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

  “ S O MIGHTILY GREW THE WORD OF GOD AND PREVAILED.” - Acts 19:20 [KJV] What a glorious thought to mediate upon, the Lord Jesus Christ our great God and Saviour shall prevail over all opposition to His sovereign power and glorious gospel (Rom ans 1:16) . All creatures in heaven and earth will eventually bow to His Lordship and confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father (Phil ippians 2:9-11) . The Word of the Lord that mightily spread, increased and prevailed is both the incarnate Word (John 1:1, 14) and the written Word (Heb rews 4:12) . The Word of His gospel will never return to Him void but rather always will accomplish His pleasure and purpose and shall always prosper (Isa iah 55:11 & 53:10) . The Lord Jesus Christ has prevailed over all and shall not fail to accomplish all the counsel, will, and predestinating purpose of God (Isa iah 42:4 & 46:9-12) . Consider these few thoughts what the Lord Jesus Christ prevails over. He PREVAILS [Greek #2480: ...

"Seek meekness." -Zephaniah 2:3 [KJV] How are we to follow after this grace of meekness? By learning the contrary. How often have we mistaken false fire for the light and fire of God's Spirit! and have contended more for our own views, in our own spirit, with many rash and unbecoming words, rather than for the glory of God. But after a time we are led to see that strife and contention, in our own spirit, are contrary to the spirit and temper of the gospel, and are brought to see what a blessed grace the spirit of meekness is. Nay, the very want of it, the risings up of an excited temper, the anger, strife, envy, and jealousy that often work in our bosoms convince us how little we know of "the meekness and gentleness of Christ." We thus feel what a blessing it is to be made humble and submissive; and how impossible it is to enter into communion with a broken-hearted Jesus, till the soul is in some measure meekened by His Spirit.   But it is by having a succe...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands(30OCT-01NOV20) 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: "The JUSTICE OF GOD is in itself a great barrier to the salvation of a sinner. Because God is just, our sins must be punished. Never has there been a sin pardoned without atonement since the world began. There has never been a sin remitted by the great Judge of heaven until justice has been fully satisfied. How, then, can a sinner be saved? This is the great riddle of the law and the grand discovery of the gospel. The answer is, God’s justice has been fully satisfied through the substitution of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ [Isaiah 45:22; Romans 3:26]. He died “ THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST ” [I Peter 3:18] that He might bring us to God. Through the obedience...

The "good news" of the gospel is that there is a Substitute who has stood in the place of every repentant sinner and bore the wrath of God in his place. He did this for all whom the Father had given Him from all eternity. It is for them that He prays in John 17. They are "His Sheep." The Father gave them to Him; and He died for them [ John 10:15, 29 ] . Substitution is at the very heart of the gospel. Christ did not simply give His life to make salvation possible for those who contribute their part to what He has done by repenting and trusting Christ. He it is that gives repentance and faith [II Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8 ] . Christ did not say to the religious Jews of His day that they were not of His "sheep" because they did not believe; rather, He says, "Ye believe not because you are not of My sheep." If they had been His sheep, they would have believed. The "good news" is that all whom the Father has given to the Son, and ...

The death of Christ is the redemption and salvation of His people. It is not a possibility of redemption and salvation effectual only if we can get sinners to cooperate and believe. It is not even a probability of redemption and salvation because, as one man said, “Odds are, some will believe.” NO! The death of Christ is a guarantee, the assurance, the security of the complete salvation of all whom the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world. Because of His death, they will hear and believe the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die” [ John 12:32-33 ] . -copied

"A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." -Psalm 37:16  [KJV] Hard may be your lot here below, ye suffering saints of the most High, as regards external matters; painful may be the exercises through which you almost daily pass, through the rebellion and desperate wickedness of your carnal mind; grievous temptations may be your continual portion; many a pricking thorn and sharp brier may lie in your path; and so rough and rugged may be the road, that at times you may feel yourself of all men to be the most miserable; and so indeed you would be but for the grace of God in your heart now and the glory prepared for you beyond the grave.   Yet with it all, were your afflictions and sorrows a thousand times heavier, well may it be said of you—"Happy, thrice happy, art thou, O Israel!" Whom upon earth need you envy if you have the grace of God in your heart? With whom would you change, if ever the love of God has visited your soul?...

  LOOK TO CHRIST, Not Your Obedience! Those who profess to believe on Christ but who do not seek to follow the Lord and honor Him in their lives have an empty and worthless profession. Christ said, "If ye love M e, keep M y commandments." A sinner who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and brought to genuine faith in the Son of God will seek to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" [ Titus 2:10 ] . Though we know we are sinful in ourselves, yet we do seek to glorify the Lord as we go about our daily activities. However, we must never look to our obedience (which is imperfect at best), in any measure, as the means of acceptance with God. Those who seek God’s approval by any other way than the blood and righteousness of Christ will someday learn they made a fatal mistake.      -preacher Jim Byrd http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=13thstbaptist