Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 10/24/17  Psalm 144:3, Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! We are proud creatures and often get full of ourselves. And, yes, we’re His children, but never think for a moment that He owes us anything: attention, provision, deliverance...anything.                          Psalm 145:3, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. “Greatly to be praised...”  Pointed question: would you categorize your praise as “greatly”? Another human might look at a devout believer as being “way overboard,” but I doubt that even the best among us gives God 1% of what He expects from each of us. What can you praise God for RIGHT NOW...look around you. Then, set a timer or alarm on your phone and remind yourself several times a day to look around and praise Him.

 

- Wednesday, 10/25/17  Psalm 145:2, Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Are you acting like He would have you to do so TODAY     ? Are you getting a head start on your eternal activity of being a FTAPP? (Full-time Active Praise Participant)?                           This helped my neighbor; perhaps it’ll help you. Hebrews 12:1, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses... What does a “witness” do? They see and hear things, right? So those whom we know in Heaven see and hear us: they witness us. If you want to talk to your loved one, there’s nothing in the Bible prohibiting that. Now, the Bible is clear that they can’t answer prayers or have any intercessory powers, so praying to them is silly. (And probably a sin on our part: not putting the Lord first...) But if you want to tell Grandpa that the trees are really pretty this year, and you wish he could see them with you...he’ll hear it.

 

- Thursday, 10/26/18  Proverbs 21:3, To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Far better than the big, flashy effort for the Lord is consistent obedience to His word. If we’ll correct our small, daily habits, we’ll be in position, more willing, and more likely to make the larger sacrifice.                            Hebrews 12:1, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses... An explanation that I’ve heard from this verse is that the witnesses are like spectators in a stadium: once they were on the field, but they have now graduated and are cheering on the current participants. That’s OK...but our loved ones are not far away...they’re just right there. It’s like a sci-fi movie where someone is in another dimension...they’re right there, but they can’t communicate to us, though, as witnesses, they can hear and see us.

 

- Friday, 10/27/17  Proverbs 22:29, Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (average) men. The recipe for success has always been the same...it may be written in fancy type, but it’s still the same: hard, honest work. How’s your record with your boss?                           Proverbs 22:2, The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. Differences in money make no difference. Popularity? knowledge? Fame? Power? No difference. The only thing that truly matters is righteousness, and whether it’s your own or His. If you wonder if all you have on your record is what you’ve done or if your record is exactly and totally equivalent to Christ’s, please message me. Let me show you how to get such a record.                          After saying many VERY complimentary things about the Ephesians, Christ says this: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee..., Revelation 2:4. Having an intense love for another doesn’t prevent someone from seeing flaws, acknowledging flaws, or pointing them out. Proverbs says something about “the wounds of a friend.” Are you willing to allow those who love you to point out your flaws, and to own up to them, apologize for them, and work on eradicating them? And, in fairness, if you point out another’s flaws, expect them to reciprocate. No, just because you were the one sinned against (this time) doesn’t make you perfect and without flaw.

 

- Saturday, 10/28/17  Hebrews 4:15, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.... However bad you have it; however deep your pain, however lonely you feel; however desperate your plight: JESUS IS TOUCHED WITH THAT FEELING. He feels your pain. Revel in that.                                    Ephesians 6:13, Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. You may just be hanging on; you may only be treading water; you may be incapable of advancing for God...but you are able to STAND. Don’t quit. Be like Rocky Balboa and simply refuse to go down. You may not advance, but you don’t have to retreat. You may not grow, but don’t quit.

 

- Sunday, 10/29/17  A new thing to pray for... 1 Kings 4:29, And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart... Wisdom? Done that. Understanding? Yep. “Largeness of heart”: don’t think I’ve asked for that..                                   1 Kings 3:16, Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. The profession of these ladies did not interfere with Solomon hearing their case. Do you allow unrelated circumstances affect whom and how you judge? Even “bad” people are entitled to justice.

 

- Monday, 10/30/17  1 Samuel 30:6, And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. Ultimately, no one can encourage us: we must do it ourselves, or allow another access. If you need encouragement today, look in the mirror.                              Proverbs 24:1, Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. God only commands us to not do things that we’re likely to do, so, be aware of your tendency to do this: you’re a child of the King...you’ll live forever...you’re just going through some training that those whom you’re envying aren’t going through...like a Marine: YOU will wear the uniform and have the honor...they don’t. Buck up soldier: your promotion is coming bye-n-bye.

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- Pro 22:16, He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. Our political leaders need to take a close look at this. This is why our President is facing so much opposition: he’s trying to clean it up.

 

- Acts 17:4, And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few. When preachers get on fire for God, get sinners converted, and draw a crowd, they can expect trouble from the Devil’s crowd.

 

- Ps 18:6, In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. PTL for times of distress, and for a God Who hears and is attentive to our cries.

 

- 2 Sam 12:27-28, And Joab sent messengers to David—now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name. Joab’s loyalty is obvious, but later on it changes and cost his life.

 

- 2 Sam 13:15a, Then Amnon hated her exceedingly: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved. Evil, lustful men know nothing about true, pure, godly love, and have no thought or respect for ladies.

 

- Pro 29:22, An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgressions. The spirit of man controls his emotions. If he has a bitter spirit, he will keep the pot stirred with strife and trouble! It will take very little to set him off and cause a fight.

 

- In Pro 30:21-23 there is a list of situations that are intolerable. The 3^rd on the list is an odious, or hateful, woman when she is married. Hard to bear!!

 

- Pro 18:30, As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. No God like our God!!

 

- Pro 1:15, My son, walk not thou in the way with them: refrain from their path. We are to win sinners, but are not to fraternize with them.

 

- 2 Sam 13:35,  And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. He’d know better than anyone else, as he was the cause of the whole mess. David trusted the wrong advisor and relative who was, in fact, a wicked opportunist.

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- Be the friend that others would come to when they’ve made the worst mistake of their lives.

 

- If winds of adversity are blowing in your life, raise your sails to see where God is trying to let those winds take you.

 

- God meets our messes with his mercy.

 

- Some Christians approach a light switch with more faith that it will bring light to the room, than they do when approaching God for the needs in their lives. Pray, believing today.

 

- Bitterness has a voracious appetite that will eventually eat you up.

 

- My greatest sins and failures came after I was saved. If your grace cannot handle that, your grace is man made.

 

- Gossip begins with knowing what you do not need to know.

 

- The story of grace is not about those who ran a perfect race. It is about those who ran and fell, then got back up, fell, got back up, fell, got back up, and finished the race.

 

- Our Heavenly Father never rolls his eyes, shrugs his shoulders or yawns with boredom. He is interested in the most mundane parts of our lives.

 

- Much of the bad we do stems from the pride we have for the good we think we are doing.