Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty-Three Years” 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 28, 2014 Newsletter Number 497 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, 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, 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 & Brooke Thomas, Gina Peel, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Melissa Elliott, Megan Whitaker, Manual Seymour, Sr., Brother Jerry and Sister Jean Dodson, Mr. Hedges, Danny Hammond, Claire’s friend, 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 Though From Your Pastor: Seeking God’s Kingdom First. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 The Lord Jesus said “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…”, however I believe it is not always the case in our daily routine. What the Lord means here is in everything you do seek God and his righteousness first. We are not to worry about what is best for us, what is best for our family, what is best for our bank account, what is best to have the best, and etc, etc, etc. God and His righteousness are to be our first and foremost thought in everything. We do not have to build our life, or search what is best for us, God and His righteousness is best for us. This goes back to living by faith and not by sight. The question we must all ask ourselves is “do we trust the Lord”? The Lord Jesus went on to say “…and all these things shall be added unto you.” If we seek Him and His righteousness then He will take care of those things we have need of. The thinking of a Christian does not have to be what is best for us, it should be what is best for the Lord and if we do then God will supply what we need but the truth is we did not need it in fact the pain of over eating was not worth it because about four hours later we are hungry again. Sometimes we overload on a new car or a new house and get more than we can really afford and in time we discover we have more than we can afford. If we seek God and His righteousness first then everything will be sufficient in our life. Sometimes we allow our desires in life control our thinking and we receive pains in life for our choices. God said He knows what we have need of before we ask, therefore we ought to trust the Lord and ask Him what we need and He will supply. The Lord had just told us to pray "Give us this day our daily bread." verse 11 why should we ask God to give us our daily bread? Because we trust His to give it to us, this is walking by faith. Seek God first, and He will supply, make this your way of life, and God will add all things to you. Beloved I know it sometimes seems like God is far from us, like He has forgotten us, like sometimes He is not supplying our needs, but He is. When God say He will supply, it means He will give us what we have need of, not what we think we need. We often mix up the need with the want, what we need is what God gives us and when we take what God gives then we will not overload at that buffet, we will not buy more house or car than we need. Wait on the Lord and be joyful and happy with what He has given you. When we seek worldly things we must be careful because it will take our minds off the Lord. God said “…Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Verse 24 you cannot serve two masters nor can you serve two desires. If you serve the desires of God first then you will not serve fleshly desires. But once you began to think fleshly then your desires for God leave and wrong decisions are made. Do you remember the old WWJD (what would Jesus do) I always thought it was a good question because before you do it, ask would Jesus do it? Well here the question is “what will God do for me”? Seek God first…!

A Thought For The Week: The battlefield! There is not a place which a believer walks in—which is free from snares. Behind every tree—is the tempter with his barbed arrow! Behind every bush—is the roaring lion, the Devil, your great enemy, prowling around, looking for some victim to devour! Under every piece of grass—hides the deadly adder! This present world is the battlefield; Heaven is a place of complete victory and glorious triumph. This present world is the land of the sword and the spear; Heaven is the land of the wreath and the crown. This present world is the land of the garment rolled in blood and the dust of the fight; Heaven is the land of the trumpet's joyful sound—the place of the white robe and of the shout of conquest. Oh, what a thrill of joy shall shoot through the hearts of all the redeemed, when their conquests shall be complete; when death itself, the last of foes, shall be slain; when Satan shall be dragged captive at the chariot wheels of Christ; when He shall have overthrown sin and trampled corruption as the mire of the streets; when the great shout of universal victory shall rise from the hearts of all the redeemed! "He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!" Revelation 21:4 By Charles Spurgeon

Beyond this, I have no great desire to live: "For to me—to live is Christ and to die is gain!" Philippians 1:21 God will preserve me—as long as He has service for me to do. Beyond this, I have no great desire to live. "I desire to depart and be with Christ—which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23 By John Newton taken from his letter.

Church News: Happy Birthday Sister Donna Johnson Friday January 02 Happy Birthday Sister Sarah Henderson Saturday January 03