Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church

1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
June 21, 2009

Elder Randy Johnson, Pastor                                   Bro. Ronnie Henderson, Song Director  
Pastor E-Mail: sgmbcpastor@baptistsonline.org             Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/sgmbc

"Where The Truths Of God’s Word Are Still Taught"

You Were Asked To 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, Virgil Hoskins and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, LarryMollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Linda Mollette, Kirby Mollette, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Verna Mae Allen, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Donnie Henderson, Kevin Henderson, Ricky Henderson, Rosalie Graves, Terry Hanson, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Larry Platt, Edna Garvin, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Wanda Fowler, Kathy Rosinbaum, Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Bobby Walker, Luann Reynolds, Bro. & Sis. Curtis Pugh and his brother Billy Jack Cooper and family, Abigail Cattemull, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel Seymour, Zach Seymour, Doris Hammock, Letha Langford, Leacho Tittle, Bro. David Green and Family , Pastor Kelley and Sister Eyvonne Hinson and Wesley, Anita Marsh, Brother Frank and Sister Cyd James, Charles Boyd Sr. and Jr., Brother Larry Wilson, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Michael Hiem, Jerry Hughes, Nita Bookout’s Niece, Kim McCool’s Mother and Father, Pastor G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Bryan Thompson Jr., Betty, Tommy Walker, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought From Our Pastor:

God Is A Shield To Them That Trust In Him. 
2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.”

This verse of scripture is a very powerful one; we see it quoted word for word by the Psalmist in Psalms 18:30. “As for God, his way is perfect…” the word “perfect” means that God’s words are entire, truth, or without spot, any of these wonderful terms can fit into it’s place because God’s word are all of them. I know we are a people of little faith because we more times than not find ourselves in doubt whether we know it or not. Beloved in this flesh we will never have total faith in God or in His word; there will always be some doubt somewhere in our lives. We indeed find a number of Christians with more faith than others; however in this flesh we will never have perfect faith in God. The bible tells us to have total faith in Him and in His word and that is certainly our goal. This is the bottom line, that we as Christians can trust God’s word as written because He cannot lie. Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” God’s word is complete because nothing can be nor needs to be added to it. This is why the scripture warns against this. If God is all knowledgeable, then what could anyone (especially one with limited knowledge such as His creation) add to His word. God knows the beginning from the end therefore He knows what will happen tomorrow and this is why we can have complete faith in Him. Acts 15:18 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

“the word of the LORD is tried” The word “tried” means tested with fire as though you would melt a silver ring to refine the silver out of it and once finished you have only the pure silver left, beloved this is God’s word, pure as pure can be.  Psalms 12:6 “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Beloved you cannot say this about pastor, father, mother, child, or etc. Only God’s words are pure and can be totally trusted. As a pastor I have a great desire never to tell a lie, never to mislead anyone, or etc. however it does happen because I am not God. My words have not been tried with fire, I do not know every possible thing, and I certainly do not know what will happen in the next 5 seconds much less what is on tomorrow. I have taught heresy in my life, because I was biblically wrong on some issues; however I have trusted God’s word and have since been brought to truth. Is every single thing I believe today perfect with God’s word? I simply cannot answer an absolute yes because I am still in the flesh however I have dedicated my life to study to find out. Beloved no man is 100% correct in God’s word but that is no reason not to strive for that perfection. The word of God has been tried and believe one thing it is pure.

“…he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” The word “buckler” means shield that’s right He is our protector. The word “trust” means those that flee to Him, so look at it this way God’s word is a protecting shield to everyone who flee to Him for protection. We do not know where our nation’s economic woes are going but to those who trust in the Lord and His word will be just fine. Let us not forget we are citizens of this nation both the just and the unjust and when it rains on one it rains on us all. Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”  We will all suffer the same economic woes and we as churches will also suffer, but one thing we have that the lost does not have is a God that has promised to continually love us and to continually protect us because He is our buckler and will be as long as our faith is in Him and His word.         

The fruits and effects He produce:

"When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment." (John 16:8)

Where the Holy Spirit is, there will always be deep conviction of sin--and true repentance for it. It is His special office to convince of sin.

He shows the exceeding holiness of God.
He teaches the exceeding corruption and infirmity of our nature.
He strips us of our blind self-righteousness.
He opens our eyes to our awful guilt, folly and danger.
He fills the heart with sorrow, contrition, and abhorrence for sin--as the abominable thing which God hates.
He who knows nothing of all this, and saunters carelessly through life, thoughtless about sin, and indifferent and unconcerned about his soul, is a dead man before God! He has not the Holy Spirit.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in a man's heart can only be known by the fruits and effects He produces. Mysterious and invisible to mortal eye as His operations are, they always lead to certain visible and tangible results.
Just as you know there is life in a tree by its sap, buds, leaves and fruits--just so you may know the Spirit to be in a man's heart by the influence He exercises over his thoughts, affections, opinions, habits, and life. I lay this down broadly and unhesitatingly. I see it clearly marked out in our Lord Jesus Christ's words, "Every tree is known by his own fruit." (Luke 6:44)

By J. C. Ryle, From his article “The Holy Spirit”

Happy Birthday:

Larry Mollette June 23rd
Pastor Randy Johnson June 27th