Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 30, 2012            Newsletter Number 398 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, 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, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, 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 From Our Pastor: Believe Them Not! Matthew 24:23 - 24 "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (24.) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Now that we have passed December 21, 2012 we all now know that this was another false prediction.  This will not be the last prediction that will turn into a lie. The simple fact is; we simply do not know when Christ will return, but only that He is going to return because God promised in Acts 1:11 that He would.  "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." However the exact time we do not know, in Matthew 24:25 – 27 we learn "Behold, I have told you before. (26.) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. (27.) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Therefore all we can do is to pray and look eastward. I personally am looking forward to the Lords return and I know if you are a believer in Christ and have oil in your lamps then you also are ready. I believe these false predictions are also a sign of the times and therefore must be fulfilled to produce doubt in the minds of the lost and unprepared believers. While we look at them as jokes and pure stupidity we must also treat them seriously. In both passages of scripture we have just used the Lord promise that these predictions would be made, and assured that many would believe them. Therefore when these ignorant people make these predictions, look at them as ignorance but also look at them as proving that the Lords return is just a little closer. These predictions deliver much doubt. Doubt to the lost in that they can use them to mock the coming of the Lord, and doubt in the weak believer in that they will not concern themselves with it. But be assured beloved when we least expect it the Lord will return, and at a time that many believers in Christ are unprepared. Let us notice the Lord said in Matthew 24:24 “…insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Not all the elect of God because there are a lot of believers who are ignorant to this very event, but the elect of God whom God has kept learned and pure in His truths. Just because one is saved does not mean he or she has been elected to be a truthful follower of Gods word. The elect here are those who are learned and well taught in Gods Holy Script. These things may get so real that they have a chance in fooling these well learned ones. However the Lord warned us that no matter how real they may look, to believe them not. We must keep our minds on the scriptures and only on them, they are they that will teach you truth and keep you well learned. Mark warned us in Mark 13:22 "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." But it will not be possible if our hearts and minds are on what God is teaching. While these ignorant predictions continue, do not be surprised if they get more and more real, even enough so that the very well learned of God may have a hard time separating them. Folks, we are only as strong as the grace of God allows us to be. Therefore we must all be instant in prayer and very watchful or other wise we may be fooled by the fools.

For Our Weekly  Meditation: Driving a Wedge “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos; then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” (Gen. 4:26) An expanded thought out of the language is that in the generation when Enos was born men began to drive a wedge by proclaiming (preaching) the Name of the LORD.  As early as this period of time many were in disbelief and became profane individuals.  There grew an increasing rejection of the knowledge and message of God; therefore, when the men of God proclaimed the Name of the LORD, the message was like a wedge being driven between the true believers and the unbelievers.  It defined the tearing asunder, separating the children of God from the children of the wicked one.  This is the place in history that clearly drew the visible distinction between the two families of seed sown upon the earth. God from the beginning gave a visible separation when He “divided the light from the darkness.” (Gen. 1:4)  Jesus said, “…he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”. (Matt. 25:32b)  They who walk in the light and they who walk in darkness inherently cannot co-exist in harmony; by the innate order of mankind a wedge must naturally be driven, and the wedge is always the proclaiming of the Name of God.  Jude wrote: “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” (verse 19) Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company,” (Lk. 6:22)  The profane have absolutely no desire to remain in the company of saints who speak of the things of God.  Paul wrote: “…for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteous? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (II Cor. 6:14-15)  The more the Name of God is proclaimed the deeper the wedge and wider the separation. By Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

Happy Birthday: Sister Donna Johnson Wednesday January 02 Sister Sarah Henderson Thursday January 03 Brother Ronnie Henderson Friday January 04  "Don't count the years, count the blessings." Happy birthday to you all!