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

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (30NOV-02DEC18) Heads-Up --- Please find enclosed encouragement in "SO GREAT SALVATION" by the perfect and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ in saving poor, needy and wretched sinners by His sovereign free grace - God's unmerited favor - from their sins and from Hell: LAW OR CHRIST? Occasionally I hear from someone, who wants to know what relationship believers have to the law, my reply is always the same. Believers are not under the law in any way, shape, form, or fashion. God's people are free from the law's curse, because "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3: 13). The law was not given to give life, or sanctification, but to reveal how sinful we really are . Can that which pronounces death give life? Can that which demands perfection give a man the ability to perform perfectly? "Tell me, ye that desire to be un...

"O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock." -Song of Solomon 2:14 [KJV] JESUS is the hiding-place, the only hiding-place from sin and self. "Thou art my hiding-place" said David of old. This was shewn to Moses, in figure, when the Lord put him into the cleft of a rock, which Toplady has so beautifully versified, to paint the longing desires of his soul: "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee!" It is on this "Rock of Ages" that God has built His Church. As a rock, He is deep as well as high—so deep as to have under-bottomed the depths of the fall, so high as to be God's fellow, seated at His right hand. As a rock, too, He is broad as well as long—broad enough to bear millions of living stones built on Him, and long enough to reach from eternity to eternity. The Apostle, therefore, prays that the Church at Ephesus may comprehend with all saints, "what is the breadth and length, and dept...

“ Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom He hath called , not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” -Romans 9:21-24 [KJV] Men sometimes tell us that they just don’t understand what we mean by divine sovereignty. I disagree; I believe most have a very good understanding, they just don’t like what it signifies. Divine sovereignty clearly denotes that the Lord does what He will with His own. The root word is “reign.” God reigns – that’s what divine sovereignty means. He reigns in creation, in providence and in grace. The Lord declared, “My counsel s hall stand, and I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE” (Isaiah 46:10). ...

Once while listening to a “televangelist” on TV, I heard him say as he was supposedly praying for his listeners, “ I release unto you the efficacy of the blood of Jesus.” I thought, what blasphemy! Then, the thought occurred to me, that’s what most preachers today are telling people to do! This is the very essence of modern 'freewill' works religion. It is the basis of the decisionism that false religion promotes today. Neither man’s work nor man’s will shall be allowed to determine the success of God’s purpose or the efficacy of Christ’s blood. The truth is, the efficacy of the blood of Jesus is what releases us! If it hasn’t, then we are yet in bondage and shall remain so for all eternity. Faith does not release the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, it realizes it, receives it and relies upon it as the single ground of our salvation . Christ made peace by the blood of His cross. His blood obtained eternal redemption for us. He purchased the church with His ...

A fallen sinner, lost undone, A guilty rebel, Adam’s son; How can I ever righteous be, Since I am all impurity? CHORUS: I have no merits of my own, I plead the blood of Christ alone, He died my sin-debt to atone. Though worthless in my wicked soul, The Savior died to make me whole; My ransom Jesus fully paid, To justice satisfaction made. ( CHORUS ) Since God the Spirit touched my heart, Life, grace and faith He did impart; I have no other hope or plea, But that the Savior died for me. ( CHORUS ) Condemned by God I cannot be, My Substitute has died for me; With boldness I the Judge shall meet, For in the Son I am complete. ( CHORUS ) -Words by J IM BYRD to the hymn, "Solid Rock" "HE KNOWETH   THEM THAT    TRUST IN HIM" -Nahum 1:7 [KJV] He knows our frame, and bears patiently with us. He knows our temptations, and brings His succour ( help ). He knows our transgressions, and forgives them. He knows our ...

JESUS is the one great theme both of the Old Testament and the New. The whole Bible is designed to testify of Christ, " Search the scriptures ... they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). In Christ the Messiah, in Jesus the Savior, in the Son of God the Redeemer--all the truths of the Bible center. To Him all the types and shadows point. Of Him all the prophecies give witness. All the glory of the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation--culminates at the cross of Christ! The Bible would be an inexplicable mystery apart from Christ, who unfolds and explains it all. He is the golden Key which unlocks the divine treasury of Scriptural revelation. Until He is seen, the Bible is, in a sense--a great mystery. But when He is found, it is a glorious revelation. Every mystery is opened, every enigma is explained, every discrepancy is harmonized, and every truth and page, sentence and word--is quickened with a life and glowing with a light flowing down from the thr...

