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I Will Give Unto Him That Is Athirst

”And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” | Revelation 22: 17

It is not good for people to spend their lives seeking God and not finding peace in Him.

It is not good that we should be ever learning and never able to rest in the knowledge of Christ.

It is not good to be always doubting, and when asked about our doubts to make the untrue excuse, ‘Oh, I am not doubting God, I am only doubting myself,’

No!

”And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22: 17)

It is God who promised life in Christ, and it is God whom we are doubting.

”And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 21: 6)

Of this promise BONAR wrote, “Thirsty one, it is with the WATER and not the VESSEL that our souls need to be concerned! It is not the quality of your vessel, but the quality of the water of life (Christ Jesus) that satisfies, sanctifies, and purifies! And he whose pride will not allow him to drink from a weak, soiled, and broken vessel (such is the best faith) must die of thirst; and he who puts away the promise of reconciliation because of imperfect faith must die the death.”

He who says, “I believe the right doctrine, but I don’t believe it in the right way; therefore, I can’t have peace” is looking totally in the wrong direction and will never find peace.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Fear Not” (33:06 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: 8 April, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Wisdom In Death

”LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” | Psalm 39: 4

When we, by God’s grace, are wise enough to face death, judgement, and eternity, things are seen in their proper light.

”God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 118: 27-29)

All these fine ideas of fame, fortune, and friends, and our so-called importance melts like frost in the sun.

”But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22: 31-32)

Death reveals the truth, blows away the chaff, shuts a man’s mouth, and opens the books!

”Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” (Luke 20: 36)

Death takes no notice of what I thought nor what others thought of me, but only of what God thinks.

“Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him.”

~ Pastor Henry T. Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “What Did It Please God To Do?” (14:48 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: 17 April, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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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.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4: 10)

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.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Why Is The Lord Good?” (31:20 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: 24 August, 2021

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Burning Hearts

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” | Acts 2: 42

If we have true fellowship with one another, it is because we worship the true and living God together. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1: 3)

If we truly break bread together, it is because we are made of the same bread and body. “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10: 17)

If we truly pray together, it is because Christ has made us of one accord. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1: 14)

It is a great privilege for brethren to worship together, talk to one another about our Master, observe the Lord’s Table together, eat together, and pray together.

May we always be reminded of the cause of all our “spiritual blessings in heavenly places, IN CHRIST.”

~ Pastor Kevin Thacker

Click here to listen to the message “Burning Hearts”

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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: 6 February, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a

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In Christ

”There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” | Romans 8: 1

Who can express fully the blessings of these words: “In Christ?”

“The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:” (1 John 4: 17)

To be “in Christ” means to be chosen “in Him before the foundation of the world.”

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1: 6)

To be “in Christ” means that there is now “no condemnation,” accepted “in the Beloved,” and “complete in Him.”

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 10)

It means that “as He is, so are we in this world.”

It means everything to be “in Christ.”

~ Pastor David Pledger

Click here to listen to the message “Jesus, the Forerunner”

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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: 18 April, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Out Of The Heart Are The Issues Of Life

”Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” | Proverbs 4: 23

LIFE begins when the HEART starts beating.

Life ends when the HEART stops.

So it is with spiritual life.

Spiritual (eternal) life begins when God takes away the stony heart, the heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and gives “a new heart”. “” (Ezekiel 36: 26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

There is no life without heart.

The heart is the real man. The heart is the seat of affections, convictions, desires and feelings.

Real faith comes from the heart, for “With the HEART man believeth unto righteousness.”

Real faith is not simply mental but is a heart love. There can be a pretended faith, a mere spoken faith, a mere intellectual belief in facts and doctrines without real heart love for God, Christ, the brethren and holiness. Doctrine only in the head will produce an unfeeling, unloving, uncaring and unemotional man.

The love of God shed abroad in the heart will produce a man of many emotions.

Love for God, Christ, the Truth, holiness, the brethren; is rooted and comes from the heart.

There is no life without heart.

There is no faith without heart.

Faith is founded on the Word of God and that faith has feelings.

Though we are not saved by feelings, yet no one is saved who does not have them.

Feelings come from the heart.

Feelings are the reaction of the heart being touched by the Word, the Spirit of God.

