Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 31, 2011

                                                                          Be of Good Cheer

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

                                                                                       ~ John 16:33

Jesus preaching the Word of God

in the Temple of the Lord.

  "My Lord's words are true; I have my share of tribulation beyond all doubt. How can I look to be at home in the enemy's country, joyful while in exile, or comfortable in a wilderness? This is not my rest. This is the place of the furnace, the forge, and the hammer.

  He bids me "be of good cheer." Yet I am too easily downcast. My spirit sinks when I am sorely tried. But I must not give way to this feeling. when my Lord bids me cheer up, I must not declare to be cast down.

Jesus ascending into heaven,

proving to the whole world

that He conquered sin & death.

  What is the argument that He uses to encourage me? His own victory! He says, "I have overcome the world." His battle was much more severe than mine. Why do I despair of overcoming? The enemy has been overcome. I fight with a beaten foe. Therefore, I am of good cheer and sing unto my conquering Lord."

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)



Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 30, 2011

                                                                            Holy Foresight

Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

                                                                          ~ Matthew 26:64

The priests accused Jesus Christ

of doing witchcraft, that He was

doing labor work on the Sabbath.

What these men did not know was

that the Lord's work never ends,

even on the Sabbath. God did not

mean, that we had to stop helping

people, or stop giving His word to

people. He meant that we were not to

do physical labor like yard work or

the actual labor of house work.

  "Lord, You were in Your lowest state when, before Your persecutors, You were made to stand beyond Your present humiliation into Your future glory. What words are these, "Nevertheless ... hereafter!" Instead of weakness, You have all power; instead of shame, all glory; instead of derision, all worship. Your cross has not dimmed the splendor of Your crown. Rather, You are the more exalted and honored because of Your sufferings.

    "I am the way, the truth, and the life;

    no one comes to the Father, but

    through Me."

                                       ~ John 14:6

  So, Lord, I also would take courage from the "hereafter." I would forget the present tribulation in the future triumph. Help me to think more and more of the hereafter and less of today. I shall be with You soon and behold Your glory. Therefore, I am not ashamed, but say in my inmost soul, "Nevertheless ... hereafter.""
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 29, 2011

                                                                        Fishers, Follow Me

Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
                                                                                     ~ Mark 1:17

  "Oh, how we long to be successful fishers for Jesus! But we are tempted to try methods that Jesus would never have tried. Shall we yield to this suggestion of the enemy? If so, we may splash the water, but we shall never take the fish. We must follow after Jesus if we would succeed. Sensational methods, entertainments, and so forth - are these coming after Jesus?

  We must keep to our preaching as our Master did, for by this means, souls are saved. We must preach our Lord's doctrine and proclaim a full and free gospel, for this is the net in which souls are taken. We must preach with His gentleness, boldness, and love; for this is the secret of success with human hearts. We must work under divine anointing, depending upon the sacred Spirit. Thus, coming after Jesus, and not running before Him, or aside from Him, we shall be fishers of men."

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 28, 2011

                                                       Remind God of His Promise

                                   You said, "I will surely treat you well."
                                                                                  ~ Genesis 32:12

JESUS SHOWING HIS
DISCIPLES HUMILITY

  "This is a sure way of prevailing with the Lord; humbly remind Him of what He has said. Our faithful God will never take back His word or leave it unfulfilled; yet He loves to be enquired of bu His people and put in mind of His promise. This is refreshing to their memories, reviving to their faith, and renewing to their hope.
  God's Word is given not for His sake, but for ours. His purposes are settled, and He needs nothing to bind Him to His design of doing His people good. But He wishes us to plead it and say to Him, "You said."

THE THIEF COMES TO STEAL, KILL, &
 DESTROY! BUT I COME TO GIVE LIFE

  "I will surely treat you well" is the essence of all the Lord's gracious sayings. He will do us good; real good, lasting good, only good, every good. With this promise in our hearts, we need not fear. If the Lord will do us good, who can do us hurt?"
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 27, 2011

                                                              As the Life, So the Fruit

If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
                                                                                 ~ 2 Peter 1:8

  "If we desire to glorify our Lord by fruitfulness, we must have certain things within us; for nothing can come out of us which is not first within us. We must begin with faith, which is the groundwork of all the virtues; and then diligently add to it virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness and brotherly love. All these put together will cause us to produce - as our life fruit - the clusters of usefulness, and we shall not be mere idle knowers, but real doers of the Word. These holy things must abound or we shall be barren. Fruit is the overflow of life, and we must be full before we can flow over.

