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

"The entrance of T hy words giveth light." -P SALM 119:130 [KJV] The blessed Spirit is pleased sometimes to give some testimony concerning Jesus, to open up some passage of Scripture which speaks of Jesus, to cast a divine light before the astonished eyes, and to throw some of the blessed beams of gospel truth into our souls, whereby we see Jesus. We are brought sometimes in soul feeling to the desires of those Greeks who came up to worship at the feast, and went to Philip, saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus;" and from some apprehension of His beauty and loveliness, we pour out our soul before God, and say, "We would see Jesus." We want to feel His love, to have our eyes anointed to behold His glory, to look upon Him as crucified for us and bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, that we may have a sweet and blessed fellowship with Him as our suffering Surety, and thus, by faith, enter into the length and breadth and depth and height of...

Those who are so foolish as to allow ANYTHING IN THEIR LIFE to cause them to renounce their faith in Christ and neglect their duty and privileges as children of the living God will, like Esau, someday weep with bitter tears when it is beyond their power to recover what is lost. Guard against apostasy and fleshly appetites; guard against neglecting worship and daily communion with the Lord; guard against unwholesome companions and worldly social contacts; guard against covetousness and materialism lest you come, at last, to mourn bitterly your foolishness and wickedness. We have entered A RACE. The prize goes to those who FINISH [HEBREWS 10:35-39 ] . There will be difficult times, perhaps heavy trials; and along the way there will be tempting pastures of pleasure, which appeal to the flesh. We must go on! We may proceed rapidly or slowly; we may even stumble and fall; but, looking to Christ, we continue. I have a responsibility TO MY LORD and to the gospel of His grace. Ne...

“ When the Holy Spirit shows us the necessity, the beauty and the sufficiency of the death of Christ, we repent of our own foolish works of self-righteousness, we forsake every other way of seeking to please God, WE LOOK TO CHRIST AND HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH AS THE ONLY GROUND OF ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD and our conscience rests in the quiet assurance that Christ has satisfied God on our behalf and saved us in a way that glorifies God in all His holy character. Thus the “blood” purges our consciences of every false hope, of natural self-righteousness, and all fear and doubt!” - Gospel report by preacher Gary Shepard Sovereign Grace Baptist church of Jacksonville, North Carolina USA Please find enclosed link to Audio Gospel Sermons & Contact Info: https://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=allsovgrace

O what a good and perfect Gift, The Father gave in love; To save our souls, His Son He sent, Down from His throne above. What other good and perfect Gift, Compares with that dear One? By Him our ransom price was paid, Salvation fully done. Since Jesus died upon the cross, And met the law's demand; This good and perfect Gift now sits, Enthroned at God's right hand. So bless the Lord, and thank Him for His good and perfect Gift; Join heart and voice to worship Him, And to Him praises lift. -words by preacher Jim Byrd T o the t une: "O For A Thousand Tongues"

"By grace ye are saved" -E PHESIANS 2:5 [KJV]   Oh! the volumes of blessed truth that are couched in these few words; thrown in out of the Apostle's full heart as if to give a moment's vent to his love of salvation by grace! Mercy, love, and grace are all in the bosom of God toward His saints; and yet they differ from each other. But how? Mercy regards the criminal; love regards the object; grace, perhaps, is a blending of the two,—the union of mercy and love. God loves the holy unfallen angels; there is an object of sovereign, distinguishing, free, and superabounding. Every attribute of Jehovah is distinct, and yet so blended that the whole shine forth in one glorious effulgence. The rays of the sun united form one complete body of pure, bright light; but the prism or the rainbow separates these rays into distinct colours. So the attributes of God are not confused though blended, and all shine forth in one pure bright glory. But this is the p...

