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 August 27, 2016            Newsletter Number 584 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor                   Brother Ronnie Henderson Sr., Song Leader Pastor E-Mail: pastor@sgmbaptist.com                       Web Site: www.sgmbaptist.com “A Church Seeking To Please God In Song, Preaching, And Worship.”

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, Tyrell Loyd, Bonnie, 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, 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, Linda Hughes, Rosie Tomlin, James and Lynn Tomlin, Pat Abercrombie, Donna Jones, Brandy Sullivan, Gina, Tammy Hairston and family, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Manual Seymour, Sr, Dewayne Sewell, The Harris Family, The Morris Family, Teresa Bookout, Little Titan Thomas (Trent and Tiffane Thomas child), James – Diane and Brooke Thomas, Jace Fails, Steve Sparks, Sister 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:   Love! “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you…Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” Luke 6:27 - 28   We have been working our way through some of the book of Luke on Wednesdays nights. This week we opened these glorious verses. I personally believe the greatest thing a saved sinner has is God’s love in their heart. I believe that everything with God began with love. It was because of love that He chose to save a sinner like me, and to adopt me as His own son. God said in 1 John 4:7 - 8 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God…He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” How can one say they are saved if they do not love God’s children? As believers and recipients of God’s love through Jesus Christ and the gifting of the Holy Spirit, how can we not love? What were we before God saved us and gave us His love? But now, that we have received God’s love then we need to live our life in that love. God tells us how to do that right there in Luke 6, it starts with “Love your enemies”, and continues with “do good to them which hate you”, and “Bless them that curse you”, and “pray for them which despitefully use you”, and “turning the cheek that is slapped” and etc. Folks that is a lot, I do not know about you, but for me that takes a lot of work on my part. But, to truly do it will show you how God loves you. Remember you were at enmity with God before you were saved. You know, as I studied this and remembered my everyday life I realized I was not living to God’s standard’s for me, I have failed in this love area. If we look closely at these scriptures we will see just how much God expects from us, and how short we fall. I have this week tried to have more love for my fellow human being and have discovered it feels good to be nice to them that are lost. It felt good living more like God told us too. People do not need to be Christians for me to love them because God told me they do not. But, I must admit them being a Christian make the love I have for them even more special. I have to admit it has been a hard week trying to live these scriptures closer and closer, especially driving on the roads. But, we must remember that all things are possible through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.  Luke 18:27 “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” That’s right God can do anything, even with you. I ask you this week to lean on these scriptures, study them and work to do them, and if you slip don’t give-up ask the Lord to increase His grace to help you. Help someone in need, bless them that are angry with you, smile and greet those that despise you, and the feeling will be great. Paul said to the church at Rome of love, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10 how could it work ill if it is fulfilling God’s law? John wrote in 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” God’s love is complete in us when we as believers learn to properly love one another. It takes work, it takes prayer, it takes God’s power, but with all that complete, it perfects God’s glorious love that the Holy Spirit delivered to us as a “fruit”. Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” Beloved, be kind to one another, but don’t stop there continue the kindness to those who are lost, and God will reward you for it, but it in itself will be rewarding.

Christ's presence—and sin's presence By A. W. Pink   There are two sides to a Christian's life: a light side—and a dark one; an elevating side—and a depressing one. His experience is neither all joy—nor all grief; but a mingling of both. It was so with the apostle Paul: "As sorrowful—yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10). When a person is regenerated, he is not immediately taken to heaven. Nor is sin then eradicated from his being, though its dominion over him is broken. It is indwelling corruption which casts its dark shadow over his joy!   The varied experiences of the believer, are occasioned by  Christ's presence—and sin's presence. If, on the one hand, it is blessedly true that Christ is with him all his days, even unto the end; on the other hand, it is solemnly true that  sin indwells him all his days, even unto the end of his earthly history! Said Paul, "evil is present with me"; and that, not only occasionally—but sin "dwells in me" (Romans 7:20-21). Thus, as God's people feed upon the Lamb, it is "with bitter herbs that they eat it" (Exodus 12:8).   The Christian's consciousness of indwelling sin,  his mourning over its defiling influence,  his sincere efforts to strive against its solicitations,  his penitent confessions to God of his failure to master this inveterate foe —are among the unmistakable evidences that he is a regenerate person. For it is certain—that no one who is dead in trespasses and sins, realizes that there is a sea of iniquity within his heart, defiling his very thoughts and imagination; still less does he make conscience of the same and lament it!   It is cause for fervent praise—if your eyes have been opened to see "the sinfulness of sin," and your heart to feel its obnoxiousness. Since it was not always thus, a great change has taken place—you have been made the subject of a miracle of grace!   But the continuance of indwelling sin presents a sore and perplexing problem to the Christian. He is fully assured that nothing is too hard for the Lord.  Why then, is evil allowed to remain present with him? Why is he not rid of this hideous thing—which he so much loathes and hates?  Why should this horrible depravity be allowed to disturb his peace and mar his joy?  Why does the God of all grace not rid him of this harassing tyrant?

Church Notices;   Please pray much this week for the folks in southern Louisiana, there is much flooding. Please continue to pray for our Bible Conference September 16 – 17

Christ took your cup of grief, your cup of the curse — pressed it to His lips, and drank it to its dregs! Then He filled it with His sweet, pardoning, sympathizing love — and gave it back for you to drink, and to drink forever! -Octavius Winslow