Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 26, 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, Derrick & Alecia and sons Coty & Carson Clements, Frank Trusty, 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, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Kevin Henderson, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Daughter Ashley, Lilly Stansord, Vickie Sims, Debbie Farmer, Terry Farmer, Morgan Murchison, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don & Neil Hammond, Charles Hammond, Eric Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, 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, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Roger Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Gina Sullivan, Katie Norton, Imajo Tracy, Sister Jean Dodson and Family, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Marshall Risinger, Jeremiah Kelleher, Jack Johnson, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner: Those that believe on Jesus Christ have the power of God to be His child. John 1:11 - 13 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12.) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13.) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” So many read this passage of scripture and simply pass it by as just more scriptures about salvation, however it is much deeper than that. John chapter one itself gives a very detailed account of Jesus Christ and salvation. First of all verse one details Who Jesus Christ is, He is God, He was God from eternity past and God when He was born of a virgin woman. Secondly, He was light, He was the light in creation before the sun was created, He will be the light after the world and universe are destroyed, and He is the light of man in salvation because without Him man lives in total darkness and in this state cannot comprehend the light. Third, it tells us that all things were made by Him and nothing was made without Him creating it. And fourth, He that created the world and all things in it came to His own creation and they rejected Him, in fact He came to His own people the Israelites as one of them and they also rejected Him. However not just the Israelites but all of mankind rejected Him. Mankind does not seek Jesus Christ, they seek themselves instead. They want to be in control of everything and even in control of their own salvation, but God never said one has a right to accept or reject salvation, ever. In our text scripture God makes four wonderful points about salvation which makes the world’s plan of salvation wrong. (1.) “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…” The receiving Him here is not the choice or decision of man but rather of God. This actually reads “to them that accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour did so because God gave them the power to do so”. Remember man lives in darkness and cannot (on their own) comprehend the light. The word “comprehend” means – they cannot take it eagerly, or they cannot possess or attain it on their own. It is not something they will ever desire to have without God putting the want in their heart. (2.) “…to them that believe on his name.” not by their own power to believe but believing only comes by the power of God. Since man loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19) then that is bold proof that man will not simply choose Christ Jesus as their Saviour. Why would man ever choose against his own will and his love to live in darkness, and choose light? This is the reason that salvation must be by Gods power and not our own. (3.) “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man…” If salvation is the gift of Gods eternal love and grace then it cannot be of the will or choice of man. Here God explains that salvation included no part of man. “not of blood” means it does not come through the bloodline, “nor of the will of the flesh” means it did not come because someone else wanted you to be saved, and “nor of the will of man…” means you did not yourself desire to be saved. This one single scripture excludes the entire human race from acting in any part in bringing about salvation for the lost sinner. (4.) “…but of God.” God is the total source of salvation. The one who created all things, the one who brought life and light to the world, the one who came to His own creation and was rejected, mocked, and crucified, is the very one that redeems mankind. Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” Therefore when Jonah shouted from the belly of the whale that salvation is of the Lord, he could not have been more right. Because God does indeed save sinners and we play no part in it. To God be the glory! Amen!

A Thought For The Week: HIS KINDNESS AND COVENANT "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee" Isa. 54:10 One of the most delightful qualities of divine love is its abiding character. The pillars of the earth may be moved out of their places, but the kindness and the covenant of our merciful Jehovah never depart from His people. How happy my soul feels in a firm belief of this inspired declaration! The year is almost over, and the years of my life are growing few, but time does not change my Lord. New lamps are taking the place of the old, perpetual change is on all things; but our Lord is the same. Force overturns the hills, but no conceivable power can affect the eternal God. Nothing in the past, the present, or the future can cause Jehovah to be unkind to me. My soul, rest in the eternal kindness of the Lord, who treats thee as one near of kin. Remember also the everlasting covenant. God is ever mindful of it -see that thou art mindful of it too. In Christ Jesus the glorious God has pledged Himself to thee to be thy God, and to hold thee as one of His people. Kindness and covenant -- dwell on these words as sure and lasting things which eternity itself shall not take from thee. By Charles Spurgeon, from his “Faiths Checkbook”.

Fifty Years in Texarkana, Texas: As we leave the year of 2010 and enter a new year of 2011 we will be celebrating 50 years as a local New Testament church in Texarkana, Texas. On Sunday October 29th 1961 The Tabernacle Baptist church was organized in Texarkana, Texas under the authority of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Tulsa, Ok. And on On April 5th 1978 the church voted unanimously to change her name to the Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church. Please join us here in Texarkana to rejoice and glorify the name of Jesus Christ the Head of the churches on our Golden Anniversary. This church has had many wonderful Pastors in the past like Brother Oscar Mink, and Brother Doyle Thomas. As we enter our fiftieth year of existence it is my proud honor to be her pastor. We are also pleased to announce that we have one living active charter member Sister Juanita Bookout. We will be making plans to celebrate during our Bible Conference in September, please plan to join us in our celebration.