Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 9th) Necessary Knowledge Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God — Ezekiel 34:30 To be the Lord's own people is a choice blessing, but to know that we are such is a comfortable blessing. It is one thing to hope that God is with us, and another thing to know that He is so. Faith saves us, but assurance satisfies us. We take God to be our God when we believe in Him; but we get the joy of Him when we know that He is ours, and that we are His. No believer should be content with hoping and trusting, he should ask the Lord to lead him on to full assurance, so that matters of hope may become matters of certainty. It is when we enjoy covenant blessings, and see our Lord Jesus raised up for us as a plant of renown, that we come to a clear knowledge of the favor of God toward us. Not by law, but by grace, do we learn that we are the Lord's people. Let us always turn our eyes in the direction of free grace. Assurance of faith can never come by the works of the law. It is an evangelical virtue, and can only reach us in a gospel way. Let us not look within. Let us look to the Lord alone. As we see Jesus we shall see our salvation. Lord, send us such a flood-tide of thy love that we shall be washed beyond the mire of doubt and fear. #faith #bible #christian

Your sins may provoke Christ to frown upon you, they may provoke Him to greatly correct you, but they shall never provoke Christ to give you a bill of divorce. —Puritan Thomas Brooks #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 8th) The Magnitude of Grace My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness — 2 Corinthians 12:9 Our weakness should be prized as making room for divine strength. We might never have known the power of grace if we had not felt the weakness of nature. Blessed be the Lord for the thorn in the flesh, and the messenger of Satan, when they drive us to the strength of God. This is a precious word from our Lord's own lip. It has made the writer laugh for joy. God's grace enough for me! I should think it is. Is not the sky enough for the bird, and the ocean enough for the fish? The All-Sufficient is sufficient for my largest want. He who is sufficient for earth and Heaven is certainly able to meet the case of one poor worm like me. Let us, then, fall back upon our God and His grace. If He does not remove our grief He will enable us to bear it. His strength shall be poured into us till the worm shall thresh the mountains; and a nothing shall be victor over all the high and mighty ones. It is better for us to have God's strength than our own; for if we were a thousand times as strong as we are, it would all amount to nothing in the face of the enemy; and if we could be weaker than we are, which is scarcely possible, yet we could do all things through Christ. #faith #bible #christian #biblestr #christianity

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 7th) True Humility Rewarded He that humbleth himself shall be exalted — Luke 18:14 It ought not to be difficult for us to humble ourselves, for what have we to be proud of? We ought to take the lowest place without being told to do so. If we are sensible and honest we shall be little in our own eyes. Especially before the Lord in prayer we shall shrink to nothing. There we cannot speak of merit, for we have none: our one and only appeal must be to mercy: "God be merciful to me a sinner." Here is a cheering word from the throne. We shall be exalted by the Lord if we humble ourselves. For us the way upward is downhill. When we are stripped of self we are clothed with humility, and this is the best of wear. The Lord will exalt us in peace and happiness of mind; He will exalt us into knowledge of His Word and fellowship with Himself; He will exalt us in the enjoyment of sure pardon and justification. The Lord puts His honors upon those who can wear them to the honor of the Giver. He gives usefulness, acceptance, and influence to those who will not be puffed up by them, but will be abased by a sense of greater responsibility. Neither God nor man will care to lift up a man who lifts up himself; but both God and good men unite to honor modest worth. O Lord, sink me in self that I may rise in thee. #faith #bible #christian

“Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God but believe in the sovereignty of man.” — R. C. Sproul #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 6th) Delight and Desires Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart — Psalm 37:4 Delight in God has a transforming power, and lifts a man above the gross desires of our fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till the longings of the heart become such that the Lord can safely promise to fulfill them. Is not that a grand delight which moulds our desires till they are like the desires of God? Our foolish way is to desire, and then set to work to compass what we desire. We do not go to work in God's way, which is to seek Him first, and then expect all things to be added unto us. If we will let our heart be filled with God till it runs over with delight, then the Lord Himself will take care that we shall not want any good thing. Instead of going abroad for joys let us stay at home with God, and drink waters out of our own fountain. He can do for us far more than all our friends. It is better to be content with God alone than to go about fretting and pining for the paltry trifles of time and sense. For a while we may have disappointments; but if these bring us nearer to the Lord, they are things to be prized exceedingly, for they will in the end secure to us the fulfillment of all our right desires. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 3rd) In God's Time For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry — Habakkuk 2:3 Mercy may seem slow, but it is sure. The Lord in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of His gracious power, and God's time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessing excites our desire, and hastens our longings; but the Lord will keep His appointments. He never is before His time; He never is behind. God's word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak, and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfillment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God's train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the Lord. No promise of His shall fail; "it will not lie." No promise of His will be lost in silence; "it shall speak." What comfort it will speak to the believing ear! No promise of His shall need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid on the day in which it fell due - "it will not tarry." Come, my soul, canst thou not wait for thy God? Rest in Him and be still in unutterable peacefulness. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 2nd) Heavenly Wealth No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly — Psalm 84:11 Many pleasing things the Lord may withhold, but "no good thing." He is the best judge of what is good for us. Some things are assuredly good, and these we may have for the asking through Jesus Christ our Lord. Holiness is a good thing, and this He will work in us freely. Victory over evil tendencies, strong tempers, and evil habits, He will gladly grant, and we ought not to remain without it. Full assurance He will bestow, and near communion with Himself, and access into all truth, and boldness with prevalence at the mercy seat. If we have not these, it is from want of faith to receive, and not from any unwillingness of God to give. A calm, a heavenly frame, great patience, and fervent love - all these will He give to holy diligence. But note well that we must "walk uprightly." There must be no cross purposes and crooked dealings; no hypocrisy nor deceit. If we walk foully God cannot give us favors, for that would be a premium upon sin. The way of uprightness is the way of heavenly wealth - wealth so large as to include every good thing. What a promise to plead in prayer! Let us get to our knees. #faith #bible #christian

