Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

January 31

 

God Always Hears

My God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

 

Friends may be unfaithful, but the Lord will not turn away from the gracious soul; on the contrary, He will hear all its desires. The prophet says, "Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. A man's enemies are the men of his own house." This is a wretched state of affairs; but even in such a case the Best Friend remains true, and we may tell Him all our grief.

Our wisdom is to look unto the Lord and not to quarrel with men or women. If our loving appeals are disregarded by our relatives, let us wait upon the God of our salvation, for He will hear us. He will hear us all the more because of the unkindness and oppression of others, and we shall soon have reason to cry, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy!"

Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear us. If we can each one speak of Him as "My God," we may with absolute certainty say, "My God will hear me." Come, then, O bleeding heart, and let thy sorrows tell themselves out to the Lord thy God! I will bow the knee in secret and inwardly whisper, "My God will hear me."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

The Ever Changing Plate Rail

The Valentine Edition

 

 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

January 30

 

A Heavenly Escort

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest. (Genesis 28:15)

 

Do we need journeying mercies? Here are choice ones—God's presence and preservation, In all places we need both of these, and in all places we shall have them if we go at the call of duty, and not merely according to our own fancy. Why should we look upon removal to another country as a sorrowful necessity when it is laid upon us by the divine will? In all lands the believer is equally a pilgrim and a stranger; and yet in every region the Lord is His dwelling place, even as He has been to His saints in all generations. We may miss the protection of an earthly monarch, but when God says, "I will keep thee," we are in no real danger. This is a blessed passport for a traveler and a heavenly escort for an emigrant.

Jacob had never left his father's room before; he had been a mother's boy and not an adventurer like his brother. Yet he went abroad, and God went with him. He had little luggage and no attendants; yet no prince ever journeyed with a nobler bodyguard. Even while he slept in the open field, angels watched over him, and the Lord God spoke to him. If the Lord bids us go, let us say with our Lord Jesus, "Arise, let us go hence."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

George: The Obsessive Compulsive Cat

George has always been a bit obsessive compulsive. When something catches his attention, he can quickly and annoyingly become obsessed and then exhibit extremely annoying behaviors for an extremely long time.  To his credit, he seems to be able to discern when he is about to get the boot, because when we think we're going to pull out our hair (or his!) he seems to go on to the next obsession, leaving the former behind, never to return to it again.

When he was a tiny kitty, he used to hide behind a chair everytime we let Maxie, our little Yorkie,  go out to go potty.  As soon as Maxie came bounding back into the house, George would strike--pouncing on Maxie and rolling her half way across the entryway.  George never failed to be there, ready to pounce--Maxie never saw it coming.

Then there was the water obsession.  He played in his water bowl.  Did you know a cat can actually pick up a handful of water and toss it into the air and the spike it on the way down?  Trust me, I watched him do it, over and over again.

Then there was the toothbrushing obsession.  He had an uncanny ability to know when someone was going to brush their teeth.  At the time of the toothbrushing obsession, we lived in a huge two story house.   No matter where he was in the house at the time that toothbrushing of any kind happened, he would be there, sitting on the bathroom counter, waiting for that little trickle of water so that he could toss it up into the air and then spike it into the mirror.

Over the years, George has been obsessed with many things.  Melting snow that we track into the house in the winter, bugs, toilet flushing--those are just some I can think of off the top of my head.  There have been many.

 

 Now it's the washing machine.  He loves to lick the little trickle of water that wells up in the gasket and then runs down the front of the washer when I am unloading the wet clothes.  You would think that we never filled his water bowl.  Even if I'm not doing laundry, he tries to lead me to the washer every time I go down to the basement.  This afternoon, he started trying to climb into the washer whenever I load or unload clothes.

Let's hope he doesn't end up like this kitty. 

Frosty Reflections

In the Face of Marital Infidelity

Almost all of us have friends and loved ones whose marriages have been torn apart in the face of marital infidelity.  From time to time, we are called upon to comfort and encourage those who are devastated by this particular brand of pain and grief and loss.  If you have never had to deal with this issue, be thankful, but be prepared. 

Rosemary, of Seasonings of the Heart, has posted an open letter to friends who are going through this terrible trial.  Please take a few minutes and read her post.  You never know when you might be called upon to walk through such a trial with dear friends.

