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In The Beginning

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” | 1 John 1: 1

The other Gospel writers begin with Bethlehem.

John begins with “the bosom of the Father.”

Luke dates his narrative by Roman emperors and Jewish high-priests.

John dates his “in the beginning.”

With those words, he carries us into the depths of eternity, before time or creatures were.

Both the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of John start from “the beginning.”

Genesis starts with “the beginning” and works downward, telling us what followed.

John starts with “the beginning” and works upward, telling us what preceded “the beginning.”

Before the beginning, Christ the Word, our God and Savior, already was.

The Beginning

John’s Gospel opens with these three simple words that are full of instruction: “In the beginning.”

In First John, this same Apostle used similar language to describe our Savior and speaks of him as, “That which was from the beginning”.

But what is he talking about?

Certainly, he is not talking about the beginning of eternity, for eternity has no beginning.

Rather than trying to determine the meaning of these words for ourselves, let’s look at them as they are used in other places by the Spirit of God.

“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” (Proverbs 8: 22-23)

Our Savior asserts, “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was”.

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46: 9-10)

He who alone is God identifies himself as God with these words: “I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”.

“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;” (Acts 15: 18)

Our Lord Jesus Christ is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence”. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1: 18)

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” (2 Thessalonians 2: 13)

The Spirit of God declares to you who believe on the Lord Jesus, “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”.

We read: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:” (Hebrews 1: 10)

Our blessed Savior is “the beginning” and “him that is from the beginning”. “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” (1 John 2: 14)

Beginning before the Beginning

As these words are used in Holy Scripture, and specifically as John used them, “the beginning” speaks of the beginning of the manifestation or Jehovah’s purpose of grace, the beginning of his great work of saving his elect by the Lord Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior, whose “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting”.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5: 2)

It seems to me that he is telling us that there was a beginning before the beginning of time. Our blessed Savior went forth from the beginning as our covenant Surety to save us from our sins.

In John 1: 1 the Holy Spirit teaches us to look upon the Son of God, both as the Essential Word and as the Revealed Word, standing forth in the everlasting councils of the triune God as our Surety, and set up as the Wisdom of God from everlasting. He says of himself: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.” (Proverbs 8: 22-31)

Done in the Beginning

The whole work of our salvation was accomplished “in the beginning.” “In the beginning,” before ever the earth was made, Christ stood forth as the Word in and by whom the Lord God would make himself known in the salvation of chosen sinners. He was not only the Word from the beginning, but “in the beginning.”

“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Ephesians 1: 12)

He stood forth “in the beginning” as our covenant Surety, and assumed all responsibility for our souls before the triune God. The triune God trusted him as the Surety of his elect “in the beginning”.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1: 3-7)

Our Lord Jesus Christ was accepted as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” His blood and sacrifice reached all God’s elect, as John Gill put it, “from the beginning of the world, for the justification of their persons, the atonement of their sins, and cleansing from them, for the remission of sins.”

“Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.” (Psalm 89: 19)

Every sinner saved in time in the experience of grace was saved “in the beginning” by the purpose and will of God, chosen, accepted, blessed and redeemed in Christ from “the beginning”.

“For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” (Hebrews 4: 3)

When the Son of God stood forth as our Surety “in the beginning,” the triune Jehovah laid help for our souls upon our Mediator as “One that is mighty”, and finding satisfaction for our souls in him, “the works were finished from the foundation of the world”.

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “You Cannot Make Him King” (24:16 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Miracle Of Salvation

”Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” | John 1: 22-23

The Lord Jesus Christ performed many miracles while upon this earth.

He cast out devils, healed lepers, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf; He raised the dead.

While these miracles certainly proved him to be the Christ, they are also illustrations of how the Lord saves sinners.

Every sinner the Lord saves, is all these things… possessed by a devil, a sinful leper, deaf, dumb, blind, and dead in sin.

Salvation is a miracle of God’s sovereign grace and power.

Nothing more or less can save a sinner but the power of Christ; the Word, the Truth and the Gospel.

