Brothers and sisters, do you find yourself wrestling with sin and feeling sorrowful for it? Good! This means your conscience has not, as those who fall into deceit, been seared (1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Sin in our lives should cause us grief, as we know it causes God grief. And this grief should lead to repentance, and repentance the seeking of forgiveness. As God tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”(1 Jn. 1:9). Of course, this requires us recognizing our own sin, which should be the case with all Christians (1 Jn. 1:9).

Yet despite our sorrow, we have hope. Though Paul himself exclaimed, “wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”, he also proclaimed that in our minds, we still serve God, and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 7:24-8:1).

Praise God for the sorrow that brings repentance!

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 13

"Godly sorrow worketh repentance." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Genuine, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of the Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to grow in nature's garden. Pearls grow naturally in oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except divine grace works it in them. If thou hast one particle of real hatred for sin, God must have given it thee, for human nature's thorns never produced a single fig. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh."

True repentance has a distinct reference to the Saviour. When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both our eyes upon Christ and see our transgressions only, in the light of His love.

True sorrow for sin is eminently practical. No man may say he hates sin, if he lives in it. Repentance makes us see the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally- as a burnt child dreads fire. We shall be as much afraid of it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid of the thief upon the highway; and we shall shun it- shun it in everything- not in great things only, but in little things, as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes. True mourning for sin will make us very jealous over our tongue, lest it should say a wrong word; we shall be very watchful over our daily actions, lest in anything we offend, and each night we shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this day God would hold us up that we may not sin against Him.

Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent until their dying day. This dropping well is not intermittent. Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows with our growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank God we are permitted to enjoy and to suffer it until we enter our eternal rest.

Matthew
Chapter 4

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Dear Christian, do you take time away to meditate upon God’s word? If we wish truly to draw close to Him, to know Him, we must hear from Him. He has given us His word for this purpose.

Read any section of Psalm 119 and you will find listed an abundance of benefits in reading His word. His word guides our ways as a light in the dark (Ps. 119:105). It helps tokeep our way pure and to keep us from sin (Psalm. 119:9,11). It provides insight (Psalm. 119:99) and understanding (Psalm 119:130).

Jesus Himself tells us that His word cleanses us (Jn. 15:3), and that the words He spoke are spirit and are life (Jn. 6:63).

Why then would you not take time to read and meditate upon it? If we wish to be heard of the Father, Jesus exhorted that, not only must we abide in Him, but His words must abide in us (Jn. 15:7).

Beloved brethren, do not neglect this source of strength, of guidance, and of sustenance. Forget not that “man does not by bread alone, but…by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3; Mt. 4:4).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 12

"I will meditate in Thy precepts." Psalm 119:15

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. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser's feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice will not flow; and they must well tread the grapes, or else much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the wine of consolation therefrom. Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscle, and the nerve, and the sinew, and the bone, is the process of digestion. It is by digestion that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness, and the inward digesting of the truth lies for the most part in meditating upon it. 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, and be this our resolve this morning, "I will meditate in Thy precepts."

Brethren, an unpopular doctrine among many Christian’s is that of election and predestination. Many believe the idea that God would choose those to be saved and leave the rest to condemnation contradicts their view of free will and man’s ability to choose God.

Popularity does not affirm truth, nor does lack of popularity refute it.

God’s word is replete with passages describing God’s foreknowledge of all people and events, and His choosing, according to His will and for His good pleasure.

Why did God choose Israel? Why did Jesus choose His apostles and tell them that they didn’t choose Him (Jn. 15:16)? Why did God choose Paul when Paul wasn’t seeking God but rather to kill Jesus’ followers?

Because it pleased Him to do so.

Ephesians chapter one and two make clear that God chooses. Paul details election in Romans 8-11. Jesus Himself said no one could come to Him unless the Father first draws him in the same way that one would draw water from a well. Does the water choose to be drawn up in the bucket?

