Baptist City Blog

At the Commandment of the LORD

Numbers 9:23

"At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses."

One of the things I am always amazed with is how Christians are more reliant on man's word than they are the Word of God. I recently had a pastor tell me a story about a church member who came to his office asking him to tell them that they needed him to help them make decisions about every little detail in their life. This member had recently joined his church, and they told him that they would weekly go to their previous pastor about every decision in their life. This pastor wisely told this new church member that they needed to learn to walk with God and let His Word dictate their decision making.

Twice it says in Numbers 9, that the children of Israel were to move "...at the commandment of the LORD." They were not to journey unless God commanded them, and they were not to rest unless God commanded them. You will notice they were not to move at the commandment of Moses, but at the commandment of the LORD. The reason the emphasis was made to move at the LORD's commandment is because the LORD's commandment never changes, but leadership will change. If the people were focused on the LORD, then they would never have to be concerned with what to do.

If you want to know the commandment of the LORD, then you are going to have to have a personal relationship with Him. One of the biggest reasons Christians run to man and not the LORD is because they don't have a personal relationship with Him. If you are not careful, you will become too busy to have a relationship with God. One of the biggest reasons you need to have a daily time with God is so that you will know how to move in your life. If you don't have a personal relationship with the LORD, then you won't know His commandments.

Christian, stop looking to a man for what to do in life. I'm afraid that Christians have become idolators. What I mean by this statement is that there are many Christians who will follow what man says over what God's Word commands. Though God uses human authority to guide us, the human authority should never replace God's in your life. Before you ever run to man to decide what to do, you should always run to God.

Moreover, don't allow man to move into God's place in your life. When any man tells you that you don't need to go to God, but you need to go to them, then stop following that man and follow God. No pastor or authority should ever replace God in your life. Yes, your man of God can counsel you, but he should never take God's place.

When you learn to let God's Word become the final authority in your life, then you will find that your life will become stable. Avoid those who try to micromanage your life, for that will cause you to become dependent upon man. Any true man of God will want you to learn how to become dependent upon God. He will point you to God if he is what he ought to be. Whenever you need to make decisions in your life, then run to God and ask Him what you should do. Learn to be a Christian who only moves "at the commandment of the LORD."

Harboring Ill Feelings

Leviticus 19:17-18

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

One of my chores when I was a boy pulling the weeds in the flower bed. The easiest time for me to take care of the weeds was when they were in their infancy stage of growth and the roots were not deep in the soil. Every once in awhile I would get behind on pulling weeds, and trying to pull the weeds once their roots had grown deep into the soil was no easy task. The best time to take care of the weeds was when they first started growing.

One of the common principles of the Scriptures is caring for the root of the problem before it is fully grown. In the verse above, God dealt with harboring ill feelings towards people. You will notice that God said that we are not to hate our brother in our heart. In other words, that hatred is not visible to the outside, but it is in our heart. God knew that if someone did not deal with their hatred in their heart that it would eventually grow into bitter feelings and actions. God went further by saying, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,..." You will notice again that God commands us not to hold grudges against people. A grudge is carrying resentment towards someone in our heart for something that happened in the past. God understood that harboring a grudge will eventually destroy a good relationship.

Every married person must be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their spouse. Carrying a grudge against your spouse will not help your marriage. In fact, it will only cause problems that can become irreparable if you let them go too long. The best time for married couples to deal with problems that they have with each other is in the infancy stage. When your spouse has done something to hurt you, be honest with them and deal with it so that it doesn't go any further.

Children must be careful about harboring a grudge against their parents. There are many children who hold grudges against their parents only to see the grudge turn into bitter feelings that are carried into their adult years. If you have problems with your parents, then sit down and talk to them in a reasonable matter. Don't become accusatory, but in a humble spirit talk to them.

Christians must also be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their pastor or other Christian brethren. There are many Christians who quit serving God because they never dealt with ill feelings in their infancy stage. Instead, they let those feelings fester to the point where they become bitter at God and anything that has to do with Him. If they had dealt with the problem in the infancy stage, bitterness and anger would not have set in.

