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

  God Moves In Mysterious Ways God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain. -words by preacher William Cowper (1731-1800 A.D.)

“I am black, but comely." -Song of Solomon 1:5 [KJV] See, my soul, whether thine experience corresponds to that of the church. Hast thou learnt from God the Spirit what thou art in thyself? Art thou truly sensible of the many sins and corruptions which lurk under fair appearances; and that, from carrying about with thee a body of sin and death, as the apostle said he did, in thee, that is, in thy flesh, dwelleth no good thing? Dost thou appear not only black in thine own view, but art thou despised for Christ's sake, and counted the off scouring of all things in the view of the world?     Pause, my soul. Now look at the bright side. Art thou comely in Christ's righteousness, which He hath put upon thee? Comely in the sweet sanctifying grace of the Holy Ghost dwelling in thee? Comely in the eyes of God the Father, from being accepted in Jesus the Beloved? Comely in church communion and fellowship, walking in the fear of God, and under the comforts of the Hol...

"The good will of Him that dwelt in the bush." -Deuteronomy 33:16  [KJV] And who is this, my soul; who indeed can it be but Jesus? Surely He is the glorious person. It was good will, in the highest possible instance of it, that prompted His infinite mind, from everlasting, to love His people, to engage for them in suretyship engagements, and to stand up and come forth, at the call of God the Father, as the Head of His body the church. It was a continuation of the same good will which prompted Him, in the fulness of time, to assume our nature for the purposes of fulfilling those engagements.     Then it was, indeed, He dwelt in the bush; for what is our nature, at the best, but a poor dry bramble bush, fit for burning? But yet, by Christ in it, so sustained, and so preserved, that though the bush burns with fire, even the fiery lusts of our corruptions, and the fiery darts of the wicked, and all the fiery opposition of the world, it shall not be consumed. Precious Jesus! ...

"And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."     - Luke 18:7, 8  [KJV] My soul, mark for thy encouragement, in all thine approaches to a throne of grace, what Jesus here speaks, and never lose sight of it. Remember how well acquainted He, who came out of the bosom of the Father, must be with the Father's mind and will towards His people, over and above the gracious exercise of His priestly office in their behalf. Now, my soul, do mark down distinctly what blessed things are here promised. First—God's people are said in it to be His elect, His chosen, His jewels. "This people," saith God, "I have formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise."     Secondly—God's people are a praying people; "they cry day and night to Him;" they are unceasing in their applications; and they wrestle, like their father Jacob in prayer: "L...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands   (13-15AUG21) 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 to save us- from our sins and from Hell:  I NEED SUCH A FRIEND - BORN FOR ADVERSITY! The LORD JESUS   knows all my wants and weaknesses; all my sin and misery. He knows the malice of my enemies, and the foolishness of my heart. He has power to subdue my whole nature to Himself, and to defeat the wiles and machinations of my foes.   His grace is all-sufficient. His love is infinite. His wisdom cannot be defeated. His power cannot be resisted.  He has all power and strength—and I am very weak. He has all the knowledge to understand my whole case, and all the wisdom necessary to direct everything concerning me. He makes no mistakes. He is never...

"To the Chief Singer on My stringed instruments." - Habakkuk 3:19  [KJV] My soul, take down thine harp from the willow; and now the night is past, let the first of the morn find thee going forth, in the morning of praise, to the chief singer on all the instruments of His grace, which He hath strung thine heart to use to His glory. And who is this chief singer, but Jesus? Doth not the prophet say, "The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk in mine high places?" Surely He that is the Lord God of my salvation, is the Chief Singer, and Chief Musician of my song. And He that will be my portion, my everlasting portion in the upper world, will be my strength and song in this. Surely David would not have directed, as he hath, in such numberless places, his psalms to a singer among men, in the temple service, when the whole scope of the psalm itself treats of the Lord, and of his Christ.     The root of the wor...

"By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain."   - Hebrews 11:4  [KJV] The Holy Ghost hath here marked down, by His servant the apostle, in the very first offerings which we read of in the bible, the vast importance of faith; by which it most decidedly proves, that it is faith which gives efficacy to all the offerings of His creatures. Faith in what? Nay—there can be but one view of faith throughout the word of God; namely, faith in the promised Seed to bruise the serpent's head. This was the first promise which came in upon the fall. Every offering, therefore, offered unto God, unless it had an eye to this, became offensive. Cain did not offer the first-fruits of the ground with an eye of faith in Christ—hence, he was the first deist the world ever knew.     Abel, by faith, offered the firstlings of his flock with an eye to Jesus—and hence the testimony that God respected his offering. What a striking evidence is here, ray soul, of the vast ...