Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church

1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
September 06, 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 & Alice 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, Ronnie Henderson Jr, Donnie Henderson, Kevin Henderson, Ricky Henderson, Rosalie Graves, Terry Hanson, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Larry Platt, 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, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel Seymour & Family, Doris Hammock, Letha Langford, Leacho Tittle, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Wesley, Brother & Sister Frank James, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Nita Bookout’s Niece, Pastor G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Betty, Tommy Walker, Gina, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Thought For The Week:

 

A Gift to the Church

 

It is written in the Scriptures: “...When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. ... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ... That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love...”(Eph. 4:8,11-12,14-15) 

In this age there is a gross misconception concerning preachers and pastors.  Far too many churches are of the opinion that if they hire the preacher they are in control of him and what he preaches.  In other words, they feel they own him, and he is to be the servant of the church.  This is not only an awful misconception; it is also a vulgar and grievous sin against God. 

The term “the man of God” means exactly that; the preacher is God’s possession.  If man or the church owns him, he is not “of God.”  The plain truth of the matter is that the preacher belongs to God.  If God so pleases to place his preacher in the care of a church, it is because God is giving a gift to that church.  He is not transferring ownership; rather God is, by design, graciously placing His gift in the church for a particular purpose.  It is “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

The reason the pastor is to do these things is “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”  The gift from God is graciously placed in the church for the benefit of spiritual stability of the church.  Yet, it is amazing how many church folk feel the pastor is placed in their church so that they can set him straight, or so that he can be the venting of their abuse as they disobey the Word of God.  Rarely do churches recognize and appreciate God’s gift to them; such a rarity is a treasure indeed.  The man, though a mere human, is filled with the gift of God, which makes him a heavenly gift to the church.  He is not perfect, and he is not to be put on a pedestal.  Why do you think some churches lack this gift?  Do you treat your pastor as a gift from God?

 

By Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

A Thought From C. H. Spurgeon:

A Strong Heart
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" Ps. 27:14

Wait! Wait! Let your waiting be on the Lord! He is worth waiting for. He never disappoints the waiting soul.

While waiting keep up your spirits. Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it.

The promise which should cheer you is in the middle of the verse -- "He shall strengthen thine heart." This goes at once to the place where you need help. If the heart be sound, all the rest of the system will work well. The heart wants calming and cheering; and both of these will come if it be strengthened. A forceful heart rests and rejoices, and throbs force into the whole man.

No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the heart, so as to pour strength into it. He alone who made it can make it strong. God is full of strength, and, therefore, He can impart it to those who need it. Oh, be brave; for the Lord will impart His strength to you, and you shall be calm in tempest, and glad in sorrow.

He who penned these lines can write as David did -"Wait, I say, on the Lord." I do, indeed, say it. I know by long and deep experience that it is good for me to wait upon the Lord.

A Though From Our Pastor:

Isn’t Our Saviour Indeed Wonderful?
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. John 5:8 

Isn’t our Saviour so wonderful? He is so full of grace and mercy that our feeble minds simply cannot contain the full knowledge of just how wonderfully full of grace and mercy He is. Here in John 5:5 – 9 we see a man that had suffered a great sickness for thirty – eight years and until he met our Saviour he must have been in great misery for those thirty – eight years. Here we see Jesus come to him and knowing his illness and suffering Jesus asked him “Wilt thou be made whole?” what a question for the Lord Jesus to ask, not in doubt of the mans answer but in demand that this man was going to rise and walk. This is the very grace and mercy our Saviour has, never asking in doubt. Grace and mercy is making someone whole in their greatest time of need just as our Lord did with this man and as He also did for you. I did not ask Jesus to die for my sins, because I was not alive just over two thousand years ago when He gave His life on that cross for my redemption. It was by grace and mercy that brought salvation to me just as it was grace and mercy that made this man whole. Jesus did not die in hope we would come to know Him but already knowing that in due time I would be saved. I know that it is because of this grace and mercy that I was delivered at all from sin and I know in this life and the life to come I will never be able to thank the Lord enough or praise His name enough for what He has done for me in making me whole. We see this man in out text in verse 15 telling what Jesus had done for him “The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.” He was not ashamed of Jesus nor did he refuse to give Jesus the credit for what Jesus had done. Jesus told this man in verse 14 “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Beloved this is the very same thing Jesus told us after saving our souls, sin no more. We are not allowed to sin and if we do then great sickness can also come upon us. However the truth being we are sinners by nature and because of that we will sin, does not excuse the sins we purposely do. If you have sin in your life bring an end to it or else you may suffer great sickness because of it.