Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty Years” |
| 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, Sister Alice Hoskins, Joyce Gomez , Frank & Sonya Trusty, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, 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, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Kathy Rosinbaum, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Luann Reynolds, Brother Curtis Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother Manuel Seymour, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Justin Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Gina Sullivan, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Dale Barnes, Keith Johnson, Tammy Hairston, Tommy Lee Walker, Leon Wyckoff, Billy Smith, Linda Mollette – Linda at the thrift store - Shawn - his girls – and Eric, 15 year old boy with cancer, Brooke Thomas, Kimberlee McCool, Ricky McCoy, Robert Wilson, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia. |
| The Pastors Corner: “For I am in a strait betwixt two…” Philippians 1:23 “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”
Oh what a horrible feeling it is to be hung between two different fallings. This is exactly where Paul was here, between being with the Lord Jesus and being with the people and profiting them in the preaching of Gods word. Paul knew how important he was to his earthly spiritual duties, but he also knew what his eternal life was going to be like when he was with the Lord. Most Christians and all Pastors and Missionaries can empathize with Paul here; however we may not even realize it. I hear Christians say all the time as I have also repeated many times, “I’m ready to go home” but with the same thought we also enjoy life here, making ourselves hung between two ways of thinking. Pastors and Missionaries also get to this point when it comes to retirement, we hate to stop the work we have loved and done so many years. There comes a time when we reach the age that it becomes more harmful to remain than to retire. We feel as though the church or work can not survive without us, although we may never admit it. Please allow me to testify to everyone if a church or a work cannot survive without the man filling the pulpit presently then it not going to survive. Jesus Christ never builds a work around a man, but rather around Himself. Paul knew how important he was to the work he was doing just as a Pastor or a Missionary knows how important we are to the church or mission work; however, we are only a server of a section of time and time will move-on without us just as it has with us. God is in charge of the work and the works will be just fine without us. I personally pray that when my time comes I can gracefully step aside and allow the next step in time to begin. I have known several Pastors and Missionaries that have gracefully stepped aside an allowed the work to continue without them and it has done fine. There will be bumps and potholes along the way but there were when we all started also. I have also known those who have overstayed their time and harmed the work and it was not fine when they had left but rather folded and died. It is a hard thing to do and I know my time is coming. I will reach the point where I will have to decide to retire unless I die or Jesus returns first. However I am sure that when that time comes I will be hung between the two of staying or going. Luke 2:29 - 30 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: (30.) For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,"
Paul was a man; I know sometimes we might think he may have been a little better than a man but he was simply a man. Therefore he had fleshly thought that God actually allowed to be part of the scriptures. Paul knew he had no choice in this matter, he knew he would die when God had appointed him to and he also knew he would retire from the ministry when God had chosen it for him. So he knew this was not a choice for him but rather just some fleshly feelings. He had these same fleshly feeling about his beloved Israelites. Romans 9:3 - 4 "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (4.) Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;” Paul knew he could never have given up his own salvation for that of his fellow Israelites but he had those feelings. And besides knowing the pain a torment of eternal damnation none of us would give up our salvation for another even “if” it were possible. Beloved let us all when we are hung between two things look to God in prayer. We all (as Christians) are hung between being with Jesus and doing the work here on this earth, but as long as we are here and doing the work let us think of ourselves as the only one that can do the work because as long as God has chosen us for that task then it is our Job. However, when the time has come to step aside let us gracefully step aside and allow the work to move on without us. It will survive if it is Gods work and Gods will.
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| God Will Answer: "He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them" Ps. 145:19
His own Spirit has wrought this desire in us, and therefore He will answer it. It is His own life within which prompts the cry, and therefore He will hear it. Those who fear Him are men under the holiest influence, and, therefore, their desire is to glorify God, and enjoy Him for ever. Like Daniel, they are men of desires, and the Lord will cause them to realize their aspirations.
Holy desires are grace in the blade, and the heavenly Husbandman will cultivate them till they come to the full corn in the ear. God-fearing men desire to be holy, to be useful, to be a blessing to others, and so to honor their Lord. They desire supplies for their need, help under burdens, guidance in perplexity, deliverance in distress; and sometimes this desire is so strong, and their case so pressing, that they cry out in agony, like little children in pain, and then the Lord works most comprehensively, and does all that is needful, according to this Word -- and will save them."
Yes, if we fear God, we have nothing else to fear; if we cry to the Lord, our salvation is certain.
Let the reader lay this text on his tongue, and keep it in his mouth all the day, and it will be to him as "a wafer made with honey."
By Charles Spurgeon from his "Faith's Checkbook" series
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| Church News:
Our Next church Business meeting will be on March 4th please be makeing plans to attend.
Daylight savings time is March 11 Don’t forget to set your clocks forward 1 hour.
Pastor Johnson will be speaking at a Bible Conference on March 16 – 18 in Oakdale, La. At the Northside Baptist Church. Brother Steve McCool from Sulphur Springs, Texas and Brother Justin Bookout will fill in for Pastor Johnson for the services on March 18th.
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Sunday, 19 February 2012
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