Condition of Blessing (Spurgeon’s Faith’s Checkbook)

I came across this today, and thought it was very good and encouraging as usual.

From Charles Spurgeon’s “Faith’s Checkbook”
Condition of Blessing
April 24
Bring ye all of the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)

Many read and plead this promise without noticing the condition upon which the blessing is promised. We cannot expect heaven to be opened or blessing poured out unless we pay our dues unto the Lord our God and to His cause. There would be no lack of funds for holy purposes if all professing Christians paid their fair share.
Many are poor because they rob God. Many churches, also, miss the visitation of the Spirit because they starve their ministries. If there is no temporal meat for God’s servants, we need not wonder if their ministry has been little food in it for our souls. When missions pine for means and the work of the Lord is hindered by an empty treasury, how can we look for a large amount of soul-prosperity?
Come, come! What have I given of late? Have I been mean to my God? Have I stinted my Savior? This will never do. Let me give my Lord Jesus His tithe by helping the poor and aiding His work, and then I shall prove His power to bless me on a large scale.

From the Faith’s Checkbook Mobile Devotional Android app – http://www.LookingUpwardApps.com/fcb

Ecclesiastes Survey

1. Author
   1. the Preacher – identification by what he does
   2. Son of David, king in Jerusalem
2. Passage
   1. v. 2 – the preacher says all is vanity
   2. vanity of vanities
      1. Websters: Vanity Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity
   3. Note: all is in the human perspective
      1. life lived for self
3. Message – elaboration in vanities
   1. Topic: 1:3-11
      1. Things stay the same, but people come and go
      2. new things already were
      3. Vanity of making a name
      4. work is vexation and vanity
   2. Things Solomon Sought 1:12-2:26
      1. Solomon sought wisdom, and folly – found both were vanity
         1. but wisdom is better 2:13
      2. 2:17 – work is grievous → we become weary of it
   3. Some things he saw 3:1-6:12
      1. 3:1 – a time to every purpose
      2. 4:1-3 -better not be born –
         1. elsewhere, better born, then can serve God
      3. 4:6 – better 1 handful with quietness than both with travail and vexation
      4. 4:8 – one alone – no purpose or satisfaction
      5. 5:1 – be careful talking with God – better say less than lots of foolishness
      6. 5:10 – there is not satisfaction in riches
      7. 6:12- God knows – it is to know and love God
   4. Things he considered 7-10
      1. 7:10 – it is not wise to ask why times used to be better
      2. 7:16 – foolishness of putting on works of religion
      3. 8:14-15 – tried mirth – happiness, feasting, when he saw that often the wicked have the same result as the righteous (in this life)
      4. 9:11-12 – race is not to the swift, etc – rather God sets the days of man
   5. Summary
      1. 11:9 – rejoice in youth, but remember that God will judge
         1. v. 10 – therefore live for God
      2. 12
         1. young age will not last
         2. old age is hard
         3. death is certain, but the timing is unknown
         4. man is dust, and will return to where he came from
         5. 12:13-14 – the conclusion
            1. God will judge every work
            2. God will judge every secret thing
         6. The meaning of life: fear God and keep His commandments

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

This is a good reminder not to be angry.

Notes On Job – Justifying God

Below are some notes on the scriptural account of Job. They are for use in our Sunday School class, and are posted in rough outline format

 

