Morning Reading, Charles Spurgeon

Morning and Evening
Charles H. Spurgeon
February 13, 2012
Morning Reading
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God.

—1 John 3:1-2
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet we are called “the sons of God.” What a high relationship is that of a son, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the son expects from his father, and what love the father feels towards the son! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ. As for the temporary drawback of suffering ...this we accept as an honour: “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” We are content to be unknown with Him in His humiliation, for we are to be exalted with Him. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against us, now—in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be—now, as much in the valley as on the mountain, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” “Ah, but,” you say, “see how I am arrayed! my graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory.” But read the next: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him.” The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see Him as He is.

God's Covenant With You

I've recently signed up to receive the Morning/Evening devotionals of Charles Spurgeon from www.blueletterbible.org. I thought I'd share this one with you all because it so blessed me.

Morning and Evening
Charles H. Spurgeon
December 21, 2011
Morning Reading
Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant.
—2 Samuel 23:5

This covenant is divine in its origin. “HE hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” Oh that great word HE! Stop, my soul. God, the everlasting Father, has positively made a covenant with thee; yes, that God who spake the world into existence by a word; He, stooping from His majesty, takes hold of thy hand and makes a covenant with thee. Is it not a deed, the stupendous condescension of which might ravish our hearts for ever if we could really understand it? “HE hath made with me a covenant.” A king has not made a covenant with me—that were somewhat; but the Prince of the kings of the earth, Shaddai, the Lord All‐sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting Elohim, “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” But notice, it is particular in its application. “Yet hath He made with ME an everlasting covenant.” Here lies the sweetness of it to each believer. It is nought for me that He made peace for the world; I want to know whether He made peace for me! It is little that He hath made a covenant, I want to know whether He has made a covenant with me. Blessed is the assurance that He hath made a covenant with me! If God the Holy Ghost gives me assurance of this, then His salvation is mine, His heart is mine, He Himself is mine—He is my God.

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant means a covenant which had no beginning, and which shall never, never end. How sweet amidst all the uncertainties of life, to know that “the foundation of the Lord standeth sure,” and to have God’s own promise, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Like dying David, I will sing of this, even though my house be not so with God as my heart desireth.

What Is A Saint?

Romans 1:7 "...who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV Bible)

In my quiet time this morning, I began reading in Romans, and as I thought about verse 7, I wondered what the word "saint" meant. I've heard this word almost all my life, and it's mentioned in the Bible several times both in Old and New Testaments. I had a pretty good idea what it meant--those of us who believe in Jesus Christ. But still I wondered what the difference was between a believer and a saint, if any. This morning I looked it up in the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

The dictionary had much to say, but what really struck me were these words: "To be a saint is a present reality when a believer seeks to let the Spirit form Christ within."

I've been thinking about that ever since I read it. Especially the words, "let the Spirit form Christ within." Shouldn't this be the goal of all believers? I have really felt convicted about this. Am I letting the Spirit form Christ within me? I want to. I need to. And this morning I prayed for God to help me let the Spirit do His job. My life, my well-being, depends on my letting go of how I think life should be or how I think I should be treated. And after I let go, I need to grab onto Jesus and not let go, trusting in the Lord's will and in His love for me. He is faithful, ever-present, His love is unfailing, and His will for me is good, pleasing, and perfect.

Let the Spirit form Christ within....

A Prayer for Stress and Anxiety

Found this prayer that I thought might help someone.

Bible Studies and Books: A List

In response to an email recently, I listed some Bible studies and some books that I have read that speak to anxiety and I thought I would list as many of them as I can remember here on my blog in case someone else might be interested. Although Bible study, an active prayer life, and my Scriptures were my first line of defense against panic, I began reading Christian nonfiction books to encourage myself in my walk with the Lord and also to learn all I could about staying out of the pit of panic and depression. If you would like to share books that have helped you, please feel free to list them in a comment. :)



1. Bible studies by Beth Moore: Believing God, Breaking Free, Living Beyond Yourself, A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place; Bible study by Jennifer Rothschild: Me, Myself, & Lies

2. Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George

3. The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

4. The Spirit-Controlled Woman by Beverly LaHaye

5. The Spirit-Filled Temperament by Tim LaHaye

6. The Psychology of Jesus

7. Boundaries by Cloud/Townsend

8. The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane

9. Hind’s Feet on High Places by Hurnard (This is a fiction book and a Christian classic whose main character is called, “Much-Afraid”. I identified with her very much.)

