Friday with Spurgeon

Today, I'm gonna do something a little bit different.  Happy Friday, by the way!  Well, each Friday obviously, we've been visiting a writing of Charles Spurgeon from "Spurgeon Gold."  Once we even got a treat from his "Morning by Morning" devotion book.  Now I like treats and surprises, so today I have one for you.  Lampmode Recording artist shai linne (he prefers his name in all lowercase letters) has an album out now called Storiez, and it is one of the most phenomenal pieces of Christ-centered art I've heard. On this album, shai does a magnificent job with a song called "Spurgeon." What I want to do is allow you a listen, as well as print the lyrics here for your Friday morning pleasure.  Enjoy, and let's praise God for not only Spurgeon, but all those He has graciously given us as examples in various areas of Christian living.  Let's Grow!!! Grace and Peace.

Spurgeon I'm not sure if you need to sign up for Imeem for this to play, but click for the song.

Here are the lyrics:

Spurgeon

written by s. linne

 

Verse 1

 

Let me make this plain kids- God is the greatest

He never changes- His ways are blameless

For His own glory and at different stages

He raises up servants to make His name famous

I’ll highlight one particular servant for

The purpose of encouraging your worship to the Lord

Furthermore, Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born

On the outskirts of London- 1834

His dad and his grandpa were both in the ministry

His mother was praying for his soul since his infancy

Naturally intelligent, rapidly developing

But lacking Jesus’ fellowship, that would be irrelevant

The God of his mother unknown

Though Christ was up in his home, the faith just wasn’t his own

The Lord answered prayer when at the age of 10

Young Charles became convinced of the wages of sin

For the next five years, the Spirit brought conviction

Terrors and affliction, aware of his condition

One Sunday morning though- the stormiest snow

Kept Charles from going in the church he’d normally go

Randomly stepped into a church

Heard the words “Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth”

And though only heaven knows the name of the preacher

That’s the day that Spurgeon became a believer

Verse 2

 

The Lord is so merciful, always so purposeful

Those whom He draws find His call irreversible

Immediately after Spurgeon’s conversion

Obediently, he was earnest to serve Him

The Lord poured His Spirit on Spurgeon abundantly

Anyone could see that he spoke with profundity

Extraordinary giftedness seen

Proclaiming God’s mysteries at the age of fifteen

In a place called Waterbeach graced with the sort of speech

That even made the old folks say, “This boy can preach!”

In fact he was so crafted after the Master

A Baptist church snatched him and asked him to pastor

At the time, He was seventeen years old

On fire for the King who redeemed his soul

People flocked from everywhere- it was quite a scene

Called to a church in London at the age of nineteen

He was more than ready- to his Lord he was dedicated

Even though he was never formally educated

If you would have scratched him, he would bleed Bible

A rich prayer life was his means of survival

Amount that he read was truly mind-blowing

Steeped in the writings of dudes like John Owen

And by God’s grace He fed the sheep new manna

In London met his wife, her name was Susannah

 

Verse 3

 

Behold the grace of God- stand to the side

The Spirit exalting the Lamb who has died

It can’t be denied- this man we describe

Was simply a tool in the hand of his God

To observe this servant’s extremely instructive

One word about Spurgeon is he was productive

Preached Jesus- no speakers- loudly he’d shout it

Each week packed houses of crowds in the thousands

His sermons were published- sixty-two volumes

He worked almost like he just knew he would die soon

Made mad disciples, passed on his knowledge

Established a school to train pastors in college

Sold out to the Lord Jehovah, his portion

Also he built two homes for the orphans

A monthly magazine, plus he wasn’t too busy

to write books- about a hundred and fifty

God’s grace in Spurgeon was manifest

But remember, the best man is a man at best

Yes, he struggled with depression- consistently sick, kid

Both he and Susannah physically afflicted

He experienced as a servant of Jesus

The power of God made perfect in weakness

Later on comes complications

His stands for orthodoxy got him shunned by his denomination

But through all the hardship and all the controversy

He never stopped relying on the sovereign God of mercy

And when he had finished pressing towards the goal

He entered into heaven at the age of fifty-seven

His life is a case of God’s grace effectively

At work in sinners to leave a great legacy

The proof is many years later in your speakers

We’re praising Jesus for raising up the "prince of preachers"

