C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Highest Proof Of Christ’s Power

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

I take it that the highest proof of Christ’s power is not that he offers salvation, not that he bids you take it if you will, but that when you reject it, when you hate it, when you despise it, he has a power whereby he can change your mind, make you think differently from your former thoughts, and turn you from the error of your ways.
C.H. Spurgeon

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Friends, But Not Friends With Error

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

We are one in Christ; let us be friends with one another; but let us never be friends with one another’s error. If I be wrong, rebuke me sternly; I can bear it, and bear it cheerfully; and if ye be wrong, expect the like measure from me, and neither peace nor parley with your mistakes.
C.H. Spurgeon

How to pray in our own Gethsemanes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


(J.R. Miller)

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly" Luke 22:44

This is the record of our Savior's Gethsemane experience. Like a bright lamp, this Scripture shines amid the olive trees of that garden--to show us the path to comfort in our time of sorrow. Never before nor since, has there been such grief as the Redeemer's that night---but He found comfort in His prayer. His agony lessened as He prayed, until at last its bitterness was all gone--and sweet, blessed peace took its place.

The 'gate of prayer' is one of comfort. There is no other place for true comfort and help. We learn from our Lord's Gethsemane agony--how to pray in our own Gethsemanes.

God never blames us for asking to have the bitter cup removed, nor for the intensity of our prayers; but we must always pray with submission to His will. When we sincerely pray, "Not my will, but thine, be done"--comfort comes, and then peace.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Trials and Pain: Underneath Are the Everlasting Arms

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The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He
will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, "Destroy!"
KJV 
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. —Deuteronomy 33:27

Surely Bible-reading Christians should be the last persons on earth to give
way to hysteria. They are redeemed from their past offenses, kept in their
present circumstances by the power of an all-powerful God, and their future is
safe in His hands. God has promised to support them in the flood, protect them
in the fire, feed them in famine, shield them against their enemies, hide them
in His safe chambers until the indignation is past and receive them at last
into eternal tabernacles.

If we are called upon to suffer, we may be perfectly sure that we shall be
rewarded for every pain and blessed for every tear. Underneath will be the
Everlasting Arms and within will be the deep assurance that all is well with
our souls. Nothing can separate us from the love of God-not death, nor life,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature.

This is a big old world, and it is full of the habitations of darkness, but
nowhere in its vast expanse is there one thing of which a real Christian need
be afraid. Surely a fear-ridden Christian has never examined his or her
defenses. (This World: Playground or Battleground? pp. 7-8)

"Lord, I'll go today in the power of these awesome promises. I'll rest in
these strong assurances. I'll face this 'big old world' and its 'habitations
of darkness' in complete peace as I trust You completely today. Amen."

The shadow!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(J.R. Miller)

"What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" Job 2:10

Shall we trust our Father only when our lives are filled with pleasant things--and then not trust Him also when a shadow falls over our hearts? Do you think that God is good--only when He makes all things please you?

Our call is to trust God at all times--whether good or bad. For even if sorrow should enter our home, He is able, even in the midst of sorrow, to make our home-life sweeter, purer, and more Christ-like. If we trust in God, then the shadow will be as rich a blessing to us as the light; and the sorrow will be steps upward, on which our feet may climb Heavenward!

"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." Romans 8:28

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Salvation Requires Energetic Action Posted: 29 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST The fact is, brethren, there is a predestination, and the doctrines of election and effectual grace are true, nor may we deny them; but yet the Lord deals with men as responsible beings, and bids them “strive to enter in at the strait gate,” and to “lay hold on eternal life.” Such exhortations are evidently intended for free agents, and indicate that our salvation requires energetic action. C.H. Spurgeon

Not what we HAVE or what we KNOW, but what we ARE!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~Not what we HAVE or what we KNOW, but what we ARE!

(J.R. Miller)

We must strive to realize every longing for holiness and Christlikeness, which our hearts seek. Remember that it is character alone, which is the test of true living.
It is not knowledge; for knowledge will fail.
It is not money; for money cannot be taken into the eternal world.
It is not fame; for fame's laurels fade at the grave's edge.
It is not culture, or education, or refinement either.
It is our character alone--not what we HAVE or what we KNOW, but what we ARE--which we can carry with us into the eternal world.