10. The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

11. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

12. Who Switched Off My Brain?

13. Ruthless Trust, by Brennan Manning

14. The Celebration of Discipline by Foster

15. Fearless by Max Lucado

Sunday

God is continuing to strengthen me so that even though I didn't get a full night's sleep, I was still able to get up and go to church yesterday. The rash on my hands is almost gone and I had a good hair day so I was feeling pretty good yesterday morning. :) I usually am running late, but Sunday morning my hair behaved and I was ahead of schedule. Being a shy person in my human nature, I did something I haven't done in a long time. I grabbed my spiral of Scriptures from 2009 and put them in my tote bag. My intention was that if there were not many people I knew in my Sunday School department because of the cold, damp weather we're having, I could refresh my memory of these verses while I waited for S.S. to start. Well....our department was full and I sat beside a friend and chatted awhile, and then she leaned in and confided in me that a loved one was experiencing anxiety and it was pretty serious. I told her how focusing on Scripture verses that speak to my heart and my circumstances help break the cycle of anxious thinking. I'm able to take my thoughts captive to Christ Jesus. Whenever I meditate on Scripture, my heart rate slows down, my thoughts turn to God and His love for me, His trustworthiness, and His power, and I have confidence and peace.  I pulled out my spiral of verses to show her how I write them on 3x5s to carry with me. She was excited and said she would share what I said with her loved one.

Isn't God amazing? He arranged for me to get ready early, caused me to grab my Scripture spiral, and to sit by this friend so I could talk to her before Sunday School started and share how God calms us when we are worried or locked into negative thinking.

Solis Deo Gloria--To God alone be the glory!!

God's Promises for 2011

Twelve Promises God Wants You to Remember in 2011

God is for you.

God loves you.

God will guide you.

God will not fail you.

God will be with you.

God will provide for you.

God will bless you.

God will give you rest.

God will strengthen you.

God will answer you.

God will uphold you.

God will keep you.



(Published in an email from www.dayspring.com)

An Email Devotional

This came this morning in my email and I wanted to share it with you:

"Be ready in the morning, and then come up, Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain."
Exodus 34:2

The morning is a critically important time of the day. Never face the day until you have faced God, nor look in to the face of others until you have looked into His. You cannot expect to be victorious, if you begin your day in your own strength alone.

Begin each new day with prayer, quiet moments between your heart and God. Meet with the companion of your life, Jesus Christ. Then face the ordinary, and the unique responsibilities of each day with the renewed influence of His Spirit over all your actions.

Begin the day with God!

The Psalms also speak of meeting with God in the morning. Check out Ps. 5:3-4a; 143:8.


Whatever time I wake up, I head to my meeting place with God. I desperately need His encouragement before I face whatever lies ahead.

Encouraging Words

I make notes whenever I come across something that encourages me in my faith. I keep them in a basket on my desk and also in a file folder inside my desk. I recently went through these 3x5 cards and scraps of paper and thought I’d share a bit.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved


Psalm 119:102 “I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.” “They are well taught whom God teaches. What we learn from the Lord we never forget. God’s instruction has a practical effect—we follow His way when He teaches us; and it has an abiding effect—we do not depart from holiness.” Exposition of Psalm 119:97-104 by Charles H. Spurgeon (http://www.eternallifeministries.org/psalm119m.htm). Cited: September 28, 2010

 
“Abba, I surrender my will and my life to you today without reservation and with humble confidence.... Set me free from self-consciousness, from anxiety about tomorrow, and from the tyranny of the approval and disapproval of others, that I may find joy and delight simply and solely in pleasing you.” Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust: the Ragamuffin’s Path to God, (New York, HarperCollins, July 2, 2002) p. 192.

Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”  “Christ as our stronghold does not mean life will be easy or trouble free….God’s purposes may lead us to the path of suffering, but wherever He leads, we know He protects. He may protect from suffering or through suffering, but the more we know Him, the less we need to fear. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will sustain us—He is our hope.” Beth Moore, Living Free, (Nashville, Tennessee, Lifeway Christian Resources,  2002) p. 111.

“You are a walking Civil War—flesh against the Spirit. The flesh must be beaten down. You must let the Holy Spirit work in you. The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the abundant life.” Joyce Meyer, The Battlefield of the Mind, (New York, New York, Warner Books Edition, 2002) p. 288.

“Understand the concept of biblical progression—a life of growth—from being obedient in small things to larger things. Be persistent. Keep your eyes on God. Keep God’s perspective.” (From one of my pastor’s sermons)

“During idle moments, we should meditate on God’s promises and provisions; His wonders and His Word….” Elizabeth George, Loving God with All Your Mind, (Eugene, Oregon, Harvest House Publishers, 2005) p. 304

“If Christ Himself saw prayer as a primary strategy against the schemes of the enemy, you and I should never do less.”  Jennifer Rothschild, Me, Myself, and Lies, (Nashville, Tennessee, Lifeway Christian Resources, 2009) p. 157.