 

 

 

Friday With Spurgeon

My thoughts

over the last week or so have really focused on evangelism. I felt that I had used excuse after excuse for why my fervor for the proclamation of the Gospel to strangers had waned. Quite frankly, excuse time was over for me. I thought back to the days when like Lecrae, I had a "backpack full of tracts, plus a Johnny Mac......" Johnny Mac of course being a John MacArthur Study Bible. I would leave a tract AND a handsome tip at every restaurant my family ate in. I would carry them to the malls, and to WalMart, and wherever else I went and would approach a stranger with "did you get one of these? It's a Gospel tract; do me a favor, take 3 minutes and read it will ya?" Almost never was the tract turned down. Quite the contrary actually; I found myself surprised often at the amount of folks who seemed genuinely thankful that someone cared enough to pass it to them. "Hey, thanks I appreciate it" was a common response. So why did I ever stop? Well, here's the section that finds me being transparent and a bit embarrassed. It was actually one man's exposition of Matthew 28:19, and the perspective that the passage speaks of "making disciples" as the thrust of evangelism. In other words, this person reasoned, passing out tracts isn't really the method God has chosen to add to His Church. Random acts of evangelism and tract-distributing didn't necessarily fall into Biblical evangelism. Anyway, I began to think differently at the purpose for passing out tracts; sort of an all or nothing deal. If you can't pass out a tract AND present the Gospel to a person, the tract is worthless. Needless to say, I have rejected that line of thinking in light of several passages of Scripture.

Paul Kaiser, at The Reformed Evangelist wrote an excellent treatment on 10 Reasons for Using Gospel Tracts. In his article, he makes several excellent points that are worth considering. I would commend this article to you as an encouragement to spreading the Gospel. One theologian (also Reformed) says of evangelism, "we are all sent. it is our calling to be witnessess. EVERY Christian must get in the game." Well said. Romans 1:16 lets me know that in the Gospel, the power of God unto Salvation dwells. It also mentions not being ashamed of the Gospel, which is another thought altogether. What of planting seeds of the Gospel? Is there no value in that anymore? The Bible certainly puts value on it. 1 Corinthians says one plants, one waters, and God gives the increase. If the Gospel is clear in the tracts I chose, how is that not planting seeds? God's Words are alive, and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), spoken or written. The question isn't whether God can use tracts to bring conviction, repentance and faith in the life of a sinner. Of course He can, so long as the tract conveys the truth of God's Word concerning our nature and the consequence and remedy of that nature. The question is whether I will allow such a solid way of distributing God's truth to be stymied by misunderstandings of what God wants from us. The answer is now no. I thought last night after doing an Exemplary Husband study with a dear Brother of mine, what's the best way to Glorify God; never share the Gospel until there is opportunity for dialogue and discourse, or touch as many people with the Gospel through tracts as possible? The latter actually opens up more opportunity for the former. LOL. I discovered all this time I had been duped. Duped into believing that passing tracts was in some way ineffective. The notion actually appealed to my sinful flesh because now I could do even less and depend even more heavily on God's Sovereignty in Salvation. Well, praise God, I'm back to square 1. That is, God's Sovereignty and my diligence will not be separated. Excuses out the window, it's now time to prayerfully select a smorgasbord of tracts that clearly and effectively put the Gospel of my Savior on display. (I will later post resources for solid Gospel Tracts for those of you who wish to get involved with evangelism from this perspective). Now take a moment to read what Spurgeon's take on tracts is. This, like all my Friday with Spurgeons, is from "Spurgeon Gold," I hope you enjoy it. I'll see you on the frontlines!! Grace and Peace!!!

