Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty-Three Years” 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 December 07, 2014 Newsletter Number 494 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: pastor@sgmbaptist.com Web Site: www.sgmbaptist.com

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, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, The Muncy Family, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, 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 & Barbara Griffin, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Donna Johnson, James and Luann Reynolds, Timothy Fails, Nathan & Claire Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jerry Hughes, Teresa Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Rosie Tomlin, James and Lynn Tomlin, Pat Abercrombie, Donna Jones, Dale Trahan, Ricky and Margaret McCoy, Brother David O’Neal, James, Diane & Brooke Thomas, Gina Peel, Brother Kelley and Sister Hinson, Melissa Elliott, Megan Whitaker, Manual Seymour, Sr., Brother Jerry and Sister Jean Dodson, Mr. Hedges, Danny Hammond, Claire’s friend, Brother Curtis Pugh, Brother Dan Sullivan and the work in Thailand, Brother Raul and the work in Romania, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Though From Your Pastor: God’s Omniscience Concerning The Churches. Revelation 2:2 “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:” Churches, we all must be reminded; God knows. That’s right He sees everything, He already knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts before we act. Let us never forget that while others may not know or see God does. The churches are the Lords; they are not ours to do as we please. Jesus started the first church in Jerusalem and all since. The churches belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and to none other. The building and growing is His job and not ours to do. “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28 Churches are to follow the leadership of God and to react to God, and if they do they will succeed. Jesus warns that if a church does not follow truth and spiritual services then He will kill them. “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 God is Omniscient so He knows the hearts and the actions of the churches before we even react. He said to the church at Ephesus “I know thy works” He knows what they have done. He knows the works of the churches pastor, and its membership. He knows if your heart is of righteous works or if they are for show. When anyone serves the Lord He knows why. When one sings He knows why. Jesus Christ is not blind. He knows the liars in the churches and He will deal with them. If you are not going to preach, serve, or sing for the Lord and for no other reason, then it is better not to even do it. Serving in the church is done because Jesus has set you in the church to do a particular work, do what God has elected you for and let the others do what God has chosen them for. When Pastor changes things like doctrine in order to accumulate more members then it has been done for the wrong reason and God knows. If it is not truth then it is lies because there is only one truth, God’s truth. Folk’s God knows and He sees, therefore let us do His blessed will and not ours. I believe when God looks at most places of worship (or churches by name) they are not His and He knows. I cannot imagine the churches in the first century being anything like most places of worship (or churches by name) of today. As their teaching the doctrine that is contrary to biblical truth. God knows, He knows what they are and He knows their intentions and their works. He also knows churches of truth; He knows us as well and will deal with us accordingly. Folks, we are the Lords and He will do with us as He pleases and we must be careful in everything we do. The Lord builds the church so we need not change things to add more members. I would rather have a “candlestick” rather than a million members. I would rather teach the biblical truth with a few, than to teach make believe truth to a million. My labors are real and truthful, and God knows. Our church’s heart is real and God knows, and that is all that matters. Let us always seek what’s real because God knows, He is Omniscient, so He knows.

A Thought For The Week: Peculiar PeopleWho gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a PECULIAR PEOPLE, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14 The Holy Spirit declares that God’s elect, once they are called and converted by his sovereign grace, are made to be a 'peculiar people'. The word “peculiar” (v. 14) means “distinctively excellent, valuable, and honorable.” We are Christ’s portion, the lot of his inheritance, the jewels of his crown, his fullness (Eph. 1:23), his peculiar people. Grace has distinguished God’s elect from all others- They are a people loved by God with a peculiar love (Jer. 31:3), with a love which he does not have for the rest of Adam’s race. Let men talk all they wish about “universal benevolence,” “universal grace,” and “universal love,” -the Word of God declares plainly that God’s love for his own people is a peculiar, distinct love (Isa. 43:3-4; Rom. 9:13). It is the distinctiveness of God’s love for us, who deserve his wrath as fully as Satan himself, which forms the great motive for our consecration to our God and his glory (Rom. 12:1-2). We are the objects of God’s peculiar delight-The Lord God has made us “accepted in the Beloved.” Being accepted in Christ, because of Christ, and for Christ’s sake, washed in his blood and robed in his righteousness, we are a people with whom God is well pleased, even delighted (Zeph. 3:17). Being the objects of his love, chosen to eternal salvation and accepted in Christ, every believer has been blessed with all the peculiar blessings of God’s free, covenant grace from eternity (Eph. 1:3-4), and supplied with all the provisions of the Father’s house day by day and forever. Every believer has been SEPARATED from the world by peculiar grace-Electing grace (2 Thess. 2:13-14), redeeming grace (1 Cor. 6:19-20), regenerating grace (Isa. 43:1-5), preserving grace (1 Pet. 1:5), and providential grace (Rom. 8:28-30), are the things which make us to differ from the rest of the world. The distinction is not the work of our will or of our obedience. It is the work of God’s grace alone. "Zealous of Good Works" Yet, Christ’s peculiar people are made by the grace of God to be zealous of good works. God the Father ordained that we should walk in good works (Eph. 2:10). God the Son redeemed us that we should walk in good works. And God the Holy Spirit effectually teaches every chosen, ransomed sinner to be zealous of good works. By Don Fortner

News For The Church: Happy Anniversary to Nathan and Claire Fails. Friday December 12th Thank you to the men who stood it for me while I was on vacation.