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

" That your love may abound yet more and more, in knowledge and in all judgment." -Philippians 1:9 [KJV] The soul that is not concerned that it may be so with him, is not alive to God. We see many professors, who have lost a warm sense and comfortable feeling of divine truths. But are they deeply concerned for it? Do they earnestly wrestle with God, fervently crying out, O that it were with me as in months past? Alas! no: they say, We are not called to live upon our frames and feelings. Very true: neither, blessed be God! are we called to live without warm frames and comfortable feelings. O, let us beware, lest we despise the comforts of the Holy Ghost! Some professors, by their spirit and conduct, remind us of the fox in the fable, who lost his tail in a trap, and told his brethren he ran so much the lighter without it.    So some, having lost their warm and lively feelings, think little about them, and seem to say, they can run well without them. Truly, so the

     An elderly gentleman in the church had little formal education, but spent a lot of time with the Bible and was always finding things in the Scriptures that others missed.  At one service, the pastor asked those in the congregation for their favorite verses from the Bible.  When it was the man’s turn, he stated his favorite verse was, “And it came to pass."   All were puzzled, so the pastor asked if he would explain his selection a bit further.  The old gentleman responded, “When trouble comes and I don’t know what to do, I take heart that the Bible never says, ‘And it came to stay.’  But it is chocked-full of places where it says, ‘ And it came to pass .’” Excerpted from The Berea Baptist Banner, Milburn Cockrell, February 5, 1989 A.D.

" I will put a division between My people and thy people: to-morrow shall this sign be." -Exodus 8:23 [KJV] Thus speaks the sovereign Jehovah to the haughty, stubborn monarch Pharaoh. Loving children delight to treasure up in their memories the words of an affectionate father: they love to reflect on them, and draw comfort from them. O that we may do so to-night, by this speech of our heavenly Father! Consider,  (1st.) here is a people distinguished from a people. The Lord has a people among a people, chosen out of a people. These He particularly calls His own—My people. They are so, by everlasting love, eternal choice, and covenant grace.  (2d.) Though near and dear as they are to the Lord, yet they may for a season continue under the power of, and suffer oppression from their enemies. Though the love of the Lord’s heart is ever set upon you, and the eye of His providence is ever over you, yet He may seem to leave you. O! tarry the Lord’s leisure, and be strong

" Awake to righteousness, and sin not." -I Corinthians 15:34 [KJV] What St. Paul says of natural death, “Some are fallen asleep,” (verse 6,) may be applied, in a spiritual sense, to professors. There are many such in this day. It is a very bad frame to live in and indulge. Such bring no honour to God, credit to the gospel, or profit to their brethren. One would think, such sit all the year under that word, and heartily obey it, “Sleep on, and take your rest.” Can such be said to be running in the heavenly race, fighting the good fight of faith, wrestling with spiritual enemies, and pressing towards the mark, for the prize of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus? No; no more than a man in a midnight sleep, can be said to be active in worldly affairs.  But, what is worst of all, such sleepers dream that all is safe, and well with them. St. Paul, like a faithful watchman, cries out to such, Awake: “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise ou

" Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him." -Genesis 42:8 [KJV] How affecting is the history of Joseph! Who can read it without emotion of soul? What amazing scenes of Providence open to our view! Spiritual minds may see many things in it typical of our beloved Saviour. Here, Joseph’s brethren are introduced to him, as governor of Egypt. He knew them: they knew not him. How does he deal with them? Does he instantly make himself known to them?  No: though he had the most tender affections of heart to them, and wept tears of joy at the sight of them; yet he speaks roughly, and sends them to prison. Why this? to bring their sin to their mind, and to affect them for their cruelty towards him, with a deep sense of their guilt. See we not somewhat typical of the conduct of Christ, our brother in the flesh, in all this?  (1st.) Christ knew us before we knew Him: He knew us from eternity, when we were chosen in Him, and given to Him.  (2d.) We never seek after Hi

What do you think of Christ? Part II   “What think ye of Christ? is the test To try both your state and your scheme; You can­not be right in the rest, Unless you think right­ly of Him.”   -John Newton Last time, in part one, we concluded that no one was ever born like Jesus. His birth was merely an incident in His life. He had been alive from all eternity.  He was and is the God-Man. Now in Part 2 we continue to discover Christ´s uniqueness by considering that no one ever lived like Jesus. He lived a sinless life. What a mouthful! Do you realise how staggering that truth is? Have you ever tried it? Tried what? Tried to live sinlessly. I urge you to attempt it and see how far you get. Test every thought of yours against the Glory of God.  Does every thought exalt and magnify the eternal God? Well, you say, that´s impossible...Of course it is. That´s one of the reasons why Jesus stands alone in a vast sea of humanity.  He actually lived a sinless life.  He was sinless in though

