Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 25
The Sacrifice Has Been Accepted

If the Lord were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would He have showed us all these things - Judges 13:23

This is a sort of promise deduced by logic. It is an inference fairly drawn from ascertained facts. It was not likely that the Lord had revealed to Manoah and his wife that a son would be born to them and yet had it in His heart to destroy them. The wife reasoned well, and we shall do well if we follow her line of argument.

The Father has accepted the great sacrifice of Calvary and has declared Himself well pleased therewith; how can He now be pleased to kill us! Why a substitute if the sinner must still perish? The accepted sacrifice of Jesus puts an end to fear.

The Lord has shown us our election, our adoption, our union to Christ, our marriage to the Well-beloved: how can He now destroy us? The promises are loaded with blessings, which necessitate our being preserved unto eternal life. It is not possible for the Lord to cast us away and yet fulfill His covenant. The past assures us, and the future reassures us. We shall not die but live, for we have seen Jesus, and in Him we have seen the Father by the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Because of this life-giving sight we must live forever.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

See that famous smile?

Indians Clinch AL Central 

Go Tribe! 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 24
The Life-Giving Stream

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live - Ezekiel 47:9

The living waters, in the prophet's vision, flowed into the Dead Sea and carried life with them, even into that stagnant lake. Where grace goes, spiritual life is the immediate and the everlasting consequence. Grace proceeds sovereignly according to the will of God, even as a river in all its windings follows its own sweet will; and wherever it comes it does not wait for life to come to it, but it creates life by its own quickening flow. Oh, that it would pour along our streets and flood our slums! Oh, that it would now come into my house and rise till every chamber were made to swim with it! Lord, let the living water flow to my family and my friends, and let it not pass me by. I hope I have drunk of it already; but I desire to bathe in it, yea, to swim in it. O my Savior, I need life more abundantly. Come to me, I pray Thee, till every part of my nature is vividly energetic and intensely active. Living God, I pray Thee, fill me with Thine own life.

I am a poor, dry stick; come and make me so to live that, like Aaron's rod, I may bud and blossom and bring forth fruit unto Thy glory. Quicken me, for the sake of my Lord Jesus. Amen.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Exploring textures

  

Quote of the Week: Phillips

    “ Who makes His angels spirits
      And His ministers a flame of fire.”
 8 But to the Son He says:
      “ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
      A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
       9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
      Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
      With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

What a comfort it is to know that our Lord is so busy on our behalf from His heavenly seat of divine authority.  We may never know when He has sent angels to minister to us in time of need, to thwart spiritual antagonists, and to strengthen us in times of weakness.  Like the chariots of fire that surrounded the prophet Elijah, how many times to we receive unseen help from those ministering spirits that Christ sends to us? 

--Richard D. Phillips, Hebrews 
Reformed Expository Commentary  pg. 43 

 

Sunday Hymn: Approach My Soul, the Mercy Seat

Approach My Soul, The Mercy Seat
    
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat
    Where Jesus answers prayer;
    There humbly fall before His feet,
    For none can perish there.

    Thy promise is my only plea,
    With this I venture nigh;
    Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
    And such, O Lord, am I!            

    Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
    By Satan sorely pressed;
    By wars without, and fears within,
    I come to Thee for rest.            

    Be Thou my shield and hiding place,
    That, sheltered near Thy side,
    I may my fierce accusers face,
    And tell him Thou hast died.            

    O wondrous Love to bleed and die,
    To bear the cross and shame,
    That guilty sinners such as I,
    Might plead Thy gracious name!        

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 23
Deliverance From Dust And Chaff

For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all sections, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not de least grain fall upon the earth - Amos 9:9

The sifting process is going on still. Wherever we go, we are still being winnowed and sifted. In all countries God's people are being tried "like as corn is sifted in a sieve." Sometimes the devil holds the sieve and tosses us up and down at a great rate, with the earnest desire to get rid of us forever. Unbelief is not slow to agitate our heart and mind with its restless fears. The world lends a willing hand at the same process and shakes us to the right and to the left with great vigor. Worst of all, the church, so largely apostate as it is, comes in to give a more furious force to the sifting process.

Well, well! Let it go on. Thus is the chaff severed from the wheat. Thus is the wheat delivered from dust and chaff. And how great is the mercy which comes to us in the text, "Yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth"! All shall be preserved that is good, true, gracious. Not one of the least of believers lose anything worth calling a loss. We shall be so kept in the sifting that it shall be a real gain to us through Christ Jesus.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Hashing it out

As anyone who has read my blog for any length of time has surely noticed; the content has woefully declined.  There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is homeschooling a high schooler.  Between schooling, bookmarks, laundry, yardwork, and countless other daily activities, updating my blogs has slipped down the list of things to do.

As a natural outcome of the decline of substative posts, there has been a corresponding downward slump in my stats.  I understand that.  I'm very grateful for the handful of faithful visitors that continue to check in at Hiraeth every day.   I am hopeful that as our homeschooling slips into a more managable routine and the outdoor chores slow up after the leaves have all been bagged and windows washed, I can get back into blogging.

In the meantime, with my slim stats, it's been easy to notice an "alarming" trend in referrals to this blog.  A full 20 per cent of all referrals in the past week have come from people googling (or msn-ing, yahoo-ing or aol-ing) "recipe for corned beef hash."  Since I posted the recipe on Saint Patrick's Day, I have had a steady stream of referrals for the recipe, but as they were mixed in with many other referrals, I didn't fully realize how many there really were!

