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

"Wherefore in all things it behooved H im to be made like unto H is brethren, that H e might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." -H EBREWS 2:17 [KJV] God gave the persons of the elect into the hands of H is dear Son, as Jacob committed Benjamin into the hands of Judah; and as Judah accepted Benjamin, so Christ accepted the Church and undertook to bring it unto God, or H e H imself would bear the blame for ever. But how this faithfulness was tried! Men tried it; devils tried it; God tried it; but it came gloriously through all. Yet what loads were laid upon it! How the very knees of Jesus, so to speak, staggered beneath it!  How, as Hart says, He had "Strength enough, and none to spare!" How H e had to sustain the curse of the law and the load of imputed sin! How H e had to drink up a very hell of inward torment! How H e had to be agonised in body and more than a...

My God! How cheerful is the sound! How pleasant to repeat! Well may that heart with pleasure bound, Where God hath fix'd His seat. What want shall not our God supply From His abundant stores? What streams of mercy from on high An arm almighty pours! From Christ the ever-living spring, These ample blessings flow: Prepare, my lips, His name to sing, Whose heart has loved us so. Now to our Father and our God Be endless glory giv'n, Through all the realms of man's abode, And through the highest heaven. -Tune "O for a Thousand Tongues" ==================================== "For He saith to Moses, I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I WILL HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I WILL HAVE COMPASSION. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy ." -R OMANS 9:15-16 [ KJ V] The doctrine of God's sovereign power and will to save HIS people according to His purp...

Once in Christ, ever in Him. Having taken up His habitation in the heart, He never removes. None can untie this happy knot. Who will dissolve this union? Will He Himself? No, He will not; we have His word for it, "I will not turn away from them" (J EREMIAH 32:40) . But perhaps the sinner will do this mischief to himself? No, he shall not; "they shall not depart from Me," says their God. Can devils do it? No, unless they be stronger than Christ and His Father too; "Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand," says our Lord (J OHN 10:28) . "And none is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand" (v s. 29) . But what say you of death, which parts husband and wife; yea, separates the soul from the body? Will death do it? No: what saith the apostle? "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other cr...

"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (I PETER 3:22) . The resurrection, enthronement and universal authority given to Jesus Christ provide us with undeniable evidence that He accomplished, to the Father’s full satisfaction, the work He was sent to do. What was that work? It was that work laid upon Him from all eternity, that work which He delightfully accepted to accomplish - to save, redeem and satisfy divine justice for all of those people given to Him by the Father in covenant grace before the world began. The Savior’s abiding presence in the Father’s house shows that real, substantial and everlasting peace has been made between the Lord and His fallen people by the blood of the cross of Christ. The Holy Spirit said "this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" ( HEBREWS 10:12) . Among the seven pieces of fur...

"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto them that call upon Thee." -P SALM 86:5 [ KJ V] The sinner who has saving faith believes that there is a fullness of salvation in Christ for poor sinners: "Wherefore HE is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by HIM..." (H EBREWS 7:25) . In the word of the Gospel Christ is held forth as an able Saviour - able to save men from their sins and from the wrath of God. His merit is a sufficient shield against the tempest of wrath which incensed justice is ready to exact against transgressors. The sinner who has saving faith knows that the righteousness Christ fulfilled as the condition of the Covenant of Grace is so valuable in itself, and in the eyes of the Father, that it is sufficient to procure justification, sanctification, and all other saving benefits to sinners who in themselves deserve death and damnation. So they are happy who are in Him. They shal...

"THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" - JEREMIAH 23:6 [KJV] While believers always trust Christ and submit to His righteousness as the sole basis for our acceptance before God, there are four times when we must be especially certain that we are looking to Him Who is "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." 1. When we have sinned and experience feelings of shame, conviction, remorse and despair we must look to Christ and His righteousness. The life of a child of God is lived with the realization of personal guilt, but remember, "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" ( I JOHN 1:7) . Our record before God is perfect for He sees us in "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." God has never looked to us, but to our Surety and Substitute, His Son, for satisfaction to His just demands. We are "made the righteousness of God" in that One "Who loved us and gave Himself for us." 2. When we feel like we have d...