There is not a day that goes by, but what I don’t think about and thank God for these three truths that speak peace and comfort to my soul. 1. The substitutionary sacrifice of Christ. The Son of God humbled Himself, took my place, died my death, paid my debt, bore my sin away, brought in everlasting righteousness for me, fulfilled every demand of divine law for me and ever lives as my Advocate, Mediator and Intercessor. Of all the truths I have ever learned, the gospel of Christ, of finished, accomplished redemption is the most blessed! God graciously accepts me, forgives all my sins and declares me to be righteous, not at the expense of His justice, but with its full approval through Christ and His work of reconciliation. “ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again...” (Romans 8:34). 2. The absolute sovereignty of God in salvation. In old eternity the Lord chose me in Christ and then made the world and all things in it as the s...

When a person is looking for a church to attend and worship God, that person should never assume that he or she is hearing the truth. Our Lord said in Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets" ! They are everywhere, telling every lie known to man! So how can I know whether I'm hearing the truth or a lie? We all must ask ourselves two questions: Am I hearing God's word? a nd, Who is getting the glory in salvation? Is salvation up to me or did Christ finish it alone? THE TRUTH is: Christ did it all ( Hebrews 1:3 )! Christ has already finished it all ( John 19:30 )! And Christ gets all the glory for salvation ( 1 Corinthians 1:31 )! If a man is not preaching THAT, he's not preaching the word of God. And if he's not preaching the word of God, he's a false prophet! It's not: 'This is what we believe…' and, 'That is what we believe…'  THE TRUTH is not dependent on what any of us believe! The only thing that matters is: What ...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (23-25NOV18) Heads-Up --- Please find enclosed encouragement in "SO GREAT SALVATION" by the perfect and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ in saving poor, needy and wretched sinners by His sovereign free grace - God's unmerited favor - from their sins and from Hell: "Once more. You are in yourself a hopeless sinner, though a believer in Christ; therefore you should put on Christ, Who is our hope, that your soul may be strong, lively, and joyful in hope. What! been in Christ so many years, and in self a hopeless sinner still? What! nothing in self to cast the anchor of hope upon? No! What! cast the anchor within the ship to hold it? Ridiculous! True, the grace of hope is in the heart. But the object of hope is Christ. The anchor of hope is cast into the wide ocean of God's love to sinners in Christ . O the working of that nasty legal spirit, which is ever seeking the pride of self , wanting t...

"Blessed is the man whom T hou  chastenest, O L ORD , and teachest  him out of T hy law."   -Psalm 94:12 [KJV] We may observe in the words before us, that the Lord puts chastening before teaching. Is there not something remarkable in this? Why should chastening precede teaching? For this reason. We have no ear to hear except so far as we are chastened. It was so with the prodigal. Until he was brought to his right mind by strokes of hunger, he did not think of his father's house; he had no heart to return; but a mighty famine sent him home. So it is with God's children; as long as they are allowed to wander in their backslidings, they have no heart to return. But let the rod come; let them be driven home by stripes; then they have an  ear to listen, while God teaches them to profit, instructs them by H is blessed Spirit, and speaks into their heart those lessons which are for their eternal good. "And teachest him out of thy law." ...

Out of The Depths   It makes the wounded spirit whole, And calms the troubled breast; 'Tis manna to the hungry soul, And to the weary rest. Dear Name! the Rock on which I build My Shield and Hiding-place; My never-failing Treasury fill'd With boundless stores of grace. By Thee my prayers acceptance gain, Although with sin defiled; Satan accuses me in vain, And I am own'd a child. Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend, My Prophet, Priest, and King; My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring. Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought; But when I see Thee as Thou art, I'll praise Thee as I ought. Till then I would Thy love proclaim With every fleeting breath; And may the music of Thy Name Refresh my soul in death! -Gospel report by preacher John Newton

Salvation is found only in trusting the Lord Jesus Christ.   “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).  Let us not think, however, that salvation is in believing Christ to the exclusion of believing His doctrine. “ Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (II John 1:9). What is “the doctrine of Christ” ? The doctrine of Christ is the teaching which the Lord gave to His apostles of which He is the sum and substance. It concerns who He is, the work He did and the reason He alone had to do that work. He is truly God and Man, the Surety and Mediator of the everlasting Covenant; He is our Prophet, Priest and King. His work was that of Substitution, Satisfaction, Reconciliation and Redemption. He suffered, bled, died and arose in the stead of His sinful people to make reparation ...

By nature, we are all mixed up in our priorities. We esteem that which is natural, temporal and fleeting as much and that which is spiritual, eternal and lasting as little. The body and its pleasure and comforts are very important to people but their soul and its redemption and welfare are viewed as of little importance. The Psalmist rightly declared in Psalms 49:8, “ For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever ”. Precious? How precious? Only Christ can tell us and He did: “ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?” (Matthew 16:26) If we gain the “whole world” and everything that is counted precious in it and lose our soul we have really lost all! John Gill said to lose your soul is to “be consigned to everlasting torment and misery, be banished from the divine presence, and continually feel the gnawings of the worm of conscience that never dies...

