Christ is Himself the vital thing Don FortnerChrist is Himself the vital thing.We must, we must have Him!My God, deny me anything,But give, oh give me Him!Christ in you, is what free grace brings,God's giving Gift of gifts!With Christ he gives us everything.With hope our souls He lifts.Christ in you, is the hope bestowed,The hope of glory, He.He pa…

God Has Not PromisedAnnie Flint, 1919God has not promised, skies always blue;Flower-strewn pathways, all our lives through.God has not promised, sun without rain;Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.God has not promised, we shall not know,Toil and temptation, trouble and woe.He has not told us we shall not bear,Many a burden, many a care.God has …

"All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me; and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out." John 6:37I believe the doctrine of election to be as certainly true as the doctrine of the existence of God. I am not about to attempt to clear up all of the endless philosophic difficulties which could be suggested by a subtle thinker. If I were to ventu…

And Did the Holy and the JustAnne Steele, 1859And did the Holy and the Just, The Sovereign of the skies,Stoop down to wretchedness and dust, That guilty worms might rise?Yes the Redeemer left His throne,His radiant throne on high,Surprising mercy! Love unknown!To suffer, bleed, and die!He took the dying traitor's place, And suffered in his stead; F…

Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."The imagery in this verse is both vivid and profound, offering Christians a picture of God's presence amidst life's darkest moments. This verse has been a source of comfort to believers throu…

All Is Well If Christ Is MineDon Fortner Great, the promise Jesus made,Promise faithful, sure, and true,"Whatever you shall ask,In my name, that will I do!" I would seize the promise, Lord;Grant my inmost heart's desire,Save me from my sin and guilt,Keep me from the tempter's power! Savior, come, possess my heart,Be my daily joy and strength;All Yo…

Be still my heart. My soul, be still. The Lord performs His sovereign will. He rides the storms beneath His feet, And sits upon a mercy seat. His ways, though hidden from our sight, Are always just and always right; To His decrees all worlds must bow, And none may say, "What doest thou?"This blest assurance is enough, In every path, though dark and…

In a world filled with conflicting voices, shifting opinions, and temporary comforts--where can we find unwavering truth? The answer is found in the Word of God. Scripture is not just a collection of religious writings--it is the very breath of God, wholly sufficient for guiding us in every aspect of life.God's Word is the source of all true wisdom…

The knock!Charles Spurgeon"With unfailing love I have I drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 31:3The Master came one night to the door, and knocked with the iron hand of the law; the door shook and trembled upon its hinges. But the man piled every piece of furniture which he could find against the door, for he said, "I will not admit that man." The Maste…

1 Peter 2:24, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree!"The cross is the symbol of the shame and suffering of Jesus' crucifixion.Wearing a cross as a mere piece of jewelry, is a form of sacrilege--reducing the sacred symbol of Christ's sin-atoning sacrifice to a mere ornament. The cross is not a fashion statement, but the emblem of our Lor…

Lord Jesus,I come before You with a heart overflowing with gratitude and awe. Thank You, my Savior, for the wondrous love You have shown in laying down Your life for me, a vile sinner. How can I comprehend the depth of Your sacrifice? You, the spotless Lamb of God, took upon Yourself the punishment I so rightfully deserved. You bore my sins and end…

What WAS I by NATURE? This is a dark and dreary subject, for I was in a sad state, and had acquired a sad character.My heart was fearfully depraved, my nature was totally fallen. All within was spiritually dead, and all without was unholy. The creature was loved and served, and the Creator was neglected and despised. Sin was my element. Satan was m…

Strewing flowers on a dead corpse!Thomas WatsonExternal morality is not heart-purity. A person may be clothed with great moral virtues, such as justice, charity, prudence, and temperance-and yet go to Hell.We must not rest in mere outward morality. A swine may be washed-yet be a swine still. Morality does but wash a man, grace changes him. Morality…

A Sinner like Me!I was once far away from the Savior,I was as vile as a sinner could be;I wondered if Christ the Redeemer,Could save a poor sinner like me.I wandered on in the darkness,Not a ray of light could I see,And the thought filled my heart with sadness,There's no help for a sinner like me.And then in that dark, lonely hour,A voice sweetly w…

"For you are a holy people who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure!" Deuteronomy 7:6God highly prizes His people. Yes, it is impossible to say how highly He prizes them. Those are wondrous words, "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own specia…

Colossians 4:2, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."The condition of a church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer-meetings. If the spirit of prayer is not with the people, the minister may preach like an angel, but he cannot expect success. If there is not the spirit of prayer in a church, there may be wealth, there m…

Information as to the future in Scripture is generally very indistinct in arrangement, and though many attempts have been made to form a consistent scheme of prophecy, not one has been even moderately successful. There are in the Word of God, many clear testimonies as to distinct events in the future, but these cannot easily be arranged in order so…

All that occurs in His wide empire!(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below. Or you may want to WATCH the Video on either YouTube or SermonAudio)["The Sovereignty of God in Calamity!" Delivered on September 20, 1857, by Ebenezer Rogers--two days after the steamship 'Central America' sank during a hurricane. 560 o…

("The Sovereignty of God in Calamity!" Delivered on September 20, 1857, by Ebenezer Rogers--two days after the steamship 'Central America' sank during a hurricane. 560 of the 626 people on board lost their lives!)Upon the whole history of this solemn event, is stamped the record of the absolute sovereignty of God. It is not an enemy who has done th…

"The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare! Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and desir…

You may want to read the TEXT, as you listen to the audio:https://gracegems.org/SERMONS/1-4b.htmPar C. H. Spurgeon

Psalm 371. Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2. for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5. Commit your way to the …

Matthew 9:37, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few!"The minister who does not work hard in his ministry, will find it very hard work to answer for his idleness at the day of judgment. A gentleman who wants an easy life should never think of occupying the Christian ministry, for he is out of place there; and when he gets there, the on…

God's jewelry!Those bright constellations, Christ created them.Those burning suns, Christ kindled them. Those snow wreathed alps, those cloud-capped mountains, Christ raised them. Those verdant valleys, Christ spread them.That blushing rose, that graceful lily, that exquisite fern, that curious sea-flower tossed upon the shore, that wayside violet …