For real usefulness, graces are better than gifts. As the man is, so is his work. If we would do better we must be better. Let the text be a gentle hint to unfruitful professors, and to myself also."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 26, 2011

                                                           Common Things Blessed

You shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water.
                                                                             ~ Exodus 23:25

  "What a privilege to have the blessing of the Lord resting upon us in all things! Our most common things become blessed when we ourselves are consecrated to the Lord. Our Lord Jesus took bread and blessed it; behold, we also eat of blessed bread. Jesus blessed water and made it wine. The divine blessing is on the man of God in everything, and it shall abide with him at every time.

  With God at our table, we not only ask a blessing, but we have one. It is not only at the altar but also at the table that He blesses us. He serves those well who serve Him well.
  This table blessing is not of debt, but of grace. Indeed, there is a trebled grace: He grants us grace to serve Him; by His grace He feeds us with bread; and then in His grace blesses it."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 25, 2011

                                                                                 God's Treasury

                     The Lord will open to you His good treasure.
                                                                   ~ Deuteronomy 28:12

  "This refers first to the rain. The Lord will give this in its season. Rain is the emblem of all those celestial refreshings that the Lord is ready to bestow upon His people. Oh, for a copious shower to refresh the Lord's heritage!
  We seem to think that God's treasury can only be opened by a great prophet like Elijah, but it is not so, for this promise is to all the faithful. You, too, may see heaven opened. Ask what you desire and you will not be denied, if you abide in Christ and His words abide in you.

  As yet you have not known all the Lord's treasures, but He shall open them up to your understanding. Only the Lord Himself can do this for you, but here is His promise. And if you will hear His voice and obey His will, His riches in glory by Christ Jesus shall be yours."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 24, 2011

                                                                             One a Majority!

One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.
                                                                              ~ Joshua 23:10

  "Why count heads? One man with God is a majority though there be a thousand on the other side. The Lord's hosts are never too few.
  When God would found a nation, He called Abram alone and blessed him. When He would vanquish proud Pharaoh, He used only Moses and Aaron. The "one man ministry" has been far more used of the Lord than trained bands with their officers. Did all the Israelites together slay so many as Samson alone? Saul and his hosts slew their thousands, but David his ten thousands.

  If we have God with us; what are multitudes of men? One shepherd's dog can drive before him a great flock of sheep. If the Lord sent you, His strength will accomplish His divine purpose. Therefore, rely on the promise, and be courageous."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 23, 2011

                                                                   Full Reliance on God

He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper.

                                                                                    ~ Psalm 72:12

GOD HEARS OUR CRIES FOR

HELP, AND SEND A HELPER,

TO FEED & CLOTHE US.

AS A CHILD OF GOD, IT IS

OUR DUTY TO HEAR OUR

FATHER, & DO HIS WORK

THAT HE HAS FOR US.

  "Let the needy reader take to crying at once, for this will be his wisdom. Do not cry in the ears of friends, the nearest way is to go straight to God, and let your cry come up before Him. Straight forward makes the best runner: run to the Lord, and not to secondary causes.

  Even for temporal mercies you may wait upon God, for He cares for His children in these temporary concerns. As for spiritual necessities, which are the heaviest of all, the Lord will hear your cry and will deliver you and supply you.

WHEN WE CRY OUT TO GOD
THE FATHER FOR SPIRITUAL
HELP, HE REACHES DOWN FROM
HEAVEN AND PICKS US UP &
FEEDS US HIS LIVING MANNA.

  O poor friend, try your rich God. O helpless one, lean on His help. He has never failed me, and I am sure He will never fail you. Come with no plea but His grace. Jesus is King; will He let you perish of want? Never! Did you forget this?"         

