Baptist City Blog

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Take Heed to Your Spirit

Malachi 2:16

"For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously."

In Malachi 2, God warns us two times to "take heed to your spirit..." The word "heed" means, "to take notice of; to attend to; to observe; to watch for danger." In other words, God was cautioning us to watch our spirit.  Your spirit is your disposition or outlook on life.  God knew that if your spirit were destroyed then you would be destroyed as a Christian.  

God takes this truth further by cautioning to be sure that your spirit is not being dealt with treacherously. The word "treacherously" means, "violating allegiance." In other words, you must watch your spirit that its allegiance to your faith is not destroyed.  What is interesting is that God tells us that two different people can "deal treacherously" with your spirit. In verse 15 God says, "...let none dealt treacherously..." Notice this is showing us that others can destroy your spirit.  Then in the verse above God says, "...that ye deal not treacherously." The second person who can destroy your spirit is yourself.  God is simply warning you to guard your spirit from others and yourself.  Don't let others destroy your spirit, nor should you do anything that would destroy your spirit.  As I look at this warning, I see that God shows us two things that will destroy our spirit.  

First, you must stay pure in your marriage if you want to keep your spirit from being destroyed. A person may get away with being unfaithful in their marriage, but the one thing that unfaithfulness will do is it will destroy your spirit.  You can't be unfaithful in your marriage and it not affect your spirit.  You can't look at wrong pictures and it not affect your spirit.  You can't entertain wrong thoughts and it not affect your spirit.  Staying pure in your marriage will help you to keep your spirit right.  

Furthermore, those who are not married should stay pure until they are married if they don't want their spirit destroyed.  A single person who is committing fornication will destroy their spirit.  Yes, you may have your few minutes of pleasure, but you will destroy your spirit in the mean time.  Staying morally pure, whether you are married or single, will keep your spirit from being destroyed.  

Second, living a pure life will help you to keep your spirit from being destroyed.  Christian, you can't live in sin and it not affect your spirit.  One of the reasons that the spirit of churches seem so dead is because they are filled with Christians who are living in sin.  When you are living right, you will have a good spirit.  When you are doing what you know you should do, then your spirit will be free and protected.  On the other hand, when you know you are doing wrong, your spirit will be defeated.  When you know that you are living in direct contradiction to the Word of God, it will affect your spirit.  Sin always affects a person's spirit before it destroys their life.  You may think you can hide your sin, but your spirit will tell on you.  

Christian, take heed to your spirit.  Watch it and guard it with your life.  When you have a defeated spirit then you will live a defeated life in Christ.  If there is ever a reason for you to stay morally pure in your marriage and life, it is because you want to guard your spirit. Guard yourself from others destroying your spirit, but also guard your spirit from yourself.  Don't do anything that would destroy that victorious spirit that God wants you to have.

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First Glory

Haggai 2:3

"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?"

The temple had been rebuilt, but the new temple was of no comparison to the old.  Sin caused Israel to see the first temple destroyed, but a new temple had been rebuilt in its place.  In the verse above, God came to those who had seen the previous temple and said to them, "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Those who had seen the temple in its first glory saw this rebuilt temple as nothing.  The glory of the rebuilt temple was of no comparison to the first.  Sin caused the first glory to be destroyed, and now the glory that would come would be nothing compared to the first.  

Let me ask you, do you run scared of losing the first glory of God's presence in your life?  There is nothing that I am more afraid of than losing the glory of God on my life.  Yes, God can always rebuild and bring His glory back, but the first glory is without stain.  The first glory is where you will find the greatest blessings of God. The first glory is where the fresh excitement is present.  If you are not scared of losing the first glory of God's presence on your life, then you should be.

I have been around Christianity my whole life and have seen many men in their first glory. I would not give their names, but there are many people whom God used in a great way who allowed sin to mess up their first glory.  Yes, many of these people allowed God to rebuild them, but they never quite reached the pinnacle of glory that they once obtained.  

Sin is the quickest way to lose that first glory.  If anything should move you to get rid of sin in your life it is the fact that it will take the glory of God from you.  All that God has blessed you with can be taken in a moments notice because of sin.  Sin is no respecter of persons when it comes to what it will destroy.  Sin cares not how prominent you may be in your church.  Sin cares not what God has done through you.  Sin cares not how long you have been serving God. Sin will destroy all that you have built and cause you to lose your first glory. Christian, don't let sin take the first glory away from you.  Get rid of your sin before it takes your first glory away.  

Furthermore, God can rebuild your life, but the glory on your life will be no comparison to what it used to be.  One thing you do not want to live with is the memory of what it used to be.  Though God may rebuild a life destroyed by sin, they will have to live with the regrets of what could have been if they would not have allowed sin in their life.  

Moreover, if you have lost your first glory, you can thank God that He can rebuild your life and bring His glory back.  Though it will not be in comparison to what it used to be, God can still use you in a great way.  Don't wallow in your self pity and what you could have had. Instead, get up and let God rebuild your life.  Though the glory won't compare to the first glory, it is still the glory of God.  

I challenge you to be careful about allowing sin to take your first glory from you.  Get rid of sin so that you will never have to live your life comparing what you have now to what you used to have.  Keep the first glory until the day you die!

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Truth's Presentation

Habakkuk 2:2-3

"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Truth should be the primary focus of every person. A church should keep its focus on truth.  A Christian should keep their focus on truth. A preacher should keep his focus on truth.  A teacher should keep their focus on truth. Truth should be your focus, for it will be your guide to true success.  Yet, how truth is presented is very important.  If truth is presented in a wrong manner, then there will be some who will not listen or follow it. In the verses above, God shows us how to present truth.  

First, truth must be presented in a plain manner.  I fear we live in a day when those who present truth try to make it complicated to the hearer. God commanded Habakkuk to "make it plain." God felt that it was important for truth to be presented in a plain manner so that the hearer could understand the truth and have no excuse as to why they did not obey it.  

Preacher, when you present truth, present it in a plain manner.  Your purpose in presenting truth is not to impress people with your intellect.  When Jesus taught truth, He taught it in such a way that the common person could understand it.  Every teacher should present truth so that it is plain and easy to understand. Every parent should present truth to their children in a plain manner so that they will understand what is expected of them.  Be careful about making truth complicated and difficult to understand, the purpose of presenting truth is so that the hearer can understand it.  

Second, truth should be presented in such a manner that the hearer will run.  Truth presented in a plain manner will motivate the hearer to run.  Notice, God wants truth presented so the receiver of truth will run and not walk.  Don't water down truth with political correctness so as to cause the receiver of truth to only walk in their service to God.  It is not a time to walk in God's service, it is a time to run and get truth out as quickly as we can.  In other words, don't water down truth to help appease the conscience of those who serve God in a half-hearted manner.  Present it to motivate them to do more for God.  

Last, present truth with patience.  Let the hearer of truth realize that its results rarely come immediately.  Notice in the verse above, when talking about truth God said, "...though it tarry, wait for it..." People must realize that the result of following truth will take time to see.  Let the hearer of truth understand that they must be patient with truth and not give up on it.  Following truth pays off if people will be patient with it.  

As the hearer of truth, be sure that you listen intently when it is presented so that you will run and do more for God.  As you present truth, make it as plain as you can so that the common person can understand, run with it and be patient while running to see its results.