Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 12/13/16  Rev 16:9, And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God...and repented not to give him glory. In problems, don’t be guilty of looking at others’ actions and not your own. You can only control/change you.                           
Ps 37:8-9, Cease from anger, and forsake wrath (Two direct, but hard to obey commandments): fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (Again, a hard command). For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Sometimes, no, oftentimes, when people treat you wrongly, we want to retaliate, to argue, to be proactive. However, most of the time, we simply need to let it go: “Cease...forsake...fret not.” Usually, we will not be able to reason someone to seeing how they’ve offended us...let it go and let God.

 

- Wednesday, 12/14/16  Ps 11:3, If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? What can be done? Rebuild the foundations. If you’re floundering in a relationship (with God or people), go back to the basics, the beginning, retrace the first steps.                         Neh 1:9, But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. God is able to do the impossible...even you have no concept of HOW. Trust and obey.

 

- Thursday, 12/15/16  Got the blues? Burdened? Troubled? Pro 11:17a, The merciful man doeth good to his own soul. Go give somebody some unexpected and undeserved positives, and thereby do good to your own soul.                            Ps 15:4, (referring to the one whom God highly favors), In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord. Do you still recognize the wrong crowd, and are you on your moral and spiritual guard when you’re around those who’re unsaved?

 

- Friday, 12/16/19  Neh 1:4, And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. Pointed, personal question: how long has it been since you wept over another’s misfortune?                         Ps 55:6, And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest. You’re not the first to want to run away and hide. But V7 speaks of bad consequences for doing so. You can take it. Dr. Hyles, “That which MUST be endured, CAN be endured.”

 

- Saturday, 12/17/16  That giant negative in your life right now that you hate may be producing some awesomeness in you. Ps 56:3, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. God’s methods may be harsh, but are never cruel.                             Ps 77:6, I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Remember when God came through that other time? Rest in His faithfulness; keep praying; keep submitting; keep obeying until He comes through this time.

 

Sunday, 12/18/16  Pro 14:4, Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. Learn this word/acronym: TANSTAAFL: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Everything has a price tag: education, wisdom, a good marriage, reputation, sin, eternal life, rearing good kids...everything.                           Pro 14:3, In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Do your lips tend to get you into trouble?  Might you be considered a “Fool”?

 

Monday, 12/19/16  Got some seemingly unsolvable people problems? This may contain the solution: Pro 16:7, When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.                          Titus 1:15 unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure.  The wicked person can’t believe that I am acting innocently, or that I don’t have ulterior motives.

 

 

- Some thoughts recently while meditating on the awesomeness of God, and a challenge for husbands. (Subtitle: “What I wish I had done, and what I will do if ever given another chance...”) Eph 5:25, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. How does Christ love the church?  *Ps 68:19, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits. (Constant goodness in action, demonstrated.)  *Ps 118:1, ...because his mercy endureth for ever. (He has abundant mercy to cover our shortcomings, and never removes it, and never mentions items confessed and forsaken.)  *Ps 130:3, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (God overlooks the vast majority of our failings. Only the most egregious and rebellious faults incur His mentioning the error.)  *John 1:17, ...but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (Grace: “I do for you without thinking of you doing for me.”)  *Eph 5:29b, ...but nourisheth and cherisheth [his own body], even as the Lord the church. (Nourisheth: to help to maturity. Cherisheth: “to brood”: as a hen her chicks: to warm and protect; to treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid.)

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- Ps 55:14, We took sweet counsel together, and walked into the house of God in company. I guess the hardest thing to accept and endure is the loss of the loyalty of a family member or fellow Christian whom we trusted and is now a hateful and vindictive enemy.

 

- Ps 56:9, When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know: for God is for me. God puts us in dangerous, difficult places so we can call upon Him, have Him come to our rescue, and know with confidence that God is for us. How else would we know?

 

- Isa 48:22, There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. No matter how hard they may try, peace of heart and soul is impossible for the ungodly.

 

- Ps 57:1b, Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee: yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.  What a safe and secure place to be, and to place our confidence and trust in times of trouble.

 

- Isa 44:3a, For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. This promise is given to every child of God who is thirsty for the Holy Spirit’s power in and on his life. It is a burning desire that is nurtured by a close walk with God.

 

- Acts 19:15, And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? The spirits must say that often with all the cults and false religions nowadays!

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-Bad chapters can still be a part of a great story that ends well. Let your past be part of a story, and not your identity.

 

- Sometimes when you’re in a dark place and feel like you’re buried, realize that God may have planted you.

 

- If a man expects a woman to be an angel in his life, he must provide a heaven for her: angels don’t live in Hell.

 

- We have reasons for almost everything, but we have no reasons for pride. -Spurgeon