Power To Cross Our Path

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” | Acts 8: 26

In absolute power God moves his messenger and his vessel of mercy so that they meet right where God would have them meet.

There were two roads which Philip could have taken. Yet, through the Spirit the Lord commanded Philip to go south on the road which went down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This was the desert road. The phrase “go toward the south” has an alternate meaning in the Greek which means “at midday.” So in power the Holy Spirit of God, literally, moved his messenger to take the road least traveled, at the time of day when it was least likely to be traveled, to meet the most unlikely person, an Ethiopian eunuch.

The Lord’s elect may be wandering lost in the most remote places on this globe but the Lord who saves in power knows exactly where they are. We may have to be led away from the religion of the day out onto old Gaza Road, as was the Ethiopian eunuch, but God is able.

God our Savior, the King of heaven and earth, shall bring the good news of his Son to each of his children in his time in his power.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “From the Country of Moab to the House of Bread”

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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: 4 July, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

The Just Shall Live By Faith

“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” | Genesis 15: 6

While it is true that all for whom Christ died cannot become unsaved, and the Holy Spirit will never leave one who is born of Him; every believer feels the worst thing that could happen to him is to be left to himself.

This is what led David to make this cry, “Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51: 11) David felt as though he deserved to be cast away from God’s presence, but he could not bear the thought. He felt as though he deserved to have the Holy Spirit leave him, but he could not endure the thought of being left alone!

Cain went out from the presence of the Lord because he did not want to be in His presence.

But the believer must have His presence and His Spirit.

There is no life without this. Whether we feel this or do not feel this, we always realize this.

We cannot be left to ourselves!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “The Just Shall Live By 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.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 27 June, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

Comfort in The Sovereign God

“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.” | Hebrews 1: 8

There is nothing more comforting to believers than God’s sovereignty over all things.

Under the most adverse circumstances and in the most severe trials, we believe that God has ordained our afflictions, that God overrules them, and that God will sanctify them for our good and his glory.

There is nothing for which we ought to contend more earnestly than the truth of God’s rule and reign over all things, all creatures, and all their actions.

The throne of God, his right to sit on that throne, and his right to do with his own what he will is what we believe and what we preach.

Let us be accused of over-emphasizing the majesty and power of the living God, but never let it be said that we underestimate his glory.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “The Excellence and Glory of Christ”

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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: 25 July, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

What Is Grace?

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” | Galatians 2: 21

Paul tells us repeatedly that we are saved and justified, called and sanctified, preserved and glorified by the grace of God, without our works; but what is grace?

Almost all professing christians say they believe that salvation is by grace. The Word of God lays such heavy emphasis upon the fact that salvation is by grace that it is very difficult for anyone to claim to believe the Bible and yet openly deny that salvation is by grace. Papists, pentecostals, and fundamentalists, all claim to believe in salvation by grace. But most people think and speak about grace in such a way that they frustrate the grace of God.

That is the reason Paul declared, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain!” The grace that most people talk about is not grace at all. It is so mixed with human merit and human works that it is “no more grace.” (Romans 11: 6)

Grace that looks to the worth of man, waits upon the will of man, or depends upon the work of man is frustrated grace; and frustrated grace is not the grace of God!

Grace is the unmerited favor of God.

Grace is free!

Grace is unconditional!

Anything earned, merited, or deserved by you is not grace.

The man who thinks he deserves God’s salvation does not believe in grace. The person who imagines that his acceptance with God depends upon his will, his works, or his worth, does not believe in grace, as the Bible speaks of grace. He has fallen from grace. (Galatians 5: 2, 4) Such people may talk about grace, but grace does not mean to them what it does to poor, helpless, guilty, bankrupt, self-condemned sinners, whose only hope is Christ.

No one will ever honor and extol the grace of God until he has experienced it.

It was only after he had experienced it that Paul declared, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Before that, though he was religious, he was a blasphemer who hoped for salvation by something he did.

Paul took no credit for his conversion.

He ascribed the whole of his salvation to God’s free grace alone.

He knew he did not make himself to differ from others.

A great change had taken place in his heart. His opinions, affections, ambitions, desires, hopes, and motives had been radically changed; and he attributed the change to the grace of God alone.

~ Pastor Don Fortner

Click here to listen to the message “The Faith of The Son of God”

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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: 13 August, 2017 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

The Lord Jesus Christ Set His Love on Sinners

“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

Do you know who will love to hear that Christ came to save sinners?

Sinners will!

Do you know who will love to hear that Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners?

Sinners will!

Do you know who will love to hear that Christ died on purpose, for a particular people, whom the word of God calls ungodly sinners?

Ungodly (in the flesh) sinners will love to hear that!

The blood of Christ was not shed for the self righteous world, but it was shed for sinners.

Christ did not set His love on the self righteous world, but He set His love on sinners.

Christ will not receive the self righteous world, but He said He would receive sinners!

So, let me ask you this question: Are you a sinner? If you are, like I am, this is the greatest news we will ever hear in our lives… “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.”

~ Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “That’s Who The Savior Is”

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 27 December, 2020 | Previous post date: 20 January, 2021

Wise To Consider The End

“O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” | Deuteronomy 32: 29

Do we ever think about our souls at all?

