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

" Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." —I Peter 5:7 [KJV] We are now called to confess Jesus in a day of mildness; the fury and rage of persecution is restrained; bonds and imprisonments do not await us; yet we must not think to be exempt from trials and difficulties of various kinds. The adversary is not dead; nature's lusts and corruptions are alive, and daily fight against us. The love of Jesus is ever accompanied with the world's hatred. Disciples of Jesus are not mere stoics; they feel the exercise of these things more or less.  Sometimes it may be their lot, like the disciples, to be in the midst of a sea of troubles; tossed with the wave of difficulties, the wind of providence seems contrary to them; and to the eye of nature and sense, Jesus seems asleep to their sorrows; as though He intermits in His kind love to them, and tender care over them. Here is the trial of faith; but this grace never consults nature and appearances; i...

" As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord ." —Romans 5:21 [KJV] Sin, like some mighty conqueror, hath obtained a victory and reigns over the whole human race. All men are naturally under, and well pleased with its reign and government; but sovereign, almighty grace dethrones this usurping monarch in the hearts of the elect; triumphs over its spoils and conquests, delivers their captive souls from its dominion, and reverseth the sentence of death they were under: and all this is effected in a just and righteous way.  For though salvation is all of grace to poor sinners, yet eternal life is a just debt due to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ: He hath a right to challenge it from the hands of justice; and He doth so by promise, "Father, I WILL that they Whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." —John 17:24 . To think of doing something to procure the fav...

  When Jesus Christ’s count rymen tried to force Him to be their king, He withdrew from them (John 6:15). But when they came to arrest Him as a criminal, He let them take Him (John 18:1 - 5). Think of it! Jesus refused an earthly kingdom, but submitted to cruelty from it.   • He refused being enthroned by men, but accepted being killed by them.   • He refused their rule over men, but accepted their mistreatment of Him.   • He refused their royal throne, but accepted their shameful cross.   • He refused their crown of gold, but accepted their c rown of thorns.   • He refused their royal robe, but accepted the taking of all His garments.   • He refused to be a man of privilege, but accepted being a man of sorrows.   • He refused a life of ease, but accepted a death in grief.   And He endured all this for the salvation of His people. -preacher Daniel Parks

" Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh." —Romans 8:12 [KJV] Christianity teaches us to owe no man any thing. He is a prudent man who keeps his accounts clear and knows to whom he is indebted; he is a grateful man who acknowledges favors with just sentiments. If this is necessary and commendable in the economy of this short life, how much more so in things of a spiritual and eternal nature! How wise, how just is it to render to all their dues! If we are debtors to the flesh, let us serve that; but if debtors to the Lord, it is then our duty and privilege to serve Him.  What owest thou, O Christian, to the flesh? Verily, neither suit nor service: but alas! thou hast obeyed its sinful motions, gratified the corrupt lusts thereof, and what hast thou reaped for it but shame and sorrow?  These are the only fruits that sin and folly bear. The flesh with its corruptions and lusts is at enmity to thy God, and at war against thy s...

“ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” -Zechariah 9:9 [KJV]  Is there any doubt that the King here is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Did He not enter Jerusalem humbly riding upon an ass, and, yet, He was (and is) still the King of glory Who came with power, bringing justice for His people AND salvation by His grace.   Without grace justice would demand eternal damnation and death for us. But God’s grace reigns “through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:21) . So, “rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.” This describes all true children of God, His elect who are brought by God to believe and rest in Christ for all salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, an...

" But the Comforter who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." —John 14:26 [KJV] Our blessed L ORD JESUS here gives us the clearest discovery of the ever-glorious three Persons, in covenant, for the salvation of lost sinners. In this knowledge lies all our hope; from this belief springs all our comfort. In the love of this, our heaven is begun upon earth; for the knowledge, belief, and love of this truth in our hearts, we are wholly indebted to the Comforter. He teaches all things. Not by any new lights or fresh revelations; but He graciously instructs our minds and comforts our hearts by the same light of truth and love which beamed forth in the first promise, and which shone brighter and brighter in prophecies, types and shadows of the Covenant, until the substance, Jesus, was come.  Then the canon (- biblical doctrine/teaching ) of re...

7 Gospel Mercies Part 2 by D.G.Miles McKee 2) Accepted as Righteous. We saw in part one, our first Gospel Mercy is that, in Christ, we have full and perfect forgiveness. The second gospel mercy is that we are recognized as being righteous. Our acceptance, in Heaven, is because we are credited with the very righteousness of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:6). This is a wonderful gospel benefit whereby God views us as though we had never ever committed any sins. We have been justified and acquitted of all charges against us. We have been given a new, perfect righteousness in Christ. This is like getting our past expunged and being given a totally new identity. Since all things are now new, we have no time to run around the place feeling guilty. What do we have to feel guilty about? All the rotten wretched things we have ever done are under the blood. They are forgiven, forgotten, buried and done away with in Christ! I know we find this very hard to believe but the more we bathe ...