The Curtain Falls

 Unbeliever, what is your hope?

To live long? Yes, and what then?

To bring up a family? Yes, and what then?

To see them comfortably settled in life? Yes, and what then?

To be a grandfather to a numerous progeny? Yes, and what then?

To reach extreme old age in peaceful retirement? Yes, and what then?

The curtain falls! Let me lift it:

The cemetery.

The judgment throne of God.

Sentence on your soul.

The trumpet of resurrection.

Final doom.

Body and soul in Hell forever.

You have no better prospect.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Matthew 25:46 ... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Hebrews 10:26-27 ... For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ❤

Prayer at All Times!!

Frequently we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy in which we can do without His constant upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion with Him, or in temptation we alike need the prayer, "Do not forsake me, O Lord!" "Hold me up and I shall be safe!" (Psalm 119:117)

A little child, while learning to walk always needs the parent's aid. The ship left by the navigator drifts at once from her course. We cannot do without continuous preservation from our God!

Let this be your prayer every day:

"Do not forsake me, O Lord! Do not be far from me, O my God!

 Father, do not forsake Your child lest he fall by the hand of the enemy.

 Shepherd, do not forsake Your lamb lest he wander from the safety of the fold.

 Great Gardener, do not forsake Your tender plant lest it wither and die!

 Do not forsake me now, O Lord! And do not forsake me at any moment of my life.

 Do not forsake me in my joys lest they absorb my heart.

 Do not forsake me in my sorrows lest I murmur against You.

 Do not forsake me for without You I am weak, but with You I am strong.

 Do not forsake me for my path is dangerous and full of snares.

 Do not forsake me for I cannot travel without Your guidance.

 The hen does not forsake her chicks. O Lord, give me refuge under Your wings.

 Do not be far from me, O Lord, for trouble is near and there is none to help.

 Do not forsake me, O Lord! Do not be far from me, O God of my salvation!"

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Psalm 38:21 ...  Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.

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Seeking God ...

Scripture demands that our seeking God should be done with all our heart. There are several ways of seeking God which must prove to be utter failures:

One is to seek him with no heart at all. This is done by those who take their book and read prayers, never thinking of what they say; or who attend a place of worship, and hear others pray, but never enter in. This is done by those who bend the knee in the evening, and mutter pious words, but never think; or those who rise in the morning and read sacred sentences but never consider; or those who with regard to divine things, are as little concerned as if the gospel were all a legend or an old wives' tale, not worth a moment's thought.

When I have been traveling, I have sometimes seen women reading those trashy novels. I have seen them waste their tears on some imaginary heroine or hero and yet they and others hear about the majesty and the love of God, without emotion. They read of Heaven and Hell, and Christ and God, with scarcely a thought.

Dear friend, you will never find the Lord if you seek him in a heartless, unthinking manner. God is not mocked. If any of you have fallen into a formal religion and seek the Lord without your heart, then your seeking is in vain.

Some seek God with a false heart. Their piety is a transient feeling, and not deep soul-work. It is mere sentimentality, and not the engraving of God's Spirit upon the heart. Beware of a false religious excitement of being borne up with religious gas as some are, inflated like balloons by a tear-jerking sermon, only to burst by-and-by when most they need something to support them. May God grant us to be saved from a lie in the heart, for it is a deadly canker, fatal to all hope of finding the Lord.

Some seek him, also, with a double heart. They have a heart towards God, and they have a heart towards sin. They have a heart towards the pardon, but they have also a heart towards the transgression. They would gladly serve both God and Mammon. They would build an altar for Jehovah and still keep Dagon in his place.

If your heart is divided, then you will be found lacking. Those prayers will never get to Heaven, which only fly upward with one wing. If one oar pulls towards earth and the other towards Heaven, then the boat of the soul will revolve in a circle of folly but never reach the happy shore. Beware of a double heart.

Some seek God with half a heart. They have a little concern and are not altogether indifferent. They somewhat think when they pray, or read, or sing but their thoughts are quite trivial and inconsequential. Superficial in all things, the seed is sown in stony ground, and soon it is withered away because there is no depth of earth. May the Lord save us from this.

