Character of Jesus

Await the Gift of Power

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, Sovereignty of God, The Father, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven. – Acts 1:11

Nothing is mentioned between His ascent and His descent. True, a rich history comes between; but it lies in a valley between two stupendous mountains: we step from alp to alp as we journey in meditation from the ascension to the second advent…”Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” The angels showed their knowledge of them by calling them “men of Galilee,” and reminded them that they were yet upon earth by recalling their place of birth. Brought back to their senses, their reverie over, the apostles at once gird up their loins for active service; they do not need twice telling, but hasten to Jerusalem. The vision of angels has singularly enough brought them back into the world of actual life again, and they obey the command, “Tarry ye at Jerusalem.” They seem to say, “The taking up of our Master is not a thing to weep about: He has gone to His throne and to His glory, and He said it was expedient for us that He should go away. He will now send us the promise of the Father; we scarcely know what it will be like, but let us, in obedience to His will, make the best of our way to the place where He bade us await the gift of power.”

Do what Jesus has given you the power to do, and then ye will not stand gazing up into heaven, but you will wait upon the Lord in prayer, and you will receive the Spirit of God, and you will publish to all around the doctrine of “Believe and live.” Then when He comes He will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” So may His grace enable us to do. Amen. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1817.cfm

Christ’s Second Descension

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, prophecy, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”-Acts 1:10, 11.

All Christian minds delight to dwell upon His birth, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. These make four rungs in that ladder of light, the foot of which is upon the earth, but the top whereof reacheth to heaven. We could not afford to dispense with any one of those four events, nor would it be profitable for us to forget, or to under-estimate the value of any one of them. That the Son of God was born of a woman creates in us the intense delight of a brotherhood springing out of a common humanity. That Jesus once suffered unto the death for our sins, and thereby made a full atonement for us, is the rest and life of our spirits. The manger and the cross together are divine seals of love. That the Lord Jesus rose again from the dead is the warrant of our justification, and also a transcendently delightful assurance of the resurrection of all His people, and of their eternal life in Him. Hath He not said, “Because I live ye shall live also”? The resurrection of Christ is the morning star of our future glory. Equally delightful is the remembrance of His ascension. No song is sweeter than this-“Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.”

As for His ascension, He could not a second time descend if He had not first ascended; but having perfumed heaven with His presence, and prepared a place for His people, we may fitly expect that He will come again and receive us unto Himself, that where He is there we may be also. I want you, therefore, as in contemplation you pass with joyful footsteps over these four grand events, as your faith leaps from His birth to His death, and from His resurrection to His ascension, to be looking forward, and even hastening unto this crowning fact of our Lord’s history; for ere long He shall so come in like manner as He was seen go up into heaven. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1817.cfm

A Strong West Wind and Thunderbolts

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, prophecy, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Yet have I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion. – Psalm 2:6

By every possible contrivance, in these modern days, they have tried to drive Christ out of His own church. A Christless, bloodless gospel defiles many a pulpit, and Christ is thus angered; but He is in heaven still. At the right hand of God He sits; and let this be our continual prayer to Him, “Look down from heaven, O Lord! Cast an eye upon Thy failing, faltering, fickle church. Look down from heaven.”

“Ye that make mention of the Lord-ye that are the Lord’s remembrances-keep not silence, and give Him no rest; take no rest, and give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” “That little cloud”, said one of old, when Julian the apostate threatened to extirpate Christianity, “That little church will soon be gone.” All that I see to-day of darkness, is but a wave of smoke. Behold, the Lord God Himself shall chase it away with a strong west wind. He doth but blow with His wind, and the clouds disappear; and what stands before us to-day shall be as nothing… The old Romans picture Jove as hurling thunderbolts. Sometimes God makes His servants thunderbolts, and when He hurls them, they will go crashing through everything until they reach their mark. Wherefore; be not for a moment discouraged; but trust you in God, and be glad without a shadow of fear. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2258.cfm

Where is He?

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? where is He that put His Holy Spirit within him? – Isaiah 63:11

“Where is He?” He is somewhere. Then, He lives. Beloved, the Lord God omnipotent still liveth and reigneth. Many usurpers have tried to turn Him from His throne; but He still sits upon it, and reigns amongst His ancients gloriously. He was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty; “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.”

