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

     If the Holy Spirit enables us to be honest, it is a fact that there can be no real inward joy when we evaluate ourselves. Whenever we  look within, we get discouraged because all we see is corruption. Yes, we do believe Christ, but we do not pray enough, we do not read the Bible as much as we ought, we don’t love the Lord like we should, we do not love each other like we are supposed to; our hearts are sometimes cold and seemingly lifeless.  Every thought, every deed, every motive, every imagination is polluted by sin. Who among us can find any comfort in our own conscience with regard to our relationship with a holy God upon the basis of anything within us? Let this be established, the heart can only be genuinely comforted when we look away from self and cast the eyes of our souls upon Christ Jesus the Lord. He is our hope, our joy, our confidence, our  righteousness and our salvation. When we look only to Him, then each of us can say with the prophet...

I was reading an article on the internet last week that posed this question – “What  determines moral truth? Is it rooted in emotion, reason, tradition, or divine authority?” Well, the only right answer to this question is that by divine authority, God alone determines moral truth .    But ever since our fall in and by Adam, fallen, sinful human beings have rebelled against God’s sovereign right to determine moral truth and have aspired to determine truth for ourselves. This was shown in the Garden of Eden by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).    That tree set forth God’s sovereign right as Creator and Lord to determine what is good and what is evil . When Adam ate of that forbidden fruit, he declar...

JUSTIFIED – NOT MERELY PARDONED   I heard of a soldier who was court-martialed and imprisoned for deserting his post during a battle. Later evidence revealed that he had not deserted his post, and that the charge had resulted from the confusion of the battle. He therefore was told that he would be pardoned. He replied, “I do not want to be pardoned ; I want to be justified .”       He replied rightly. To be pardoned implies admission of guilt. To be justified is to be declared innocent of the offense . He who is innocent may be justified, but he does not need to be pardoned. He who is guilty may be pardoned, but he cannot be justified.       Except by God!       All of us are guilty of violating God’s law and breaking His commandments (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20). We are therefore criminals and sinners before Him. We who acknowledge ourselves as such may pray “For Your name’s sake, O Jehov...

"From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him."   - John 6:66 [KJV] Thus was fulfilled that word, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3.) This chapter is like a touch-stone. Herein our Lord tries His disciples, to see who are real sterling, and who not. Many are His professed, but few His real disciples. Sifting times will come. They make manifest. The hottest place in hell is prepared for those who turn their backs upon the Son of God on earth. Lord, grant that our faces may be set like a flint towards Thee. For, blessed be Thy name, Thou hast said of those who continue with Thee in Thy temptations: “I appoint unto you a kingdom: ye shall eat and drink at My table” (Luke 22:29, 30.) But those who are not agreed with Christ, have not the mind of Christ: will not walk long with Him. See this exemplified.    (1st.)  Some of these disciples followed Christ for the loaves and fishes , verse 26. Those who f...

"Eternal Redemption - Redeemed by Blood, Spirit & Power" preached by Henry T. Mahan (40 minutes in length) Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu-aTlr6Sok   What does it truly mean to be redeemed?  In this powerful message inspired by A. J. Gordon, a simple story of two trapped birds becomes a life-changing illustration of the Gospel—showing how Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price to set sinners free. This deep Bible teaching walks through: Redemption through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9) Why sin separates us from God How Christ satisfied God’s justice completely The role of the Holy Spirit in salvation What it means to be saved: past, present, and future 📖 Key Scriptures: Hebrews 9, Ephesians 1:7, Isaiah 53, Romans 8. You’ll discover that salvation is not just a moment— it’s a complete work : Redeemed by blood ( what Christ did ) Redeemed by the Spirit ( what God is doing now ) Redeemed by power ( what is yet to come ) This message will challenge shallow ...

"A Nazarite unto God from the womb." -Judges 13:5 [KJV] And what, in the language of scripture, was a Nazarite unto God? Certainly what the very term implies; one dedicated to God, set apart, and sanctified. Both the person and character are largely descried, Numbers 6:1-21. And was Samson such? It cannot be doubted, notwithstanding the many strange particularities in his life, which were departures from sanctity of character. But in that part of Samson's life wherein the Nazarite was strongly marked, he was eminently proved to be one; and it is in this feature of the illustrious Danite, that we behold him as a striking type of the Lord Jesus Christ.   My soul! as it hath pleased the Holy Ghost to give the church so circumstantial an account of Samson, do thou ponder the subject well, and remark (what was evidently the only design for which it was given) how gracious the Lord the Spirit was, thus to set forth, in type, Jesus of Nazareth, so many ages befor...

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." -Colossians 3:2 [KJV]          Everything upon earth, as viewed by the eyes of the Majesty of heaven, is low and paltry. Earth is after all but a huge clod of dust, and as such, apart from its having been once the place of the Redeemer's sufferings and sacrifice, being now the habitation of His suffering people, and to be hereafter the scene of His glory, as insignificant in the eyes of its Maker as the small dust of the balance or the drop of the bucket. What, then, are its highest objects, its loftiest aims, its grandest pursuits, its noblest employments, short of the grace of the gospel, in the sight of Him who inhabits eternity, but mean and worthless? Nay, even in our eyes is there not one consideration that when felt stamps vanity upon them all?—that all earth's pursuits, whatever high attainments men may reach in this life, be it of wealth, rank, learning, power, or pleasure, ...