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

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” -I John 1:7 [KJV] Is the apostle John saying here that our fellowship with God is based on our conduct of life? That all depends on what is meant by “if we walk in the light.” First, stop and think about it, could we as sinners ever have fellowship with the thrice holy God on the basis of our conduct here in this world? Is not sin ever present in us? Is not everything about us in ourselves yet polluted with sin? Absolutely! So what is it to “walk in the light?” I believe it is to walk by faith in Christ. To trust Christ alone as He is revealed in the light of the truth. It is to believe the gospel that reveals God in His grace and shows the one way He can meet sinners in mercy. I say that because it also says, “as H e is in the light.” Light is often used to describe truth, the truth as it is in Ch

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the L ORD alone shall be exalted in that day ." -I SAIAH 2:11 [KJV]   How does the Lord humble? By discovering to man what he is; by opening up the depth of his fall; by making him feel what a vile and guilty wretch he is before the footstool of mercy; by breaking him to pieces; by slaughtering and laying him low; by making him abhor himself in dust and ashes. Was not that the way the Lord took with the saints of old? How did He humble Isaiah? Was it not by some discovery of His divine Majesty, to make him cry, "I am a man of unclean lips!" How did He humble Daniel? Was it not by manifesting Himself in His almighty purity, and turning his comeliness into corruption? How did He humble Hezekiah? By laying him upon a sick-bed, and laying his sins and iniquities with weight and power upon his conscience. None of these men produced humility in themselves. Ho

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." -I J OHN 4:18 [KJV] That perfect love that casts out fear is not our love for one another or our love for God, but God's love for His elect. Perfect love is God's love. It is everlasting love [JEREMIAH 31:3 ] , free, unconditional love [ H OSEA 14:4 ] , electing love [ R OMANS 9:13-18 ] , predestinating love [ E PHESIANS 1:3-6 ] , redeeming love [ J OHN 3:16; R OMANS 5:6-8; I JOHN 3:16; 4:9-10 ] , immutable love [ M ALACHI 3:6 ] , and indestructible, unquenchable love [ S ONG OF SOLOMON 8:7 ] . If ever you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and are given the sweet assurance of God's perfect love for you in His darling Son, the knowledge of that love will cast out fear from your soul. No Fear in Love! I do not suggest that God's saints in this world live without fear, but I am saying that we should. And I

"Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." - I SAIAH 1:5-6 [KJV] I have heard many say over the years that they agree with all but one of the doctrines of grace. Some will have none of unconditional election. Others reject the thought of particular redemption. But these are not the real issue. These things are not the main point at which they rebel. The point at which at they really rebel is the first. They reject the doctrine of total depravity ! By nature they resist the clear teaching of the Bible with regards to the real condition of all men . If they believed what God says that they are, they would believe in the necessity of the other points. If man is totally depraved, that is,

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." -M ATTHEW 5:6 [KJV] Hunger is a painful sensation. It is not merely an appetite for food; but an appetite for food attended with pain. So spiritually. It is not merely a desire after Christ that constitutes spiritual hunger. "The sluggard desireth, and hath nothing." But it is a desire attended with pain; not merely a wish for spiritual food, but also with such painful sensations, that unless this appetite is satisfied, the soul must perish and die. Nothing short of this constitutes spiritual hunger. There are many who say, "I have a desire." If it be a spiritual desire, it will be granted. But spiritual desire is always attended with painful sensations which many are completely ignorant of who profess to have a desire. "The desire of the slothful killeth him." Why? Because he rests satisfied with a desire, and never takes the kingdom of heaven

Believers can never be found guilty of giving too much honor, praise, and all glory unto our sovereign God. David sits in the temple of God and prays and rejoices in his heart because of the multitudes of grace and mercy revealed and experienced in his life. He prays, "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?" [II SAMUEL 7:18 ] . Truly, every believer can identify with David. When we consider who we are, sinners by birth, choice, and practice [ I J OHN 1:7-9 ] and when we consider who God is, holy, just, and almighty [ I SAIAH 45:21 ] , it is amazing and astounding that He would show mercy to any, even more so that God would show mercy to me , the chief of sinners [ I T IMOTHY 1:15 ] . Every believer can say with David, "Thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears" [II SAMUEL 7:22 ] . The scriptures plainly r

