"Salvation is of the LORD." -Jonah 2:9

“ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” -Romans 8:10 [KJV] Believer, the death of our physical bodies is the consequence of our fall in Adam and our own personal sinfulness, but it in no way indicates the wrath of God upon us. Though we all deserve God’s wrath, we have never been under that wrath because Christ stood as our Surety and took upon Himself the wrath of God for us. In Christ, we have always been “vessels of mercy, which He [God] had afore prepared unto glory” (Romans 9:23) . And if Christ took God’s wrath upon Himself for us, we have righteousness imputed to us whereby we stand right with God – “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) . Furthermore, if we stand accepted with God in Christ (washed in His blood and clothed in His righteousness imputed), it is certain that in time Christ will take up permanent residence within our hearts by giving us spiritual life through the work of th

“ Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” -Philippians 4:4 [KJV] Just so, “sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing,” says Paul (II Cor. 6:10) , speaking of his own experience. The believer's joy does not exclude sorrow, but attends it, sustains under it, and raises above it. Joy in the Lord should be constant for He is the same. There is as much ground for joy in Him in the winter of adversity as in the summer of prosperity. He is as good when He chides us as when He comforts us. He is as gracious when He lays us low as when He raises us up. He is as kind when He takes away as when He gives. If our joy springs chiefly from creature good and agreeable circumstances, then it must be fluctuating at the best, and at times it will entirely dry up. But if our chief joy is in God, then the spring of it never fails! “When all created streams are dried, His fullness is the same!” Observe, my soul, that joy in the Lord is not only encouraged, but commanded.

Awake my soul to praise the King, Who gives us life and everything; The Lord who down from glory came, Sing hallelujahs to His Name. Behold He veiled His Deity, Joined Himself to humanity; Though equal with the Lord above, Christ Jesus came in gracious love. He came to satisfy the Law, (This precious thought fills us with awe!) The Lord appeared to live and die, For sinful worms like you and I. "Twas by the sacrifice He made, He put away our sins and paid The price required our souls to save, From sin and death, hell and the grave. The Christ who died now lives on high, Ascended far above the sky; He lives salvation to bestow, To sinful wretches here below. Come fellow saints and with me sing, Praises to Jesus Christ our King; His Name above all names shall be, Now and for all eternity. Words by preacher Jim Byrd T o the t une: "Doxology"