May the Lord be pleased to perform a miracle today!

~ Pastor Paul E. Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Behold The Lamb Of God” (44:29 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 1 May, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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How Long Till The End?

“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” | Daniel 12:3

Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, not because He was weak, unbelieving, or discontent with divine providence, but because He
was and is a real man touched with the feeling of our infirmities, moved by that which moves us.

He wept with His weeping friends because He felt and shared their grief and sorrow.

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “How Long Till The End” (24:46 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 14 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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Eternally Beloved Of The Lord

“We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation” | 2 Thessalonians 2: 13

If you are “beloved of the Lord,” you always were “beloved of the Lord.”

He did not begin to love you when you repented of sin and believed on Christ. God saw you in Christ in His eternal covenant and loved you then. That love for those “beloved of the Lord” was shown two thousand years ago when it pleased Him to bruise His Son for you.

Christ redeemed you not only before you were aware of His grace, but before you were born.

There was nothing in you to merit His eternal, infinite, and unchangeable love.

On the contrary, you were His enemies, profaned His name, and even despised His mercy after you heard about it.

“HEREIN IS LOVE, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Unconditional Election” (34:04 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 20 June, 2021 | Previous post date: 24 August, 2021

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Beware Of Religious Leaven

“Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” | Matthew 16: 6

I readily admit I am no baker. However, I do know that for bread to rise, leaven (yeast) must be added to the dough.

When a baker prepares his bread, he doesn’t bake leaven alone, for none would eat it; his finished product would be without the delicious taste of grain.

Leaven, therefore, must be added to the flour in a skillful way, so as not to overshadow the flavor of the bread.

The only way that men will consume the leaven is if it is wisely mixed with grain.

When our Lord referred to “the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,” He was speaking of their doctrine.

This is clearly stated in verses 11-12 of the same chapter. “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”

What did the Pharisees and Sadducees do?

They mixed their religious lies with Biblical truths.

Certainly they did not proclaim all error, for then their doctrines would not have been well received by the multitudes.

Rather, they cleverly added a little leaven to the truth so that their unsuspecting hearers would swallow the entire deadly mixture.

Satan has many deceitful religious bakers today.

They are very skillful in blending their leaven with truth and so make their false gospel very palatable to the natural man.

They generally do not come forth blatantly denying the Word of God, else most people would refuse them and their teaching.

What they do is blend a small amount of man-made teaching with the holy Scriptures.

They talk about salvation by grace, but then mix in works so as to deceive the uninformed.

They declare that Christ died on the cross, then blend in their leaven by saying His death is only beneficial if sinners add their faith to what He did.

They preach the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s power and then make His work to be subject to and dependent upon the free-will of the sinner.

How much leaven does it take to modify truth and turn it into error?

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” (Galatians 5: 9)

Paul said to those who were swallowing the false doctrine of the legalists, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”.

~ Jim Byrd

Click here to listen to the message “Even As Abraham Believed God” (40:03 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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The God Of Daniel Is Able

”And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” | John 17: 3-4

In all the heresies that have troubled the church over the last 2,000 years — there is, in truth, only one heresy – The Insufficiency of Christ.

No matter what form a heresy may take – free-willism, ceremonialism, legalism, moralism and so forth – the underlying issue is a lack of belief that Christ is the necessary and sufficient Savior for sinners.

We need Him, and He is all we need.

In a very real sense, many shall perish forever, not because they did not have enough, but because they had too much.

They believed that Christ was necessary for their salvation, but they prove they do not believe that Christ is sufficient for they act as though the salvation brought by Christ is waiting for them to do something that activates or supplements the work of Christ.

But the glory of the gospel of Christ is that its success rests entirely on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The gospel of God requires nothing from us.

It comes to us as sinners, expecting nothing from us other than sin.

Even the faith by which we lay hold of Christ does not arise from our natural selves but is a gift from God, given to us without us asking for it, worked in us by the power of the Spirit of God as He imparts new spiritual life to us through the New Birth.

Everything in the gospel is designed so that “he who boasts, boasts in the Lord.”