Behold the Savior from on high, Descended here to live and die; He suffered on the cross alone, And shed His blood sin to atone. The sins which Jesus bore that day, His precious blood has washed away; His death has satisfaction made, Redemption’s price He fully paid. "‘Tis finished," God our Savior cried, Then Jesus bowed His head and died; The temple’s veil in twain He rent, Then to the tomb His body went. Within the sepulchre He lay, Until the resurrection day; Then Jesus came forth from the tomb, And scattered all our fear and gloom. Christ Jesus who for us once died, Now lives and we are justified; The universe is His domain, And evermore our Lord shall reign. Though to the grave we too shall go, We have no fear for this we know; Since Jesus lives no more to die, We too shall live with Him on high. WORDS BY JIM BYRD TUNE: "SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER" LM/DOUBLE

"Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; H e will come and save you." -I SAIAH 35:4 [KJV] "Behold, your God will come." The Lord then is not yet come; but He says He will come, and the promise of His coming takes away the fear. He says, "Behold." Even that little word contains something in it noteworthy. The Lord is in the distance; His chariot is making ready; for " H e maketh the clouds H is chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind." As the Lord said to his disciples, "Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh," so by the word, "Behold," the Lord would take the eyes of His people from being ever bent on the ground or ever looking at their own miserable hearts and the difficulties and dangers of the way. "Look up," He would say, "look up; your God is coming to save you." I like to dwell on every crumb as it were of our text. The jots and

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not ." - ISAIAH 35:4 [KJV] "Fear not." "Ah! but Lord," the soul says, "I do fear. I fear myself more than anybody. I fear my base, wicked heart, my strong lusts and passions, and my numerous inward enemies, the snares of Satan, and the temptations of the world. Thou sayest, 'Fear not.' But I do fear. I cannot help but fear." Still the Lord says, "Fear not." Let us see if we cannot find something to explain this a little more clearly. There is a crowd yonder, and a weak woman in company with her husband. He says to her all trembling and fearing to pass through the crush, "Fear not; take hold of my arm, cling close to me." She takes hold of his arm and fears not. So with the timid soul and its enemies. It says, "How can I press through this crowd of difficulties; how elbow my way through these opposing doubts and fears?" Its husband, the Lord

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (27-29SEP19) 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: "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. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand." -J OHN 10:27-29[KJV] There is no stronger passage to be found in the word of God guaranteeing the absolute security of every child of God. They are His sheep, they follow Him, they have eternal life, they are in the hand of Christ, the Father gave them to Christ [JOHN 6:37; JOHN 17 vss. 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24] , and they are in the Father’s hand. The sheep of Ch

When the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shouted in His dying breath "It is finished" (John 19:30) , He spoke regarding the redemption of the sinners for whom He died (among other things). When He said "It is finished" He meant ... "It is finished!" The redemption of every soul for whom He died was completed, perfected, accomplished, achieved, finalized. Many preachers over (state) otherwise. They say He meant 'It is finished hypothetically!' ­ as in 'I made redemption possible for everyone.'  They say He meant 'It is finished partly!' ­ as in 'I have done My part, but now you must do yours.'  They say He meant 'It is finished provisionally!' ­ as in 'I have provided redemption for all who will of their own freewill have it.' They say He meant 'It is finished conditionally!' ­ as in 'I have redeemed you if you meet the condition.' When Jesus Christ said, "It is finished&quo

If you had a friend who was planning to go before the King in his own dirty, ragged, offensive robe, and you knew that he would be forever rejected, would you not warn him? Suppose, too, that you knew where he could secure, absolutely free, a beautiful, spotless robe with which the King not only would be pleased but one which the King H imself had provided. Would you not tell him about it? This is called " G ood N ews." And which robe would you talk the most about ­ the offensive garment or the beautiful one? I would think that the more he heard about the King's robe and the more he was made aware of its glories, beauties, and perfections, the more he would become aware of the insufficiency and corruption of his own. That which makes Christ Jesus more precious to me and His robe of righteousness more needful is NOT THE PREACHING OF WHAT I AM NOT, BUT THE PREACHING OF WHO AND WHAT HE IS! -Gospel report by preacher Henry Mahan (1926–2019 A.D.) Pleas

"Being JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: W hom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in H is blood." -ROMANS 3:24, 25 [KJV] Before we can have faith in Christ's atoning blood, we must see the glory of the Person of the Lord of life. "We beheld H is glory," said John, speaking of himself and the other favoured disciples, "we beheld H is glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." May I ask you a question, you who profess to know these things? Were your eyes ever anointed to behold the glory of Jesus? Did faith ever contemplate, did hope ever anchor in, did love ever flow forth to the glorious Person of Immanuel? Was He ever precious to your souls? ever "altogether lovely" in your eyes? so that you could say, "Whom have I in heaven but T hee? and there is none upon earth I desire beside T hee?" Now, if you have seen His Per

