"Compel Them to Come In" by Charles H. Spurgeon

A Sermon(No. 227)

Delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 5th, 1858, by the
REV. C. H. Spurgeon
at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.

"Compel them to come in."—Luke 14:23.

FEEL in such a haste to go out and obey this commandment this morning, by compelling those to come in who are now tarrying in the highways and hedges, that I cannot wait for an introduction, but must at once set about my business.
Hear then, O ye that are strangers to the truth as it is in Jesus—hear then the message that I have to bring you.

"Useless Kinds of Religion" by J.C. Ryle

HERE are two ways by which a man may lose his own soul. What are they?
He may lose his soul by living and dying without any religion at all. He may live and die like a beast, prayerless, godless, graceless, faithless. This is a sure way to hell. Mind that you do not walk in it.
He may lose his soul by taking up some kind of religion. He may live and die contenting himself with a false Christianity, and resting on a baseless hope. This is the commonest way to hell there is.

Pray For God To Sweep Across This Nation in 2011!

When men in the streets are afraid to open their mouths and utter godless words lest the judgments of God should fall; when sinners, overawed by the Presence of God tremble in the streets and cry for mercy; when, without special meetings and sensational advertising, the Holy Ghost sweeps across cities and towns in Supernatural Power and holds men in the grip of terrifying Conviction; when "every shop becomes a pulpit; every heart an altar; every home a sanctuary" and people walk softly before God, this is Revival!

"Reformation Needed Today" by James Montgomery Boice

For years I have spoken about what I consider to be the worldliness of the liberal churches, accusing them of four things: pursuing the world's wisdom, embracing the world's theology, following the world's agenda, and employing the world's methods. What has hit me like a thunderbolt in recent years is that what I had been saying about the liberal churches at the end of the 1960s and in the 1970s now needs to be said about the evangelical churches as well, since many of them have become as liberal as the larger mainline denominations before them.

"Five Facts Friday"

1)  Percentage of Christians Worldwide:
     33% of the Worlds population is considered to be Christian.

"What Are You Waiting For Christian?" by Shane C. Montgomery

Are you waiting for a framed invitation to share the Gospel?  Well, here it is!

 What is preventing you from sharing the Gospel?  What is keeping you from fulfilling your commission?  Do you fear the unknown?  Then fear it!  But Go!  Do you believe it is the duty of another?  It is not!  It is yours as much as your pastors!   Are you too shy?  Well so am I.  Are you scared?  So am I, use that energy your fear generates, put that energy to good use.   Are you tired, too busy, too overwhelmed?   Who isn't?

"The Difference Between Justification & Sanctification; Or, Righteousness Imputed & Grace Imparted" by Ralph Erskine (1685-1752)

1. In Justification, God loves us, and shows his love in Christ; in sanctification we love God, and show our love to him: for the sum of active holiness is love, which is the fulfilling of the law.

2. In justification, we have the favour of God; in sanctification, we have the image of God and the special part of his image is love.

3. In justification, we are passive, as when God set his love upon us; but in sanctification, we are active, while his love causes us to act in loving him.

What Is It You Look For In The Man In The Pulpit? by Shane C. Montgomery

  

  What is it you look for when you visit a church?  Let's put aside the Worldly things, like Building, Entertainment, Gift Shop, Lounge, Gym, Day Care, Youth Group and any other factor that is designed to draw in the Worldly visitor and let's speak of honest, real things, not that these things are not entirely important, though I don't believe they are, but lets look at the man in the pulpit for a moment, what do you look for when visiting a church, and if it has been a while since you have visited a church other than yours, what would you look for if, say you recently moved to a new state and had to find a new church home?

"A Word to Soul-Winners" by C. H. Spurgeon

I want to say a word to you who are trying to bring souls to Jesus. You long and pray to be useful: do you know what this involves? Are you sure you do? Prepare yourselves, then, to see and suffer many things which you would rather be unacquainted with. Experiences which would be unnecessary to you personally will become your portion if the Lord uses you for the salvation of others. An ordinary person may rest in his bed all night, but a surgeon will be called up at all hours; a farming-man may take his ease at his fireside, but if he becomes a shepherd he must be out among the lambs, and bear all weathers for them; even so doth Paul say "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." For this cause we shall be made to undergo experiences which will surprise us.

"The Difference Between Legal and Gospel Mortification" By Ralph Erskine

1. Gospel and legal mortification differ in their principles from which they proceed. Gospel mortification is from gospel principles, viz. the Spirit of God [Rom. 8. 13], 'If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live'; Faith in Christ [Acts 15. 9], 'Purifying their hearts by faith'; The love of Christ constraining [2 Cor. 5. 14], 'The love of Christ constraineth us.' But legal mortification is from legal principles such as, from the applause and praise of men, as in the Pharisees; from pride of self-righteousness, as in Paul before his conversion; from the fear of hell; from a natural conscience; from the example of others; from some common motions of the Spirit; and many times from the power of sin itself, while one sin is set up to wrestle with another, as when sensuality and self-righteousness wrestle with one another. The man, perhaps, will not drink and swear. Why? Because he is setting up and establishing a righteousness of his own, whereby to obtain the favour of God here is but one sin wrestling with another.

"The Ministry of Kindness" J. R. Miller, 1902

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved—clothe yourselves with compassion,kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Nothing is more worth while, than kindness. Nothing else in life is more beautiful in itself. Nothing else does more to brighten the world, and sweeten other lives.

"Did You Get What You Wanted For Christmas?" by Shane C. Montgomery

 So Christmas is over, no more shopping, no more stress of finding that perfect gift for aunt Anne, no more mail boxes filled with cards, no more eggnog, gift wrapping, Christmas parties at work, neighbors, families, friends.  Nothing left to do but to finish putting those toys together, still fighting will those twisty ties they insist on strapping toys down with these days.  Maybe a ton of trash to drag to the curb from all that discarded wrapping paper, toy boxes and that fruit cake from that one crazy aunt of yours from down south.  


  Christmas is over and it was a blast, huh!


  Maybe for you......


   Tell me Christian, tell me about your gifts, 

Tell me about your Christmas Dinner!

Tell me about your cozy Christmas house full of family!

Ahh, man!  Did I bum you out with all these pictures?

Sorry about that.  Have a Great and prosperous New Year!

On second thought, scratch that, I could care less how much money you make!  I could care less how nice your car is Christian, I could care less how big your house is Christian!

People are hungry, homeless, sick, depressed, scared, tired, lonely....... if you do not do something about it dear Christian,......no one will.

Be Holy!

Shane

"Faith"

Faith

"Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is not belief without evidence. It is belief on the very best of evidence--the Word of Him 'that cannot lie.' (Titus 1:2). Faith is so rational that it asks no other evidence than this all-sufficient evidence. To ask other than the Word of Him Who cannot lie is notrationalism, but consummateirrationalism" -- R. A. Torrey.

 Follow Me


"Jesus never sends a man alone. He blazes a clear way through every thicket and woods, and then softly says, 'Follow me. Let's go on together, you and I.' He has been everywhere that we are called to go. His feet have trodden down smooth a path through every experience that comes to us. He knows each road, and knows it well: the valley road of disappointment with its dark shadows; the steep path of temptation down through the rocky ravines and slippery gullies; the narrow path of pain, with the brambly thorn bushes so close on each side, with their slash and sting; the dizzy road along the heights of victory; the old beaten road of commonplace daily routine. Everyday paths He has trodden and glorified, and will walk anew with each of us. The only safe way to travel is with Him alongside and in control" -- S. D. Gordon.

"Mr. Thomas Manton's Epistle to the Reader" Introduction to his book on the Shorter Catechism

 CHRISTIAN READER,

I CANNOT suppose thee to be such a stranger in England as to be ignorant of the general complaint concerning the decay of the power of godliness, and more especially of the great corruption of youth. Wherever thou goest, thou wilt hear men crying out of bad children and bad servants; whereas indeed the source of the mischief must be sought a little higher: it is bad parents and bad masters that make bad children and bad servants; and we cannot blame so much their untowardness, as our own negligence in their education.

The devil hath a great spite at the kingdom of Christ, and he knoweth no such compendious way to crush it in the egg, as by the perversion of youth, and supplanting family-duties. He striketh at all those duties which are publick in the assemblies of the saints; but these are too well guarded by the solemn injunctions and dying charge of Jesus Christ, as that he should ever hope totally to subvert and undermine them; but at family duties he striketh with the more success, because the institution is not so solemn, and the practice not so seriously and conscientiously regarded as it should be, and the omission is not so liable to notice and public censure. Religion was first hatched in families, and there the devil seeketh to crush it; the families of the Patriarchs were all the Churches God had in the world for the time; and therefore, (I suppose,) when Cain went out from Adam's family, he is said to go out from the face of the Lord, Gen. 4:16. Now, the devil knoweth that this is a blow at the root, and a ready way to prevent the succession of Churches: if he can subvert families, other societies and communities will not long flourish and subsist with any power and vigor; for there is the stock from whence they are supplied both for the present and future.

"Of Justification by Faith" by John Calvin (1509-1564)

1. I trust I have now sufficiently shown how man's only resource for escaping from the curse of the law, and recovering salvation, lies in faith; and also what the nature of faith is, what the benefits which it confers, and the fruits which it produces. The whole may be thus summed up: Christ given to us by the kindness of God is apprehended and possessed by faith, by means of which we obtain in particular a twofold benefit; first, being reconciled by the righteousness of Christ, God becomes, instead of a judge, an indulgent Father; and, secondly, being sanctified by his Spirit, we aspire to integrity and purity of life. This second benefit, viz., regeneration, appears to have been already sufficiently discussed. On the other hand, the subject of justification was discussed more cursorily, because it seemed of more consequence first to explain that the faith by which alone, through the mercy of God, we obtain free justification, is not destitute of good works; and also to show the true nature of these good works on which this question partly turns. The doctrine of Justification is now to be fully discussed, and discussed under the conviction, that as it is the principal ground on which religion must be supported, so it requires greater care and attention. For unless you understand first of all what your position is before God, and what the judgment which he passes upon you, you have no foundation on which your salvation can be laid, or on which piety towards God can be reared. The necessity of thoroughly understanding this subject will become more apparent as we proceed with it.

"The Sheep To Be Nurtured, Not Neutered" by Shane C. Montgomery

  In my zeal to evangelize I am often mistaken for someone other than who I am.  Be it in doctrine or more commonly from those in my own Reformed faith, as a man who jumps the gun so to speak and encourages believers to get out and share the Gospel without giving them the tools to do so effectively and or correctly. This is a very common occurrence, that I encourage all believers to share the Gospel and to be a witness, this part is true, I do encourage all believers and I do so because Scripture tells us to, also, Christ commissioned us to be ambassadors.  Now if we were to say Christ only sent out the initial 72 men and later on sent out His 11 remaining disciples, if we say they alone were commissioned, then our entire religion is false and must be discarded as a cruel joke.  That would mean we have no Biblical basis for anyone past those men at that time in history to teach, preach, pastor, evangelize.  See how this would kill the Christian faith before it even began.  

"When I Speak of Growth in Grace" by J.C. Ryle

WHEN I SPEAK OF GROWTH IN GRACE, I do not for a moment mean that a believer's interest in Christ can grow. I do not mean that he can grow in safety, acceptance with God, or security. I do not mean that he can ever be more justified, more pardoned, more forgiven, more at peace with God than he is the first moment that he believes. 

Sanctification: Three Words That Will Help! by Shane C. Montgomery

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."          Romans 8:29-30 (KJV)