Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 20th) Perfect Willingness Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power — Psalm 110:3 Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes, and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent, and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will, and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master-key which He alone can handle. Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellow-men! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of thy power? I am wholly at thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of thee for thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not," but give me power as thou givest me will. #faith #bible #christian

New article in the local paper by my pastor: Objective reality confirmed as God's creation. "In the first line of the book, we find out that God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. It’s a pretty big book, and a lot of stuff follows that. None of it could happen, though, if that first bit didn’t. The Bible unfolds in actual time and history. The reality it describes is the objective one we live in. God created the heavens and earth. This is not an illusion. Without that truth, all bets are off. You are reading these words with your eyes. But are you really? How can you be sure that you’re not a brain in a vat somewhere, hooked up to a machine that feeds you stimuli and makes it all seem real? Maybe the lifetime of memories you have is really just a large computer file dumped into your head. The suggestion that our so-called reality is merely a sophisticated computer program being run by advanced aliens is becoming more popular. This notion is entertained even by the ones we call our leading lights: scientists, physicists, computer programmers, etc. I knew a man in the Navy who believed the world he experienced, including all the people in it, were creations of his own mind. If he shut the door to a room behind him, that room ceased to exist until he opened the door again. I asked him why his brain persisted in creating me as a character in his life who kept pointing him to Jesus. He admitted that was puzzling. He eventually descended into hopelessness, and nice people in white coats took him away to a quiet place, where they could keep him from harming himself. In popular culture, this exaltation of the subjective over the objective is working mayhem. I saw a mother threatening to sue a school system for not confirming and accommodating her son’s opinion that he was a cat, not a human. This is more than simply narcissism run amok. This is a religion. It gains disciples every day, and these disciples, once converted, become (each one of them) the one, true god of their own world. They define their reality, and everyone else must bow. But Genesis 1:1 still informs us that God made everything. Later, this is emphasized repeatedly, adding that all things were created not just by him, but for him. Reality is real because God says it is. Apart from that, your feet are planted firmly in mid-air. Additionally, the God who makes things real has fixed a real day on which he will judge the actions of all his free, moral creatures. He has established a law, a rule of righteousness that is firmer than the world itself. He offers forgiveness now, in advance of that day, through Jesus the Christ; a real man who walked the real streets of the actual Jerusalem some 2,000 real years ago. He’s given proof of this by raising him from the dead. Come back from your dream-world, in which you are the center, the top, the head of all things, and live in reality under the gracious rule of the God who is here." Gordan Runyan is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Tucumcari. Contact him at: reformnm@yahoo.com #faith #bible #christian

What do you believe about the victory of Christ in history? Is everything going to get worse and worse before He returns? "The good news of the kingdom is that Christ will be triumphant within human history before his second advent. God will use the Church to spread the gospel and to disciple all nations. This means that the work we as Christians do on earth matters tremendously because our labor plays a part in the growth of the kingdom." https://www.recontavern.com/postmil-eschatology/ #faith #bible #christian #datpostmil

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 19th) The Reason for Singing The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing — Zephaniah 3:17 What a word is this! Jehovah God in the center of His people in all the majesty of His power! This presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope. Treasures of boundless might are stored in our Jehovah, and He dwells in His church, therefore may His people shout for joy. We not only have His presence, but He is engaged upon His choice work of salvation. "He will save." He is always saving: He takes His name of Jesus from it. Let us not fear any danger, for He is mighty to save. Nor is this all. He abides evermore the same; He loves, He finds rest in loving, He will not cease to love. His love gives Him joy. He even finds a theme for song in His beloved. This is exceedingly wonderful. When God wrought creation He did not sing, but simply said, "It is very good"; but when He came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt a joy to be expressed in song. Think of it, and be astonished! Jehovah Jesus sings a marriage song over His chosen bride. She is to Him His love, His joy, His rest, His song. O Lord Jesus, by thine immeasurable love to us teach us to love thee, to rejoice in thee, and to sing unto thee our life-psalm. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 18th) Complete Safety And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders — Deuteronomy 33:12 Yes, there is no safety like that which comes of dwelling near to God. For His best beloved the Lord can find no surer or safer place. O Lord, let me always abide under thy shadow, close to thy wounded side. Nearer and nearer would I come to thee, my Lord; and when once specially near thee, I would abide there for ever. What a covering is that which the Lord gives to His chosen! Not a fair roof shall cover him, nor a bombproof casement, nor even an angel's wing, but Jehovah Himself. Nothing can come at us when we are thus covered. This covering the Lord will grant us all the day long, however long the day. Lord, let me abide this day consciously beneath this canopy of love, this pavilion of sovereign power. Does the third clause mean that the Lord in His temple would dwell among the mountains of Benjamin, or that the Lord would be where Benjamin's burden should be placed, or does it mean that we are borne upon the shoulders of the Eternal? In any case, the Lord is the support and strength of His saints. Lord, let me ever enjoy thy help and then my arms will be sufficient for me. #faith #bible #christian