Thus saith the L ORD ; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thy espousals, when thou wentest after M e in the wilderness.­I will remember M y covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish to thee an everlasting covenant.­I will visit you, and perform M y good word toward you.­for I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the L ORD , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are M y ways higher than your ways, and M y thoughts than your thoughts.­I would seek to God, and to God would I commit my cause: W ho doeth great things and unsearchable, wonderful things without number.­Many, O Lord my God, are T hy wonderful works which T hou hast done, and T hy thoughts which are toward us: they cannot be reckoned up in order to T hee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. - NEHEMIAH 5:19 ; J EREMIAH 2:2 ; E ZEKIEL 16:60 ; J E

"No good thing will H e withhold from them that walk uprightly." -P SALM 84:11 [KJV] There are those who walk uprightly, very uprightly, in the fear of God, and yet have little comfortable or abiding evidence that they are at present partakers of God's grace, or will be hereafter sharers of Christ's glory. But this one evidence they certainly do possess, though they can take no present comfort from it, that they walk uprightly before God and man. Let no one, however deeply experienced or highly favoured, despise this evidence of grace in others; and you who walk uprightly from a living principle of godly fear have here a marked testimony from the Lord Himself that He has a special regard for you. But what is it to "walk uprightly?" Oh! here is the grand difficulty in religion. We may talk; we may preach; we may hear; we may seem to believe; but it is when we come to act, to walk, and carry out into daily and hourly practice what we profess, that

Three Wonderful Things about Jesus by D.G. Miles McKee Of course, there are more than three wonderful things to be said about the Lord Jesus.  What follows are but three of them. When we consider Christ´s relationship with sin, we notice that… 1. Jesus Knew No Sin [II CORINTHIANS 5:21 ] . He was absolutely sinless. His nature and essence were devoid of imperfection. He was the " holy one of God" (Mark 1:24 ). The Spirit affirms this (Luke 1:35), and the demons confessed it (Luke 4:34). In all points, He was tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). 2. " He did no sin" (1 Peter 2: 22) . Every thought of His heart, word of His lips, and deed of His life was for and to the Father. He was sinless. There was no deficiency in Him. His was a perfect beauty of character. He was pure in heart, purpose and thought! The Father acknowledged this saying, "This is my beloved Son; in whom I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).

In the fall of 1969, I began attending a bible college which was considered one of the most conservative in the country. While there I learned the truth of God’s free and sovereign grace, not due to my professors, but in spite of most of them. I discovered that " S alvation is of the L ORD ," that God chose a people unto salvation, and that when Christ died, He actually accomplished their redemption, effectually putting away their sins and bringing in everlasting righteousness. The Lord taught me the error of free-willism and the omnipotence of the Divine will in the experience of salvation. "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" [ROMANS 9:16 ] . When the authorities of the college passed a resolution stating that no one could graduate without signing a statement affirming their belief in universal redemption, I made my position clear without hesitation and paid the price by being forced to leave. I con

Sing praises to the Son of God, Who down from heaven came; To save His people from their guilt, From misery and shame. Down from His heav’nly glory The Savior came to earth; And angels looked with holy awe, Upon Messiah’s birth. God in the flesh, the Son of Man, Our Prophet, Priest and King; The Seed of woman came to earth, To save the perishing. In love and great compassion, The great Redeemer died; He reconciled us to our God And we are justified. Christ was the perfect sacrifice, Our sins upon Him lay; The sword of justice pierced His heart, And guilt was washed away. O’er sin and death He triumphed, His greatness let us own; The Savior reigns forevermore, Upon His sovereign throne. Bow down and worship Christ the Lord, His wonders gladly tell; All fulness of the Godhead three, In Christ the Savior dwell. The only Mediator, On Him our hopes depend; He is our Savior, God and King, Our Advocate and Friend. Tune to "O LITTLE TOWN OF

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." -R OMANS 6:11 [KJV] How many poor souls are struggling against the power of sin, and yet never get any victory over it! How many are daily led captive by the lusts of the flesh, the love of the world, and the pride of life, and never get any victory over them! How many fight and grapple with tears, vows, and strong resolutions against the besetting sins of temper, levity, or covetousness, who are still entangled and overcome by them again and again! Now, why is this? Because they know not the secret of spiritual strength against, and spiritual victory over them. It is only by virtue of a living union with the Lord Jesus Christ, drinking into His sufferings and death, and receiving out of His fulness, that we can gain any victory over the world, sin, death, or hell. Let me bring this down a little to your own experience. Say your soul has been, on one