"The God of all grace." -I PETER 5:10 [KJV] All we have and are, everything we know and feel, comes from "the God of all grace." We have nothing spiritually good in ourselves; all therefore that we have is the free gift of His hand, and comes from the ever-flowing Fountain of mercy and truth. It will be our mercy, then, as the Lord may enable us, to be ever looking to Him, not looking to books, not looking to ministers; these are only instruments, and in themselves but poor instruments. The soul must look through all and above all to "the God of all grace." The Lord enable you to examine every truth as it is brought before you by the light of God's Spirit in your heart, to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." And however deeply you may feel the vileness of your heart, remember this, there is "the God of all grace" to go to. If you feel yourself the vilest of sinners, He suits you the more as ...

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted." -P SALM 89:15-16 [ KJ V] The psalmist alludes to the jubilee-trumpet, which was sounded throughout the land on the great day of atonement. This was an ordinance of the Lord [ L EVITICUS 25:10 ] . It was a joyful sound of liberty to God's people. This is a true type and just emblem of the blowing of the great trumpet, and THE SOUND OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL restoring life, liberty, and salvation to perishing captive souls. Has the gospel thus proved the power of God to the salvation of our souls? Surely then, we must esteem it, as the most joyful sound that ever saluted our ears! Joyful, that it is not clogged with any terms and conditions: Joyful, that it is not, as some call it, a milder law, proposing mercy on easier performances than the legal yoke. No! such ...

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." -H EBREWS 6:18 [KJV] No: it is utterly impossible for God to lie. The earth may be dissolved, and all creation reduced to chaos before God could lie. He would cease to be God if the faintest breath of a change, or the shadow of a turn should pass over the glorious Godhead. But it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore this holds out strong consolation for those that have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before them. And what is the ground of this strong consolation? This is the ground, that God has eternally determined and sworn by Himself—that He will save and bless those that have "fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel." This is the foundation of their consolation, this is the ground of their hope, that God has made such and such promises, a...

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which H e hath purchased with H is own blood." - A CTS 20:2 8 [KJV] I am always amazed how just one verse of scripture is often given to us by the Holy Spirit as an invincible weapon and an impenetrable fortress in the conflict with religious error. These words spoken by the apostle Paul as he charged the Ephesians elders is such a verse. Two areas in which the truth and doctrine of Christ are most often attacked are the deity of Christ and the design of His death . That Jesus Christ the Son is God in flesh and co-equal in the Godhead is not even up for debate. Along with all the other places in scripture where this truth is taught, this verse stands strong to support it. Paul says, "the church of GOD, which H e purchased with H is own blood ." How does God, Who declares Himself to be Spirit, come to h...

"My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save me for Thy mercies’ sake.” - P SALM 31:15-16 [KJV] I give grateful praise to the Lord that all of life’s experiences are in His hand. "My times" are not in my hand, my enemies’ hand nor the hand of my friends. Everything that will happen to me is under the sovereign, absolute control of my heavenly Father. 1. The time of my birth was in His hand. My earthly sojourn began at the moment God ordained. 2. The time of my second birth was in His hand. When it pleased the Lord, He Who gave me physical life gave me spiritual life through His gospel. I was made alive by effectual mercy, which life was evidenced by repentance of dead works and false religion and belief of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was brought to trust His blood and righteousness and made content to be saved by pure grace with no contributio...

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are O ne." - I J OHN 5:7 [KJV] All God's people are led into a knowledge of the Trinity; not indeed by metaphysical reasoning or subtle arguments addressed to the understanding. The Spirit teaches them, not by reasoning addressed to the head, but by the power and dew of divine truth resting upon the heart. All God's people learn the doctrine of the Trinity in their souls. They learn, under divine teaching, the authority, justice, majesty, holiness, and in due time feel the love of God the Father. They learn the Godhead of Christ in their souls, by seeing and feeling the power of His blood, as the blood of God (A CTS 20:28) , and His righteousness as the "righteousness of God." And they learn the Deity and Personality of the Holy Ghost by feeling the divine power of his operations on their hearts. They learn also that He is God, by per...

