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

“Buy the Truth, and Sell it Not”   (Proverbs 23:23) The wise man is not saying that we in any way can buy the truth as it is applied in power by the Holy Spirit to the heart. One can buy a Bible which is truth, and one can even buy a copy of a truthful sermon. These are most certainly valuable tools, for we must have the Word of God in Christ Who is the truth.  “Buy the truth” is literally, “GET the truth,” the same as when the wise man instructed his son to “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth” (Proverbs 4:5) . Men buy or set their goals on getting that which they hold valuable or what they need to live. My friend, the most valuable thing that any sinner needs is the true and saving knowledge of God’s mind and will concerning salvation by His free, sovereign grace in Christ Jesus, and the way that leads a sinner to Christ for all salvation .  This truth is the Gospel of salvation, which comes from the God of truth, ...

Here we are, Lord, at Your bidding,   With our grateful hearts and praise;   Hymns and songs that are befitting   To Your name our voices raise.   Hear our prayer and supplication   That we pray in Jesus’ name;   May we in this congregation   Worship truly, without blame.  We have come to hear of Jesus,   Glorious Prophet, Priest, and King;   Bless the man who now Him preaches,   Bless the message he will bring.   All our hearts are to You lifted   To the praise of Jesus Christ;   May our worship be accepted   As a holy sacrifice. – DEP; 8.7.8.7.D.; to “Nettleton” / Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing     THE PREACHING THAT COMES  FROM THIS PULPIT CHARACTERIZED Here are some things that I want to characterize the preaching that comes from this pulpit. Every message needs to be: 1.  God honoring. You can’t preach God holy enough, sovereign enough, nor high enough. 2.  Man dishonoring....

"For the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden." -I Samuel 9:13 [KJV]   I know not how scrupulous the Israelites were of not partaking of the sacrifice, until the prophet Samuel had blessed it in the name of the Lord; but well I know, no offering, under the gospel dispensation, can be profitable or blessed, until Jesus be first seen in it, and first enjoyed in it too. Surely, Thou dear Lord! Thou art the all in all of every thing that is sacred, blessed, and interesting. Thou art the altar, the sacrificer, and the sacrifice! And it can only be from Thy blessing upon our poor ordinances, when we hold a feast upon Thy one all-sufficient sacrifice, that any real enjoyment of a spiritual nature can be found in them.    Neither, Lord, till I hear Thy bidding, can I venture to eat. If Jesus indeed say," Eat, O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved ; " then I feel a confidence in Thy welc...

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." - Philemon 25 [KJV] It is the regenerating breath of the Lord Jesus Christ which makes the soul alive unto Himself. This is manifest from His own language: "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63) . Then for the first time "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with our spirit."     For you will observe that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is not with our carnal mind: that ever remains the same, a body of sin and death, flesh, corrupt flesh, "in which dwelleth no good thing," and therefore not the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. His grace is with our spirit, that "new man" of which we read that "it is after God, [that is, after the image of God] created in righteousness and true holiness." This is called our "spirit," because it is born of the Spir...

"The apostles said unto the LORD, Increase our faith ."   - Luke 17:5 [KJV]  Natural men tauntingly say, “O! you don’t mind good works; faith is to do every thing for you.” Truly, faith is all; for it includes the object of faith—the Lord. For, indeed, faith has no existence without its object.    Consider, (1st.) is it not a good work to forgive an offending brother? This is what our Lord here teaches. The apostles were made truly sensible, that they could not do this without faith; nay, not without the increase of faith. Therefore, they prayed for it. Real believers are created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that they should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10.) They are a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14.) Thus, they love to glorify their heavenly Father.    (2d.) They know that all good works proceed from faith, and from the increase of faith. For Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17.) T...