Daily Devotions February 29th

 

Faith’s Check Book

By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" Psalms 23:6

 

A devout poet sings-

 

"Lord, when thou

Puttest in my time a day, as thou dost now,

Unknown in other years, grant, I entreat,

Such grace illume it, that whate’er its phase

It add to holiness, and lengthen praise!"

 

This day comes but once in four years, Oh, that we could win a fourfold blessing upon it! Up till now goodness and mercy, like two guards, have followed us from day to day, bringing up the rear even as grace leads the van; and as this out-of-the-way day is one of the days of our life, the two guardian angels will be with us today also. Goodness to supply our needs, and mercy to blot out our sins — these twain shall attend our every step this day, and every day till days shall be no more. Wherefore, let us serve the Lord on this peculiar day with special consecration of heart, and sing His praises with more zest and sweetness than ever. Could we not today make an unusual offering to the cause of God, or to the poor? By inventiveness of love let us make this twenty-ninth of February a day to be remembered forever.

 

 

Thought’s for the Quiet Hour

Forgetting those things which are behind … I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:13, 14

It is not by regretting what is irreparable that true work is to be done, but by making the best of what we are. It is not by complaining that we have not the right tools, but by using well the tools we have. What we are and where we are, is God’s providential arrangement—God’s doing, though it may be man’s misdoing. Life is a series of mistakes, and he is not the best Christian who makes the fewest false steps. He is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes.

F. W. Robertson

The pattern which we daily strive to copy!

   ~  ~  ~  ~

    
      (George Everard, "Before His Footstool" 1874)

O merciful God, our Creator and our Benefactor, our Father in Christ Jesus--we come to You today to thank and praise You for all Your manifold mercies. We thank You for the proofs of Your goodness which day by day we receive at Your kind hands. You have given us all things richly to enjoy. You have given to us home and friends, food and clothing--and You have preserved us in life and health. For all this bounty we adore and praise Your holy name.

But we would bless You most of all, for Your inestimable love in our redemption. You have given Your Son Jesus Christ to be a sacrifice for our sins. Fill us with sincere gratitude, and teach us to praise You both with our lips and in our lives.

O God of love, purify our hearts that we may love You as we ought. You are worthy that we should love You far above all else. But we are carnal, and our affections cling too much to the things of the world. May Your Holy Spirit break the chains which bind us so closely to earth, and draw us nearer to Yourself. Shed abroad Your love in our hearts, that we may desire Your presence above all things. Kindle within each of us the heavenly flame, and may it burn ever more and more brightly.

O blessed Savior, the Good Shepherd of Your flock--may Your holy life be the pattern which we daily strive to copy. Teach us so to walk as You walked when sojourning here below. May our constant aim be to do the will of our Father in Heaven. May we be gentle and meek and forbearing towards all men. May we never willfully yield to the very least sin. May we give ourselves unto prayer, and make Your Word the rule of our life. May we go about doing good, and watch for occasions of comforting those in distress. Fill our hearts with zeal and love, with patience and kindness, with humility, and hatred of all evil. May we daily fix our eye on You as revealed in Your Word, and may we be changed into Your holy image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of our God.

May Your Word ever be the light to guide and direct us, and may Christ alone be the resting-place of our heart.

Hear us, O God, and preserve us evermore by Your help and goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 29, 2016

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)

The life of peace is the life God blesses with spiritual peace. By the life and blood of Christ we have been hidden in the identity of the Prince of Peace himself. Remember who you are, dear believer! As a son of the very Lord of Heaven, you are inheritor of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places—take hold of your peace by the faith God will grant you!

 