God says in Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Christian, be careful about allowing hatred in your heart. The only feeling that we should have towards others is love. If someone does something that hurts you, then be Christian enough to deal with it immediately and in a proper attitude so that hatred will have no place in your heart.

Harboring Ill Feelings

Leviticus 19:17-18

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

One of my chores when I was a boy pulling the weeds in the flower bed. The easiest time for me to take care of the weeds was when they were in their infancy stage of growth and the roots were not deep in the soil. Every once in awhile I would get behind on pulling weeds, and trying to pull the weeds once their roots had grown deep into the soil was no easy task. The best time to take care of the weeds was when they first started growing.

One of the common principles of the Scriptures is caring for the root of the problem before it is fully grown. In the verse above, God dealt with harboring ill feelings towards people. You will notice that God said that we are not to hate our brother in our heart. In other words, that hatred is not visible to the outside, but it is in our heart. God knew that if someone did not deal with their hatred in their heart that it would eventually grow into bitter feelings and actions. God went further by saying, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,..." You will notice again that God commands us not to hold grudges against people. A grudge is carrying resentment towards someone in our heart for something that happened in the past. God understood that harboring a grudge will eventually destroy a good relationship.

Every married person must be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their spouse. Carrying a grudge against your spouse will not help your marriage. In fact, it will only cause problems that can become irreparable if you let them go too long. The best time for married couples to deal with problems that they have with each other is in the infancy stage. When your spouse has done something to hurt you, be honest with them and deal with it so that it doesn't go any further.

Children must be careful about harboring a grudge against their parents. There are many children who hold grudges against their parents only to see the grudge turn into bitter feelings that are carried into their adult years. If you have problems with your parents, then sit down and talk to them in a reasonable matter. Don't become accusatory, but in a humble spirit talk to them.

Christians must also be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their pastor or other Christian brethren. There are many Christians who quit serving God because they never dealt with ill feelings in their infancy stage. Instead, they let those feelings fester to the point where they become bitter at God and anything that has to do with Him. If they had dealt with the problem in the infancy stage, bitterness and anger would not have set in.

God says in Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Christian, be careful about allowing hatred in your heart. The only feeling that we should have towards others is love. If someone does something that hurts you, then be Christian enough to deal with it immediately and in a proper attitude so that hatred will have no place in your heart.

Have You Forgot?

Exodus 1:13-14

"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

The world has nothing to offer but hard times. I fear too many Christians forget what the world did to them before they got saved and go back to it only to experience the heartache that they came out of. Egypt is a type of the world. In the verses above, God tells us what Egypt did to the children of Israel. What Egypt did to Israel is the same as what the world will do to every person. We must be careful not to forget what the world did.

Let me ask you, have you forgotten the cruelty of the world? The word "rigour" means cruelty. The world's service is always cruel to those who serve it. If you don't believe me, just look at Hollywood and the rock musicians who serve the world and see for yourself how cruel the world is to people. Drugs, alcohol and family violence are the result of the world's cruelty. Don't every forget the pain the world's lifestyle caused you. It has nothing to offer but a cruel lifestyle.

Have you forgotten the bitterness of the world? It says that Egypt "made their lives bitter." There is nothing that will leave you more bitter than the world. Many people come to mind who wouldn't listen to the Word of God and lived a worldly lifestyle only to see the end of that lifestyle leave them bitter. Naomi left the land of blessings to come back a bitter woman. Samson left the will of God to end up in bitterness as he ground the corn in the prison cell. Christian, the world will bring you temporary happiness, but it will leave you with lifelong bitterness.

Have you forgotten the bondage of the world? The children of Israel were not free to do as they pleased, because they were in bondage to Egypt. Likewise, the world will bind you with the cords of sin and control you. If you are honest with yourself, every sin the world has to offer has ropes that will bind and control you. Don't forget how the vices of this world may bring temporary highs, but they always leave you bound to their command.