 It happens.  There is a biblical way to deal with it.  Rosemary and her husband have good advice for those who are going through it and provide us all with an example of addressing this painful issue with friends in a godly, supportive manner.

My Answers to Reading as a Christian Discipline Survey

I had intended to answer my own questions to the Reading as A Christian Discipline Survey in one post but after seeing how long this post became when answering just the first question, I have decided to answer the questions in separate posts. 

Has reading Christian blogs increased your desire to tackle weighty Christian tomes?

 Short answer: No, but reading Christian blogs has definitely served to "feed the beast."

Long answer:  For me, the desire to "tackle weighty Christian tomes" came long before this whole blogging thing.  Years ago, I had the great privilege of being taught, encouraged, exhorted, and discipled by friends on two discussion boards, The Highway and Crosswalk.  

It's been years since I visited the Crosswalk discussion boards but I have kept in touch with some of my friends from over there.  You may even know a few of them yourself:  Rebecca from Rebecca Writes and Tulip Girl and her husband, John.  Sadly, I've lost contact with a few of them, like my very kind and patient friend, Eddie Lovelace.  Some of you will remember him as a question answer-er extraordinaire.  Hmmm. . . I wonder if he has a blog.

The Highway Discussion Board is not only still up and running, but has recently expanded to include a new forum, ExCharisma, for those who are coming out of the Charismatic movement. My friends from the Highway, [especially Jeff Nesbitt (aka Pilgrim) and Wes] have personally made me aware of and directed me to some of my favorite books and authors.  Not only that, they have fielded numerous questions and given wonderful advice and encouragement to me for years.

The influence these men and women have had on my life, both through the books they have recommended and through their lives and friendship is incalculable.  They walked along side me as I was "reforming," corrected my doctrine with patience and love, and encouraged me to dig in and read Scripture for myself when I became too dependent upon them.

Blogs have now largely taken the place of discussion boards as my source for new "reads." Tim Challies is the biggest source of book referrals, followed closely by Reformation Theology.  Some other literary friends include Sherry at Semicolon, Doug at Godward Thoughts, Kim from the Upward Call, Carla from Reflections of the Times, and of course, Rebecca from Rebecca Writes.  The girls at titus2talk promise to be another source of current authors. (they are responsible for my newest addition to my "need to read" list: Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon, by Charles Ray.

I have the most gracious readers. . .

. . .you were all too nice to tell me that I had the title of Spurgeon's devotional wrong.

For some reason I have always thought it was the Cheque Book ON the Bank of Faith, not OF the Bank of Faith.

***blush***

(Ahem.  I still got it wrong the first time I published this--confusion reigns)

(This is WAY more embarrassing than when it was discovered that I thought Dan Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was singing "there's the bathroom on the right, instead of "there's a bad moon on the rise")

Excuse me while I go get another cup of coffee. 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

January 29

 

Obedience Brings Blessing

Observe and hear all these words, which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God. (Deuteronomy 12:28)

 

Though salvation is not by the works of the law, yet the blessings which are promised to obedience are not denied to the faithful servants of God. The curses our Lord took away when He was made a curse for us, but no clause of blessing has been abrogated.

We are to note and listen to the revealed will of the Lord, giving our attention not to portions of it but to "all these words." There must be no picking and choosing but an impartial respect to all that God has commanded. This is the road of blessedness for the Father and for His children. The Lord's blessing is upon His chosen to the third and fourth generation. If they walk uprightly before Him, He will make all men know that they are a seed which the Lord has blessed. No blessing can come to us or ours through dishonesty or double dealing. The ways of worldly conformity and unholiness cannot bring good to us or ours. It will go well with us when we go well before God. If integrity does not make us prosper, knavery will not. That which gives pleasure to God will bring pleasure to us.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 28

 

Tears Shall Cease

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 21:4)

 

Yes, we shall come to this if we are believers. Sorrow shalt cease, and tears shall be wiped away. This is the world of weeping, but it passes away. There shall be a new heaven and a new earth, so says the first verse of this chapter; and therefore there will be nothing to weep over concerning the Fall and its consequent miseries. Read the second verse and note how it speaks of the bride and her marriage. The Lamb's wedding is a time for boundless pleasure, and tears would be out of place. The third verse says that God Himself will dwell among men; and surely at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore, and tears can no longer flow.

