Nervous Vs Fearful

I've been contemplating lately the fine distinction between being nervous and being fearful. It's easy to confuse the two, but there's a world of difference.

Being fearful means you want to run from situations. You want to run and hide, to take flight and avoid certain trials and challenges. You're afraid of what might happen, how you might perform, and you don't want to embrace the challenge. In fact, you would rather the challenge didn't exist at all.

Being nervous is different. A situation or challenge might be very daunting and you might be very unsure of how you will fare. But many people who are nervous about something are also very brave at the same time. They throw themselves head first into the fire, they put themselves on the line.

Watching shows like X-Factor and The Voice is very interesting from this perspective. Some of those guys get so nervous, but they've willingly embraced it to get a shot at achieving their goals. As Tom Jones kept saying, "being nervous is good. Being nervous means you want to do a good job. If you don't feel nervous, then you're not alive."

It's also interesting watching the Olympics and how many of the athletes talk about being very nervous, but how the nerves sharpen them. They heighten your senses and make you more alert.

In a lot of ways, to actually operate at the peak of your abilities, you have to be nervous and you have to embrace it, and channel it into what you are doing. A lot of what God's called us to do is outside our comfort zones. The work he's got for us requires bravery and courage. The key is embracing the nerves and embracing the challenging, rather than running away and living a fearful life.

"I remember the answer I received when I once said to my venerable grandfather, 'I never have to preach, but that I feel terribly sick, literally sick, I mean, so that I might as well be crossing the Channel', and I asked the dear old man whether he thought I should ever get over that feeling. His answer was, 'Your power will be gone if you do.'"

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner, p73-74.

Work & Conviction

"...looking at the matter in a commonsense way, it does seem that the most likely instrument to do the Lord's work is the man who expects that God will use him, and who goes forth to labour in the strength of that conviction."
p42, The Soul Winner, Charles H. Spurgeon.

"Dear brethren, do be earnest, put your whole souls into the work, or else give it up."
p45, The Soul Winner, Charles H. Spurgeon.

The Pursuit of Holiness (Part 5)

"...let a man once become really holy, even though he has but the slenderest possible ability, he will be a more fit instrument in God's hand than the man of gigantic acquirements, who is not obedient to the divine will, nor clean and pure in the sight of the Lord God Almighty."
p32, The Soul Winner, Charles H. Spurgeon.

"When I listened to Mr George Muller, as he was preaching at Mentone, it was just such an address as might have been given to a Sunday-school by an ordinary teacher, yet I never heard a sermon that did me more good, and more richly profited my soul ... you could not help saying, 'That man not only preaches what he believes, but also what he lives'. In every word he uttered his glorious life of faith seemed to fall upon both ear and heart. I was delighted to sit and listen to him; yet, as for novelty or strength of thought, there was no trace of it in the whole discourse. Holiness was the preacher's force; and you may depend upon it that, if God is to bless us, our strength must line in the same direction."
p32-33, The Soul Winner, Charles H. Spurgeon.

Spurgeon on New Converts

Great quotes from chapter 1 of 'The Soul Winner' by Charles H. Spurgeon.

"It very often happens that the converts that are born in excitement die when the excitement is over. They are like certain insects which are the product of an exceedingly warm day, and die when the sun goes down. Certain converts live like salamanders, in the fire; but they expire at a reasonable temperature."
p9

"The preacher's work is to throw sinners down in utter helplessness, that they may be compelled to look up to Him who alone can help them."
p13

"The proof to you that you have won the man's soul for Jesus is never before you till he has done with himself and his own merits, and has closed in with Christ."
p20

"Great care must be taken that this faith is exercised upon Christ for a complete salvation, and not for part of it. Numbers of persons think that the Lord Jesus is available for the pardon of past sin, but they cannot trust Him for their preservation in the future. They trust for years past, but not for years to come; whereas no such sub-division of salvation is ever spoken of in Scripture as the work of Christ. Either He bore all our sins, or none; and He either saves us once for all, or not at all.
p20

"Is it any wonder that many converts fall away, when, in fact, they were never taught to exercise faith in Jesus for eternal salvation, but only for temporary conversion? A faulty exhibition of Christ begets a faulty faith; and when this pines away in its own imbecility, who is to blame for it? According to their faith so it is unto them: the preacher and professor of a partial faith must unitedly bear the blame of the failure when their poor mutilated trust comes to breakdown."
p21

