Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 4/13/14  Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Are you held captive by a problem? Perhaps this is the solution: getting your mind off of yourself and onto others, and then earnest prayer for the alleviation of others’ problems.     
          Ecc 1:17-18 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Solomon endeavored to know wisdom which was great, but ALSO to know “madness and folly” (distraction, disordered reasoning; weakness of intellect, imbecility). He wanted to have God but to also have the world. God wasn’t enough for him. Because of this, v17 caused the conclusion in v18. Pro 3 says that happy is the man that findeth wisdom. You can’t know God and know the world...a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Perhaps this is why so many of our young people are tuning out Christianity: they’ve gotten some wisdom from church and the Christian school, but also some “stinkin’ thinkin’” and ungodly humor from their other crowd: TV/movies, so they are pulled in both directions, and conclude that “in Christianity is much grief, and the knowledge of God just makes me sad” so I’ll just quit church. what they (and all of us) should do is to say, “Trying to have it both ways is causing a heaviness in my spirit, so I’ll forsake the world and give myself to the things of God.”

Monday, 4/14/14  Pro 10:1 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. A simple thought: do you have a “glad dad” or a “mopey mom” (depressed mom)?       Pro 10:2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death. It is possible to have great physical treasure, but no eternal profit, or no earthly treasure and great profit: eternal life and righteousness. Which are you focusing on? Do you KNOW that you have a home in Heaven reserved specifically for you? Message me if you don’t.

Tuesday, 4/15/14  1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. Jesus came to save us from not only the penalty of our sin in eternity, but also from the presence of our sin in our daily lives. Are you working with Him to purify you, or thwarting His efforts?           Pro 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. The wise one here is said not only to have received commandments, but he had to first listen. The prating fool (endless ceaseless babbling) didn’t hear to begin with. “Well, I didn’t know you said that!!!”  Are you ALWAYS chattering?

Wednesday, 4/16/14  Ps 130:2 Lord, hear my voice... This was the 2^nd verse I read this morning, and immediately I was convicted: sure, I want God to hear me, but am I nearly as desirous that I hear Him? Maybe if I’d listen more carefully to Him, He’d listen more carefully to me....            1 John 5:17a All unrighteousness is sin. God knows no middle ground: with Him, all things are righteous or not. People are saved or lost...one heartbeat from Heaven or one from Hell. Our actions are righteous or sinful. So...let’s evaluate what we watch: righteous or not? What we listen to: righteous or not? Our constant companions: righteous or not? I think all of us are a lot more displeasing to the Lord than we realize, and He is a lot more forbearing than we could ever imagine.

Thursday, 4/17/14  Why do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Why do you attend a Baptist church? Why is your pastor married and a Catholic priest not? Is the Resurrection of Christ vital to emphasize?  Pro 14:8a The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way.          2 Sam 23:22-23 [Benaiah] had a name among the 3 mighty men. He was more honorable than the 30, but he attained not to the first three. You may be as or more qualified as another, as or more honorable, and still not get the position you deserve. You may lose out because of personality conflicts, past mistakes, nepotism, favoritism, or a sillier reason. All you can do is to accept it. Deal with it. Keep doing what God would have you do. Benaiah got promoted to Head General under Solomon.  God knows where you are and what you deserve. Just serve.

Friday, 4/18/14  Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. What we interpret as God not caring about someone’s sin may just be a manifestation of His mercy. And each of us has plenty of our own sins to deal with...how do we have time to focus on another’s?             Pro 15:2 The tongue of the wise used knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. This means that there are right and wrong uses for knowledge. All knowledge is not for everybody: that’s what the fool does in the 2^nd half of the verse: he says everything to everyone. Knowledge shared incorrectly/inappropriately is foolish speech.

Saturday, 4/18/14  Pro 15:1-5 Four of these verses discuss proper/improper use of speech. Right is the middle is v3:  The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Lesson: God sees it when we misuse knowledge and twist or bend it in a hurtful way.              Pro 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. Is yours a happy face? Does it invite or repel people? Are you more frequently seen with a smile and happy eyes or a scowl and a frown?

Num 21:6 We should be very careful about our attitude and what we say about our lot in life and the troubles, or bumps in your path of life. Our God is in control and has access to and control of all nature, to let know of His displeasure.

Num 22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. Wake up Balaam, this is all you need to know. It is always best to obey God’s commands and instructions without question or reservation. He should not have to repeat it, or explain why.

Num 27:12-13a And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into the mount Abarim and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people. How tragic, to see the blessings God has and not be able to enjoy them. I wonder how much we forfeit because of failure to follow His perfect will in our lives?

Ps 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted: that I might learn they statutes. For the child of God every problem has a purpose. Not our job to question, but to learn more about His will and purpose.

Pro 18:21a Death and life are in the power of the tongue.  We need to be very careful what we say: it can either build and enhance, or hurt and destroy.  Our talk reflects the condition of our heart. Let’s use our tongue in a loving constructive fashion today.

Ps 119:89 Forever O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.  This truth ought to cause every child of God to shout and be eternally grateful that we have a copy of God’s eternal word.  Do we read, memorize, and meditate upon it? We have a book that most in the world have never read or owned
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