New article in the local paper by my pastor: Psalm 2 calls us to be on right side. "The second psalm is an amazing song of victory. God triumphs over his enemies and spoils the plans of the kings of the world. He does this primarily by installing the Messiah as his king, over all the rest of them, and by promising the whole earth as the Messiah’s possession. This psalm is quoted in the New Testament, including by Jesus, as an explanation for the suffering and resurrection of Christ, and as a promise of enduring, future victory over evil for the people of God. Jesus is the star of the show in this song. However, you’ve never heard any believer anywhere say that Psalm 2 is his favorite. It doesn’t make us happy. Nobody’s hollering over the second psalm. Christians don’t cling to it; memorize it; or, walk at all in its clear tones of victory. I’ve spent some time wondering why that is. I’m convinced there are a few “turn offs” for evangelical believers here, but only have time to discuss the first one. Psalm 2 opens with the rulers of the world conspiring together to get rid of God and God’s anointed one, the Messiah. In verse 3, their stated desire is: “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” These conspirators join forces to escape the rule of God. Bonds and cords signify the law of God, with its commandments and moral demands, with its warnings that the wicked will be judged and punished. Wicked people feel the law of God as bonds and cords. Chains and shackles. God promises prosperity, peace, and abundance to those who keep his commandments; but sinners convince themselves that real freedom is found in breaking through all the boundaries. As with the packs of elk we see outside of town, a fence-line is something to be gracefully hopped over, and nothing more. Freedom means only following your own desires. The trouble is that modern evangelicals view the law of God in basically the same way as the conspirators. They have convinced themselves that Christ came to loosen up all the rules for us. When they hear the good news, that Jesus sets us free from the curse of the law, they jump to believing that the law itself is that curse. Having a law at all is the bad thing we need to be delivered from. So, in a song of victory that is only 12 verses long, modern church people find themselves in some amount of agreement with the bad guys starting at verse 3. They too desire freedom from the chains. This was not, however, Christ’s attitude toward the law of God, nor that of the New Testament writers. The curse of the law, which is very real, and from which we do need deliverance, is not that the law exists in the first place. It’s that those who fail to keep it are in terrible trouble. The requirements are good and holy. My failure to meet up to them is why I need a savior. Once we’re clear about what side we’re on, the second psalm is suddenly much better news." Gordan Runyan is pastor of Tucumcari’s Immanuel Baptist Church and author of “Radical Moses: The Amazing Civil Freedom Built into Ancient Israel.” Contact him at: reformnm@yahoo.com https://www.qcsunonline.com/story/2023/11/01/opinion/psalm-2-calls-us-to-be-on-right-side/25279.html #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (November 1st) Perfection and Preservation Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it — 1 Thessalonians 5:24 What will He do? He will sanctify us wholly. See the previous verse. He will carry on the work of purification till we are perfect in every part. He will preserve our "whole spirit, and soul, and body, blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." He will not allow us to fall from grace, nor come under the dominion of sin. What great favors are these! Well may we adore the giver of such unspeakable gifts. Who will do this? The Lord who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, out of death in sin into eternal life in Christ Jesus. Only He can do this: such perfection and preservation can only come from the God of all grace. Why will He do it? Because He is "faithful" - faithful to His own promise which is pledged to save the believer; faithful to His Son, whose reward it is that His people shall be presented to Him faultless; faithful to the work which He has commenced in us by our effectual calling. It is not their own faithfulness, but the Lord's own faithfulness, on which the saints rely. Come, my soul, here is a grand feast to begin a dull month with. There may be fogs without, but there should be sunshine within. #faith #bible #christian

