Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 8/7/18  1 Corinthians 12:21, And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Very simply: how tolerant are you of other, different parts of the Lord’s body (the local church)? It’s not about you or me; it’s about US, together, serving HIM. 
                            Spiritual leaders get criticized A LOT, as well as vilified, scorned, and mocked. Consider Ecclesiastes 3:16, And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. Is it any shock to you that evil is present under the best of human circumstances, or some good coexists with bad? It’s true in the life of the IFB preachers; it’s true in my life; it’s also true in your life. What all of us need to do is to cut others some slack, and determine if they’re sincerely trying to do rightly. If we deem them sincere, then allow them to operate as their sincerity leads them. They’re not you, so they’ll think differently. Perhaps they are privy to knowledge you do not; perhaps their experience is leading them to do what you think is so blatantly wrong. Let’s support each other; or, at least, let’s not shoot an ally in the spiritual war.

 

- Wednesday, 8/8/18  Psalm 119:153, Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. A question for each of us: do we focus more on God’s responsibility (1^st half of verse) or our responsibility (2^nd half)? Who has the worse record of faithfulness, and therefore, needs more attention?                                Proverbs 3:7-8, Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. It would be impossible to know since sin is killing all of our bodies slowly, and will eventually win, but I wonder how much of our poor health in our 50’s/60’s/70’s could be traced back to disobeying this verse. You younger people: do right...for YOUR sake; for your grandkids’ sake; for your quality of life’s sake.

 

- Thursday, 8/9/18  Ecclesiastes 5:5, Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Don’t let your mouth ring up bills that your character cannot pay.                         1 Corinthians 15:9, For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. One common characteristic of humans in general, and men in particular, are that they have opinions on everything. Here, Paul even felt he did not deserve to be called an apostle. Others, no doubt, agreed. However, it’s not your opinion nor mine that matters much, IF AT ALL...it’s God’s. If He wants to use anyone in any way it’s not our call to refuse them. (“Oh, but what about if they committed certain sins??” Well, Samson was used; Moses was used; unsaved Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus were used; a stupid donkey was used!! Why!! Even you, the critic of all critics could be used!!! No...on second thought...probably not!!)

 

- Friday, 8/10/18  Psalm 120:1, In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Though it is implied, it doesn’t say here that the Lord answered, yet David rejoiced in being heard. Many a person would be greatly encouraged if you and I would just HEAR them out: their fears, hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, aspirations, struggles.  All of us need to listen to learn, instead of listening to respond.                                  2 Corinthians 3:2, Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.  Read that again, carefully.  Paraphrase: “Other people, my converts, are my letter, written in my heart, read by all.” Notice, the writing that everyone is reading is written on MY heart. So, the obvious question comes: what is everyone reading by looking at your heart?

 

- Saturday, 8/11/18  Proverbs 4:4, [My dad] taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. He said obedience to his words would bring life. Dad, Mom, are your commandments/rules valuable (life-giving), or are they simply expedient?                              2 Corinthians 5:2, For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. God says that our spirits, our new man, groan constantly to be free of this body and to get a new, heavenly body. So, when was the last time this inner groaning crossed your conscious mind? When was the last time you longed to be free of this body and this life? Will you regret the day of the Rapture?

 

- Sunday, 8/12/18  Ecclesiastes 7:4, The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. I believe that all this verse means is that we should live with life’s eventualities in plain view. Don’t dodge the obvious: aging, kids maturing, death, etc.                                    Mark 2:14, And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. Notice that Jesus called Matthew WHILE he was still doing his unjust job. We don’t get cleaned up in order to serve God; we serve God in order to get cleaned up.  Illustrations:  the Samaritan woman began soul winning within minutes of salvation. John 15: we bear fruit, get purged, and bear more fruit. Matthew 4:19, Follow first, and then become a fisher of men. Too many “holy” church members are busier disqualifying the “bad” people instead of helping the bad people to serve and thus, become good.

 

- Monday, 8/13/18  “How to be Like Christ”  Mark 3:21, And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. Get so busy and so consumed with serving God and others that your closest friends worry that you’re crazy. Not there? Me either. Try harder.                               1 Kings 15:3, And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. Are you more likely to notice, to talk about, and to copy the positives (consistencies) of your leaders or their negatives (exceptions/inconsistencies)?

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- Ps 89:11, The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them. What a great and powerful God we serve. We need not worry: He’s in control.

 

- Luke 7:9, When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about and said, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Faith, not good works, gets our Saviour’s attention.

 

- Pro 9:11, For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. The only way to enjoy a long, prosperous, productive life is thru the pursuit and attainment of godly wisdom.

 

- Luke 7:32, They are like children in the market place, and calling one to another, and saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. It makes no difference to our Saviour or his followers, the world will never be satisfied nor accept them.

 

- Psalm 91:4, He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Like a mother hen protects her chicks, so our Lord shields and protects His children who practice staying close to Him.

 

- Luke 7:50, And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Faith and humility are what gets our Lord’s attention, and all He requires for eternal salvation.

 

- Pro 13:18, Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction. Those who refuse to hear godly teaching, preaching, and warning/convicting counsels will pay for their ignorance and stupidity.

 

-  True love will be tested. It is what is left after the highs and lows. The true example of love is when Jesus Christ endured the crucifixion by his own spouse (Israel). He carried his own cross, alone. There were those who were cursing Him. There were some abusing Him. Then there were some just casually observing Him as He suffered, but offered no relief. All of those afflictions were leveled at Him by his spouse, Israel. Yet, He loved her. All the human definitions of love must take a bow to the gold standard of Jesus Christ!

 

- Putting God first takes more effort than building a happy marriage. A happy marriage takes more effort than raising good kids. Raising good kids takes more effort than working a full-time job. Working a full-time job can take all of a person's effort leaving them worn out with nothing left. Putting anything before God can bring the whole house down. Put God first, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

 

- Idolatry is placing less important things before God. Often, God, in His mercy, will remove the less important that we might see more clearly.

 

- Have you ever considered the fact that God chose to use Jacob while he was still a deceiver and before he repented? Maybe God should be God and we should stop interfering with who and how He chooses to use others.

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- Friendship is what gets you through the bad times and helps you enjoy the good times.

 

- Commendations won’t buy bacon, but no true laborer ever wearies of hearing “Well done.”

 

- Loving someone is doing what matters to THEM. So try loving Jesus today.

 

- Satan will always offer you something GOOD right now, but you must trade BEST that comes later. And most will take his offer.

 

- If you cannot be thankful for what you have, then more would not make you thankful either.

 

- Just remember, your pasture was green when you got there. You can work to keep it green or go ruin another green pasture.

 

- The ultimate rebellion would be for me to reject God's way of salvation and try to pay for my sins by myself. The ultimate ingratitude is that a day would go by where I am not completely humbled to realize that Jesus Christ suffered to pay for my sins by Himself. If I am living in defeat today, it is because I am living too much in this present world, and not enough in the world that Jesus suffered so greatly to introduce to me.

 

- If you judge me or anyone by the words of another person, you are forming your opinion based on man's opinion rather than God's opinion, which means you are more in tune with the opinions of man than the opinions of God.

 

- Today be more saddened by your sins than you are your trials and troubles.

 

- Parents, rebuke should be an occasional interruption of encouragement, not the other way around.

 

- Don't be forced to forgive in their death one who you failed to forgive in their life.