Now, you who are seeking Christ, remember that if you would find Him, then you must neither seek Him without heart, nor with a false heart, nor with a double heart, nor with a half heart. But "You shall find Me," says the Lord, "when you shall search for Me with all your heart."

If your hearts are not right with God, then you must take your place with the wicked in Hell. Lost man! What will you do when you go down to eternal Hell?

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Jeremiah 29:13 ...  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Acts 17:27 ... That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Mark 4:16-17 ... And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. ❤

An Anvil ...

The Scriptures contain: the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of lost sinners, and the happiness of believers.

Christians must depend upon God's Word as their only creed. They do not add to it anything whatever no, not a sentence or a thought. Those have greatly erred, who look upon anything as the authoritative standard of belief, but God's own Word. The Christian is not bound to any beliefs, but that which God Himself has revealed in His Word.

I have nothing to do with human creeds as the standard of my beliefs. The only point I have to do with is this:  What does God say?  What does His Word say?

Within the covers of the Bible, you find all theology. Nothing outside of this Book is binding on a Christian man as doctrine, in the least degree whatever. The Bible and the Bible alone is the creed of Christians. The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed.

We yield implicit faith to all that He has revealed, and to nothing else. A true church of God will say, "The Word of the Lord is to us, our infallible source of doctrine, and that alone."

The Bible alone is the Christian's chart, compass, map, and guide. He who would make progress in the heavenly voyage, must sail by this divine chart. The more you read the Bible, and the more you meditate upon it; the more you will be astonished with it.

[Chareles H. Spurgeon]

Psalm 19:7-11 ... The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.

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Dear Heavy Heart

Heavy heart, this book is meant for you. He who sends forth this volume knows the heart of a mourner by a kindred experience and is most anxious to be a "son of consolation" to the sorrowing. This little volume is meant to scare the night-raven, of which Milton tells us that it sits "where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings." By most men it is known as Religious Melancholy, but we call it by the older and more scriptural name of Mourning in Zion. By whatever name it is called it is none the more pleasant.

To meet the sadness of the heart, we have taken a prescription, not from Galen or Hippocrates, but from the great gospel prophet, Isaiah; and its one and only ingredient is Christ Jesus himself, who is anointed to comfort the distressed in heart, and fulfills his office by giving himself to them to meet all their needs. The sermons which make up this book are full of Christ Jesus, the consolation of Israel; and if, in any degree, they cheer the desponding it will be entirely due to himself, their object and their theme. He is to a mourning heart:

"Sweet as refreshing dews or summer showers; To the long parching thirst of drooping flowers."

No heart, however broken, needs any balm but Jesus to work its perfect cure. Sorrows, which like Noah's flood, drown all are soon assuaged by a word from his lips. Get him and keep him, O bruised and bleeding heart and you are healed. For broken hearts the broken-hearted Savior died, and for them he lives and pleads. Look to him, mourner and the black horror of despair shall end.

Your heartily,
Charles Spurgeon

Isaiah 61:3 ...  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ❤

Solomon's Song ...

When inward piety is low, then the externals of religion are frequently made much of. The Pharisees, who were furthest from God, were the most bitter advocates of ritualism and formalism. They would not even have a man healed on the Sabbath day or allow the hungry to rub a few ears of corn out of the husks.

It is not always so, but yet too often:  "The nearer the church, the further from God."

The more of religious display, the less of genuine grace.  The more visible religiosity, the less of heart holiness.   The more of religious machinery, the less of true godliness.

Beloved, let us not only have Christ in the head, but Christ in the heart. Know all we can about Him, for everything we learn about Jesus, ought to be another argument for affection to Him. How I loved Him when I only knew myself as a sinner, and Jesus as a Savior. But oh, I love Him more as I see my greater sinfulness, and his greater mercy and grace!