God’s wise and gracious providence Directs me on my way; And everything I truly need,   Is given day by day,   Is given day by day.     How comforting it is to know,   Whate’er my lot may be;   My steps were ordered by the Lord,   From all eternity,   From all eternity.     No matter what the future holds,   In this I find sweet rest;   My path is managed by the Lord,   His will I know is best,   His will I know is best.     The Christ Who governs all the world,   Has saved me by His grace;   And He will lead me on my way,   Until I see His face,   Until I see His face.     His hand shall guide me to that home,   Reserved for me above;   And then forever I will sing,   Of providential love,   Of providential love.     Tune: “Majestic Sweetness” CM Words by Jim Byrd  

" God left him to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart." -II Chronicles 32:31 [KJV] Hezekiah was a great and a good man: he had rich experience in divine grace. Still he discovered, that he had a sinful nature, and a deceitful heart. Though an eminent saint of God, yet pride and vain-glory beset him. I have been led to think, there seems a little of the spirit of the pharisee, in his beseeching the Lord to remember how he had walked before Him in truth, with a perfect heart, and done that which was good in His sight (II Kings 20:3.) At least, some of a self-righteous spirit, have been led to think from hence, that they have had somewhat in themselves whereof to glory.  O! if we have walked well, and done well, we need not remind our Lord of it. If the heart be simple with its Saviour, it will not: for it was by His grace we did so. He Who gives us grace, can never be unmindful of its effects. We hear of Hezekiah’s sickness—of the Lord’s giving

" Is it true?" -Daniel 3:14 [KJV] A question this from a potent monarch, backed with a dreadful threatening: enough to have put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the stand. Their answer must provoke their God, or their king. But did they hesitate a moment? were they at all in doubtful suspense? No: they had faith in their Lord; and they boldly replied, “O king, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” Our cause lies before our God. We are not left to ourselves. Our present life, our immortal soul, is in His hands.  If you command us into the fiery furnace, our God will be with us. We shall be safe: He will deliver us. Either our bodies that we have shall not be burnt; or, if they are, the burning furnace shall be only a fiery chariot, to convey our souls to heaven and glory. See the power of faith. According as they believed, so it was. The Son of God was with them: the fire could not hurt them. Hence, consider,  (1st.) that God may, and sometimes do

Survey this treasure-house of grace; how rich! how full! The believer may say, “This heritage is all my own.” Measure, if it be possible, the golden chain, which extends from one hand of God in eternity past to the other in eternity to come.   Every link is a blessing. Behold the starry canopy. The glittering orbs outshine all beauty and exceed all number. Such is the firmament of Christ. It is studded with blessings. But millions of worlds are less than the least; and millions of tongues are weak to tell them. Mark, how they sparkle in the eye of faith.   There are constellations of pardons. In Him we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. -preacher Henry Law

" He that is of God heareth God’s words." -John 8:47    “The words from Mount Sinai gender to bondage.” -Galatians 4:24 Some of God’s children are kept under bondage by them. They are taught to look on themselves only as servants, not sons of God, because they dare not say they know their sins are forgiven. This is a foolish, unscriptural distinction. St. Paul expressly declares, that every believer is a son of God: “Ye are ALL the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26.) Can a man be a servant of God without faith? No: “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6.)   Every one who hath faith in the Son of God, is a child of God: his sins are as surely forgiven, as that Christ died for sinners: he shall never come into eternal condemnation for them, no more than if he had never committed them. “This is God’s word.” (John 5:24.) As many as receive Christ, that is, believe on His name, have the privilege of becoming the so

The doctrine of the total depravity of all men is not revealed to insult us. It is the diagnosis of a terrible disease we all have by nature – the terrible disease of sin . Because of self-righteousness and pride, the natural (unregenerate, unbelieving) man sees it as an insult to his self-proclaimed dignity and goodness, but he does not know the real depths of his own depravity and the seriousness of sin as it rules and mars his whole life and being. Total depravity does not mean that we are all as bad as we could be in the eyes of men.  Thank God for His restraining power to keep us from going the full depths of our fallen, sinful natures on earth before men. But when it comes to God’s judgment and the reality of total depravity, it means:   (1) We have no righteousness of our own . Man lost what righteousness he had when Adam fell and brought us all, the whole human race, into a state of sin, depravity, and death (Romans 5:12 & Romans 3:10) .   (2) We cannot work o