Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 6/6/17  Evaluations are given to measure achievement or current status. Here’s one: Psalm 84:2, My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. (This is a self-graded quiz. Maybe it’s time to up your effort?)       
                            2 Corinthians 12:10, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. I often don’t like God’s methods, and often don’t like His goals. But, since He’s the Boss, I have to take it. But I can choose to take it sweetly or rebelliously; take it profitably or unprofitably; take it while helping people or take it while feeling sorry for myself. Since, in most situations, we can’t choose to get out from under the burdens, we can only choose how we’ll carry what the Lord has placed on us.                               Proverbs 4:1-2a, Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine... Dad, do you teach “good” doctrine? Before you answer that, let me ask this: do you simply “wing” what you teach your kids? Let circumstances determine it? Or, do you have some planned conversations? A “curriculum” that you’re following? Shouldn’t the training of our young people be taken at least as seriously as formal education? (Forgive my meddling...I am just learning from my mistakes, and wishing for a “do over.”)

 

- Wednesday, 6/7/17  2 Corinthians 4:17, For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Our burdens are light and short-lived and will be exceedingly worth it...think of a toddler getting a shot. You can take it.                                    Psalm 2:1, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Romans 1:20, For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Sometimes, even in the face of indisputable facts, people won’t submit to truth. I’ve been there...let’s not go there again. “Come now, and let us reason together...” Be willing to admit your own errors and poor judgments.

 

- Thursday, 6/8/17  It is VERY easy to forget:  2 Corinthians 10:3, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. Neither our enemies nor the means to defeat them are flesh. Quit shooting impotent fleshly weapons at fleshly targets: kneel and engage the real enemies with potent weapons.                          Genesis 37:4, And when [Joseph’s] brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. Remember that anger and hatred arise not from our outside circumstances but from our hearts. Your problem is not your problem: your problem is a heart that needs constant confession and cleansing.

 

- Friday, 6/9/17  2 Corinthians 10:8, For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed. Notice that authority/power is given to someone to build up others, not to destroy them. How’re you using what you’ve been given?                            I’ve asked it, as have you: “Why is God doing this to me?” 2 Corinthians 1:6, And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Maybe the correct question to ask is, “Who is being helped because of my affliction” (cuz someone is being helped.) (And if you faint and quit, the help ceases too.)

 

- Saturday, 6/10/17  Luke 4:22, And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? Teens and children need to be often reminded that almost everyone knows who their parents are, and that the parents are judged through the children’s actions.                             2 Corinthians 13:11, Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. “Perfect:” repaired, adjusted. “be of good comfort:” call alongside to strengthen. (Paraclete: be like the Holy Spirit.) “Be of one mind:” Think alike: “What is best for Christ, not me or you?” “Live in peace:” just what it says. That’ll fill my plate and yours for...the rest of the decade...

 

- Sunday, 6/11/17  Three times (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) it says God gave people “up” or “over” to their sin. Be forewarned: if you insist on indulging in continued wrong, God will let you go: He’ll quit fighting you. If you play tug-of-war with God, you might win, and fall down and go, “Boom.”                            Romans 6:12-13a, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.   Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin... Paraphrase: Don’t let sin rule you and issue dictates to you concerning your actions, or don’t give it the right-of-way voluntarily while righteousness sits idly by.

 

- Monday, 6/12/17  Romans 6:13b, ...but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Remember how Bro. Hyles used to yield 7x/day to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to help him live godly. Maybe set alarms on your phone...                                  Romans 6:16, Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Notice that we ARE yielded to one or the other: there is no neutral ground; there is no such thing as “treading water spiritually.” Think of swimming in a river that is flowing toward destruction. One may swim with the current, against it, or tread water. But 2 of the 3 lead us downward.

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- I once thought that people do not restore for one of two reason. Either they are not spiritual (see Galatians 6:1) or they do not know how. Now I have added a third reason. They never think they will fall and need restoring. That is scary because that is what every fallen Christian once thought.

 

- Psalm 42:11, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within in me: hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God. When we get down in spirit, it is time to look up, trust in God, hope in Him, and not give up.

 

- Psalm 44:13, Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. This has been the state of affairs and the attitude of much of the world toward America for most of the last 60 years. When will we wake up and seek the Lord?

 

- Matthew 11:2-3, Now when John heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? If John questions his faith when in prison, are any of us exempt? Our faith and confidence is on purpose and not on accident.

 

- Matt 12:21, And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. PTL for the opportunity to trust in Him for eternal salvation.

 

- 2 Sam 5:25, And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou comest unto Gazer. When we do things God’s way, it will always turn out right and bring victory. Like David of old, we forget how much we need Him.

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- How silly we must look to God as we self righteously judge another wretch as though we are a superior wretch. If you cannot accept the wretchedness of others stop singing "amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me," because if you truly believed you were a wretch you could not judge any other wretch.

 

- Humble people accept fallen people. Proud people reject them.

 

- Prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God.