“I love the practice of daily coming to the line with Christ and naming my sins. Then I like to discuss with God why it doesn’t agree with His Word. That kind of repentance begins to get those precepts down into my soul." Beth Moore, Jesus, the One and Only, (Nashville, Tennessee, B&H Publishing Group, 2002) p. 352.

“No guilt in life, no fear in death; this is the power of Christ in me; from life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.” Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, In Christ Alone (2001, Kingsway, Thank You Music)

How the Bible Speaks to Panic

Someone from another website asked me which Bible verses speak specifically to the kind of fear involving panic disorder.

Panic disorder is an anxiety-related disorder. It comes under the heading of Understanding Anxiety on the Anxiety Disorders Association of America website, www.adaa.org. Part of the definition of panic disorder is the fear of a recurring attack. The Bible speaks both to the fear of physical attacks from enemies, and also to mental attacks such as intense anxiety and fear. Although I feel all the verses I've posted on this blog speak to anxiety and panic, I thought I would post my answer to this question here as well as on the other website.

Mark 14:33 says about Jesus, "He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified…." (Holman Christian Bible) "to be deeply distressed and troubled…" (NIV Bible) A more indepth translation from the Greek dictionary of "to be deeply distressed and troubled" is to be overwhelmed, distressed, alarmed. This is from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible. I have felt deeply distressed, troubled, horrified, alarmed, and overwhelmed during a panic attack. I have been encouraged to know that Jesus struggled in those last hours in the Garden of Gethsemane but after praying to His Father in Heaven, He arose strengthened and resolved to submit to the perfect will of God. Max Lucado talks about His victory in his book, Fearless.

Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, Abba, Father." The Greek word for fear in this verse means terror, dread, terrible; the verb form means to flee or run away from. That's exactly how panic made me feel. I wanted to run and find some place to hide.

Psalm 94:19 "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." Those of us who have experienced panic know all about anxiety being "great within me". God's consolation when we cry out to Him in prayer (praying His Word) and supplication is His love, peace, and joy.


Isaiah 35:4 "Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come….He will come to save you." The Hebrew word for fearful and fear in this verse means to be dreadful…terrify…make afraid; the emotion and intellectual anticipation of harm. This definition comes from the Complete Word Study of the Old Testament.There were many days when I walked around feeling something bad was going to happen any minute. I anticipated disaster.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The Greek definition for fear in this verse means to shrink for fear. I experienced this kind of fear during my first or second year of panic back in 2002 or 2003. One day my husband tried to coax me out of the bedroom because I had begun to believe the bedroom was my only safe place. I can still remember almost crossing the threshold and then I pulled my hand out of his and told him I could not do it. I could not make myself leave that room no matter how hard I wanted to leave it.

Isaiah 43:1 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." The word fear in this verse is the same Hebrew word as in Isaiah 35:4 above.

Philippians 4:4-6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This verse obviously speaks to anxiety.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

My Utmost for His Highest

I just found out about this website and thought I'd share it with ya'll.
This particular version of My Utmost for His Highest is the one I've read consistently over the past 5 years. It's like the Bible--I always find something new I didn't see before as I go through it. Have a Wonderful Wednesday!!!

Fearless by Max Lucado

Watch a video of Max Lucado talking about fear. So enlightening and encouraging!!!
Town Hall Discussion on Fearless. Part One and Part Two

On the last video portion for Breaking Free Bible study, Beth Moore said something similar to what Max Lucado said in his book, Fearless. She said, "Being free from a stronghold of fear doesn't mean you'll never be afraid." She went on to explain you may still be tempted to fear, but you can press through the fear because of God's presence in you--it (the fear) doesn't hinder you. It no longer has a stronghold over you that keeps you paralysed or unable to do what God has called you to do.

Cast All Your Anxiety on Him

"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it)." 1 Peter 5:7-11 (Amplified)

The word for "cast" in verse 7 is the same word used in Luke 19:35:"And they brought him to Jesus; and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they sat Jesus thereon." It's the same word used in Psalm 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." The word means " to cast away, throw down, throw out; is used of throwing an object." (The Key Word Study Bible)

Since learning about this word, I've been picturing myself holding a huge fishing net with all my worries and anxieties attached to it and then throwing it out to Jesus. I don't have to watch and see if He catches it. I just fling it out there. I know that I can trust Him to take care of it all.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary had this to say, "All a believer's anxieties can be cast...on Him. Christ sustains because He cares. A Christian's confidence rests in the fact that Christ is genuinely concerned for his welfare."

"He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." Jesus' love for us is full of affection. And the Lord is always watching. We are never alone.