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\ / Charles Spurgeon's MORNING & EVENING http://www.heartlight.org/
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009
MORNING:
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh."
-- Galatians 5:17
In every believer's heart there is a constant struggle between the old
nature and the new. The old nature is very active, and loses no
opportunity of plying all the weapons of its deadly armoury against
newborn grace; while on the other hand, the new nature is ever on the
watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us will employ
prayer, and faith, and hope, and love, to cast out the evil; it takes
unto it the "whole armour of God," and wrestles earnestly. These two
opposing natures will never cease to struggle so long as we are in this
world. The battle of "Christian" with "Apollyon" lasted three hours,
but the battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from the
Wicket Gate in the river Jordan. The enemy is so securely entrenched
within us that he can never be driven out while we are in this body:
but although we are closely beset, and often in sore conflict, we have
an Almighty helper, even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is
ever with us, and who assures us that we shall eventually come off more
than conquerors through him. With such assistance the new-born nature
is more than a match for its foes. Are you fighting with the adversary
to-day? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not
discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on! For God himself is with you;
Jehovah Nissi is your banner, and Jehovah Rophi is the healer of your
wounds. Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence?
Fight on, "looking unto Jesus"; and though long and stern be the
conflict, sweet will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward.
"From strength to strength go on;
Wrestle, and fight, and pray,
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day."
EVENING:
"Good Master."
-- Matthew 19:16
If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord,
how much more fitly may I thus address him! He is indeed my Master in
both senses, a ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run
upon his errands, and to sit at his feet. I am both his servant and his
disciple, and count it my highest honour to own the double character.
If he should ask me why I call him "good," I should have a ready
answer. It is true that "there is none good but one, that is, God," but
then he is God, and all the goodness of Deity shines forth in him. In
my experience, I have found him good, so good, indeed, that all the
good I have has come to me through him. He was good to me when I was
dead in sin, for he raised me by his Spirit's power; he has been good
to me in all my needs, trials, struggles, and sorrows. Never could
there be a better Master, for his service is freedom, his rule is love:
I wish I were one thousandth part as good a servant. When he teaches me
as my Rabbi, he is unspeakably good, his doctrine is divine, his manner
is condescending, his spirit is gentleness itself. No error mingles
with his instruction-pure is the golden truth which he brings forth,
and all his teachings lead to goodness, sanctifying as well as edifying
the disciple. Angels find him a good Master and delight to pay their
homage at his footstool. The ancient saints proved him to be a good
Master, and each of them rejoiced to sing, "I am thy servant, O Lord!"
My own humble testimony must certainly be to the same effect. I will
bear this witness before my friends and neighbours, for possibly they
may be led by my testimony to seek my Lord Jesus as their Master. O
that they would do so! They would never repent so wise a deed. If they
would but take his easy yoke, they would find themselves in so royal a
service that they would enlist in it for ever.
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MORNING & EVENING from HEARTLIGHT /\/\
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Morning & Evening is the classic devotional by 19th-century writer
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