Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church
"Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For
More Than Fifty-Six Years”
1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
January 28, 2018
Newsletter Number 655
Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother James Thomas, 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.”
Please Join Us As We Pray For:
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, Archie 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, Gina, Brother Kelley and Sister
Hinson, The Harris Family, Teresa Bookout, Little Titan Thomas (Trent and
Tiffane Thomas child), James – Diane and Brooke Thomas, Jace Fails, Sister Ann
McSwain, Elaine Sparks, James daughter’s mother-in-law, Danny Hammond, 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:
Listen To The Question, Listen To The Answer.
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to
be saved? (31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:30-31
The question is an age-old question, and has been asked by
every saved sinner, what must I do to be saved? While many ask this question,
not too many know the true answer to the question. God has over and over again
in His word answered this question and still lost people try to answer it and
always get the answer wrong. This is the most important question a person will
ask in their life, and the answer must be correct. This is the most important
work we as Pastors have, and churches alike. The last thing Jesus told the
apostles was to “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature.” Mark 16:15 not to a few, not to the local church, not to the
community, not even to your state, but to every soul you can find to preach it
too. While it is our job or work to feed the sheep, it should also be our
greatest passion to get the gospel to every living soul that will listen. There
are so many out there who take their gospel to the world, but that is useless.
As pastors we must consider this witness to be our most important work. We
absolutely cannot allow this question to weaken or get frustrated because that
God is not saving as many. We must press forward as though it is as important
as it is, because it is. Sinners must hear the truth about salvation. Not
everyone who says they are saved, truly are saved. There are so many who have
been led down the satanic path of lies, and the results are the same, they are
still lost. God says they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Romans 10:2 People must be made aware that salvation is only in Jesus Christ.
The question asked by this jailer was “…what must I do to be saved?” and the
answer given by the Apostle Paul and Silas was bold, true, and exact “…Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” there were no play with
words, no trickery, no fancy theology, just the plain and simple truth. Jesus
Christ is still the Saviour of mankind and no one can ever see or enter the
kingdom of God without going thru Jesus Christ and Him alone. Jesus said in
John 5:39-40 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of me. (40) And ye will not come to me, that ye
might have life.” This is exactly what Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews in John chapter 3. People will flock to hear false prophets, phony
preachers, and outrageously biblically wrong churches but will not turn to
Jesus Christ for true salvation. But, as men of truth we must keep doing our
work, feeding the sheep of God and preaching the gospel message to anyone we
can in the entire world. It is still the single most important message in the
world, and let us not ever treat it as anything less. Jesus said in John 3:18
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.” As Pastors this is the main thought we must keep in our
minds, that without the belief of Jesus Christ in a sinner’s heart, they are
already condemned. While we cannot saved them, they will not be saved without
hearing the gospel message. Romans 10:14
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?” That is a proclaimer who heralds or cries it to the top of
our voice for all to hear. Shout it brethren, shout it from the pulpits, shout
it from the housetops, shout it from the mountain tops, SHOUT IT! And please
remember, it is the single most important message you will ever preach.
The Knife Of The Heavenly Surgeon:
By Charles Spurgeon
"This sickness is not unto death." John 11:4
From our Lord's words, we learn that there is a limit to
sickness. In all sickness, the Lord says to the waves of pain, "Hitherto
shall you go—but no further!" His fixed purpose is not the destruction of
His people—but the instruction of His people. Wisdom hangs up the thermometer
at the furnace mouth—and regulates the heat!
1. The limit is encouragingly comprehensive. The God of
providence has limited the time, manner, intensity and effects of all our
sicknesses. Each throb is decreed, each sleepless hour predestinated, each
relapse ordained, each depression of spirit foreknown, and each sanctifying
result eternally purposed. Nothing great or small escapes the ordaining hand of
Him who numbers the hairs of our head!
2. This limit is wisely adjusted to our strength, to the end
designed, and to the grace apportioned. Affliction does not come by
'chance'—the weight of every stroke of God's rod—is accurately measured. He who
made no mistakes in balancing the clouds, and measuring out the heavens—commits
no errors in measuring out the ingredients which compose the medicine of souls.
We cannot suffer too much—nor be relieved too late!
3. The limit is tenderly appointed. The knife of the
heavenly Surgeon never cuts deeper than is absolutely necessary. "He does
not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." A mother's heart
cries, "Spare my child!" but no mother is more compassionate than our
gracious God. When we consider how self-willed we are—it is a wonder that we
are not driven with a sharper bit!
The thought is full of consolation—that He who has fixed the
bounds of our habitation, has also fixed the bounds of our tribulation.
Looking to this Lamb!
By William Mason
"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world!" John 1:29
To continually behold this Lamb of God—is life to our souls,
and death to our sins! Sin cannot terrify with its guilt, nor prevail in its
power—while the heart is looking to this Lamb!
Thus to behold—is to be happy. Thus to look—is to be holy.
May this, O my soul, be your daily employment below, until you behold the Lamb
in the midst of the throne above! Astonishing mystery!
Thanks to the gracious Father—for the gift of this precious
Lamb! Thanks to this holy Lamb—for bearing and taking away sin! Thanks to the
loving Spirit—for showing this Lamb to
poor sinners and myself!
"I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,
standing in the center of the throne!" Rev. 5:6