1. 42 chapters
2. Characters
   1. Job – A man who lived his life trying to be righteous (1:5)
   2. God – appears as one whom the “sons of God” go to present themselves to – and Satan comes as well
      1. Looking to do evil to God’s people
      2. Accuser of brethren accuses Job of loving God’s blessings rather than himself
      3. God appears in the end describing himself
   3. Sons of God -Job 1:5 / 38:7
      1. 3 types of sons
         1. Son by Birth – Jesus Christ
         2. sons by creation – Adam, angels
         3. sons by adoption – saints
            1. Gen 6:1
   4. Job’s 3 friends – great men known for their wisdom, no lineage is needed, as they were known personages
      1. Eliphaz the Temanite
      2. Bildad the Shuhite
      3. Zophar the Naamathite
   5. Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite
      1. Shows up in ch. 32 without introduction
      2. Possibly a relative
      3. City of Buz in Edom/Idumea
      4. descendant of Buz, of Nahor, Abraham’s Brother?
3. Order of speaking
   1. 3 Job speaks – Cursing His day
   2. 4-5 Eliphaz – 4:17 – sympathy, and encouragement to confess
   3. 6-7 Job 6:3-4, 7:20-21 Job feels God is punishing him out of measure
   4. 8 Bildad – God judges justly, these bad things must be because of sin
   5. 9-10 Job – defends himself, 10:2-7, feels God is singling him out for destruction
   6. 11 Zophar – Convinced Job has sinned
   7. 12-14 Job – 13:19 – feels justified 14:4 – all are not perfect, so even though he thinks he is right, he has as much possible sin as all others, and so is being punished out of measure
   8. 15 Eliphaz – Wicked have problems, Job should be wise, but is being foolish to think he could be righteous seeing as he has these problems
   9. 16-17 Job – Feels unjustly judged by God, 16:21, desires to speak with God and set things right
   10. 18 Bildad – Says Job is experiencing the consequences of the wicked
   11. 19 Job – Complains that God doesn’t hear him 19:1-7, but he will follow God anyway 19:23-26
   12. 20 Zophar Reminds him that the wickeds’ blessings are short, then turn to curses – like Job’s have done
   13. 21 Job – The wicked often are blessed, life goes well for them
   14. 22 Eliphaz – Accuses Job of some wrong
   15. 23-24 Job 23:10 – says he will pass the test, but others keep doing wrong
   16. 25 Bildad – No man is good and can please God
   17. 26 -31 Job reaffirms that he will do good, no matter how God treats him, remembers how great and honorable he used to be (ch 29), reviews his current state (ch 30), tells of how righteously he lived (ch 31)
   18. 32-37 Elihu –
       1. The first three stop after each gives 3 speeches, less Zophar’s final speech
       2. Elihu’s wrath is kindled – because Job justifies himself rather than God
       3. Elihu justifies God and speaks of his greatness
       4. Points out how they have been falsely accusing Job
       5. Points out how Job has been trying to justify himself, when he should be justifying God 34:7-10
   19. 38-41 God speaks
       1. Demands an answer of Job
       2. Tells of His great works, and asks what Job can do likewise
   20. 42 – Job repents v. 6 – now he abhors himself, rather than justifying himself
       1. His friends are rebuked by God
       2. Elihu is not rebuked
       3. His friends must have Job offer sacrifice for them
       4. Job ends twice as blessed
4. Key lessons
   1. Job was a very righteous man who worked to please God
   2. Job’s righteousness was abhorrent, even in his own sight, when he heard God
   3. Job’s friends assumed that bad things were consequences for wickedness
   4. Job thought that bad happening to ‘good’ people meant God wasn’t just
   5. God made it clear that He is just, and all mankind is incredibly guilty before God, and worthy of nothing less than God’ s judgment
   6. God is the one to be justified, rather than man – our focus should always be on Him, rather than the little things of this earth
   7. God is not responsible to give account to us of His ways

 

Will The Earth Be Destroyed

There are some who teach that the earth will not be destroyed, that when Jesus said “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30), and that the Jew’s attempts to stone him for blasphemy were not due to his truthful claims to equality with God (John 10:33), but rather teach that he is merely God’s un-equal son. Below are some scriptures speaking of the coming day when the Lord will destroy the earth that now is.

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
– Isaiah 65:17

The Lord here tells us that the earth that now is will not be remembered in the future, because He will make a new one to replace it.

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
– Isaiah 66:22

Again, there will be new heavens and a new earth which will remain, indicating that as prophesied above, the original will not be present

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
– 2 Peter 2:7-14

Here, the Apostle peter reminds us of the Lord’s coming judgment. In the past, the earth “perished” with the flood, but in the future, it will be “dissolved” and “melt with fervent heat”. In the past, God destroyed the earth by covering it with water, but in the future, at the time when He replaces it with a new earth, the old one will be dissolved. This answers also to the prophesies in Isaiah.

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
– Revelation 20:11

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
– Revelation 21:1

Here we see again, at the end of time, the first heaven and earth were “passed away” – they were not anymore, but there were new replacements for them.

Those that would differ with these passages, generally teach that the future destruction of the earth will be more of a remodeling  or refurbishing. They anticipate that the burning of the earth will not be a complete destruction, as the words “dissolved”, “melted”, or the phrase “passed away” would indicate.

