Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 9/4/18  The entire Christian life is to be done by faith...even when it comes to problems and afflictions. James 1:2, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations... “COUNT IT”: mark it down in the record books that this is a source of joyful goodness.                                    Proverbs 1:1, The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. However great or poor your upbringing was, each of us have two HUGE responsibilities. First, we’re to learn what God wants to teach us. (That demands humility and honesty about our ignorance, a willingness to learn, and diligence to learn.) Secondly, we’re to teach what we have been taught. Did you? Are you? Will you?

 

- Wednesday, 9/5/18  James 1:12, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation... We won’t always skate through problems with an A+ grade; sometimes we’ll stagger across the finish line with a D-.  Sometimes we’ll win; sometimes, we’ll just endure. But we should NEVER, EVER quit.                          Mom, Dad, Boss, Teacher, Pastor: if your pupils learned what you teach, REALLY learned, how would they be different? Would they simply be more knowledgeable and efficient? more skillful? more able to make a living? Or would they be wiser and more pleasing to God? Proverbs 1:1-4, The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. TO KNOW wisdom and instruction; TO PERCEIVE the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

 

- Thursday, 9/6/18  Proverbs 1:5, A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.  Even the greatest teacher in the world is ineffective to an unwilling ear. (Jesus and Judas??) Are you a willing listener and learner?                         Proverbs 1:8-9, My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. Notice that it doesn’t say, “Hear the good, godly, Bible-based instruction...” God said, simply, “Hear” and THAT will be ornamental jewelry. Even if the instruction/example of the parent isn’t worth much, the submissive sweetness of a child will be greatly rewarded. Even if they don’t “deserve” respect and honor, God demands that it be given.

 

- Friday, 9/7/18  Proverbs 1:32, For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  “Failure has slain its thousands and success has slain her tens of thousands.” Overall success is largely determined by how we handle daily failures...AND successes.                                Proverbs 1:31, Therefore shall [fools and scorners] eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. The truth is, ALL of will eat the fruit of our own way. Very simply, are you planting a crop that, in a year or two or five, you’ll enjoy and benefit from? A crop of character, godliness, honesty, or deceit and laziness and sin? Will 2019 and 2020 be years of famine for you because of the crop you’re planting in 2018? Replant...NOW.

 

- Saturday, 9/8/18  Proverbs 2:17, Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. Very simply, are you living as your parents and pastors instructed you when you were young? Honestly, are you on a superior or inferior pathway? More righteous or less? (In God’s eyes, not man’s.)                               Mark 15:32, And they that were crucified with him reviled him. In times of our own grief and pain, it’s very easy and natural to pour out our hurt onto others. However, one of these two thieves thought while he was hurting another and made a wise choice. When another is hurting, allow, tolerate their lashing out. Let it go; quit harboring and reminding them of what they said or did. When you’re hurting...think...ponder...search for the right path, the godly path, the path that will eventually produce good.

 

- Sunday, 9/9/18  Psalm 25:8, Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. “How to be like Christ” Honestly evaluating/acknowledging what another person is/has done, and doing rightly and loving them and helping them regardless. Read the verse again.                          John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Notice: we MIGHT have peace, but we WILL have troubles. The difference: our choice of whether to humble ourselves to get peace, or rail on God in our troubles. Our pride says, “I don’t deserve this.” “How DARE You do this to me!” No, all we deserve is to burn in Hell, so the car troubles, health problems, job losses, betrayals...all of them are better than going to Hell, so we are getting better than we deserve. Consciously knowing that will bring peace. Railing against what we cannot avoid is folly, and compounds the problems.

 

- Monday, 9/10/18  What are we to do before reading our Bibles? How should we prepare? 1 Peter 2:1, Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word...                          1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I understand and appreciate His faithfulness (consistency) to forgive, but how is it “just”? It’s just because the sin was already paid for. So, to be like Christ, today, mark “Paid” on your spouse’s/family’s/friend’s account...that’ll make forgiveness tomorrow very easy.

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- "You cannot build on the spectacular, but on the routine." -Dr. Jim Jorgenson.  Christmas is spectacular. Day 341 is routine. The wedding is spectacular. Marriage is routine.  Graduation is spectacular. School is routine.  Winning is spectacular. Practice is routine.  Salvation is spectacular. Serving is routine.  It's okay to create and enjoy those spectacular moments. But that's what they are, moments. Ezra had something to say about routine: notice the words, "custom" and "duty."  Ezra 3:4,"They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required...  When we invest in the routine with the same energy that we do the spectacular, then our routine becomes spectacular!

 

- "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;" (but only if his spirit is well nourished.)

 

- Embrace your "thorn in the flesh."  Your thorn will either be the end of you or the beginning of you in Christ!

 

- Our praise to God is not very genuine when it only occurs when we like and agree with our circumstances.

 

- Why are God's mercies new every morning? Lam 3:22, I think it is so He will already be prepared for the sins we will commit that day. Oh that we started our day giving each other room to make mistakes as well.

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- How to be a failure as a leader: Seek recognition, stay angry, be suspicious, and manipulate people.

 

- Whenever we come in contact with another person, we have an opportunity to do an act of kindness. Don’t miss the opportunities.

 

- Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.

 

- There are many people who's personalities I don't like, but they are productive, and I like that. So, in order to get the production, I have to put up with their personalities. Of course, that works both ways.  I think that when Jesus says, "Well done," it will be because of production not personality. It will be because of faithfulness, not smiles and giggles or frowns and scoffs.  Aren't you glad that God puts up with us? Perhaps we could put up with each other. That would certainly be Christ-like.

 

- Love is hardly tested on the honeymoon cruise. The real test comes after Satan leaves a private chat with God, and comes after everything precious in your life.

 

- When a man prays or talks to God, he will do it with words. When God talks to man, He too will do it with Words; not nature, not experience, not feelings, not telepathy, but Words.

 

- A physician once said, "The best medicine for a human is love." When asked, "What if it doesn't work?" He said, "Increase the dosage."

 

- The false teacher who will only speak of the love of God is like the science teacher who will only teach directional North and deny South. They are teachers seeking itching ears to hear their half baked philosophy. If the science teachers taught that in public schools, they would be fired. Lovers of truth will fire the false prophet too.

 

- I CAN’T thank JESUS CHRIST enough for all that HE has DONE in my heart and life! But I CAN choose to not listen to anyone who tries to discourage me from DOING what I can to make a difference in this world for HIM!!  It’s not legalism; it’s loving Him. It’s not a dread; it’s a debt I owe. It’s not gaining His favor; it’s gratitude for it.

 

- Prayerless actions say, "I’ve got this on my own, God."

 

- Stop beating yourself up for your failings along the way. You are God's work in progress; which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.

 

- The past is where we learn our lessons. The present is where we apply our lessons from the past. The future is where we reap from our applications of the present. Eternity is where we rest to enjoy the rewards of it all.

 

- He or she who apologizes first actually wins.

 

- Obedience is filled with inherent risks but disobedience is filled with inherent consequences.

 

- Adversity is not brought into our lives so God can see what we are made of but so that we can see what He is made of.

 

- Grace is not God's reward for me when I change.  Grace is God's method for Him changing me.