The Bible is a bloody book. From the first book to the last, a stream of blood flows. Its importance is seen by the testimony of God Himself. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (L EVITICUS 17:11) . "For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off" (L EVITICUS 17:14). It is a book of redemption: redemption from sin and the curse of the law. Redemption, not by the blood of animals, BUT BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. " Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; b ut with the precious blood o...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (26-28APR19) 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: "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" -EPHESIANS 1:6 [KJV] Think for a moment of the glory and majesty of Almighty God. If a believer ponders in his heart the wonder of God’s grace, he soon realizes his own unworthiness and utter vileness. How could it ever be that He, before whom the moon and stars are not pure in His sight, accepts such sinners? Yet the infallible Word of God declares that He indeed has accepted some men in the Beloved. Who are they? How are they made accepted? According to Ephesians 1:3-14, they are those who have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. They are ...

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force .” -M ATTHEW 11:12 [KJV] Many view this verse as saying that men by the sheer force of their own power, goodness, and/or will can gain salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven. This is far from the truth of this verse and the whole of Scripture. This verse speaks of the desperation God the Holy Spirit brings God‘s elect to in conviction. It is when we as sinners are brought to the end of all hope, to the point that we see no other hope but the grace of God in Christ: no hope of forgiveness but by His blood and no hope of justification but by His righteousness imputed . When the Holy Spirit reveals to us our sin, impotence, and depravity, we in desperation by God given faith lay hold upon Christ, and we cannot and will not let go of Him. This is not forcing Christ to save us, but it is the force of conviction that causes us to cling...

"We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak." - II C ORINTHIANS 4:13 [KJV] There is a distinction to be made between faith and the spirit of faith. The spirit of faith is faith in exercise. Faith sometimes is like a day in which there is no wind blowing. It is so calm, that there scarcely appears to be any air stirring to move a leaf. But after a time a gentle breeze comes and blows over the earth. Thus it is with faith and the spirit of faith. Faith in repose is like the calm air of a summer's day, when there is nothing moving or stirring; faith acting, faith in exercise, is like the same air in the gentle breeze which makes itself sensibly felt. If God has given me faith, that faith is never lost out of my breast. If once a believer, I always am a believer; for if I could cease to believe, I should cease to be a child of God; I should lose salvation out of my...

“ My heart shall rejoice in T hy salvation.”   - P SALM 13: 5 [KJV] This is the message of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, salvation is of the Lord, His doing, His faithfulness and His sacrifice; therefore His people do rejoice in Him at all times (Phil. 3:7-9; 2 Tim. 1:9) . 1). He is the Author of salvation , before there was a sinner there was a Saviour; before Adam fell in sin; Christ stood as the everlasting Surety, Saviour and Sacrifice for all our sin (Heb. 7:22; 13:20; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 13:8) . 2). He is the Accomplisher of our salvation , He bought us with His own blood (Acts 20:28; Heb. 1:3) ; freely justifies us by His grace (Rom. 3:24) and gives us a perfect justifying righteousness through His faithfulness (Rom. 4:6-8; Gal 2:16) . 3). He is the Applier of salvation , He will have mercy on whom He will (Matt. 11:25; Rom. 9:13-16; Phil. 1:6) . 4). He is the Administer of salvation , we are kept by His will and power, none can perish for w...

“ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP .” -J OHN 10:7 [KJV] I love how the Lord always teaches His people through things that they can understand. We all know what a door is. It is a way of access. It is a way of entrance. A door is used to let some in. A door is the means to keep some in and shut others out. How beautiful a “door” illustrates who and what Christ is to the believing sinner. Christ is not just “a door,” He is “THE door.” There is no other door. He is the only door. “ For t here is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” ( I TIMOTHY 2:5 ) . Christ is the door of the sheep . He is not the door for goats. He is not the door for the whole world. He is the only access that the sheep have to God. He said, “I am the door: by M e if any man enter in, he shall be save d ” . We can only enter in “by Him” (J OHN 10:9) . Sinners cannot enter of themselves; they are dead in...

"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the L ORD of hosts." -ISAIAH 6:5 [KJV] God has described His Zion as "full of wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." When the Church of God fell in Adam, she fell with a crash which broke every bone and bruised her flesh with wounds which are ulcerated from top to toe. Her understanding, her conscience, and her affections were all fearfully maimed. The first was blinded, the second stupified, and the third alienated. Every mental faculty thus became perverted and distorted. As in a ship-wrecked vessel the water runs in through every leak, so when Adam fell upon the lee-shore of sin and temptation, and made shipwreck of the image of God in which he was created, sin rushed into every faculty of body and soul, and penetrated into the inmost recesses of his being. Or to use another figure; a...