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

  "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."   -II Corinthians 5:21 [KJV] Our blessed Lord offered Himself for sin; that is, that He might put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself— "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24) . It was absolutely necessary either that the sinner should suffer in his own person, or in that of a substitute. Jesus became this Substitute; He stood virtually in the sinner's place, and endured in His holy body and soul the punishment due to him; for He "was numbered with the transgressors." He thus, by the shedding of His most precious blood, opened in His sacred body a fountain for all sin and all uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1) .   The cross was the place on which this sacrifice was offered; for as the blood of the slain lamb was poured out at the foot of the altar, sprinkled upon its horns, and burned in its ever-enduring fi...

The Wounds of Jesus by D.G. Miles McKee   Charles Spurgeon when preaching a sermon on the wounds of Jesus told the following story. He said,   ‘There were two elderly monks in different cells in their monastery. They were studying the Bible together.  One of them came to faith in Jesus and he believed on Christ with a true evangelical faith. The other one was timid and could scarcely think it true; the scheme of salvation seemed so great to him he could scarcely lay hold upon it.   But, at last, he came to the point of death, and he sent for the other to come and sit by him, and to shut the door; because if the superior had heard of that of which they were about to speak, he might have condemned them both.   When the monk had sat down, the sick man began to tell how his sins lay heavy on him; the other reminded him of Jesus. “If you would be saved, brother, you must look to Jesus who hung upon the cross. His wounds must save.”   The dying man heard and beli...

  "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily, I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." -Matthew 5:25-26  [KJV]   My soul! hast thou agreed with thine adversary, and made full payment of all the law charges? If so, it is blessed to review the account, and look over the several particulars, wherein thou wert a debtor, now struck out of God's book, and marked paid, PAID, in red letters, with Jesus's blood . To thee, as a sinner, born in sin, and an insolvent debtor, both by nature and by practice, the law of God stood forth as thine adversary. To agree with Him as quickly as possible, whilst in the way with Him, and while life remains, which is every moment subject to be ended, is the first and most momentous of all concerns .     Hadst t...

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." - Isaiah 35:5 [KJV] That these miracles are effected by the power of the gospel is plain from the words that immediately precede, "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you" (Isaiah 35:4) . And how does God come and save but in the gospel, and by making it His own power unto salvation? If you look back at your experience you will see that one of the first effects of the power of the gospel upon your heart was, to open your ears to receive it as a message from God.   When, for instance, you were first brought under its sound, and began to understand and feel what you heard, was there not given you, as it were, new ears to hear it, and a new heart to receive it? Were not those with you memorable days when you first heard the joyful sound of salvation by free grace; when it first dropped that blessed news into your soul whi...

" Who is a God like unto Thee , that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us: He will subdue our iniquities: and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." -Micah 7:18-19  [KJV] My soul! hast thou ever duly and thoroughly pondered over the several interesting volumes of grace recorded in this glorious scripture? If not, make them the subject of this evening's, song. Let every chapter contained in them, pass and re-pass in review before thee, and see whether, in the close of the whole, the astonishment of the man of God is not thine also; crying out, "Who is a God like our God? a God in Christ, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin!"     And, first, "He pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the r...

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."  -I Peter 1:5 [KJV] Those who are kept by the power of God through faith, are often in their minds troubled and anxious, fearing whether this salvation will ever reach their souls,—whether they may not prove castaways,—whether the work upon their heart is genuine,—whether they are under divine teachings. But the Lord says they are "kept by His power through faith  unto salvation:"   kept as in this garrisoned city, until salvation shall come in all its glory, sweetness, bliss and blessedness into their heart; preserved and encompassed by all the attributes of God from making shipwreck of faith, until they "receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls."   Then poor, doubting, distressed, fearing, guilty sinner, this promise is for thee. Thy soul is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; thy character and thy name are contained here. And it is a promise suita...