"He who is unjust--let him be unjust still;
he who is filthy--let him be filthy still;
he who is righteous--let him be righteous still;
he who is holy--let him be holy still."
Revelation 22:11





(KJV He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Impossible To Remain At Peace

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

The preacher ought to preach so that it shall be almost an impossibility for his hearer to be altogether careless. You Christian people should set such an example in your households that it shall be next door to an impossibility for son or daughter or servant to remain at peace while they remain out of God and out of Christ in a state of sin!
C.H. Spurgeon

Seeing through love's eyes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


(J.R. Miller)

"Love . . .
thinks no evil,
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things."
1 Corinthians 13:5-7

Love does not suspect unkindness, in kind deeds.
Love does not imagine an enemy, in every friend.
Love does not fear insincerity, in sincere expressions of love.
Love does not question one's motives, nor discount their acts.

But love overlooks mistakes and hides human faults. It believes tries to think of others always at their best, not at their worst. It considers the best possibilities in people, what they may become through divine love and grace--and not merely what they now are. It is wonderful how seeing through love's eyes changes the whole view of earthly life, transforming it. If the heart is filled with suspicion, distrust, and doubts--the world grows very ugly. But love sees brightness, beauty, and hope everywhere!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

KJV
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Catechising Our Children

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

For my part, I am more and more persuaded that the study of a good Scriptural catechism is of infinite value to our children, and I shall see that it is reprinted as cheaply as possible for your use. Even if the youngsters do not understand all the questions and answers in the “Westminster Assembly’s Catechism,” yet, abiding in their memories, it will be of infinite service when the time of understanding comes, to have those very excellent, wise, and judicious definitions of the things of God. If we would maintain orthodoxy in our midst, and see good old Calvinistic doctrines handed down from father to son, I think we must use the method of catechizing, and endeavor with all our might to impregnate their minds with the things of God.
C.H. Spurgeon

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Real Faith

Posted: 26 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

“Until a man receives faith, he may think that he has it—but when he has real faith in Jesus Christ, then he shudders as he thinks how long he has lived in unbelief—and realizes how much of unbelief is still mixed with his belief.”
C.H. Spurgeon

The shadow of God's wings

~ ~ ~ ~ ~



(J.R. Miller)

"How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." Psalm 36:7

Is there a grief in your heart, which grows into a nagging pain? Is there a hint of a coming sorrow that you see looming over you? Remember that it is the shadow of God's wings--and so it is safe to receive. Crawl closer under them.

Earth has nothing so gentle as true mother-love; but God's wings that fold down over you, are gentler than even mother-love; and you can never get out from beneath them. They hold you close to the gentle heart of the divine Father. You need never be afraid while resting there. In all the universe, there is no harm that can come near you. From your eternal refuge, you can look out with confidence on the fury of earth's storms and be at peace. The wildest of them cannot touch you in your refuge!

"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." Psalm 57:1

"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings" Psalm 17:8

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This baffles all our comprehension!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


(John MacDuff, "Clefts of the Rock" 1874)

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us!"
John 1:14

What a transition!

What a stoop for that Infinite Being who proclaimed
Himself the Alpha and the Omega--for "The Ancient
of days" to assume the nature and take the form of
a cradled infant, sleeping on a virgin mother's bosom!

We have no plumb line to sound the depths of that
humiliation. We have no arithmetic by which it can
be submitted to any process of calculation.

If we can entertain for a moment, the shocking
supposition of the loftiest created spirit in Heaven
abjuring his angel nature, and becoming an insect
or a worm--then we can, in some feeble degree,
estimate the descent involved in Jesus' humiliation.

But, for the Illimitable, Everlasting Jehovah,
Himself to become incarnate . . .
the Creator--to take the nature of the created;
the Infinite--to be joined with the finite;
Deity--to be linked with dust;
this baffles all our comprehension!

We can only lie in adoring reverence, and
exclaim with the apostle, "O the depth!"

"Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The very hand of divine love!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~


(J.R. Miller)

"Thy will be done!" Matthew 26:42

God's will for us leads to the noblest, truest, most Christlike character on earth; and then beyond this world--to eternal glory! For you, whatever your experiences, however hard and painful life may seem to you--God's will is the very hand of divine love to lead you on toward all that is good and beautiful and blessed. Never doubt it, even . . .
in the darkest hour,
or when the pain is the greatest,
or when the cross is heaviest.
God's will always holds you close to Him, and leads you continually toward and into God's sweetest rest.

It brings peace to the heart--a peace that never can come in from our own choosing--to always be able to say, "May Your will be done!"

"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Luke 22:42

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Are You God’s Elect?