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." -H EBREWS 10:22 [KJV] Assurance of salvation and a saving interest in our Lord Jesus is NOT A FEELING cultivated by thinking good thoughts and doing good deeds. Paul calls it "full assurance of faith." It has to do with faith, with BELIEVING GOD! Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN THE FATHER as our covenant God; "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN THE SON as our just God and Saviour; "By His stripes we are healed." Assurance is born of CONFIDENCE IN HIS PROMISES; "Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able also to perform." So your assurance of redemption is not enhanced by the MORE YOU WORK, but by the MORE YOU TRUST AND REST IN HIM. "Let us labor therefore to enter into THAT REST" [HEBREWS 4:11 ] . - Gospel report by preacher Henry Mahan (1926–2019 A.D.)

There is one word in the Bible which in itself forms a complete library, and that word is Christ, the uncreated Word. And when the redeemed and regenerated child of God, brought from the Adam-darkness of a state of nature into a state of grace, is savingly acquainted with this divine Word, he is then made "wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" [II TIMOTHY 3:15 ] . And as the Lord the Spirit leads him on, in daily acts of faith, by living upon, walking with, and rejoicing in the glorious person and the finished salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is brought also to what the apostle calls, "all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" [COLOSSIANS 2:2-3 ] . And what tends to endear this science to the awakened soul yet more is that in learning to know Christ, we learn at the same time to kno

"His going forth is prepared as the morning." -H OSEA 6:3 [KJV] It is to the living soul walking in darkness, and unable to find God, that this text speaks: "His going forth is prepared as the morning." There is an appointed time for the Lord to go forth and this is sweetly compared to the rising of the sun. Does not "the dayspring know his place?" [JOB 38:12 ] . Does not the sun rise every day according to the minute before appointed? Is he ever before his time, or ever after his time? Did the free will of the creature ever hurry or retard his rising for a single second? Thus it is with the going forth of the Lord for the salvation of His people, the going forth of the Lord in the revelation of His presence and His power, the going forth of the Lord from the place where He has for a while hidden Himself, to come down with light and life into the soul. All His glorious goings forth are as much prepared, and the moment is as much appointed, as

By divine sovereignty we mean God reigns supreme in creation, providence and salvation. This is the clear declaration of Scripture. "Whatsoever the L ORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places" [PSALM 135:6 ] . "But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased" [PSALM 115:3 ] . "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure" [ISAIAH 46:10 ] . "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" [ROMANS 9:16 ] . How utterly foolish for man to contend with God for exercising His right to do what He wills with His property. Did He not make all things by His power and for His pleasure and glory? Is He not free, therefore, to dispose of all things according to the good pleasure of His will? "Is it not lawful for Me to do what I will with Mine own?" [MATTHEW 20:15 ] . What arrogance and audacit

Complete in Christ the Lord. No trusting in my best. Wrapped fully in the garment of Imputed righteousness. Complete in Christ the Lord. By faith His fullness known. The Father looks at me and sees One as His very own. Complete in Christ the Lord No better could be had. For none can by their doing here To His completion add. Complete in Christ the Lord. Though circumstance be grim. Above it all does God declare, "Ye are complete in Him." Words by Gary Shepard Tune: “I Love Thy Kingdom Lord”

"That H e might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the L ORD doth man live." - DEUTERONOMY 8:3 [KJV] This is the grand lesson which we have to learn in our wilderness journey—"that man doth not live by bread only," that is, by those providential supplies which relieve our natural wants. Thanks be to God for any bread that he gives us in His kind and bountiful providence. An honest living is a great mercy. To be enabled by the labour of our hands or by the labour of our brain to maintain our families and bring them up in a degree of comfort, if not abundance, is a great blessing. But God has determined that His people shall not live by bread only. They shall be separated from the mass of men who live in this carnal way only; who have no care beyond earthly possessions, and the sum of whose thoughts and desires is, what they shall eat, and what they shall drink, and wherewithal the

"Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you" -I S AMUEL 12:22 [KJV] The word "ceasing" means to forsake, leave off, let alone, or be unoccupied. Samuel says that to forsake praying for God's people is sin. To leave off coming to God in humble supplication for the lost is sin. To let alone the throne of grace, to which every child of God is privileged to come freely, is to foolishly forfeit our only hope and strength. To be unoccupied in begging mercy from God for others, is horribly sinful for those who have received mercy. God forbid us from ceasing to pray for each other. God make us to be like our dear Savior, who ever lives to make intercession for us! "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" [JAMES 5:16 ] . - Gospel report by preacher Eric Richards