Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 9/12/17  1 Samuel 17:37, David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. How long has it been since you told someone what God has done to/for/through you?  
                                 Matthew 23:37, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Jesus loved by continuing to try to reach those who sinned even though the sins were against Him. To which end of the spectrum do you more often fall: banning and shunning and ignoring those who sin against you, or actively trying to get the ones who sinned to become all that God wants them to be?

 

- Wednesday, 9/13/17  Matthew 14:26, ...and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. Jesus loved by acknowledging their mental/emotional state and assuaging their fears, not denying them or chiding them for them.                                    Matthew 23:3, All therefore whatsoever [the scribes & Pharisees] bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. Jesus never taught blind obedience to man. He did teach obedience, but informed, discerning obedience. “Know what you know; know why it is so.” Follow a human leader, but look ahead of him at the goal: Jesus...so if he falls, you won’t go with him. Each of us is to follow Christ; if I follow another human while following Christ, that’s fine.

 

- Thursday, 9/14/17  Matthew 23:38, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth... Beware, God may give you all that you want, but withhold that which you need: the essential element that’ll make that “shiny car start.”                              I am reading through the Book of Psalms, and writing a 1-sentence synopsis of each one. Psalm 68 has stumped me for a few days. Here is what I wrote for it:  Let God be concerned with and deal with the wicked; we Christians are to be busy acknowledging Him and praising Him. Read the Psalm a few times and let me know if you agree with that, or could suggest something different.

 

- Friday, 9/15/17  Matthew 16:6, Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Jesus loved by giving proper doctrine/philosophy (ways of thinking and acting), but also warning of wrong ways to which His people were exposed.                                  Psalm 57:1, Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. This is a verse full of time. Past: “I have been trusting You.” Present: “I need mercy right now: mercy to keep on trusting.” Near future: “I will keep on trusting You regardless.”  Future: “I believe there is an ‘until’ coming, which means this problem will pass.” Maybe it would help you to memorize this verse and recite/pray it several times a day for a while. Try it.

 

- Saturday, 9/16/17  Matthew 17:27, Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea... Jesus loved by being very conscious of His actions and how they might be offensive to the unsaved. He did all He could righteously to not offend anyone. Do I? Do you?                          Matthew 24:3, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Jesus answered their questions over the next 38 verses, but then got off of the “fun” topic of prophecy, and onto the practical: “watch” (be on guard duty); “be ready” (to give account); “work” so you have something to give your Master. Are you watching, working, and readying, or are you simply “feasting on the deeper things of the Word (or maybe the sillier things of the world)?

 

- Sunday, 9/17/17  Psalm 77:13, Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. It was true 3000 years ago, and it’s true today. God reveals His way (plans, purposes, comfort, timing, direction, desires) in church and through His word. Revive your relationship with both...maybe starting this morning?                                    Matthew 16:17, And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. “Blessed” (happy, victorious, content) is the person who has things revealed to him directly from Heaven. Are you “blessed” today? If not, are you not saved, not spending enough time in the Word, not paying attention to the still small voice, are you filled with the world in general or sin in particular, or do you simply not care to hear from God (which is a sin.) Only you (and God) can answer. Go get blessed...

 

- Monday, 9/18/17  1 Samuel 24:5, And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. Such a tender heart! Each of us need to search ourselves: have we done ANYTHING against ANY of God’s appointed leaders? Even if they’re wrong, it’s wrong.                               What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “The law of God”? I believe that most people would say a list of rules, do’s and don’t’s. Read Psalm 78:1-4, Give ear, O my people, to my law...shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. It seems that the law includes the rules, of course, but also the reasons for the rules: how good God is, His power (which is made available for the obedient), His goodness, and His past acts. Leaders, be sure to include these aspects into your rules.

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- Acts 16:22, And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. Everyone would love to have a Philippian jailer type of response, but few are willing to go to and through the jail and the beatings beforehand.

 

- 2 Samuel 11:5, And the woman conceived, and told David, and said, I am with child. After a woman has enticed a man, it’s now his problem too.

 

- Pro 14:6, A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth and is confident. We must recognize evil before we can avoid it.

 

- Pro 15:11, Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more the hearts of the children of men. We can’t hide our thoughts and actions from our God.

 

- Matt 20:15, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? God is a capitalist, not a socialist or communist.

 

- Pro 16:25, There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Human, ungodly reasoning is a dead end street.

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- "Who will live their life thanking God you lived yours?"

 

- You don't have to be fearless, just don't let fear stand in your way.

 

- Big people don't need to promote themselves; little people do.

 

- You lose both the power and the purpose of grace the very moment you believe you deserve it and someone else doesn't.

 

- God never rubs our noses in the messes we make in our lives. Only other Christians do that.

 

- Your anger is more harmful than the hurt that caused it.

 

- When God says his grace is sufficient that does not mean it is sufficient just for you. He gives you enough grace to be sufficient for everyone that crosses your path as well.

 

- If God isn't fixing your problem, perhaps He is using the problem to fix your heart.

 

- Some folks will not accept life changing truth because of bias towards the package in which it is delivered. They delete it like an unwanted email without reading, and decline the very gift of God rendering their lives unchanged and embittered.