To support this idea, a commonly used passage is Psalm 37, speaking of the differences between the righteous and the wicked. The wicked will be cut off, but

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
– Psalms 37:27-29

What land is it that the righteous will inherit forever? It is the new earth which is our eternal habitation. The “New World Translation” of the Bible changes the word “land” here to “earth” to better fit this doctrine. Though earth is our primary use of land, as in the days of ancient Israel where Canaan was the promised land, so today, the new earth is our promised land.

Another primary passage used to back up this false doctrine is found in Ecclesiastes 1:4-6 where the preacher notes among several routine things such as the sun rising and going down, that the earth also abides forever. God has in the past miraculously intervened in these situations, as in the days of Hezekiah causing the sun to go backwards, and in Joshua’s day, staying up longer. So God will also intervene with the normal course of events in the future, and this earth will cease to be.

 

Ezra Survey

Continuing with a note format, below are notes for a survey of the book of Ezra in Scripture for any who might be benefited by it.

 

1. Ezra – 10 chapters
2. Chronological outline of Major Events
   1. Battle of Carchemish – Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar defeated Assyria and Egypt (Necho)
      1. Judah changed hands from Egypt to Babylon
   2. Cyrus’ Decree
      1. Jer 25:10-14 / 29:8-14
      2. Is 44:28
         1. Carried away into captivity to Babylon
         2. God would visit them after 70 years
         3. God has thoughts of peace, not evil – will be gathered from ALL the nations
         4. Cyrus (Not then born) would command Jerusalem and the temple to be built
      3. Recognition of God as THE true God
      4. Obedient to God’s charge
      5. WHO is Cyrus?
         1. Cyrus the Great, conquered E. Europe – Central Asia
         2. Reversed Assyrian program of displacing peoples of conquered nations – allowed them to return to their own lands and religions
      6. Who Returned (All Israel?)
         1. 2 Chron 11:13-17, 15:9 Israel partly mixed with Judah
         2. 2 Chron 36:23 – All God’s people – not just Judah
         3. Ez 2:2 – Possibly 12 representatives from 12 tribes?
         4. Ez 2:70 – all Israel in their cities
   3. Rebuilding
      1. Necessary because there was a destroying
         1. We were at enmity with God – must do rebuilding of relationship
         2. Rebuilding what has been torn down by those before us
      2. Adversaries
         1. Always enemies of God’s work
         2. Their Guises
            1. appearing as friends
            2. Weakened their hands
            3. Hired counselors against them
         3. Their Letters
            1. Accusatory letters
            2. Pretended to be good, and Judah bad
               1. Very discouraging to try and serve God, but have people paint you in a bad light, when doing nothing wrong
               2. Important to work with a clean conscience towards God and man – 1 Pet 2:13-15
            3. Accused of what their fathers did
            4. 4:13 – lies made up about the future
   4. Encouragers
      1. 5:1-2 God sent Prophets
         1. Sometimes all it takes to get back on track is someone to “Stand up”
         2. Need to get up and serve the Lord
         3. Leave our comforts, get going
         4. Study the prophets before long, but remember this is when they prophesied
      2. 5:5 – Obeyed God, and he took care of them – shortly had another letter of blessing from the king
   5. Ahashuarus’ Decree (Ezra)
      1. Ezra’s trip to Jerusalem
         1. Many offerings of gold and silver (ch 7:15-19)
            1. God’s work never lacks God’s provision
         2. 8:22 – Ashamed
            1. Had a tremendous wealth, but wouldn’t ask for a company to help because they had told them of how God could protect
            2. God did protect, but they sought him with prayer and fasting, and wisely divided the treasures among responsible people
      2. Purifying
         1. 9:1-3 – Arrival at Jerusalem – the people have joined the ungodly in the land
         2. God separates us a people to Himself – must not join the world
         3. Note: no judgment here, Ezra repented, grieved, mourned, and the people with him, leading to works of repentance – similar picture to true salvation.
3. Zerubbabel
   1. “A Stranger at Babylon”
4. The Man Ezra – Preparation of a leader for Revival
   1. 7:6 – A ready scribe
      1. Skilled in the Word of God
      2. Able to teach (v 10)
      3. Prepared his heart to seek God
5. Some Spiritual Lessons
   1. A Remnant to return
   2. God Keeps His Promises
   3. God works through man’s freewill
   4. Not all desired to return
   5. Blessing resumed following obedience
   6. testing came with the victories and new opportunities
   7. Fellowship can only be maintained in conjunction with obedience (heathen marriages)

1 Kings Survey

We have been studying through a survey of each book of the Old Testement for Sunday School at church over the past few months. Below are notes for the book of 1 Kings to be used as an aid to personal study.

