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

"Where a sincere love to Christ is in the heart, there will be obedience; " If a man love Me indeed, that love will be such a commanding and constraining principle in him, that, no question, he will keep My words ." Where there is true love to Christ, there is a value for His favor, a veneration for His authority, and an entire surrender of the whole man to his conduct and government. Where love is duty follows; it is easy and natural, and flows from a principle of gratitude."   -preacher Matthew Henry (1662-1714 A.D.)

" Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him." -Genesis 42:8 [KJV] How affecting is the history of Joseph! Who can read it without emotion of soul? What amazing scenes of Providence open to our view! Spiritual minds may see many things in it typical of our beloved Saviour. Here, Joseph’s brethren are introduced to him, as governor of Egypt. He knew them: they knew not him. How does he deal with them? Does he instantly make himself known to them?  No: though he had the most tender affections of heart to them, and wept tears of joy at the sight of them; yet he speaks roughly, and sends them to prison. Why this? to bring their sin to their mind, and to affect them for their cruelty towards him, with a deep sense of their guilt. See we not somewhat typical of the conduct of Christ, our Brother in the flesh, in all this?  (1st.) Christ knew us before we knew Him: He knew us from eternity, when we were chosen in Him, and given to Him.  (2d.) We never seek afte...

" The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the L ORD on the head of them." -Micah 2:13 [KJV] Pause, my soul, over this precious scripture, and ask thine own heart who this Almighty Breaker (- Breacher ) can be, except the Lord Jesus Christ; for He, and He alone, answers to such a divine character. Was it not He which came up as the Breaker from everlasting; when, in the council of peace, the divine decree was broken open, and the Son of God stood forth the sinner's Surety?  Was it not He Whom John saw by vision, Who alone was found worthy in heaven to open the book, and loose the seals thereof? Was it not the same precious Holy One, Who, when in the volume of the book it was found written of Him, that He should fulfil the law of Jehovah for sinful man, cried out, "Lo, I come?" And was it not Jesus, even thy JESUS, my soul, that i...

"Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also." -John 14:19 [KJV] Communion with Christ rests on three things—seeing Him by faith, living upon His life, and experiencing His manifested presence. But all these three things depend on His resurrection and a knowledge of its power. As risen from the dead, the saints see Him; as risen from the dead, they live a life of faith upon Him; as risen from the dead, He manifests Himself unto them; and as life and feeling spring up in their souls from sweet communion with Him, the power of His resurrection becomes manifest in them.  This communion, therefore, with the Lord Jesus as a risen Head all the reconciled and justified saints of God are pressing forward after, according to the measure of their grace and the life and power of God in their soul. It is indeed often sadly interrupted and grievously broken through by the sin that dwelleth in us. But the principle is ...

" God left him to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart." -II Chronicles 32:31 [KJV] Hezekiah was a great and a good man: he had rich experience in divine grace. Still he discovered, that he had a sinful nature, and a deceitful heart. Though an eminent saint of God, yet pride and vain-glory beset him. I have been led to think, there seems a little of the spirit of the pharisee, in his beseeching the Lord to remember how he had walked before him in truth, with a perfect heart, and done that which was good in His sight (II Kings 20:3.)   At least, some of a self-righteous spirit, have been led to think from hence, that they have had somewhat in themselves whereof to glory. O! if we have walked well, and done well, we need not remind our Lord of it. If the heart be simple with its Saviour, it will not: for it was by His grace we did so. He Who gives us grace, can never be unmindful of its effects. We hear of Hezekiah’s sickness—of the Lord’s giving ...

Owned by Jesus by D G Miles McKee "Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." -I Peter 1:18-19 Among the many and varied meanings of redemption is the idea of making a purchase .  In Leviticus ch. 25, for example, we read of how people, upon getting into financial difficulty, could sell themselves as slaves to pay their debts.  They could then, at a later date, buy themselves back or if unable to do so, a near relation, a kinsman, could redeem them (pay to have them released).  Believers have been redeemed, bought and paid for, with a price, the price of God´s own blood (Acts 20:28). Do you know what we have been redeemed  from ? We´ve been redeemed from all iniquity (Titus 2:14). That´s excellent news! We were slaves to death, darkness and the devil b...

"For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." -Romans 14:9 [KJV] And was this the cause, dearest Jesus, of all Thy sufferings, that Thou mightest be the universal monarch on Thine eternal throne? Then bend thy knee, my heart, and all the affections of my soul, and hail thy Jesus Lord of all! Now, Lord, I see through Thy blessed teaching, though a fool, and slow in heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken—now I see how expedient it was that Christ should suffer, and should enter into His glory. Yes, Thou art, indeed, Lord both of dead and living; the dead to raise, even the dead in trespasses and sins; and the living to live in them, and rule, and guide them. And as Thou art Lord both of dead and living, so, precious Jesus, wilt Thou be Lord over all the dead and lifeless affections of Thy redeemed. Surely, Lord Jesus, my soul may well believe this; for if, when upon the cross, Thou didst co...