"The tragedy of our day is that we have reduced our understanding of the Gospel to merely a message of justification by faith. The Gospel is surely not less than sinners being given peace with God, but it is about far more than just personal forgiveness. The Gospel is the Good News of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23). The problem with modern evangelicalism in the West is that many would not be able to tell you why the Reign of God on earth is Good News. When Jesus announced that the time was fulfilled and that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, the call was to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:15). The King had come, and heaven had invaded earth when the Second Person of the Trinity entered his own fallen creation. The question remains: Why is the Kingdom Good News? Because God is doing more than just taking sinners to heaven with him one day. The Messiah's rule entails the reconciliation, renewal, and restoration of all things to God in Christ Jesus. It is about the salvation of the entire fallen cosmos, not just the salvation of individual sinners (Colossians 1:15-20). God's means of accomplishing this mission is the Church, his blood bought, Spirit empowered people. They are called out and sent forth into the world with His message and authority to bring all things into subjection to Christ. This world is not a throwaway. God is zealous to right every wrong and overturn the effects of sin's curse as far as they are found. Eternal life is not only a future prospect but a present reality. We are new creatures in Christ, and God is partnering with us to advance His Kingdom in every area of life until the world is subdued by his power. Jesus is Lord. The nations and the ends of the earth are his inheritance. God will redeem his people, and he will establish justice in the earth. That's Good News worth proclaiming." --Jeff Durbin #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 30th) Thorough Cleansing Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you — Ezekiel 36:25 What an exceeding joy is this! He who has purified us with the blood of Jesus will also cleanse us by the water of the Holy Spirit. God hath said it, and so it must be, "Ye shall be clean." Lord, we feel and mourn our uncleanness, and it is cheering to be assured by thine own mouth that we shall be clean. Oh, that thou wouldst make a speedy work of it! He will deliver us from our worst sins. The uprisings of unbelief, and the deceitful lusts which war against the soul, the vile thoughts of pride, and the suggestions of Satan to blaspheme the sacred name - all these shall be so purged away as never to return. He will also cleanse us from all our idols, whether of gold or of clay: our impure loves, and our excessive love of that which in itself is pure. That which we have idolized shall either be broken from us, or we shall be broken off from it. It is God who speaks of what He Himself will do. Therefore is this word established and sure, and we may boldly look for that which it guarantees to us. Cleansing is a covenant blessing, and the covenant is ordered in all things and sure. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 29th) Maintain the Difference And I will put a division between my people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be — Exodus 8:23 Pharoah has a people, and the Lord has a people. These may dwell together, and seem to fare alike, but there is a division between them, and the Lord will make it apparent. Not for ever shall one event happen alike to all, but there shall be great difference between the men of the world and the people of Jehovah's choice. This may happen in the time of judgments, when the Lord becomes the sanctuary of His saints. It is very conspicuous in the conversion of believers when their sin is put away, while unbelievers remain under condemnation. From that moment they become a distinct race, come under a new discipline, and enjoy new blessings. Their homes, henceforth, are free from the grievous swarms of evils which defile and torment the Egyptians. They are kept from the pollution of lust, the bite of care, the corruption of falsehood, and the cruel torment of hatred, which devour many families. Rest assured, tried believer, that though you have your troubles you are saved from swarms of worse ones, which infest the homes and hearts of the servants of the world's Prince. The Lord has put a division; see to it that you keep up the division in spirit, aim, character and company. #faith #bible #christian

