Sovereign Grace Missionary BaptistChurch 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 October 28, 2012 Newsletter Number 389 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 , Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Charles, Don Hammond and Families, 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, Brother David O’Neal, Todd Fifield, Robert, Brother Curtis Pugh, Brother Dan Sullivan and the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought For The Week: “When Prayer Shakes Our Assembling” “…grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, ... And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29, 31) I believe it not to be a naive thing to trust in the absolute validity of the Holy Bible, and that every word of it has been forever settled in the Father’s mind. I equally trust that it is the holy duty of every child of God to study the Scriptures that they may be approved of the Father. No doubt, through our neglect much of the Spirit’s availability has been set adrift, and to a great extent the Christians’ and churches’ power has diminished sadly below poverty levels. Modern prayer is filled with shallow self-centered “give me” fraudulent attempts to gain the Father’s ear. The “old paths” of prayer were ever mindful of our unworthiness and thus sought the true mercies of God. The word “servants” identifies the willing obedience of the praying ones to submit in all things to the glory of the Father and the Son. Their desire was to perform the work of the Kingdom in a fashion suitable to the sons of God – in holy power. They sought not their own, but yearned to be filled of Holy Spirit. God’s work cannot be accomplished by the works of the flesh. It demands the Christ-centered willing spirit to be endued with power from on high. Heavenly occupation demands heavenly muscle. The saints are not at liberty to set foot on the battleground ill-equipped. Hence, it demands due diligence to plead with the Father for the appropriate empowerment for the task at hand. As Paul and Silas prayed the presence of the Holy Spirit shook the very foundations of the jail to the saving of souls. In our text when the church prayed with a believing mindset to obtain courage for preaching the word unto the saving of souls, the filling of the Spirit once again quaked the assembly. Has God changed? Where are the consecrated ones praying for a shaking of their assembly? By Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

For Our Weekly Meditation: Tied to their minister's apron strings It is lamentable when a boy in his teens is still tied to his mother's apron strings. Yet is it not equally deplorable for those who have been Christians many years—to be tied to their minister's apron strings? Yet how often we witness this very thing. There is a certain class who seem to be afraid, or at any rate unwilling, to think for themselves—to search the Scriptures for themselves, and act accordingly—and we suspect that in many cases the preacher is as much to be blamed as they are. It is true that he is their teacher, and as such he should possess a wider and deeper knowledge of spiritual things than they have. Yet it is his duty to instruct them—to familiarize themselves with God's Word, and thus become qualified to "Test all things—and hold fast that which is good." (1 Thess. 5:21). In other words, the preacher is not to be a nurse unto them all their lives! It has long been our conviction that the preacher who is really of greatest service to his people—is the one who makes them most independent of human help, and casts them back directly upon God Himself. For souls to run to their pastor every time they are in trouble, or look to him to solve all their spiritual problems—is virtually to give him the same place in their lives, as the deluded Papists accord their "priests." This is not only to rob God of His glory—but also retards their spiritual progress. It is with God Himself, that I most need to deal, and any man who comes between me and the Lord is really a hindrance, no matter how good his intentions may be. Moreover, the preacher is human, and therefore liable to err—but God is omniscient and never misdirects. "If any of you lacks wisdom—let him ask of God." (James 1:5). Sooner or later there comes a time in the lives of most real Christians, when those words, "Stop trusting in man!" (Isaiah 2:22) are applied to their hearts in Divine power. This will not mean that they now refuse to hear God's servants or read their writings—but that they will no longer place the same blind confidence in their teachers as the Papists do in their priests. Instead, they will emulate the Bereans, who did not mechanically accept what they heard, even from the lips of the Apostle Paul—but "examined the Scriptures every day—to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11) - By Arthur Pink, from his article "Spiritual Nurses"

Notice: The next time change will be next Sunday November 04 when Daylight savings time ends, be sure to set your clocks. Your clocks will fall back one hour. The Next churches business meeting will ne Sunday November 11 at 4:00

Reflectors Of The Lord’s Beauty: "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness" Ps. 17:15 The portion of other men fills their bodies, and enriches their children, but the portion of the believer is of another sort. Men of the world have their treasure in this world, but men of the world to come look higher and further. Our possession is twofold. We have God's presence here and His likeness hereafter. Here we behold the face of the Lord in righteousness, for we are justified in Christ Jesus. Oh, the joy of beholding the face of a reconciled God! The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ yields us Heaven below, and it will be to us the Heaven of Heaven above. But seeing does not end it: we are to be changed into that which we gaze upon. We shall sleep a while and then wake up to find ourselves as mirrors which reflect the beauties of our Lord. Faith sees God with a transforming look. The heart receives the image of Jesus into its own depths, till the character of Jesus is imprinted on the soul. This is satisfaction. To see God and to be like Him -- what more can I desire? David's assured confidence is here by the Holy Ghost made to be the Lord's promise. I believe it. I expect it. Lord, vouchsafe it. Amen. By Charles Spurgeon from his "Faith's Checkbook" .