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

"The joy of the LORD is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:10 [KJV] This is a precious, evangelical chapter. Glorious gospel truths are here held forth to us. Lord, help us to see them, and feed upon them .  Here is, (1st.) a solemn observation of the feast of tabernacles. This was appointed by the wisdom of God the Father, (Leviticus 23:34.) Did God solemnly command the people to dwell in booths for eight days, but to some glorious end? Christ is the substance of the whole law: here is a shadow of Him. Here is typified, God’s beloved Son, who was to tabernacle in our flesh, and all the Father’s glory to dwell in Him.  (2d.) “The people gathered together as one man.” So, “Unto Shiloh, the Messiah, shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10.)   (3d.) Ezra the priest reads and expounds to them the law, in the open street: (much such another crime as field preaching) the people were convinced of sin, and wept. The law ministers death and condemnation to th...

"I am among you as He that serveth."   -Luke 22:27 [KJV] Surely there is a blessedness in these words that affords substance to feed upon. My soul, read them again and again; pause over them, pray over them, and look up to Him that thus so humbly, graciously, and lovingly, expressed Himself. Art thou, blessed Jesus, among Thy people as He that serveth? I know, Lord, that Thou didst condescend to become the servant of Jehovah, though Thou were Lord of all, when for the salvation of poor sinners Thou didst undertake to veil Thy Godhead, and in our nature to become our Surety.  And I know, Lord, also, that Thou didst, in a very memorable moment, and at a time when as the evangelist had it to relate to the church, thou knewest that the Father had given all things into Thine hands, Thou didst condescend to wash Thy disciples feet. But art Thou still among Thy people as one that serveth? Be astonished, O heavens, and wonder, O earth! All power is Thine in heaven and in e...

"For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed ." -Romans 10:11 [KJV] A child of God may be often deeply exercised whether he has any faith at all; for when he reads what faith has done and can do, and sees and feels how little it has done for him, he is seized with doubts and fears whether he has ever been blessed with the faith of God's elect. This makes him often say, "Oh, do I indeed possess one grain of saving faith?"   But he does possess it: nay, it is his very faith which makes him so anxiously ask himself the question, as well as see and feel the nature and amount of his unbelief. It is the very light of God shining into his soul that shews him his sins, their nature and number; convinces him of their guilt and enormity; lays the burden of them upon his conscience; and discovers to him the workings of an unbelieving heart.  But besides this, if he had no faith at all he could not hear the voice of God speaking i...

"The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son: for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of children." -Hosea 13:13 [KJV] Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15.) Though God’s children are made wise unto salvation, yet folly is bound up in their nature. Their conduct discovers it, and proves the necessity of the rod of correction to drive it from them. Here is a threatening—a charge—the reason for it—and a most precious promise from the Lord.  (1st.) The threatening. God loves His children too well, to spare the rod and spoil them. “For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth: even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12.) Therefore painful sorrows, like those of a travailing woman, come upon them. Nature’s pains prove nature’s remedies. The painful visitations of love, prove spiritual remedies to the soul: they bring fort...

"Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." -I Timothy 1:5 [KJV] See, my soul, what Jesus hath secured for thee by His gracious undertaking and accomplishment, and which His servant was commissioned to tell the church, was the very end of the commandment; namely, charity, or love. And this law of love is given thee, that thou mightest manifest whose thou art, and to whom thou dost belong; not as a rule of acceptance, for then that would be to make thy love a covenant of works; but as a sweet testimony of thy affection in the hand of Jesus.  It is a law of love indeed, because the cords of love, by which thou art drawn, prove it to be so. Thy obedience is not from slavish fear, for then this would be bondage; but the love of Christ constrains thee. Thy love to Him makes thee long to be like Him. Thy love to Him makes His commandments not grievous but gracious. Thy love to Him makes ordinance...

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." -Galatians 6:14 [KJV] An experimental knowledge of crucifixion with his crucified Lord made Paul preach the cross, not only in its power to save, but in its power to sanctify . But as then, so now, this preaching of the cross, not only as the meritorious cause of all salvation, but as the instrumental cause of all sanctification, is "to them that perish foolishness."   As men have found out some other way of salvation than by the blood of the cross, so have they discovered some other way of holiness than by the power of the cross; or rather have altogether set aside obedience, fruitfulness, self-denial, mortification of the deeds of the body, crucifixion of the flesh and of the world. Extremes are said to meet; and certainly men of most opposite sentiments may unite in despising the cross and counting it foolis...

Is Jesus Enough to Keep  You from Worrying? Part I by D.G. Miles McKee   “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."   -Isaiah 41:14 [KJV] This scripture gives us two wonderful grace words. They are, “ Fear Not.” In the Middle East there is an ancient fable that Pestilence met a caravan on the way to Baghdad. “Why must you travel to Baghdad?” asked the Caravan Master. “To take five thousand lives,” Pestilence answered.  On the way back Pestilence again met the caravan. “You deceived me,” said the caravan master. “You took 50,000 lives.” “No,’ insisted Pestilence. ‘I only took 5,000 lives. Worry killed the rest.” That was only a fable. But, here’s the fact … worry kills. At one time or another, most of us have been gripped with fear and worry. It’s no wonder then that these two words, ‘ Fear Not ’ are found frequently throughout the scriptures.  In fact, it has been said tha...