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

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...

" Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." — John 3:7 [KJV] Spiritual doctrines ever appear to the judgment of carnal reason, foolishness. Marvel not to find the wisdom of natural men ever crying out, "How can these things be?" and explaining away their spiritual meaning by corrupt reasonings. We are not to expect a total freedom from our own carnal objections. The old man is yet alive; the kingdom of his residence, the flesh, is at war against that kingdom into which the soul is spiritually born. Many souls see clearly the nature of the doctrine of a new-birth of the soul, and are convinced of the necessity of it, in order to see the kingdom of God. But how are they straitened, pained, and perplexed to know whether it be accomplished in them or not!  And indeed, many have so unscripturally treated of the new birth, as sadly to puzzle and grievously distress simple hearts. Is it not marvellous to find men gravely telling us how many s...

Bathed in the Gospel, Part III by D.G. Miles McKee Gospel faith is mighty, not in itself, but mighty because of its object, the Lord Jesus Christ .  Just as the Spirit of God always points away from Himself, so too, gospel faith always points away from itself towards the Lamb of God (see John 16:13-14) .  A faith-filled Church will be a Christ-centered Church and a Christ-centered Church will be a faith-filled Church.  If the gospel, however, is not the center of the church, there will be no genuine exploits done for God.  Without a Christ center, service in His cause becomes an inconvenient chore.  The Pastor will continually plead for volunteers to help with evangelism and other forms of service and yes, he’ll get plenty of ‘volunteers’ if he can make them feel guilty enough … but what a mess they can make of the cause of Christ.  If the Gospel does not hold first place in our churches, it holds no place. Unfortunately, in much of today’s ch...

" Gideon said, Alas! O Lord G OD : for I have seen an angel of the L ORD face to face. The L ORD said, Peace be unto thee: fear not; thou shalt not die." — Judges 6:22, 23 [KJV] "Jesus is the same Lord over all, rich in mercy to all who call upon Him." —Romans 10:12 . There is no difference between Old Testament saints and New, in regard to the object of salvation; "Jesus the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." Poor Gideon thought a sight of the Lord must surely be present death; for, saith the Lord, "There shall no man see Me and live." —Exodus 33:20 . But the Lord appeared to him, as the angel of the covenant, the Mediator, the interposer. Not in terrible majesty and fiery wrath, to strike him dead, but as the Saviour, the merciful one.  This sight was attended with life to his soul and death to his fears. So Gideon found it, when he heard that ever-dear and most precious word, PEACE. This is ever the word of the bridegroo...

" That no flesh should glory in His presence: He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." — I Corinthians 1:29, 31 [KJV] Humble, self-abased souls, who drink deep into self-knowledge, sensible what human nature is; whose eye of faith is to the Lord Jesus, and to what he is made of God to them; are as jealous of the pride of the flesh as they are of its sinfulness. This is a safe state; such have little reason to murmur because they do not experience high flights and ravishing ecstacies which appear to arise from nature and sense, because they lead to glory in the righteousness of the flesh.  Flesh is proud and prone to glory, even in the presence of God; but faith in Jesus cuts off all glorying in the flesh, as viewing all salvation out of ourselves in Jesus. This is the very essence of the faith of God's elect. Yet, while we are in the flesh, we are daily exposed to the workings of pride, which darken the views of Jesus, and tend to self-exalting and sel...

 "I will bear the indignation of the L ORD , because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness. ...Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy.  He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." -Micah ch. 7, vss. 9, 18-19 [KJV]

" The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." —Galatians 5:22, 23 [KJV] This numerous issue is of supernatural generation; like Isaac, who sprang from the dead body of Abraham and barren womb of Sarah. Though believers love to bring forth such fruits, delight to see them, yet through humility they are backward in speaking of them, and averse to glory in them as productions of their own. Hence when these fruits of the Spirit appear inward or outward, like the bride of the Lamb on another occasion, she cries out in lowliness of heart, "Who hath begotten me these?" — Isaiah 49:21 . But is any thing too hard for God? "He maketh the barren soul to be a joyful mother of children." — Psalm 113:9 .  To this very end believers are "married to Jesus by faith, that they may bring forth fruit unto God." — Romans 7:4. There is no member of the ...