Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 28th)
Absolute Assurance
He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee — Hebrews 13:5
Several times in the Scriptures the Lord hath said this. He has often repeated it, to make our assurance doubly sure. Let us never harbor a doubt of it. In itself the promise is specially emphatic. In the Greek it has five negatives, each one definitely shutting out the possibility of the Lord's ever leaving one of His people so that he can justly feel forsaken of his God. This priceless Scripture does not promise us exemption from trouble, but it does secure us against desertion. We may be called to traverse strange ways, but we shall always have our Lord's company, assistance, and provision. We need not covet money, for we shall always have our God, and God is better than gold, His favor is better than fortune.
We ought surely to be content with such things as we have, for he who has God has more than all the world besides. What can we have beyond the Infinite? What more can we desire than Almighty Goodness.
Come, my heart; if God says He will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, be thou much in prayer for grace, that thou mayest never leave thy Lord, nor even for a moment forsake His ways.
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New article in the local paper by my pastor: Have courage for coming victory.
"The new year stares us right in our faces like a gunslinger in a classic Western. Its gaze narrows. Its trigger finger twitches, waiting for a signal.
The last several years have come after us like low-down, mangy desperados. After what we’ve seen, it’s normal to wonder what fresh misery has been brewed up for us in days to come. You may think you’re prepared, but you’ve thought that before, and still wound up having to ask, “Where in the world did all that come from?”
This is a completely understandable way to think. We’re gun shy. We’ve been through some things and have the scars to show for it.
It’s understandable, natural, and even to be expected. But (and I say this as your friend, not your accuser) it’s faithless.
You claim some faith in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, crucified and raised from the dead: you are not allowed to go timidly into coming days. I’ll grant that you have your reasons. I’d even concede that they make perfect sense. Still, your undefined fear of what the year will bring is a red flag signaling, to yourself at least, that you do not believe as you should.
Your homework assignment (because, of course, I’m in a position to assign work to you) is Numbers 13 and 14. It’s a 10-minute read. Moses sends spies into the Promised Land. All 12 come back in agreement that it’s an amazing land, abundantly fruitful, populated with fortified cities and even some of the Nephilim, the giants.
The division among the spies is over the question of who will eat whom. Ten spies are convinced the land will devour the people of Israel. Joshua and Caleb, however, see it working out the other way. In a delightful example of biblical “trash talk,” their argument is that even if there are giants, that’s just more meat on the bone to go around. “They are bread for us,” they say in 14:9.
Christian, this all happens in the fourth book of the Bible. Sixty-two more come after it, and each of them gives you more, not less, reason to tread confidently into the world laid out ahead of you. Give old Caleb a tenth of the good promises you have in Christ, and he’d win the planet, not just a strip of real estate in the Middle East.
In this world you will have tribulation, but Christ has overcome the world. He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. The one with all authority is with you until the end of the age. You’ve been seated with him in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. Nothing 2024 can throw at you can separate you from the love of your king: not death, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword. You are in his hand, and no one is great enough to snatch you out. Your enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus Christ has come that you may have life, more abundantly.
Who is the food in this equation and who will do the feasting?
The year is bread for us."
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
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 27th)
His Kindness and Covenant
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee — Isaiah 54:10
One of the most delightful qualities of divine love is its abiding character. The pillars of the earth may be moved out of their places, but the kindness and the covenant of our merciful Jehovah never depart from His people. How happy my soul feels in a firm belief of this inspired declaration! The year is almost over, and the years of my life are growing few, but time does not change my Lord. New lamps are taking the place of the old, perpetual change is on all things; but our Lord is the same. Force overturns the hills, but no conceivable power can affect the eternal God. Nothing in the past, the present, or the future can cause Jehovah to be unkind to me.
My soul, rest in the eternal kindness of the Lord, who treats thee as one near of kin. Remember also the everlasting covenant. God is ever mindful of it - see that thou art mindful of it too. In Christ Jesus the glorious God has pledged Himself to thee to be thy God, and to hold thee as one of His people. Kindness and covenant - dwell on these words as sure and lasting things which eternity itself shall not take from thee.
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 26th)
God Only, You Can Trust
Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended — Matthew 26:33
"Why," cries one, "this is no promise of God." Just so, but it was a promise of man, and therefore it came to nothing. Peter thought that he was saying what he should assuredly carry out; but a promise which has no better foundation than a human resolve will fall to the ground. No sooner did temptations arise than Peter denied his Master, and used oaths to confirm his denial.
