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 April 30, 2017            Newsletter Number 617 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, 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, Rick McCloskey’s brother, 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: Fight The Good Fight“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12   What does it mean to fight the good fight? The good fight is God’s fight in us, it how God uses His faithful children in keeping the truth of His word alive. There are so many, those of old, and many more today that will simply dismiss the truth of God as fiction. Beloved, God has no fiction. God’s word is truth, and the only truth in the world. It is non debatable, it is unchangeable, it is only truth if it is unaltered by any other being. As far as the church is concerned she is a carrier of God’s word in this world. The gospel is in the hands of the local New Testament church. As churches and Pastors, we are the ones commanded to care for and preach the truths of the scriptures. The fight for us is to keep it in truth. The fight is to defy the world and the temptations thereof, even those that falsely calling themselves Christians, who would change the truth into a lie. And beloved, please believe it is a fight, and one that we cannot lose even if it cost us everything. The preacher wrote in Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” The word “buy” means to purchase the truth with whatever cost there may be, and once you have it never, ever turn it loose. The true value of the truth is eternal life because it is God’s tool of saving souls. It is true that God will without question save every elect soul, but He chose to use the foolishness of preaching to accomplish it. However, the fight goes beyond salvation, it also includes the very meat of the word. Like sovereignty, election, the church, and so many other truths. None of these truths are little enough of importance that we can turn a blind eye and allow to escape its truthfulness. It is our job as Christians, Pastors, and churches to make sure the truth is not sold for worldly profit. There is no earthy profit worth selling the truth. If you do not believe me, then ask those who have sold it for worldly profit when they are in eternity. The losses to them will be more than they can bare. The preacher went on to tell us in Proverbs 4:4-5 “He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live…Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.” We are told to “ Let thine heart retain my words… Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not”  but not only that the Preacher went on to say “neither decline from the words of my mouth” Buy the truth and sell it not, keep it in your heart and don’t let it decline from the speech of thy mouth. This is the fight, and in the times we live where everything is acceptable as good, we must keep fighting for the truth no matter what it cost us. As Pastors let us always remember what Paul told this young preacher and as churches let us always remember to lift-up our Pastors and stand with him in his fight. There are so few anymore to battle, but beloved always remember, our General is God Himself. Paul also told young Timothy that best way to fight the good fight is to flee from evil. 1 Timothy 6:11 “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” Following the righteousness of God will always benefit us, even if it means dying for. See beloved, the only fight worth winning, is the good fight of truth, God’s truth. Keep the fight going and never, ever give-up no matter how good the other side looks. God will always win the battle, and this is our strength. “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” Revelation 12:10

He will not spoil them! By John Newton   "Now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials." 1 Peter 1:6   The Lord loves His children, and is very indulgent to them so far as they can safely bear it — but He will not spoil them! Their sin-sickness requires strong medicines, some of which are very unpalatable. And when our case calls for such, no short-sighted entreaties of ours will excuse us from taking what He prepares for our good.   It is comforting to know that every dose is prepared by His own hand, and not one is administered in vain, nor is it repeated any oftener than is needful to answer His purposed end. Until then, no other hand can remove the affliction which He lays upon us. When His merciful design is answered, He will relieve us Himself; and in the mean time He will so moderate the operation, or increase our ability to bear it — that we shall not be overpowered by it.   Afflictions are useful, and in a degree necessary, to keep alive in us a conviction of the vanity and unsatisfying nature of the present world and all its enjoyments; to remind us that this poor world is not our rest; and to call our thoughts upward, where our true treasure is, and where our hearts ought to be.   When things go on much to our wish, our hearts are too prone to say, "It is good be here!" Thus the Lord, by pain, sickness, and disappointments, by breaking our cisterns and withering our gourds — weakens our attachment to this world, and makes the thought of leaving it more desirable.   Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribes, because we need them; and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires.   It is true, without a single exception, that all His paths are mercy and truth to those who fear Him. The Lord afflicts us for our good — but it is always a thousand times less than we deserve!

Hebrews 3:4-6   "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God...And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after...But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."