Oh, to get more knowledge, and then to have our hearts enlarged that we may love Him more and more! You can love other things too much; but not your Lord. Embrace Him. Cry in the language of Solomon's Song, "Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth!" The unsaved do not understand this Song: they say it is a mere love-ditty. They never will understand it until the Lord Jesus is precious to their hearts; and when He is once there as their joy and their all, then they will need just such golden speech as Solomon's Song.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Song of Solomon 1:2 ...  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

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Father Knows Best!

Let the Lord do as He wills to us. He will never be unkind to us. He has always been our friend; He will never be our foe!

He will never put us into His furnace, unless He means to purge the dross out of us. Nor will there be one degree more heat in that furnace than is absolutely necessary. There will always be mercy to balance the misery, and strength supplied to support the burden to be borne.

Oh, children of God, your Father knows best! Leave everything in His hands and be at peace, for all is well.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Psalm 39:9 ... I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

1 Samuel 3:18 ...  And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 ... Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

~~~ Happy Father's Day 2026 ~~~

God's View of Sin ...

If we would know how God views sin, we must not measure it by how lightheartedly man treats it, nor by how common it appears in the world, nor even by how it wounds our own conscience. We must measure sin by the cross. Sin is not merely a mistake, a weakness, or an unfortunate choice. It is a direct offense against the holiness of the eternal God. Sin is a daring defiance of His Word, a trampling upon His glory, and a mockery of His authority.

But if we would truly understand the infinite evil of sin, we must look to Calvary. There, on the accursed tree, God unveiled His view of sin. He did not even spare His own beloved Son, when He stood in the sinner's place. What horror must belong to sin, when its payment required the abandonment of the sinless One by His own Father? What dreadful weight must sin carry, that it could crush the eternal Son of God into the dust of death? What must God think of sin, when He would lay upon Jesus the iniquity of His people, and exact from Him every drop of wrath which our guilt deserved? 

Behold the bloodied brow, the pierced hands, the parched lips, the darkened sky, the cry of dereliction: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!" (Matthew 27:46) These are God's thunderous declarations that sin is no trifle. Sin is not something He can simply overlook. Sin is a monster so vile, that it demanded nothing less than the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Here is a sight too deep for words: the infinitely holy One, bruised for the utterly unholy. Jesus, the Righteous, suffers for the unrighteous because God is too pure to let sin go unpunished. The cross is not only the supreme display of divine love, but also the supreme revelation of divine justice. Never again can we doubt how God views sin. He hates it with a holy hatred. And yet, in that same moment, we see something else: God's matchless grace. For He who spared not His own Son, has also made a way for sinners to be fully cleansed and forgiven.

Holy and righteous God, open my eyes to see sin as You see it. May I never trifle with that sin which nailed my Savior to the cross. Let the horror of Golgotha humble me, and let the mercy found there, lead me to hate sin and cling to Jesus, who bore it all in my place. Amen.

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[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Habakkuk 1:13 ... Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Psalm 5:4-5 ... For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. ❤

Greatest Earthly Blessing

I bear witness that the worst days I have ever had, have turned out to be my best days. In the same way, when God has seemed to be the unkindest to me, He has then been the most kind. If there is anything in this world for which I would thank Him more than for all else, it is for pain and affliction. I am sure that in these things, His richest and tenderest love has been most manifested towards me. I am certain that I have never grown in grace, one-half so much anywhere else, as I have upon the bed of pain. I have learned to kiss the wave, that throws me against the Rock of Ages.

Affliction is the best piece of furniture in my house. It is the best book in a minister's library. Those who dive in the sea of affliction, bring up rare pearls.

God's love letters are often sent in black envelopes. The cloud that is black with horror, is big with mercy. We may not ask for trouble; but if we were wise, we would look upon affliction as the harbinger of an unusually great blessing.

Dread the calm: it is often treacherous; and the pestilence is often lurking beneath its wing. Fear not the storm: it brings healing in its wings, and when Jesus is with you in the vessel, then the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.

God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. The furnace of affliction is the most beneficial place for you, Christian.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Hebrews 12:5-12 ...   And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

