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

" Let us go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." —Hebrews 13:13 [KJV]  The profession of Jesus is easy to nature. There is nothing irksome to the flesh in being called a Christian. But to know Jesus in heart, to confess Him with the tongue, and to follow Him in our life, will ever expose us to reproach and contempt. But if, with Philip, we have really found that blessed HIM of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, we must, we shall speak of Him to others. We shall esteem Jesus our beloved as our richest treasure. Our hearts and affections will be going out after Him. Moses' choice will be ours: "We shall esteem the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." But fleshly wisdom is contrary to all this. That ever prompts, 'Save thyself—take care of thy good name—fear, lest that be cast out as evil—beware of thy character—go not too far, thou wilt sustain damage. In the camp of this world, riches, pleasures, and honors are...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (20-22JAN23 A.D.) 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 - Almighty God's unmerited favor - from our sins and from Hell: HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOUR! Believer, what a Saviour God has provided for His people (Gen esis 22:8; Matt hew 1:21)! The Almighty God (John 1:1), yet all tender Saviour and Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us (John 10:11; Psa lm 23:1). How well-fitted Jesus Christ is to be our Great High Priest (Heb rews 2:17; 4:14-16). How sufficient is He to supply our every need according to His riches in glory (Col ossians 2:9-10; Phil ippians 4:19). How complete His wisdom and grace to provide for us perfect atonement and full justification from all our sin (Heb rews 9:12; Rom ans 3:24). How gracious the Lord is to impute His righteous...

" If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed." — John 8:31 [KJV]  As mutual love subsists between Jesus and His believing members, so there is a mutual choice of each other. Hence, saith the church, "I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine." —Songs of Solomon 6:3 . So also there is a mutual inhabitation; every believer dwells in Christ, and Christ in him. This matter is only comfortably experienced by continuing in the truth. For "whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God; he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." —II John 9 . Many profess to be disciples of Jesus in name. But what profit is this? If souls have not been sick of sin, alas, Jesus will be a physician of no value to them. If souls have not seen themselves lost, their state accursed, and their case hopeless and desperate, so that none but Jesus can restore and save them, they will but lightly es...

Who Says? God Says!   by  D.G. Miles McKee Some years ago, in a town in England, a minister held a gospel meeting.   The next morning, a young man called at the house where the preacher had spent the night and asked to see the gentleman who had been preaching the night before. He was welcomed and brought in and upon being seated, he related something of his past life. He said that for many months he had been in very great soul trouble, and distress about his sins, and had longed for rest and salvation. He had gone round all the churches in the town, hoping he might hear something that would give him comfort, but without any result. "But, after the meeting last evening," he said, " I went home so thoroughly wretched that I was unable to sleep a wink the whole night long, and now I have come to you to ask you whether you can tell me out of the Bible, how may I KNOW that MY sins are forgiven?" " Yes," replied the preacher, But, before I do, you let me ask you...

" And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath."   -Luke 4:28 [KJV] Human nature, how low fallen in misery and wretchedness! yet how high doth it rise in pride! Though the meek Lamb of God is the preacher of sovereign grace and distinguishing love, yet the wrath of man dares to exalt itself against His doctrine. Fury burst forth like fire, vengeance and resentment break the bounds of the law of God and man, and would have instantly put Jesus to death.   Pride is the first-born of Lucifer: "Ye shall be as gods," hath tainted our whole nature with the cursed leaven, and will be the last enemy that is destroyed in us. Out of the abundance of pride in the heart, the mouth is opened against God's sovereign grace, discriminating love, and divine dispensations. "Be still, and know that I am God , " is a lesson the proud nature of man is averse to. "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy...

" Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" —Genesis 3:1 [KJV]   It is the grand masterpiece of that wisdom which is earthly, sensual, devilish, to call in question the truth of God's word ; to insinuate a doubt about it. But here appears more modesty even in Satan, than in some of his servants; for he only puts a query upon it, whereas they absolutely deny and ridicule the truths of Jehovah. In the same way that the old serpent attacked and prevailed against the innocence of our first parents, he still attempts to destroy the comforts and oppose the holiness of God's children by artful suggestions against the truth of God's word. If he can but raise a doubt in our minds concerning what the Lord hath spoken, he strikes at the very foundation of our faith, hope, love, and obedience. As he abode not in the truth, he is a restless implacable enemy to the truth, and to every soul who embraces the truth as in Jesus.   Really, one finds Satan l...

" Mine iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me." —Psalm 38:4 [KJV]  Those who think lightly of sin, and account iniquity a trifling thing, evidently shew that the god of this world hath blinded their eyes to the infinite atonement of Jesus, and hardened their hearts through the deceitfulness of sin; therefore they are insensible of grief, and without feeling of godly sorrow for sin. When Jesus is known in the heart, sin is truly abhorred, forsaken, and overcome. But it is most distressing to the regenerate soul when the load of guilt and the burden of sin are suffered to lie, day after day, upon the conscience. O the insupportable agony of such a state, none know but those who have experienced it! One would ask, Is not this contradictory to that comforting assertion, "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus?" —Romans 8:1 — inconsistent with that triumphant challenge, "Who shall lay any thing to the ch...