What is man's word? An earthen pot broken with a stroke. What is your own resolve? A blossom, which, with God's care, may come to fruit, but which, left to itself, will fall to the ground with the first wind that moves the bough.
On man's word hang only what it will bear.
On thine own resolve depend not at all.
On the promise of thy God hang time and eternity, this world and the next, thine all and the all of all thy beloved ones.
This volume is a checkbook for believers, and this page is meant as a warning as to what bank they draw upon, and whose signature they accept. Rely upon Jesus without limit. Trust not thyself nor any born of woman, beyond due bounds; but trust thou only and wholly in the Lord.
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 22nd)
Immediately Present
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble — Psalm 46:1
A help that is not present when we need it is of small value. The anchor which is left at home is of no use to the seaman in the hour of storm; the money which he used to have is of no worth to the debtor when a writ is out against him. Very few earthly helps could be called "very present": they are usually far in the seeking, far in the using, and farther still when once used. But as for the Lord our God, He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present when we have already enjoyed His aid.
He is more than "present," He is very present. More present than the nearest friend can be, for He is in us in our trouble; more present than we are to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of mind. He is always present, effectually present, sympathetically present, altogether present. He is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us rest ourselves upon Him. He is our refuge, let us hide in Him; He is our strength, let us array ourselves with Him; He is our help, let us lean upon Him; He is our very present help, let us repose in Him now. We need not have a moment's care, or an instant's fear. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
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I miss Heiser! Recently started the Naked Bible podcast at episode 1.
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 20th)
Men as Men; God as God
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? — Isaiah 51:12-13
Let the text itself be taken as the portion for today. There is no need to enlarge upon it. Trembling one, read it, believe it, feed on it, and plead it before the Lord. He whom you fear is only a man after all; while He who promises to comfort you is God, your Maker, and the Creator of Heaven and earth. Infinite comfort more than covers a very limited danger.
"Where is the fury of the oppressor?" It is in the Lord's hand. It is only the fury of a dying creature; fury which will end as soon as the breath is gone from the nostril. Why, then, should we stand in awe of one who is as frail as ourselves? Let us not dishonor our God by making a god of puny man. We can make an idol of a man by rendering to him excessive fear as well as by paying him inordinate love. Let us treat men as men, and God as God; and then we shall go calmly on in the path of duty, fearing the Lord, and fearing nobody else.
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The American Right has little to offer the people except a slower paced leftism. “The Land of the Free” has become the home of would-be tyrants with ever-expanding dreams of control. ~ R. J. Rushdoony
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 19th)
Afflictions, but No Broken Bones
He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken — Psalm 34:20
This promise by the context is referred to the much afflicted righteous man: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." He may suffer skin-wounds and flesh-wounds, but no great harm shall be done, "not a bone of him shall be broken."
This is great comfort to a tried child of God, and comfort which I dare accept; for up to this hour I have suffered no real damage from my many afflictions. I have neither lost faith, nor hope, nor love. Nay, so far from losing these bones of character, they have gained in strength and energy. I have more knowledge, more experience, more patience, more stability than I had before the trials came. Not even my joy has been destroyed. Many a bruise have I had by sickness, bereavement, depression, slander, and opposition; but the bruise has healed, and there has been no compound fracture of a bone, not even a simple one. The reason is not far to seek. If we trust in the Lord, He keeps all our bones; and if He keeps them, we may be sure that not one of them is broken.
Come, my heart, do not sorrow. Thou art smarting, but there are no bones broken. Endure hardness, and bid defiance to fear.
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 18th)
Defended and Covered
As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem — Isaiah 31:5
With hurrying wing the mother bird hastens up to the protection of her young. She wastes no time upon the road when coming to supply them with food, or guard them from danger. Thus as on eagle's wings will the Lord come for the defense of His chosen; yea, He will ride upon the wings of the wind.
With outspread wing the mother covers her little ones in the nest. She hides them away by interposing her own body. The hen yields her own warmth to her chicks, and makes her wings a house, in which they dwell at home. Thus doth Jehovah Himself become the protection of His elect. He Himself is their refuge, their abode, their all.
As birds flying, and birds covering (for the word means both), so will the Lord be unto us: and this He will be repeatedly and successfully. We shall be defended and preserved from all evil: the Lord who likens Himself to birds will not be like them in their feebleness, for He is Jehovah of hosts. Let this be our comfort, that almighty love will be swift to succor, and sure to cover. The wing of God is more quick and more tender than the wing of a bird, and we will put our trust under its shadow henceforth and for ever.
