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

The Gospel & Authentic  New Testament Ministry ,  Part I  by D G Miles McKee Paul was, apart from the Lord Jesus, the greatest apostle we have ever seen. We can learn much about authentic New Testament ministry when we listen to him. He says, “ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God ” (I Corinthians 1:17-18). Did Paul write this on a slow day when there wasn’t much ‘apostle-ing’ going on? Had he taken off his apostle’s hat when he penned those lines? No, on the contrary, in these verses we discover the heart of genuine apostolic ministry. We see that true, New Testament, ministry centres in and on the gospel, embracing it as the very power of God. Paul makes no secret about the authentic apostolic message saying, "For I determined not t...

"Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded."   -Philippians 3:15 [KJV] St. Paul says, his preaching Christ, warning and teaching every man of his ruined state, in all wisdom, was to this great and glorious end—To present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28.) How often have our minds been distressed and dejected, (I speak for one) from seeing our imperfection in all we are, and in all we do? Instead of this, we are called, again and again, to rejoice in the Lord alway,” (Philippians 4:4.)   This we shall do, if our consciences be made perfect, by the blessed work of Christ, received by faith, as was observed in the last meditation. O rest not short, of perfect satisfaction in this matter. The work of Christ has perfectly satisfied God’s justice and truth, and rendered honourable His holy law: why should it not then perfectly satisfy your conscience, and make it perfect? Now, we are exhorted to be like minded. In what respect? You will...

"...whose names are in the book of life."  -Philippians 4:3 [KJV] How is this known? It must be a blessed privilege this, and highly desirable to attain, if there be a truly scriptural testimony to it. That there is a book of life, in which the record is made of the people of the Lamb, is without all dispute, from many parts of scripture. The church of the first-born are said to have their names written in heaven; such as are chosen of God in Christ before the world began. But these are secret things which belong to the Lord our God. Yet it is said, "the secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him, and He will shew them His covenant." Hence therefore, is not the bible a copy of this book of life ? Are there not scriptural marks and characters given, by which the correspondence is proved? In both, they are distinguished by one and the same name and character. They are called the people, the seed, the offspring of Jesus. They are His, by gift, by purcha...

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass."   -Deuteronomy 32:2 [KJV] We have in our text a regular scale: the dew, the small rain, the rain, and the showers. And this graduated scale of heavenly moisture shews that there are degrees of spiritual blessing. We must not expect all to be blessed to the same extent, nor all to receive the same measure. Yet all are of the same nature. Examine "the dew," it is water; "the small rain," it is water; "the rain," it is water; "the showers," they are still water.  You cannot find any difference between the water of the dew, of the small rain, of the rain, and of the showers: they are all alike pure water, distilled from the alembic of the sky. So it is with the blessing of God upon the soul. It may fall upon one as the dew, upon another as the small rain, upon a third as the rai...