The Marked Sheep by preacher D.G. Miles McKee   Being raised in rural Northern Ireland, I had occasion to notice how shepherds took care of their sheep. One of the things they did was to mark them with various coloured dyes. When I asked the reason for this, I was informed that the sheep were marked to show to whom they belonged. Apparently, a good shepherd marked His sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd, and in John 10:28, He puts three marks upon us. The First mark is: He gives us eternal life . The Second is: We shall never perish . The Third is: No one shall pluck us out of His hand . Jesus is the Shepherd, who, in love and compassion, came to seek and to save His lost sheep [ see L UKE 19:10; E ZEKIEL 34:12 ] . We, like sheep, had gone astray. We had all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There was none of us righteous, no, not one [ see I SAIAH 53:6; R OMANS 3:23; R OMANS 3:10-19 ] . But the Great Shepherd stepped in a...

“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, W ho hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." - EPHESIANS 1:3 [KJV] Many think that spiritual blessings are held in reserve for those who plead with God for them. They acknowledge He has a storehouse of gifts, but the distribution of those blessings they believe to be conditioned upon the willingness of sinners to request and accept them. It is clear, however, that God has already blessed a chosen people with all benefits in Christ. They are not kept from men because of non-request; they already belong to the children of God. Nothing pertaining to eternal salvation is given because sinners beg God. His greatest gift was His own Son, and God did not send Him in response to men pleading for a Savior. The "unspeakable Gift" was unasked for, and when He did come, He was unwanted [II CORINTHIANS 9:15 ; ISAIAH 53:3] . He was sent according to the eternal purpose...

All people are ignorant of something. To be ignorant is to be without knowledge and understanding of something. The scientist may have great knowledge in many areas but he may be ignorant as to how his car works or how to fix it. But there is a common and very deadly ignorance that we abide in and bear witness of apart from the grace and power of God upon us. Paul confessed it and attributed his deliverance from it to God’s grace alone. Before Christ coming to him in His saving power, he was an educated, religious and moral man who trusted in his own works of religion, nationality and morality to commend him to God. But when God revealed Christ to and in Paul, he says, “ I was before a blasphemer” and trusted my own works of righteousness “ ignorantly in unbelief” [I TIMOTHY 1:13 ] . The unbelief he spoke of was ignorance of God’s truth. Ignorance of Christ who is the Truth. We are ignorant of the most important things when we are ignorant of who God is, what...

"My people are bent to backsliding from M e." -H OSEA 11:7 [KJV] What an awful error it is to deny backsliding! What ignorance it manifests of a man's own heart! How it stamps a man as a perverter of truth, and one that trifles with sin and the displeasure of the Most High! Who that knows himself and the idolatry of his fallen nature, dares deny that he backslides perpetually in heart, lip, or life? Can any of us deny that we have backslidden from our first love? backslidden from simplicity and godly sincerity, backslidden from reverence and godly fear, backslidden from spirituality and heavenly-mindedness, backslidden from the breathings of affection and pouring forth of the heart into the bosom of the Lord? And if we have not been suffered to backslide into open sin, if the Lord has kept us, and not suffered us to be cast down into the mire, yet have we not committed that twofold evil which the Lord charges upon His people: "They have forsaken M e, the fo...

"They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick" -M ATTHEW 9:12 [KJV] A physician is useless without a case; and the deeper the case, the wiser and better physician we need. Thus a guilty conscience is a case for atoning blood, a wounded spirit for healing balm, a filthy garment for a justifying robe, a drowning wretch for an Almighty hand, a criminal on the gallows for a full pardon, an incurable disease for a heavenly physician, and a sinner sinking into hell for a Saviour stooping down from heaven. A man with a real case must have a real salvation. He is no longer to be cheated, deluded, and tricked with pretences, as a nervous patient is sometimes cured with bread pills; but he must have a real remedy as having a real disease. Christ in the Bible, Christ sitting as an unknown Saviour in the heavens, Christ afar off, unmanifested and unrevealed, is no Christ to him. "Near, near; let H im come near; in my heart, in my soul, revealed i...

