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

"In that day shall the Branch of the L ORD be beautiful and glorious." -I SAIAH 4:2 [KJV] Where in heaven or on earth can there be found such a lovely Object as the Son of God? "What is thy beloved more than another beloved?" ask the companions of the Bride. But she answers, "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand." If, then, you have never seen any beauty in Jesus, you have never seen Jesus; H e has never revealed H imself to you; you never had a glimpse of H is lovely face, nor a sense of H is presence, nor a word from H is lips, nor a touch from H is hand. But if you have seen H im by the eye of faith, and H e has revealed H imself to you even in a small measure, you have seen a beauty in H im beyond all other beauties, for it is a holy beauty, a divine beauty, the beauty of H is heavenly grace, the beauty of H is uncreated and eternal glory, such as no earthly countenance can wear, nor man or woman, no, not Adam,...

“ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -R OMANS 10:10 [KJV] Saving faith that God imparts to and implants in our hearts by His Spirit in the new birth is not a blind leap in the dark, nor is it wishful thinking, hope without substance, or positive determination. First, it is saving faith, not because faith itself saves us, but because it looks to Christ on the cross as our whole salvation. Faith that comes from God by the Spirit has an object – CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. It is founded upon the fact that our redemption and justification before God was completed by our sovereign Lord at Calvary. True heart faith which the Holy Spirit works in us is the fruit and result of the finished work of Christ for us.  The act of believing, though necessary in salvation, is not the cause of salvation, nor is it any part of the righteousness by which God justifies sinners. That place belongs to Christ and Him ...

To Jesus’ throne I now would come; And there be ever blessed. He as my King shall ever reign, The Lord my Righteousness. The mighty King of kings He sits: Who suffered in my place; And through His sacrifice, His throne, Becomes a throne of grace. “Thy throne, O God, forever is” “Thy scepter, righteousness.” Thy day of power brings our souls, To willingly confess. His loyal subject I would be Though oft a rebel found. His chast’ning love the rod applies, But marks of grace abound. Our one and only Potentate, All glory His alone; And by His kingdom gospel preached, The Spirit makes Him known. All who believe do lowly bow, Within the Holy Place; And there as sons and subjects find, Abounding help and grace. On high, on high, we seated are, In Jesus Christ alone. And look to reign forever more, With Jesus in His throne. 8.6 8.6 - Words by Gary Shepard ============================== HAVE YOU SEEN THE GLORY? Have you seen the g...

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." -M ATTHEW 26:41 [KJV] The entering into temptation is a different thing from temptation itself. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." A temptation presents itself, draws near to us, or we draw near to it. If conscience sound an alarm, and we keep, so to speak, to the windward of temptation, we are for the present safe. Temptation is a lee shore on which the wind fiercely blows; it is a coast strewed with a thousand wrecks, and with the bleached bones of innumerable drowned mariners. Keep the ship's head to windward, and she may weather the point; neglect sail and helm, and she will go ashore. David and Joseph were exposed to a similar temptation. David entered into it, and fell; Joseph was kept from entering into it, and stood. In the country you often see a footpath across a field; if we keep in it we are safe. But we may be tempted by various objects to diverge a little, to gathe...

God formed all people, they are all the workmanship of God; but there are a few characters set especially apart as a little group, whom God has ordained to glorify; and to them He says, " This people have I formed for M yself, and they shall shew forth My praise" (I SAIAH 43:21) . "O yes," says free-will, "They shall have a chance to do it, if they will." But God says, "They shall." Unbelief says "You shan’t;" carnal reason says, "You can’t;" and inbred corruption says "You won’t." But when God says "You shall," and when He speaks the divine "shall," it comes with an invincible energy to the conscience, and that blessed truth is made manifest that "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill" (P SALM 113:7) . – Gospel report by preacher William Gadsby (1773–1844 A.D.)

  “Y e that make mention of the L ORD , keep not silence” -I SAIAH 62:6 [KJV] How can the redeemed of the Lord keep silent about the Lord Jesus? How can we keep silent about Him when His name is so beautiful? How can we keep silent about Him when His work of redemption is so glorious? How can we keep silent about Him when His person is so perfect? As followers of Christ we have embraced five words concerning Him. They are, “My King and my God” (P SALM 5:2) . How can we, therefore, keep silent about Him? How can we be silent about the everlasting truths of the Gospel? How can we, for example, be silent that God was manifest in the flesh? ( I T IMOTHY 3:16) . How can we be silent when we think of how He suffered for us? “Oh, think of Jesus, as He stands before Pilate Condemned as a villain, when from sin He was clean Though they wrongly accused Him, and cruelly used Him Yet He spoke not a word, though the tears filled His gaze Think h...

"Wherefore in all things it behooved H im to be made like unto H is brethren, that H e might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." -H EBREWS 2:17 [KJV] God gave the persons of the elect into the hands of H is dear Son, as Jacob committed Benjamin into the hands of Judah; and as Judah accepted Benjamin, so Christ accepted the Church and undertook to bring it unto God, or H e H imself would bear the blame for ever. But how this faithfulness was tried! Men tried it; devils tried it; God tried it; but it came gloriously through all. Yet what loads were laid upon it! How the very knees of Jesus, so to speak, staggered beneath it!  How, as Hart says, He had "Strength enough, and none to spare!" How H e had to sustain the curse of the law and the load of imputed sin! How H e had to drink up a very hell of inward torment! How H e had to be agonised in body and more than a...