                                       (By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 22, 2011

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.
                                                                                    ~ Psalm 138:7

  "Wretched walking in the midst of trouble. No, blessed walking, since there is a special promise for it. What does my Lord teach me here to say? "You will revive me." I shall have more life, more energy, more faith. Is it not often so that trouble revives us like a breath of cold air?
  How angry are my enemies and especially the archenemy! Shall I stretch forth my hand and fight my foes? There is no need, for my God will use His far-reaching arm, and He will deal with them far better than I could. He will with His own right hand of power and wisdom save me, and what more can I desire?

  Come, my heart, talk this promise over until it becomes a song of confidence, the solace of your holiness. Pray to be revived and leave the rest with the Lord, who performs all things for you."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 21, 2011

                                                         Rain Without Clouds? Never!

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.
                                                                              ~ Ecclesiastes 11:3

JESUS SPOKE TO THE
SEA AND THE STORM
AND SAID BE STILL.

  "Why do we dread the clouds that now darken our shy? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will shine out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain, and the blacker they are, the more likely rain without clouds?
  Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will not drown us with wrath; He will refresh us with mercy. Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.

GOD'S HANDS OPENING
 UP THE SKY, SO THAT THE
 SUN MAY SHINE AGAIN.

  O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Your feet! How near You are in the cloudy dark day! Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 20, 2011

                                                                           We Dare Not Doubt

"I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron."
                                                                                        ~ Isaiah 45:2

The Lord Jesus Christ

  "This was for Cyrus; but it is also for the Lord's followers. Let us go forward by faith, and our way will be cleared for us. Crooks and turns of human craft and satanic subtlety shall be straightened for us. The gates and iron bars will be destroyed. We shall not need the battering ram: the Lord Himself will do the impossible for us.

Jesus and His army.

  Let us not fear. Let us press onward in the path of duty, for the Lord has said, "I will go before You." Ours is not to reason why; ours is but to dare and dash forward. It is the Lord's work, and He will enable us to do it: all impediments must yield before Him.
  Those who serve God have infinite resources. The way is clear to faith, though barred to human strength. When Jehovah says, "I will," as He does twice in this promise, we dare not doubt."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 19, 2011

                                                             We May Speak for God

Therefore thus says the Lord: "If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth."
                                                                           ~ Jeremiah 15:19

  "Poor Jeremiah! The weeping prophet was one of the choicest servants of God and honored by Him above many, yet he was hated for speaking the truth. The word which was so sweet to him was bitter to his hearers, yet he was accepted of his Lord. He was commanded to abide in his faithfulness, and then the Lord would continue to speak through him, "You shall be as My mouth."

  What an honor! Should not every believer covet it? We shall speak sure, pure truth; and we shall speak it with power. Our word shall not return void; it shall be a blessing to those who receive it. Our lips shall feed many. we shall arouse the sleeping and call the dead to life.
  Dear reader, pray that it may be so with all the sent servants of our Lord."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 18, 2011

                                                                           Losses Overcome

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten."
                                                                                      ~ Joel 2:25

  "Yes, those wasted years over which we sigh shall be restored to us. God can give us such plentiful days that we shall crowd into the remainder of our days as much of service as will be some recompense for those years of unregeneracy over which we mourn in humble penitence.
  The locusts of backsliding, worldliness, and lukewarmness are now viewed by us as a terrible plague. We can raise such harvests of spiritual graces as shall make our former barrenness disappear. Through rich grace we can turn to account our bitter experiences and use it to warn others. If we are the more watchful, zealous, and tender, we shall gain by our lamentable losses. The wasted years, by a miracle of love, can be restored. Let us believe for and live for it; and we may yet realize it. Lord, aid us by Your grace."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 17, 2011

                                                                             No Need to Stint

                            "The upright shall have good things in possession."
                                                                          ~ Proverbs 28:10

The greatest gift that God
gives us is His love for each
one of us. Sometimes it is
the way our children do
precious little things for
us that Gods love is in.

  "This is a remarkable promise. We are accustomed to think of our good things as in reversion, but here it says we shall have them in possession.
  All the malice and cunning of our enemies cannot work our destruction. Our inheritance is so entailed upon us that we shall not be kept out of it.

