Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty-Four Years” 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 January 17, 2016            Newsletter Number 551 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor                    Brother Ronnie Henderson Sr., 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, Ted O'Bonion, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, The Muncy Family,  Wendell Henderson, 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, Donna Johnson, James and Luann Reynolds, Timothy Fails, Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jerry Hughes, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, James and Lynn Tomlin, Pat Abercrombie, Donna Jones, Brandy Sullivan, Ryan & Gina Peel and his mother, Tammy Hairston and family, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Manual Seymour, Sr, Brother Jerry and Sister Jean Dodson, Dewayne Sewell, The Harris Family, Teresa Bookout, LittleTitan Thomas (Trent and Tiffane Thomas child), James - Diane and Brooke Thomas, Steve Sparks, 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:   Obeying God."Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29   Obeying God is a commandment and not an option. People are always talking about obeying God but when it comes to an actual sacrifice then the memory to obey God flies out the window. Peter and John had just suffered a major ordeal with the government, they had been warned not to preach about Jesus but they did anyway even though their life was threatened. Christians are to obey God at any cost to them. Life is ordained of God and disobeying God to better your life is not going to be successful no matter how much we disobey God. We must understand everyone and everything in creation is commanded to obey God, but very few do. If you will remember Jesus Christ, God's own Son also obeyed the commandments and will of God the Father. "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." John 6:38 Therefore to obey God is being like Jesus Christ, and obeying no matter where the road leads or how many issues arise, or even if it means to do with less in life or even without. Jesus Christ gave His life because God has ordained it to be. Many other millions of Christians also suffered great and horrible deaths because they were following Gods ordained will. God said in  Romans 13:1 "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." Christians are obeying God when they allow the high powers that be rule and move forward without interruption from Believers. We must all remember that "...For there is no power but of God..." therefore we are to accept things as Gods will, and obey them. Now please understand we are not to accept everything as "ok" just because God allows sinful things to exist. For example God does not accept abortion as a way of life, in fact He condemns it as murder, but He does allow it, and if God truly wanted abortion stopped then God would stop it. But this does not mean that God will not hold abortionist and all involved responsible. With this being said, always remember "all powers" even the power of Satan is controlled by God. Peter wrote in  1 Peter 2:13 - 14 "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; (14.) Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well."  Now please understand we are to obey man until it conflicts with God and then it is only God we obey. Let us take abortion again as an example. God has ordained abortion just as He has ordained everything else including the crucifixion of His own beloved Son Jesus Christ. God had also ordained the sacrifice of millions of His believers through His blessed will. Please remember "...For there is no power but of God..." Therefore, while as Christians we are not to fight the government over abortion (except through the legal system) we are certainly not to accept it as our way of life, nor any other law's that may disobey God. This reminds us of Peter and John, the government would not allow them to teach about Jesus, but God did, therefore they continued even though their life were threatened. "Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Acts 5:28 but the only thing that mattered to them was to obey God. God never tells a believer in Jesus Christ to disobey Him. It was God who told these two men to "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life." Acts 5:20 and speak they were going to do even if it meant their death. It is needful that we understand that Gods commandments are to always be obeyed, but only God's direct commands, nothing else allows us to disobey man. Therefore we ought to obey God rather than men, if that is Gods command.

A Thought For Your Week:   God's Truth Versus Satan's Lies   So many churches and cults today Are teaching the devil's lies, Leading millions of folk astray, For Satan has blinded their eyes.   The world is full of Satan's lies, Confusion on every hand; God's word is twisted and denied, Just as Satan has planned.   Truth, it seems, is cast in the street, For men by the devil are led; Tramp'ing God's truth under their feet, They prefer to teach error instead.   God's word is true, He says what He means, And those who believe Him are wise; Reject God's word and it's plainly seen, He'll let you believe Satan's lies!   Now if you believe God's word and obey, Your life will surely be blessed; He'll save you and keep you from going astray, Your soul will find peace and rest. By Sister Kathryn Parrish

A Quote To Think About:    Never have there been so many millions of nominal Christians as there are today — and never has there been such a small percentage of real believers. Never has Christendom been so crowded with those who have a form of godliness, but who are strangers to its transforming power. We seriously doubt whether there has ever been a time in the history of this Christian era when there were such multitudes of deceived souls within the churches, who truly believe that all is well with their souls, when in fact the wrath of God abides on them!   By Arthur Pink