Paul writes that “it does not depend on the man who wills” (Rom. 9:16), it is not a choice. Paul also writes, “What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened” (Rom. 11:7).

While offensive to some, this should be a sobering and humbling realization. We have nothing to offer God. Even our faith is a gift. The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary.

If you are born anew, it was not of your will, but of God (Jn. 1:13). Be thankful, not boastful. Be humble, not proud. You deserve condemnation as much as anyone else. Your salvation is an unearned and undeserved gift.

Remember that God has a purpose for you. If you are saved, it is because He first predestined you and then He called you (Rom. 8:30). Therefore, be grateful and sober, and “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, October 11

"Whom He did predestinate, them He also called." Romans 8:30

In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these words- "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling." Now, here is a touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is "an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace." This calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living and true God. As He that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ's, you can say, "Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me to be holy." Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life towards God, and His divine will? Again, in Philippians, 3:13, 14, we are told of "The high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Is then your calling a high calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things? Has it elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God? Another test we find in Hebrews 3:1- "Partakers of the heavenly calling." Heavenly calling means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus holy, high, heavenly? Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is the calling wherewith God doth call His people.

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Beloved brethren, we may often be tempted to focus on our faults and shortcomings. Indeed, to recognize our own need for salvation, we must admit that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Paul laments even his post-justification condition, bemoaning, “wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death” (Rom. 7:24)?

Yet we have reason, as did Paul, for not only hope but rejoicing! For “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Why?

Because He “is able to…make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless” (Jud. 1:24).

Hallelujah! We were cleansed with “the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:5). Jesus was made a sin offering for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). When God looks upon us, He no longer sees our sinful past, but instead looking through a Christ-filtered lens, He perceives us as holy and righteous with Jesus.

How humbled we should be to know that “the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isa. 53:6). How grateful we should be that our transgression is forgiven, that our sin is covered, and that our iniquity not taken into account (Psalm. 32:1-2). How amazed we should be in knowing that our hearts have been sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and that our bodies have been washed clean with pure water (Heb. 10:22).

Let us then, remembering our debt, sing joyfully with the hymnist:

“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe,
sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 10

"Faultless before the presence of His glory." Jude 24

Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, "faultless"! We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in His work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep His people to the end, will also present them at last to Himself, as "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish." All the jewels in the Saviour's crown are of the first water and without a single flaw. All the maids of honour who attend the Lamb's wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in His own blood until we are white and fair as God's purest angel; and we shall be clothed in His righteousness, that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God. We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in His eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will- every power and passion shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in His presence we shall dwell for ever. Saints will not be out of place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past for ever, and ourselves "faultless" before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David's exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.

Voices in the Fire Sky

Two figures stand where the firewinds rise,
Wrapped in the dawn of crimson skies.
Feathers crown their shadowed hair,
Whispers of ancestors linger there.

The mountains glow with sacred flame,
Each spark a spirit, each star a name.
Their cloaks hold songs of woven thread,
Stories of the living, prayers for the dead.

They walk the path where earth meets light,
Guided by visions through endless night.
O children, remember when embers fly—
Our people still walk in the painted sky.

Believer, does your faith waver when your prayers appear to go unanswered, or an answer is delayed? What if the answer is no?

Are you seeking the Lord Himself or what is on His table? Would you, like the Canaanite woman, be satisfied with mere crumbs that fall from His table (Mt. 15:23-28)?

Dear brethren, it should be enough for us to sit at His feet, let alone all else He does for us. How blessed we are even to be able to come into His presence.

Remember, though we often use it for such, and we are told to “let our requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6), prayer is more about shaping us and drawing us close than it is for getting us what our flesh desires.

Has He not promised that if we abide in Him and His words in us, that He would grant whatever we ask (Jn. 15:7)? So then, if we do abide, and His words are in us, for what will we ask?

James warns us of a misguided heart when He writes, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (Jas. 4:3).

