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

"And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age." -Luke 3:23 [KJV] How marvellous in all things are the wa ys of God to us! Was Jesus indeed in the world, and the world made by Him, and the world knew Him not? And did He remain hid away, and unknown for the first thirty years of His life? Did the Son of God come on earth to do away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and yet enter not upon the full purpose of His mission until so large a portion of His life upon earth had passed away? Oh! wonder-working God! how true it is, that Thy ways are not our ways, nor Thy thoughts our thoughts!   Yet, my soul, though thy Jesus did not engage in His public ministry, in the more open display of it by His miracles and preaching, yet surely those thirty years were of vast importance on the score of redemption. No doubt Jesus spent them in obedience to His Father's law, manifesting a life of holiness and purity, suited and corresponding to the immaculate perfection of His nature...

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready."   - Revelation 19:7 [KJV] We want two things to take us to heaven;  a title to it,  and  a meetness for it.  Our only  title  to heaven is the blood and righteousness of the Son of God— that blood which "cleanseth from all sin," and that righteousness which "justifies us from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses." Nothing unclean or defiled can enter heaven. This is God's own testimony: "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:27) .   But besides the  title,  there must be also a  meetness  for this heavenly city, according to the words of the apostle: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (04-06FEB22) 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 our sins and from Hell: The Great Change Within  Before a sinner is born again by the Holy Spirit, he consists of nothing but fallen human nature and void of spiritual life. He is spiritually dead and nothing but sinful flesh with all the darkness, desires, aspirations, and motives of sin. He cannot bear or bring forth anything spiritual, for that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). There is nothing about him, in him, or from him that God accepts. However, “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). When one of God’s elect is born again by the Spirit, he is given new, spiritual life, which he did not have before. Spiritual life is the work of God the Holy Spirit. It ...