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

     Take the doctrines of grace isolated from the Person of Christ, and they are scattered limbs. There is no beauty in them alone. But view the truth of the Gospel in connection with the Person and work of the Son of God , what a heavenly light, what a divine glory is cast upon every truth connected with His sacred person, atoning blood, finished work, and dying love!  This is the way to receive the Gospel; not as a thing of shreds and patches, a mere collection or scheme of certain doctrines floating up and down God’s Word, as waifs and strays from a stranded ship; but as ONE HARMONIOUS GOSPEL, full of grace, mercy, and truth, impregnated with divine blessedness, and all connected with, all springing out of the Person of the God-Man . -copied

" And of HIS fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” -John 1:16 [KJV] O say with a melting heart that I have a full Christ, and He is filled for me. I have His pure and perfect righteousness to justify me, His holiness to sanctify me, His wisdom to guide me, His comforts to refresh me, His power to protect me, and His all-sufficiency to supply me. O be cheerful, be thankful; you have all your hearts can wish. And yet be humble; it is all from free grace to empty and unworthy creatures. — preacher John Flavel (1627 – 1691 A.D.)

"Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." -Isaiah 51:1 [KJV] It is as though the Lord would here by the pen of His prophet turn our eyes to our native origin. And what is that? The same quarry out of which the other stones come. If you and I, by God's grace, are "living stones," we come out of the same quarry with the dead, unbelieving, unregenerate world; there is no difference in that respect. Nay, we are perhaps sunk lower in the quarry than some of those in whom God never has and never will put His grace. It is not the upper stratum, what is called "the capstone," of the quarry, which is to be taken to be hewn into a pillar; they go down deep into the pit to get at the marble which is to be chiselled into the ornamental column.   So with God's saints. They do not lie at the top of the quarry; but the Lord has to go down very low, that He may bring up these stones out of the depths of the fal...

"The eternal God is thy refuge." -Deuteronomy 33:27 [KJV] There is, to my mind, much sweetness in the contrast betwixt the eternal God being the refuge of His people, and the lying refuges that most hide their heads in. God's people want an eternal refuge. They have a never-dying soul; and unless they have a never-dying refuge, it is not sufficient for a never-dying soul. Works! these are for time; the never-dying soul wants something to stand when works and wonders cease. Doctrines, opinions, sentiments, ordinances, the good opinion of men, the applause and flattery of the creature—these are of the earth, earthy; they fail when a man gives up the ghost.   But a child of God wants a refuge, not merely that his soul may anchor in it in time, but that when time is ended, when the angel proclaims, "There shall be time no longer," and his liberated soul escapes its prison-house, and is wafted into the presence of the eternal God, it may find in Him at that sole...

An Important Two Letter Word D.G. Miles McKee   I want to talk about a very weighty little word, though, if taken by itself, it has scarcely any significance. It’s the word ‘No’. Let us look briefly at a few of the times this little word is used in Scripture. First, let me draw your attention to the book of Psalms where we read, “ The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 53:1). The words “ there is” are in italics. That means they are not in the text but have been provided by the translators. The verse simply then reads, “The fool, has said in his heart, no God." NO God! That’s the language of the fool! But the God whom the fool says does not exist knows the fool’s heart. Nothing is hidden from Him. To say “No God” is something akin to madness yet there are many clever, well educated people who are, by this standard, fools. It’s foolish that people should want to get rid of the God who seeks and saves us for His own glory. To say, “No God,” is to s...

Give Me Christ, Whatsoever He Cost When a man is soundly killed to all his sins, to all his righteousness, to all his comforts whatsoever; and sees that there is no way but the devil must have him, but he must be damned in hell, if he be not clothed with Jesus Christ; ‘O! Then, (says he) give me Christ on any terms, whatsoever H e cost; though H e cost me friends, though H e cost me comforts, though H e cost me all that ever I have!’ Like the wise merchant in the Gospel, they will sell all to get that pearl (Matthew 13:46) . I tell you, when a soul is brought to see its want of Christ aright, it will not be kept back; father, mother, husband, wife, lands, livings, nay life and all shall go, rather than the soul will miss of Christ. Ay, and the soul counts Christ a cheap Saviour, if it can get Him upon any terms. Now the soul indents no longer (as a man bargains for the terms of his impending servitude). ‘Now, Lord, give me Christ, upon any terms, whatsoever He cost; for I am a...

  "I HAVE FOUND A RANSOM." -Job 33:24 [KJV] "Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him (let the sinner be rescued) from going down to the pit (of everlasting destruction) :  I have found (devised and secured) a ransom (propitiation, satisfaction) ." The ransom the Father found was none other than His only begotten Son. He found our Surety before the world was made and appointed Him not only to be the Redeemer of His elect people, but the price of redemption as well.  Behold Him sent forth by the Father in marvelous grace and given as the ransom for the deliverance of chosen sinners from the claims of the law in His sufferings, agonies, death and resurrection. Who else except an infinitely wise God could have ever found so glorious, so precious and so worthy a ransom as this. Christ was the Priest Who offered the Sacrifice, and He was the Sacrifice Who was offered. In the ransom of sinners, Christ is all. -preacher Jim Byrd http://www.ser...