What will our state be when there will be no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain? This will be more glorious than we can as yet imagine. O eyes that are red with weeping, cease your scalding flow, for in a little while ye shall know no more tears! None can wipe tears away like the God of love, but He is coming to do it. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Come, Lord, and tarry not; for now both men and women must weep!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Quote of the Week

About Thursday of this week, I noticed that I had forgotten to change the Quote of the Week last Saturday. 

My "home boy"  Jonathan Edwards, has been up there for two weeks, so this week I am going to post a quote from Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer:

If you are a Christian, you pray; and the recognition of God's sovereignty is the basis of your prayers.  The prayer of a Christian is not an attempt to force God's hand, but a humble acknowledgment of helplessness and dependence.

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 27

 

Precious Repentance

And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. (Ezekiel 20:43)

 

When we are accepted of the Lord and are standing in the place of favor, and peace, and safety, then we are led to repent of all our failures and miscarriages toward our gracious God. So precious is repentance that we may call it a diamond of the first water, and this is sweetly promised to the people of God as one most sanctifying result of salvation. He who accepts repentance also gives repentance; and He gives it not out of "the bitter box" but from among those "wafers made with honey" on which He feeds His people. A sense of blood-bought pardon and of undeserved mercy is the best means of dissolving a heart of stone. Are we feeling hard? Let us think of covenant love, and then we shall leave sin, lament sin, and loathe sin; yea, we shall loathe ourselves for sinning against such infinite love. Let us come to God with this promise of penitence and ask Him to help us to remember, and repent, and regret, and re-turn. Oh, that we could enjoy the meltings of holy sorrow! What a relief would a flood of tears be! Lord, smite the rock, or speak to the rock, and cause the waters to flow!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Staccato Sunshine

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 26

 

God Routs Fear

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. (Numbers 23:23)

 

How this should cut up root and branch all silly, superstitious fears! Even if there were any truth in witchcraft and omens, they could not affect the people of the Lord. Those whom God blessed, devils cannot curse.

Ungodly men, like Balaam, may cunningly plot the overthrow of the Lord's Israel; but with all their secrecy and policy they are doomed to fail. Their powder is damp; the edge of their sword is blunted. They gather together; but as the Lord is not with them, they gather together in vain. We may sit still and let them weave their nets, for we shall not be taken in them. Though they call in the aid of Beelzebub and employ all his serpentine craft, it will avail them nothing: the spells will not work, the divination will deceive them. What a blessing this is! How it quiets the heart! God's Jacobs wrestle with God, but none shall wrestle with them and prevail. God's Israels have to prevail against them. We need not fear the fiend himself, nor any of those secret enemies whose words are full of deceit and whose plans are deep and unfathomable. They cannot hurt those who trust in the living God. We defy the devil and all his legions.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

33 years and counting

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of our first date. 

Tom picked me up on a Friday night at the Surrey Inn Restaurant, where I worked as a waitress.  We went to the movies to see Executive Action.   I don't remember much about the movie because I sat there in the darkened theatre wondering and worrying whether Tom had noticed that the clothes I had hurriedly changed into at the end of my shift smelled like fish.   (Friday night was Lake Erie Perch, all you can eat, and my clothes and hair were permeated with the smell of fish and hot oil.)

I can still remember what I wore on that first date (in fact, I can still remember what Tom wore) and we still celebrate every year.

 Fish or no fish, it was the start of something big!  Happy Anniversary, Tom!  I love you!

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 25

 

He Acts on Honest Confession

He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. (Job 33:27-28)

 

This is a word of truth, gathered from the experience of a man of God, and it is tantamount to a promise. What the Lord has done, and is doing, He will continue to do while the world standeth. The Lord will receive into His bosom all who come to Him with a sincere confession of their sin; in fact, He is always on the lookout to discover any that are in trouble because of their faults.

Can we not endorse the language here used? Have we not sinned, sinned personally so as to say, "I have sinned"? Sinned willfully, having perverted that which is right? Sinned so as to discover that there is no profit in it but an eternal loss? Let us, then, go to God with this honest acknowledgment. He asks no more. We can do no less.