"True regeneration implants a hatred of all evil; and where one sin is delighted in, the evidence is fatal to a sound hope."
p23

"You may say to yourself, at the close of the service, 'Here is a splendid haul of fish!' Wait a bit. Remember our Saviour's words, 'The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.' Do not number your fishes before they are broiled; nor count your converts before you have tested and tried them. This process may make your work somewhat slow; but then, brethren, it will be sure."
p28

Reading Up On Heaven

Reading Randy Alcorn's book on Heaven has been really interesting and insightful. You can start out slightly worried that you're becoming 'too spiritually minded to be of any earthly good' - a mildly perplexing phrase you hear bounced around the place; which I'm pretty sure is just plain wrong. The more I think about that phrase the more I am convinced the opposite is true. One can be too earthly minded to be of any spiritual good. That, I think, is by far the greater danger.

The more I think and learn about Heaven, the more I want to prepare for it. The more I contemplate how awesome the New Earth is going to be, the more willing I feel to lose my life in this one. Most of us are more than willing to endure a bit of pain and hardship if in the end there is a massive reward. What if the reward was far bigger and more amazing than you ever imagined? What if this life was, in reality, unbelievable short compared to the bigger picture?

Jesus taught us to lay up treasure in Heaven. He is into health and wealth, life, joy, peace and happiness... and many other good things we long for. He's just into the eternal sort. Everything in this life comes with a sell-by date and eventually withers away.

––––––

"Christian, meditate on heaven, it will help thee to press on, and forget the toil of the way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country: this world of woe is but the stepping-stone to a world of bliss. And, after death, what cometh? What wonder-world will open upon our astonished sight?"

Charles Spurgeon.

––––––

"The man who is about to set sail for Australia or New Zealand as a settler, is naturally anxious to know something about his future home, its climate, its employment, its inhabitants, its ways, its customs. All these are subjects of deep interest to him. You are leaving the land of your nativity, you are going to spend the rest of your life in a new hemisphere. It would be strange indeed if you did not desire information about your new abode. Now surely, if we hope to dwell for ever in that "better country, even a heavenly one," we ought to seek all the knowledge we can get about it. Before we got to our eternal home we should try to become acquainted with it."

From Heaven by Randy Alcorn, page 5.
Original quote: J. C. Ryle, Heaven

More Trials, More Joys

"More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer."
Spurgeon

Spurgeon made me laugh...

“There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write ‘damnation’ with your fingers.”

Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Bible” in Spurgeon’s Sermons, Vol. 1, 33.

Life Group Talk: Giving

Here's a link to a PDF of a talk on giving that I recently did for my life group. It combines various re-written blog posts from this site and some new, original thoughts on the subject.

http://www.sa-design.co.uk/blog/Giving_Jan_2011.pdf

It also refers to this article titled "The Sandra Bullock Trade":

http://www.sa-design.co.uk/blog/Giving_Jan_2011_The_Sandra_Bullock_Trade.pdf

Enjoy!

Spurgeon on Salvation, Sin, Satan and the Saved

Quotes from 'Christ's Glorious Achievements'

"For myself, I love to live near a sinner's Saviour. If my standing before the Lord depended upon what I am in myself and what good works and righteousness I could bring, surely I should have to condemn myself a thousand times a day."
p18

"To believe is, to trust, to confide, to depend upon, to rely upon, to rest in."
p18-19

"There is no difference between one believer and another as to justification. So long as there is a connection between you and Christ the righteousness of God is yours. The link may be very like a film, a mere spider's line of trembling faith, but, if it runs all the way from the heart to Christ divine grace can and will flow along the most slender thread"
p20

"Come, look up, ye believers who are burdened with a sense of sin. While you chasten yourselves and mourn your sins, do not doubt your Saviour, nor question His righteousness."
p21.

"... for only by regeneration can we know ourselves to be the true seed."
p34.

"You must not think the devil cares much about you : the battle is against Christ in you."
p41.

""If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." Read, and the reading will be accurate, "He is a new creation." This is a very sweeping statement. A man in Christ is not the old man purified, nor the old man improved, nor the old man in a better humour, nor the old man with additions and subtractions, nor the old man dressed in gorgeous robes. No, he is a new creature altogether."
p70.