He is; but where is He? The question implies that some were beginning to seek Him. Where is He? Those were brave days when He was here on the moors, or on the hills of Scotland, or at the stakes of Smithfield, or the prisons of Lambeth Palace. Those were glorious days when Christ was here, and His people knew it, and rejoiced in Him. Then the virgin daughter of Zion shook her head at the harlot of Rome, and laughed her to scorn; for she lay in the bosom of her King, and rejoiced in His love. O beloved, do we begin to long after Him again? I hope that we do. I trust the cry of many loyal hearts is, “Come back, King Jesus! When Thou art away, all things languish. Down the streets of Mansoul ride again, O Prince Emmanuel! Then shall the city ring with holy song, and every house shall be bedecked with everything that is beautiful and fair. Only come back!” If the King may but have His own again, I shall be content to sing old Simeon’s song, “Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word!” The church longs for the King’s coming. Where is He? Where is He? ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2258.cfm

God Makes Himself a Glorious Name

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

…so didst Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name. – Isaiah 63:14

The life of a true believer is a glorious life. For himself he claims no honour, but by his holy life he brings great glory to God. There is more glory to God in every poor man and woman saved by grace, and in the one unknown obscure person, washed in the Redeemer’s blood, than in all the songs of cherubim and seraphim, who know nothing of free grace and dying love. So you see, beloved, the motive of God in all that He did; and I dwell upon it, though briefly, yet with much emphasis, because this is a motive that can never alter. What if the church of to-day be reduced to a very low condition, and the truth seems to be ebbing out from her shores, while a long stretch of the dreary mud of modern invention lies reeking in the nostrils of God; yet He that wrought such wonders, to make Himself a name, still has the same object in view. He will be glorious. He will have men know that He is God, and beside Him there is none else. Thus saith the Lord God, “All flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” “The earth shall be full of knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” O brethren, He is a jealous God still; and when the precious blood of Christ is insulted, God hears it, and forgets it not. When the inspiration of the blessed Book is denied, the Holy Ghost hears it and is grieved, and He will yet bestir Himself to defend His truth. When we hear the truth that we love, the dearest and most sacred revelations from our God, treated with a triviality that is nothing less than profane, if we are indignant, so is He, and shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily, though He bear long with His adversaries. God’s motive is His own glory. He will stand to that, and He will vindicate it yet; and we need to have no doubt, nor even the shadow of a fear, about the ultimate result of a collision between God and the adversaries of His truth. Shall not the moth, that dashes at the candle, die in that flame? How shall the creatures of a day stand out against our God, who is a consuming fire? Here, then, is the hope of the people of God, the constant persistent, invariable motive of God to make Himself glorious in the eyes of men. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2258.cfm

God’s High Motive

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

That led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting name?…the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name. – Isaiah 63:12, 14

God works His great wonders of grace with the high motive of making known to His creatures His own glory, manifesting what He is and who He is, that they may worship Him. He tells us in the text that He “led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting name.” So He has done, for to this day the highest note of praise to God that we know of, is the one that tells of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and when this world is burnt up, the song will go up to God in heaven will be the song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb. Still, if we want a figure and a foretaste of the ultimate victories of God over all His people’s enemies, we have to go back to the Red Sea, and look at Miriam’s twinkling feet, and hear her fingers making the timbrel sound as she cries, “Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” He did it to make Himself an ever-enduring name, and He has succeeded in that object.

Isaiah adds that the Lord led His people, and brought them into their rest, to make Himself “a glorious name.” God is glorious in the history of Israel. God is glorious in the history of His church. God is glorious in the history of every believer. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2258.cfm

God is True, and Events are Witnesses of His Faithfulness

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD. – Isaiah 54:17

O, blessed be the name of the Lord! “no weapon that is formed against the church shall prosper.” We glory because we can put our finger upon history and exclaim, God is true, and events are witnesses of His faithfulness. O beloved, has the Holy Ghost given you an inwrought knowledge of the truth of this word of God? Have you experienced blessed deliverances from the right hand of the Most High? Many of you, I fear, have neither part nor lot in this matter, and you have true cause to lament your terrible loss in being unable to grasp these covenant blessings. But some of us may now anticipate the hour when we shall obtain complete redemption with all the blood-bought family, and then, ah, then, how shall we with rapture review delivering grace in all its thousand instances! Hark! hark! methought I heard sweet music; methought I heard a song descending from the regions up above, borne down by gales whose breath is sweet as that which comes from the spicy groves of Araby. I hear a sound not earthly: it is, it must be, celestial, for no mortal sonnets can with these compare. O river of harmony! Where are the lips from which thou flowest? …Holy ones, repeat the song; saints of God, re-echo the chorus; repeat it yet again, that these ears may hear it. What do you sing? “No weapon that is formed against us hath prospered; every tongue that hath risen against us in judgment we have condemned.” This is the heritage-“Our righteousness is of the Lord.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2908.cfm