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Arranging of Our Own Lives

Dear friend, in the matter of your present trial and trouble you have been trying to figure out the design of the Almighty, but without success. You must realize that His ways are past finding out. In all probability, you may never discover God's purpose in your present trial, on this side of eternity.

But that He has a purpose is certain, and His purpose is a wise and kind one. It is such as you yourself would delight in, if you were capable of understanding it. If you could have a mind like God, then you would exactly act as God does, even in this matter that now troubles you. At present your thoughts are far below those of God, and therefore you err when you try to measure His ways.

If you have a quarrel with your heavenly Father about a bereavement or a sickness, then end it at once with humble shame. If it ever comes to a question as to which is right: a poor, ignorant, inexperienced child or a great, good, wise Father; then there cannot be a moment's deliberation: the father's will must be better for the child, than its own will.

Jesus knows what He is doing, and why He is doing it. He has a wise and good reason for loss of your health, those pains in your body, your depression of spirit,

your lack of success in business, even for the allowance of the cruel tongue of slander to inflict its wounds upon you!

In every trial and affliction, we must always trust that Jesus knows what He is doing and that all He does is done in infinite wisdom and love for us, and so it is the best for us.

(The following quotes are also from Spurgeon, but from various other sermons:)

"If we were as wise as God, then we would do just what He now does with us. If we could see all things as He sees them, then we would order all our affairs exactly as He orders them."

"Had we the choosing of our lot, and could we see the end from the beginning, then we would say, 'Lord, choose for me!' For we would feel that if we were as wise as God, then we would make precisely the same choice which He has made for us."

"If we had the arranging of our own lives, and the disposing of all events, and were as wise as God; then we would let things stay exactly as they now are."

"Beloved, if you could be as wise as God, then you would never wish to have a single trial altered. You would desire that the whole course of your life should be precisely as it is."

"The Lord has lent me everything that I have. And now that He has called them back, I will bless His name for having let me enjoy them for so long."

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Job 1:21 ... And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Psalm 119:67 ... Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Romans 8:28 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ❤

If I could Hear Jesus ...

The priesthood of Jesus is unlike anything this world has ever known. Earthly priests came and went, bound by mortality and sin. But Jesus, the sinless Son of God, lives forever. His priesthood is permanent, unchanging, and perfect.

And because He lives forever, He is able to save completely. Not partially. Not temporarily. Completely. From the deepest guilt; from the power of sin to the punishment, it deserves. He is mighty to save. No believer is ever beyond His reach.

No sin is too dark for His cleansing blood. No soul is too entangled in sin for His delivering hand.

This complete salvation flows from a wondrous truth: He always lives to intercede for His chosen and redeemed people. Even now, in this very moment Jesus is interceding for US. He is not pleading for mercy as one who is uncertain of the outcome. Rather, as the crucified and risen Savior, He presents His perfect sin-atoning sacrifice before the Father. His nail-scarred hands are the eternal evidence that the price has been paid in full, the wrath of God has been satisfied, justice has been upheld, and His mercy flows freely.

We are not kept by our own power, but by the power of God. If we had to keep ourselves, we would be like the spider's web swept away by the first rough wind of temptation or persecution. The saints shall never perish. They are not only saved, but safe. They are not only pardoned but preserved. The same grace that chose them and redeemed them also secures them to the end!

If I could hear Jesus praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference He is praying for me.

What comfort this brings to every believer. When our prayers falter, His do not. When our faith is weak, His intercession is strong. When Satan accuses, Jesus speaks. We do not stand before God on the strength of our own performance, but on the everlasting merit of our High Priest. Our Priest lives; and while He lives, His people are safe. The unchangeable Christ is the rock of our confidence. Your salvation is as secure as His throne in Heaven!

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Hebrews 7:24-25 ... But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

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Tremble At His Word!!

In a world that mocks the Bible, treats it as worthless, or as a mere relic of the past the command to honor God's Word is more urgent than ever. Just as the third commandment forbids taking God's name in vain, so we must beware of taking His Word in vain handling it carelessly, without reverence, or treating it with cold familiarity.