Show me a man who does not feel his sinfulness, who does not feel a need for Christ, who does not feel joyful upon hearing the gospel, who does not feel deeply thankful and grateful for all his blessings, who does not feel sadness, pain, joy, happiness, gladness, relief, fear and all other emotions at some time upon hearing the gospel… the Word of Life… and I will show you a man WHO HATH NOT LIFE.

Show me someone who never mourns, weeps nor laughs upon hearing the life giving sound, and I will show you someone who is dead. Open up a grave; laugh, cry, shout at the man and you will get no reaction. The man is dead; he has no feelings.

Laugh, cry and shout to the living and they will respond.

Show me a woman who is neither cold nor hot upon hearing the gospel, and I will show you a woman whom God will spue out of His mouth.

Show me a person who does not reveal a heartfelt love, a first love for Christ, His gospel, His people, and I will show you someone who loves the world and has missed Christ.

Show me a man who claims to preach the gospel, who does not go forth with weeping, bearing the precious seed, and I will show you a man who is a hireling, a pretender, who will bring in no sheeves. “” (Psalm 126: 5-6)

Though we should not look to these feelings, trust these feelings, or seek assurance from them, (for they come and go) yet there is joy and assurance to be had, when the Word of Life is indeed a SAVOUR OF LIFE to us. “” (Galatians 6: 4)

Savour is taste.

Savour is smell.

Savour is enjoyment.

And when the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, He makes the Word very savoury to us. He makes Christ very savoury to us, He makes the tabernacle (His church) very amiable to us, He makes the brethren to be loved by us.

Whenever the Holy Spirit was present in the early church there was fire, fear, repentance, faith, feelings of conviction, love, joy, peace, and so much more.

He is called Spirit for that is what He is and that is the realm he operates in.

The heart is the spirit of a man.

When the Spirit of God moves on someone, they are moved. “” (Hebrews 11: 7)

When God gives life to a dead man, he is alive unto God and a new man.

When God saves someone, it is a glorious and obvious thing… a new birth (like natural)… a crying, laughing, living, new born babe in Christ… a miracle of God’s grace and power, a wonderful thing, an obvious thing, an inward and outward work of God to the praise of His glory.

~ Pastor Paul Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord”

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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: 20 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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Eternal Life Is A Promise Received

”And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” | 1 John 2: 25

Eternal life is a promise of God for His people.

This promise, like every promise of God, is in Christ.

Eternal life is a blessing that the Father promised His people in grace, Christ earned for His people in grace, and the Holy Spirit applies to God’s people in grace.

Eternal life, like every blessing of God, is never earned by our works.

It is always a free gift of God’s grace to His people through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~ Pastor Frank Tate

Click here to listen to the message “Cast Your Works Out”

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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.

Hurricane Road Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 20 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Cattletsburg, Kentucky

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The Great High Priest

”Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” | 2 Corinthians 9: 15

Who can express fully the blessings of these words: “In Christ?”

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8: 1)

To be “in Christ” means to be chosen “in Him before the foundation of the world.”

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1: 6)

To be “in Christ” means that there is now “no condemnation,” accepted “in the Beloved,” and “complete in Him.”

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 10)

It means that “as He is, so are we in this world.” “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4: 17)

It means everything to be “in Christ.”

~ Pastor David Pledger

Click here to listen to the message “The Great High Priest”

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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: 27 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Great High Priest

”Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” | 2 Corinthians 9: 15

Who can express fully the blessings of these words: “In Christ?”

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8: 1)

To be “in Christ” means to be chosen “in Him before the foundation of the world.”

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1: 6)

To be “in Christ” means that there is now “no condemnation,” accepted “in the Beloved,” and “complete in Him.”

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 10)

It means that “as He is, so are we in this world.” “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John 4: 17)

It means everything to be “in Christ.”

~ Pastor David Pledger

Click here to listen to the message “The Great High Priest”

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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: 27 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a

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“But God!”

”For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” | Psalm 84: 11

You could have been passed by.

Multitudes were.

But God loved you, and chose you to be an heir of eternal glory.

You could have been left under the curse of the law to bear the penalty of your sin.

Multitudes were.

But God made his Son to be sin for you and redeemed you.

You could have been left in your lost, ruined condition.

Multitudes were.

”But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2: 4-5)

By Grace ye are saved!

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “Grace and Glory”

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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: 13 February, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a