The generous host

Psalm 23:5 - "He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows."

The picture of a cup overflowing could be seen as the host being a little clumsy or even distracted, but it is meant to convey the complete opposite. God is being portrayed as being so gracious that he is not just giving the guests the bare minimum, but rather an abundance of his love and mercy. We are reminded today of God’s great generosity in giving the very best for us.

"Beloved, I will ask you now a question. How would it be with you if God had filled your cup in proportion to your faith? How much would you have had in your cup?” (Charles Spurgeon)

Prayer focus: Thank you Lord that you don't offer me your love in accordance with my merit, but rather according to your immeasurable mercy and grace.

Living in Grace

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Send your Spirit

"Decayed Churches can most certainly be revived by the preaching of the Word, accompanied by the coming of the heavenly ‘breath’ from the four winds. O Lord, send us such revivals now, for many of thy Churches need them.” - Charles Spurgeon

These are the words that Spurgeon wrote after reflecting on Ezekiel 37. I would agree with him but also add that it is not just churches who need to be revived, but rather the people that make up the churches. It is people who make up the body of Christ, and when we allow God's breath (Spirit) to change us, then we will start to see changes all around us.

"Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army." - v.9-10

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Wrestling with contentment

Charles Spurgeon once said: “You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”

These words hit home, as they remind us of how we mistakenly believe that 'more' will always make us feel better. More money. More 'friends on Facebook.' More possessions. More time. More 'likes' on our social media platforms.

The writer of Hebrews had these wise words to offer us: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

Thought: In what area of contentment are you struggling with at the moment?

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Willing to wear the crown

Charles Spurgeon once remarked: "Many would be willing to wear a crown, but few are willing to bear a cross." 

And what he was getting at is that there are many Christians who are happy to wear the crown - to walk with Christ when it feels like we are winning, or life is going great. However, there are very few of us who are willing to carry the cross - to keep close to Jesus when things are going belly up.  

As disciples of Jesus, we will need to embrace hardship, and to trust that bearing the cross is not a sign of failure.

James 1:12 - God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him

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Just like a star

Just like most people, I am not a fan of adversity. I don't deliberately seek out conflict or trials, and when I encounter tough times, I am probably the first to ask: "Why, Lord?!" However, the older I get, the more I can see God's hand at work, despite what may look like a mess. 

Perhaps it is true that Hope is indeed like a star:

“Hope itself is like a star – not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity.” - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Job 11:18 - You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

What do you think?

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Are you willing to grind the wheat?

I stumbled upon this challenging statement from Charles Spurgeon. There is so much wisdom in his words, but the part that intrigued me the most was the line that I have highlighted. I invite you to read through these words and see what stands out for us.

“There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. . . . 

Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord. . . .”

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It has been torn in half!

Reflecting on the dramatic passage in Matthew 27:50-52, I stumbled upon a brilliant observation from Charles Spurgeon. The scripture speaks of the work of God, as Jesus dies on the cross:

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

Spurgeon then went on to comment about the curtain (veil) and this is what he wrote:

“For believers the veil is not rolled up, but rent (torn). The veil was not unhooked, and carefully folded up, and put away, so that it might be put in its place at some future time. Oh, no! But the divine hand took it and rent it front top to bottom. It can never be hung up again; that is impossible. Between those who are in Christ Jesus and the great God, there will never be another separation.”

God has paved a way for all of us to enter into the inner sanctuary of his presence. The work of Jesus can't be undone - the curtain is torn, thus making a way for us to enter in. However, we can refuse to enter in, but God still longs for us to commune with him.

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Why wait until tomorrow?

 

As November picks up pace and we suddenly start to realize that Christmas is next month, we can become a little flustered. Some of us are motivated to get done, as much as possible, while others of us may be tempted to procrastinate. 

This quote from Charles Spurgeon may give us all something to think about.

"Alas, tomorrow never comes! It is in no calendar except in the almanac of fools!" 

Jesus said, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34 - The Message)

Proverbs 27:1 - Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

The challenge for all of us is to not leave these things for tomorrow, because tomorrow may never come!

What do you think?

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Unpicking the lock

Charles Spurgeon - “He who made the lock knows well what key will fit it.”

Charles Spurgeon reflects on how God knows what is the best way to 'unpick' the lock of our hearts. In the story of Lydia in Acts 16, God uses the words of Paul and Silas to reach her and to bring her the good news.

"As she (Lydia) listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying." - Acts 16:14

Has God managed to unpick your heart or have you hardened your heart to his voice?