 

1. Notes
   1. 2 sections
      1. 1-11 Solomon
      2. 12-22 – Divided Kingdom
      3. Ministry of Elijah 17-21
2. Outline
   1. 1 – David’s advisors
      1. old, and cold
      2. a fair young virgin – David already had wives
   2. 1 – Adonijah’s coup
      1. Basis
         1. oldest, David is feeble, Adonijah is handsome
         2. Joab wants to maintain power
      2. Nathan’s Warning
         1. Bathsheba & Nathan go to David
         2. David makes Solomon King
         3. Loyal servants
            1. Benaiah (David’s mightiest man)
            2. Zadok son of Ahitub (Not son of Eli)
            3. Nathan the Prophet – loyal despite matter of Uriah
      3. Everyone fled, he begged his life
         1. Solomon – no rash promises, but “if he show himself worthy”
         2. “Go to thy house” – no long speeches, promise of brotherhood, etc
         3. Note: acknowledged it was Solomon’s kingdom from God – was disobeying God when trying to take the kingdom
            1. When you try to do what you know God has forbidden, you will fail
   3. 2 – David’s death
      1. “way of all the earth” – words of David and Joshua
         1. Show wisdom in knowing it in the end of every person
         2. not abnormal – we should all live always with our end in mind
         3. Guilt must be retributed – and preferably not on Solomon
            1. Judgment on Joab’s murder – will bring God’s wrath if not judged, but David would not earlier
               1. David could not well do this, as using Joab as an accomplice in murder
               2. Our sin binds our hands from obeying God
   4. 2 – Solomon established
      1. Destroys those who would hinder God’s blessing on his reign
   5. 3- 3 – Solomon loved the Lord
      1. Solomon’s wisdom – asked for wisdom
      2. Received a wisdom of fleshly type, rather than godliness
         1. to judge people, understand things
         2. useful in life, but godliness is far greater, and lends to contentment
   6. 4 – Solomon’s wealth
   7. 5- Continuing with David’s alliances to build God’s temple
      1. David who greatly loved the Lord prepared for God’s temple with Zeal
      2. Note, we never see the zealous love for God in Solomon’s life that so characterized David’s
      3. He worked good works, mostly, but was more as one who did what must be done, rather than one who LOVED God
         1. makes a huge difference in our lives
   8. 6-8 The Temple &building
      1. Temple and accessories about 120’x60’, with outside rooms
      2. 3 floors of rooms built around the outside, with the temple higher still (windows above)
      3. built as God’s house – not an assembling place for Israel
      4. Build with much grandeur
      5. Materials could not be bought at the store – all raw materials gathered from native sources, and prepared by hand
      6. est. $600M
      7. Overlaid, not guiled with gold
      8. One stone (now under mosque of Omar) 39’ long
      9. Also built cities
      10. Employed about 180K people in the work
      11. raised taxes
   9. 9 – God’s 2^nd appearance to Solomon
      1. Solomon had seen an appearance of God
      2. Received great promises
      3. Used as a picture of Christ’s millennial kingdom
   10. 10 – Solomon’s Reputation (Sheba
   11. 11 – Solomon’s Fall
       1. Did not love God as David did
       2. Loved many forbidden women – and then their gods
       3. When we begin to love the world’s entertainment, pleasures, etc, we soon find we love it’s sin also
       4. v. 9 – God was angry with Solomon – forsook the God whom he had seen 2 times
       5. v. 12 – for David’s sake, God preserved him
          1. Power of a right life in blessing in future generations
          2. It is not enough to serve God like Solomon, we must be full of zealous love for him like David
       6. God raised up adversaries
          1. Promise to Jeroboam – preserve him if he would follow God
   12. 12 – Rehoboam’s foolishness
       1. Did not learn from his father
       2. Solomon did not prepare for his death, did not consider the future generations, lived focused on finding pleasure
   13. 12 – Jeroboam’s foolishness (not trusting God, but rather flesh)
   14. 13 – God’s warning to Jeroboam – who should have known better
       1. Warning even to God’s prophets of disobeying His word
   15. 14 – Israel and Judah’s wickedness – Idols, sodomites, images,
       1. Shishak of Egypt came and took treasure
       2. David inherited a weak kingdom, enlarged it by God’s blessing
       3. Solomon inherited a strong kingdom, maintained it by God’s remembrance of David, and his own lack-luster worship
       4. The kingdom crumpled under the next kings
   16. 15-16 – Short-lived & mostly ungodly kings
   17. 17 – 19 Elijah!!!
       1. A bold man of God who prayed fervently
       2. Like any of us could be with sufficiently fervent prayer (Jas)
   18. Elijah’s travels
       1. A very ZEALOUS man who became ‘burned out’
       2. Went off where it was quiet, and God again got hold of him
       3. If God has a hold of your life, you only need to obey – He will work out the rest
       4. Had what David had that Solomon didn’t – ZEAL
       5. God doesn’t just want numbers, just servants, wants those on fire with LOVE for Him
   19. 20-22 – Ahab’s death – as prophesied
       1. Knew God would destroy Him
       2. Had seen God’s power, over Baal
       3. Knew God’s law
       4. Continually refused to obey Him – except for 1 time repenting
       5. Did not like God’s word, because it was ‘bad’, but was as would be expected from fighting God

