Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, October 21

"The love of Christ constraineth us." 2 Corinthians 5:14

How much owest thou unto my Lord? Has He ever done anything for thee? Has He forgiven thy sins? Has He covered thee with a robe of righteousness? Has He set thy feet upon a rock? Has He established thy goings? Has He prepared heaven for thee? Has He prepared thee for heaven? Has He written thy name in His book of life? Has He given thee countless blessings? Has He laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not seen nor ear heard? Then do something for Jesus worthy of His love. Give not a mere wordy offering to a dying Redeemer. How will you feel when your Master comes, if you have to confess that you did nothing for Him, but kept your love shut up, like a stagnant pool, neither flowing forth to His poor or to His work. Out on such love as that! What do men think of a love which never shows itself in action? Why, they say, "Open rebuke is better than secret love." Who will accept a love so weak that it does not actuate you to a single deed of self-denial, of generosity, of heroism, or zeal! Think how He has loved you, and given Himself for you! Do you know the power of that love? Then let it be like a rushing mighty wind to your soul to sweep out the clouds of your worldliness, and clear away the mists of sin. "For Christ's sake" be this the tongue of fire that shall sit upon you: "for Christ's sake" be this the divine rapture, the heavenly afflatus to bear you aloft from earth, the divine spirit that shall make you bold as lions and swift as eagles in your Lord's service. Love should give wings to the feet of service, and strength to the arms of labour. Fixed on God with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honour Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and pressing on with an ardour never to be wearied, let us manifest the constraints of love to Jesus. May the divine loadstone draw us heavenward towards itself.

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.

Believer, Scripture tells us that in times past, God spoke to His people through prophets, carrying them along by His Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20), revealing His plans so that His people might be aware; but when the time had come, He sent His Son to speak directly to us, and to save us (Heb. 1:1).

"Many prophets and righteous men desired to see" Jesus, and to hear what He came to say, yet never saw nor heard (Mt. 13:17). Yet we have His word, recorded also by men inspired of God, so that we might be taught, reproved, corrected, and trained, so that we would be fully equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Oh the wonder that God should reveal so much to us! Oh the blessing to be able to spend time in His word hearing from Him each day! Brethren, are you forsaking this time?

Yes, we are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), and spiritual ones at that, so we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-16), but we cannot simply sit and discern God's word without actually reading it.

Brothers and sisters, if you truly wish to grow in your relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, spend time in His word. For it is through His word that He reveals Himself to us, and getting to know Him is crucial to our walk in the Spirit. After all, this is eternal life, that we may know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (Jn. 17:3).

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Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, September 9

"I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3

There are different translations of these words. One version renders it, "I will shew thee great and fortified things." Another, "Great and reserved things." Now, there are reserved and special things in Christian experience: all the developments of spiritual life are not alike easy of attainment. There are the common frames and feelings of repentance, and faith, and joy, and hope, which are enjoyed by the entire family; but there is an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwelling-place of believers. We have not all the high privilege of John, to lean upon Jesus' bosom; nor of Paul, to be caught up into the third heaven. There are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle's eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen: God alone can bear us there; but the chariot in which He takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is dragged, are prevailing prayers. Prevailing prayer is victorious over the God of mercy, "By his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto Him: he found Him in Beth-el, and there He spake with us." Prevailing prayer takes the Christian to Carmel, and enables him to cover heaven with clouds of blessing, and earth with floods of mercy. Prevailing prayer bears the Christian aloft to Pisgah, and shows him the inheritance reserved; it elevates us to Tabor and transfigures us, till in the likeness of his Lord, as He is, so are we also in this world. If you would reach to something higher than ordinary grovelling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and gaze with the eye of faith through the window of importunate prayer. When you open the window on your side, it will not be bolted on the other.

Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, July 20

"The earnest of our inheritance." Ephesians 1:14

Oh! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, what delight of heart is experienced by that man who has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. Yet the realization which we have of Christ's preciousness is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, "'Tis but a taste!" We have tasted "that the Lord is gracious," but we do not yet know how good and gracious He is, although what we know of His sweetness makes us long for more. We have enjoyed the firstfruits of the Spirit, and they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fulness of the heavenly vintage. We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption. Here we are like Israel in the wilderness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol, there we shall be in the vineyard. Here we see the manna falling small, like coriander seed, but there shall we eat the bread of heaven and the old corn of the kingdom. We are but beginners now in spiritual education; for although we have learned the first letters of the alphabet, we cannot read words yet, much less can we put sentences together; but as one says, "He that has been in heaven but five minutes, knows more than the general assembly of divines on earth." We have many ungratified desires at present, but soon every wish shall be satisfied; and all our powers shall find the sweetest employment in that eternal world of joy. O Christian, antedate heaven for a few years. Within a very little time thou shalt be rid of all thy trials and thy troubles. Thine eyes now suffused with tears shall weep no longer. Thou shalt gaze in ineffable rapture upon the splendour of Him who sits upon the throne. Nay, more, upon His throne shalt thou sit. The triumph of His glory shall be shared by thee; His crown, His joy, His paradise, these shall be thine, and thou shalt be co-heir with Him who is the heir of all things.

