Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 6/28/15  Ps 119:148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. David made himself get stay up simply to think about the Bible.  Do you ever alter your schedule for God, or inconvenience yourself  or force yourself to gout out of your comfort zone for Jesus and His will and way?             2 Tim 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Do you feel you’re just “spinning your wheels” regarding the Christian life? Does God’s word seem foreign to you? Do you wonder how your pastor (or even me) can get fresh stuff out of it daily? The verse before, ...and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. “Silly women” is a derisive term; it means “small women.” I think “petty” might be a good synonym. “Laden” means burdened with the consciousness of many sins; “led away” has the connotation of a dog on a leash; “divers” just means varied and many; and “lusts” are strong desires, especially for what is forbidden. If the Bible is “just not your thing...”  ¹Are you saved?  ²Are you confessed up? Confess, forsake, and fight what you know to be wrong in your life. This involves humbling yourself.  ³Do you have “secret sins” that “are nobody’s business!!” (Not even God’s?) Do you have secret closets in your heart into which He may not go? Do you indulge in a fantasy life (sexual or otherwise) as a “release” a “personal thing” that you reserve all rights to?            Pro 25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. First comes the removal of the worthless rock, dross, i.e. sin, and then the finishing/refining of the pure metal. Application: the fire and pain that you feel may be for the purging of sin, or it may be the final shaping to make you into something useful.

Monday, 6/29/15  Pro 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife. Many people are harping about “healthy eating” and this diet or that diet or avoiding this food or that...and that may all have it’s place. But how is the atmosphere around dinner at your house? Is everyone on their phones? In front of the TV? Does any conversation occur? Laughter?           2 Kings 21:9  But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel. Notice that the people were seduced to act worse than the heathen.  ¹A child of God is not immune from committing any sin (except the unpardonable one.)  ²Christians can fall even deeper into sin than the unsaved.  ³Therefore, we can never accurately judge someone’s salvation simply by observation.             A soul winning tip: Don’t fear questions while out soul winning. Being stumped is not a comfortable feeling, and being put there will drive you to learn the answer, whether you bring it back to that same person, or just have it in your repertoire. Questions make you learn.

Tuesday, 6/30/15  2 Kings 21:9  But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel. The more complacent you grow with your “level of achievement” in the Christian life, the more susceptible you are to the wiles of sin.         1 Sam 15:35b ...and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. Statements like this prompt me to write prayers in my Bible or add things to my prayer list. In this case, “Lord, please don’t let me act in such a way that you’d reject me from any position in which you’ve placed me.” Above each Psalm I have written, "Pray that I'll be a man of strength and beauty." Above each chapter in the Gospels I have "Pray to be like Jesus."           Problems have many divine purposes in our lives, but maybe, if we’d come more frequently by choice, we could possibly limit them. Ps 65:2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Maybe, some problems are simply designed to remind us Who He is and that He deserves attention.

Wednesday, 7/1/15  Ps 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing... There is no joy like the soul winner’s joy. If you’re not actively and regularly trying to win people to Jesus Christ, really, you don’t know the joy you’re forfeiting.                          Ps 126:1-3 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. God’s joy is far, far superior to the world’s happiness. All of God’s products are superior: His families, friends, purpose and goals in life, wisdom, love, etc. Quit trading His precious jewels for a transitory tingle.

Thursday, 7/2/15  Ps 70:1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord. Ultimately, we are very selfish creatures: it’s part of our sin nature. I need to hate it when I see that attitude in me, but I need to expect and tolerate it when I see it in you.          Many difficulties that we face in the Christian life are avoidable, or we could escape them. 2 Tim 2:10, Therefore I endure all things FOR THE ELECT’S SAKES, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. But when we bail out on those difficulties, we very well may be keeping someone out of Heaven. So keep preaching Pastor!! Keep teaching that SS class!! Keep driving the bus, ushering, knocking on doors, singing in the choir!!

Friday, 7/3/15  Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Why in the world would you go out into the battle today without your shield. “Read your Bible! Pray every day!” It’s not just for kids.             Heb 4:16 is famous: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. But it ties in with v15: For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. The mercy and help in v16 are for the temptations we face in v15.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Saturday, 7/4/15  Pro 30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise... “Every man knows something I do not. I must search and probe and question him until I find it. Hence, every man is my teacher.” Dr. Jack Hyles. Great wisdom. Common sense. It’ll also keep us humble.            Pro 1:13 We shall find ALL precious substance, we shall FILL our houses with spoil. Basic common sense: beware of a plan that only foresees glorious successes. (Apply to anything financial, relationships, ideas in general.) We live in a sin-cursed world: negatives and shortcomings are normal. Don’t be suckered into thinking this “latest, greatest” thing is TOTALLY great.

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- Pro 26:3 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. Until the heart is made right, all attempts to cover it by human reasoning and means will fail.

- 2 Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart, for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin. Reform without godly repentance and true revival is worthless!’

- Ps 89:23 I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. We need to be very careful of our attitude toward and our treatment of God’s people and the nation of Israel!

- Ps 91:14 Because he hath set his love on me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. If we want God’s protection, deliverance, and exaltation, we need to fall in love with Him, know Him, and walk closely to Him.

Ps 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. In a day when mental turmoil, frustration, and anxiety are the way for most, the comforts of close fellowship with the One who in in control delights the soul and allays all of the fears.