Sovereign Grace Missionary BaptistChurch 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 15, 2013 Newsletter Number 443 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 and Sarah Henderson, 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, Diane Thomas, Gina Peel, James and Lynn Tomlin, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Robert, Megan Whitaker, Manual Seymour, Sr. Brother Jerry and Sister Jean Dodson, Brother Steve and Kimberlee McCool, 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.

From Our Pastor: God Heard My Voice. "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice." Jonah 2:2 Two things every believer in Jesus Christ can always know, God hears our cries and God will never leave us or forsake us. We may sometimes think that God may not have heard us and even sometimes think that He has forsaken us but be assured He has done neither. Jonah brought on himself this punishment, if he had obeyed God the first time The Lord commanded he would have never have been in the whales belly. Sometimes God's children just fail to obey the Lord and His commandments and God has to get us in line with His thinking again. Sometimes we need a little chastening by the Lord, this is why Jonah wounded up in the fishes belly. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:" Hebrews 12:5 Believer don't be surprised that if you fail to follow Gods commands if you do not wind up in a fishes belly for three days and nights. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:11 "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:" A. W. Pink once wrote "But while the believer’s sins cannot be punished, while the Christian cannot be condemned (Rom. 8:3), yet he may be chastised." Therefore the believer does not need to be so surprised when God drops the hammer on them when they step out of line. When Jonah was let go out of the whales belly he knew what had to be done. "And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time...So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD..." Jonah 3:1,3 If God has to hit us in the head with a ball bat then He will. God knows everything and He knows what it takes to get our attention just as He got Jonahs attention. But even though Jonah had not done what God said the first time he did do it, and believe me if God wants you as a believer to do something you will do it. Gods ordained will is always done. God chastened Jonah for the same reason He chastens us; He loves us. Hebrews 12:6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." While the chastening of the Lord can be hard on us, it is only out of love that He does it. If Jonah had went unto Nineveh when the Lord commanded he would not have had to have been chastened by the Lord. Therefore as believers in Christ and church members let us all remember if God wants something He will get it and if He wants you to do something He is not going to find another to do it, He will make you willing in the due time. As believers let us examine ourselves to see if God is chastening us for something that we have not done. And may I also add this, that if you are not in step with Gods commands then that may be the very reason that your world seems to falling down around you. We are God's children and He loves us and therefore it is incumbent upon us to do and walk as He commands. If you are not in church then you are most certainly not doing as the Lord commanded. Joshua told us "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 While salvation is not a choice in life sometimes God allows us enough rope to hang ourselves and then chastens us for hanging ourselves. This is what God showed in Jonah but God also showed His will was completed. When the Y in the road comes it is better to choose to serve the Lord rather than serving the will of the flesh. Sometimes there is a war within us and always trust; God will always win, no matter how much chastening He does. It is always better to be looking to serve the Lord.

For Our Weekly Meditation: Your enemy!"I myself, the Sovereign Lord, am now your enemy!" Ezekiel 5:8 Unconverted sinner! You are not only against God—but God is against you! As there is no friend like Him—so there is no enemy like Him. As much as heaven is above the earth, omnipotence above impotence—so much more terrible is it to fall into the hands of the living God, than into the paws of bears and lions, yes, furies or devils! God Himself will be your tormentor! Who or what shall deliver you out of His hands? Sinner, I think this wouldgo like a dagger to your heart—to know that God Himself is your enemy! Oh where will you go? Where will you shelter yourself? The infinite God is engaged against you! He hates all workers of iniquity. Man, does not your heart tremble to think of your being an object of God's hatred? "As surely as I live, when I sharpen My flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will bring vengeance on My enemies and repay those who hate Me!" (Deuteronomy 32:40-41) The power of God is mounted like a mighty cannon against you. Sinner, the power of God's anger is against you—and power and anger together make fearful work. There is no escaping His hands—no breaking loose from His prison. "O consider this, you who forget God, lest He tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver!" (Psalm 50:22) Submit to mercy. Let not dust and stubble battle against the Almighty. "Woe to him who strives with his Maker!" (Isaiah 45:9) By Joseph Alleine 1671

A Quote For The Week: "Nobody ever outgrows scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years" — Charles Spurgeon