C.H. Spurgeon: HT
“Doctrines!” says one, “we are tired of doctrines.”"For forms and creeds let graceless bigots fight,
He can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.”
The opinion is current that to be fluent and original is the main thing in preaching, and provided a man is a clever orator it is a proper thing to hear him.The Lord will wither with the breath of his nostrils that cleverness in any man which departs from the simplicity of the truth. There is a gospel, and “there is also another gospel which is not another, but there be some that trouble you.” There is a yea yea, and there is a nay nay; and woe unto those whose preaching is yea and nay, for it shall not stand in the great day when the Lord shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
Search ye, my brethren, and know what the gospel is, and when you do know it, hold it: hold it as with a hand of iron, and never relax your grasp. Grievous wolves have come in among us, wolves of another sort to what were wont to be in the churches, yet, verily, after the same fashion they come disguised in sheep’s clothing. They use our very terms and phrases, meaning all the while something else; they take away the essentials and vitalities of the faith, and replace them with their own inventions, which they brag of as being more consistent with modern thought and with the culture of this very advanced and enlightened age, which seems by degrees to be advancing, half of it to Paganism with the Ritualists, and the other half of it to Atheism with the Rationalists.
From such advances may God save us! May we be enabled to keep the faith, and uphold the truth which we know, by which also we are saved. I, for one, cannot desert the grand doctrine of the atoning blood, the substitutionary work of Christ, and the truths which cluster around it.
And why can I not desert these things? Because my life, my peace, my hope, hang upon them. I am a lost man if there be no substitutionary sacrifice, and I know it. If the Son of God did not die, “the just for the unjust, to bring us to God,” I must be damned; and, therefore all the instincts of my nature cling to the faith of Jesus. How can I give up that which has redeemed my soul, and given me joy and peace and a hope hereafter?
I beseech you, do not waver in your belief, but keep the faith, lest ye be like some in old time, who “made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience,” and were utterly cast away. Woe unto those who keep not the doctrines of the gospel, for in due time they forget its precepts also and become utterly reprobate. In departing from Christ men forsake their own mercies both for life and death. The blessed who die in the Lord are those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
- C.H. Spurgeon, A Voice From Heaven
 Give Me Christ, Or Else I Die“He gave his only begotten Son.”—John 3. 16 Gracious Lord, incline thy ear; My requests vouchsafe to hear; Hear my never-ceasing cry; Give me Christ, or else I die. Wealth and honour I disdain, Earthly comforts, Lord, are vain; These can never satisfy; Give me Christ, or else I die. Lord, deny me what thou wilt, Only ease me of my guilt. Suppliant at thy feet I lie; Give me Christ, or else I die. All unholy and unclean, I am nothing else but sin; On thy mercy I rely; Give ... February 28, 2011
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 What Can 21,000 Gospel Tracts Do?I haven't posted anything on the blog for the past two weeks. Here is the reason why. In the span of 10 days, Christ’s Glory Church, in partnership with Hope Christian Church, 21,000 Gospel tracts has been spread abroad in Metro Manila, Philippines. What can 21,000 Gospel tracts do? In the hands of men and in the power of men, nothing. Absolutely nothing. A useless endeavor. Pointless. Pathetic. Irrational. Illogical. A waste of money, energy and time. But in the ... February 15, 2011
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 May My Cry Be Always, Only Jesus! Only Jesus!O God, I bless thee for the happy moment when I first saw thy law fulfilled in Christ, wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven, my soul saved. Ever since, thou hast been faithful to me: daily have I proved the power of Jesus’ blood, daily have I known the strength of the Spirit, my teacher, director, sanctifier. I want no other rock to build upon than that I have, desire no other hope than that of gospel truth, need no other look than that which gazes ... January 26, 2011
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 3 CommentsLeave a Reply |
i'm curious….when are you going to post something other than the usual "gospel rant?"you see, people won't respond so much to these blogs positively if all you do "fire away" with your "guns a'blazing" at all the things that you believe need to change. just an honest query…
Firstly, well that depends on your definition of a "gospel rant", and which posts you put under that "category."Secondly, I'm not really after people to have a positive opinion about the blog. Neither am I after readership statistics. If there is a possibility to do away with spiritual discernment and the importance of scriptural truth in Christian practice, I would have done so long ago if I wanted to.
“i’m curious….
when are you going to post something other than the usual “gospel rant?”
you see, people won’t respond so much to these blogs positively if all you do “fire away” with your “guns a’blazing” at all the things that you believe need to change. just an honest query…”
-in response to this, this is what I think JM..
FIRST OF ALL, if this post is an example of a “Gospel rant” then please keep on posting stuff such as these… it may not be for all but I personally need them, want them, love them and can’t live without them. They are so refreshing especially from the state I am in right now.
