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 March 05, 2017            Newsletter Number 610 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, Brandy’s Mother, Elaine Sparks, James daughter’s mother-in-law,  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: What Is Meant By “Err” James 1:16 “Do not err, my beloved brethren.” This is a little word, but carries a powerful meaning. The word itself means - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way – but I believe here the Lord is telling us to beware that life and things in life do not lead us astray causing us to fall away from the church or the truths of God’s word. Life is difficult and the world is loaded with temptations. It is easy to give into the temptation of the world or Statin himself. The world that we live in today is loaded with greater temptations of drugs, fun, excitement, or anything that will take our mind off of God or His word. Churches have erred from truth and soundness in order to have a heavier population in the churches, and larger populations means more cash in the offering plate. People are tempted to avoid church by T.V, radio, of even the internet but there is no substitute for church. Satan has created many ways to make Christian believers to err. God will tempt us to try us but never to cause up to fall.  “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” James 1:13 There is so much we as believers in Jesus Christ do not know or understand, but this I know while God will test us He will never cause us to fall. If we look at Job, he was heavily tempted by Satan, he took just about everything poor Job had, and with God’s blessings. See, God already knew how Job would react and God allowed these things to happen to show Satan how faithful Job was to God. It is true that God created evil because He created Lucifer to be the Devil. He created Esau to show He does not love everyone, and He created Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus Christ His Own Son. We simply do not always know or even understand why God does things or why He allows Satan to do certain things to us and to this world. While we are in this flesh there is so much about God that we will never understand, we will simply wander around trying to figure it all out like Job did. But the greatest lesson we can learn from Job is that he was faithful. It would have been easy to have obeyed his wife “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” Job 2:9 But Job called her a foolish woman and continued to be faithful to God. We might ask why God is doing these things to us, but truly we do not know if God is doing them or is Satan doing them. The best thing for us to do as Christians is to be like Job, and continue to be faithful to God. When we “err” or fall away from the church, the bible truths, or even to fall away from God, we are wrong to do so. Our life as Christians should be dedicated to God in every aspect, and it is our job to keep our faith strong. The first sign of “err” is our lack of church responsibility. As long as you are in church you are getting rejuvenated in the Lord, in your faith, and in your life. No, or little church activity is like little to no exercise, you weaken. Then life is like a set of dominos, once that first one falls, (the lack of church) then everything else begins to fall, like dominos tipping each other over till all have fallen. Beloved, it is our job to keep ourselves from err, God will give us the strength and ability to pass the err test of live, but it is still a work on our part. Never give up, God is still in control, even if the sky is falling, God is still in control. As long as we have strong faith and continue to attend church, God will continue to give us the faith to stand strong in this world of temptation. Prayer also is a must, the stronger your prayer life the stronger your church attendance, the stronger your truth will be and the stronger you will be to be able (like Job) to withstand the wales of the Devil and not ERR.

CAN YOU SEE?By Elder Curtis Pugh    Can you see? By seeing I mean, do you have the ability to understand words and their meanings? Jesus had a conversation with some of the religious leaders of His day about this very thing. We read:  “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth,” (John 9:39-41).    Are you upset that Jesus said that He came to judge men? i.e. to make a division between them?, but He did. He said so! He came that men with no understanding might understand and vice versa. This is similar in intent to His words,  “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen,” (Matthew 20:16).     Those to whom Jesus spoke were Pharisees: religious leaders some of whom were called doctors and lawyers because they were authorities on the Old Testament Scripture which was called the Law. Of course they insisted that they could “see,” that is, that they understood the Scriptures yet they hated and opposed Christ. They were activists in their opposition to Him and His teaching.    Being among the privileged of their nation, they were offended that Jesus suggested that they might be blind, that is, that they lacked understanding. Indignantly they asked “Are we blind also?” Jesus set the record straight with His answer. He stated that those who can see: those who have understanding, but who reject Him are yet in their sins. Another place Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins,” (John 8:24).    Many that are first in this world: the greatest of intellectuals with the greatest of educations shall be last. They reject Christ and die in their sins. Only those chosen by God are given true understanding and “shall be first.” Paul dealt with this truth saying, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence,” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).    Men see because they have been given sight. Twice Jesus called the religious leaders of Israel by this phrase: “Ye fools and blind,”  (Matthew 23:17, 19). Can you see? Does your sin therefore remain because you have rejected Christ?

Church Notices: Happy belated Anniversary to Brother & Sister Larry & Martha Mollette Saturday March 04. Happy Birthday to Brother Ronnie Henderson Jr. Sunday March 05 Happy Birthday to Brother James Thomas Tuesday March 07 Happy Birthday Sister Alice Hoskins Wednesday March 08 The Church will have a business meeting today at 4:00. Daylight Saving Time begins next Sunday; March 12 Clocks will spring forward one hour.