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 February 28, 2016            Newsletter Number 557 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, Cindy Lane, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Velma Hammond, Charles, Don Hammond and Families, Vickie Adkins, 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, Dewayne Sewell, The Harris Family, Teresa Bookout, LittleTitan Thomas (Trent and Tiffane Thomas child), James - Diane and Brooke Thomas, Steve Sparks, Brother Harold & Ann McSwain, 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:   There Comes A Time When Christians Must Give up On the Wicked. Psalm Chapter 5   As a Pastor, a minister and proclaimer of the of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is my earnest prayer that all men come to Jesus Christ for salvation. I pray that God will lead me to them that are in need of salvation and give me the words to deliver them to the blood of Jesus Christ, a place where salvation is only found. Our church will spend any amount of money and reach to any depth of the earth to pull a lost and dying sinner to Christ. We cry unto the Lord as David did in his morning prayer and we too ask God for guidance as David did. It is evident in the scriptures that God knows all who will, and will not come to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Therefore we ask the Lord to lead us to the battle field of the lost, and to the lost who through His grace and mercy have hope though election. God is righteous, God is holy, God will never allow an unrighteous or unregenerate soul to stand in His sight or His Holy Land called heaven. The greatest love, the greatest mercy, is the fact that God chose to love a remnant of the wicked and chose to save and make righteous this remnant, righteous in His sight through Jesus Christ. However, with a remnant loved and that same remnant saved, there must be a larger amount who have not received that same special love, mercy, grace, and salvation. These people are known as the wicked because they are all Satan's people. God never said He wanted all mankind to be saved nor did God ever say that He loved all mankind. It is a fact that God spoke about condemnation of these non-elect. In Psalms chapter 5 David in his prayer to God said in verse 9 "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue." This is not the wicked people on earth but rather all of the non-elect on the earth. Pastor after Pastor speaks of God's love for everyone on the earth but David said in verse 5 "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." The foolish are those who reject Jesus Christ as Saviour and are in their condemned state. People try in every way to put every deceased person in heaven, but the truth is if they never trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour then God did not want them nor accept them into His Holy Land. In fact David said "... thou hatest all workers of iniquity." God will never love them. In fact God said in Romans chapter one that He has "given them up" to their evil and sinful ways. Romans 1:26 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections...",  and in Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind..." God has nothing good to say about them, King David said in Psalms 5:9 "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue." and Paul went even farther in Romans chapter 3:10 - 20. As Christians, churches, and Pastors we must understand that people who hate God hate him for a reason, and that it is their nature and God is not going to redeem or repent them. They are not Gods elect and therefore they are going to live their wicked and do their evil works until they die and then they are going to hell. As Christians and churches we never stop praying for redemption for them but we must understand that there are some wicked people who will never change. We see the world as their habitation and not ours, therefore we must give it to them to destroy because God has already done so. The world has not been God's since the He gave it to Adam and he lost it in the fall and will not be again until Jesus Christ destroys Satan and all the ungodly people in the world for the final time. Beloved, please do not allow this world, it's politics, or anything worldly worry you because God is still in control. The blind will lead the blind into wickedness, and then in to eternal destruction, but to us, God will lead us safely home, a place prepared for us by Jesus Christ. John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you..." Folks, there comes a time when we as believers must also give this evil world up to its evil and understand it is not ours, yet, but one glorious day will be.  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee...For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalms 5:11 - 12

A Thought For Your Week: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”   Many times we forget why and how we are who we are. Paul told us we need to remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Though we teach and preach the whole counsel of God we still need to be reminded of our salvation and of the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that His chosen people could have eternal life. We must not forget the One who bled and died and rose again so that we could have peace and joy in this life even when we face great trials. O brothers and sisters how ashamed we should be for not being more faithful in following the examples our Lord gave while He walked this earth. O how ashamed we should be for failing to follow His commandments for our lives. So many times we have taken the Gospel of Christ for granted. So many times we forget how without that Gospel we would be on our way to hell and eternal death to God.   I encourage you all to remember the Gospel of Christ. Study the Words of our Lord pertaining to Himself and His love for His people. Forget not the Gospel of Christ. Forget not to proclaim it to those around us. Proclaim it to a lost and dying world.   By Brother Steve McCool

Noteworthy: Sunday March 13 will begin "Daylight Savings Time" you will need to set your clocks forward one hour.    Pastor Johnson will be away from the pulpit March 18 - 20, he will be speaking at Northside Baptist Church in Oakdale, La. Bible Conference. Brother Justin Bookout  will handle all services that Sunday.    Happy Anniversary to Brother Larry & Sister Martha Mollette Friday March 04.   Happy Birthday to Brother Ronnie Henderson Jr. Saturday March 05.

But why?

  ~  ~  ~  ~

    (Don Fortner)

"Behold, we count them blessed who endure." James 5:11
Faith counts them blessed who patiently endure trials, as Job, the saints, and prophets of old did.