Distribution of Tracts

"I well remember distributing them in a town in England where tracts had never been distributed

before, and going from house to house, and telling in humble language the things of the kingdom
of God. I might have done nothing, if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do
something...[Tracts are] adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but
nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They have not the tongue of the eloquent, but they
may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute
here and there these silent preachers . . . They may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute
broadcast.
“I look upon the giving away of a religious tract as only the first step for action not to be compared
with many another deed done for Christ; but were it not for the first step we might never
reach to the second, but that first attained, we are encouraged to take another, and so at the
last . . . There is a real service of Christ in the distribution of the gospel in its printed form, a service
the result of which heaven alone shall disclose, and the judgment day alone discover. How many
thousands have been carried to heaven instrumentally upon the wings of these tracts, none can
tell.
“I might say, if it were right to quote such a Scripture, ‘The leaves were for the healing of the
nations’—verily they are so. Scattered where the whole tree could scarcely be carried, the very
leaves have had a medicinal and a healing virtue in them and the real word of truth, the simple
statement of a Savior crucified and of a sinner who shall be saved by simply trusting in the Savior,
has been greatly blessed, and many thousand souls have been led into the kingdom of heaven by
this simple means. Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something
now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing.”

Friday With Spurgeon

"Nothing can damn a man but his own righteousness; nothing can save a man but the righteousness of Christ."  Charles Spurgeon

What Took So Long?

Alas, I am here as promised delivering you the 2nd in my series of "Friday With Spurgeon" blogs, as late as I am.  This week has indeed been a full one.  Some of you may know that my wife and I have been expecting our newest addition to our family for what seems like the last 20 months lol.  Our daughter was actually due on the 31st of December, but God is teaching us patience through her since she's yet to arrive.  We've also been participants in various holiday activities with Christmas and New Year's coming in tandem, as is their custom.  I say all that to say, thank you for your grace as I've caused you (all 3 of you) to wait until the 11th hour on Friday to receive this, my latest Spurgeon entry.

Don't I Have Righteousness?    

Thinking about the above quote, I wondered aloud,  "is there nothing that can damn a man but his own righteousness?"  Surely murder, adultery, and other heinous sins damn men, don't they?  There has to be something else that damns a man besides his own righteousness, huh?  Thinking further, though, reveals a potent truth.  One may have no righteousness besides his own,  unless another were actually able to give him theirs.  We often hear of people referring to talents of children as "something their mom or dad gave them."  What is meant by that, is that somehow that child inherited that artistic ability, or athletic prowess, or some other attribute that can easily be seen and attributed to one or both parents.  Since I was a better-than-decent athlete, people can see my son's success on the field/court and say, "you gave him that speed," or "you gave him those reflexes," and there could be at least a hint of truth in the statement.  The truth of such statement lies in the fact that I actually have what I am suspected of giving my son; namely, athletic ability.  In the case of righteousness, however, this system of thought breaks down holistically.  First, let me define my terms here.  By righteousness, I mean what I believe is meant Biblically; that is, a right standing with GOD the creator by virtue of moral perfection.  Now let me ask the question, "who has this?"  The answer of course, is no one.  This is why Romans 3:10 says unequivocally, "there is none righteous, no not one."  Now this leads to a question about Spurgeon's quote.  If none of us has the righteousness that God requires, then how can it be said that my righteousness is the very thing that will damn me?

To understand this aspect of Spurgeon's quote, let's look at a few Scriptures:

In Matthew 5:20, Jesus says

For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

What was the righteousness that Jesus referred to?  The Pharisees and the scribes (especially the former) had a type of righteousness that focused almost totally on external righteousness.  That is, they dotted every religious "i" and crossed every religious "t."  They said loud and public prayers, they publicly gave alms, and they could quote nearly all the Scripture from memory.  Impressive, huh?  Not quite, because while externally they kept so many of the laws letter, they all but ignored the keeping of the intent, or spirit of the law.  The righteousness of the Pharisees  wasn't really righteousness at all.  Theirs was a pseudo-righteousness that led to lots of religious activity, yet lacked the power to change their motivations and true affections.  This righteousness was contrived and in essence, native to all of us as fallen humans.  God has this to say about such righteousness: Isaiah 64:6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  Wow, the "righteousness" that we possess God sees as polluted garments, which is actually a mild way to say what is expressed in Hebrew here.  So we see that our righteousness is not worthy of God's acceptance, and we see that even the religiously astute Pharisees' righteousness is not enough to get us to Heaven.  The reason for this is because the only righteousness we as fallen humans can conjure up is external righteousness.  God's standard is moral perfection, and we couldn't get there if we lived in a bubble.  From before even the first selfish wail as children wanting our own way, we are tainted with the nature of Adam.  There is no external exercise that can rid us of this nature.  Going to Church several times per week, praying 100 times per day, giving  to the poor in Oprah-like proportions, or saying "I believe in God" until we convince all around us does not accomplish a thing relative to God's requirement for righteous perfection.  In this way, it can never be said of me that I gave my child my righteousness.  I simply have no righteousness to give.  Now let's imagine that the things I mentioned as futile-my Church attendance, my upstanding citizenship, my prayers, my giving to the poor-were the very things I depended on to gain favor with God.  There are other things that can be said to constitute "my righteousness."  These things become clearer when this question is considered: "If you were to die today and face God, and He asked "why should I let you into my heaven?" what would the answer be?  Whatever the answer to this question is reveals whose righteousness is being trusted.  I've asked this question of a few people I know to be either blatant unbelievers, or professed believers who are Church goers.  Sadly, the answers of both groups vary very little. They include:

