The Foray

Ask God to Make Middle Valley Baptist a Weaker Church

"'Oh!' said Caesar, 'We will soon root up this Christianity! Off with their heads!' The different governors hastened one after another of the disciples to death, but the more they persecuted them the more they multiplied. The proconsuls had orders to destroy Christians; [yet] the more they hunted them, the more Christians there were, until at last [these Christians] pressed to the judgment seat and asked to be permitted to die for Christ.

Their persecutors invented torments. They dragged the saints at the heels of wild horses; they laid them upon red-hot gridirons; they pulled off the skin from their flesh piece by piece; [the Christians] were sawed in two; they were wrapped up in animal skins and daubed with pitch and set in Emperor Nero's gardens at night to burn; they were left to rot in dungeons; they were made a spectacle to all men in the amphitheater; the bears [crushed] them to death; the lions tore them to pieces; the wild bulls tossed them upon their horns;

AND YET ...

Christianity spread!

All the swords of the legionaries -- which had put to rout the armies of all nations and had overcome the invincible Gaul and the savage Briton -- could not withstand the feebleness of Christianity, for the weakness of God is mightier than men (1 Cor. 1:25)."

This piece from a sermon entitled, "God's Strange Choice," by C.H. Spurgeon, prompted me today to ask God to make Middle Valley Baptist a "weaker" church.

Could our problem be that we're too "strong" in our own eyes? "Strong" churches feel no need of things like God's mercy, compassion, and help.



To the degree that this IS our problem, O God, deliver us -- for your glory!

Greg

"Some of our converts are very wild at times ..."

Preparing for my sermon this Sunday, I came across an interesting comment in a sermon by (you guessed it!) C.H. Spurgeon. It actually took me back to my August sermon series from Ps 33 on the subject of praise. I wish I had known about this quote then; I would've definitely referred to it!

Here's what Spurgeon said, speaking of some of the new members in the Metropolitan Tabernacle (the church he served) who were also brand new Christians:

"Some of our converts are very wild at times; they grow extravagant. Do not blame them. Why not indulge them? It will not hurt you. We are all of us so very proper and orderly that we can afford to have an extravagant one among us now and then. Oh, that God would send more of that sort to wake the church up, that we also might begin to praise God with heart and voice, with soul and substance, with might and main! Hallelujah! My own heart feels the glow!"

A good word for stiff and staid Baptists from a stellar Baptist greatly used of God!

Greg

PS The above photo shows Spurgeon in his late 20s; he passed from this life at age 57.

The Wisdom of Charles Spurgeon on Traveling Carefully through This Life

The following exceprt from a sermon titled, "No Illusion," appeared in my inbox this morning. I thought I'd share it with you:

"Mark you, men and brethren, if by any fault of our own we ever fall into the hand of our enemies, we need expect no mercy from them. And if without fault we be delivered for a little season into their hands, we have good reason to cry aloud to God, for whoever may be spared, the Christian never is.

Men will forgive a thousand faults in others, but they will magnify the most trivial offense in the true follower of Jesus. Nor do I very much regret this. Let it be so, and let it be a caution to us to walk very carefully before God in the land of the living.

You young members of the Church, who are often engaged in your worldly calling, where a great number of persons are watching for your halting, let this be a special reason to walk very humbly before God. If you walk carelessly, remember the lynx-eyed world will soon see it, and then, with its hundred tongues, it will soon spread the story ....

The cross of Christ is in itself an offense to the world; let us take heed that we do not add any offense of our own.

It is 'to the Jew a stumblingblock;' let us mind that we put no stumblingblocks where there are enough already.

'To the Greek it is foolishness;' let us not add our folly to give point to the scorn with which the worldly-wise deride the gospel."

If you're interested in getting acquainted with more of this phenomenal preacher's insights, you might wish to subscribe to "The Daily Spurgeon" at www.thedailyspurgeon.com. You'll receive a new thought (like the above) each day from one of his thousands of outstanding sermons.

Greg

A Mission Quote Well Worth Remembering

This one comes from Henry Martyn, a young missionary who (at age 31) died in the cause of Christ among the perishing:

"The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to him, the more intensely missionary we must become."

As we try to figure out what's wrong with the Church in America today (why we're not reaching more people) and while we're all scrambling to find the answer, could it be that it's right under our nose?

To get nearer to our Lord Jesus Christ!

In the end, it's not about strategies and programs and personalities; it never has been.

Greg