- Tuesday, 7/24/18 1 Samuel 11:6, And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. Notice that anger is not always a negative, though it usually is. God gets angry and, at times, we will too.
1 Samuel 15:11, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. “Failure has slain its thousands; success has slain its tens of thousands.” Can you properly handle the blessings of God? Prosperity? Authority? It may not be that God is being so good to you: Satan may be trying to destroy you with all that “blessing.”
1 Samuel 15:11, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. “Failure has slain its thousands; success has slain its tens of thousands.” Can you properly handle the blessings of God? Prosperity? Authority? It may not be that God is being so good to you: Satan may be trying to destroy you with all that “blessing.”
- Wednesday, 7/25/18 Psalm 73:2-3, But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Notice how far away an “innocuous” sin can take us. There are no small sins: only bigones, and bigger ones. Most of us think we forgive others, but we probably don’t... How does God forgive? 1) He had legitimate claims against us: we’d done wrongly. 2) He didn’t wait for us to “fix the mess we made.” 3) He came and fixed it for us. 4) Once peace is made, it is TOTALLY made. It’s like we never one time did wrongly. He encourages us to come close to Him, and He draws us in. THIS is where many of us fail: we “forgive” but keep others at arm’s length. So, in truth, we don’t forgive at all; we don’t declare “peace,” but more of a “cease fire.”
- Thursday, 7/26/18 James 1:5a, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God... A very pointed question for each of us: notice it said, “If any...lack wisdom...” Very simply, in spiritual matters, do you tend to be more “self-sufficient” or “lacking”? (I know what we’d all say, but how do we live??) James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. “To upbraid” means to cast into the teeth or revile. Basically, it means to remind someone of their past misdeeds. God doesn’t upbraid us. (Hallelujah!!) However, since He is our Pattern in all things, we are to NEVER remind people of past deeds that have been forgiven. We may never forget, but we CAN never upbraid. ‘Guess I’ve got some growing to do... You?
- Friday, 7/27/18 Psalm 37:1, 3, Fret not thyself because of evildoers...Trust in the Lord, and do good. It’s a basic truth for successfully functioning in life: control what you can control and “fret not” about what you cannot. Easy to say; hard to remember and implement. Psalm 39:4, Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Our primary problem is NOT our frailty; it is our lack of awareness of our frailty. To repeat an earlier thought: we need to ask ourselves if we tend to be spiritually self-sufficient or woefully inadequate. We ARE frail and weak and wicked. Our problem comes when we won’t acknowledge that and act like we’re capable and strong and independent.
Sunday, 7/29/18 Psalm 81:11-12, But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oftentimes, we think of God ready to chastise immediately. But it seems that He’s very willing to work with our frailties, as long as we try. We REALLY don’t want God to ignore us. God DOES give an alternate way to Heaven apart from trusting Christ alone. Job 40:10-14, Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. If a person could do all that, they could save their soul. Since none of us can, all of us are in the same boat: needing a Saviour. Are you and your “good deeds” sufficient and qualified to atone for your faults? No. Is your priest or pope’s? No, they have their own sins to worry about. (Perhaps they have less than you or I, but they are not sinless, so they are in the boat with us.) Can a bunch of us atone for the rest of us? No, “all have sinned” and all are under the condemnation of God. If you do not KNOW 1-0-0% FOR SURE that you’re one heartbeat away from going to Heaven; if you have the SLIGHTEST OF DOUBTS, please message me and let me show you straight and solely from the Bible about how Jesus took care of the giant fatal hole in our boat.
- - Saturday, 7/28/18 Proverbs 23:1-2, When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. I think this verse teaches to avoid the appearance of taking financial advantage of someone who seems to be wealthy. Your thoughts? 1 Samuel 18:28-29, And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michal Saul's daughter loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually. Note: it seems that Saul's animosity toward David was driven by God's blessings instead of David's actions. Your enemy’s angst toward you may be driven by circumstances solely in their heart and really have nothing to do with something you did or did not say or do.
