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

Friends, take heed; Now the Word of God does not yield up its meaning to lazy people. Salvation is free; but "Truth" has to be "bought" (see Proverbs 23:23); yet few indeed are willing to pay its stipulated price. Not only do the Scriptures have to be "searched" (John 5:39), and searched "daily" (Acts 17:11); not only does passage have to be carefully compared with passage (I Corinthians 2:13); not only must all this be done in meekness (Psalm 25:9) and complete dependency upon God (Proverbs 3:6); but there must be a fervent crying "after knowledge" and an importunate "lifting up of the voice for understanding," and seeking her "as silver", yea, a searching for her as for "hid treasure" (Proverbs 2:1-5, KJV). The Word of God represents the fallen children of Adam as being spiritually bound with chains, shut up in death, securely held in prison, so that nothing short of a miracle of grace, the putting forth ...

  The Cities of Refuge (Part 2) by D.G. Miles McKee Then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.  (see Numbers 35:11) . In Joshua 20:7-8, they appointed six cities to which a person, guilty of manslaughter, could flee for refuge.  When inside the city, the guilty person was safe. As you remember, from last week, each city, in its name, gives us a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus. Last time we considered the city of Kedesh and in it saw Christ as our Holiness.  This time let’s think about Christ, our Shechem.   2)  Shechem. What does the name Shechem tell us about Christ?  In the Hebrew language, Shechem means ‘shoulder.’ A shoulder is often used for carrying things and so it is that Jesus carries His people. Moses speaks of God conducting the children of Israel through the wilderness as a man carries his weak and weary child (see Deuteronomy 1:31).  Carrying ...

"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." -Proverbs 31:6, 7  [KJV] What is the strong drink of the gospel but the covenant love, faithfulness, and grace of Jehovah? And what is the wine of the gospel but the love of Jesus, which the church saith is better than wine? Tell a poor sinner that is ready to perish, of God the Father's everlasting love towards His people, who were all by nature sinners ready to perish, when God passed by and bid them live; tell them that such was God's love that He gave His only begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; tell them of Jesus, His Godhead, His Manhood—both natures united in one person, forming one Christ; tell them, that faith in His blood will save the soul; that God the Father hath respect only to the person and worth of His dear Son; and that...

"The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."   -John 5:25  [KJV] What a promise is here, and what an encouragement for every dead sinner to hope, and for every living saint, who is interested for dead sinners, not to despair? Observe, my soul, the extensiveness of the mercy: it is the dead. Why, all are dead in trespasses and sins . Is there not hope then for all? "And they that hear shall live." Why, then, every sinner should ask his heart-do I hear? But, my soul, mark how this is done. It is by the voice of the Son of God. Yes; there is salvation in no other. He saith Himself, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in Me, shall never die."     But, my soul, while taking comfort from this blessed passage, as it concerns poor dead sinners, ask thine own heart whether thou hast been the happy partaker of it thyself. Hast th...

  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! ...