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We Glory In Tribulations Also

”We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” | Romans 5: 3-5

Why would a believer glory in tribulations which cause us so much sorrow?

In the trial God sweetly forces us to trust Christ to save us and by doing so God makes us a little more patient to wait on Christ in the next trial.

Through patience, God proves to us more clearly that we have no strength and the grace of God is truly sufficient.

This is the perfect work James speaks of when he says let patience have her perfect work.

God sheds his love in our hearts by the Spirit and grows us in hope so that in the next trial we are a little less prone to put our hand to things below but instead “flee for refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us.”

This is why we thank God for the school of trial and affliction.

John Bunyan expressed this glorying when writing of his 12 years in prison, “I never had, in all my life, so great an insight into the Word of God as now; insomuch that I have often said, Were it lawful, I could pray for greater trouble, for the greater comforts’ sake.”

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Five Reasons For Joy”

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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.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 31 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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The Full Sum of Our Preaching

”For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” | 1 Corinthians 1: 22-23

Times have changed but men have not.

Most religionists still seek signs, tongues, feelings, and experiences.

The other camp of religionists still seek wisdom, intellectualism, and philosophy.

But God’s preachers PREACH CHRIST.

They know Christ, love Christ, and desire that others know Him.

Such a vast, infinite, and heavenly gospel can never be exhausted; so, we preach Christ today and tomorrow, as our first and last message, and as the full sum of our theology.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “They That Wait”

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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 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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Look and Live

“Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, set by the highway side begging.” | Mark 10: 46

All who the Lord shall save are like blind Bartimaeus.

What he was outwardly by nature is what he was inwardly by nature… blind, poor, and unable to work to provide life. All he could do was sit and beg mercy from another.

We are so blind by nature that we cannot even see we need salvation.

When God gives us sight the first thing we behold is that our flesh profits nothing.

Only then will a sinner come to Christ empty and begging mercy.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Look and Live”

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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 February, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Righteousness of Faith

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” | Romans 10: 4

If all our works were perfect and we expected salvation thereby, we would still be living in total unbelief, because the end of every precept of God’s holy law is that we believe on his precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “The Righteousness of Faith”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 7 September, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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None Good But One

“Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, set by the highway side begging.” | Mark 10: 46

All who the Lord shall save are like blind Bartimaeus.

What he was outwardly by nature is what he was inwardly by nature… blind, poor, and unable to work to provide life.

All he could do was sit and beg mercy from another.

We are so blind by nature that we cannot even see we need salvation.

When God gives us sight the first thing we behold is that our flesh profits nothing.

Only then will a sinner come to Christ empty and begging mercy.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “None Good but One”

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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 February, 2018 | Previous post date: n/a

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THE WORK OF GOD

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” | John 6: 28-29

Notice that they asked about the “works of God.”

The depraved sinner thinks God requires many and great “works” to be done on the part of the sinner.

The taller the works, the wider the works, the more demanding the works, and the sinner will go after them with both hands.

But when told that God is not looking to the sinner’s many wonderful works, but that this is “the work of God” — to believe on him whom he hath sent – the sinner finds that to believe on Christ, and part with his own self-righteousness, is entirely beyond his ability to perform.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “What Works Should We Do?”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 7 September, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” | Galatians 4: 6

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8: 15)

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8: 26-27)

This is too wonderful for me!

But it is so because God says it!

In Galatians 4: 6 it is the Spirit of his Son himself within our hearts, crying Abba, Father. In Romans 8: 15 the Spirit of adoption makes us cry. Then in Romans 8: 26 when we cannot pray, the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which we cannot utter and God, who knows our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit within us because the Spirit makes intercession according to the will of God.

Is this not the only reason why the apostle Peter’s faith failed not?

Is it not the only reason our faith fails not?

Even when Peter appeared outwardly to have denied the Lord, Christ prayed for him, not only at God’s right hand but also within his heart.

This is an illustration of what Paul meant when he said, “the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the FAITH OF THE SON GOD…” The Spirit of God’s Son within us is the Faith of our faith, even when unbelief makes it appear we believe not.

With the Spirit of Christ in us we are so one with Christ that by the Spirit of the Son crying, Abba, Father we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit within makes intercession for us even when we know not what we should pray for as we ought and cannot utter a word. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 that we have the mind of Christ.

Here he says God who knows our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit within us because the Spirit makes intercession for us according to God’s will. This is more than this sinner can understand. But I am so thankful it is so!

Christ is the Faith of our faith and the Intercessor of our prayers.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Not Bondage But Adoption”

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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: 3 October, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Morning of Forever

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” | Isaiah 2: 1-4

The Lord Jesus Christ established and exalted his church by his life, death and resurrection. From heaven through the church on earth he is now establishing and exalting his church above every hill of falsehood by calling out his people, teaching them, and causing them to walk in him alone by faith. But there is one last work which he shall perform in establishing and exalting his house.

