Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty-Two Years” 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 August 24, 2014 Newsletter Number 479 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: pastor@sgmbaptist.com Web Site: www.sgmbaptist.com

Our Prayer Request: 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, Helen Maggard, Johnnie Stephens, Alecia Stephens, and children, 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, The Muncy Family, 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, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, James and Luann Reynolds, Timothy Fails, Nathan & Claire Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jerry Hughes, Teresa Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, Pat Abercrombie, Donna Jones, Dale Trahan, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, James & Diane Thomas, Gina Peel, James and Lynn Tomlin, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Megan Whitaker, Manual Seymour, Sr., Brother Jerry and Sister Jean Dodson, 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 Pastor Johnson: God’s Appointed Time. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 As we read the writings of “The Preacher” whom most believe to be Solomon the son of King David, we find a diamond in the scriptures. I personally love to study about our Sovereign Lord. The sovereignty of God makes me thrill to my bones and make my heart shout with joy. God is so wonderful and much more so when He declares His sovereignty. When the “preacher” penned the word “season” he was speaking of God doing all things according to the council of His own will or God’s Sovereign Will. Ephesians 1:11 "...being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" The word “seasons” here means – an appointed occasion – whether it be of time, an event, or a person, everything functions according to God’s purpose and will. In verses 2-8 we see the word “times” used 28 times. We see it used 14 times arranged in pairs of opposites, for example “A time to be born, and a time to die” Now let us look at this in a proper prospective; everything (without exception) has a purpose and a season or appointed time. Whether it is birth or death, to plant or to pluck up, a time to mourn and a time to dance, and etc, etc, etc. No matter what it is God has in a sovereign way created it, appointed a time for it, and a time when it is to began and end. God has set the bounds and nothing can pass God’s bounds. God has said of man “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; Job 14:5 Man fails to realize that his days are numbered by God and when that number is accomplished that person will expire. What the “preacher” told us in Ecclesiastes 3 has a deeper meaning than man likes to admit, it says God controls everything in existence. Let’s use a very controversial subject as an example, “Climate Change”. Whether it exist or not doesn’t even matter, why not, you may ask, because we cannot pass the will and plan of God. Is the earth heating up? Well maybe it is or maybe it isn’t we all know that one day God is going to melt the earth with “fervent heat” "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (12.) Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” 2 Peter 3:10, 12 we often worry about things we cannot control. If we believe what the “preacher” wrote then we also see we cannot stop death. Death is appointed of God, he is the one who controls all life, He gave it and He can and will take it at His choosing. Why does God allow abortions? God has the power to stop abortions, He has the power to control the minds of those involved, but He allows it because He has a purpose in it, what it is; only God knows. God has the power to stop death, floods, natural disasters, and anything else but again He has a purpose in them all. While we look at it all as horrible, God sees it as beautiful because it is all done according to His blessed will and purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." We do not always see the blessedness of death, to us it us final and an end, but to God it is a beautiful thing. We do not know the mind of God nor do we know the plan of God, but be assured God knows because He is sovereign in all His ways. God hath appointed; not some events and things, but all events and things. Beloved when something happens it is better to recognize it as God’s blessed will and move on, but some have a problem with that, if so then maybe this scripture from the “preacher” will help. Ecclesiastes 3:14 "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him."

A Thought To Share With Others: The song of the glorified has three notes in it! "And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation! You have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth!" Revelation 5:9-10 The song of the glorified has three notes in it: 1. There is the note of Redemption. You purchased me with Your blood. Jesus ransomed me — the slave of sin, of frailty and futility, of dark despair! And not by a mere act of sovereignty and might. No — but by breaking the alabaster vase of His unblemished body for me, and by pouring forth the costly ointment of His blood. It will be the theme of my praise through the unending years of eternity! 2. There is the note of Royalty. "You have made us kings!" O wondrous thought to quicken the torpid pulses of my soul! I will sit down with Him on His own throne, and He will share His great empire with me! 3. There is the note of Consecration. "You have made us priests!" I am, through Jesus Christ my Lord, a white-robed, white-souled worshiper, thanking and adoring God, offering to Him the incense of prayer, presenting to Him continually the sacrifice of my praise, lifting up holy hands in ceaseless intercession! Taken from Alexander Smellie, "The Hour of Silence" 1899

Church News: Let us all be in prayer for the upcoming Bible Conference. Friday night September 19th from 6:00 – 8:00 and Saturday September 20th from 9:00am – 4:00pm There will be a Friday night meal and a Saturday lunch both provided by our church at two local restaurants. Room will be provided by our church to our invited speakers at the Ramada Inn of Texarkana. If anyone would like a room in the same motel you may contact them at 1-903-792-3366. Come join us for some good old God fearing preaching and much praise and worship to God.

I was convinced of my own guilt—and Jesus is my 'Righteousness'. I saw my corruption—and Jesus is my 'Sanctification'. I felt my slavery to sin and Satan—and Jesus is my 'Redemption'. By Legh Richmond