Millions of people, I fear, cannot answer that question satisfactorily. They never give the subject of religion any place in their thoughts. From the beginning of the year to the end they are absorbed in the pursuit of business, pleasure, politics, money, or self-indulgence of some kind or another.

Death and judgment, eternity, heaven, hell, and a world to come, are never calmly looked at and considered. They live on as if they were never going to die, or rise again, or stand at the bar of God, or receive an eternal sentence! They do not openly oppose religion, for they have not sufficient thoughts about it to do so; but they eat, and drink, and sleep, and get money, and spend money, as if religion was a mere fiction and not a reality.

They are neither Roman Catholic, nor Socinians, nor infidels, nor High Church, nor Low Church, nor Broad Church.

They are just nothing at all, and do not take the trouble to have opinions.

A more senseless and unreasonable way of living cannot be conceived; but they do not pretend to reason about it. They simply never think about God, unless frightened for a few minutes by sickness, death in their families or an accident. Barring such interruptions, they appear to ignore religion altogether, and hold on their way cold and undisturbed, as if there were nothing worth thinking about except this world.

It is hard to imagine a life more unworthy of an immortal creature than such a life as I have just described, for it reduces a man to the level of a beast. But it is literally and truly the life of multitudes in the world; and as they pass away… their place is taken by multitudes just like them.

~ J.C. Ryle

Click here to listen to the message “As In The Days of Lot”

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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 June, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

Five Things About Manna

“And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.” | Revelation 19: 3-6

There are five things pictured in the heavenly manna as it is given in figure of Christ the true bread of God. (Exodus 16: 1-31) These are things which every believer shall come to know in the sweet experience of grace.

First: He will come to see that this true manna was provided by God alone. It did not rise up out of the cursed ground or evolve on the herb bearing grass; it was divinity given. “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” (John 6: 31) “He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven and rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them the corn of heaven.” (Psalm 75: 23-24)

Second: This manna must be discovered. All those who did not look did not discover the manna. The manna fell where God said it would. The manna fell in the assemble of God. The manna was easy to find. Most men do not find Christ because they do not look where the manna is revealed.

Third: The manna must be gathered. Manna on the ground did no good to anyone. Simply hearing about the manna satisfied no mans hunger. It must be gathered. Who gathered this manna? Hungry souls sought it out and gathered it in.

Fourth: The manna must be processed. Israel did not just scoop it up by handfuls and eat it like jelly beans; it was ground in the mills or beaten in a mortar and then baked into bread. (Matthew 11: 8) The gospel of Jesus Christ is processed by the inward working of the Spirit. (I Corinthians 2: 10-14) It must be heard, considered, understood, and believed.

Fifth: The manna must be eaten. Manna in a basket will not give life. It must be chewed and swallowed. It must be taken within where God, the Holy Spirit, makes it one with us and creates faith and life and hope.

Christ is our manna! May God be pleased to guide us where he can be found, reveal him to our hearts, cause us to gather to ourselves the full measure God has given, help us to process what we have gathered, and eat to the full what God has given. Amen

~ Pastor Darvin Pruitt

Click here to listen to the message “Christ The Omnipotent Reigneth”

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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.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 19 May, 2012 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentucky

Tell It One More Time

“And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.” | 2 Kings 5: 7

Our Lord was made flesh and dwelt among men on this earth for over thirty years in full and perfect obedience to the law of God.

“By the obedience of ONE shall the many be made righteous.” He then took upon Himself all of our sins. He was arrested, not only by men, but by the hand of divine justice, as if He had been the greatest sinner.

“He was numbered with the transgressors” and given over to wicked men who scourged Him, crowned Him with thorns, spit upon Him, and condemned Him to be crucified. He died on the cruel tree, not for any sins of His own, (for He had none) but “He was made a curse for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

“He died, the Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God.” Our Lord was buried and has risen from the dead, leaving our sin in the grave, and has ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on High to intercede and prepare a place for all who believe in Him. This is good news to the guilty, for our Lord “came to seek and to save the lost.”

Let the guilty sinner, who would be saved from all his sins, believe God and trust God as He is revealed in and through the Lord Jesus Christ; for, with Him, there is plenteous redemption, and sin is no longer imputed to those who are IN CHRIST BY FAITH. (Romans 4: 7-8)

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “The Way Up Is Down”

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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 June, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

Christ’s Unsearchable Greatness

“[[David’s Psalm of praise.]] I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.” | Psalm 145: 1-3

The gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in the glorious person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is plain enough to comfort the simplest, and profound enough that eternity will not be sufficient to plumb its depths.

~ Pastor Greg Elmquist

Click here to listen to the message “Christ’s Unsearchable Greatness”

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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 June, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

BY GRACE ALONE

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.” | Ephesians 2: 8-9

“By grace are ye saved.”

There is no present salvation except that which begins and ends with grace!

No man can preach or possess a present salvation except those who preach and believe that we are saved by grace alone!

The work is finished!

Any other way of salvation is dependent on the sinner and it will fail.

~ Pastor Henry Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Jesus – Friend of Sinners”

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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: 10 January, 2021 | Previous post date: 17 January, 2021