“It is difficult for a child to find a father in God, unless the child first finds something of God in his father.” --Robert Ingersoll #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 17th) Like Palm and Cedar The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon — Psalm 92:12 These trees are not trained and pruned by man: palms and cedars are "trees of the Lord," and it is by His care that they flourish; even so it is with the saints of the Lord, they are His own care. These trees are evergreen and are beautiful objects at all seasons of the year. Believers are not sometimes holy and sometimes ungodly: they stand in the beauty of the Lord under all weathers. Everywhere these trees are noteworthy: no one can gaze upon a landscape in which there are either palms or cedars without his attention being fixed upon these royal growths. The followers of Jesus are the observed of all observers: like a city set on a hill they cannot be hid. The child of God flourishes like a palm tree, which pushes all its strength upward in one erect column without a single branch. It is a pillar with a glorious capital. It has no growth to the right or to the left, but sends all its force heavenward, and bears its fruit as near the sky as possible. Lord, fulfill this type in me. The cedar braves all storms, and grows near the eternal snows, the Lord Himself filling it with a sap which keeps its heart warm and its boughs strong. Lord, so let it be with me, I pray thee. Amen. #faith #bible #christian

I added a camera to my chicken coop so I can see when there's eggs ready for pickup. These girls won't be laying for a few more months but I'm ready. #backyardchickens #chickens

Cool 3D model of Herod's Temple at the time of Christ #faith #bible #christian

To remember injuries, to retain a sense of wrongs, to watch for opportunities of revenge, to hate and be maliciously perverse, is to represent the image of the 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 unto the world in its proper colors. —John Owen #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 16th) Reward is Certain And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward — Matthew 10:42 Well, I can do as much as that. I can do a kind act toward the Lord's servant. The Lord knows I love them all, and would count it an honor to wash their feet. For the sake of their Master I love the disciples. How gracious of the Lord to mention so insignificant an action - "to give to drink a cup of cold water only"! This I can do, however poor: this I may do, however lowly: this I will do right cheerfully. This, which seems so little, the Lord notices - notices when done to the least of His followers. Evidently it is not the cost, nor the skill, nor the quantity, that He looks at, but the motive: that which we do to a disciple, because he is a disciple, his Lord observes, and recompenses. He does not reward us for the merit of what we do, but according to the riches of His grace. I give a cup of cold water, and He makes me to drink of living water. I give to one of His little ones, and He treats me as one of them. Jesus finds an apology for His liberality in that which His grace has led me to do, and He says, "He shall in no wise lose his reward." #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 15th) The Safest Shelter And a man shall be as an hiding-place from the wind and a covert from the tempest. — Isaiah 32:2 Who this MAN is we all know. Who could He be but the Second Man, the Lord from Heaven, the Man of sorrows, the Son of Man? What a hiding-place He has been to His people! He bears the full force of the wind Himself, and so He shelters those who hide themselves in Him. We have thus escaped the wrath of God, and we shall thus escape the anger of men, the cares of this life, and the dread of death. Why do we stand in the wind when we may so readily and so surely get out of it by hiding behind our Lord? Let us this day run to Him, and be at peace. Often the common wind of trouble rises in its force and becomes a tempest, sweeping everything before it. Things which looked firm and stable rock in the blast, and many and great are the falls among our carnal confidences. Our Lord Jesus, the glorious Man, is a covert which is never blown down. In Him we mark the tempest sweeping by, but we ourselves rest in delightful serenity. This day let us just stow ourselves away in our hiding-place, and sit and sing under the protection of our Covert. Blessed Jesus! Blessed Jesus! How we love thee! Well we may, for thou art to us a shelter in the time of storm. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 14th) Mark of Divine Approval Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him — James 1:12 Yes, he is blessed while he is enduring the trial. No eye can see this till it has been anointed with heavenly eye-salve. But he must endure it, and neither rebel against God, nor turn aside from his integrity. He is blessed who has gone through the fire, and has not been consumed as a counterfeit. When the test is over, then comes the hallmark of divine approval - "the crown of life." As if the Lord said, "Let him live; he has been weighed in the balances, and he is not found wanting." Life is the reward: not mere being; but holy, happy, true existence, the realization of the divine purpose concerning us. Already a higher form of spiritual life and enjoyment crowns those who have safely passed through fiercest trials of faith and love. The Lord hath promised the crown of life to those who love Him. Only lovers of the Lord will hold out in the hour of trial; the rest will either sink or sulk, or slink back to the world. Come, my heart, dost thou love thy Lord? Truly? Deeply? Wholly? Then that love will be tried; but many waters will not quench it, neither will the floods drown it. Lord, let thy love nourish mine to the end. #faith #bible #christian

