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

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." -R OMANS 5:5 [KJV] How the Scriptures speak of "a good hope through grace;" and call it "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." What a blessed grace must that be which thus enters into the very presence of Christ! How, too, the word of God speaks of it as the twin sister with faith and love [I CORINTHIANS 13:13 ] ; and declares that it "maketh not ashamed," because it springs out of the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost! Now we learn what "a good hope through grace" is, by being tossed up and down on the waves of despondency, and almost at times sinking into despair. Evidences so darkened, the heart so shut up, the mind so bewildered, sin so present, the Lord so absent, a nature so carnal, sensual, idolatrous, and a...

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy ways" -P SALM 119:71 [KJV] God's ways and God's Word are best learned by experience and in time of trouble. When our Lord is pleased to lay His hand heavily upon us, we do not soon forget the lessons learned. When the Lord singles out a believer or a church for special affliction and adversity, it is not for punishment, nor lack of love for them; it is for eternal blessings and because He does love them. "Whom the Lord loveth" He chastens, corrects and teaches! When Job sat before his friends, who was afflicted? THE ONE GOD LOVED! When Paul stood before King Agrippa, who wore the chains? THE ONE GOD LOVED! Humanly speaking, which path of life would you prefer to live on earth, that of Esau or Jacob? Esau had the life of prosperity and ease; Jacob was full of trouble and conflict, BUT GOD LOVED JACOB! Thank God He has loved us in Christ and is pleased to teach us His ways ...

THE WEDNESDAY WORD Can God Use You?   D.G. Miles McKee   A great warrior was once painted 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. We all try, to some extent, to disguise our imperfections. However, in the Bible, people are presented just as they are. No scar of deformed character, however hideous, seems to ever be covered up. This tells us, among other things, that Christ is building His kingdom with broken and flawed people. By contrast, in building their kingdoms, men of this world want only the strong, the successful and the slick. But God is not like that.  When choosing His workmen, Christ demonstrates that He is the God of the unsuccessful and the imperfect. He is the God of those who have failed. The truth is, our strength lies neither...

"I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me." -P SALM 57:2 [KJV] Our Saviour performed all things for us. Our sin has been all put away. The righteousness with which we are clothed is complete. All that God's infinite justice can demand of us has been performed for us by our Substitute. Our warfare is accomplished. Our sin is pardoned. There is not one thing for us to do to complete the work of Christ. This word performeth means perfecteth . "I will cry unto God most high, unto God who perfecteth all things concerning me." David is confident that what God has said will come to pass. He is so sure of God's purpose, that while he is fleeing for his life, he praises and blesses God that He is perfecting that which concerns him, and leading him by a sure path to the throne. The Lord God of Heaven is working every detail for our good and for His glory. No wonder he could say, "I will cry unto God most high; unto...

"I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth." -I J OHN 2:21 [KJV] Have you ever noticed that the lies of all false religion always change? What they declared years ago is not the same now, their lie always has to change to fit the culture and times of the day. Not so with the truth of God, it is always the same, never needs to be updated, improved or changed. What was true two thousand years ago is still true today. “ Salvation is of the L ORD” [JONAH 2:9c] ! The Lord our God does not change [MALACHI 3:6 ] and His truth does not need to change. The Lord our God is the keeper of truth [PSALM 146:6 ] . It is the truth of the Word of God, and the Word of truth that sets sinners free [JOHN 8:32-36 ] . The lies and falsehood of men will never set sinners free because it is only the lie of the devil [JOHN 8:44 ] . God does not use the lies of men and the devil to teach us the truth! ...

“ In the name of Jesus we carry on all our transactions with God and obtain all that we need by simply, sincerely, using His Name as our plea! The things that He did not do were laid to His charge, and He was treated by God as if He had actually done them all! The things that He did do are imputed to us and put to our account, and we are treated by God as if we had done them all!” - Gospel report by preacher Horatius Bonar (1808–1889 A.D.)

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" - JEREMIAH 17:9 [KJV] The sin of our fallen nature is a very mysterious thing. We read of the mystery of iniquity as well as of the mystery of godliness; and the former has lengths, depths, and breadths as well as the latter; depths which no human plumbline ever fathomed, and lengths which no mortal measuring line ever yet meted out. Thus the way in which sin sometimes seems to sleep, and at other times to awake up with renewed strength, its active, irritable, impatient, restless nature, the many shapes and colours it wears, the filthy holes and puddles in which it grovels, the corners into which it creeps, its deceitfulness, hypocrisy, craft, plausibility, intense selfishness, utter recklessness, desperate madness, and insatiable greediness are secrets, painful secrets, only learnt by bitter experience. In the spiritual knowledge of these two mysteries, the mystery of sin and...