But why? Upon what grounds do we count them blessed?

Enduring their trials, God's saints find themselves compelled to cling tightly to their Savior---and that brings them into closer, sweeter communion with Him. And that is our happiness! We are blessed, indeed, when . . .
  we are admitted into the inner chambers of Him whom our souls love,
  our sorrows more fully reveal to us the Man of Sorrows,
  our griefs cast us upon the heart of our God,
  our troubles take us to the Throne of Grace.

Little chicks in the sunshine run all over the yard, pecking and gathering whatever they find. But if a hawk appears in the sky, the mother hen calls them with a sharp alarm. Immediately, they perceive the danger and run under her wings for safety.

God's saints are like those chicks. He was a much afflicted man who wrote, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust." Psalm 91:4

One of the most delicious of sensations outside of Heaven, is to fall helplessly into the arms of Christ! There we find . . .
  strength in helplessness,
  joy in submission,
  rest in resignation,
  and peace in surrender!
Anything which . . .
 gives new life to prayer,
 brings us to the Throne of Grace,
 and renews communion with our God--
is so great a gift that, "we count them blessed who endure."

There is no place in all our pilgrim journey more needful for our souls than the Valley of Humiliation. The tops of the Delectable Mountains are wonderful, exhilarating spots, from which we sometimes see the Golden City. But those are heights too steep for our trembling feet to stand firmly upon them. The valley suits us better, though flesh and blood finds it hard to go downhill. Here our dear Savior manifests Himself to His chosen as He does not to the world. Therefore "we count them blessed who endure."

Once more, "we count them blessed who endure," because "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!" 2 Corinthians 4:17. Oh, what glory awaits us on the other side! And that glory awaiting us is made all the more glorious by "the trial of our faith!"

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Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 28, 2016

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. (Psalm 63:8)

Praise the Lord that He lifts us up! When we are weak, it is then that He will be strong. Rely upon the Lord your God for He is your strength, defence, and guide in all your ways.

I would unmask the devil!

   ~  ~  ~  ~

      (Talmage, "The Abominations of Modern Society", 1872)

"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!" 2 Corinthians 11:14

Poets and painters have portrayed Satan as a hideous creature, with horns and hoofs.

If I were a poet, I would describe him with . . .
  manners polished to the last perfection,
  hair flowing in graceful ringlets,
  eye glistening with splendor;
  hands soft and diamonded;
  step light and graceful;
  voice mellow as a flute;
  conversation articulate and eloquent;
  breath perfumed until it would seem that nothing had ever touched his lips but balm and myrrh.

But his heart I would encase with the scales of a monster, then filled . . .
  with pride,
  with beastliness of lust,
  with recklessness,
  with hypocrisy,
  with death,
  with damnation!

In my next portrait, I would unmask the devil--until . . .
  his two eyes would become the cold orbs of the adder;
  and on his lip would come the foam of raging intoxication;
  and to his feet, the spring of the panther;
  and his soft hand would become the clammy hand of a wasted skeleton;
  and in the smooth lisp of his tongue, would come the hiss of the worm which never dies;
  while suddenly from his heart would burst in all-devouring fury--the unquenchable flames of Hell!

But, until unmasked, I would describe him as nothing but myrrh, and balm, and ringlet, and diamond, and flute-like voice, with pleasant and mirthful conversation.

"So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are very familiar with his evil schemes." 2 Corinthians 2:11

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Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 27, 2016

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. (Exodus 33:19)

God's will is His own and no man may triumph over it. Nor can any man judge whom God ought show mercy or grace. The motives of God are His own. And they are good. How thankful we ought be when we recognize that we, the redeemed, are the objects of that very mercy! Rejoice, believer, that though undeserving, you have become the eternal recipient of such unmerited favour!

 

Daily Devotions February 26th

 

Faith’s Check Book

By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

TRUTH ESTABLISHED

 

"The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment" Proverbs 12:19

 

Truth wears well. Time tests it, but it right well endures the trial. If, then, I have spoken the truth, and have for the present to suffer for it, I must be content to wait. If also I believe the truth of God, and endeavor to declare it, I may meet with much opposition, but I need not fear, for ultimately the truth must prevail.