God Himself declares whom He esteems: the one who is humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at His Word. This trembling is a holy reverence, a heart that is deeply affected by the authority and purity of God's truth. It is the posture of one who believes every word is breathed out by the Almighty and dares not treat it lightly or flippantly.

David, though a king, bowed his heart before Scripture. "My heart trembles at Your Word," he said. It was not terror, but solemn respect. Not dread, but delight mixed with deep reverence. He knew that every syllable came flawless from the mouth of the living God.

To take God's Word in vain is to read it without faith, to hear it without obedience, to quote it without submission. It is to reduce divine truth to an intellectual theory, a religious tradition, or a self-help slogan. God is not silent about such dishonor. He esteems not the proud, nor the clever but the broken-hearted saint who reverences and clings to His Word as life itself. God's Word is His love letter to His redeemed people stained with the blood of His Son, sealed with His Spirit, and full of precious promises.

If we would honor God, we must tremble at what He has spoken. Let His Word correct us, rebuke us, humble us, and lead us. Let us never handle it lightly or foolishly, but receive it with meekness, as God's voice in print.

Lord, create in us a humble and contrite spirit. Let our hearts tremble before Your holy Word. May we never take it in vain but cherish it, reverence it and honor it.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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Psalm 119:161 ... Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

Isaiah 66:2 ...  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. ❤

Taking His Name in Vain...

This commandment, often overlooked in its full weight, strikes at the very heart of how we regard the holy character of God. It is a solemn warning against treating anything related to God with irreverence or triviality. God should always and only be regarded with deep reverence and awe--with a profound sense of His divine grandeur.

In Scripture, God's name represents all that He is: His majesty, His holiness, His truth, His faithfulness, and his glorious attributes. To take His name in vain is to treat what is sacred, as common. It is to speak of Him without reverence to utter His name lightly, or thoughtlessly, or flippantly.

Such misuse is not hidden from the omniscience of the Almighty. He has declared with unwavering certainty: "The Lord will not leave him unpunished, who takes His name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) This is not an idle threat. It is a fearful reminder of God's holy regard for who He truly is.

Let us examine our hearts. Do we always treat God's name with the awe and reverence that it deserves? May we never drag His name into the dust, by using it without reverence. Instead, may we honor Him with lips and lives that reflect the glory of His holy name.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Matthew 6:9 ...  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

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Seasons of Darkness

The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written in God's Word, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace;" and it is a great truth, that saving religion is calculated to give a man happiness here below as well as bliss above. Experience tells us that if the course of the just is, "As the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day,"(Proverbs 4:18) yet sometimes that light is eclipsed. At certain periods, clouds cover the believer's sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light.

There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for a season. They have basked in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their Christian pilgrimage. They have walked along the "green pastures," by the side of the "still waters." (Psalm 23:2) But suddenly they find that their glorious sky is clouded; and instead of the fertile land of Goshen, they have to tread the barren desert. And in the place of sweet waters they find troubled streams, bitter to their taste. And they say, "Surely if I were a child of God, then this would not happen to me!"

Oh, say not so, you who are walking in darkness. The best of God's saints must drink the wormwood; the dearest of His redeemed children must bear the cross. No Christian has ever enjoyed perpetual prosperity. At times, every believer must hang his harp on the willows.

Perhaps the Lord allotted you a smooth and unclouded path at first, because you were weak and timid. He tempered the harsh north wind, to the shorn lamb. But now that you are stronger in the spiritual life, you must enter upon the riper and rougher experience of God's full-grown children. We need strong winds and tempests:  to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Jesus.

The day of evil, reveals to us the value of our glorious hope!

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Jeremiah 17:17 ...  Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

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Holy Longings

There is no truer test of the state of the soul, than its deepest longings and desires. Outward conduct may be restrained by fear, reputation, or habit. But longing true, inward, unforced longing reveals the condition of the heart. As a person longs in secret, so they truly are.