That is so true! So many people talk about it, but it is not even spoke of in the Bible! So many say, we won’t be here during the “tribulation” God is taking us out. I’m thinking, yeah right, what makes you better than everyone else. They are listening to their 501 c 3 “preachers” Government owned.

Commissioner777
8h
Commissioner777

There is no pre tribulation rapture!!! How many times does our Jesus have to point that out before people understand what they’re reading?

If not heard, the Pope fighting pneumonia is receiving oxygen and blood transfusions. The antibiotic regimen did not help and his heath for now is slipping.

Why is this significant, by the prophesy of 15 Century Saint, Saint Malachi who has predicted and named accurately every new pope for the past 600 years has prophesied that this is the last Pope of the Catholic Church. We may be closer to the end times, tribulation, and rapture than ever before. Be vigilant, pray, and be faithful.

Are We in the Midst of a Noah Redux? –An Intro
https://tinyurl.com/4ptnttzy

SUMMARY: I ran into an interesting post on the Christian website Rapture Ready entitled, “The Days of Noah Redux”. The premise is that the days prior to Noah’s Flood was an Earth culture so corrupt and deviant from the Creator’s Design, that the Almighty decided to wash it all away and start a do-over with Noah’s family. The “Redux” being that world-wide culture has again been overtaken by corruption and deviancy displeasing to the Creator….MORE TO READ!
#NoahRedux #JesusArk #RemnantAwareness

HAHAHAHA there's no "rapture" in the Bible. READ IT.
Still Here
https://terrylclark.substack.com/p/still-here?publication_id=934525&post_id=143466151&isFreemail=false&r=1maoyr&triedRedirect=true

“There may be too much religious fervor and excitement in some religious gatherings, but surely not in many; and most churches need to pray earnestly for a new moving and inspiration of the Holy Spirit in order that the hearts of the worshippers may know something of the passion, the joy, the rapture, the exultation, the triumphant hope, which was the common experience of the early Christians even in Corinth.”
Charles Erdman-pg 131- First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.

Jesus keep me near the cross
There's a precious fountain
Free to all...a healing stream
That flows from Calvary's mountain
In the cross, in the cross
Be my Glory ever
Til my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river....

If you do not know the LORD Jesus Christ as your Savior; if you have not repented of your sins, and have not acknowledged that the LORD Jesus Christ died for your sins, I pray that you will do that right now, because the next millisecond is not promised to you. The time is right for Jesus to come back and take His people up in the rapture. If you are not one of His own, you will be left behind. If you are left behind, there is a better than good chance that you will spend eternity in hell. He could also come and require your soul individually. You could get into your car and have a fatal accident. You could die in a house fire. You could contract a deadly disease. You could take a bullet that is meant for someone else. You may have a health issue that takes your life. Anything could happen and your life could be over. I hope that you will not let this moment pass without asking the LORD to save your soul.

We might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasoning of the theological mind.
~AW Tozer, "The Knowledge of the Holy"

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Paul was bold in his stance for the Gospel, despite the fact that he was spouting a worldview that was almost unbelievable: that Jesus Christ was crucified, dead and buried, but was raised to life and now lives at the right hand of the Father. To the carnal mind, this is foolishness! There is no way that happened. But to the believer, it is their lifeline. It is what changed the trajectory of the believer's life and eternity. It is truth, believed by faith, and that faith is only attainable by the power of the Holy Spirit. No one can be saved without placing their faith in the fact that Jesus died and was raised again to life.

Paul was not only bold in his stance, but he was clear about his target. His message was good for all, the Jews and the Greeks. The same is true today. The Gospel is salvation for the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. It is available to all and it works for all. No matter your ethnicity or nationality, if you place your faith in the LORD Jesus, repent of your sin and submit your life to Him, He will welcome you into the kingdom of God. He has a place prepared for you, which is called heaven, where all of the believers will spend eternity after the point of physical death, or the rapture, whichever happens first.

If you do not know Him, don't let this moment pass without repenting of your sin. Call on Him to be the Savior in your life and LORD over your life. You do not want to leave earth without the Savior. Romans 10:9-13