"The goal of the gospel is not to transport disembodied souls to heaven but to redeem man in his totality and all creation from sin and its effects." --P. Andrew Sandlin #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 28th) Sins of Ignorance And it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance — Numbers 15:25 Because of our ignorance we are not fully aware of our sins of ignorance. Yet we may be sure they are many, in the form both of commission and omission. We may be doing in all sincerity, as a service to God, that which He has never commanded, and can never accept. The Lord knows these sins of ignorance every one. This may well alarm us, since in justice He will require these trespasses at our hand; but on the other hand, faith spies comfort in this fact, for the Lord will see to it that stains unseen by us shall yet be washed away. He sees the sin that He may cease to see it by casting it behind His back. Our great comfort is that Jesus, the true priest, has made atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel. That atonement secures the pardon of unknown sins. His precious blood cleanses us from all sin. Whether our eyes have seen it and wept over it, or not, God has seen it, Christ has atoned for it, the Spirit bears witness to the pardon of it, and so we have a three-fold peace. O my Father, I praise thy divine knowledge, which not only perceives my iniquities, but provides an atonement which delivers me from the guilt of them, even before I know that I am guilty. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 27th) His Service, Face, Name His servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads — Revelation 22:3-4 Three choice blessings will be ours in the glory land. "His servants shall serve him." No other lords shall oppress us, no other service shall distress us. We shall serve Jesus always, perfectly, without weariness, and without error. This is Heaven to a saint: in all things to serve the Lord Christ, and to be owned by Him as His servant is our soul's high ambition for eternity. "And they shall see his face." This makes the service delightful: indeed, it is the present reward of service. We shall know our Lord, for we shall see Him as He is. To see the face of Jesus is the utmost favor that the most faithful servant of the Lord can ask. What more could Moses ask than - "Let me see thy face"? "And his name shall be in their foreheads." They gaze upon their Lord till His name is photographed upon their brows. They are acknowledged by Him, and they acknowledge Him. The secret mark of inward grace develops into the public sign-manual of confessed relationship. O Lord, give us these three things in their beginnings here, that we may possess them in their fullness in thine own abode of bliss! #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 26th) Because of Us For the elect's sake those days be shortened — Matthew 24:22 For the sake of His elect the Lord withholds many judgments, and shortens others. In great tribulations the fire would devour all were it not that out of regard to His elect the Lord damps the flame. Thus, while He saves His elect for the sake of Jesus, He also preserves the race for the sake of His chosen. What an honor is thus put upon saints! How diligently they ought to use their influence with their Lord! He will hear their prayers for sinners, and bless their efforts for their salvation. He blesses believers that they may be a blessing to those who are in unbelief. Many a sinner lives because of the prayers of a mother, or wife, or daughter, to whom the Lord has respect. Have we used aright the singular power with which the Lord entrusts us? Do we pray for our country, for other lands, and for the age? Do we, in times of war, famine, pestilence, stand out as intercessors, pleading that the days may be shortened? Do we lament before God the outbursts of infidelity, error, and licentiousness? Do we beseech our Lord Jesus to shorten the reign of sin by hastening His own glorious appearing? Let us get to our knees, and never rest till Christ appeareth. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 25th) God First, Then Extras But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you — Matthew 6:33 See how the Bible opens: "In the beginning God." Let your life open in the same way. Seek with your whole soul, first and foremost, the kingdom of God, as the place of your citizenship, and His righteousness as the character of your life. As for the rest, it will come from the Lord Himself without your being anxious concerning it. All that is needful for this life and godliness "shall be added unto you." What a promise this is! Food, raiment, home, and so forth, God undertakes to add to you while you seek Him. You mind His business, and He will mind yours. If you want paper and string, you get them given in when you buy more important goods; and just so all that we need of earthly things we shall have thrown in with the kingdom. He who is an heir of salvation shall not die of starvation; and he who clothes his soul with the righteousness of God cannot be left of the Lord with a naked body. Away with carking care. Set all your mind upon seeking the Lord. Covetousness is poverty, and anxiety is misery: trust in God is an estate, and likeness to God is a heavenly inheritance. Lord, I seek thee, be found of me. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 24th) Godly Stability And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord — Jeremiah 15:20 Stability in the fear and faith of God will make a man like a wall of brass, which no one can batter down or break. Only the Lord can make such; but we need such men in the church, and in the world, but specially in the pulpit. Against uncompromising men of truth this age of shams will fight tooth and nail. Nothing seems to offend Satan and his seed like decision. They attack holy firmness even as the Assyrians besieged fenced cities. The joy is that they cannot prevail against those whom God has made strong in His strength. Carried about with every wind of doctrine, others only need to be blown upon, and away they go; but those who love the doctrines of grace, because they possess the grace of the doctrines, stand like rocks in the midst of raging seas. Whence this stability? "I am with thee, saith the Lord": that is the true answer. Jehovah will save and deliver faithful souls from all the assaults of the adversary. Hosts are against us, but the Lord of hosts is with us. We dare not budge an inch; for the Lord Himself holds us in our place, and there we will abide for ever. #faith #bible #christian

Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (October 22nd) Plead His Own Promise Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever — 2 Samuel 7:29 This is a promise pleaded, and so it yields double instruction to us. Anything which the Lord God has spoken we should receive as surely true, and then plead it at the throne. Oh, how sweet to quote what our own God has spoken! How precious to use a "therefore" which the promise suggests, as David does in this verse! We do not pray because we doubt, but because we believe. To pray unbelievingly is unbecoming in the Lord's children. No, Lord, we cannot doubt thee: we are persuaded that every word of thine is a sure foundation for the boldest expectation. We come to thee and say, "Do as thou hast said." Bless thy servants house. Heal our sick; save our hesitating ones; restore those who wander; confirm those who live in thy fear. Lord, give us food and raiment according to thy word. Prosper our undertakings; especially succeed our endeavors to make known thy gospel in our neighborhood. Make our servants thy servants, our children thy children. Let the blessing flow on to future generations, and as long as any of our race remains on earth may they remain true to thee. O Lord God "let the house of thy servant be blessed." #faith #bible #christian