The possessions that God means
is the treasures that we store up
in heaven, not here on earth.
 When we store our possession
here on earth God tells us that
that is where our heart lies.

  But what have we now? We have the love of God set upon us. We have power with God in prayer in all time of need. We have the providence of God to watch over us, the angels of God to minister to us, and, above all, the Spirit of God to dwell in us. In fact, all things are ours. "Things present or things to come - all are yours" (1 Cor. 3:22). Jesus is ours. Hallelujah. Let us not pine and whine, since we have good things in possession. Let us rejoice in our God all the day."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 16, 2011

                                                                   We Receive as We Give

                      "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

                                                                                       ~ Matthew 5:7

  "It is not right that the man who will not forgive should be forgiven, nor shall he who will not give to the poor have his own wants relieved. God will measure to us with our own bushels. "Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:13).

  This day let us try to give and to forgive. Let us mind the two bears - bear and forbear. Let us be kind, gentle, and tender. Let us not drive hard bargains, or pick foolish quarrels, or be difficult to please. Surely we wish to be blessed: let us be merciful, that  we may have mercy. Let us fulfill the condition, that we may earn the beautitude. Is it not a pleasant duty to be kind? Is there not much more sweetness in it than in being angry and ungenerous? Why, there is blessedness in the thing itself!"
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 15, 2011

                                                                            God's High Places

           "I will set him on high, because he has known My name."
                                                                                   ~ Psalm 91:14

  "Does the Lord say this to me? Yes, if I have know His name. Blessed be the Lord, I am no stranger to Him. I have tried Him, and proved Him, and known Him; and therefore, do I trust Him. I know His name as a sin-hating God, for He will never wink at evil. But I also know Him as the sin-pardoning God, for He has forgiven me all trespasses. His name is faithfulness, and I know it, for He has never forsaken me.

  This knowledge is a gift of grace, and the Lord makes it to be the reason why He grants another grace gift - namely, setting on high. This is grace upon grace. Observe that if we climb on high, the position may be dangerous; but if the Lord sets us there, it is safe. When God sets us on high, Satan himself cannot pull us down."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 14, 2011

                                                                    Surgery for Healing

Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

                                                                                 ~ Hosea 6:1

THE LORD HEALED
THIS BOY. HE WAS
DEAD, UNTIL JESUS
HEALED HIM.

  "It is the Lord's way to tear before He heals. This is the honest love of His heart, and the sure surgery of His hand. He also bruises before He binds up, or else it would be uncertain work. The law comes before the gospel; the sense of need before the supply of it. Is the reader now under the convincing, crushing hand of the Spirit? This is a preliminary to healing and binding up.

THE LORD HEALS ALL WHO
ARE SICK AND DYING THAT
BELIEVE IN HIS HEALING
POWER. THOSE THAT DO NOT
BELIEVE WILL NOT HEAL
AS FAST AS THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

  Do not despair, but come to the Lord with all your wounds, bruises, and sores. He alone can heal, and He delights to do it. Let us show Him our gaping wounds, and beseech Him to know His own work and complete it. Will a surgeon make an incision, and then leave his patient to bleed to death? Will the Lord pull down our old house, and then refuse to build us a better one? Never!"
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 13, 2011

                                                                              Day Is at Hand

                                     "I will give him the morning star."

                                                                        ~ Revelation 2:28

  "Until the daybreak and the shadows flee away, what a blessing it is to see in Jesus "the morning star!"
  It is best to see Jesus as the sun; but when we cannot do so, the next best thing is to see Him as the star that prophesies the day and shows that eternal light is near. If I am not today all that I hope to be, Yet I see Jesus, that assures me that I shall one day be like Him. If I have not at this hour all the joy I could desire, yet I shall have it; for as surely as I see the morning star I shall see the day. The morning star is never far from the sun.

  Do you hold fast that truth, grace, hope, and love that the Lord has given you? Then in this, you have the dawn of coming glory."
(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 12, 2011

                                                                         Servants Honored

Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; so he who waits on his master will be honored.
                                                                          ~ Proverbs 27:18

  "He who tends the fig tree has figs for his pains, and he who waits on a good master has honor as his reward. To serve the Lord is to keep a fig tree of the sweetest figs. His service is in itself delight, continuance in it is promotion, success in it is blessedness below, and the reward for it is glory above.

