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

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." -I Corinthians 15:3 [KJV]   The gospel is not just that Christ died. The gospel is how that He died for us according to God's eternal and immutable decree, "the scriptures" (Acts 2:23: Revelation 13:8) .   The scriptures declare that His death was appointed by God (Genesis 3:15; 22:8; Psalm 22; Psalm 69; Matthew 16:21; Galatians 4:4) .   The scriptures declare that His death was voluntary, He willingly laid down His life for us (Isaiah 53:7; John 10:17-18) .   The scriptures declare that His death was substitutionary (Isaiah 53:4-6; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 3:18 ) .   The scriptures declare that His death was to accomplish a definite atonement of infinite value for His people (Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 1:21; John 10:15; Hebrews 2:17) .   The scriptures declare that His death satisfied all the demands of God's holy law...

“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” -Psalm 130:5-6 [KJV]   Waiting on the Lord does not imply idleness on the part of the believer. His people are active in the kingdom of God; zealous of good works (Titus 2:14) ; diligent about their Father's business (Luke 2:49) ; vigorous in spreading the gospel by whatever means the Lord supplies (Acts 5:41-42) . Our God highly disapproves of idleness; " Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1) .   However, we do wait on Him for direction, open doors, liberty, wisdom, and for results. Here is the source, strength and the sweetness of our waiting, " In His WORD I do hope ." His WORD is always successful (Isaiah 55:11) ; His WORD is always true (Psalm 33:4) ; His WORD is living (John 1:14) and powerful  (Hebrews 4:12) . The apostle Paul declared that...

We gather this day to honor the King, Who sits on His throne, His triumphs we sing; The Savior who died to atone for our sin, Came forth from the tomb and He liveth again. Christ Jesus the Lord the victory has won, He died and arose; the work is all done! He took on Himself all our debt to repay, The sins of His people are all washed away. To Jesus our Lord, all honor we bring, We say unto death, “Where now is thy sting?” Enthroned in His glory, almighty to save, How great is His conquest o’er sin and the grave! He conquered the grave and liveth above, All praise to His Name, all power and love; Made righteous in Jesus we someday shall rise, To dwell with our Savior above earth and skies. -Hymn, "O Worship the King."    Words written by Jim Byrd  

"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the LORD JESUS."   -Colossians 3:17 [KJV] I have sometimes thought, how is it possible that a believer in Christ can ever willingly and deliberately commit any one sin? It is hardly to be conceived, that such can live and walk under the power of sin. I am sure all sin is as contrary to the nature of a new-born soul, as heaven to hell: yet nothing is more plain, from the word of God, and the experience of His saints, than that sin dwells in them. But they are solemnly forbidden to “let sin reign in them, that they should obey it in the lusts thereof”   (Romans 6:12.) And if our souls are not striving against sin, and pressing after holiness, I know not where to find one text, in the word of God, to encourage us to believe and hope, that we are the children of God. I dread not the Satanic grin of licentious Antinomians. Does their infectious breath pronounce this legal? It only proclaims their unregenerat...

"The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." -John 20:19 [KJV] There is a peculiar blessedness in this first visit of the Lord Jesus to the whole college of disciples (at least as many as were present of them) after He arose from the dead: and the manner of relating it is peculiarly striking also. It was the same day at evening; and it was the first day also; as if the Lord Jesus would again and again honour the day, as well in the evening as the morning of His resurrection, and make that day for ever memorable to His church, and among His people. My soul! thou hast celebrated thy Lord's triumphs over death, in the morning, both at home and abroad, in His church, at His ordinances, at His table, and among His disciples; but learn hence also, that at evening time Jesus will make it light by...

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."   -II Timothy 2:3 [KJV] We often get into states and frames of mind, where we need something else besides consolation. A child would not grow, if it were always fed upon sweetmeats. It must have exercise, and be exposed to the weather, and have the cold winds blow upon its face, and be hardened, so as to enable it to bear the chill winter and the nipping frosts. So the child of God is not always petted, and fed upon love-tokens. He is not always carried in the warm bosom, or sucking the breasts of consolation, but he has to learn lessons to fit him to be a soldier. The soldier, we know, has to endure hardships. He has to lie all night upon the wet grass; to be pinched with hunger, parched with thirst, and nipped with cold; to make harassing marches; to hear the roar of the cannon and the whistling of the bullets, "the thunder of the captains and the shouting;"  to see the flash of the ...