Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 1/9/18  Lamentations 3:23, [His mercies] are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Eight years ago today, I started sending out these daily Bible texts. A few months later, a second daily thought began going up on Facebook. In 8 years, God has given me about 6000 fresh thoughts: not because I deserve them, not because I’m a “super student” of the Bible, but because He’s good; His book is eternally right and practical, and because I’ve shared what He’s shown. Praise God!!! Pass these thoughts on to anyone who’d like them, and begin sharing your own.

 

- Wednesday, 1/10/18  Proverbs 7:26, For [the strange woman] hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Men, be very careful from whom you seek comfort when your spirit or your emotions have been wounded!! Also, when physically down, as this affects the soul.                                   Psalm 34:1, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. This is a triumphant psalm, however, before the Lord delivered David and prompted the writing, David had fled the country and defected to Goliath’s home town. In other words, he was totally discouraged: he quit on God and God’s people. Lessons:  ¹You and I are as human as anyone in the Bible, so we shouldn’t be too discouraged if we act, at times, like they did at their lowest.  ²God delivered them (from their valleys) in spite of their sin and shortcomings. (Don’t make them out to be spiritual supermen.) So, in spite of our many failures, God can, and oftentimes, will work on our behalf.  ³There’s nothing hypocritical about rejoicing and praising even if we just blew it a few days or weeks prior to the celebratory act.  ⁴Don’t let the depths of your valley (stumble, doubts, fall) lessen the volume of your shout: God is still good and merciful despite what you did, and He deserves all the praise He can get.

 

- Thursday, 1/11/18  2 Chronicles 33:12, And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. I don’t know what it means to “humble yourself greatly,” but seeing how much it impressed the Lord in v13, I’d like to get there.                                 Luke 3:1-2, Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. God, no doubt, gave us this info to allow us to establish chronologically the year of the beginning of John and Jesus’ ministry, but, also note that the “powers that be” were known to God, were very powerful, and didn’t effect His actions in the least. Likewise, He probably is aware of all the giants facing you and I, and is likewise, not intimidated by their ferocity nor is rattled in the least. We have a big God; AND we have a loving Father, so, again, let me say it (so I might catch it this time): if “bad things” happen to me, He’s aware of them and has a reason for allowing them and is governing them.

 

- Friday, 1/12/18   Revelation 2:21, And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. What we may mistakenly infer is God ignoring sinful behavior (in us or others), may simply be an indicator of His mercy. But, He can and will “up His game” if the behavior isn’t changed.                                  2 Chronicles 33:15-17, And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the Lord their God only. Manesseh got right and tried to make the people follow, but he found out that the heart can’t be commanded, and, a leader’s gross sin probably won’t be overlooked. Lesson? You’re not playing with any sin are you mom or dad,? Pastor? teacher? staff member? You’re not doing something that you’d rebuke your followers for doing, are you?

 

- Saturday, 1/13/18  James 1:4, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Patience is cheerfully enduring circumstances. Many of us take what we face...but fail on the cheerful aspect. So, we’re not perfect, so we must remain in the fire.                                   Galatians 4:9, But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? These people turned from Jesus to lesser items for the salvation of their souls, but we often turn from Christ to lesser things for the salvation of our lives. To save our happiness, our purpose, our relationships, we turn to money, worldly pleasures, business accomplishments. Are we any less idolatrous?

 

- Sunday, 1/14/18  Luke 4:18, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel... God gives His Spirit to accomplish work.  1) Do you ask for His fullness?  2) If He gives it, will He benefit?  3) You have the Holy Spirit; does He have you?                                  Psalm 36:2, For [the wicked] flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. It is the height of arrogance for us to claim that we KNOW what someone else is thinking or what their motives were. Never assume. We can evaluate actions, barely, but never the unseen thoughts and intents.

 

- Monday, 1/15/18  Luke 4:39, And he stood over [Peter’s mother-in-law], and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. She was delivered (saved) and subsequently served. You’ve been delivered (saved) too: are you serving the Master?                                    Revelation 3:1c, ...I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Spiritual death rarely occurs quickly: it’s like a cancer slowly eating away at vitality. Might the Master say this to you or of you? to your church? to your Sunday School class? to your marriage? Maybe, you need to examine things with an honest eye: compare yourself to how you used to be.

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- Ps 72:12, For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper. That would qualify us.

 

- Matt 27:51, And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. PTL our Saviour paid the full price for our sin that gave us access to the very presence of God. How often do we meet Him there?

 

- Acts 4:16, Saying, What shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle hath been done y them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. The dilemma the world faces when the miraculous works of God are obvious.

 

- Acts 2:47, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord adding daily such as should be saved. Show me a church where sinners are saved, baptized, and added to the church regularly, and you will find a happy, vibrant church that is praising God.

 

- Acts 4:31, And when they had prayed, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. The sole purpose of the Holy Spirit fullness is found here, and all other happenings are incidental. Preaching of the Word of God is first and foremost.

 

- Ps 77:3,  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed. It’s good to know that we’re not the only ones to get down in spirit.

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- Stop telling someone to “Get over it,” and help them get through it.

 

- Hey young person, you think no one recognizes you, your beauty, your skill set, your humor, your great personality. But just remember that Joseph was 30 years old before he got the level of respect equal to his character. So don't sell out to the first offer. You are extremely valuable and God has incredible things in the works for you. Don't drop your standards. Don't drop your convictions. Don't dip your sales. Just because you're 22 or 27 doesn't mean you're undesirable. It means that God is holding His very best for you.

 

- It takes grace to see the value of someone who has hurt you.

 

- If you want a bad marriage, put yourself first. If you want a good marriage put your spouse first. If you want a great marriage put God first.

 

- Whether or not someone is forgivable is not the question. Whether you are forgiving is.

 

- To forgive and forget means letting the offending party forget too.

 

- People who are trustworthy never complain about people not trusting them; only untrustworthy people DEMAND trust.

 

- As sinful as we think we are, we are infinitely more sinful than that. As merciful as we think God is, he is infinitely more merciful than that.