Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 7/25/17  Hosea 13:6, According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Beware of the dangers of prosperity and ease!! Reread the verse.     
                     Proverbs 19:4, 6, Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. Abundance or the lack thereof (of $, popularity, power) is a great divider. Expect it in your life; don't be guilty of it in others' lives.

 

- Wednesday, 7/26/17  John 17:8, For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me... Jesus loved by communicating the words of the Father: words of truth, comfort, correction, direction. Please consider sending out your own Bible thought text of the day...                                   Numbers 8:4, And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the Lord had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. God has a will for how everything is done. Moses built this piece of furniture according to God's plan. Should we not likewise follow God's plan for our lives, our marriages, our businesses, our choices?  Moses got those plans that he followed by being alone and listening...hint, hint.

 

- Thursday, 7/27/17  Proverbs 19:1a, Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity. Money or character: for which do you pray more? For which do you work harder? Which is more easily taken from you? Which is more obvious when looking at you?                                   Numbers 9:8, And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. Of course, we all know to get counsel for life’s decisions and crossroads. But sometimes, the counselor will need to wait to give an answer so that he can get it from the Lord. Don’t be impatient: the value of God’s will in incalculable.

 

- Friday, 7/28/17  Proverbs 21:5, The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. I gather that this means that the diligent one is the “glass half full” person, whereas the hasty, sloppy person is the glass half empty. Which are you more often?                          Numbers 12:10, And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. Though both siblings had criticized Moses, only one was afflicted. Aaron’s punishment? The fear of watching his sister endure a horrible illness knowing that it was, to some degree, his fault. God doesn’t use corporeal punishment as His first resort, but it in in His repertoire...The OT stories are for our admonition, so, beware.

 

- Saturday, 7/29/17  Psalm 66:10-12, Thou, O God, hast proved us...tried us...into the net...laidst affliction upon our loins...caused men to ride over our heads...we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Don’t give up in the middle...the end is coming.                        John 17:21, Jesus prayed, ...that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. Jesus loved by wanting us to be with those we love the most; in God’s house, with God’s people; learning God’s wishes; enjoying God’s love. Does anyone else wish we had some place like that in this life that we could go to on a regular basis? Wouldn’t it be nice if God would give us such a place to be with His children in the here and now?                           Luke 5:4, Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. Jesus had simply asked for the use of the ship: He offered nothing in return, so He didn’t “owe” the fishermen. However, He went beyond “the letter of the contract” and tried to be a blessing, to meet needs where and when He could. Lessons? 1) If someone doesn’t “go the extra mile,” we are not to get upset. Quit assuming or projecting your values onto them and then getting upset when they come up short.  2) When we can, we should go above and beyond the call of duty.

 

- Sunday, 7/30/17  Psalm 125:2, As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. Though the Lord may be unseen, He is never unaware nor uninvolved in the lives of His children. Rest in His promise.                                   Numbers 14:19-20, Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word... With love like this, no wonder Moses is one of the top 2 or 3 men in all the Bible.  God forgave legitimate, rebellious sin because he asked. Have you even interceded for anyone like this? Would you...if they had wronged and troubled you?                                     Luke 7:47, Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. Notice: her sins were still present tense and yet were still forgiven. God will still forgive us if we’ve not gotten the victory yet. We have to want righteousness, but until we get strong enough to win over sin, forgiveness is still given. We need to forgive others like this.  (By the way, the last phrase “for she loved much” means, that the forgiveness was shown by her love, not earned by her love.)

 

- Monday, 7/31/17  Oftentimes, probably out of shame, we aren’t honest with God about our temptations. Somehow, we hope, “Out of sight, out of mind.” But we fail and fail in the same arenas. The solution? Pray about your weak spots. Luke 22:46, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.                          Leviticus 11:45, For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. If the righteous wouldn’t want sin so much, maybe the sinful would want righteousness more. If the righteous wouldn’t act so sinful, maybe the sinful would act more righteous. If the righteous wouldn’t talk so much about sin, maybe the sinful would talk more about righteousness. If the righteous talked of how they got to be righteous, maybe the sinful wouldn’t talk about how to become more sinful.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- Matt 14:31, And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? We hear a lot about Peter’s lack of faith, but he did get out of the boat, and no one else did!! A little faith is better than none.

 

- Ps 88:3, For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. Until we have been there, it is hard to relate to this.

 

- Gen 22:8, And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Men of great faith will often have that faith put to the test by God. To see if it is still real, and to teach those who follow that faith.

 

- Ps 89:33, Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. PTL we have a “nevertheless” God Who never forgets His promises to His people, no matter how desperate they may be or the depth of their sin.

 

- Gen 22:18, And in thy seed sall all nations of the earth be blessed: because thou hast obeyed my voice. There is no substitute for obedience for us and for those who follow us. God is always aware of the followship and obedience of His servants, and it pays off.

 

- Ps 88:13-14, But unto thee have I cried, O Lord: and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? We aren’t alone in asking God where He is and when He is going to help.

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- Life is 20% what happens to us, and 80% how we react to it.

 

- Unforgiveness may be the single, most prayer hindering sin in all the Bible. Yet it is the most Christlike thing a person can do.

 

- Loneliness or aloneness is an emotion that brings a person into the presence of God. Business is an activity that can remove God completely. Discipline will balance the two.

 

- Sin when it begins bringeth forth adrenaline, and excitement and total freedom. Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.

 

- Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means heaven comes to us. Living with the knowledge of God's presence is not for those who are self-willed.