 There are SO many hits to that post that I've wondered if "recipe for corned beef hash" is really a covert way of searching for illicit drugs or something!! 

Can corned beef hash really be that popular?  heheheh

Dictionary Word of the Day: Embonpoint

embonpoint \ahn-bohn-PWAN\, noun:
Plumpness of person; stoutness.

Plumpness of person.  Love it!!  That's what I'll call it from now on.  "With my embonpoint, there is more of me to love."

Much better than my usual complaints of,"Ack! I'm never stepping on the scales again!!"

Heheheh 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 22
Broad Rivers Without Galleys

But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby - Isaiah 33:21

The LORD will be to us the greatest good without any of the drawbacks which seem necessarily to attend the best earthly things. If a city is favored with broad rivers, it is liable to be attacked by galleys with oars and other ships of war. But when the LORD represents the abundance of His bounty under this figure, He takes care expressly to shut out the fear which the metaphor might suggest. Blessed be His perfect love!

LORD, if Thou send me wealth like broad rivers, do not let the galley with oars come up in the shape of worldliness or pride. If Thou grant me abundant health and happy spirits, do not let "the gallant ship" of carnal ease come sailing up the flowing flood. If I have success in holy service, broad as the German Rhine, yet let me never find the galley of self-conceit and self-confidence floating on the waves of my usefulness. Should I be so supremely happy as to enjoy the light of Thy countenance year after year, yet let me never despise Thy feeble saints, nor allow the vain notion of my own perfection to sail up the broad rivers of my full assurance. Lord, give me that blessing which maketh rich and neither addeth sorrow nor aideth sin.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Spring returns?

Spring blossoms in September?

I think this tree is a lot like some people I know--in denial that fall is here and winter is coming. 

Poetry Friday: In 15 Words or Less

Autumn

Walking to school
Shuffling through leaves
My heart leaps with the grasshoppers.

You can read more Photo Poems in 15 words or less at laurasalas. 

You can find more Poetry Friday Poems by clicking on the button in the sidebar.

 Want to play along?  You can learn more here.

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 21
Let Trials Bless

Knowing that tribulation worketh patience - Romans 5:3

This is a promise in essence if not in form. We have need of patience, and here we see the way of getting it. It is only by enduring that we learn to endure, even as by swimming men learn to swim. You could not learn that art on dry land, nor learn patience without trouble. Is it not worth while to suffer tribulation for the sake of gaining that beautiful equanimity of mind which quietly acquiesces in all the will of God?

Yet our text sets forth a singular fact, which is not according to nature but is supernatural. Tribulation in and of itself worketh petulance, unbelief, and rebellion. It is only by the sacred alchemy of grace that it is made to work in us patience. We do not thresh the wheat to lay the dust: yet the trial of tribulation does this upon God's floor. We do not toss a man about in order to give him rest, and yet so the Lord dealeth with His children. Truly this is not the manner of man but greatly redounds to the glory of our all-wise God.

Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me! Why should I wish to stay their gracious operation? Lord, I ask Thee to remove my affliction, but I beseech Thee ten times more to remove my impatience. Precious Lord Jesus, with Thy cross engrave the image of Thy patience on my heart.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Exploring textures

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 20
Perfect Willingness

Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power - Psalm 110:3

Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master key which He alone can handle.

Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious, He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of Thy power? I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as Thou givest me will.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Exploring textures

  

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 19
The Reason For Singing

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in his love, He will joy over thee with singing - Zephaniah 3:17

What a Word is this! Jehovah God in the center of His people in all the majesty of His power! This presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope. Treasures of boundless might are stored in our Jehovah, and He dwells in His church; therefore may His people shout for joy.

We not only have His presence, but He is engaged upon His choice work of salvation. "He will save." He is always saving: He takes His name of Jesus from it. Let us not fear any danger, for He is mighty to save.

Nor is this all. He abides evermore the same, He saves, He finds rest in loving, He will not cease to love. His love gives Him joy. He even finds a theme for song in His beloved. This is exceedingly wonderful. When God wrought creation He did not sing but simply said, "It is very good"; but when He came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt a joy to be expressed in song. Think of it, and be astonished! Jehovah Jesus sings a marriage song over His chosen bride. She is to Him His love, His joy, His rest, His song. O Lord Jesus, by Thine immeasurable love to us teach us to love Thee, to rejoice in Thee, and to sing unto Thee our life-psalm.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Exploring textures

Click to enlarge 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

September 18
Complete Safety

And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders - Deuteronomy 33:12

Yes, there is no safety like that which comes of dwelling near to God. For His best beloved the Lord can find no surer or safer place. O Lord, let me always abide under Thy shadow, close to Thy wounded side. Nearer and nearer would I come to Thee, my Lord; and when once specially near Thee, I would abide there forever.

What a covering is that which the Lord gives to His chosen! Not a fair roof shall cover him, nor a bomb-proof casement, nor even an angel's wing, but Jehovah Himself. Nothing can come at us when we are thus covered. This covering the Lord will grant us all the day long, however long the day. Lord, let me abide this day consciously beneath this canopy of love, this pavilion of sovereign power.

Does the third clause mean that the Lord in His temple would dwell among the mountains of Benjamin or that the Lord would be where Benjamin's burden should be placed, or does it mean that we are borne upon the shoulders of the Eternal? In any case, the Lord is the support and strength of His saints. Lord, let me ever enjoy Thy help, and then my arms will be sufficient for me.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

October Dreamin'

vs.

 

Hey!  It could happen!