Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church

1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501
November 01, 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, Grandchildren, and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Alecia Clements, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, Larry Mollette, 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, Brother & Sister Frank James, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout and her Niece, Pastor G. L. Burr, Alicia Lightsey, Melody Carr, Betty, Gina, Janie Capps, Kathy Johnson, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

A Though From Pastor Johnson:

Did God Die On The Cross?
Luke 24:7 “Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

I was at a bible conference last weekend and had made mention in the sermon that “It was not God who died on the cross but rather the Son of man” and two men at the conference approached me with questions about my statement and had insisted that God indeed did die on the cross. So the question is did God die on the cross? I say no, God cannot die. This is a question that can be only answered by a proper understanding of the “Incarnation of Christ” The word “incarnation” is like the word “rapture” neither one are biblical terms but they are both well defined in the scriptures. When I say that God did not die on the cross I certainly do not want to belittle the death of Christ at all and I do not. God is an eternal being and because of that very fact He cannot die nor can any part of Him die or else He would not be an eternal God. The word incarnation put simple is two completely separate natures in one body i.e. the Son of God and the Son of man. With this understanding we have the eternal Son of God in a human body known as the Son of man with two separate natures; however the two natures are not mixed or confounded. The Son of God was not born but rather the Son of man because the Son of God is eternal, The Son of God did not grow and learn because the Son of God is omniscient, just as the Son of God did not die He is eternal. One of these two men asked me what I was going to do with the scripture that read “God died” but after an extensive bible search I cannot find such a scripture. Ever search showed me that Christ died, or the Son of man died, but never God died or the Son of God died. My question is this why did Christ cry on the cross “…My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46. The word forsaken comes from the Greek word egkataleipō and means to leave behind in some place or to desert and we certainly know that God would never desert the Son of Man while on the cross so we must take the idea that there was a separation which means the word here means to leave behind in some place. With that being said I believe just before death deity had separated from humanity leaving the Son of man to die on the cross.

Some will say that this belittles the sacrifice and makes it insignificant but I must ask why? In the temptation was Satan tempting the Son of God or the Son of man? Satan is a fallen angel and knows God and knows God cannot be tempted so therefore he must have been tempting the Son of man. It does seem that Satan did not fully understand this man was the Son of God “And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” Luke 4:3. While it is true that in one you have the other however the fact remains there were two separate natures in this one body. The Son of man was no less a redeeming sacrifice for our sins than the Son of God. The Son of man was the perfect sacrifice because He had lived a perfect life and by that I mean a sin free life and that alone makes Him a sufficient sacrifice.

These two men also quoted past theologians such as Calvin, Wesley, and etc. and I must say to a point all of these men all had some wonderful theology; however we must put in mind all of these were men of reformation meaning they were reformers of Catholicism and still carried a lot of Catholicism doctrine in their hearts and minds. As a Baptist I do not adhere to Catholicism in fact I do not find much that I do agree with them on, if anything. I also read and study a lot of these men but with a grain of salt. Let us remember they are just men, very smart men but not infallible. God was not born and God did not die, please do not allow ourselves to belittle God and make Him like ourselves.         

Hate Crimes:

The new hate crimes bill just passed by the Congress and signed into law by President Obama will make it illegal for American Preachers and Christians to speak against Homosexual acts and Abortion but this is not just an American injustice, I received the following email from a brother in Christ we support in Russia. Please remember this is the actual email and the translation is not great. We all need to be in much prayer.   

Dear Randy, your family and church of the God at you,
Grace and Peace, from the Almighty yes will be on you every day for glory of the Christ!!!

We ask you to pray for us and for our annunciation for the Christ. In Russia there comes very much a hard time. The Ministry of Justice, has prepared the bill on the INTERDICTION of missionary work in Russia.
In November in the State Duma of Russia, will consider this law.
The new law offers the penalty for each citizen of Russia who speaks people about the Christ and about rescue. The size of the penalty from 80 $ up to 200 $. If to us in church the young man till 18 years without parents, me as pastor, the penalty up to 250 $, for each young man will come. The law rules to me, to expel young men from church. If someone from members of our church, will speak other people about the Christ, me as the pastor, the penalty 200 $. If I, and members of our church distribute to people: the New testament, the Bible, booklets, audio and video materials, the penalty - 200.
This law even is more terrible than in was in the USSR.
Brothers, we are not afraid persecutions and prosecutions, we trust words of the Christ: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. John 15:18-21
Therefore, we ask you to pray for the decision of this question in November. If it from the Lord we speak: Yes will be as the God wants! We are pleased to the God and are ready to praise His and to distribute a fragrance of glory of the Christ, even accepting sufferings for the sermon of the gospel of Grace. But if it is intrigues of devilish forces, we ask to intercede for Russia, that the satan would not have what success. Yes to become famous the Holy name of the Christ, and yes the Sovereign God will be extolled!
We pray for you and we ask the God to bless you and your service to the Lord!
Graces to you,

Bro. Sergey