Have you forgotten the world's carelessness? It says in the verse above, "...they made them serve, was with rigour." The world doesn't care for you. The world only cared for the prodigal when he had something to offer, but when he had nothing they forsook him. Likewise, the world could care less about you when you are empty. Don't forget that it was God Who cared for you when you were in life's gutter. The world left you to die, but God was the One Who cared and rescued you.

Christian, why would you want to go back to the world? If you go back to the world, it will treat you the same way it treated you before you came out. Don't have a short-term memory about the world's treatment, rather remember how they left you. Stay away from the world and its offers, for they will only bring you heartache. Young person, learn from those who have experienced the pain of the world. Don't think you are better than they. Always remember that God is the only One Who can give you the joy and freedom that you desire. Don't forget!

Have You Forgot?

Exodus 1:13-14

"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

The world has nothing to offer but hard times. I fear too many Christians forget what the world did to them before they got saved and go back to it only to experience the heartache that they came out of. Egypt is a type of the world. In the verses above, God tells us what Egypt did to the children of Israel. What Egypt did to Israel is the same as what the world will do to every person. We must be careful not to forget what the world did.

Let me ask you, have you forgotten the cruelty of the world? The word "rigour" means cruelty. The world's service is always cruel to those who serve it. If you don't believe me, just look at Hollywood and the rock musicians who serve the world and see for yourself how cruel the world is to people. Drugs, alcohol and family violence are the result of the world's cruelty. Don't every forget the pain the world's lifestyle caused you. It has nothing to offer but a cruel lifestyle.

Have you forgotten the bitterness of the world? It says that Egypt "made their lives bitter." There is nothing that will leave you more bitter than the world. Many people come to mind who wouldn't listen to the Word of God and lived a worldly lifestyle only to see the end of that lifestyle leave them bitter. Naomi left the land of blessings to come back a bitter woman. Samson left the will of God to end up in bitterness as he ground the corn in the prison cell. Christian, the world will bring you temporary happiness, but it will leave you with lifelong bitterness.

Have you forgotten the bondage of the world? The children of Israel were not free to do as they pleased, because they were in bondage to Egypt. Likewise, the world will bind you with the cords of sin and control you. If you are honest with yourself, every sin the world has to offer has ropes that will bind and control you. Don't forget how the vices of this world may bring temporary highs, but they always leave you bound to their command.

Have you forgotten the world's carelessness? It says in the verse above, "...they made them serve, was with rigour." The world doesn't care for you. The world only cared for the prodigal when he had something to offer, but when he had nothing they forsook him. Likewise, the world could care less about you when you are empty. Don't forget that it was God Who cared for you when you were in life's gutter. The world left you to die, but God was the One Who cared and rescued you.

Christian, why would you want to go back to the world? If you go back to the world, it will treat you the same way it treated you before you came out. Don't have a short-term memory about the world's treatment, rather remember how they left you. Stay away from the world and its offers, for they will only bring you heartache. Young person, learn from those who have experienced the pain of the world. Don't think you are better than they. Always remember that God is the only One Who can give you the joy and freedom that you desire. Don't forget!

Music from the services  at FBC Hammond on 11/04/12 is now up at www.baptist-city.com. Our Special guests were the Tharp Brothers.  Enjoy!

The Key to Not Quitting

Genesis 39:9

"There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

If anyone ever had a reason to quit, Joseph did. Joseph's life started well, but he went through a period when it seemed all hope was gone. While Joseph went through that period, he never seemed to waver in his faith in God. When he was sold into slavery, he continued to serve God. When he was falsely accused and thrown into prison, he continued to serve God. Was there ever a time when Joseph wanted to quit? Though the Scriptures don't show that time, I'm quite sure there was because he had feelings just like you and me. So, what was the key that kept Joseph from quitting? Let me remind you of the story from the verse above to show you this key.

Joseph worked for a man by the name of Potiphar. Potiphar was an influential man in the land of Egypt. Because of Joseph's work ethic and character, Potiphar entrusted Joseph with the care of the whole house. In other words, Joseph became the manager of Potiphar's work force. One day while Joseph was in the house, Potiphar's wife made a physical advance towards Joseph which he refused. She continued to make advances towards him, but he responded to her advances by asking this question, "...how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" This response was the key that kept Joseph from quitting. The key was that he was serving God and not man. He kept his eyes on God through everything he endured, and that kept him going when everyone else would have quit.