This is why the same apostle who recorded Jesus’ words about abiding in Him also exhorts that our confidence lies in knowing that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 Jn. 5:14-15).

Therefore, let us remember that we should seek first His will in our prayers, as did even Jesus in the garden (Mt. 26:39), that we may know we are heard (1 Jn. 5:14). In this way, we can be assured of an answer, and that, an answer in the positive.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, October 9

"But He answered her not a word." Matthew 15:23

Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in Him. He intended to give it, but He waited awhile. "He answered her not a word." Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, "O woman, great is thy faith." See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Saviour is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust Him; though He should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of His heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on Him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.

Christian, are you struggling through difficult circumstances? So did Moses. He even asked God why he was so afflicted with having to deal with the Hebrews whom God had put under his charge (Num. 11:11).

Forget not, God tests us, both the righteous and the wicked (Ps. 11:5). He purifies us by fire as a silversmith refines silver or the goldsmith gold (Pro. 17:3). Our trials are to strengthen our faith, to produce endurance, patience, maturity (Jas. 1:2-4). Our tribulations lead to proven character and hope (Rom. 5:3-4).

Fret not, then, dear brethren, when burdens seem heavy, or difficulties insurmountable. Instead, seek His face, knowing that He strengthens us (Isa. 41:10), and that we can do all things through Him (Phil. 4:13).

He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5), but will be with us always (Mt. 28:20). Therefore, lean on Him, humble yourself before Him, casting your anxiety on Him, and He will exalt you at the proper time (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 7

"Wherefore hast Thou afflicted Thy servant?" Numbers 11:11

Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him," is heaven-born faith. The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope," the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.

Believer, how did you receive your salvation? Was it of your flesh? Did you earn it? Is it because you said a prayer or performed a ritual?

No. It was simply through faith. You believed. We are told, “it is by grace [we] were saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Of course, if this was the only instance where works were denied a part in our salvation, one might be led to think otherwise.

But we are also told, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy” (Tit. 3:5).

Could it really be that easy? When the jailer asked Paul, “what must I do to be saved?”, Paul responded, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

Not enough? What about Jesus own words? “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life” (Jn. 5:24).

Salvation is a gift. Even our faith is a gift. We cannot earn it, and if we did, it would no longer be a gift. As Paul teaches, “to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom. 4:4-5). This is what Scripture tells us of Abraham as well, that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).

Thus shall all be saved.

And those who are saved get baptized. Why? Because Christ exhorted us to make this outward confession of our entrance into covenant with God. Just as circumcision was an outward sign for the Israelites of entering into covenant with God, baptism is the Christian’s. Make no mistake, it is only an outward sign of an inward change. Because even circumcision was of no avail to the Israelites if their hearts were far from God. For, “he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter” (Rom. 2:29).

So then what benefit is there in baptism? Much. Again, it is our sign of the covenant, but it is also a sign of obedience. And how did Jesus regard such? “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me” (Jn. 14:21), He exclaimed. As well, this outward sign is a picture of our burial with Christ: “we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

Believer, if you have not yet been baptized, why not? What is preventing or delaying you? And if you have, then let us walk in newness of life, butting off the flesh and its evil deeds, and living by the Spirit who we received from God (1 Cor. 2:12).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, October 5

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16

Mr. MacDonald asked the inhabitants of the island of St. Kilda how a man must be saved. An old man replied, "We shall be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God." "Yes," said a middle-aged female, "and with a true heart too." "Ay," rejoined a third, "and with prayer"; and, added a fourth, "It must be the prayer of the heart." "And we must be diligent too," said a fifth, "in keeping the commandments." Thus, each having contributed his mite, feeling that a very decent creed had been made up, they all looked and listened for the preacher's approbation, but they had aroused his deepest pity. The carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become great, but the Lord's way is quite the reverse. Believing and being baptized are no matters of merit to be gloried in- they are so simple that boasting is excluded, and free grace bears the palm. It may be that the reader is unsaved- what is the reason? Do you think the way of salvation as laid down in the text to be dubious? How can that be when God has pledged His own word for its certainty? Do you think it too easy? Why, then, do you not attend to it? Its ease leaves those without excuse who neglect it. To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely upon Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion. The outward sign saves not, but it sets forth to us our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord's Supper, is not to be neglected. Reader, do you believe in Jesus? Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears, you shall be saved. Are you still an unbeliever, then remember there is but one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins.