- Monday, 7/30/18 (long) Proverbs 25:20, As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. A broken-hearted person may eventually need to be “cheered up” or even exhorted “to move on,” but at the time, probably just need to know that they’re loved...and allowed to speak without being judged. Let them vent...and love them anyway. Address the elephant in the room... Hebrews 10:17, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Again, no where does it say that God forgets our sins. He simply does not re-list them; doesn’t bring them to the forefront; to use computer lingo: He doesn’t open the folder and put them on the desktop: He leaves them buried deep in the hard drive. If we are to be like Him, we must do the same with others’ sins: don’t mention that which you claim to have forgiven. Yes, we may still hurt...but don’t speak of it. Yes, the effects may linger, but don’t re-member them: don’t re-list the offense. Don’t re-view the offense: even to yourself, let alone to another. LET IT GO!! He let your giant, multitudinous offenses go...you can let another’s small, few offenses go. Yes, you can...we “can do ALL things through Christ.”
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Bible thoughts from some others:
- Pro 24:25, But to them that rebuke him shall be a delight, and a god blessing shall come upon them. When wickedness, evil, and wrong are exposed and put down, it goes well for those who do it.
- Acts 15:37, And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. The danger of family loyalty at the expense of right and expediency in the work of the ministry is obvious here. Barnabas is never heard from again.
- Lam 3:22, It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Our Lord’s emotions, attitudes, and actions toward us aren’t like ours. He is steady and willing to give us another chance, even when we don’t deserve it.
- Lam 3:21-22, For the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion... PTL that He never lets us stay in the pits forever. He cannot stand to see His children in trouble for long.
- Luke 6:41, and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye. Why do we have the same trouble today? It always seems easier to see the faults of others than to see and correct our own.
- Ps 83, They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. The attitude and purpose of the enemies of God’s people has not changed. The hatred of our God and His people will exist until the devil and his crowd are destroyed.
- Pro 31:8, Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Great leadership speaks out for right, and looks out for the poor, needy, and helpless.
- I see so many girls waiting around for Mr. Right, and that is not what God has called young ladies to do. 1 Corinthians 7:34 says, 'There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.' Yes! God created us to be a help meet to our own husbands, but he also wants those that are unmarried to be actively serving him. Notice he says, 'The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord.' Just as the married woman cares for her husband (thinks about what he wants, serves him), the unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord—thinks about what He wants, and serves Him. Neither instance of caring is a passive, sit-around-the-house-and-contemplate sort of thing. Both types of women are actively working and serving the one whom they care for. Most of the girls I know care more about getting married than they do about serving God.
- A friend will be brutally honest, whereas an enemy, will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Proverbs 27:6, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
- Sometimes when we pray, it is of no use at all. Because God has already given the answer in His Word. Proverbs 28:9, "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
- Judges 16:20, "And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." Samson lost everything dear to him THAT day! It's usually too late when we realize that God is gone! Don't shun those little "red flags." Don't think the preacher is overstepping. Don't think that you can keep getting by. Mr. Strong man lost everything because he took one, too many chances. And it was sudden! He was caught off guard! Dear Christian, listen to the warning. Thank God for the people in your life who sound the trumpet!
- The Bible does not say to try to explain with those who weep, but to weep with them. Me thinketh we talk too much and weep too little with those who are hurting.
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Miscellaneous thoughts from others:
- For a seed to achieve its greatest expansion, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it looks like complete destruction.
- Rarely does a prodigal come home halfway through his journey. Most will have to hit ROCK BOTTOM.
- I think the greatest pain I've ever felt is the pain of accidentally hurting someone. Perhaps the greatest pain God feels is when I knowingly hurt Him.
- Perhaps a dog is a man's best friend because the dog loves him unconditionally. Here's my marriage advice fellas: "Love her like a dog..."
- I cannot improve one thing in myself if I blame others for my mistakes and failures.
- Your problem is NOT what someone has done to hurt you, but what you have not allowed God to do to fix and use you.
- Go ahead and accuse me of falling but I will make certain you cannot accuse me of staying down.
- Satan ruins that which was made perfect, but God can perfect that which Satan has ruined.
- Today, walk around like you are truly saved. In other words: humble and happy.
- Once you have confessed your sins you are clean no matter how dirty others may accuse you of being.
- Faith is ignoring what you feel is true in favor of what God says to be true.
- Grace is loving others more than they deserve just like God does you.
- If you don’t like someone’s CONFERENCE, CIRCLE, or COLLEGE, choose not to attend but don’t be CRITICAL! Our children, teens, and singles need to see Christlikeness not carnality. We’re losing too many young people because of division! The cause of Christ is far too great!!
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Contact me at baptistcity@gmail.com for information on subscribing to the weekly email or daily text messages from Terry.