"To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." -Psalm 63:2  [KJV] My soul! knowest thou what it is, at times, to be sensible of a barrenness of spiritual enjoyments? If at the house of God, to be cold and lifeless there? If at home, or unable to attend the place where God's honour dwelleth, yet there also to be without the Bethel-visits of thy Lord? Behold one of old, in a wilderness state, feeling the same. But do not fail to remark also, in the very breathings of the soul after Christ, how plainly his soul was under the sweet influences of Christ: David did not so much long for the temple service, as for the presence of the God of the temple. Remark also the peculiarity of expression: he longed to see the Lord's power and glory, so as he had seen him in times past. God in Christ is Jehovah's power and glory; and the sanctuary without Him, would be no better than the wilderness. What a beautiful devout frame of mind was this sacred wr...

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."   -I  Corinthians 2:12 [KJV] What thick clouds of darkness spread themselves at times over our souls; all things out of sight; our signs and tokens buried, as it were, in mist. It is like a sea fog, that comes out of the bosom of the vast deep, and hides all objects from view. The ships are on the sea, notwithstanding, but this deep fog prevents their being seen. So with our souls at times, all is misty, cloudy, and no signs can be seen of the work of God upon our hearts. And yet we "know" them, by receiving the Spirit of God, for it is the only way whereby they can be known . We can only see light in God's light; only believe by God's faith; only love by God's love; therefore can only know the things freely given to us of God by the revelation of the Spirit.   What we know savingly, experimentally, feeli...

"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM, THAT I AM. And He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you . " -Exodus 3:13-14  [KJV] My soul, hast thou fully considered, so as to rest in the full assurance of faith upon it, on what the whole foundation of covenant promises and engagements rest? It is not the greatness of the promise, no, nor the greatness of the deliverance wrought out for poor sinners, by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, on which faith founds its claim; for, in fact, the more astonishing, and great, and unexpected the mercy is, as in the case of redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, the more difficult would it be for a poor self-condemned sinner to trust in it, with full assurance of faith; but the...

"The L ORD loveth the gates of Zion." - Psalm 87:2 [KJV]  What are gates for? Two purposes, entrance and exit. And Zion, too, has her gates of exit and entrance; she has her gates of access to God, entrance into the presence of the Most High; "the door of hope," opened in "the valley of Achor." And who has opened the door; or, rather, who has not only opened it and made it, but Himself is the Door? "I am the Door," says Jesus. And was not "the door" opened through His rent flesh? As the Apostle speaks: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh." Through His bleeding wounds, through His pierced side, through His mangled feet and hands, there is now access to God:   "A door of hope is open'd wide  In Jesus' pierced hands and side."   Is there any other access ...

"All thy children shall be taught of the L ORD ." - Isaiah 54:13 [KJV] THE TEACHING OF GOD can only be known and realised by those who have seen an end of all creature perfection, and who are completely and experimentally destitute of all wisdom in the flesh. And God's teaching does not leave a man where it found him, dead, stupefied, worldly, unfeeling, and carnal. If he is in distress, it does not leave him in distress; if he feels guilty, it does not leave him guilty; if he is in darkness, it does not leave him in darkness; but it lifts him out of these evils. Thus God's people are continually led to come unto Him for His instruction, because they feel that without His special teaching they can know nothing as they ought to know.   Nay, the more they have, the more they want to have; for no sooner is the light withdrawn, than the darkness is more sensibly felt. If any text of Scripture has been opened up to them, it makes them want to have others made known in a ...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (25-27MAR22) 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 - Almighty God's unmerited favor - from our sins and from Hell: D O WE TRULY GLORIFY GOD ? God reveals His glory to His people in His Word through the glorious Person and finished work of Christ – “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” ( II Cor inthians 4:6). To glorify God is to be the motivation and goal of our whole lives as sinners saved by grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” ( I Cor inthians 10:31). To glorify God is to be the motivation and goal of our worship – “I will praise Thee, O Lord my ...

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lift up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as Captain of the host of the L ORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship." -Joshua 5:13,14  [KJV] Behold, my soul, what a most blessed portion here is, for thee to feast upon, in almost endless thought. Who could this be, that appeared to Joshua, but the Lord Jesus Christ? Who ever called himself the Captain of the Lord's host; but He whom the Holy Ghost hath called, "the Captain of our salvation?" Hebrews 2:10 . is He not the same who appeared to Adam in the garden, to Abraham in his tent, to Jacob at Bethel, to Moses at the bush? And though He diversified His form, upon these and several other occasions; yet all were only intended to familiarize Hi...