Let us plead His promise in the name of Jesus. He will deliver us from the pit of hell which yawns for us; He will grant us life and light. Why should we despair? Why should we even doubt? The Lord does not mock humble souls. He means what He says. The guilty can be forgiven. Those who deserve execution can receive free pardon. Lord, we confess, and we pray Thee to forgive!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 24

 

Care of Our Feet

He will keep the feet of his saints. (1 Samuel 2:9)

 

The way is slippery and our feet are feeble, but the Lord will keep our feet. If we give ourselves up by obedient faith to be His holy ones, He will Himself be our guardian. Not only will He charge His angels to keep us, but He Himself will preserve our goings.

He will keep our feet from falling so that we do not defile our garments, wound our souls, and cause the enemy to blaspheme.

He will keep our feet from wandering so that we do not go into paths of error, or ways of folly, or courses of the world's custom.

He will keep our feet from swelling through weariness, or blistering because of the roughness and length of the way.

He will keep our feet from wounding: our shoes shall be iron and brass so that even though we tread on the edge of the sword, or on deadly serpents, we shall not bleed or be poisoned.

He will also pluck our feet out of the net. We shall not be entangled by the deceit of our malicious and crafty foes.

With such a promise as this, let us run without weariness and walk without fear. He who keeps our feet will do it effectually.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 23

 

A Completed Sacrifice

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering: and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1:4)

 

If by that laying on of his hand the bullock became the offerer's sacrifice, how much more shall Jesus become ours by the laying on of the hand of faith?

My faith doth lay her hand On that dear head of Thine, While like a penitent I stand, And there confess my sin.

If a bullock could be accepted for him to make atonement for him, how much more shall the Lord Jesus be our full and all-sufficient propitiation? Some quarrel with the great truth of substitution; but as for us, it is our hope, our joy, our boast, our all. Jesus is accepted for us to make atonement for us, and we are "accepted in the Beloved." Let the reader take care at once to lay his hand on the Lord's completed sacrifice, that by accepting it he may obtain the benefit of it. If he has done so once, let him do it again. If he has never done so, let him put out his hand without a moment's delay. Jesus is yours now if you will have Him. Lean on Him—lean hard on Him—and He is yours beyond all question; you are reconciled to God, your sins are blotted out, and you are the Lord's.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Cheque Book on the Bank of Faith

January 22

 

Christian Liberality

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. (Psalm 41:1)

 

To think about the poor and let them lie on our hearts is a Christian man's duty; for Jesus put them with us and near us when He said, "The poor ye have always with you."

Many give their money to the poor in a hurry, without thought; and many more give nothing at all. This precious promise belongs to those who "consider" the poor, look into their case, devise plans for their benefit, and considerately carry them out. We can do more by care than by cash, and most with two together. To those who consider the poor, the Lord promises His own consideration in times of distress. He will bring us out of trouble if we help others when they are in trouble. We shall receive very singular providential help if the Lord sees that we try to provide for others. We shall have a time of trouble, however generous we may be; but if we are charitable, we may put in a claim for peculiar deliverance, and the Lord will not deny His own word and bond. Miserly curmudgeons may help themselves, but considerate and generous believers the Lord will help. As you have done unto others, so will the Lord do unto you. Empty your pockets.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

The Ever Changing Plate Rail

Between all the doors and windows and cupboards, I don't have much wallspace in my tiny kitchen, so I had to get creative when it came to decorating it.  I have one long, narrow space between a window and a door and that's about it.  Not long after we moved here (four years ago, now) I bought a wrought iron plate rail with five spaces for plates--not so much because I liked plates but more because it fit the spot and I like wrought iron.

Little did I (or my husband!) know that this would be the beginning of a rather large collection of plates.  Over the years I have changed the plates every season.  After the first year or two I began to discover seasons between seasons and one thing lead to another and now I call it the ever changing plate rail.

One thing does lead to another; after the first year I began to change my curtains to match my plates.  Sounds expensive, doesn't it?  Well, it's really not because I simply layer cloth napkins over  the curtain rod.  I have made some of the napkins myself, but most of the time I just scrounge around clearance sales and pick them up for a dollar or two.

This has been a lot of fun so this year I decided to share my changes with you, my readers. Every time I change my plates and/or curtains, I'll take a picture.

Here's January's combination:

 

 

Plates and winter napkins came from Kohls--clearance, of course!  As you can see, there is enough room to layer the plates, which makes it really fun.  Only two for winter, but I can fit up to three plates in each spot, depending on how thin they are.