Sovereign Grace Missionary BaptistChurch 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 September 23, 2012 Newsletter Number 384 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: pastor@sgmbaptist.com Web Site: www.sgmbaptist.com "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, Frank & Sonya Trusty, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, Deloris Davis and family, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Dina McCray, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Charles Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, James and Luann Reynolds, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, Lee Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Dale Barnes – Kathy Johnson and their mother, Pat and Waymon Abercrombie, Barbara Brewer, Donna Jones, Frank Roberts, Dale and Linda Trahan, Linda Mollette – Shawn and girls, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Robert, Brother Curtis Pugh, Brother Dan Sullivan and the work inThailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner: Do It In Secret. Matthew 6:3 - 4 "But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: (4.) That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." We want to look today at doing something in secret; and no we are not talking about sinful acts. We are talking about “alms” or compassionate acts or acts of generosity or etc. Have you ever noticed that people and a lot of “Christians” have few secret acts of generosity about them. If you watch so many today they want everyone to see them drop money in the plate at church or they will make sure everyone knows what they did because they want to be known for their acts of kindness. There is simply too much of this in our society and a way too much among those that call themselves Christians. I will confess and smile when I say in our church this is not an issue. We have some good gracious folks that simply want to beautify God house or help financially or do acts of graciousness in other areas and desire that no one ever knows. I remember back several years when the churches fund got so low that there was not enough to pay the Pastors salary; and someone graciously contributed enough to pay that and leave a little in the church fund. Now, if the church could not pay the Pastor that would have been absolutely fine; but due to these gracious folks or person I received my paid in full. Now as low as the church fund was at the time I told the church not to worry about it the Lord will supply and He did; however as mush as I wanted to return the check, how could I. What a blessing this person or persons must have received from God! Now as close as Brother Mollette and I am; I never asked who it was and he never told me. So as small as our church was at the time I still today several years later have no idea who it was; but God does, and He will be the rewarder of those that did it. I used this as an example because this is absolutely the proper way acts of graciousness should be done. And may I add even several years later your act of kindness has not gone unremembered by this Pastor; nor has it by God. The Lord says not to let your right hand know what you left hand does because some things beloved is simply between you and the Lord. The Lord also says “…thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." Two very important details here: (a.) God sees everything and (b.) God knows everything; therefore He never forgets anything except for the sins covered by the blood of Jesus. When you do alms for the Lord then they are for the Lord and therefore your Pastor and others in the church never need to know; because would you rather be rewarded by man or God? Psalmist said “Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Psalms 139:12 Beloved it is also so with prayer; we do not need to speak to be heard and we certainly do not need to speak to be heard of man. Matthew 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Notice very carefully that both of theses acts; the gracious giving and the gracious prayer both will be manifested by God and opened for all to see and beloved that will be a wonderful revealing. Luke 8:17 “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Therefore beloved “do it in secret” and if God wants it made known He will make it known. It may be like to the person or persons that gave above and beyond to make sure this Pastor received his pay; it may not be made known until we are in heaven and God openly rewards them.

For Our Weekly Meditation: Perfect Willingness"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" Ps. 110:3 Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes, and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent, and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will, and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master-key which He alone can handle.Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellow-men! Lord, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of thy power? I am wholly at thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of thee for thy holy purposes. O Lord, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as thou givest me will. By Charles Spurgeon from his "Faith's Checkbook" series.

Notice: The next church business meeting will be on October 7 at 4pm. Please plan to attend. The next time change will be November 04, 2012 When Daylight savings time ends. Your clocks will fall back one hour.

Could you be so selfish — and so cruel? By G. Whyte, 1888 "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain!" Revelation 21:3-4 Would you call them back to earth again? Would you wish them back — back from the presence of the Lamb? Back from the sweets of glory — to the bitterness of time? Back from those rivers of pure pleasure which flow at God's right hand — to the muddied streams in this valley of sorrow? After they have reached the haven of rest — would you recall them to struggle again with the storms of life? Could you be so selfish — and so cruel? "They feast on the abundance of Your house; you give them drink from Your river of delights!" Psalm 36:8