Baptist City Blog

Was Saul such a bad person that God needed to change him into another person? According to the Scripture, Saul was better than anyone other man in Israel. Yet, as good of a man that he was he still needed to be changed. According to the verse above, Saul was changed when "...God gave him another heart:..."

The key to changing a man is changing his heart. You can try all the programs in the world, but the only successful program to changing a man is to change their heart. You can try to change the outside appearance of a person, but if you don't change the heart, then they will continue to do the same thing.

For instance, often you will hear about a sports figure who gets a huge contract straight out of college. That money allows that sports figure to change the clothing they wear, the car they drive, and even allows them to change the neighborhood where they live, but that money doesn't change the heart. That is why you often hear of sports figures who constantly get into trouble. Their heart was not changed. The money simply allows them to do what they did before in a greater way. Money is not the answer to changing a person, rather allowing God to change their heart is the answer.

You can send people to programs to get them clean from alcohol and drugs, but if their heart is not changed then they will go right back to the same trash that they were involved in before they attended the program. We often hear of movie stars who are in and out of addiction programs because they want to stop their addiction. The problem with many of these addiction programs is that they try to change the person without changing the heart. The only way you are going to change these people is to change their heart, and God is the only One Who can do that.

Christian, the key to changing yourself for the better is to get God to change your heart. You can read every self-help book you can get your hands on, but only God can change your heart to make you a better person. All the success books in the world can't change who you are. Only God can change who you are, and He does that through changing your heart. You can change your appearance thinking that it will change who you are, but the answer for any change in your life is that you need to change your heart. Only God can do that!

Likewise, the only way you can change other people is to change their heart. The only way a parent can change their child is to change their heart. The only way a teacher can change their pupil is to change their heart. The only way the prison guard can change the prisoner is to change their heart. The only way the pastor can change the church member is to change their heart. However, only God can change the heart. If these people want to have an influence on changing others, then they need to get them to God.

The answer to changing a man is to get them to God so He can change their heart. When a man's heart is changed, then the man will be changed. This is why you must daily spend time in the Scriptures and prayer, because it is through these avenues that you can spend time with God so He can change your heart. Do you need to change yourself? Do you need to see a change in someone else? The answer is God! Ask God to do the changing, and you will be surprised what will come of yourself and others whom He changes.

Momma called

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A Momma Called Preacher

1 Samuel 3:20

"And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD."

One of the greatest crisis' that is coming to America is a lack of preachers. This may sound strange, but the fact is fewer young people are going into full-time service than what we have ever had. This crisis is due to the parents, pastors, and Christian schools not having the proper vision for our youth. God always uses men of God to help save a nation. With fewer young people going into full-time service, there will come a day when there won't be enough men of God to fill the pulpits of our churches. Don't get me wrong, I believe there will always be a remnant of preachers to proclaim truth, but there will not be enough preachers to reach every city for Christ.

The life story of Samuel is a great example of what to do to produce men of God. It says in the verse above, that all Israel "...knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD." It was obvious to everyone that this young man would one day be a prophet. However, what brought Samuel to the point that everyone knew he would be a prophet is the same thing we must do today if we are going to produce preachers for our nation. Let me show you several things that made Samuel a prophet of God.

First, it took parents who wanted him to become a preacher. Before Samuel was even born, his parents had given him to God to become a preacher. Yes, he was momma called! I am weary of this mentality we have in Christianity that parents shouldn't tell their children that they want them to go into full-time service. It is amazing that we think it is fine for Christian parents to tell their children that they want them to take over the family business, or to make a career in sports or the business world, but we don't think it is right for parents to rear their children to be preachers. THIS IS ABSURD, SELFISH AND IRRESPONSIBLE! If it is perfectly fine for parents to tell their children to follow a certain career, then it is perfectly fine for you to rear your child to be a preacher.

Second, it took parents who were willing to give their child to God. Samuel was barely weaned from his mother when his parents completely gave him to God. Parents, there needs to be a time when you give your child completely to God for His use. I don't know what God wants for your child, but I do know that you should give them to God at an early age. Your children are not really yours, they are simply on loan to you from God. Therefore, giving your child back to God should not difficult.

Third, it took parents who involved their child in God's service at a young age. If you want your children to have a heart for God and His work, then you need to get them involved in serving God at a young age. Don't wait until they are teenagers to start serving God, but start bringing them with you at a young age as you serve Him. This will help create a heart in them to want to serve the LORD.

Finally, it took a preacher who had the same vision that the parents had for the child. One of the mistakes I see in our churches today are preachers who really don't want their young people to leave the church to become preachers because they are more interested in building their own kingdom. If our young people are going to go into full-time service, then the church leaders are also going to have to point the young people towards full-time service. When both the parents and the church leaders are going the same direction, then you will have a better chance of your children serving God full-time.