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise H im, W ho is the health of my countenance, and my God." -Psalm 43:11 [KJV] "Let not your heart be troubled..." -John 14, vss. 1 & 27 [KJV] It is clear from scripture, and it is our day to day experience, that in this world, God's children, like the rest of Adam's race, will have trials, troubles and difficulties. Though we are the elect of God, chosen in eternal love and redeemed by the almighty blood of Jesus Christ, yet we have many a bitter cup of trouble and trial to drink before we finally enjoy everlasting glory and rest. But there is a sure remedy for this heart trouble. "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me." The only real medicine for troubled hearts is - faith - confidence in the sovereign Christ! This is the only prescription our Lord gives in the fourteenth chapter of John ...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (16-18NOV18) Heads-Up --- Please find enclosed encouragement in "SO GREAT SALVATION" by the perfect and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ in saving poor, needy and wretched sinners by His sovereign free grace - God's unmerited favor - from their sins and from Hell: "Look to this one grand thing, that all thy confidence and all thy joy ariseth wholly from Jesus's person and righteousness; let Jesus have ALL thy confidence. Faith brings nothing, for it hath nothing: it casts itself wholly upon Jesus. Amidst all its guilt, and fear, and tears, it is Jesus only to whom faith looks, it is Jesus alone upon whom it depends . It hath nothing to do with self; neither our own feelings, nor the exercise of our graces." - Gospel report by preacher Robert Hawker

"And H e 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 ...

What is the Gospel? The simple answer is; the Gospel is the person, doing, dying and rising again of the Lord Christ. The pure Gospel is not about you and not about me . It is about Jesus. This is Gospel Truth! The Gospel, among other things, reveals God’s plan, ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST, for the recovery of fallen, sinful people from the deplorable state into, which sin had brought them. This is Gospel Truth! God came to this earth in the person of His Son. This is Gospel Truth! As our Apostle, He came from God to us. As our Priest He takes us to God… Hebrews 3:1 . This is Gospel Truth! He, as a man, obeyed God’s laws and requirements on our behalf. This is Gospel Truth!... Hebrews 4:15 ; II Corinthians 5 : 21 & John 15:10 He made a suitable and satisfactory atonement for His people’s sins by His death and gave us the gift of the favour of God … Ephesians 1:7 . This is Gospel Truth! The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to receive the Gospel, but ...

"For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even  I, will both search My sheep, and seek them  out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in  the day that he is among his sheep that are  scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and   WILL DELIVER THEM out of all places where  they have been scattered in the cloudy and  dark day ."   - Ezekiel 34:11-12 [KJV]   The Shepherd does not go forth in search of the lost sheep in order to make them His own. They are His already, therefore He refers to them as "My sheep." The Lord’s sheep were His before they became lost for they were given to Him by the Father in the election of grace. They remained His even when they became sinners due to Adam’s transgression. The good Shepherd said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand" (...

"And ye know that He was manifested to take  away our sins; and in Him is no sin" - I John 3:5 [KJV] There was not a speck of sin on the conscience, nor a principle of sin in the nature of His people, for which Christ was not judged on the cross; and they are now looked upon as having died with Christ, lain in the grave with Christ, been raised with Christ, perfectly accepted in Him, their sins, their iniquities, their transgressions, their enmity, their uncircumcision, having been entirely put away by the cross. The sentence of death has been written on the flesh; but the believer is in possession of a new life, in union with his risen Head in glory. What rest – perfect rest – for the heart and conscience is here! What full relief for the burdened spirit! All our sins buried in the grave of Christ, not one – even the smallest – left out! God did this for us! All that His searching eye could detect in us, He laid on the head of Christ when He hung ...

If you are serious about the salvation of your soul, then you must question the religious climate in which we live. Men claim to love God, yet they are ignorant of His holy character. Men boast of loving Jesus, but they have no idea of who the Lord Jesus is. They profess to be saved, but they have no real understanding of salvation by grace, effectual blood redemption or imputed righteousness and their salvation, they say, is conditioned upon their so-called "freewill." I admonish you to put every religious word under the microscope of the Word of God which will expose error and will, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, "make you WISE UNTO SALVATION " (II Timothy 3:15). - Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ." - I Peter 2:5 [KJV] God's people require many severe afflictions, harassing temptations, and many powerful exercises to hew them into anything like shape, to chisel them into any conformity to Christ's image. For they are not like the passive marble under the hands of the sculptor, which will submit without murmuring, and indeed without feeling, to have this corner chipped off, and that projecting angle rounded by the chisel; but God's people are living stones , and, therefore, feel every stroke. We are so tender-skinned that we cannot bear a  thread of trouble to lie upon us, we shrink from even the touch of the probe. To be hewed, then, and squared, and chiselled by the hand of God into such shapes and forms as please H im, O what painful work it is! But could the pillar know, could it tell ...