1.  I try my best to live by the teachings of Jesus

2.  I always ask God to forgive me

3.  I go to Church and pray all the time

4.  I asked the Lord into my heart once before

5.  I'm a good person

What do all these answers have in common?  "I."  God should let me into Heaven because "I......"  This shows a dependence on the righteousness that is not possessed.  Self righteousness is really no righteousness at all.  Believing that my or your activity grants us any favor with, or commends us to God in any way is a sure route to Hell.  This is the very idea behind Spurgeon's quote.  The only thing that can damn a man is his own righteousness.

External Righteousness-The Straw that Broke The Camel's Back

 One's own righteousness can do not a thing to affect the problem that exists between man and God.  This is one of enmity, that is the nature of sinfulness that makes the unregenerate (that is, one who has not been born again through repentance and faith) an enemy of God.  Regardless of the perception of goodness in a person's external activity, not one person would be willing to have their thoughts from the last 24 hours broadcast for all to see.  This is because at our core, we are sinful, having thoughts and deeds that don't match.  The "best" person in the world wouldn't want you to view their thought life, because even against their own wills, they have evil and sinful thoughts, as do we all.  That alone should be proof enough that there is none righteous from God's perspective.  That is why our righteousness before God is but filth.  I can recall giving $10 to a homeless man in DC once.  Afterward, I felt so good that I reasoned that I was the only one in the group I was with who cared enough for this man's plight that I acted.  So while I was giving to the poor, my thoughts were bathed in the filth of personal pride.  Paul was so right when he lamented, "when I would to do good, evil is present before me," in Romans 7.  Our self righteousness will forever prevent us from seeing the sin that exists even in our good, unless God Himself intervenes.  God Himself has intervened.  We have a deep problem when ours is the righteousness we depend on to save us.  It's an eternally damning problem.  We have no righteousness worthy of God's Grace; yet He gives grace to those who realize the truth of Spurgeon's statement.  Once we come to grips with the humiliating truth that we have nothing worth anything to offer to a perfect and Holy God, we can enter into element B of the quote we are examining.  

Nothing can save a man but the righteousness of Christ.  

We see then that any righteousness we possess in and of ourselves is worthless in God's economy.  This is a wholesale problem affecting all humans born of Adam.  This takes us back to one of my first observations, namely, that one may have no righteousness besides his own,  unless another were actually able to give him theirs.  If we have said that all those born of Adam have no real righteousness, who then would actually be able to give righteousness to anyone?  Jesus, the only morally perfect human to ever live, is the only answer.  Hence, the b clause of Spurgeon's quote.  Through the perfect life lived by the God/Man Jesus, sinful and righteous-void humans like me and you, can be declared righteous through repentance and faith in His work.  That is, His life, death, burial, and resurrection.  As the Scriptures speak: Romans 4:4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.  5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 

and again: Romans 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 

The only righteousness that God will count as ACTUAL righteousness, is the righteousness of Christ.  We obtain that righteousness by Grace, through Faith in the person and work of Christ.  There is no other way to obtain it.  No one  can work hard enough, or be good enough to satisfy the righteous requirements of God.  Repent and Trust Christ, and the perfect and righteous life He lived will be accounted to you.  In this way, the righteousness of Christ will save you.  Repent and trust not, and your own righteousness will be more than enough to damn you to Hell for eternity.

