the sheep makes no mistakes. He leads every lamb of His flock by the right way to the city of habitation.

~ J.C. Ryle

From his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (Banner of Truth).

“A Worse Kind of Blind”

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Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:3 esv)

John Knight writes the following today at the Desiring God blog —

The Bible is full of references to disease and disability — more than 350 verses in 40 of the 66 books.

Some references to disability are metaphors for something else. For example, Paul writes to the Corinthians:

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

“Blinded the minds” is obviously pointing to something other than a lack of physical sight. This is a devastating blindness. Are we stunned by this? Paul is not just playing with words to get people’s attention. He is talking about a literal blindness far worse than not being able to see in this physical world.

Pastor John writes:

The glory of God is the beautiful brightness of God. There is no greater brightness. Nothing in the universe, nor in the imagination of any man or angel, is brighter than the brightness of God. This makes the blindness of 2 Corinthians 4:4 shocking in its effect.

Calvin says it with the kind of amazement it deserves: “They do not see the midday sun.” That is how plain the glory of God is in the gospel.

When God declares the omnipotent word of creation and “[shines] in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” the curtains are pulled back in the window of our Alpine chalet, and the morning sun, reflected off the Alps of Christ, fills the room with glory. (God Is the Gospel, 74, paragraphing mine)


And we were blind to this glory. Many are still blind like this. Nothing could be worse.

If you see the glory of Christ, you have been given the best sight of all — regardless of whether your physical eyes work or not. Praise him. This is amazing. And if you have not seen him yet, look to him today. Look to Jesus and behold all that God is for you in him.

~ John Knight from the Desiring God blog