Posted: 24 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

Now, you need not ask tonight whether you are God’s elect. I ask another question—Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you do, you are His elect—if you do not, the question is not to be decided by us yet. If you are God’s chosen ones, you will know it by your trusting in Jesus. Simple as that trust is, it is the Infallible proof of election! God never sets the brand of faith upon a soul whom Christ had not bought with His blood. And if you believe, all eternity is yours! Your name is in God’s Book, you are a favored one of Heaven, the Divine decrees all point to you—go your way and rejoice!
C.H. Spurgeon

C.H. Spurgeon Quotes

Afraid To Save The Non-Elect

Posted: 23 Dec 2012 12:00 AM PST

Some people seem to be afraid lest we should be the means of saving some of the non-elect—but that is a fear which never troubles either my head or my heart, for I know that with all the effort and preaching in the world, we shall never bring more to Christ than Christ has had given to Him by His Father!
C.H. Spurgeon

If all people were angelic

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(J.R. Miller)

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34

"As I have loved you" means love which is sweet, fragrant, and gentle--to people who are rude and mean-spirited, selfish, and full of faults, with sharp corners and only partially sanctified lives.

If all people were angelic, and you were too--it would not be hard to love everyone; but as other people are not yet angelic, you will still have need of patience, even if you are angelic yourself, which is quite doubtful.

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” 13:4-5
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spurgeon and Chambers

Morning, December 21

“Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant.”

2 Samuel 23:5

Charles Spurgeon
This covenant is divine in its origin. “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” Oh that great word He! Stop, my soul. God, the everlasting Father, has positively made a covenant with thee; yes, that God who spake the world into existence by a word; he, stooping from his majesty, takes hold of thy hand and makes a covenant with thee. Is it not a deed, the stupendous condescension of which might ravish our hearts for ever if we could really understand it? “he hath made with me a covenant.” A king has not made a covenant with me—that were somewhat; but the Prince of the kings of the earth, Shaddai, the Lord All-sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting Elohim, “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” But notice, it is particular in its application. “Yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant.” Here lies the sweetness of it to each believer. It is nought for me that he made peace for the world; I want to know whether he made peace for me! It is little that he hath made a covenant, I want to know whether he has made a covenant with me. Blessed is the assurance that he hath made a covenant with me! If God the Holy Ghost gives me assurance of this, then his salvation is mine, his heart is mine, he himself is mine—he is my God.

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant means a covenant which had no beginning, and which shall never, never end. How sweet amidst all the uncertainties of life, to know that “the foundation of the Lord standeth sure,” and to have God’s own promise, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Like dying David, I will sing of this, even though my house be not so with God as my heart desireth.

My Utmost for His Highest

December 21st

Experience or revelation

We have received … the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 Cor. 2:12

Oswald Chambers
Reality is Redemption, not my experience of Redemption; but Redemption has no meaning for me until it speaks the language of my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me right out of myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left with my experiences, my experiences have not been produced by Redemption. The proof that they are produced by Redemption is that I am led out of myself all the time; I no longer pay any attention to my experiences as the ground of Reality, but only to the Reality which produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source, Jesus Christ.
If you try to dam up the Holy Spirit in you to produce subjective experiences, you will find that He will burst all bounds and take you back again to the historic Christ. Never nourish an experience which has not God as its Source, and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you try to lord it over Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? He must be Lord over you, and you must not pay attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. There comes a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience—‘I do not care what I experience; I am sure of Him.’
Be ruthless with yourself if you are given to talking about the experiences you have had. Faith that is sure of itself is not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there is.

Evening, December 21

“I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin,

and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.”

Ezekiel 16:10

Charles Spurgeon
See with what matchless generosity the Lord provides for his people’s apparel. They are so arrayed that the divine skill is seen producing an unrivalled broidered work, in which every attribute takes its part and every divine beauty is revealed. No art like the art displayed in our salvation, no cunning workmanship like that beheld in the righteousness of the saints. Justification has engrossed learned pens in all ages of the church, and will be the theme of admiration in eternity. God has indeed “curiously wrought it.” With all this elaboration there is mingled utility and durability, comparable to our being shod with badgers’ skins. The animal here meant is unknown, but its skin covered the tabernacle, and formed one of the finest and strongest leathers known. The righteousness which is of God by faith endureth for ever, and he who is shod with this divine preparation will tread the desert safely, and may even set his foot upon the lion and the adder. Purity and dignity of our holy vesture are brought out in the fine linen. When the Lord sanctifies his people, they are clad as priests in pure white; not the snow itself excels them; they are in the eyes of men and angels fair to look upon, and even in the Lord’s eyes they are without spot. Meanwhile the royal apparel is delicate and rich as silk. No expense is spared, no beauty withheld, no daintiness denied.

What, then? Is there no inference from this? Surely there is gratitude to be felt and joy to be expressed. Come, my heart, refuse not thy evening hallelujah! Tune thy pipes! Touch thy chords!

“Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed
By the Great Sacred Three!
In sweetest harmony of praise
Let all thy powers agree.”