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

"And shall not God avenge H is own elect, which cry day and night unto H im?" -Luke 18:7 [KJV] "Behold, he prayeth," was the word of the Lord to Ananias to convince him that that dreaded persecutor, Saul of Tarsus, had been quickened by the Spirit. And what a mercy it is for the quickened soul that the blessed Spirit thus helps his sinking, trembling spirit, puts life and energy into his cries and sighs, holds him up and keeps him steadfast at the throne, and thus enables him to persevere with his earnest suings for mercy, mingles faith with his petitions, and himself most graciously and kindly intercedes within him and for him with groanings which cannot be uttered. This is "praying with the spirit" (1 Cor. 14:15) and "in the Holy Ghost" (Jude 20) . This is pouring out the heart before God (Psalm 62:8) , pouring out the soul before the Lord (1 Sam. 1:15) ; and by this free discharge of the contents of an almost bursting heart, sen...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (05-07APR19) 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: "Man’s entire apostasy and death in sin, so that he cannot save himself, and God’s entire supremacy, so that He saves whom He will, are doctrines exceedingly distasteful to human pride. But they are Scriptural. Why was one thief saved and the other lost? "Even so Father for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Matthew 11:25-27) . God was not bound to save the one and He had power enough to have saved the other, and neither could save himself. What made the difference? The Sovereign grace of God!” – Gospel report by preacher Horatius Bonar (1808-1889 A.D.)

All glory to the Father’s Name, Who from our sinful race; Chose out a people to proclaim, The wonders of His grace. All glory to the Son be made, Who dwelt in human clay; By His own blood our debt was paid, And sin was washed away. All glory to the Spirit give, Who at the chosen hour; In mercy calls to sinners "Live!" How mighty is His pow’r. All glory to the Trinity, All thankfulness and praise; Now and throughout eternity, To everlasting days! - Tune to "THERE IS A FOUNTAIN" CM/DOUBLE Words by JIM BYRD "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand." - Isaiah 53:10 [KJV] Substitution and Satisfaction “ These two words sum up the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ, as the Substitute of His chosen people, rendered complete satisf...

For feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving; My warrant is the Word of God; Naught else is worth believing.   Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token, I know One greater than my heart, Whose Word cannot be broken. I'll trust in God's unchanging Word Till soul and body sever, The words of men shall pass away; God's Word abides forever! -reprint of a poem by preacher Martin Luther (1483 – 1546 A.D.)

"And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever." -John 8:35 [KJV] It is the irreversible blessing of a son, that he is never to be turned out of the house, that the union between the Parent and the child can never be broken, but that he is to reign with Christ through the ages of one everlasting day. This is a sweet consolation to God's family that "the son abideth ever." How often is a child of God exercised, whether he shall abide for ever, whether he may not draw back to perdition, whether some temptation may not overtake him whereby it shall be made manifest that he is nothing but a deceiver and deceived! But the Lord H imself says, "the son abideth ever;" let him be but a babe, let him have but the first beginning of spiritual life in his soul, he "abideth ever;" he has the same interest in the affections of the Father, is a fellow-heir with Christ, and has a title to the same inheritance as those...

When Moses had set up all the furnishings within the tabernacle and hung the curtain at the court gate, Exodus 40:33-35 says, "So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." Moses, a mediator appointed by God for Himself and the people, pictured Christ and the work of redemption that He accomplished on the cross. There, as the real Lamb of God, He poured out His life's blood on the heavenly mercy seat and cried out for all to hear, " IT IS FINISHED" (John 19:30) ! When the tabernacle was finished, "the glory of the L ORD filled the tabernacle." Moses and all the people were not able to enter the tent because the glory of God filled it. This teaches us an unchanging truth. The glory of Christ in all things, es...

  “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with M e in paradise .” -Luke 23:43 [KJV]   These are the recorded words that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to this dying thief moments before he died. The Lord assured him and every believer who dies in faith; they will be with the Lord forever in paradise. Where is paradise? To be with the Lord! Wherever He is that will be paradise, eternal glory and eternal rest with HIM forever and ever (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21; Rev. 14:13) . This dying, believing and repentant thief rejoiced in that day in the salvation of his soul; in the forgiveness of all his sins (Eph. 1:7) and righteousness imputed to him by free grace (Rom. 3:24; 4:6). He is right now seated in glory in the Lord Jesus Christ and still rejoicing in Him (Eph. 2:4-6) . He is still singing the eternal song of redemption;   “Unto H im that loved us, and washed us from our sins in H is own blood, and hath made us kings and pr...