Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 May 20, 2012            Newsletter Number 367 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor                    Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: sgmbcpastor@baptistsonline.org          Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/sgmbc "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, Dina McCray, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Son Kevin Henderson, Ricky Henderson and Family, 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, James and Luann Reynolds, Brother 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, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Lee Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Dale Barnes, Tammy Hairston, Tommy Lee Walker, Linda Mollette, Pat and Waymon Abercrombie, Barbara Brewer, Michelle Knowlton, Donna Jones, Gina Peel, Frank Roberts, Dina Thomas, Curtis Pugh, Brother Sullivan and the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania,  and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner: The Holy Spirit Part 1 John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” We come now to the third part of the Trinity; The Holy Spirit. Many people in the religious circles have a gross misunderstanding about the Holy Spirit just as they do with God; period. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity but just as much God as the Father and the Son. In John 4:24 it says “God is a Spirit…” or God is the Holy Spirit. The Godhead is not three separate gods but one single God and He cannot therefore truly be separated. For example most believe the Jesus Christ was incarnate with the entire Son of God but that is not possible because the Son is God and cannot be separated from the Godhead. Well neither can the Father or the Holy Spirit. In creation we read; "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2   This is not the Holy Spirit alone but rather God moved. In we see the Trinity named together as one and not as three; “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Matthew 28:19 However we do in the scriptures see the Holy Spirit working with people in a personal relationship. For example in Acts 15:28 we read  "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;" There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit works in the life of every single Christian and if He has not worked in your life then you cannot be saved. The first act we recognize is the working of the Holy Spirit in salvation and His dealing with our hearts in quickening them. However there are so many other ways in which He deals with the Christian; the more you are in the work of God the more He deals with you. For example He deals a lot with a Pastor because it is He who moves the pastor to teach and preach His word, every single sermon is from the Holy Spirit or there is no sermon, there is simple a conversation. But also He plays such a role in our Christian life that we simply fail to recognize it. He teaches us the deep things of God “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”  1 Corinthians 2:10 - It is only the Spirit of God which can reveal the counsels of God because we can never understand them on our own. He speaks to our hearts “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:20. Pastors that want to take credit for their sermons or ability to speak well ought to read this scripture several times however a Pastor that takes credit for any of his sermons or knowledge is most likely not called of the Holy Spirit anyway. God reminds us "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches…." Revelation 2:7 – You will hear the Holy Spirit through His Pastors “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write..." Revelation 2:8 the “angel” is defined messenger which here is the Pastor; so listen to him and hear the message God has for your church. He is also our teacher "For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." Luke 12:12 - all of you who thought your Pastor taught you such wonderful things remember your Pastor is only a messenger and if he is of God then he will be a teacher. The Holy Spirit also leads and guides us "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." John 16:13 and not only in truth but every aspect of our lives. He also He intercedes on our behalf "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Romans 8:26  That’s right we have no idea how to pray to the King of Kings therefore the Holy Spirit corrects our prayers and delivers them to the Father in proper form. Oh how wonderful the Holy Spirit is to all Christians. More next week.

For Our Weekly  Meditation: Satan's spiritual dominion over young people "Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment." Matthew 17:18 We must not forget that there are many instances of Satan's spiritual dominion over young people, which are quite as painful, in their way, as the case described in this passage. - There are thousands of young people who seem to have wholly given themselves up to Satan's temptations, and to be led captive at his will. - They cast off all fear of God, and all respect for His commandments. - They serve diverse lusts and pleasures. - They run wildly into every excess of riot. - They refuse to listen to the advice of parents, teachers, or ministers. - They fling aside all regard for health, character, or worldly respectability. - They do all that lies in their power to ruin themselves, body and soul, for time and eternity. - They are willing bondslaves of Satan. Who has not seen such young people? - They are to be seen in town and in country. - They are to be found among rich and among poor. Surely such young people give mournful proof, that Satan still exercises a fearful dominion over some men's souls. Yet even about such young people as these, we must never despair. We must call to mind the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bad as this boy's case was, of whom we read in these verses, he was "was healed from that moment" that he was brought to Christ! Parents, and teachers, and ministers should go on praying for young people, even at their worst. Hard as their hearts seem now, they may yet be softened. Desperate as their wickedness now appears, they may yet be healed. They may yet repent, and be converted, and their last state prove better than their first. Who can tell? Let it be a settled principle with us, when we read our Lord's miracles, never to despair of the conversion of ANY soul. The above article was by J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Matthew" 1856

Church News: The church will hold a short business meeting after the 4:00 service today to discuss the Bible Conference in September.