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

Many people, when they hear or read of the sufferings and death of Christ, have feelings of sympathy stirred within them, but the Savior did not die to cause people to feel sorry for Him. As He made His way to Golgotha, some women followed Him "which also bewailed and lamented Him" [LUKE 23:27 ] . He said to them, "Weep not for Me" [ verse 28 ] . He did not then, nor does He now need or want the pity or tears of anyone. Everything that happened to Him was according to His eternal purpose. His death was not His defeat, but the defeat of His enemies; it was the time of His greatest triumph. His death was the fatal blow to Satan, the removal of our sins, the satisfaction of divine justice and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness. It was the salvation of His people. He died so God could be a just God and a Savior. All for whom His blood was shed had their sins put away, and they will find out about it at the time divinely appointed.

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord." - II Peter 1:2 [KJV] If we do not know Jesus for ourselves, by some spiritual discovery of His Person and work, what testimony have we of an interest in His grace? Because, there is no grace except that which flows through Him, for "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." This is what we should ever labour after. Our daily, hourly desire and prayer should be, to have spiritual discoveries of Christ; to see Him by the eye of faith; to enter into His glorious Person and finished work; to realise His presence, taste His love, and know Him and the power of His resurrection. This is what Paul so earnestly laboured after [ P HILIPPIANS 3:10 ] ; and for the excellency of this knowledge he suffered the loss of all things, and counted them but dung that he might win Christ. To know Him as our Surety and Sin-bearer, our Advocate and Intercessor, our Friend, Husband

"The LORD is my s hepherd; I shall not want." -P SALM 23:1 [KJV] "I shall not want" is the inference drawn from "The LORD is my shepherd." "Want" means the same as "lacked" in Deuteronomy 2:7. "These forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing ." The sheep shall lack for nothing because Christ is our Shepherd. He is certainly able to supply our needs for He is the Son of God and He is willing to do so as is evident in that He has laid down His life for the sheep to save us from our sins. Notice it is not "I do not want," but "I shall not want." The children of God shall never want for righteousness, for He is "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" [JEREMIAH 23:6 ] nor shall we ever want for forgiveness for " the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin" [I JOHN 1:7 ] . "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:

“ I AM COME TO SEND FIRE ON EARTH” - L UKE 12:49 [KJV] Our Lord tells us about the fiery nature of the gospel of the grace of God, He says, "I am come to send fire on earth." The gospel and the Word of God are enormous, fervent, flaming things. In Jeremiah 23:29 we read, "Is not My word like as a fire?" It is a subject for enthusiasm, a theme for intense devotion and a matter that stirs the souls of believers to pursue its heat, comfort, joy and life. Let me give you several reasons why the gospel is called a fire. 1. A fire has an enlightening quality --- "Thy word is a lamp." The gospel reveals unto us the nature and conduct of God, who is Holy in all His nature [ I SAIAH 6:3 ] and sovereign in all of His conduct [ P SALM 135:6 ] . This is only revealed in the light of the gospel. The gospel also reveals unto us the nature and conduct of man, who is sinful and totally depraved [ R OMANS 3:9-19 ] . The gospel also, reveals unto us the