Yes, I am sick of the psyops. There is no reason to lie to We The People, that has been happening a LOT. I know that many that we have been told are dead are alive...and that we have been told are alive are dead. Personally, when I first seen the video of Charlie Kirks wife, and the fake tears, that done me in. She was dabbing at nothing, if you looked her eyes were not teary.

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Christian, are you still struggling with sin? You are not alone. Though we are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), but we still must put the flesh to death (Rom. 8:13). This is what it takes to deny oneself and daily take up your cross (Lk. 9:23).

Paul understood this struggle all too well. As he explains in his letter to the Romans:

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:14-24)

How wonderful then to know that we have a mediator who intercedes with the Father on our behalf, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for us (1 Tim. 2:5-6). He is our advocate when we sin (1 Jn. 2:1). Furthermore, because we have Him for an advocate, we know that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

How blessed we are that the apostle John can say to us with assuredness that “your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 Jn. 2:12).

Still, though “He appeared in order to take away sins” (1 Jn. 3:5), let us not continue in them; instead, let us keep our hope fixed on Him and purify ourselves, just as He is pure (1 Jn. 3:3).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, October 4

"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1

"If any man sin, we have an advocate." Yes, though we sin, we have Him still. John does not say, "If any man sin he has forfeited his advocate," but "we have an advocate," sinners though we are. All the sin that a believer ever did, or can be allowed to commit, cannot destroy his interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, as his advocate. The name here given to our Lord is suggestive. "Jesus." Ah! then He is an advocate such as we need, for Jesus is the name of one whose business and delight it is to save. "They shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." His sweetest name implies His success. Next, it is "Jesus Christ"- Christos, the anointed. This shows His authority to plead. The Christ has a right to plead, for He is the Father's own appointed advocate and elected priest. If He were of our choosing He might fail, but if God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, we may safely lay our trouble where God has laid His help. He is Christ, and therefore authorized; He is Christ, and therefore qualified, for the anointing has fully fitted Him for His work. He can plead so as to move the heart of God and prevail. What words of tenderness, what sentences of persuasion will the anointed use when He stands up to plead for me! One more letter of His name remains, "Jesus Christ the righteous." This is not only His character BUT His plea. It is His character, and if the Righteous One be my advocate, then my cause is good, or He would not have espoused it. It is His plea, for He meets the charge of unrighteousness against me by the plea that He is righteous. He declares Himself my substitute and puts His obedience to my account. My soul, thou hast a friend well fitted to be thine advocate, He cannot but succeed; leave thyself entirely in His hands.

Believer, there will come a day when “the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light” (Isa. 13:10). This is the day of the Lord, when He returns in anger to “punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity” (Isa. 13:11). What an interesting picture that those who walk in darkness now will be in literal darkness then.

Yet we are told that after, we will have no need of these celestial bodies to provide us light. There “will no longer be any night” and we “will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine” us (Rev. 22:5). What glorious imagery! At that time, we will reign with Him forever (Rev. 4:5)!

Zechariah paints a similar picture, when he tells us, “In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light” (Zech. 14:6-7).

We have a blessed future on which we focus and in which we have our hope. For we will be united with Him in glory, and be with Him forever. Let us make this our focus, as we keep in our minds that in that time of darkness, “at evening time there will be light.”