  Angels, who are now our servitors, will bear us home when our day's work is done. Heaven, where Jesus is, will be our honorable mansion; eternal bliss, our honorable portion, and the Lord Himself, our honorable companion. Who can imagine the full meaning of this promise, "He who waits on his master will be honored"?
  Lord, help me to wait upon You. Let me leave all idea of honor to the hour when You Yourself will honor me. May Your Holy Spirit make me a lowly patient worker and waiter!"
(By:Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 11, 2011

                                                                             Wait for the Finals

Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last.
                                                                                ~ Genesis 49:19

  "Some of us have been like the tribe of Gad. Our adversaries were too many for us; they came upon us like a troop, and  for a moment they overcame us, and they exulted greatly because of their temporary victory.

  Being overcome is very painful, and we should have despaired if we had not by faith believed the second line of our Father's benediction, "He shall triumph at last." "All's well that ends well," said the world's poet; and he spoke the truth. A war is to be judged, not by first successes, but by that which happens at the end. The Lord will give to truth and righteousness, Victory "at last"; and, as Mr. Bunyan says, that means forever; for nothing can come after the last.

  what we need is patient perseverance to go through with suffering till we can say, "It is finished." Hallelujah! We believe the promise. "He shall triumph at last.'"

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 10, 2011

                                                                                      Fear Only God

We may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

                                                                                ~ Hebrews 13:6

  "Because God will never leave nor forsake us, we will never be left without a friend, a treasure, and a dwelling place. This assurance may make us feel quite independent of men. Under such high patronage, we do not feel tempted to cringe before our fellow men and ask of them permission to call our lives our own; but what we say, we boldly say and defy contradiction.

  He who fears God has nothing else to fear. We should stand in such awe of the living Lord that all the threats that can be used by the proudest persecutor should have no more effect upon us than the whistling of the wind. So we must bear the world's scorn. It breaks no bones. God helping us, let us be bold; and when the world rages let it rage, but let us not fear it."

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 9, 2011

                                                                                   Trust Means Joy

                          Our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.

                                                                                   ~ Psalm 33:21

ALL THE PEOPLE
REJOICED, FOR THE
LORD RAISE THE
BOY FROM THE DEAD.

  "The root of faith produces the flower of heart joy. We may not at first rejoice, but we will. We trust the Lord when we are sad, and in due season, He so answers our confidence that our faith turns to fruition and we rejoice in the Lord.

  The psalmist's assurance in this verse is a promise, held out in the hands of holy confidence. If we do not rejoice at this moment, yet we shall do so, as surely as David's God is our God.

  Let us meditate upon the Lord's holy name, that we may trust Him the better and rejoice the more readily. He is in character holy, just, true,gracious, faithful, and unchanging. Jehovah Jireh will provide; Jehovah Shalom will send peace, Jehovah tsidkenu will justify; Jehovah Shammah will be forever near; and Jehovah Nissi will conquer every foe. They who know Your name will trust You and will rejoice in You, Lord."

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)

Faith's Checkbook (By: C.H. Spurgeon)

May 8, 2011 
           

                                                                                        Help Wanted

                              "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive."

                                                                                   ~ Matthew 20:7

  "Yes, here is work in Christ's vineyard for old bodies. It is the eleventh hour, and yet He will let us work. What great grace is this! Surely every old man ought to jump at this invitation! After men are advanced in years, nobody wants to employ them; they go from shop to shop, and employers look at their gray hairs and shake their heads. But Jesus will engage old people and give them good wages too! Lord, help the aged to enlist in Your service without an hour's delay.

  But will the Lord pay wages to worn-out old men? Do not doubt it. He will grant present comfort and future rest: strength equal to your day, and a vision of glory when the night of death comes on. All these the Lord Jesus will as freely give to the aged convert as to one who enters His service in his youth."

(By: Charles H. Spurgeon ~ One Minute Devotions)