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

"We do not find rest, hope, nor comfort in our faith but in Christ." If you will give careful thought to that statement, it will be of great help to you. Faith is not a foundation, a refuge, nor a source of help. Faith is a means, a look, an empty hand. It is Christ Who is our refuge, Who protects from every storm. He is our rock on which we build. He is our source of every mercy and our only plea. My faith may be weak or weaker, but He cannot fail. If all my debts have been paid by my Surety, I don't have to be ashamed to come before God. The praise and credit goes not to my boldness and faith but to my gracious Benefactor! I am not debt-free because I believe (though I do, and that faith united me to Him) but because He set me free and paid my debt. Christ is our confidence and our assurance. The moment I seek a reason for hope in anything I do, even in the blessed grace of faith, I forfeit any possibility of peace. "Blessed is that man that maketh the L ...

"For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the   Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him,   which is the head of all principality and power" -Colossians 2:9-10 [KJV] All that is necessary to secure and to complete our eternal salvation is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil.3:7-9; 4:19). There is a completion or a complete filling up in Him, so as to leave nothing lacking in the sinner. In the Lord Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of God (John 1:16). He is perfect and the believer stands perfected in Him (1Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:22). All that is lacking in us by our ruin and sin in Adam is abundantly, freely and eternally supplied to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:19-20). Christ's perfect obedience is our righteousness (Phil. 2:7-8). His sacrifice for sin is our atonement (Heb. 2:17). His word is our instruction (2Tim. 3:16). His wisdom is our direction (Col. 2...

"YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM" -Colossians 2:10 [KJV] The believer's standing in Christ does not fluctuate with his feelings, not even the increase or decrease of his faith or understanding or anything else. He stands complete in Christ. God would never trust any of His children to stand before Him at any time in their own selves ­ that is, in their merits or certain good frames of mind. He knows our frame. He remembers that we are yet dust. Therefore, He has on purpose provided for them this perfect standing in Christ Jesus. "Ye are complete in Him" the Holy Ghost said, in another place, "Ye are perfect in Christ Jesus" (Col ossians 1:28). The very nature of our God requires us to be perfect and complete before Him at all times. He, out of necessity, therefore provided all this for His children: a perfection, a completeness, which can never be diminished. It is as unchanging as God Himself (Heb rews 6:17 and 13:8). - Gospel rep...

“ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not” - II Corinthians 4:1 [KJV] Alexander the Great was sculpted with his hand resting on his face, as if in contemplation. But the real purpose was to hide an ugly scar on his cheek. The German emperor, Wilhelm II, was photographed and painted standing in such a position that his withered arm would not appear. All of us have imperfections and not just physical ones.  Some of us feel mentally scarred by our life and failures. Unfortunately, our wounds (self-inflicted and otherwise) incorrectly inform our psyche that God will never use us again. And this is confirmed by the censorious and disapproving who tell us that the Lord is finished with us? Let me ask, who lied and said God wanted nothing more to do with you? Who told you that you are flawed and thus unusable?  Such a prophet of doom needs someone to teach them the Gospel and its applications. Christ Jesus has always done Hi...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (20-22JUL18) 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 their sins and from Hell. For your serious and prayerful consideration UDT/SEAL Team-mates, neighbors and friends: This world's religion teaches that salvation is obtained by man's response to God's offer. It insists that walking an aisle, giving the preacher one's hand, repeating the sinner's prayer, and by being baptized, God's justice is now satisfied. But doesn't this delusion do nothing more but scream, 'Works, works, works' ? Who gets the glory in such a so-called salvation, man or God? According to the Scriptures, when a sinner is called out of spiritual darkness, he then counts all former confidences as loss for the excellency ...

Saving grace how sweet the sound, Where shall praise enough be found; Praise to tell what God has done, Praise to honor Christ the Son? Chosen by God’s sovereign grace, Members of a ransomed race; What a wondrous, gracious plan, God would raise up fallen man. Lo! In time the Savior came, Friend of sinners - what a Name; He the woman’s promised Seed, Jesus meets our ev’ry need. He who knew no sinfulness, Charged with our own wretchedness; Died upon the cruel cross, Saving us from endless loss. By His blood we are forgiv’n, Jesus makes us fit for heav’n; His the righteousness we plead, Christ alone is all we need. Praise the Lamb who reigns on high, All our hopes on Him rely; By Him we are justified, His great Name be magnified.  T o the t une of, “ Jesus, Lover of My Soul ,” (7.7.7.7 double) Lyrics by Jim Byrd    “ For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and  plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Th...

"The poor have the gospel  preached to them." -Matthew 11:5 [KJV] What is the gospel? Is not the gospel a proclamation of pure mercy, of superabounding grace? Does it not declare the lovingkindness of God in sending His only-begotten Son to bleed and die, and, by His obedience, blood, and merit, to bring in a salvation without money and without price? Is not this the gospel? Not clogged by conditions, nor crippled by anything that the creature has to perform; but flowing freely forth as the air in the skies? The poor to whom the gospel is preached, value it; it is suitable to them; it is sweet and precious when the heart is brought down. But if I stand up in religious pride, if I rest upon my own righteousness, if I am not stripped of everything in the creature, what is the gospel to me? I have no heart to receive it; there is no place in my soul for a gospel without money and without price. But when I sink into the depth of creature poverty, when I am nothi...