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

Pharaoh, David, and Judas all confessed, “I have sinned.” Yet the confessions of Pharaoh and Judas brought them no saving benefit while David’s confession met with the response, “The Lord has forgiven your sin.” Why is that?  What was lacking in the repentance of Pharaoh and Judas that made it  ineffective? Some say that Pharaoh was not sincere, and that Judas was concerned only with being caught and his life ruined. But the real contrast between the repentance of Pharaoh and Judas and that of David is that neither Pharaoh’s  nor Judas’ repentance never moved them to seek God’s mercy in Christ for their sin. But David did seek God’s mercy, as it is written, “Have mercy on me O God!” (Psalm 51.1) All repentance that brings a sinner TO PLEAD GOD’S MERCY IN CHRIST is saving repentance no matter what other deficiencies it may have. Any repentance that does not bring a sinner to trust in God’s mercy in Christ is a repentan...

"And she said to the king, I t was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me." - I Kings 10:6,7 [KJV] If the queen of the South was so astonished in the view of Solomon's wisdom, what ought to be thy surprise, my soul, in the contemplation of Jesus, in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! When thou didst first hear of Jesus, and when constrained by necessity to come to Him, a poor blind ignorant sinner, how little didst thou conceive either of thyself or Him. He told thee indeed, all that was in thine heart, and made thy very spirit, like her's, to faint within thee, when He shewed thee thy, sin and His Salvation. Surely then, and often since, even now, hast thou been constrained to say, as she did, the half was not told thee by others, of what sweet discoveries He hath made to thee of Himself. Think th...

"Christ died for the ungodly."   -Romans 5:6 [KJV] This is the sum and substance of our gospel and is the great article of faith. • Who died? Christ ­ the only begotten, well beloved Son of God in human nature (Romans 8:34; Matthew 3:16-17). • Why did He die? He died for, in the stead of, and as a Substitute for all God's elect in order that God might be just and Justifier (Romans 3:24-26). • For whom did He die? "For the ungodly," not for righteous men, nor religious men, nor deserving men, but for those who are ungodly in nature and practice (Ephesians 2:1-5). • When did He die for us? When we were without strength to obey Him or to keep His law, and without ability to help ourselves. We were in bondage to law and to sin and unable to change our condition (Jeremiah 13:23). He died for us "in due time," at the time appointed by the Father (Galatians 4:2-5; 1 Timothy 2:5-6). This is the greatest single proof of love ­ to give one's life for the o...

"Master... where dwellest T hou?" -John 1:38 [KJV] Is this the earnest inquiry of my soul? Hear then the answer: "Thus saith the high and lofty One, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Pause, my soul. Are these qualities produced by grace in thine heart? Jesus, Master, make me what Thou wouldest have me to be; and then come, Lord, agreeably to Thy promises. Thou hast said, My Father will come, and I will come, and make Our abode with him. And Thou hast said, the Holy Ghost shall come and abide with us for ever. What, my soul, shall I indeed have such glorious personages for my companions? Behold, Lord, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain Thee! Oh for grace and a sanctity of thought corresponding to such mercies, since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us!  -p...

The Gospel Truth about Faith, part III by D.G. Miles McKee   Popular as they are in some quarters, the believer has no need to be taught techniques of self-surrender and self-crucifixion.  Self-crucifixion is both spiritually and physically impossible!  Try physical crucifixion and see for yourself. You can hammer the nails into your feet and then maybe, just maybe, into one of your hands, but you can’t hammer the last nail into the remaining hand. This is also true of self-imposed spiritual crucifixion … it is a myth! With gospel faith, such techniques are done away with because, as a result of the gospel, we are reduced to our proper place of brokenness and dependency.     Jesus taught that true discipleship was to deny self, take up our cross and follow Him.  This is exactly what happens when we receive salvation by faith alone.  Faith fully agrees with God’s verdict that we, in ourselves, are nothing and that we stand in total need of ...

"If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold." -Leviticus 25:25 [KJV] How poor was I and wretched before I knew Jesus! I had not only sold, as far as I had power to sell, some of my possession, but all. Indeed, dear Lord, I could not sell Thee, nor my oneness and union with Thee; for that was not saleable, since Christ had from everlasting betrothed me to Himself for ever. But in the Adam nature in which I was born, I was utterly insolvent, helpless, and ruined: one like the Son of man redeemed me. But what a double blessedness was it to my soul, when I discovered that this Redeemer was so very dear of kin to me, that He was my brother. Hail, Thou precious, precious Jesus! Thou art indeed, a "brother born for adversity." Yes, blessed Jesus! Thou art He whom Thy brethren shall praise; and all Thy Father's children shall bow down to Thee. My ...

"I A m the bright and morning Star." -Revelation 22:16 [KJV] How oft, in some dark wintry morning, like the present, have I bebeld the morning star shining with loveliness, when all the other lights of heaven were put out! But how little did I think of Thee, Thou precious light and life of men! Thou art indeed the bright and morning Star in the firmament of Thy church, in Thy word, and in the souls of Thy redeemed. Henceforth, dearest Jesus, let the morning visit of this sweet planet to our darkened earth remind me of Thee, amidst all the gross darkness by which in nature we are surrounded. Sure pledge of day as this beneficial star is, yet not more sure than Thou in the day-dawn and day-star of prophecy, which ministered to Thy coming; and in the twilight of grace upon the soul, the forerunner of a glorious day. Be Thou my morning song, my noontide joy, my evening meditation, and midnight light. Through all the wintry seasons of my pilgrimage, shine forth, sweet Jesus, u...