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 4

"At evening time it shall be light." Zechariah 14:7

Oftentimes we look forward with forebodings to the time of old age, forgetful that at eventide it shall be light. To many saints, old age is the choicest season in their lives. A balmier air fans the mariner's cheek as he nears the shore of immortality, fewer waves ruffle his sea, quiet reigns, deep, still and solemn. From the altar of age the flashes of the fire of youth are gone, but the more real flame of earnest feeling remains. The pilgrims have reached the land Beulah, that happy country, whose days are as the days of heaven upon earth. Angels visit it, celestial gales blow over it, flowers of paradise grow in it, and the air is filled with seraphic music. Some dwell here for years, and others come to it but a few hours before their departure, but it is an Eden on earth. We may well long for the time when we shall recline in its shady groves and be satisfied with hope until the time of fruition comes. The setting sun seems larger than when aloft in the sky, and a splendour of glory tinges all the clouds which surround his going down. Pain breaks not the calm of the sweet twilight of age, for strength made perfect in weakness bears up with patience under it all. Ripe fruits of choice experience are gathered as the rare repast of life's evening, and the soul prepares itself for rest.
The Lord's people shall also enjoy light in the hour of death. Unbelief laments; the shadows fall, the night is coming, existence is ending. Ah no, crieth faith, the night is far spent, the true day is at hand. Light is come, the light of immortality, the light of a Father's countenance. Gather up thy feet in the bed, see the waiting bands of spirits! Angels waft thee away. Farewell, beloved one, thou art gone, thou wavest thine hand. Ah, now it is light. The pearly gates are open, the golden streets shine in the jasper light. We cover our eyes, but thou beholdest the unseen; adieu, brother, thou hast light at even-tide, such as we have not yet.

Psalms
Chapter 117

1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.




Psalms
Chapter 118

1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I had no idea John Schneider was a singer. He has done a beautiful job paying tribute to Charlie.
https://youtu.be/Tla80FkdxAs?si=0QgHLRRHhIalnoMy

Christian, do you struggle with temptation? You are not alone. Christ also was tempted in what He suffered, so He is able to come to your aid (Heb. 2:18).

The beauty of our relationship with our dear Savior lies in His experiential understanding of our condition. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Because of this, we are able to draw near to God’s throne so we can receive mercy and grace when we are weak (Heb. 4:16).

He knows our struggle. And God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to handle, nor will He leave us with no escape (1 Cor. 10:13).

Our strength lies in Him and the armor He provides us. Want to be able to “withstand all the fiery darts of the wicked?” Take up your shield of faith (Eph. 6:16).

Whatever your circumstance, “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, October 3

"He Himself hath suffered being tempted." Hebrews 2:18

It is a common-place thought, and yet it tastes like nectar to the weary heart- Jesus I was tempted as I am. You have heard that truth many times: have you grasped it? He was tempted to the very same sins into which we fall. Do not dissociate Jesus from our common manhood. It is a dark room which you are going through, but Jesus went through it before. It is a sharp fight which you are waging, but Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy. Let us be of good cheer, Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained footsteps of the King of glory may be seen along the road which we traverse at this hour. There is something sweeter yet- Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never sinned. Then, my soul, it is not needful for thee to sin, for Jesus was a man, and if one man endured these temptations and sinned not, then in His power His members may also cease from sin. Some beginners in the divine life think that they cannot be tempted without sinning, but they mistake; there is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation. Herein is comfort for the sorely tempted ones. There is still more to encourage them if they reflect that the Lord Jesus, though tempted, gloriously triumphed, and as He overcame, so surely shall His followers also, for Jesus is the representative man for His people; the Head has triumphed, and the members share in the victory. Fears are needless, for Christ is with us, armed for our defence. Our place of safety is the bosom of the Saviour. Perhaps we are tempted just now, in order to drive us nearer to Him. Blessed be any wind that blows us into the port of our Saviour's love! Happy wounds, which make us seek the beloved Physician. Ye tempted ones, come to your tempted Saviour, for He can be touched with a feeling of your infirmities, and will succour every tried and tempted one.