 

What a poor thing is the temporary triumph of falsehood! "A lying lip is but for a moment!" It is a mere gourd, which comes up in a night, and perishes in a night; and the greater its development the more manifest its decay. On the other hand, how worthy of an immortal being is the avowal and defense of that truth which can never change; the everlasting gospel, which is established in the immutable truth of an unchanging God! An old proverb saith, "He that speaks truth shames the devil." Assuredly he that speaks the truth of God will put to shame all the devils in hell, and confound all the seed of the serpent which now hiss out their falsehoods.

 

O my heart, take care that thou be in all things on the side of truth, both in small things and great; but specially, on the side of Him by whom grace and truth have come among men!

 

 

February 26

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him

Genesis 32:1

It is in the path where God has bade us walk that we shall find the angels around us. We may meet them, indeed, on paths of our own choosing, but it will be the sort of angel that Balaam met, with a sword in his hand, mighty and beautiful, but wrathful too; and we had better not front him! But the friendly helpers, the emissaries of God’s love, the apostles of His grace, do not haunt the roads that we make for ourselves.

Alexander Maclaren

Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 26, 2016

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)

Life is turbulent. Even keeping our families clothed, a roof over our heads, and food in our mouths is a constant work. Deadlines are hectic. Trials come constantly. We need peace and that shall we find! Peace in Christ Jesus. Trust in the power of His resurrection and you shall see eternal heavenly rest! Rejoice in that rest and preach the redemptive power of His resurrection in all the earth.

Daily Devotions February 25th

Faith’s Check Book

By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

SET APART

 

"Ye shall be named the priests of the Lord" Isaiah 61:6

 

This literal promise to Israel belongs spiritually to the seed after the Spirit, namely, to all believers. If we live up to our privileges, we shall live unto God so clearly and distinctly, that men shall see that we are set apart for holy service, and shall name us the priests of the Lord. We may work, or trade, as others do, and yet we may be solely and wholly the ministering servants of God. Our one occupation shall be to present the perpetual sacrifice of prayer, and praise, and testimony, and self-consecration, to the living God by Jesus Christ.

 

This being our one aim, we may leave distracting concerns to those who have no higher calling. "Let the dead bury their dead." It is written, "Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers." They may manage politics, puzzle out financial problems, discuss science, and settle the last new quibbles of criticism; but we will give ourselves unto such service as becomes those who, like the Lord Jesus, are ordained to a perpetual priesthood.

 

Accepting this honorable promise as involving a sacred duty, let us put on the vestments of holiness, and minister before the Lord all day long.

 

 

Thought’s for the Quiet Hour

Thy gentleness hath made me great

2 Sam. 22:36

The gentleness of Christ is the comeliest ornament that a Christian can wear.

William Arnot

Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 25, 2016

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)

What an incredible promise! If we lack wisdom all we have to do is ask God and He promises to give it to us. He will not scold us for asking, for He gives it out freely!

My Prayer: Jesus, I am asking You, now, for Your wisdom. You have promised that you will freely give it and I trust in that promise!

Daily Devotions February 24th

Faith’s Check Book

By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

HEAR SO AS TO BE HEARD

 

 

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" John 15:7

 

Note well, that we must hear Jesus speak if we expect Him to hear us speak. If we have no ear for Christ, He will have no ear for us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard.

 

Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live in us, and must abide in our character as a force and a power. We must receive the truths which Jesus taught, the precepts which He issued, and the movements of His Spirit within us; or we shall have no power at the mercy-seat.

 

Suppose our Lord’s words to be received, and to abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is opened up to us! We are to have our will in prayer, because we have already surrendered our will to the Lord’s command. Thus are Elijahs trained to handle the keys of Heaven, and lock or loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thousand common Christians. Do we humbly desire to be intercessors for the church and the world, and like Luther to be able to have what we will of the Lord? Then we must bow our ear to the voice of the Well-beloved, and treasure up His words, and carefully obey them. He had need to "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually.

