-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING
http://www.heartlight.org/
--\/------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 23, 2008
MORNING:
"Ephraim is a cake not turned."
-- Hosea 7:8
A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many
respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial
obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee,
see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God?
Has grace gone through the very centre of thy being so as to be felt in
its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and
thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine
aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee
anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must
not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in
another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned.
A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and
although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem
burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth which they have
received, or are charred to a cinder with a vainglorious Pharisaic
ostentation of those religious performances which suit their humour.
The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a
total absence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in
private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake which
is burned on one side, is dough on the other.
If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to
the fire of thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt
side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when
I am removed from thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a
double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of
reigning grace; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and
am not on both sides the subject of thy grace, I must be consumed for
ever amid everlasting burnings.
EVENING:
"Waiting for the adoption."
-- Romans 8:23
Even in this world saints are God's children, but men cannot discover
them to be so, except by certain moral characteristics. The adoption is
not manifested, the children are not yet openly declared. Among the
Romans a man might adopt a child, and keep it private for a long time:
but there was a second adoption in public; when the child was brought
before the constituted authorities its former garments were taken off,
and the father who took it to be his child gave it raiment suitable to
its new condition of life. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be." We are not yet arrayed in the
apparel which befits the royal family of heaven; we are wearing in this
flesh and blood just what we wore as the sons of Adam; but we know that
"when he shall appear" who is the "first-born among many brethren," we
shall be like him, we shall see him as he is. Cannot you imagine that a
child taken from the lowest ranks of society, and adopted by a Roman
senator, would say to himself, "I long for the day when I shall be
publicly adopted. Then I shall leave off these plebeian garments, and
be robed as becomes my senatorial rank"? Happy in what he has received,
for that very reason he groans to get the fulness of what is promised
him. So it is with us today. We are waiting till we shall put on our
proper garments, and shall be manifested as the children of God. We are
young nobles, and have not yet worn our coronets. We are young brides,
and the marriage day is not yet come, and by the love our Spouse bears
us, we are led to long and sigh for the bridal morning. Our very
happiness makes us groan after more; our joy, like a swollen spring,
longs to well up like an Iceland geyser, leaping to the skies, and it
heaves and groans within our spirit for want of space and room by which
to manifest itself to men.
|-- HEARTLIGHT NEEDS YOUR HELP... -------------------------|
As we face the summer of 2008, we truly need your help to
keep the light shining! Please take a moment to see how
you can help us continue our online ministry of 12 years:
|--
http://www.heartlight.org/support/
--------------------|
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE, by Rick Warren
Takes the message of The Purpose-Driven Church and shows us how to
apply it to our individual lives.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?222
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
===============================================================\ /===
http://www.heartlight.org/spurgeon
\/
Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
and preacher Charles Spurgeon. It's part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine,
the leading Christian living e-zine on the Web. Visit HEARTLIGHT
on the web for even more devotionals, plus music, articles and more
for your Christian walk!
ABOUT HEARTLIGHT:
Heartlight, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit organization.
Donations are needed and welcome (and tax-deductible)! Find out how
to help!
http://www.heartlight.org/support
EDITOR: Phil Ware, phil@heartlight.org
HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?
It's FREE! To subscribe send a blank email to:
join-spurgeon@maillists.heartlight.org
HOW DO I LEAVE?
Send a blank email to the unsubscribe address:
spurgeon-unsub@maillists.heartlight.org
STILL HAVING TROUBLE?
If our automated unsubscribe system isn't working for you,
send an email to mailmaster@heartlight.org and let us know
what list you would like to leave. We'll take care of you.
OTHER QUESTIONS?
Find answers to your frequently asked questions:
http://www.heartlight.org/help/faq/spurgeon.html
======================================================================
