Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty-Five Years” 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 25, 2016            Newsletter Number 600 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 Prayer, 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 Adcock, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, The Muncy Family, Mary Mollette, 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 Archie and Barbra Griffin, Brother Curtis Pugh, Brother Dan Sullivan – his mother and the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought From our Pastor:   Lie Not One To Another!“For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Colossians 3:6-10   Today is what the world calls Christmas. I’m not going to get into the realness or the phoniness of the holiday, and I’m not going to debate whether Christians should celebrate the holiday. Although, I must point out that it is not a Christian Holyday and it is not about Jesus Christ nor about His birth. We can all debate the holiday, but those two are not debatable. I want to speak today about both Christmas and Easter. Neither of the holidays are not about Jesus Christ, nor are they about His birth or resurrection. It is all about two phony Cartoon Characters named Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, which neither one is real. Now it is ok to have Cartoon Characters in children lives but to say that they are real and do exist is a lie. I am dumbfounded when I hear people say “at what age do you tell the children that Santa and the Easter Bunny isn’t real?” when it was a lie to tell them they were real to start with. The Lord told us, as Christians, we should put away “all these” things, and “Lie not one to another” is one of those sinful things we should put away. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ and you tell children, any child that either Santa or The Easter Bunny are real you are in the wrong. Stop it now, please! I know it is fun for the family, I know the entire aspect of both are fun for the children, but both are sinful in nature. Think about it, both undermine Jesus Christ, only Jesus Christ should be upheld and glorified. Christmas is about Santa Clause and gifts, and Easter is about the Easter Bunny and hunting eggs, so what is the harm with them? Both includes lies and sinfulness those two holidays and exclude Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Jesus Christ and none other. People live in an unreal and sinful world, and lying to one another is the menu of the day. But I am speaking to Believers in Jesus Christ, and we ought to put away the sinfulness of the old nature and walk in the new nature that is in Jesus Christ. The world will do as they please, they support abortion, gay marriage, perverts sharing bathrooms with children of the opposite sex, and etc. but as Christians we are commanded to put those thing away, and walk in truthfulness and righteousness. Jesus Christ does not like sharing His earned glory with two phony Cartoon Characters named Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. These holidays are not about Jesus Christ, they both replace Him and take His earned glory. No, it is not “ok”, I am not being mean, I am right and a lie is a lie no matter how unintended or small it was. If you celebrate the Christmas season then that is between you and God, but if you lie about the holiday and say it is about Jesus Christ then that is indeed an awful sin. If you are about sharing our Saviour’s glory, then that is another sin. So, when should you tell your child that Santa and the Easter Bunny is not real? Today, without question today would be that exact time, and then ask the Lord for forgiveness and if the child is old enough, apologize to the child. We (as Christians) must understand, life for us is not about fun, it is not about our happiness, our life is about serving and glorifying God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. We must understand that will include suffering, persecution, people hating you, and dying for Christ. Our happiness and fun (so to speak) will come when we are in heaven. Our job as Christians is to worship God, and to forward the Gospel to a dying and lost world. Christian can have fun, but not at the devaluing of our Saviour, and God Jesus Christ.

God takes a safe course with His children!By Richard Sibbes, 1577-1635   "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28   Whatever is truly good for God's children — they shall have it, for all is theirs to further them to Heaven. Therefore . . .   if poverty is good for them — they shall have it;   if disgrace is good for them — they shall have it;   if crosses are good for them — they shall have them;   if misery is good for them — they shall have it; for God makes all things work together for the good of His redeemed people.    God takes a safe course with His children — that they may not be condemned with the world. He permits the world to condemn them — that they may not love the world. The world hates them — that they may not love the world. That they may be crucified to it — the world is to be crucified to them. Because He will not allow them to perish with the world — He sends them afflictions in and by the world. Therefore they meet with such crosses and abuses and wrongs in the world.    God afflicts us outwardly — that we may be more humble inwardly. He humbles us and makes us poor — that we may be more poor in spirit. When God designs to humble us — we should labor through grace to abase ourselves and mortify pride.    God's providence is often mysterious — yet He is just and righteous in all that He does. Therefore when any difficult thing befalls us for which we can see no reason, yet we must reverence the Lord and adore His counsels and submit to Him who is infinitely more good and wise than we.    Glory follows afflictions — as the spring follows the winter. For the winter prepares the earth for the spring — so do sanctified afflictions prepare the soul for glory.

Church Notices:   The church will observe The Lord’s Supper on December 25th at the 4:00 service.