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence?" (Psalm 42:1-2) This is not casual interest. It is desperation. The deer in a drought-stricken wilderness, will not be distracted by secondary things it must have water or it will die. In the same way, the regenerate soul longs for Jesus. Not merely for blessings, not merely for relief, but for God Himself.

Longing for Jesus. Conversion is not the addition of religion to a busy life; it is the creation of new desires. The Spirit removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Wherever there is saving grace, holy longings are born.

Psalm 63:1 says, "O God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water." Notice the intensity. Saving faith is not a cold mental assent to doctrine though doctrine is essential; it is a living hunger for the living Jesus.

The believer says, "Whom have I in Heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!" (Psalm 73:25-26) This is the language of supreme affection. "On earth I desire no one besides You." Jesus is treasured above all competitors. When flesh fails, when earthly joys fade, when strength diminishes then God remains as "the strength of my heart and my portion forever!"

Examine yourself here. What do you most deeply desire? Wealth? Fame? Lust? Or Jesus? One of the surest evidences of regeneration is this: when stripped of everything else, the soul still says, "Give me Jesus!"

Longing for Heaven. The Christian is, in a profound sense, a stranger here in this wilderness world. He is a citizen of Heaven, living temporarily on earth (Philippians 3:20.) This poor world cannot satisfy the renewed heart. "Arise and depart; for this is not your rest, because it is polluted." (Micah 2:10)

Thus, believers groan for glory (Romans 8:23) They do not merely fear Hell; they long for Heaven. They yearn to see the face of the One they now know by faith. Heaven is precious, not because of golden streets, but because Jesus is there. When the heart whispers, "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20), it reveals allegiance to another kingdom.

Whenever saving grace comes, it creates heavenly longings; desires which the world cannot understand. The saints crave Heaven, and thirst for the presence of God. Such longing marks them as strangers and pilgrims in this present world. "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand!"

The righteous long for holy living, because God Himself authors those desires. What He intends to give, He first teaches us to crave. Spiritual desires are the buds of coming fruit. Do you long to conquer sin? That longing is evidence of spiritual life. Do you grieve your remaining corruption? That grief signals regeneration.

May your soul pant for Him. May your heart cry, "Whom have I in heaven but You?" May your deepest desire be Jesus now, Heaven soon, and holiness always.

The unconverted regret the consequences of sin, but they do not hate sin itself. The believer sighs to be free from sin altogether.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Proverbs 10:24 ... The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

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Abracadabra!

f salvation was wholly a matter of outward ordinances, then this would be easy enough, and hence men cling to a religion of ceremonies; for heart religion is troublesome, and the ungodly cannot endure it.

Ritualism is the most popular religion in the world, because it is all "Abracadabra!" Done in a minute nothing to think of nothing to care about, nothing to sorrow over. It is all a mere matter of external religious forms. The little that is needed of them can be done without thought, and they can go on in their sins as pleasantly as ever.

Next to that in popularity, is the religion of mere morality. "Yes, we know we do amiss, but we will amend. We will at once purge ourselves from everything which our fellowmen would consider criminal. Is not that enough?" Many hope that it is and live as if they felt sure it was.

But the religion of the Word of God is not so. It is, "Rend your hearts, and not your garments!" "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength!" This is too hard a demand for the wicked. And as for repentance and faith, the ungodly cannot enter upon such spiritual duties, for they have no desire for them. The carnal mind hates the mention of spiritual things.

This I take it, while it makes the Christian religion so solemn, throws us back upon one of its great first principles: that salvation must be of grace. For if it is necessary that my heart must be changed, I simply cannot change it. Shall a fountain purify itself? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" That would be a very simple business, for skin and spots are external things; but how shall a man change his heart his very nature? Do you expect the Crabtree to change itself into a tree bearing sweet apples? It cannot be.

Salvation is the work of God. If ever it is done, then God must intervene. It is a fact that nature cannot rise above itself. Just so, no man by his own power, is able to rise above his sinful and depraved nature.  The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  We must be born from above, if ever we are to enter Heaven. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

John 3:7 ... Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

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Divine Love!!

