Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church
1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
Celebrating 50 years as a Church of Jesus Christ
October 29, 1961 – October 29, 2011
May 15, 2011
Newsletter Number 317

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, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd,, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Son Kevin Henderson , 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, Justin 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, Jack Johnson, Lee Mollette’s friend, Dale Barnes, Keith Johnson, Tammy Hairston, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner:

The Great Fabricator.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

We have called God many things over the years, but have you ever heard God called a “Fabricator”? Well here in Ephesians 2:10 that is exactly what He is called; the word “created” means – to fabricate, manufacturer, or to form something – The last five years I have been a truck driver for a scrap metal company and in my work I pick up at places that manufacture things and some of the places are fabricator’s. They are called metal fabrication shops. These shops create all sorts of things out of a sheet of metal, they simply take different metals and cut, weld, cut, weld, and cut and weld some more until they have created something valuable and marvelous. Here the Lord is called a Fabricator because He takes something worthless and makes something valuable and marvelous; a Christian. The word “workmanship” means – a fabric or something that is made – so with all this being said we are Gods “fabric” that He bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and He fabricated us into something valuable and marvelous. Now God goes on to say; “…which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” which means He fit up in advance that we walk the way He fabricated us to walk, that is as Christians. God ordained that we be Christians, He also made us Christians, and He also ordained our walk in our Christian lives. To put it in simple terms we are what we are by the grace of God. Paul said this in 1^st Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” We also see Paul explain in 1 Corinthians 4:15 “...for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” The word “begotten” means – to deliver or to cause to be born – again defining the fabrication of God. Now all this brings us back to Ephesians 2 but this time in verse 8 where God said “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” When God said “…and that not of yourselves…” He was saying you can do nothing to save yourself because salvation is of God the Great Fabricator. It brings great laughter to my heart when I hear Preaches proclaim “God cannot change your will” because only God can change your will, we have no power to change our own wills. God said that salvation “…it is the gift of God…” because it is, because by the grace of God He fabricates us into Christians. God goes on and says “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” verse 9. Works of any sorts not only calls God a liar but it makes Him irrelevant in salvation when He is salvation complete. “…he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”1 John 5:10. God said He hath made us Christians molded us from one lump of clay, some unto dishonor and some into honor. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Romans 9:21. Hath not the Fabricator power over the metal to make what He chooses? Does the clay or metal make itself what it wants to be? No it does not, both must have a creator and a designer just as the sinner must have one. Therefore God goes on to say “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Romans 9:16 again bringing us back to the single point that Paul made when he said “But by the grace of God I am what I am…”

Folks, don’t be fooled into believing that we are the cause of our conversion, for we have not the power to deliver salvation to ourselves no more than a lump of clay can mold itself. The heart must be pricked by the Spirit of God and then we can believe; if yours has never been pricked by the Spirit then ten thousand decisions will never save you. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37 this is the Great Fabricator molding something valuable and marvelous out of a dirty, rusty piece of metal.

Paid loafers and social parasites!

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

It is easy for preachers to become paid loafers and social parasites, wasting their days in pleasure, recreation, and bumming around with open palms and an expectant look. Sadly, the religious hucksters and hirelings of the world have earned their reputation. Let no gospel preacher do so!

The pastor has no boss within sight. He is not required to keep regular office hours. And no one checks up on him, to be sure he is working. That is as it should be. Yet, the very fact that a church treats her pastor as she should, makes it possible for the pastor to abuse his office, neglect his work, give himself to idleness, or to providing luxuries for himself and his family; when he should give himself relentlessly to study, and prayer, and preaching. If we devote ourselves to this labor, there will be little time or energy for other things.

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:15-16

Author Unknown

Death cannot hurt you! By William Mason

Christian! Death cannot hurt you! Death is your best friend—who is commissioned by Christ to summon you from the world of vanity and woe, and from a body of sin and death—to the blissful regions of glory and immortality, to meet your Lord, and to be forever with Him!

In the Marian persecution, a godly woman was brought before "Bloody Bonner", bishop of London, on account of her faith in Christ.

The bishop threatened he would take her husband. Said she, "Christ is my husband!"

Said he, "I will take away your child." Said she, "Christ is better to me than ten sons!"

Said he, "I will strip you of all your comforts." Said she, "Christ is mine, and you cannot strip me of Him! Take away whatever you will—you cannot take away my Christ from me!"

Just so, death may threaten to take all from you. But you may boldly put death at defiance, as she did Satan's bishop. Having Christ in your heart, you will take a smiling leave of the world, and (as good old Simeon, with Christ in his arms) say, "Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation!" Luke 2:29, 30.