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

When Necessary Use Words …? by D. G. Miles McKee   Francis of Assisi has been attributed with the quote, “ Preach the gospel always and when necessary use words.”  Whether or not he actually said this is a matter of inconsequence. What matters is that this anti - gospel statement is often heralded by ‘enlightened’ evangelicals, so called, to justify their lack of evangelistic endeavour. They maintain that all we have to do is to live out the Christian life. If we do this, they insist, people will notice how god-like we are and will then convert to Christ.   When it comes to this subject, urban legends abound. For example the heretic, Charles Finney, who, in spite of his distorted and twisted denial of the doctrine of forensic Justification, is still popular in many quarters.  He was supposedly so holy that one day, he walked into a factory and just stood there. According to this fable, what happened next was that every worker in the factory came under co...

Differences of opinion are inevitable while we are in the flesh—permitted by God that we should have occasion to be “forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).   That form of church government which accords most closely to the New Testament, and where every detail is scrupulously correct, would be valueless in the sight of God unless it were conducted in love and its worship was “in spirit and in truth.” -preacher Arthur Pink , Exposition of Hebrews , pg. 1237

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." -Romans 5:9 [KJV] All heresies are founded in pride, and spring from ignorance and unbelief of the Lord’s word. Some strike at the glory of the free grace of God. Others at the divinity of the Son of God. Others at His atonement and righteousness, whereby our sins are pardoned, our persons justified, and final perseverance to eternal glory is secured to every believer.  St. Paul, under the influence of that Spirit, who foresaw every heresy which would spring up, divide the church, dishonour Christ, and distress His members, here sets himself against that pernicious heresy, That souls once justified and pardoned by the blood of Christ, may afterwards perish, under the wrath of God.  (1st.) What is meant by being justified by the blood of Christ? Just the reverse of being condemned for sin by the law. For His blood takes away sin, which is the cause of condemnation. Chris...

"One like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle." -Revelation 1:13 [KJV] My soul, thou art going this morning to the throne of grace, art thou not? Pause then, and behold Jesus as John saw Him, for the church's joy, in His priestly vestments; for remember He is still a priest upon His throne, and by the oath of Jehovah, abideth a priest for ever. Nay, my soul, be not afraid, draw nigh; hark, surely He calls.  Methinks He speaks to thee, Behold Me! Behold Me! See, I am thine intercessor. For this cause I wear these priestly garments; and as the high priest of old represented Me, I appear in them down to the foot, and the golden girdle round and beneath the breast. What is thy cause? What blessings and praises hast Thou to offer for past grace? And what supplications for present and future favours?  Behold My vesture dipped in blood. Think of the everlasting efficacy of My righteousness: and ...

"Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old."   -Lamentations 5:21 [KJV] If we do not wish to deceive ourselves, if God has made us honest, if He has planted His fear in our hearts, if He has begun and is carrying on a good work in us, there will be evidences of the existence of the life of God within.  Life is the commencement of salvation as an inward reality; for whatever the eternal purposes of God are, or whatever standing the vessel of mercy has in Christ previous to effectual calling, there is no more movement in the soul Godward till life is imparted, than there is natural life and motion in a breathless corpse that lies interred in the churchyard.  But wherever divine life is implanted there will be certain fruits and feelings that spring out of this life. One fruit will be complaint, and this will arise sometimes from a feeling of the burden of sin, and at others from a sense of merited chastisement from God on ...