Friday with Spurgeon: Reflections from the book "Spurgeon Gold"

I have decided that I would borrow an idea from my brother over at Pyromaniacs (www.teampyro.blogspot.com), and publish something of Spurgeon weekly.  I didn't actually think to do this as a result of reading Pyro, but after being given "Spurgeon Gold" by my 12-year old for Christmas.  As I read the first entry from the book, I thought "this would be great to share with people."  I then followed that thought to its logical end and here we are.  Many of you are familiar with Charles Haddon Spurgeon and know of God's using this man in a major way during his lifetime.  One of my favorite Christian MC's, shai linne, wrote a song that gives a brief synopsis of the life of the "Prince of Preachers."  Hear that here .   Anyway, this is now what you can expect to see on Streams of Thought each Friday; an entry from Spurgeon Gold.  Well, at least till that particular book is exhausted.  I'm thinking to make at least 2 theme days per week.  Maybe one day, I'll feature poetry or something like that. Actually, feel free to suggest what you might like to see sometime, and I'll definitely consider it.  Meanwhile,  enjoy the first entry from Spurgeon Gold:

Some People's Eyes

I shall never forget one summer afternoon, when I was preaching in a village chapel about the joys of Heaven, that an elderly lady sitting on my right kept looking to me with intense delight.  Some people's eyes greatly help the preacher.  A telegraph goes on between us.  She seemed to say to me, "Bless God for that.  How I am enjoying it!"  She kept  drinking in the truth, and I poured out more and more precious things about the eternal kingdom and the sight of the Well Beloved, till I saw what I thought was a strange light pass over her face.  I went on, and those eyes were still fixed on me.  She sat still as a marble figure, and I stopped and said, "Friends, I think that yon sister over there is dead."  They said that it was even so, and they bore her away.  She had gone.  While I was telling of Heaven, she had gone there; and I remember saying that I wished that it had been my case as well hers.  It was better not, perhaps, for many reasons; but oh, I did envy her!  I am always looking for the day when I shall see her again.  I shall know those eyes, I am sure I shall.

My Short Reflection on this Entry:

Well, I just loved that story from the first time I read it (yesterday lol).  In terms of reflections I have two to mention.  First, the prospect of dying, and having family and friends to be confident that Heaven is my home.  In other words, confident that I am a true believer in the Savior, Jesus Christ.  That is something I have actually thought about on a number of occasions.  Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says that we do not grieve as those who have no hope.  Of course, in the context of that passage, he was dealing with the misunderstandings of the Thessalonian Church around what happens to those who died as believers when Christ returns.  The key in that passage as it relates to my reflection is "died as believers" or as the passage says, "died in Christ."  The lady in Spurgeon's  account died, and it's apparent from reading the account that at least Spurgeon thought her to be a believer.  This lead to his excitement, joy, and understanding that he'd see her again.  This indeed is a different perspective than he would have had if she had been a known unbeliever.  My point is, I pray my life and the fruit the Lord chooses to bear in my life allow those in my life to mourn as if they mourn one "who died in Christ."  So like Spurgeon about this lady, my family can say, "he went there, and I'll see him again."  

My 2nd reflection on this piece is that Spurgeon was preaching on the joys of heaven.  I would just like to remind you that the Lord tells us in numerous places in Scripture that the hope of His coming is to be encouraging to us.  That the longing for our place in Heaven and among our brethren ought to motivate us to pure living.  The thought of being in the Lord's presence ought to be a "pick-me-up" for the believer.  Are you encouraged by the truth that our Lord is returning?  The thought that to  "live is Christ and to die is gain" is one that can become much clearer as we meditate on the "joys of heaven," and spend time reading God's word as it relates to us what it will be like.  New Heaven, New Earth, New Bodies, Presence of Sin GONE!!!! And most importantly, we'll see Him who was pierced FOR us Face to Face!!!!!!!!  Hallelujah!!  It's during those meditations that we cry out "MARANATHA!!!!"  Come quickly, Lord.