 

 

Thought’s for the Quiet Hour

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth;

so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

John 3:8

We know that the wind listeth to blow where there is a vacuum. If you find a tremendous rush of wind, you know that somewhere there is an empty space. I am perfectly sure about this fact: if we could expel all pride, vanity, self-righteousness, self-seeking, desire for applause, honor, and promotion—if by some divine power we should be utterly emptied of all that, the Spirit would come as a rushing mighty wind to fill us.

A. J. Gordon

In which class do you think most children would prefer to be?

   ~  ~  ~  ~

      (George Everard, "Up High!" 1884)

Two lads were once talking together about their teachers in the Sunday school.

"You should be in our class," said one boy, "our teacher knows so much!"

"You should be in our class," said the other, "our teacher loves so much!"

In which class do you think most children would prefer to be?
"If I can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge--but have not love, I am nothing."
    1 Corinthians 13:2
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Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 24, 2016

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Bolster your faith! Call out to the very Lord of the heavens for strength! He will surely hear you! Ask of Him a measure more of faith and He shall surely grant it. He is the Lord of all and delights in blessing His children with every good thing!

 

Daily Devotions February 23rd

Faith’s Check Book

By Charles H. Spurgeon

 

UNBROKEN FELLOWSHIP ESSENTIAL

 

 

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" John 15:7

 

Of necessity we must be in Christ to live unto Him, and we must abide in Him to be able to claim the largesse of this promise from Him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit Him for another love, or another object, but to remain in living, loving, conscious, willing union with Him. The branch is not only ever near the stem, but ever receiving life and fruitfulness from it. All true believers abide in Christ in a sense; but there is a higher meaning, and this we must know before we can gain unlimited power at the throne. "Ask what ye will" is for Enochs who walk with God, for Johns who lie in the Lord’s bosom, for those whose union with Christ leads to constant communion.

 

The heart must remain in love, the mind must be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to the Word, the whole man must be joined unto the Lord, or else it would be dangerous to trust us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can only be given to one whose very life is, "Not I, but Christ liveth in me." O you who break your fellowship, what power you lose! If you would be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord Himself must abide in you, and you in Him.

 

 

Thought’s for the Quiet Hour

Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write.… Come and see

John 1:45, 46

 

The next thing to knowing that “we have found him” is to find someone else, and say, “Come and see.”

Frances Ridley Havergal

The source and spring of all true life, pleasure, holiness, and hope!

   ~  ~  ~  ~

    
      (George Everard, "The Stray One Recalled!" 1874)

"My people have committed two evils:
   they have forsaken Me--the Fountain of living waters, and
   hewed out cisterns--broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Jeremiah 2:13
God reminds us how foolish and unwise it is thus to forsake the sole source of true happiness.

It is a very forcible image that is here employed--God is a Fountain, a Well of Life.
He is the source and spring of all true life, pleasure, holiness, and hope!
In Him is a continual freshness of all that can fill the soul with joy.
In Him are inexhaustible streams of mercy, grace, and consolation.
But men forsake this Fountain for cisterns--yes, more, for broken cisterns, from which soon leak out the few drops of water they may contain.

A traveler in the Holy Land tells us that in one part he found the land riddled with the remains of these broken cisterns. When water was needed, they would just dig one of these little clay cisterns in the ground. It would hold water for a time, but soon, when the sun was hot and weather dry, it would crack and leak--and so another and another would be needed.

Ah, what pains and trouble men take in hewing out cisterns like these . . .
  wealth unsanctified by true riches,
  the acquisition of knowledge with no end beyond its possession,
  a position and name that shall dazzle those around,
  schemes of self-indulgence and pleasure,
  a comfortable home where God is forgotten,
  some object of affection which engrosses every thought--
how often something of this kind steals the heart from God!
But before long there is sure to be a crack, a leak--and the joy and the comfort is dried up and gone!

So God in His tender compassion would have us see this, and remember that nothing can ever take the place of Himself as our Well-spring of joy.

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 23, 2016

But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)

As Christians, we have the tremendous privilege to be called "God's own possession." Although we were once lost with no identity as a people, we have come to know the excellent mercies of God. He has brought us together as a holy nation, set apart for His glory. For we certainly have become property of the almighty King, that we may proclaim His goodness and righteousness to all people.