Spurgeon on Salvation and the Unsaved

Quotes from 'Christ's Glorious Achievements'

"The reason why many do not come to Christ is not because they are not earnest, after a fashion, and thoughtful, and desirous to be saved, but because they cannot brook God's way of salvation ... Proud man wants to save himself, he believes he can do it, and he will not give over the task till he finds out his own helplessness by unhappy failures."
p7.

"The law is that which, as sinners, we have above all things cause to dread; for the sting of death is sin, and all the strength of sin is the law ... Yet strange infatuation ! like the fascination which attracts the gnat to the candle, though it burns its wings, men by nature fly to the law for salvation, and cannot be kept from seeking life by it."
p8.

"It were easy work to save men, if they could but be made willing to receive the gospel, but they will not even hear it ... You bring them right up to the light, and flash it upon their eyes, but they wilfully and deliberately close their eyelids to it. You set upon them life and death, and plead with them even unto tears that they would lay hold on eternal life; but they choose their own delusions. So long and patiently must they be sought that this seeking work as much reveals the gracious heart of Jesus as did the saving work which He fulfilled upon the bloody tree."
p125-6.

Charles Spurgeon on the poor

A short devotional by Spurgeon, taken from my 'Faith's Checkbook' iPhone app:

"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.

We'll soon be there

"The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! Death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short – eternity, how long! Death, how brief – immortality, how endless! ... The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there"

Charles H. Spurgeon

Complete In Him

"You have no right to heaven in yourself; your right lies in Christ. If you are pardoned; it is through his blood; if you are justified; it is through his righteousness; if you are sanctified; it is because he is made of God unto you sanctification; if you shall be kept from falling, it will be because you are preserved in Christ Jesus; and if you are perfected at the last; it will be because you are complete in him."

Charles H. Spurgeon

Perpetual Communication

"The first thing for our soul's health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communication with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the world."

Charles H. Spurgeon

Hard Cultivation

"The more spiritual the exercise, the sooner we tire in it. The choicest fruits are the hardest to rear: the most heavenly graces are the most difficult to cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus."

Charles H. Spurgeon

Footsteps of the Saviour

"Remember this, Christian, and let it comfort thee. However difficult and painful thy road, it is marked by the footsteps of thy Saviour; and even when thou reaches the dark valley of the shadow of death, and the deep waters of the swelling Jordan, thou wilt find his footprints there. In all places whithersoever we go, he has been our forerunner; each burden we have to carry, has once been laid on the shoulders of Immanuel."

Charles H. Spurgeon

Adversity, a less severe trial

An awesome Spurgeon quote:

"The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity."

Hate can be a good thing

"The man who lived in this constant fellowship with God manifested in his daily life all the fruits of the spirit ... and with them was a hatred of their opposites – a loathing of every form of sin"
'Spurgeon: A New Biography' by Arnold Dallimore

Hate is something I definitely don't have enough of. Do I really hate the sin in my life, or do I half enjoy it? Do I accommodate it because it's easy to? And when I sin, do I go all inward-looking and self-defeatist?
Surely we should stir up an intense hatred of Satan.

I think you could argue that all sin is essentially demonic in nature, because to sin is to rebel against God. And that's what the demons did. Giving in to temptation is to go against the very being that sustains the universe and gives you life. Hatred of sin and Satan could well be another weapon in your pursuit of holiness.

Incredibly hard workers

One thing that's really come to mind from reading a number of biographies is that the people worth writing books about are always incredibly hard workers and very passionate people. None of them were slack. None of them were half-hearted. None of them started well, only to lose their way later on. They didn't backslide. They all persevered right the way through their lives to the very end.

A very interesting note I think. Although it's all about grace, to actually produce a life of meaning and substance requires hard work, diligence and real grasp of holiness. And these need to be sustained through all the years we live on earth.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
Romans 12:11

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58

Temptation, Meditation & Prayer

Spurgeon:

"He was well versed in the three things which, according to Luther, make a minister: temptation, meditation and prayer."
James Douglas, 'The Prince Of Preachers', 1894

I like this quote as it seems to lay out a string of three key areas: resisting temptation, having you're head in the bible and praying. Tie them all together and you could be a sharp tool in the hand of God.