Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 April 25, 2010 Elder Randy Johnson, Pastor Bro. Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: sgmbcpastor@baptistsonline.org Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/sgmbc "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Are Still Taught"

You Were Asked To Pray For: All of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry, Virgil & Alice Hoskins, Grandchildren, and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Alecia Clements, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kirby Mollette, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Verna Mae Allen, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Kevin Henderson, Ronnie Henderson Jr., Vickie Sims, Debbie and Morgan Farmer, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don & Neil Hammond, Charles Hammond, Eric Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Wanda Fowler, Kathy Rosinbaum, Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Luann Reynolds, Bro. & Sis. Curtis Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel Seymour & Family, Doris Hammock, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout and her Niece, Roger Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Betty, Janie Capps, Scott and Gina Sillivan, Katie Norton, An unnamed child, Imajo Tracy, Mike Hux, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought From Pastor Johnson: Every Knee shall one day bow to The Lord Jesus Christ Philippians 2:10 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” As I drive down the road I see many vehicles with many different types of bumper stickers and I must admit most religious bumper stickers are truly hard to look at. One that comes to mind is the one with a child kneeling at a cross and the words read “every knee shall bow”. Well the statement is so very true, but the image is wrong, every knee will one day bow to the man Christ Jesus but not on the cross but rather at the Great White Throne Judgment. Folk’s the cross is worthless, it is true our Saviour died on a cross but the cross is not to be an image of worship; it is cursed because of its involvement in the crucifixion. The cross is what God calls a false graven image and don’t the Ten Commandments tell us not to worship any graven images? In fact I believe it is the second of ten, the first commandment tells that God will not honor any other gods and the second says “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” Exodus 20:4. We are not to have “…any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath…” which would include images of angels, Jesus, heaven, hell, demons, Satan, and yes even the cross. The cross is not our Saviour, it is not Divine, it will not save your soul from eternal damnation, and no, man will not bow to the cross, they will bow to Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind, the Eternal God and He is not on the cross. A cross of any kind is a false graven image; yes even the one on your church building if they have one. This is true also of pictures of Jesus; they also are false graven images because there are no true pictures of Jesus. There are no pictures of the Lord’s last supper, or etc. Some may ask “what are we to use to make our point about Jesus Christ”? Well I will tell you the same as I would tell these church that have the readable signs in front of their church buildings and put up all of these ignorant saying, how about scripture? What is wrong with simply using scripture on the bumper stickers, or on the signs in front of the church buildings? Why must there be picture’s involved? So you may ask “what makes them false graven images”? Well, they cause you to further break God’s commandment “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 20:5. Here we see that one day every knee shall bow before the man Christ Jesus in whose hand is put all judgment, of the saved and of the lost. Two separate judgments, with this one happening at the great white throne. Christians have already bowed to the Saviour and will for all eternity, but the lost have yet to do this but will someday. This includes every soul that has ever lived on this earth that was not saved. When they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ recognizing Him for the power, authority, and dignity He is due they will recognize His Majesty and as God, they will recognize His power over them, and they will recognize His authority over them when He cast them into eternal destruction for ever. This will not (like the tribulation period) be a time for grace and mercy but a time for condemnation. They failed to worship the Lord Jesus Christ here on this earth, but at this time they will worship Him as God, only to His pleasure. All of those that mock His blessed name, refuse His majesty, and refuse Him as Saviour will one day admit that He is. EVERY ONE!

But Now The Tune Is Changed: Conversion turns the bent of the affections. These all run in a new channel. Christ is now his hope. This is his prize. Here his eye is—here his heart. He is content to cast all overboard, as the merchant in the storm about to perish—so that he may but keep this jewel. The first of his desires is not after gold—but grace. He hungers for it, he seeks it as silver, he digs for it as for hidden treasure. He had rather be gracious than great. He had rather be the holiest man on earth than the most learned, the most famous, the most prosperous. While carnal, he said, 'O if I were but in great esteem, rolling in wealth, and swimming in pleasure—then I would be a happy man!' But now the tune is changed. 'Oh!' says the convert, 'if I had but my corruptions subdued, if I had such a measure of grace, and fellowship with God—though I were poor and despised, I would not care, I would account myself a blessed man!' Reader, is this the language of your soul? By: Joseph Alleine, from his "Alarm to the Unconverted" 1671

Condition Of Blessing: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it," Mal. 3:10 Many read and plead this promise without noticing the condition upon which the blessing is promised. We cannot expect Heaven to be opened or blessing poured out unless we pay our dues unto the Lord our God and to His cause. There would be no lack of funds for holy purposes if all professing Christians paid their fair share. Many are poor because they rob God. Many churches, also, miss the visitations of the Spirit because they starve their ministers. If there is no temporal meat for God's servants, we need not wonder if their ministry has but little food in it for our souls. When missions pine for means, and the work of the Lord is hindered by an empty treasury, how can we look for a large amount of soul-prosperity? Come, come! What have I given of late? Have I been mean to my God? Have I stinted my Saviour? This will never do. Let me give my Lord Jesus His tithe by helping the poor, and aiding His work, and then I shall prove His power to bless me on a large scale. By Charles Spurgeon from his “Faith’s Checkbook”