Daily Devotions February 22nd

Faith’s Check Book

 

PAST DELIVERANCE BEGETS FAITH

 

"David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear,

he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine" 1Samuel 17:37

 

This is not a promise if we consider only the words, but it is truly so as to its sense; for David spoke a word which the Lord endorsed by making it true. He argued from past deliverances that he should receive help in a new danger. In Jesus all the promises are Yea and Amen to the glory of God by us, and so the Lord’s former dealings with His believing people will be repeated.

 

Come, then, let us recall the Lord’s former lovingkindnesses. We could not have hoped to be delivered aforetime by our own strength; yet the Lord delivered us. Will He not again save us? We are sure He will. As David ran to meet his foe, so will we. The Lord has been with us, He is with us, and He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Why do we tremble? Was the past a dream? Think of the dead bear and lion. Who is this Philistine? True, he is not quite the same, and is neither bear nor lion; but then God is the same, and His honor is as much concerned in the one case as in the other. He did not save us from the beasts of the forest to let a giant kill us. Let us be of good courage.

Thought’s for the Quiet Hour

After ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions

Hebrew 10:32

Our boldness for God before the world must always be the result of individual dealing with God in secret. Our victories over self, and sin, and the world, are always first fought where no eye sees but God’s.… If we have not these secret conflicts, well may we not have any open ones. The outward absence of conflict betrays the inward sleep of the soul.

F. Whitfield

Please quit acting spiritual!

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     (Don Fortner)

Please quit acting spiritual! In the privacy of your own closet before God, if you want to raise your hands and waive your palms, roll your eyes up toward Heaven, and show by bodily gestures that you are super-spiritual--if you dare do so, go ahead. But do not act spiritual before men. Our Lord strictly forbids outward displays of religious devotion. Only self-righteous Pharisees do things to be seen by men!

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men." Matthew 6:5

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Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible
February 22, 2016

He shall send from heaven, and save me [from] the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. (Psalm 57:3)

The believer has three persistent enemies in this world: the devil, the wicked, and his own wicked nature. God has promised to deliver His people and trample their enemies. And so He shall! The devil's day is dawning-his time is soon come! The wicked shall be brought low and judged righteously for their lives of iniquity! And the Lord has already begun to tear the sin nature from the very being of His people! Praise God for His forbearance and His ultimate victory!

What is Christianity?

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    (George Everard, "Guidance and Help" 1874)

"Christ is all!" Colossians 3:11

What is Christianity?

Christianity centers in the glorious Person of Christ!

The aim and purpose of every Scripture truth, is to fix the eye on Christ Himself!
He is the Alpha and Omega of Christianity.
From Him proceeds every ray of light.
To Him all believing hearts are drawn.
The Christian finds consolation and strength only in Him.
Every motive for Christian living is from Him.
The glorious privileges which Christians possess, can only be enjoyed from union and fellowship with Him.
Their highest standard of duty is to follow His footsteps, and to walk even as He walked.

Christianity, in fact, is Christ! It is . . .
   Christ in the Scriptures;
   Christ in the Manger;
   Christ on the Cross;
   Christ, the Risen One;
   Christ, the Ascended One;
   Christ, the Prophet, the Priest, the King;
   Christ in His Glorious appearing, to be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels!

All our trust, all our love, all our obedience, is due to Him!

The more the eye and the heart is turned fully towards Him--the more true and genuine is our Christianity.

Do not I love You, Oh my Lord?
Behold my heart and see,
And turn each cursed idol out,
That dares to rival Thee!

You know I love You, dearest Lord,
But oh, I long to soar,
Far from the sphere of mortal joys,
And learn to love You more!
  Philip Doddridge