I’m beaten down on all sides: “Give up doctrines. They just confuse you” “Be mature and grow up! Stop thinking your better than everyone!” “God loves us all so just sit back and relax” “Don’t waste your life chasing after Arminians” (I’ve never done this hehe nor have i ever talked about calvinism in our Church but as soon as most people hear your a reformed christian they start putting “AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS” tags on you). These are just a small part of what has happened to me hear. I’m just sick of the world. Totally sick of it. I find no refuge here. I find no home here. But I feel good too from a selfish point of view. I feel as if I’m the last of my kind lol isn’t that cool? what am I saying? hehe
Anyways, some of the things they said (family, friends, Church) have truths, no doubt. I should relax because God is sovereign and in fact I do.. maybe too much hehe. But it just grieves my heart, not because I’m beaten to pieces, but because they absolutely have no idea what they are talking about. How it pains me but I rejoice from the depths of grief! His grace is sufficient!
SECOND OF ALL, a lot of Christians out there might not be able to appreciate these old school posts but its really helpful for those who have been opened and meant for these stuff. Even truly saved people would rather be deceived and think well of themselves. They cannot bear the truth unless God, out of mercy and love, acts.
David is a good writer with a good way of communicating to the mass of Christians, but you are different. You just put stuff bluntly in our site without holding back. I believe that draws fewer audience (in a million people only one would read it and that one would probably be someone truly regenerate and matured to withstand it LOL) BUT that doesn’t make it less of a post. Last year when I was still a handsome-good-old-popular Christian (*makes the innocent look* hehe), I thought your posts suck and you were in a stage where you needed some guidance on writing (lol). But now, all I can say is God has done a great job fixing you.
To be honest, these kind of posts are exactly what I want. A lot of blogs start with “I dont want to offend people” and they ramble for hours wasting your time on how much they love men. I don’t have a problem with this because I know when your reaching a mass of Christians you really have to pour your love into them. You know that I actually wrote an email of such to my Church. I used up 30 mins of their time explaining how I love them with all my heart before explaining the Gospel.
But for me, a believer who’s always pressed for time, I need the kind of posts that go directly to the point. Besides, our God is sovereign. He can sovereignly move a stubborn individual to love these posts or even better, He may use these “Gospel rants” to open the hearts of others. Amazing huh? How is it that the holy, glorious Gospel can be preached from our puny and unclean mouths?!
THIRDLY, let me just talk to you about how I write like a rusty old man hehe. You see before I even wrote, I already determined that my blog would be just about God and I. Those who can relate then enjoy and those who can’t well I hope I’ll still be able to reach them. As you can see, although I have a number of Gospel rants, all these foolish talks about the Gospel are FOR GOD AND I. They glorify God but at the same time, they remind me of my carnal depravity and utmost victory. I wrote them so that when I feel down, I can look back to them and praise God as I am reminded of His great glory. Thats why if you look at my site, you’ll find a bunch of experiences or sometimes exhortations that WON’T MAKE SENSE AT ALL especially if your the “modern type of Christian” (what a term! LOL).
My writings can only be truly admired by God and I. Its more of a personal type of blog. Even the letters that I have there that seemed addressed to pastors, ministers and emergent people are REALLY FOR ME. Its my regenerate self writing to my unredeemed flesh. Hope you get what I meant.
LASTLY, We, His beloved elect, are all one but we are all unique. Call me evil (lol oh yeah) but I don’t really care much about reaching to the audience. I know this sounds selfish hehe but I seriously don’t. I care but if you would ask me which would I prefer: to preach or to pray, I would say to pray. I preach and pray out of necessity and love. But in my preaching, I don’t care much if they understood me or not. I just preach like a madman hoping someone would come out from the crowd by the power of God or I lay flat on the ground exhausted and badly beaten.
You know what I really want in this life? In contrast to what you’ve heard from me last year, I don’t want to be writer or a person who’s going to change the world. I just want to sit down and enjoy God. I just want to be with Him (sounds like a suicidal note huh? hehehe). I just want to be free from sin and to sit beside Him and love Him and cherish Him as the greatest joy of my life! Believe me or not, I don’t care much about revival or if the Church would succesfully rediscover the hidden truths. I’ve worked hard for revival and I’ve always prayed for it in tears but my greatest happiness is God. To sit with Him is what I really want without much care if revival comes or not ^_^ In just six years of walking with God, I feel old, tired but at the same time, I feel as if I am the most fulfilled man on the face of this planet.
I wait anxiously in peace for His coming. I know God has still much to do in my life but I can’t just stop wishing for a time where I would just be one with the Lord. How I wish I’d be rid of this unredeemed flesh and worship Him in all His fullness! How great would that day be!
Anyways, enough ranting from the old man hehehe we’ve got more work to do JM.. live in peace! you’re a lot younger than me bes (not in age but in vigor) so keep the flames going! I’m with you in prayer!
Yours truly,
Mike