The greatest treasure of all of God's unsearchable riches, was His only begotten Son. God took Jesus from His bosom, where He had forever dwelt serenely; and sent Him to earth, that He might live and die to save rebellious sinners.

The death of Jesus manifests the solemnity of God's dealings with sin and is fitted to bow the soul in lowliest humility before Him. If the evil of sin is seen in the tremendous price required to atone for it, then sin must be evil beyond thought for nothing less than the bloody death of the Son of God could remedy it.

In the presence of the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, sin must be an evil so great that it is not possible to exaggerate its horrors. Oh, sinful men, your transgressions are horrendous indeed, since they can only be expiated by such a sacrifice! Oh, reprehensible creatures, you required a dying God to save you!

The sin-atoning death of Jesus displayed the supreme love of God to heinous men. He gave up the darling of His heart, to save wicked sinners. God has manifested His love in the death of His beloved Son, in a way which must have astonished every inhabitant of Heaven; and it ought to ravish every man of this lower globe.

Truly, the blood of Jesus is the ruby gem of the ring of divine love! Brethren, we have but a faint idea of how much the Lord our God loves us. "God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

There was nothing lovable in us; we were enemies to God, polluted and polluting. There was everything in us that was obnoxious to the holy mind of God. And yet, because of the riches of His grace and the supremacy of His mercy. He loved us to the uttermost.

Lament that you should be guilty of such a horrible thing, that even God's own spotless Son must suffer, bleed, and die; before our sin, with all its scarlet dye, could be washed out.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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1 Peter 1:18-19 ...  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Hebrews 9:22 ...  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ❤

The Shortness and Uncertainty of Life

Life is fleeting. Imagine an hourglass with sand steadily falling from the top chamber to the bottom. You cannot see how much sand remains above. You only know that the grains are slipping away, second by second. Yet, distracted by temporary pursuits and oblivious to eternal realities--we often live as if the sands will never run out. This is a vivid picture of our lives. One day the last grain will fall, and our time will be over! Will you be ready?

The Bible teaches us to consider the brevity of life and the weight of eternity. Wisdom begins with understanding that our earthly existence is but a vapor compared to the endless expanse of eternity. In a little while it shall be said of us, "He is gone!" Let us live as men who must soon give our final account to God.

The question we must face is this: Where will we spend eternity? The Scriptures make it clear that there are only two destinations Heaven or Hell. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

It is the height of folly to live unconcerned about such a critical question. Eternity is not something to ignore or postpone considering. To neglect our final destiny is to gamble with our eternal soul. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."

The sands of time are running out for each of us, and none of us knows when our last moment will come! We are not guaranteed another breath, let alone another day or year to figure it out. Eternity awaits.

Let us live wisely, with eyes fixed on eternity, making every grain of sand count for the glory of God.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Psalm 90:12 ...  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Isaiah 40:7 ... The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

James 4:14 ...  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. ❤

To Be Out of Hell

Most of us should blush under a sense of ingratitude to our bountiful Maker, Sustainer and Savior!

Did you ever thank God for your creation, your reason, your continued life? I have known what it is to thank God with all my heart for being able to move my limbs and turn in bed.

Perhaps you have always enjoyed good health; do you thank Him for that? To be out of the hospital, to be out of the lunatic asylum, to be out of prison, to be out of Hell; do we ever thank God for these things? As for the unspeakable gift of Jesus and His dying love for such sinners as we are; who among us has ever worthily thanked Him on this account?

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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2 Corinthians 9:15 ....  Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Hebrews 12:28 ...  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Psalm 103:1-4 ...  Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ❤

Spurgeon on Gratefulness

A grateful heart is one of the chief characteristics of a true believer.

Ungratefulness is one of the most shameful sins, and yet it is one of the most common.

The Lord loves a thankful heart; it is the music that delights His ear.

We often write our blessings in sand and engrave our complaints in marble.

Gratitude sweetens every blessing and makes it more precious.

The deeper our sense of sin, the louder our song of gratitude for redeeming grace.

Let us be as grateful for the smallest blessings as for the greatest.

The cross is the fountain of endless gratitude.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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