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 22, 2017            Newsletter Number 604 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:   Honor Your Pastor.1 Timothy 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”   We now live in a time when “Pastors” are in great demand and are very short of plentiful. We live in a time when churches are shrinking every year, or it seems like it. We live in a time that Satan truly has a great grip on this world and he is seeking to destroy everything and everyone that he can. The Lord’s churches are the only stability on the earth, everything else has been lost to heathenism. Churches are at the point financially that it is harder to support their Pastor as they should. However, with this being said no Pastor “worth their salt” will ever ask a church for more, financially speaking. Your Pastor knows their churches financial stability, therefore he knows churches struggle just to pay them what they can, and some cannot pay anything. We live in sad times, the churches are struggling, new memberships are almost unheard of anymore, and the current memberships are dying off. Churches have few young people, and the young people they do have leave as soon as they are of age too. If you look at the churches of today, there is also an ageing Pastor population. Every year our guest speakers are getting older and we simply cannot find any young Ministers to invite. This part of the church age is looking poor and seems to be on life support. I thank God that He is in control, He and He alone knows what is down the road in 5, 10, 15, or etc. years. The shortage of Pastors is concerning, because churches are on life support that are without. Pastors are a vital part of a church, so vital that the health of a church suffers without one. Now, please understand that I am not complaining, I am not worried, because all of this is in God’s hands, and functioning by his blessed ordained will. Please trust me, churches that have Pastors needs to consider how blessed they are. If you have not thought about it, please contact a church that is without a Pastor. Now here on I am going to be bold, and I pray not too bold. If your church has a Pastor, you are truly very blessed of God. I would like for you to ask yourself this question, what would you do if God was to remove your Pastor? With such a shortage, where world you get another? As Pastors we truly understand the sending of God, and the chances your Pastor will resign is slim. However, as I said your Pastor is getting older and God will take them home someday. It is easy to say “we will trust the Lord” and that is a correct thought, but what about the reality of it. Why if God chose not to send you another Pastor to replace yours? Churches that have Pastors rarely think about such things. To be a Pastor of truth, a Pastor that stands on solid truth, takes a lot of effort. It’s is not easy being Pastors because not only is the world against you, some true churches and Christian are also fighting you. It seems like people just look for a kink in their armor, and I have no idea why. We are here to serve God, to glorify Jesus Christ, and some people just look for a way to withdraw fellowship, like they are perfect in everything. Please let me say this as a Pastor, the life of a Pastor is very hard. I would have quite many years ago if the Lord would have allowed it, but He did not. However, on that thought, it is and will be the most rewarding of all services. Those who sacrifice the most will reap the most rewards. When Paul spoke of “double honour” he was not only talking about money. There are many ways to reward your Pastor outside of money. Find a way to reward him, he does work very hard to fill the pulpit and deliver truth every week. He is there when you need him, and he will do about anything you ask. Most younger Pastors work outside jobs just to keep the church from having to spend so much on him. Honor your Pastor, and the more truth he teaches, give him more honor. Sometimes a simple “thank you” or a simple word of encouragement to him is great. Stand with him as he works so hard to stand for you. Honor him, it does not matter how, any honor is worth much more than no honor. Please pray for the Pastors, we need all the prayer we can get. Pastors, THANK YOU for your service to the churches and Jesus Christ her head.

"TWO MOST MISUNDERSTOOD WORDS"By Brother Curtis A. Pugh   Two of the most misunderstood words in the Bible are “all” and “world.” These two little words affect the belief systems of all professing Christians. “All” is used in the Bible to mean two different things. It can mean all without exception: i.e. every single one. And it can be used to mean all without distinction: a number out of of all sorts of things.   It is easy to prove this. The Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil...” (1 Timothy 6:10). Nobody believes that. Hatred and jealousy can each be roots of evil. The love of power can be a root of evil, etc. The meaning of this statement is this: the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The love of money motivates people to commit all sorts of evil acts. What the word “all” means is determined by the context in which it is used. For instance, the context of “Romans 3:23 demand that we understand the phrase, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” means all people without exception.   The word “world” is also used in different ways in the Bible and is confusing to many. In only one verse it is used in three different ways. John 1:10 says: “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”  The meaning is this: Christ was in the habitable part of the earth (“the world”) and all things (“the world”) was made by Him and most people (“the world”) knew Him not (but some people did know Him because v. 12 tells us that some recognized Him and welcomed Him). The last use of “the world” in that verse means all those who would not be saved: the non-elect people then in Israel. It cannot mean all humanity.   Sometimes the word “world” refers to all the nations as opposed to just the Jewish Nation. For instance, “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world,” (John 6:33) cannot mean every person that ever has lived or will live for not every descendant of Adam and Eve will be saved. He gives life to both Jews and Gentiles: a strange idea to the Jews to whom this statement was made. John 14:17 proves that the word “world” can refer to all the lost: “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  And the favorite, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world...” means that God loved both Jews and Gentiles without distinction. The greater context of the Bible demands this because the Bible does not teach that God loves everyone. It is written: “...thou hatest all workers of iniquity,” and,  “...the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man,” (Psalm 5:5-6). Always remember: context determines meaning!