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 January 08, 2017            Newsletter Number 602 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, Lee & 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, Donna Jones, Brandy Sullivan, Gina, Tammy Hairston and family, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Manual Seymour, Sr, 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 the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought From our Pastor:   Doctrine, Defines A Churches Standing With God.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17.) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17   If you were to study the bible you would learn one central understanding, DOCTRINE defines your standing with God. We are not allowed to simply understand as we choose. If a Christian or a church wants to be in good standing with God then they must study, learn, and follow the commandments of God. When Jesus Christ was here on earth He said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38. So it was not up to Jesus to make-up doctrine, nor was it up to Jesus to choose what He wanted to believe or not. Jesus Christ came to this world to do His Fathers will, even though it sent Him to the cross. The bible is God’s word; it is not of not of private interpretation because it is God’s word. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20 This means that people, and especially Christians do “not have the right of private judgment of Scripture; or to be understood as if a private believer had not a right of reading.” (John Gill) When a Believer uses the scripture they must use it as it reads and not as they please. One cannot reject or change the view of the scriptures without rejecting God. God said of the scriptures that they are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect” God also told us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 We are to study to show God in a way “approved unto God” and not unto man. It is every Christians job to make sure GOD is pleased with your study, learning, and belief of doctrine. God is not pleased with any doctrine; He is only please with the doctrine of the scriptures. Anything less than the truth of the scriptures is unacceptable to God. A church, a denomination, a ministry, or a movement of any sort is not acceptable to God without doctrinal truth. So if your congregation says “we do not teach or have doctrine” then what they are saying is “we do not teach God’s word” because all of God’s word is doctrine. The word “doctrine” means - that which is taught, doctrine” (Vines) meaning, that which should be taught is the bible, and the entire bible. Jesus is so strict on this and He will exclude a church that refuses to follow the doctrine of the bible. A church must believe and walk in a godly way. In a way both doctrinally and in walk according to the scriptures or suffer the punishment of Jesus Christ her head. If we as a church steps out of line of the scriptures, we must recognize it and repent to the Lord for it, or else suffer punishment. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:5 I personally believe that our church is a teacher of those true doctrine. While we may not be perfect, we do search the scriptures (as a church) for truth with the readiness to change if necessary. It is the churches job to protect themselves from me as pastor, and me, as pastor to protect myself from them doctrinally. The men in the church must be bold in doctrine and to persevere the truth of the Lords body, as it is for the Pastor to do also. A church and her pastor will suffer loss if they fail to do so as Jesus said in Rev. 2:5. People today are changing in order to be liked or accepted of men. This is wrong and unacceptable with God and her head Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” Luke 9:25 the same goes for the Lords churches. If a church refuses doctrine for worldly gain, then that church will lose just the same.   I said all this because of a video I saw on “YouTube” where Catholicism was working with worldwide Ministers to union the Great Whore known as the Catholic church and what is known as “Protestantism” as one once again. They were with such names as Kenneth Copland, James and Betty Robison, and many others who were renouncing church doctrine in order to unionize with them. God says this will happen in the beginning of the Tribulation period in order to systemize one accepted church and belief to follow the Anti-Christ. God called the Catholic church the great whore in Revelation 17:1 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:” because she will sell herself and all that is with her to Satan and the False Prophet, The religious wing of Satan. People and churches alike will lust after her and sellout with her because they know no better. Remember, they sold out their doctrine to associate with her. In the video all of these men “recanted doctrine and said it did not matter what we believe, we must join together”. We see the Southern Baptist also selling out to the Great Whore in their doctrine, like infant baptisms, and other things. We see other “Baptist” calling themselves “Protestants” as though they come out of the Great Whore to start with. Baptist, true Baptist are not “Protestants” and never have been and never will be. It is Baptist that were persecuted as well as other Christians that suffered at the hands of Catholics and other that are Protestant churches a few thousand years ago. Beware beloved, watch, pray and study. Never give an inch of doctrine for anything, it is not worth it. Stand in God’s word of truth and never waver. The gains in the world are not worth the losses.

A Thought From Brother Curtis Pugh.   THE LORD'S CHURCH was authorized (commissioned) to do three things: (1) make disciples by teaching/preaching the Gospel: (2) mark disciples by scripturally baptizing them: and (3) to mature disciples by teaching them in gathered, scripturally organized congregations. Christ did not give His church the right to pick and choose which among this three-fold command they would obey. Thus the right thing for congregations to do is be led of the Spirit to send out preachers who labor in other places seeking to carry out all three parts of this commission. Just preaching the Gospel is not carrying out the commission if scriptural baptism does not follow its reception and the absence of scripturally organizing new congregations is not optional. There may be other charitable works a congregation may support such as retired preachers, orphanages, schools and colleges, etc., but these are not rightly called missions for the mission of the church is those three things commanded by Christ. So let us be busy with evangelization, baptism and maturing disciples through teaching the Bible. Anything else is just “stuff.”

Church Notices: Pastor Johnson has accepted two invitations to speak at their Bible Conferences. He will be in Oakdale, La. on March 17 – 19 at the Northside Baptist Church. He will also be at the Grace Bible Baptist Church in Denham Springs, La. on June 02 – 04. He may be absent from the pulpit on these two Sundays. More info will be given as the speaking schedules are released.