Psalm 37 Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward doers of unrighteousness. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.  Trust in Yahweh and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.  Delight yourself in Yahweh; and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to Yahweh, Trust in Him, and He will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.  Be still in Yahweh and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out schemes of wickedness.  Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.  For evildoers will be cut off, But those who hope for Yahweh, they will inherit the land.  Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; You will look carefully at his place, and he will not be there. But the lowly will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant peace.  The wicked schemes against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.  The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct.  Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.  Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.  For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But Yahweh sustains the righteous.  Yahweh knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will be satisfied.  But the wicked will perish; and the enemies of Yahweh will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish—in smoke they vanish away.  The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives. For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off.  The footsteps of a man are established by Yahweh, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because Yahweh is the One who sustains his hand.  I was young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his seed begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his seed is a blessing.  Depart from evil and do good, so you will dwell forever.  For Yahweh loves justice And will not forsake His holy ones; They are kept forever, But the seed of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever.  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice.  The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.  The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to put him to death. Yahweh will not forsake him in his hand; He will not condemn him when he is judged.  Hope for Yahweh and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. Then he passed away, and behold, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found.  Observe the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.  But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh; He is their strength in time of distress. Yahweh helps them and protects them; He protects them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.  #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 13th) The Dew of Heaven His heavens shall drop down dew — Deuteronomy 33:28 What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life, and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable. What a promise is this for me! "His heavens shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco of Satanic temptation. Oh, that I may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the Lord! Why should I not? He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow, will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the Lord who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 12th) What of My House? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house — Acts 16:31 This gospel for a man with a sword at his throat is the gospel for me. This would suit me if I were dying, and it is all that I need while I am living. I look away from self, and sin, and all idea of personal merit, and I trust the Lord Jesus as the Saviour whom God has given. I believe in Him, I rest on Him, I accept Him to be my all in all. Lord, I am saved, and I shall be saved to all eternity, for I believe in Jesus. Blessed be thy name for this. May I daily prove by my life that I am saved from selfishness, and worldliness, and every form of evil. But those last words about my "house": Lord, I would not run away with half a promise when thou dost give a whole one. I beseech thee, save all my family. Save the nearest and dearest. Convert the children, and the grandchildren, if I have any. Be gracious to my servants, and all who dwell under my roof, or work for me. Thou makest this promise to me personally if I believe in the Lord Jesus; I beseech thee to do as thou hast said. I would go over in my prayer every day the names of all my brothers and sisters, parents, children, friends, relatives, servants, and give thee no rest till that word is fulfilled, "and thy house." #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 11th) Sufferers Make Strong Believers It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth — Lamentations 3:27 This is as good as a promise. It has been good, it is good, and it will be good for me to bear the yoke. Early in life I had to feel the weight of conviction, and ever since it has proved a soul-enriching burden. Should I have loved the gospel so well had I not learned by deep experience the need of salvation by grace? Jabez was more honorable than his brethren because his mother bare him with sorrow, and those who suffer much in being born unto God make strong believers in sovereign grace. The yoke of censure is an irksome one, but it prepares a man for future honor. He is not fit to be a leader who has not run the gauntlet of contempt. Praise intoxicates if it be not preceded by abuse. Men who rise to eminence without a struggle usually fall into dishonor. The yoke of affliction, disappointment, and excessive labor is by no means to be sought for; but when the Lord lays it on us in our youth it frequently develops a character which glorifies God and blesses the Church. Come, my soul, bow thy neck; take up thy cross. It was good for thee when young, it will not harm thee now. For Jesus' sake, shoulder it cheerfully. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (September 8th) Broken and Smoking A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench — Isaiah 42:3 Then I may reckon upon tender treatment from my Lord. Indeed, I feel myself to be at best as weak, as pliant, as worthless as a reed. Someone said, "I don't care a rush for you," and the speech, though unkind, was not untrue. Alas! I am worse than a reed when it grows by the river, for that at least can hold up its head. I am bruised, sorely, sadly bruised. There is no music in me now; there is a rift which lets out all the melody. Ah, me! Yet Jesus will not break me; and if he will not, then I mind little what others try to do. O sweet and compassionate Lord, I nestle down beneath thy protection, and forget my bruises! Truly I am also fit to be likened to "the smoking flax," whose light is gone, and only its smoke remains. I fear I am rather a nuisance than a benefit. My fears tell me that the devil has blown out my light, and left me an obnoxious smoke, and that my Lord will soon put an extinguisher upon me. Yet I perceive that though there were snuffers under the law, there were no extinguishers; and Jesus will not quench me; therefore, I am hopeful. Lord, kindle me anew, and cause me to shine forth to thy glory, and to the extolling of thy tenderness. #faith #bible #christian

Does anyone have resources for giving a local talk on bitcoin for interested folks at my church? Specifically looking for handouts or outlines to work from. Thanks in advance!

New coop is up! Old coop is destroyed. #backyardchickens