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Fits of depression come over the most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.
Charles Spurgeon
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 17th)
Nearest and Dearest Fellowship
So shall we ever be with the Lord — 1 Thessalonians 4:17
While we are here the Lord is with us, and when we are called away we are with Him. There is no dividing the saint from His Saviour. They are one, and they always must be one: Jesus cannot be without His own people, for He would be a Head without a body. Whether caught up into the air, or resting in Paradise, or sojourning here, we are with Jesus; and who shall separate us from Him?
What a joy is this! Our supreme honor, rest, comfort, delight, is to be with the Lord. We cannot conceive of anything which can surpass or even equal this divine society. By holy fellowship we must be with Him in His humiliation, rejection, and travail, and then we shall be with Him in His glory. Before long we shall be with Him in His rest and in His royalty, in His expectation and in His manifestation. We shall fare as He fares, and triumph as He triumphs.
O my Lord, if I am to be for ever with thee, I have a destiny incomparable. I will not envy an archangel. To be for ever with the Lord is my idea of Heaven at its best. Not the harps of gold, nor the crowns unfading, nor the light unclouded, is glory to me; but Jesus, Jesus Himself, and myself for ever with Him in nearest and dearest fellowship.
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Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 16th)
Divine Expulsion
Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong — Joshua 17:18
It is a great encouragement to valor to be assured of victory, for then a man goes forth to war in confidence, and ventures where else he had been afraid to go. Our warfare is with evil within us and around us, and we ought to be persuaded that we are able to get the victory, and that we shall do so in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are not riding for a fall, but to win; and win we shall. The grace of God in its Omnipotence is put forth for the overthrow of evil in every form: hence the certainty of triumph.
Certain of our sins find chariots of iron in our constitution, our former habits, our associations, and our occupations. Nevertheless we must overcome them. They are very strong, and in reference to them we are very weak; yet in the name of God we must master them, and we will. If one sin has dominion of us we are not the Lord's free men. A man who is held by only one chain is still a captive. There is no going to Heaven with one sin ruling within us, for of the saints it is said, "Sin shall not have dominion over you." Up, then, and slay every Canaanite, and break to shivers every chariot of iron! The Lord of hosts is with us, and who shall resist His sin-destroying power?
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“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7 LSB)
Consider these prophetic words, written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. What foundational theological reality undergirds them? What did people have to believe to understand their message and their fulfillment? No Open Theist could make heads or tails of such a prophecy because, of course, the fulfillment would require millions of "free will" decisions made by creatures that, by that system, cannot be known to God. And those who properly recognize the incoherence of open theism are left cobbling together some kind of system that pretends to affirm the biblical statements of God's sovereignty over time while still allowing man to be sovereign over his own fate. But the fact is, one of the key texts we celebrate at this time of year can only be understood when you recognize that "the zeal of Yahweh of armies" will accomplish exactly what He wishes to accomplish, when He wishes to accomplish it, all to His glory and honor. - James White
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John the Baptist and Jesus preach the coming of the kingdom, the reign of God.
That is to say: In Jesus, God asserts His claim on the world.
Jesus declares to Satan, to demons, to Caesars and Stalins: This world is not yours. It is mine.
That’s the Advent gospel. - Peter Leithart
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Malachi 7:8
Do not be glad over me, O my enemy.
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I inhabit the darkness, Yahweh is a light for me.
Spurgeon's Faith's Checkbook (December 14th)
Nothing Old
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new — Revelation 21:5
Glory be to His name! All things need making new, for they are sadly battered and worn by sin. It is time that the old vesture was rolled up and laid aside, and that creation put on her Sunday suit. But no one else can make all things new except the Lord who made them at the first; for it needs as much power to make out of evil as to make out of nothing. Our Lord Jesus has undertaken the task, and He is fully competent for the performance of it. Already He has commenced His labor, and for centuries He has persevered in making new the hearts of men, and the order of society. By-and-by He will make new the whole constitution of human government, and human nature shall be changed by His grace; and there shall come a day when the body shall be made new, and raised like unto His glorious body.
What a joy to belong to a kingdom in which everything is being made new by the power of its King! We are not dying out: we are hastening on to a more glorious life. Despite the opposition of the powers of evil, our glorious Lord Jesus is accomplishing His purpose, and making us, and all things about us, "new," and as full of beauty as when they first came from the hand of the Lord.
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