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 24, 2016            Newsletter Number 552 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 Dodson and family, 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:   Believing Is God's Work, Not Man's!"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? (29.) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28 - 29   I have a question for you today, what does man have to do to be saved? The answer is nothing! Salvation regardless whatever man may say is not in the hands or power of man. If you think about it every religion in the world is built on what man can do to be successful in salvation, therefore its entire fulfillment depends on what man can do. However, when you look into Christianity it is not about mankind, it is about God. Christianity is built on a man, but not just any man but God incarnate, Jesus Christ. There is not one single part of salvation dependent on man, it is all dependent on God. The question was "...What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" and Jesus answered "...This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." There is a very simple and logical answer as to why God left nothing involving salvation in the hands of man, and that is mankind are altogether "failures" at everything scriptural. The only assurances God had of making sure that salvation was successful was to accomplish it himself. The works of God are "...that ye believe..." this tells us that it is God who causes us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone ever teaches that salvation involves mankind outside of being the beneficiary of it is so wrong. This teachings you find being taught today in "Christianity" in the churches of Arminianism is simply false. God told us that man would change the truth into a lie and worship the creature more than the creator. This is exactly what Arminian churches do they lie about God and salvation and serve the creature instead of the creator. God never told anyone in the bible to do anything outside of believing to be saved, and here it tells us that God causes us to believe. So anytime anyone tells you to do something to be saved, it is scripturally evident that they are teaching false doctrine. If you listen to the average Arminian preachers message about salvation you will not find that message in the scriptures. The only thing the scriptures ever tells anyone to do to be saved is to believe. The words your decision, your choice, your prayer, or your anything is not scriptural. What those words do is to take the power out of God's hands and puts it into the depraved sinners hand which is what God said in Romans 1:25 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator..." Please remember our text said "...This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." It is not your work because it is impossible for you to change who you are because you are a depraved sinner, who is at enmity with God. James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." God never said that the sinner would ever desire to be anything but a sinner. God never said that the words of man would cause you to change from wanting to be depraved sinner to being His child. Lets look at it this way, think of the family you hate or dislike the most on the earth and then think of yourself as all of a sudden you changing your mind about them and wanting to be a part of that family. Now compare that to choosing to be saved, because if mankind are truly at enemy with God then why would you want to be a part of His family. This is why God draws us, God's Spirit convicts us, God begets us or births us, and this is why God causes us to believe. This leaves no room for man in His deliverance and no room for Gods failure, which is impossible. John wrote in 1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." Arminianism is simply false and full of lies, and in case you do not know Arminianism is any church or teacher who fails to teach that God is sovereign and that God saved sinners. Or think of it this way if they teach that you do anything to be saved that are Arminian and changing the truth of God into a lie.

A Thought For Your Week:   John 12:43 “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”   As we leave the old year and enter the new, pay attention to where the praise of the world is focused. We see those of the world focus on praising this one and that one for their accomplishments in the past year. No thought to the God of Heaven. But we expect that from them. Don't we? After all they are not God's children.   But also notice many of those who wear the name of Christ. There are those who we believe to be the children of God. Yet they follow after the example of the world and not after the example of their Savior. They will celebrate with the darkness of the world and not with the light of Christ. So at this time of remembering the past year remember Who it was that gave you that year. Remember the One who brought you through that year. And remember to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for it all.   As for the year to come, waste not your time and energy on silly resolutions but instead strive to live your life according to the Word of God.   John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” If you are a child of God flee the darkness and concentrate on the Light. If you have not been saved and the Holy Spirit is calling you “believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”   Praise ye the Lord!!!   By Brother Steve McCool

Church Notice:    Pastor Johnson will be speaking between  Friday June 03 thru Sunday June 05 at the  Grace Bible Baptist Church in Denham   in Denham Springs, La. The schedule has not been posted but when it is we let you know. Please plan to attend if you can, I promise you will not be disappointed. Also please be in special prayer this week for Brother Jerry Dodson and this church because of the passing of Sister Jean Dodson. Sister Jean will be missed, but has to be most happy this morning.     Psalms 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."