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Providence

The timeless issue of Providence has reared it's head again as I have been reflecting on Esther's story. I have to admit that it is not always as simple as some make it out to be. Just as we seem to find a suitable answer for God's Providence, then we are thrown a curve ball of sorts. In order to try and wrestle with Scriptures like the following one, I have turned to a few famous authors to seek their collective wisdom:

Acts 24:2 - Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence... (KJV)

This is what these authors say:

"He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him alright." - Blaise Pascal

Providence is wonderfully intricate. Ah! You want always to see through Providence, do you not? You never will, I assure you. You have not eyes good enough. You want to see what good that affliction was to you; you must believe it. You want to see how it can bring good to the soul; you may be enabled in a little time; but you cannot see it now; you must believe it. Honor God by trusting Him." - Charles Spurgeon

Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission. There is no such thing as "chance," "luck" or "accident" in the Christian's journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God. And all things are "working together" for the believer's good." - J. C. Ryle

What do you make of Providence? And is there a connection with Predestination in this?

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Pentecost

 

I realise that there many different teachings on the Holy Spirit in the larger church, but I still remain convinced that the gift of the Spirit is for us to do the work that Jesus left for us to do. Of course, we enjoy the greater benefits of the Spirit in other areas of our lives (that is just the gracious nature of God spilling over), but the Spirit's main agenda is surely to equip the church for sharing the Gospel, living Christ-like lives and changing the hearts of people. 

Perhaps these words will help us reflect on this in a deeper way:

"Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind. We are useless." - Charles Surgeon

"Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you." - Corrie Ten Boom

"The Holy Spirit's main ministry is not to give thrills but to create in us Christlike character." - J.I. Packer

John 15:26-27 (The Message) - “When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start.”

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Beautiful reminder

"I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours." - John 17:9

The essence of John 17 focuses on Jesus' prayer for his disciples, his future followers (us) and himself. There is something deeply moving for me when I consider that Christ is praying for me. If you are dealing with some concerns in your life at the moment, how does it make you feel that Jesus is praying for you?

Charles H. Spurgeon - "Every one of us, beloved, when we listen to the words of Christ should recollect that he is praying for us; that while it is for the great body of his elect he intercedes in this chapter (John 17) and the one preceding it, yet it is also for each believer in particular that he offers intercession."

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Wisdom's advice

In Proverbs 4 the writer urges the next generation to treat wisdom with the utmost respect. As a caring parent shares advice with their children, because they desire the best for them, so the author wants the readers to live a blessed life by listening to God-fearing wisdom. 

We are not told if the ‘parent’ in these verses has learnt these lessons the hardway, but there is every likelihood that this is true. Sometimes wise advice is most profound when it comes from our own school of broken dreams and real failures.

“Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.

Love her, and she will guard you.

Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!

And whatever else you do, get good judgement.

If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you.

Embrace her and she will honour you.

She will place a lovely wreath around your head;

She will present you with a beautiful crown.” – Proverbs 4:6-9

Charles Spurgeon - "Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."

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Learning to say No

Not sure if you have ever come across this quote from Charles Spurgeon, but it makes a lot of sense to me:

"Learn to say No. It will be more use to you than to be able to read Latin."

Isn't it incredible how hard we find it to say the word 'No!?' Those of us who are "people pleasers" keep piling on more and more things onto our work-load, but are slowly sinking under the burden. Even Jesus needed to say NO at times. He had to draw aside from the constant demands and find time to connect with his heavenly father.

Mark 1

³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

What are you saying 'Yes' to at the moment, that you perhaps need to be saying No to?!

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Write it in stone!

Charles Spurgeon reflected on life and death by saying the following:

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you. So carve your name on hearts, and not on marble."

One day we will all have a marble tombstone of some sorts, but the bigger challenge is whether we are carving our names onto the hearts of others.

“This new plan I’m making with Israel isn’t going to be written on paper, isn’t going to be chiselled in stone; this time I’m writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I’ll be their God, they’ll be my people. They won’t go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They’ll all get to know me first-hand, the little and the big, the small and the great. They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.” – Hebrews 8: 6-13 (Message)

Start chiselling. 

Living in Grace

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The Hill of Ice

Have you ever felt like you are getting somewhere in your life/faith/relationships and then suddenly you slide all the way back to square One? It is almost as if we are climbing a Hill of ice, only to see all our efforts count for zero. If you can relate to this, then you will enjoy this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still."

Did you notice the part about cutting into the ice and chipping away? That is what our Spiritual journey often entails. In order to consistently move forward we need to make sure that our footholds are strong and dependable. It may not seem like you are gaining much ground, but if you made sure that you are on solid ground, then your direction will always be forward.

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25

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