Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church
1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
July 21, 2013          
 Newsletter Number 425

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, Junior Baldridge, Frankie Baldridge and daughter, Buckie Thompson, Frank & Sonya Trusty, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Larry & Martha Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, Robert Riggs, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Velma 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, Teresa Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, Lee Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Pat Abercrombie, Barbara Brewer, Donna Jones, Dale and Linda Trahan, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, Tommy Walker and family, Dina Thomas, Gina Peel, James and Lynn Tomlin, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Brother Steve McCool and the work in Canada, 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:

God Will Never Forsake His Elect.
“For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” Psalms 37:28

If you are a child of God, then you are indeed most blessed. Blessed because you belong to the most High and Powerful God, you are Gods property. You have been elected, and bought with the price of all prices, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are not only elected but also preserved, preserved in every detail of your life until the predetermined date of your demise. If you are a servant of the Lord in one of His churches you are preserved by God and no one can change what God has set forth for you to do. As I look back over my life I can see several times when I should have expired but I did not, coincidence, I think not, lucky, there is no such thing, no none of these things, it was God determined hand. God had predetermined my life before this world had ever come into existence. “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18 there is no chance, no luck, nothing just happens, no nothing because God has chosen every detail of everything that happens. We know that the powers that be are ordained by God. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1 this is why we are to be subject to them. God is in control, and no one, no other power that be can change what God has ordained. This is why Christians do not need to fret about the world and its system. I will not fight abortion because if God wanted it stopped He would stop it; this is just like gay marriage if it is to be then no one can stop it. God will allow these things and then judge those that support them. It seems like the world system just keeps having victory after victory but in the long run they will lose. This is why God told us to depart from it all and not to have part in it. “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.” Psalms 37:27 Christians are not allowed to do as they please, we have no right to support the evil of the world system as though it is good. As Christians we must put our standards higher than that and lead good Christian lives. I see some that call themselves Christians today and wonder what fruits show them to be Gods. To us who are God’s elect, we are His and everything that happens, happens only by His blessed will. I know sometimes life and events in life happens that make us wonder, but believe God when He says “forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever” therefore we are to carry on as though we are right and the world is wrong. While it seems like the world system wins every battle but let us remember those that died horrible deaths for the Lord, His churches, and the truth of His word. Where these bad luck? Was God not watching? And if God was not watching or if God could not do anything about it then how is it He can say “his saints; they are preserved”. God gave the life of his own Son in order that we might be saved, and He gave the lives of millions in this world for many other reasons. But as for me and you, we are also “preserved” of God and nothing will ever happen that God has not ordained. Therefore it is my duty to God to sanctify myself for the Lord Who had sanctified me before the foundation of the world. The world will pay account to Jesus Christ for their sins even if they continue to have victories in this world. The final victory is ours (the children of God) no matter what happens in this life. Even if we suffer jail or even death victory is ours and no one can change that. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58.) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 – 58   be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord because no matter if the entire world hates you, God will eternally love and keep you. Thank you Lord for your grace, mercy, love, and preservation of me, AMEN. 

For Our Weekly  Meditation:

20/20 Vision Is No Guarantee of Sight
“And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” (Jn. 9:39-41) 

The religious elite of the day upbraided the Lord Jesus as a sinner because He was a non-conformist to the powers and traditions of sanctimonious men, self-elevated law guardians, eminences of pompous braying.  Just the very presence of the Son of God in their midst unleashed a firestorm of raging jealousy.  Their pedestals were shaken to the foundations.  How dare Jesus infringe upon their domain?  What could the Pharisees not see?  Who is this man Jesus? 

Much of the religious society honestly believed they were seeing and understanding the things of God.  Yet, the Son of God stood in their midst and they were oblivious to His true identity.  They were as blind men believing they can see all things, but see nothing.  They had 20/20 vision, but they could not see Jesus as the redeemer of men’s souls.  His giving of sight to the blind man was far more than flesh could perceive.  The spirit of the man received sight as well, and he said, “Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (Verse 38)  The blind man received physical and spiritual sight.  The great all-seeing Pharisees were blinded from the Word of Truth, for they could not accept the reality of their spiritual blindness. 

Salvation only comes to those awakened out from among the dead bound in the Graveyard of Darkness.  Reality of death’s bondage must be as real as the power of the Lamb’s blood that rips the Dark Reaper’s claws from one’s eternal spirit.  One cannot know genuine life until he knows genuine death.  Likewise, the magnificent sight of the Son of God cannot be known until one fully comprehends the absence of Him on the eyes of his eternal soul.

By Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

Church News.

Brother Frank has alerted the church that our carpet will be installed on September 02 and the pews on September 09. Please keep these dates in mind and on your prayer list because the conference is on the 20^th and we do not need any delays. God is in control and therefore let’s keep these dates before God’s throne of mercy. The church plans to observe the Lords Supper on Sunday September 15^th following the morning service.  Please be prepared.