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 October 05, 2014 Newsletter Number 485 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 and Her Family, 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, James and Lynn Tomlin, Pat Abercrombie, Donna Jones, Dale Trahan, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, James & Diane Thomas, Gina Peel, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Melissa Elliott, 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 Our Pastor: Lost In The World Of Religion. Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” The world is full of religions, religions of all sorts and religions of all doctrine. The radios, televisions, internet, and every street corner are full of powerful, inspiring, great philosophy teacher who knows absolutely nothing about God or salvation. This is called the blind leading the blind and everyone on the train is going to derail and end-up in hell together, wondering what went wrong. Those that are truly saved are not religionist they are Christians, our faith is not built on a religious experience or a religious doctrine. Christianity is built upon a man, the man Christ Jesus. Our faith is in Christ, that His death, burial, and resurrection, all according to the scriptures is enough to save us and His glorious blood is pure enough to cleanse all our sins not leaving one single sin un-cleansed. As far as the blind leading the blind the Lord said to “Let them alone…” they have no desire to repent of being led astray, they will be happy until they all fall into the ditch (or hell) together. That is right they are blind, they might have big congregations, fancy buildings, lots of money, and the most powerful educations, but they do not have the Holy Spirit in their hearts nor does the biblical truth fall from their lip. If the people who are leading are blind, and the people who follow are blind then who sees where they are going, they will not know until they feel the heat of the eternal flame. We cannot change them and if God does not change them then they are not going to be changed. I must ask, what is salvation, where is it found, in a doctrine, religion, no not at all; it is found only in Jesus Christ and in none other. The scriptures have concluded this in John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." Why don’t they testify of works, baptism, or anything else? Because they are not the Saviour, Christ Jesus is. Only the blind would testify of anything else because a saved person would be embarrassed to say it is found in anyone or anything else. The world of religion is large, powerful, rich, and blind and it will all fall together into the lake of fire. I do not believe anything we can do will change them, just as a sinner loves to drink sin like water the lost loves to hear the blind. Abraham told the rich man who wanted one to return from the dead so his brother would believe in Luke 16:31 "And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Now understand what was just said, they would not believe even if one was raised from the dead, He did, it was Christ Jesus and they believe their blind leaders over the Son of God. God said in 1 Timothy 6:5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” supposing that gain is godliness, supposing that gain is godliness, that’s right supposing that gain is godliness, works will never save one lost person, ever. I wished there was more I could do, as a Pastor of a church and a minister of the gospel of Christ I surely do wished they would hear the simple truth but only God can change their sight and cause them to see, lead them to grass and water, and keep them from following the blind into the eternal fire of hell. But there is one thing we can do and that is keep witnessing the truth and praying for them, it will not change them but God hears our pleads.

A Thought From Octavius Winslow: "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14. There is no victory, over the indwelling power of sin, and there is no pardon for the guilt of sin, but as the soul deals with the blood of Christ. The great end of our dear Lord's death was to destroy the works of the devil. Sin is the great work of Satan. To overcome this, to break its power, subdue its dominion, repair its ruins, and release from its condemnation, the blessed Son of God suffered the ignominious death of the cross. All that bitter agony which He endured- all that mental suffering- the sorrow of His soul in the garden- the sufferings of His body on the cross- all was for sin. See, then, the close and beautiful connection between the death of Christ, and the death of sin. All true sanctification comes through the cross. Reader, seek it there. The cross brought into your soul by the eternal Spirit will be the death of your sins. Go to the cross- oh, go to the cross of Jesus. In simplicity of faith, go. With the strong corruption, go. With the burden of guilt, go, go to the cross. You will find nothing but love there- nothing but welcome there- nothing but purity there. The precious blood of Jesus "cleanses us from all sin." And while you are kept low beneath the cross, your enemy dares not approach you, sin shall not have dominion over you, nor shall Satan, your accuser, condemn you.

Quotes From Robert Murray McCheyne: 1. For every look at self — take ten looks at Christ! 2. The greatest need of my people — is my personal holiness. Take heed to yourself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things. 3. Unfathomable oceans of grace are in Christ for you. Dive and dive again — you will never come to the bottom of these depths! 4. Get your texts from God — your thoughts, your words, from God. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be success. It is not great talents God blesses — so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is a powerful weapon in the hand of God. 5. A man is what he is on his knees before God — and nothing more. 6. Live near to God — and all things will appear little to you in comparison with eternal realities. 7. Lord make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be!

Prayer and faith are sacred picklocks that can open secrets, and obtain great treasures! There is no college for holy education like that of the blessed Spirit, for He is an ever-present tutor, to whom we have only to bend the knee, and He is at our side, the great expositor of truth! - Charles Spurgeon