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

“ … and there is no God else beside M e; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside M e.” -I SAIAH 45:21 [KJV] The rareness of anything makes it valuable. This is apparent in gold, precious stones or automobiles. How rare is this statement found in Isaiah? It’s supported elsewhere but only here found in all the sixty-six books of the Bible. Let us be encouraged by such a matchless declaration. We find two singular truths. First, God is a “just God” . It’s an attribute; He can be no other way than just. He must dispense justice. God’s moral righteousness is articulated in His Laws and revealed in His judicial acts. Being an offense to His holy character, God must punish sin.    Consider: GOD IS A JUST GOD   Justice illustrated : Noah’s world was eradicated with the world-wide flood (G ENESIS ch. 6-8) . Lot’s world was leveled with fire and brimstone (G ENESIS ch. 18-19) .   Justice declared : The Lord would “…by no means clear the guilty...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands ( 03-05MAY 19) 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 lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations; like as corn is sifted in a sieve; yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.” - AMOS 9:9 [KJV] Blessed promise to my poor soul; sifted, blown about by temptation. Look then to Jesus with it, and plead it under every new sifting time. Corn must be sifted, for it is much covered at times with tares and chaff. And so must the seed of Jesus, that the precious may be known and separated; "for what is the chaff to the wheat?" saith the Lord. Oh Lord, if it please Thee, for Thou knowest the necessity of it, sift me, try me, separate me, not only from the ungod...

"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.)