Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 11/16/14  Est 6:11-12 Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. After an unexpected, huge blessing, Mordecai simply resumed his duties; he didn’t suddenly feel he was a big shot. There’s a lesson there for us.                             2 Chron 36:15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place... Because of compassion, God sends preachers to remind us of our sin. He simply wants us to do what’ll make us happy. Are you responding properly?

Monday, 11/17/14  Ps 58:1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do you judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Are you really as good as you think yourself to be? We all need objective opinions and truthful ones: that’s why we’re to look into the Bible and let it show us the “real” us. It’s a mirror, showing what needs to change.                                Ps 17:13-14 ...deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: from men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world... Notice that the wicked can be the sword of God, and men are His hands.  Lesson: God will use the unsaved to do His work and will and way in our lives: acting like a scalpel or a spanking hand in the Master’s hand.

Tuesday, 11/18/14  Ps 18:1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. It sounds like true love is a matter of the will and not the emotions. We choose to love and we give to feel it. Definition of love: treating someone the way the Bible says to. So, find the commandments re: the type of relationship and decide if you’ll obey them or not.                          Luke 6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house... As important as reading and consuming much Bible is, blessings and spiritual stability come from obedience. What have you started or intensified over the last few months? (How are you obeying more?) What have you stopped or decreased? (How are you disobeying less?)

Wednesday, 11/19/14  Ps 60:1 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. If God is not for us, then nothing else really matters. If God is for us, nothing else really matters.                        Let’s talk about your face!!!  Pro 15:13a  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.  Pro 18:24a A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.  ¹What does your face say about your heart?  ²Are others attracted to Christ by your expression?  You may be the sweetest person in the world, but if your wear a scowl or a frown all the time, most people will never make the effort to find out the truth.  ³Does your face attract or repel others?  ⁴Are people more likely to want your Saviour based on your countenance?

Thursday, 11/20/14  Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. If we’d pray and live this verse more, many, if not most, of our problems would go away or never occur.                                                               Ps 61:5b ...thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Don’t forget about what has been passed down to you by previous generations, and don’t forget that your predecessors are watching you from Heaven. For me, that’s primarily Bro. Hyles and Mr. Boyd. For others, maybe a godly parent or grandparent, former pastor/youth pastor or teacher, etc. Don’t disappoint them.

Friday, 11/21/14  Ps 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. There is no problem that we face that is outside of God’s ability. There is no concern that we bear that is below His noticing. There is no enemy that we face that is outside of His influencing.                              Matt 16:6-7 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. The things we worry about in our lives are not the things that God worries about in our lives. We worry about money, health, and proud, vain issues like status and reputation. God is concerned about our holiness, our treatment of others, and our relationship to Him.

Saturday, 11/22/14  Ps 65:11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. I would think that the crown would be the final thing the king puts on. So, in the next 6 weeks, let’s look for God’s crown-age on the year 2014.                              Matt 17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles...  Followers, if your leader is doing something confusing, close your mouth and open your eyes for awhile:  analyze the situation before speaking. Trust that the leader has something in mind. After all, he is the leader because he’s got more on the ball than you.

An ungodly man diggeth up evil, and in his lips there is as a burning fire. Avoid manure spreaders and evil gossips: they can’t wait to tell bad news and scuttlebutt.

Ps 47:7b Sing ye praises with understanding. I wonder how often we really think about the songs we sing, and really understand what the author was trying to say?

Pro 20:8 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. Get godly counsel/advice and don’t make hasty decisions without it.

Ps 29:20 Man that is in honor and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. God’s opinion and what Heaven thinks about us is far more important when we die than great wealth and glowing eulogies.

Jud 2:19a And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers.  Everything rises and falls on leadership. We can expect children to do in excess what parents did in moderation without strong godly leadership.

Ps 51:17 the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. The only sure way to get God’s attention and favor is with a proper attitude and a prepared heart.

Pro 19:21 The are many devices in a man’s heart, nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Regardless of how logical and reasonable our plans may seem, the counsel of the Lord and His plans must take precedence.