Brethren, we so often are caught up in our lives here in the physical realm that we forget or neglect the fact that there is a greater realm beyond this one, a spiritual realm. In that realm reside God’s angels, those ministering spirits and messengers who watch over us and attend us.

These angels heralded the birth of our Lord. They proclaimed the good news of salvation to the shepherds in the field. They informed Mary and those with her that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

Yet it is to use that Jesus gives help; not them. They are there to help us.

But it is also for this reason that we must hold fast to God’s word and not depart from it (Heb. 2:1). “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word” (Ps. 119:9).

The angels are witnesses surrounding us, so let us lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us and focus on our Lord, fixing our gaze upon our eternal destination (Heb. 12:1-2), being transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we do not conform to this world (Rom. 12:2).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 3

"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1:14

Angels are the unseen attendants of the saints of God; they bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord leads them to take a deep interest in the children of His love; they rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father's house below, and they welcome the advent of the believer to the King's palace above. In olden times the sons of God were favoured with their visible appearance, and at this day, although unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, that they may visit the heirs of salvation. Seraphim still fly with live coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly beloved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire about the servants of the Lord; for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the seed-royal. Spenser's line is no poetic fiction, where he sings:

How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!

To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven become their willing servitors! Into what communion are we raised since we have intercourse with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all the twenty- thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance! To whom do we owe all this? Let the Lord Jesus Christ be for ever endeared to us, for through Him we are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalities and powers. He it is whose camp is round about them that fear Him; He is the true Michael whose foot is upon the dragon. All hail, Jesus! thou Angel of Jehovah's presence, to Thee this family offers its morning vows.

Psalms
Chapter 115

1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:

7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

12 The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.

13 He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.

14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

15 Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.

18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.




Psalms
Chapter 116

1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.

12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,

19 In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Brethren, how glorious is the hope that is laid up for us in heaven (Col. 1:5). For “eye has not seen and ear has not heard…all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

Our inheritance is great. He “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for” us (1 Pet. 1:3:3-4).

This knowledge is wonderful and beyond full comprehension. And thus, our focus and hope should not be here on earth, nor should our love be for the things of the earth; for these are not from the Father and lead only away from Him (1 Jn. 2:15-16). Instead, let us forget what is behind, and “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Our calling is a higher one, and our hope is in eternity, not the temporal. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and your needs will be met (Mt. 6:33). Keep seeking and set your minds on things above, not the things of earth (Col. 3:1-2).

Our hope should bring us joy, because we know where our future lies.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”(Rom. 15:13).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 2

"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven." Colossians 1:5

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy here. It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there. Here we are weary and toilworn, but yonder is the land of rest where the sweat of labour shall no more bedew the worker's brow, and fatigue shall be for ever banished. To those who are weary and spent, the word "rest" is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we are so tempted within, and so molested by foes without, that we have little or no peace; but in heaven we shall enjoy the victory, when the banner shall be waved aloft in triumph, and the sword shall be sheathed, and we shall hear our Captain say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We have suffered bereavement after bereavement, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant grief to us, but there we shall be perfectly holy, for there shall by no means enter into that kingdom anything which defileth. Hemlock springs not up in the furrows of celestial fields. Oh! is it not joy, that you are not to be in banishment for ever, that you are not to dwell eternally in this wilderness, but shall soon inherit Canaan? Nevertheless let it never be said of us, that we are dreaming about the future and forgetting the present, let the future sanctify the present to highest uses. Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is the most potent force for the product of virtue; it is a fountain of joyous effort, it is the corner stone of cheerful holiness. The man who has this hope in him goes about his work with vigour, for the joy of the Lord is his strength. He fights against temptation with ardour, for the hope of the next world repels the fiery darts of the adversary. He can labour without present reward, for he looks for a reward in the world to come.

Psalms
Chapter 108

1 (A Song or Psalm of David.) O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.

7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.




Psalms
Chapter 109

1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.




Psalms
Chapter 110

1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.