Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 2/6/18  Proverbs 1:5, A wise man will hear, and will increase learning. Very simply: are you still increasing in learning, or have you plateaued? Could you tell me what you know now that you didn’t last year? In the secular, spiritual, relationship realm? Wisdom is a journey, not a destination.                                How much do you think about the eventualities of life? The death of your parents, friends, family, self? The leaving home of children? Getting to old to do the job or activities which you love? The loss of your own physical vitality?  Ecclesiastes 7:2, It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Think of “the end of all men.”

 

- Wednesday 2/7/18  Luke 13:34, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Remember that you and I are as close to God as WE WANT TO BE.                          Luke 13:7-9, Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Just an observation: if it’s been more than 3 years since you’ve born any fruit (i.e. a soul won to Christ), there may be an axe in your future...

 

- Thursday, 2/8/18  1 Thessalonians 1:3, Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ... By choice and by character, remember the positives and not the burdens/negatives about people. This’ll become much easier if forgiveness has been given.                            Luke 13:25, When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. A reminder that God does have a “Point of No Return,” or lines drawn in the sand which are not able to be crossed after a certain point. If you’re not saved, the offer MAY be retracted at some point. If you’re not repentant toward some sin in your life, the hammer of judgment can become inevitable. Respond to what you KNOW the Lord would have you do...regardless of how human/faulty the messenger may be.

 

- Friday, 2/9/18  Psalm 126:2b-3a, ...then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us... “THEY said” and then the people agreed. Does someone else need to point out how God is helping you or intervening in your life before you’re able to see it? Wipe off your glasses.                          1 Thessalonians 4:9, But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. Notice that the proficiency, or lack thereof, of the student cannot be laid totally at the feet of their instructor. God taught, but they, no doubt, failed in learning/applying, at least at times. Lesson: if your kid is not learning in school or you in church, it may not be the fault of the teacher/preacher.

 

- Saturday, 2/10/18  Isaiah 1:1, The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. If he only served 1 year under Uzziah and Hezekiah, Isaiah still served for at least 34 years. There is no substitute for faithfulness. Are you?                               Isaiah 1:13, Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Spirituality without sincerity is sickening to the Lord. Religion without relationship is spiritual fornication. Many talk the talk, and some even walk the walk, but do they, do I, do you, do it with a sincere, humble, honest, seeking heart? Let there be something different about your church attendance, teaching, preaching, service tomorrow on the 6^th Sunday of this year.

 

- Sunday, 2/11/18  Isaiah 2:3, Come ye, and let us go...to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He’s to teach and we’re to do. Do you go to church to learn, or to be taught and directed?                            It’s an age old question: Do we put away the bad first or start the good?  Yes.  Note the back and forth in these verses:  Isaiah 1:16-17, Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Forsaking and eliminating the bad from our lives is to be concurrent with the doing of good. Each half of the formula makes more room for the other half. It’s like losing weight: we’re to diet and exercise. Each one makes the other easier to do, and more effective.

 

- Monday, 2/12/18  Matthew 27:5, [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. As ambassadors for Christ, we’re to impart hope to those who’ve blown it, saved or lost. Don’t ever be guilty of causing a spiritual suicide because of your pride or condescension.                                 Isaiah 1:18, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. To be clean with God, all we had to do was to come. How hard is it for family or friends to get back into your good graces when they’ve offended you? If they take a baby step back towards you, do you take 5 leaps toward them, or criticize them for not “repenting right” or “sincerely enough”? (Don’t scoff...it happens.) Are you helping restore believers to “the active roster,” or do you live by the motto, “Good riddance: bad rubbish”? If you HAD to, could you list several casualties that you’ve actively worked to get back healthy and on the front lines for Christ?

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- Pro 6:2, Thou art snared with the word of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. A man’s word needs to be kept!! There was a day when a man’s word was as good as his signature. The farther we get away from God, the less we keep our word.

 

- Pro 7:25, Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. Immorality begins in the heart! We must keep our hearts right.

 

- Mark 5:36, As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. No matter how impossible, difficult, or unusual the problem, faith in the only real, miracle working Saviour is the answer.

 

- Pro 9:13, A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple and knoweth nothing. How to recognize an airhead, and a female not to be trusted.

 

- 2 Corinthians 5:18, ...God, who hath reconciled us...and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. When was the last time you heard someone say they are in the reconciliation ministry? Yet, Jesus called us all to that very ministry. Maybe it doesn't sound important enough for us.

 

- When we take it upon ourselves to decide whether or not a person is "repentant enough" we are taking upon ourselves a duty reserved for God and God alone. While some question the sincerity of one sinner who repents Heaven is rejoicing.

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- I guess the bottom line is this: Can God trust you?

 

- Don't expect God to give you more money if you have been dishonest with the money He already gave you.

 

- God deserves my undivided attention. I can give it or He can orchestrate it.

 

- Often we must lose what we have in order to realize the value of what we had.  However, there is another way. Evaluate daily and live a life of gratitude instead of grief.

 

- People looking down on others cannot look up and see the Lord.

 

- Grab grace and you will lose your grip on grudges.

 

- If a happy person and an unhappy person traded lives, the happy person would still be happy, and the unhappy person would still be unhappy.

 

- Whether we want to admit it or not we are all the worst sinner we know.

 

- A church that honors Christ looks more like the back room of Goodwill than the showroom of Ethan Allen.

 

- We do not forgive the undeserving because we forget that God forgave us even though we were undeserving.

 

- When I drive my truck.. I will often cut off the radio to listen to how my truck is running.. to see if there is any “noises” that need to be addressed...I often do the same with my family. At times there is so much going on we fail to listen to “noises” that need addressed.  Take the time to stop and listen. May save you a fortune.

 

- The purpose of the Word of God is not theological information but heart and life transformation.