Skip to main content

More Thoughts From Charles Spurgeon

Greetings Friends,

Some days are slower than others. For me, today is not one of them! Therefore, I will be sending out a much shorter thought! I spoke with someone on a call earlier today and they mentioned how they bought a book I recommended -- "Beside Still Waters - Words of Comfort for the Soul." It is a book with the writings of Charles Spurgeon updated into today's language by Roy Clarke.
In our conversation she said, "It's amazing how many of them speak so clearly into what we are going through now." In light of her words I simply opened my copy and decided to send the first one I looked at. She was right. Enjoy.

"God has fixed the time of our death (Job 7:1). It is useless to dream of living here forever. A time of departure must come unless the Lord returns. If He returns before our departure, then "we who are alive and remain shall be caught up... in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (I Thess. 4:17).

Here diseases wait in ambush, eager to slay. But, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge... You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near to you" (Psalm 91:4-7). We are immortal until our work is done. Then we shall receive our summons home.
If duty calls you into danger, if you have to nurse the contagious sick, do not hold back. You will not die by a stray arrow from death's quiver; only God can take your breath. Your death is not left to chance. It is determined by a heavenly Father's gracious will (Psalm 139:16). Therefore, do not be afraid. Now do not be reckless and rush into danger without reason, for that is madness. Yet, never fear to face death when God's voice calls you into danger.
Here is comfort: If the Father of our Lord Jesus arranges all, then our friends do not die untimely deaths. Believers are not cut off before their time. God has appointed a time to harvest His fruit. Some are sweet, even in the early Spring, and He gathers them. Others, like baskets of Summer fruit, are taken while the year is young. Yet some remain until Autumn mellows them.. Be sure of this: Each will be gathered in its season. God has appointed the commencement, the continuation, and the conclusion of your mortal life. Do not be afraid."
Blessings on your week. As I have told my flock a couple times now, this is for many a time when God has sovereignly opened your schedules and blessed you with extra time. Make sure you use some of that time to pray and get into the Word. It's not a time for binge watching TV, or old reruns, or the same old movies, it's a God-given opportunity to be alone with the Father who loves you, and to speak with Him in prayer, and listen as He speaks to you through His Word. Disconnect from streaming and the internet and pray. As John Piper has said, "One of the greatest uses of Facebook will be to prove on the Last Day that prayerlessness was not due to a lack of time." No one who is in the Word can ever say, "God never speaks to me."

In His Grace, Pastor Jeff

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thoughts from Charles Spurgeon on Chronic Pain

Dear Friends, Life is not always easy. Things come our way that inflict pain and wound the heart. Sickness can steal away our energy and strength for a time – though it is more difficult when it is chronic. My father was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 43 and struggled with its effects until he passed away at 85 – being told close to that time that his physical body was like that of a 110-year-old. Being in constant pain earned him the occasional nick-name, “Grumpy Grampy.” I could understand why. Pain is no fun. I’m not the easiest to be around when I’m in constant pain either. And as John Owen once pointed out, “It is not the intensity of the trial, but its longevity, that eats away at our resolve.” Therefore, if you are struggling in this area (or know someone who is), today I offer you some helpful words from Charles Spurgeon. Yet, it helps to point out he was not giving advice as one who did not himself struggle. He battled much of his life with depressi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thoughts From Charles Spurgeon

Dear Friends, Sometimes spiritual truths are best understood using illustrations that include things familiar to us in our everyday lives. To come up with some of his best illustrations Charles Spurgeon would spend considerable blocks of time walking down the street, through gardens, into the fields and woods, and visiting those places where his parishioners worked and lived. It is surely one of the reasons he has been called, “The Prince of Preachers." One of the best preachers in all church history. He gives some credit for learning to do this to the Puritan Thomas Manton. Speaking of Manton’s writings (which consist of 22 volumes, mostly sermons), Spurgeon says, “There is not one poor discourse in the whole collection; he is evenly good, constantly excellent.” Along with Richard Sibbes (another Puritan) Manton was one of Spurgeon’s ‘mentors’ as a preacher. His first book of illustrations, entitled “Feathers for Arrows” was phenomenally popular, so 13 years later he wrote...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thoughts On Anxiety

Dear Friends, Recent studies have shown that 32.3% of the U.S. population (110,618,560 people) report dealing with anxiety/stress/worry symptoms (*2023 Household Pulse Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau). That’s down about 10% from November of 2020 when 42.6% of the population (147,260,958 people) reported symptoms. Yet it’s still very high – with the highest percentage of those being between 18-24 years old. Therefore, today, I wanted to pass along some “thoughts” (20 to be exact) that speak to the issues of anxiety/stress/worry. If you happen to be one of the people who wrestles with any of these, I hope you find this selection helpful. Enjoy. “Anxiety is contemplating your future apart from seeing the hand of a loving and sovereign God directing and guiding it.” “Though there is much to be puzzled about, there is nothing to be worried about.” C. S. Lewis “We fly off the handle because we flew away from anything having a handle to hold on to a long time ago.” Gar...
Post a Comment
Read more