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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 February 21, 2016            Newsletter Number 556 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, Cindy Lane, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Children, Ricky Henderson and Family, Jacie Henderson, Velma Hammond, Charles, Don Hammond and Families, Vickie Adkins, 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, Dewayne Sewell, The Harris Family, Teresa Bookout, LittleTitan Thomas (Trent and Tiffane Thomas child), James - Diane and Brooke Thomas, Steve Sparks, Brother Harold & Ann McSwain, 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:   The Rapture and Persecution Of Christians."Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12   As believers in Jesus Christ there is one single event we look so forward to, and that is the Lords return. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" 1 Thessalonians 4:16 What an event it will be, there will be a "shout", not just any shout but it will be a glorious shout. Then there will be a blowing of a trumpet, not just a trumpet sound but "the trump of God" I don't know exactly what this shout or trump of God is but I can promise they both will be special and the forerunner of the calling home all believers on the earth. However, of that time we simply do not know, except the Father. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Matthew 24:36 Since there is no way for us to know the will of God on this time, we simply must hope and pray that the appointed time for the "shout" and "trump of God" are soon. This time has been promised and hoped for since Jesus Christ ascended into the cloud in which He shall return. "Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11   Now with all this goodness being spoken about, let us also set out thoughts on reality. The real story here is we simply do not know when Jesus will return, today, tomorrow, a year, decade, or even a century, the truth is we do not know, but only hope and pray it is soon. With this being said, we as Christians must realize that this world is worsening almost by the hour. Jesus Christ was hated and hunted most all his life until he surrendered His life on the cross. Since the time of Jesus His followers have been persecuted even to the point of miserable and gross deaths. If you follow Christians thru history you will find they were persecuted and killed in very horrible ways. We saw Christians in the "dark ages" This is a time around 5th – 15th century. During this time the Roman Empire controlled by the Catholics seek to destroy any Christians who would not convert to their religion. Many millions of Baptist were slaughtered by these governments and Catholics. Christians were beheaded, hung by the neck, crucified in many ways, tied to wheels and rolled over rocks until every bone in their bodies were broken, and many were rolled in lard and thrown alive to the wild animals to be eaten alive. All of these persecutions were simply because they were followers of Jesus Christ, proclaimer's and obeyers of His word. Here in America we were blessed when our forefathers escaped the King's government and Catholic persecution and sailed to a new world where Christians could worship God without persecution. However, we know if we read the scriptures we will never escape the persecution of Satan and his followers. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12 As some of you who are young may not know, but there were times in this nation (while we were not a Christian Nation) where godliness was more tolerable toward God and the bible. However, in the last 50 years a great and fast descent has progressed to where we are at today's time. America has reached a point where godliness is a thing of the past and heathenism has captured our Nation. With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia it is possible that the Supreme Court will turn ultra liberal and liberalism hates God and Christians. I do not know if churches and Christians have woke-up to this fact of not, but if the Court is turned liberal the U.S. Constitution will become obsolete and the court will re-write it to fit liberalism. Our rights afforded to us by the First Amendment will be in jeopardy of being over written by the new liberal court. There could be a time in our life time when it could become to hard for true churches and Christians to exist in America. We could very well become the object of imprisonment and even death because of who we are, followers of Christ and His word. I know there are a lot of folks who are saying this will never happen in our life time, but I also heard this on gay marriage, and the legalization of some mind altering drugs like Marijuana. Beloved, what I say is very logical and very possible. Never doubt the power of Satan. All churches and Christians need to focus on the preaching of the gospel, but we also need to focuses on prayer and unity because the axe of liberalism and the most hate time for Christians has just fallen with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. As I said we do not know when Jesus Christ will return, but for our sake I pray it is soon. Believe me the haters of Israel and Christians has this on the top of their mind and agenda. Let us all be in much prayer. "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7 May God bless us all as we watch and pray together. And please let us all "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

A Thought For Your Week: That Is All They Have To Enjoy"Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity!" Psalm 119:37   No Christian enjoys comfort—when his eyes are fixed on vanity.   I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they have to enjoy! A godly wife who despaired of her husband's salvation, was always very kind to him, for she said, "I fear that this is the only world in which he will be happy—and therefore I have made up my mind to make him as happy as I can in it." Christians must seek their delights in a higher sphere—than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the world. Vain amusements are dangerous to renewed souls. It is when the Christian departs from God, becomes spiritually starved, and endeavors to feed on vanities—that the devil discovers his vantage hour. O for grace to sincerely pray, "Remove vanity and lies far from me!" Proverbs 30:8    By Charles Spurgeon

Walking Bibles, By  Thomas Watson: "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." Psalms 119:34   Determine to PRACTICE whatever you read. Christians should be walking Bibles, living the truths written. The Word is not only a guide to knowledge, but a guide to obedience. A holy reading of God’s Word, results in our fleeing from sins, and practicing the duties commanded.   "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word." Psalms 119:101