The key to not quitting in hard times is keeping your eyes on God. It is so easy to get your eyes on man that when man disappoints you, you end up quitting. I have watched many people quit on God when someone they love messes up their life. I have watched people quit on God when tragedy hits their life. The reason they quit is because they had their eyes on man, and man will disappoint you by not coming through or through sin.

One of the greatest needs of our day is for Christians to realize that they need to keep their eyes on God. Too many Christians are serving their preacher and not God. Too many Christians have their eyes on a college institution when they need to keep their eyes on God. What are you going to do when your preacher falls into sin? What are you going to do when the institution you follow goes liberal? If you are serving them, you will either justify your own sin, become liberal, or simply quit on God.

Be careful about putting so much trust in man that you follow man. Always remember that any man is at best a sinner saved by grace. Man will disappoint you, but God will always be faithful. Get your eyes focused on God, and when disappointments come or tragedy hits your life, you will continue to do right and serve God because God never changes. God teaches that we should do this in Psalm 62:6 when He says, "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved." When you make God the One Whom you serve, nothing in life will move you from what you are supposed to do. Take your eyes off man and focus on God, that is the key to not quitting.

The Key to Not Quitting

Genesis 39:9

"There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

If anyone ever had a reason to quit, Joseph did. Joseph's life started well, but he went through a period when it seemed all hope was gone. While Joseph went through that period, he never seemed to waver in his faith in God. When he was sold into slavery, he continued to serve God. When he was falsely accused and thrown into prison, he continued to serve God. Was there ever a time when Joseph wanted to quit? Though the Scriptures don't show that time, I'm quite sure there was because he had feelings just like you and me. So, what was the key that kept Joseph from quitting? Let me remind you of the story from the verse above to show you this key.

Joseph worked for a man by the name of Potiphar. Potiphar was an influential man in the land of Egypt. Because of Joseph's work ethic and character, Potiphar entrusted Joseph with the care of the whole house. In other words, Joseph became the manager of Potiphar's work force. One day while Joseph was in the house, Potiphar's wife made a physical advance towards Joseph which he refused. She continued to make advances towards him, but he responded to her advances by asking this question, "...how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" This response was the key that kept Joseph from quitting. The key was that he was serving God and not man. He kept his eyes on God through everything he endured, and that kept him going when everyone else would have quit.

The key to not quitting in hard times is keeping your eyes on God. It is so easy to get your eyes on man that when man disappoints you, you end up quitting. I have watched many people quit on God when someone they love messes up their life. I have watched people quit on God when tragedy hits their life. The reason they quit is because they had their eyes on man, and man will disappoint you by not coming through or through sin.

One of the greatest needs of our day is for Christians to realize that they need to keep their eyes on God. Too many Christians are serving their preacher and not God. Too many Christians have their eyes on a college institution when they need to keep their eyes on God. What are you going to do when your preacher falls into sin? What are you going to do when the institution you follow goes liberal? If you are serving them, you will either justify your own sin, become liberal, or simply quit on God.

Be careful about putting so much trust in man that you follow man. Always remember that any man is at best a sinner saved by grace. Man will disappoint you, but God will always be faithful. Get your eyes focused on God, and when disappointments come or tragedy hits your life, you will continue to do right and serve God because God never changes. God teaches that we should do this in Psalm 62:6 when He says, "He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved." When you make God the One Whom you serve, nothing in life will move you from what you are supposed to do. Take your eyes off man and focus on God, that is the key to not quitting.

Sibling Rivalry

Genesis 25:26

"And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them."

The story of Jacob of Esau is a sad story that could have been avoided if their parents would have stopped the rivalry at the beginning. From the womb of their mother, these two young men fought with each other, and this rivalry continued until later in life. The sad part about this whole story is that their parents encouraged the rivalry by having favorites. There is no place for sibling rivalry in the home. It should be avoided and squelched immediately. Let me give you a few thoughts about sibling rivalry.