The praise of heaven does not contain a single word about the works of man.

Rather, every syllable is toward the Son of God.

He did it; He did it all; He did it well!

~ Pastor Joe Terrell

Click here to listen to the message “The God of Daniel is Able” (49:46 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 31 March, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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Unearned Favor

“Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” | Matthew 26: 33-35

I recently heard of someone who claimed to believe the grace of God in salvation, yet they were having trouble with the doctrine of election.

The problem they are really having is with true grace.

You see, grace in the true meaning of the word can only mean one thing … UNEARNED FAVOR!

Most people think God looked down through time to see who would believe on Him and elected them accordingly.

But that means that person earned salvation by believing, and God had to choose that person because of what they did.

But NO!

GRACE IS UNEARNED FAVOR, and since no one has earned, or merited God’s salvation and favor, then it stands to reason that God must choose, or elect, whomever He decides.

~ Pastor Paul Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Pride And Humility” (22:45 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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Gracious, Righteous And Merciful

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” | 1 Timothy 1: 15

If salvation depends upon our being or doing anything, we shall inevitably be lost.

Thank God, it does not; for the great fundamental principle of the gospel is that Christ is all: man is nothing.

It is not a mixture of Christ and man – it is all of Christ.

The peace of the gospel does not rest in part on Christ’s work and in part on man’s work; it rests wholly on Christ’s work, because that work is perfect, perfect forever; and it renders all who put their trust in Him as perfect as Himself!

Christ must either be a whole Savior or no Savior at all.

The moment a man says, “Except you be this or that, you cannot be saved,” he totally subverts the gospel; for in the gospel I find Christ coming down to me, just as I am – a lost, guilty, self-destroyed sinner; and coming, moreover, with a full remission of all my sins, and a full salvation from my lost estate, all perfectly wrought by Himself on the cross.

~ C. H. Mackintosh

Click here to listen to the message “Gracious, Righteous & Merciful” (25:58 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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Two Questions: Two Religions

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” | Romans 10: 3-4

Sooner could the ocean prove too little for a small fish or the sky be too small for a swallow than the grace of God prove insufficient for one of God’s people.

Not all their weaknesses, failures or sins can use it up.

~ Pastor Joe Terrell

Click here to listen to the message “Behold My Glorious Servant” (33:45 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 11 July, 2021 | Previous post date: 13 March, 2022

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Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” | John 6: 65-69

Believers often are very concerned over their spiritual state; they grieve over the condition of their hearts and minds of the way they act and react to their Lord Jesus and his word and dealings with them.

Our Lord asked a pointed and poignant question to the twelve, “Will you also go away”? Why would he ask such a question?

Because there were many defections from him! “From that time many of his disciples went back”.

Have you ever wondered if you would go back, or where would you be a year or five years from now?

Simon Peter makes a blessed declaration of faith, even in the midst of defection and betrayal. “Lord to whom shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are SURE that thou art that CHRIST”.

Here is a humble confession, maybe even a hint of fear, or urgency.

Everyone who is anyone has turned thumbs down on you …but to whom shall we go?

What would we gain by forsaking you?

Where could we show our faces without feeling every eye on us and every thought accusing us?

Lord you have spoken WORDS OF LIFE to us. Words of forgiveness, words of peace, words from the Father and you said, we could come unto him by you.

You said; “I AM HE”, the true vine, the light of the world, the water and the bread of life which came down from heaven.

To whom shall we go to find peace of heart, peace with God?

To find hope of eternal life, forgiveness, justification, righteousness, sanctification, redemption…O Lord to whom shall we go?

To find comfort in our trials, courage in our fears, strength for our weakness, light for our darkness, understanding for our ignorance.

Lord to whom shall we go?

However sorry and poor our love, zeal, faithfulness, and service, Lord to whom we go?

You have the WORDS of eternal life that holds up my soul.

Lord to whom shall we go?

~ Pastor Don Bell

Click here to listen to the message “No tears in heaven” (47:08 minutes)

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 April, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a