Suppose a poor sinner under the awakenings of grace, and by the leadings of the Holy Ghost, from the conviction of sin, comes forth with the anxious question, what must I do to be saved? And, suppose, that instead of the immediate answer Paul gave to this same question, when put to him by the Jailor at Philippi, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thine house” [ A CTS 26:30-31 ] . Suppose, that a preacher should direct such an one to his repentings and reformings, to his amendments, and tears, and prayers, telling him to hope that Christ will do the rest, when he hath done his best? What a trifling would this be with an alarmed sinner under his soul distresses? And what could charity herself say of all such preachers, but as Job did of those pretended friends of his when they read to him such reproving lectures on his dunghill, “ Miserable comforters are ye all!” [JOB 16:2 ] .  Oh! how sweet doth God the Spirit preach Christ in Hi...

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright, though friends should all fail us and foes all unite, yet one thing secures us, whatever betide, the promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.” The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed; from them let us learn to trust God for our bread. His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied so long as ‘tis written, “The Lord will provide.” When Satan assails us to stop up our path, and courage all fails us, we triumph by faith. He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried, this heart-cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.” No strength of our own and no goodness we claim; yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great name, in this our strong tower for safety we hide: the Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.” Author: John Newton To the tune of, "O Worship the King"

"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." - I CORINTHIANS 3:23 [KJV] "Christ is God's." These are remarkable words, and need to be carefully and reverently opened up. The fulness of the mystery is beyond our grasp. Still, we may attempt to look at it in faith and godly fear. How, then, is Christ God's? First, He is God's Son—not a Son by covenant or by office; in other words, not a nominal, but a true and proper Son—a Son by nature, by His eternal mode of subsistence as a Person in the Godhead. "This is M y beloved Son" was twice proclaimed by God the Father with an audible voice from heaven. Second, but He is also God's servant. "Behold M y servant whom I uphold" [ISAIAH 42:1 ] . "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be M y servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob" [ISAIAH 49:6 ] , and this He was as Messiah. But because He is by office God's servant, He is not less by nature God's S...

“ Who would not fear Thee, O King of nations? for to Thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto Thee .” - JEREMIAH 10:7 [KJV]   How reasonable it is, that this glorious Being, whose greatness is unsearchable, should be regarded with feelings of the profoundest reverence. It is, indeed, His due, and as such He claims it from all His creatures. “ The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes ” [ P SALM 36:1 ] . To have no fear of God before their eyes is at once the greatest injustice, and the most unutterable folly. All who have the impudence to lift up their puny arms in rebellion against Him, are engaged in a conflict, which, if persisted in, is sure to terminate in their utter destruction. Think of His incomprehensible greatness and majesty. Think of Him as the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity--the heavens His th...

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich today and poor tomorrow; he may be sickly today and well tomorrow; he may be in happiness today and tomorrow be in distress; but THERE IS NO CHANGE WITH REGARD TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me today. I am neither better nor worse in God than I ever was. Let prospects be blighted, let hopes be blasted, let joy be withered, let mildews destroy everything; I HAVE LOST NOTHING OF WHAT I HAVE IN GOD! -copied

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." -J AMES 1:17 [KJV] Every good and perfect gift is from the sovereign throne of God [ROMANS 11:36 ] , whether in nature, providence or grace. All spiritual blessings are of God and flow out to the sinner through the Lord Jesus Christ [EPHESIANS 1:3-7 ] . Let us take full blame for our sin [ J AMES 1:13-16 ] and ascribe all glory to God for "every good and perfect gift" [PSALM 115:1 ] . Notice several things! 1). "Every good and perfect gift is from above." Our blessed Redeemer came from above [JOHN 3:16, 6:38; G ALATIANS 4:4 ] . Our salvation is from above, and is dependant upon God. The new birth, regeneration is from above [JOHN 3:3 ] . Righteousness that justifies is from above [ROMANS 4:1-8 ] . God alone is the origin, source and giver of all spiritual blessings [I CORI...