First, sibling rivalry is a result of selfishness. One of the main reasons siblings fight is because they want something that the other has. You will often see sibling rivalry rearing its ugly head when siblings fight over toys. God commands us in Philippians 2:4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." When parents see their children being selfish, they need to stop it immediately because it will eventually pass on to relationships.

Second, sibling rivalry is often a result of a child needing their parent's attention. I have seen parents have a sick child and give all their attention to help that child only to starve the other children of attention. You must be careful not to let something like this happen in your home. Though a sick child may need extra attention, you cannot take attention away from your other children for this will drive a wedge between them, and could even cause them to despise the one who received all the attention.

Third, every child must feel that they are loved the same. One of the causes of rivalry is when couples who already have children get married, and now their children have to get along with each other. If your spouse already had a child before you got married, and then you had a child together, you must be extra careful that no child feels that they are not as loved as the other. Give time to each child to avoid this.

Fourth, parents must be careful not to play favorites with their children. Isaac and Rebekah contributed to the sibling rivalry by having their favorite child. As a parent, be careful about allowing yourself to have a favorite child. Yes, maybe one child seems to take to you better than the other, but you must love all your children the same. Never treat one child better than the other. Be just in your treatment of all your children.

Finally, if you are in a family where sibling rivalry is prevalent, don't be a part of it. Try to be a peacemaker in the home. It is better to learn how to work out your relationships for you will want to have a good relationship with your siblings later in life. If you are having a hard time getting along with a sibling, ask God to show you how you can mend that relationship. Sibling rivalry can be fierce and will hurt your relationship with your siblings in the future.

The Need of Clear Roles of Authority

Genesis 1:16

"And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."

From the beginning of the world, God established the importance of authority. It is interesting that even creation has authority. When you look at the verse above, you will see that God made a greater and lesser light. In other words, one was the higher authority. In every area of life there must be clear roles of authority if we want to have peace. One of the main reasons there is strife in the workplace, home, church and society is because the roles of authority are not clearly defined. Let me give you some thoughts about establishing clear roles of authority.

First, always define what is the greater authority. Notice that God made it clear that the sun was a greater authority than the moon, and the moon was a greater authority than the stars. I often have pastors ask me how to stop the squabbling on their staff, and I always tell them that they need to define the roles of authority and which authority is greater. In the home, if parents leave a child in charge when they are gone, then they must make it clear to the other children. In every workplace it must be clearly defined who are the authorities and which authority is greater.

It is interesting that creation has clear roles of authority. Let me illustrate. A while back I sent my dog to get trained. We own a very powerful dog, and I knew that we needed to have him trained so that we could control him. When we picked him up from training, the trainer had a four hour orientation to give us the history of dogs and to show us the commands that we are to use with our dog. During the orientation he explained to us that dogs run in packs, and in each pack there are four levels of authority that dogs establish with each other. This is to keep them from fighting with each other in their pack. Now if dogs can clearly define the greater authority, then it would seem that we need to be careful to clearly define the greater authority in every place.

Second, the lower must always submit to the greater. The moon always submits to the sun. Why? Because the sun is the greater authority. You never see the moon come out and the sun stop shining. No, creation understands that the lesser must always give way to the greater. Likewise, once the roles of authority are defined, then the lesser must always submit to the greater. For instance, the greatest authority is always God. Underneath God there are still different levels of authority. The pastor is the authority of the church. However, when the pastor disobeys God, then the church member must submit to the greater authority which is God. You must always remember that it is the responsibility of the lower to submit to the greater.

Finally, if you want peace in your life, then the roles of authority must be followed. When a home follows the roles of authority, then you will find a peaceful home. When a church follows the roles of authority, then you will find a church that is filled with peace. When a workplace follows the roles of authority, then you will find peace in the workplace. Peace will only be achieved when the roles of authority are followed. Every person is a lesser authority in some area of their life. Wherever you find yourself as the lesser authority, be sure to follow the greater authority so that peace can be achieved.