BLESSINGS ONLY COME FROM GOD

GOD IS A REWARDED OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM

THERE IS A DAY OF JUDGMENT, AND IT BEGINS ON EARTH

 

 

The Mighty Magnet (Spurgeon’s Faith’s Checkbook)

Reading this today, I thought it very relevant to us today – perhaps more energy than in Spurgeon’s day.

From Charles Spurgeon’s “Faith’s Checkbook”
The Mighty Magnet
October 4
And I, if l be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)

Come, ye workers, be encouraged. You fear that you cannot draw a congregation. Try the preaching of a crucified, risen, and ascended Savior; for this is the greatest “draw” that was ever yet manifested among men. What drew you to Christ but Christ? What draws you to Him now but His own blessed self? If you have been drawn to religion by anything else, you will soon be drawn away from it; but Jesus has held you and will hold you even to the end. Why, then, doubt His power to draw others? Go with the name of Jesus to those who have hitherto been stubborn and see if it does not draw them.
No sort of man is beyond this drawing power. Old and young, rich and poor, ignorant and leaned, depraved or amiable–all men shall feel the attractive force. Jesus is the one magnet. Let us not think of any other. Music will not draw to Jesus, neither will eloquence, logic, ceremonial, or noise. Jesus Himself must draw men to Himself; and Jesus is quite equal to the work in every case. Be not tempted by the quackeries of the day; but as workers for the Lord work in His own way, and draw with the Lord’s own cords. Draw to Christ, and draw by Christ, for then Christ will draw by you.

From the Faith’s Checkbook Mobile Devotional Android app – http://www.LookingUpwardApps.com/fcb

God’s Being. The Bible. Our Purpose.

The Bible is the greatest love letter ever written. God, in it, calls His people again and again, wanting them to be His only. We keep wandering after idols though, trying to find meaning in life outside what we were created to do. We were created for fellowship with God, and enjoying Him! What meaning is there in the life of an older person who is relying in others to keep them clothed and fed? Or when their family is ‘too busy’ to spend time with any more? Our value is in our purpose. Enjoying God. He said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer”. That’s what we were made for. Not making money, buying houses and lands, being compassionate to others (though that will grow from a right relationship with God), or anything else, no matter how good. We were made for fellowship with God. That requires believing that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He gives to them, the righteous, His secrets. What a wonderful God!

Unto Thy Name – Ps. 115:1

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake…
Ps. 115:1

What is your desire, friend? What is it you want out of life? As one who has been saved by God’s grace, chosen by the elect council of God, and one of the ‘whosoever’ that has chosen to believe on the Lord, my life is about giving glory to the Lord! Let us look for ways through every day to bring glory to the Lord, and to His most excellent name!

Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth, the heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
v. 15-16

God made all things, what a privileged it is to be His servants and ambassadors here on earth! He is the living God, all other gods are idols!