Parents, don't be selfish with your children. The greatest thing that your child could do with their life is to serve God full-time. Make it your desire for your children to be full-time servants of God, and then make that desire known to your children.

Model

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You Are a Model

Leviticus 21:21

"No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God."

The position of priest was a very sacred position. This position was sacred because those who filled that position were a picture of Jesus Christ. That is why God gave such stringent requirements for the priest. The verse above says that the priest was to have no blemish. The reason is because Jesus was the sinless Son of God, and the priest needed to live his life in such a way that it would mirror the life of Christ. The priest was a picture of Jesus Christ to Israel.

Likewise, if you are saved you are a model of Jesus Christ to the world. 1 Peter 2:5 says, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Notice that when you got saved you entered the priesthood of the believer. In other words, you are now to live your life as a picture of Jesus Christ to the world.

Because you are a picture of Jesus Christ to the world, that means that the world is closely watching how you live. Hebrew 10:33 says, "Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used." The word "gazingstock" means, "an object of curiosity." In other words, the world watches your life with curiosity wondering why you would live your lives in the manner in which you live.

I ask you, as the world looks at the picture of your life, does your life show blemishes of Christ to the world? No, Christ has no blemish, but the world looks at how we live and perceives Christ to be the same. You are the picture of Christ to the world, and everything you do will either place a blemish on that picture, or it will reenforce what the Scriptures say about Him.

Because you are a picture of Jesus Christ to the world, you need to be careful that you don't place any blemish on Christ in the minds of those who watch you live. When you go to the restaurant, you are a picture of Jesus Christ. When you drive down the road, you are a picture of Jesus Christ. When you go to work, you should work hard so that you don't put a blemish on the picture of Jesus Christ. When you go to school, you are a picture of Jesus Christ. You are a picture of Jesus Christ in the neighborhood in which you live. Everywhere you go you are a picture of Jesus Christ. Be very careful with what you do and where you go so that the world will get the right picture of Jesus Christ from your life.

I ask you, have you placed any blemishes on your picture of Christ to the world? If you have, now is the time to change that picture and make sure there are no blemishes on it. No, you cannot change your past, but from this day forward you can live your life in such a way that people will get the right picture of Christ from your life.

Before

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Before You Can Help Others

Leviticus 16:6

"And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house."

The key to being happy in the Christian life is keeping God first, others second and yourself last. When you realize that helping others is where fulfillment comes from, then you will find the true joy and happiness that you desire. However, you cannot help others without helping yourself first. Let me explain.

When God told Aaron to offer a sin offering, He told him to "...make an atonement for himself, and for his house." Notice that before Aaron was to atone for his house he had to atone for himself. Again, when God told Aaron to offer a sin offering for the people, He said in verse 24 to "...make an atonement for himself, and for the people." In both instances Aaron had to take care of himself before he could help others. Yes, the goal was to help others, but until he got himself right he could not help others with their sins.

Likewise, you will never accomplish helping others without getting yourself right. No, you will never be sinless, but you must work on yourself before you have the authority to help others. For instance, it would be hard for me to tell someone how to lose weight if I was overweight. The greatest way I can help others lose weight is to make sure that my weight is healthy. Your ability to help others comes when you get right first.

Before you can help your family, you must get yourself right. Too many family members try to correct the problems in their family when they have their own issues that they need to correct. Parents, yes you are to correct your children and lead them in the right paths of life, but you will have a hard time helping them put their life together if yours is falling apart. When your marriage is on the brink of disaster, you will have a hard time helping your children do right. This is why you must keep your marriage strong and be sure to get help when your marriage is struggling. If the husband wants to lead the home, then he needs to lead himself to do right. If the wife wants to have a positive influence on her husband and children, then she needs to be sure that she works on correcting her problems first. If a youth wants to have a positive influence on their family, then they need to be sure they do right before they start preaching to the whole family.

Furthermore, before you can help others, you must be sure you are right. Many churches are filled with people trying to help others get out of sin, when those who are helping are still living in sin. I'm all for you trying to help others get their lives together, but you need to be sure you have everything right. You will never be the Sunday school teacher, bus worker, youth worker or pastor that others need you to be without focusing on getting yourself right.

Before you can help others, you must work on getting yourself right. I am not saying that you should never go soul winning or try to help others because you aren't perfect, but I am saying the greatest way to help others is to be sure you work on yourself first. When you work on yourself, then others will see the improvements in your life, and that will give you the credibility to help others.

A Laughing God

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