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

"But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark."  - Genesis 8:9 [KJV] What a restless being is a tempted child of God! How unable he often is even to rest locally, to take his chair, and sit quietly by his fire-side! Like Noah's dove, he can find no rest for the sole of his foot on the floating carcases of a ruined world. It is recorded of the prisoners, who in the first French revolution were awaiting in their dungeons the summons to the dread tribunal of blood, that some passed nearly the whole of their time in walking up and down their cells. So sometimes under trials and temptations, we pace up and down the room as if we sought to dissipate the exercise of our minds by the exercise of our bodies; or rush into the streets and fields to pour the heart out in sighs and groans, the restless mind acting and reacting upon the body.    And as an exercised child of God often cannot rest locally, so cannot he rest spiritually. He c...

"This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood."  -I John 5:6 [KJV] My soul, ponder this weighty scripture well. There is much in it. When the soldier pierced the sacred side of Jesus, John recorded the act and its effects, as most significant and important. That it penetrated the heart, is most evident, because from no other part of the body could blood and water, in a full stream, flow together: and as both, in the purposes of redemption, strikingly set forth the great object of Christ's mission; so John is here impressing the great truth on the minds of the church, as a matter most essentially necessary to be regarded. He repeats it, that it might not be overlooked or forgotten. It was not by water only, that Christ came, but by water and blood. Both represented the necessity of that redemption our nature universally required for the purpose of salvation, and therefore Christ came by both. The water administered b...

"Art thou made of the king’s council? forbear: why shouldest thou be smitten?" -II Chronicles 25:16 [KJV] Horrid ingratitude! No sooner was Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, but, instead of erecting an altar to the LORD of Hosts, Who had given him success, he falls into idolatry, and burns incense to their gods. He went to war without God. He returns victorious, sets up idols, and forsakes the Lord. Vain confidence is departing from the Lord, and the first step to idolatry. Never think of a sin being subdued, a grace strengthened, or a comfort enjoyed, without giving all glory to the grace of Christ. Look at thy victories with humility. Know self to be as great an idol, as the gods of the Edomites. Though the Lord’s anger was kindled against Amaziah, yet He is long-suffering to sinners. He sends His prophet to reprove him. He gives him a most severe sarcasm. “Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, who could not deliver their own people out of t...

"And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables ." -Mark 4:11 [KJV] By "the kingdom of God" is meant the same thing as "the kingdom of heaven," that is, the internal kingdom set up in the heart by the power of the Spirit—that kingdom which shall stand for ever and ever, and last when time shall be no more. This the Lord calls a mystery. And if it is a mystery, it will have these three marks; it will be beyond nature, sense, and reason, will be hidden from the wise and prudent, and will be revealed unto babes . Let us see if we can find these marks belonging to the kingdom of heaven set up in the heart. It certainly is above nature, sense, and reason, that God should dwell in a man's heart, as the apostle says, "Christ in you, the hope of glory ; " and again, "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell...

Denying the Deity of Christ, that Jesus is God come in the flesh is a most damnable heresy. Certainly, this is the most fatal error, and it seems only antichrists can accomplish it!  A profound, eternally damning impact, on those whose belief is such.  A person can make millions of poor judgments, have thoughts contrary to all that is, works that are defiled in every way, but to deny God, to deny Jesus Christ being God, and God in Him, that person is doomed, very, very doomed!  The unregenerate are in unbelief and blind, they don't know if there is God or not, but antichrists are vehement Christ-deniers and especially Christ being God come in the flesh. Their works are manifest yet concealed as well, but by the Word of God they shall be revealed and judged. -preacher Clark Smith

"Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens." -Psalm 123:1 [KJV]   O how simple, suitable, complete, and blessed a remedy is this for all our distresses, when the Lord is pleased to open our eyes, and fix them on Himself. He must do it all. If the eyes are to be upon Him, He must first give us eyes; if lifted upon Him, He must raise them upwards; if kept upon Him, He must hold them waking. It is good to be in this spot. There are times and seasons, perhaps, when we seem to have no religion whatever; when we look, and look, and look, and cannot find a grain. Where is our spirituality? where our heavenly affections? where our prayerfulness of spirit? where our tenderness of conscience? where our godly fear? where our meditations upon God's word?    We look, and look, and look— they seem gone. Now, perhaps, in the midst of this uncertainty we are brought into some painful exercise, some affliction, some temptation, some apprehension, something that...