“ Pray Without Ceasing” - I THESSALONIANS 5:15 [KJV] “ Prayer is the effect of a new heart imparted to a needy sinner. It is the expression of thankfulness and petition toward the God of all mercy and grace. The believer knows that the Lord is absolutely sovereign in creation, providence, and salvation and that the unchanging God, to whom he prays, shall do all His good pleasure. Therefore the sinner, who sees by faith that there is One who rules and reigns in heaven and earth, continually asks, seeks, and knocks at the Door of Mercy Himself and then waits upon Him to do His good pleasure.” -Gospel report by preacher Marvin Stalnaker Katy Baptist church of Fairmont, West Virginia USA Please find enclosed link to Audio Gospel Sermons & Contact Info: https://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Marvin_Stalnaker

"... w hether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours ." - I CORINTHIANS 3:22 [KJV] "Life," says the Apostle, is "yours." But how can this be? In two ways. Life present and life future, both are the Christian's, according to the words, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." But life present is natural and spiritual. In three senses, therefore, is life the portion of Christ's people; life natural, life spiritual, life eternal. Life natural is theirs, for they alone can truly enjoy it. What is natural life if it hang by a thread over an awful eternity? How soon spent and gone, and how soon death and judgment close the scene. But the Christian's very natural life is his season for faith and prayer, the seedtime of an immortal harvest. Most men are life's slave, but he is ...

“ For it is a good thing that THE HEART BE ESTABLISHED WITH GRACE.” -H EBREWS 13:9 [KJV] Men may establish their heart with something other than grace, many do, but sooner or later they will find that they have built upon the sand. Some establish their heart trusting in their “free will,” their decision, praying the sinner’s prayer, being baptized, church membership or their morality. They establish their heart with a lie. Everything other than grace is something that man does, and God will not accept the works of fallen sinful man . Grace speaks of what God has done and He does it all without merit on the part of those who experience His amazing grace . All of the sinner’s salvation is attributed to grace, and this is the way the heart must be established. God’s eternal love, election, redemption by the blood of Christ, and the calling of the Holy Spirit are ALL BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE. The apostle wrote: “but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” [ROMANS 5:2...

"These wait all upon T hee; that T hou mayest give them their meat in due season." - PSALM 104:27 [KJV] The "meat" which God's children long after, is to have "the truth as it is in Jesus," in its various branches, revealed with power to their heart. Not merely to see a certain truth in God's word; that is like a hungry beggar looking at savoury provision through a window, from which he is barred out; such a sight whets his appetite rather than satisfies it. The meat that God's people are longing after, and the only thing which can assuage their spiritual hunger, is "the truth as it is in Jesus" manifested, revealed, discovered, and applied with power to their souls; dew, unction, savour, sweetness, life, light, liberty accompanying the word, so that truth falls as heavenly manna into their hearts. It is not sufficient that the Holy Ghost should create the appetite, but He must overshadow the soul with His divine influe...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (25-27OCT19) 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:   NO FEAR OF DEATH "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14-15). It is only because of the substitutionary death and resurrection of Christ that believers may face death without fear. Death, the penalty of sin, has already been endured for us by the Savior. In fact, rather than us dying, the Savior said to Martha, in John 11:26, "And whosoever liveth and believeth in...

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know H im that is true, and we are in H im that is true, even in H is Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." - I JOHN 5:20 [KJV] When the Lord Jesus is pleased in some solemn hour to reveal Himself to our soul, when He graciously condescends to take the veil from off our heart that we may behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, when He kindly favours us with some manifestation and discovery of Himself as the Son of God, the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His Person, then we know that the Son of God is come. How do you know that the sun rose this morning? By the light which rose with it. So we may say, spiritually, "How do you know that the Son of God is come?" By the Sun of righteousness arising upon you with healing in His wings and the shining light which He...