By the power of his grace working within his people in his church the Lord makes his people a peaceful people. Swords and spears are poor gardening tools. Therefore he makes his people instruments for husbandry. Believers have ceased binding others with the law–not only because we can not obey it but because an obedience to the law can in no way cleanse the filth of our flesh so that we are holy, only Christ can. Knowing that Christ has freely, fully, forever accomplished our warfare by reconciling us to God in righteouness and true holiness we no longer study how to war against God with the sword and spears of our works. Instead, we preach Christ who has made us more than conquerors. And though this is true of the believer in this life, we do not yet know the fullness of peace while we remain in this sinful flesh and sinful world.

Yet, in the end of these last days, after the Lord has called his saints from the four corners of this world, he shall then bring the remainder of the nations before him in judgment and shall rebuke many people for the hardness of their hearts and the sin that all men are. But at last he shall establish his bride in a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells only righteousness; where there will fully be no war and need for instruments of war. In that day he shall exalt his bride as the trophy of his victory by the work he performed from beginning to end. She shall be established and exalted when he presents her to himself, a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but holy and without blemish.

He established and exalted his church by his person and finished work, and by raising her in him to the right hand of God. He is establishing and exalting his church above the hills of every false dominion through his church through the gospel he teaches in the heart. He shall establish and exalt his bride one last time to be with him. On that morning when forever begins, all those present shall have one and the same song, “Worthy is the Lamb!” Amen.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Faith’s Confidence”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 2 August, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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From Heaven Through His Church

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” | Isaiah 2: 1

In yesterday’s article, we saw that the Lord declared that in the last days of the Mosaic economy the Lord Jesus Christ would establish and exalt his church in a way that his people through the law could never do. Today, we see the second work the Lord Jesus performs in establishing and exalting his house.

The passage speaks of all nations flowing unto the Lord’s house. We read that many people, not just his elect from among the Jews, shall go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Also, note that it is the Lord who shall do the teaching; that he shall teach, not of man’s ways, but of his ways. The prophet says that when he teaches his people they will walk, not in the path of the little obstinate-stiff-necked hills, but in the Lord’s paths. All this is because the law and the word of the Lord are going forth out of Zion from the top of the mountains and out of his Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 23: 1-8)

After our Lord established and exalted his church by his life, his sacrifice and his ascension, God the Father gave him all power in heaven and in earth to send forth the gospel from heaven through his church on earth that he might rule in the midst of his enemies. (Psalm 110: 1-4; Matthew 28: 18-20; Colossians 1: 21-23) From his throne in the mountain of glory, Christ Jesus the Lord is now establishing his church by drawing his redeemed people from the north, the south, the east and the west; an elect people out of all nations.

From heavens Zion our victorious King Prophet is teaching his people through the local assemblies and pastors which he has established and raised up.

His people rejoice to hear of his way of electing grace, of establishing them complete in God’s presence in righteous judgment by his own wisdom, righteousness and holiness. They delight in his way of regenerating his spiritually dead children when he comes in power and grace to each of them; his way of preserving them by the word of his power and of faithfully fulfilling his every promise.

As he draws them to his house one-by-one, it is not a grand spectacle or something even noticed by the world of religion who reject the gospel for another jesus. Yet, by the work that he alone is performing, his elect, hear his voice from heaven through his church on earth and they follow him.

Christ has made the path free of all thorns of sin and stones of ignorance; they know he is the Way and therefore they walk in his path.

This is the second manner in which the Lord establishes and exalts his house above the insignificant hills of falsehood. (Jeremiah 51: 25-26; Micah 3: 9-12; 4: 1; Zechariah 8: 1-3)

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Questions Only You Can Answer”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 1 August, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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In The Last Days

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills.” | Isaiah 2: 1

The Lord Jesus Christ alone must establish and exalt his house.

He has and he shall.

This is the word which came from the Lord God of covenant promise delivered by his messenger Isaiah. Christ’s church, made up of the small remnant of his elect in that physical nation Israel as well as his elect from the four corners of the earth, shall be established and raised.

In the last days that the Mosaic system of worship existed the Son of God was made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4: 4, 5) Christ bought the remnant of his elect children who were natural descendants of Abraham out from the Mosaic law so that they now are free to approach God through Christ the Lamb rather than an earthly sacrifice by the law of commandments.

At the same time, for both his elect Gentiles and his remnant in national Israel, Christ judicially delivered them from sin and death earned by the first Adam in the garden.

By his holy person and his righteous obedience Christ established an everlasting righteousness which his people could never do for themselves. Being made sin for us, he who knew no sin satisfied God’s justice, reconciled us to God and established us before God.

When he was exalted to God’s right hand in resurrection glory his church was exalted in him. In the first place, this is what the word “established” and “exalted” means. Come back tomorrow and we will see the second thing it means.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “The End is at Hand”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 31 July, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey