Baptist City Blog

God Knows

Isaiah 37:28 "But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me."

Do you remember when you were a child how it seemed that your mother had eyes on the back of her head because she knew what you were doing without seeing you do it? I remember how often my mother would get on my siblings and me when we were doing something that we shouldn't have done.  We would wonder how she knew what we did, for we hadn't told anyone.  

In the verse above, God is saying that He knows all about us. God sent a message to Sennacherib through the Prophet Isaiah that He knew all about this wicked king.  There were three things that God said He knew about this king; He knew where he lived, where he was going and his weaknesses. God warned this king that though he thought he was invincible that He knew all about him and how to destroy him.  

Let me remind you that God knows all about you as well.  First, God knows where you live.  This should be comforting to every Christian.  God says in the verse above, "But I know thy abode..." What a comfort it is that I don't have to tell my address to God for He already knows it.  Because God knows your address, He knows where to find you when He wants to use you. Christian, you don't need to promote yourself, for God knows your address and will find you when He needs you.  In the mean time, keep doing right until God comes to you to use you in a great way.  

Second, God knows where you are going. This is convicting! You may think you can get away with doing wrong, but God knows where you are going.  God said in the verse above, "But I know...thy going out, and thy coming in..." You can't fool God, for He sees everything that you do in life.  Though no one else sees your wrong, God sees it! Therefore, you should always be careful about what you do, for God knows where you are going.  

Last, God knows your weaknesses. God said in the verse above, "But I know...thy rage against me." Christian, if God knows your weaknesses, then He also knows how to help you overcome them.   You can overcome all of your weaknesses if you will ask God for His help.  

Furthermore, because God knows your weaknesses, He knows how to be merciful to you as you strive to overcome them. It is encouraging to me as a sinful man that God remembers that I am weak. This is why God is so merciful and longsuffering with His children, for He knows we are weak. Don't take this as permission to do wrong, but take God's mercy as a challenge to overcome your weaknesses.   

Let me say in closing, because God knows you this well, you should take this as a lesson to study yourself so you know yourself as well as God does. One of the mistakes many Christians make is not knowing their own patterns as well as God does. The better you know your strengths and weaknesses, the better chance you have to overcome and avoid the weaknesses you have, and to strengthen yourself as a Christian. Always keep this in mind: God knows where you live, where you're going and what your weaknesses are. It should be comforting, convicting and encouraging to know that God knows.

Spotting a Liberal

Isaiah 32:8
"But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand."

Spotting a liberal is not always the easiest thing to do.  Many times a liberal will disguise themselves as a conservative and end up fooling good people. There are times when preachers will portray themselves as a conservative only to be revealed later as a liberal. Politicians often will carry a conservative title so they can get elected, when in all reality people later find that politician to be a liberal.  Trying to spot who is and who is not a liberal can sometimes be difficult.  

In the verse above, God shows us how to spot a liberal.  He says, "But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." In other words, God is saying that a liberal will eventually expose himself by his own actions.  A liberal may disguise himself as a conservative for gain, but if you will watch them long enough you will see who they really are.  Christian, whether it is in the political or spiritual world, it is important for you to spot who is a liberal and stay away from them.

The term "liberal" in itself will tell you that a Christian has no business following or supporting such a person. By definition, a liberal is one who is "licentious; free to excess." In other words, a liberal is one who believes it is right to do whatever you want to do.  A liberal is one who cares not for the principles of the Scriptures.  A liberal is one who wants to be the authority and not point people to God as their authority.  

So how do we spot a liberal? One word in the verse above shows us how to spot a liberal.  The word "deviseth" carries several definitions that will help you spot a liberal.  The word "deviseth" means, "advertises; advises; guides; plans; writes; or argues in defense." In other words, a liberal is one who may say one thing, but their actions reveal they are a liberal.  A liberal will scheme up liberal plans.  A liberal advises people with liberal theology. A liberal advertises liberal people.  A liberal will use liberal illustrations and people to defend what they say.  Simply put, if you will look beyond their personality and charisma, you will see that everything they do is liberal.  

Christian, be careful that you don't allow liberals to influence you.  Just because someone carries a conservative title or stands where conservatives use to stand does not make them a conservative.  Many times liberals will disdain the one who preceded them and will do everything in their power to make their predecessor seem liberal or like a bad person. Watch out for these people!  Look beyond personality, charisma and position and look at their works as a whole, for their works will tell you that they are a liberal.  If a person does and says the same things liberals say, then they are a liberal.  

It is your responsibility to decipher who is liberal and not to follow them, for you lead others to follow the liberal when you choose to follow them.  When you look at the works of a liberal, you can spot them, for their works reveal their stand. If a person's works reveals that they are a liberal, then stay away!

Losing Your Purpose

Isaiah 23:4
"Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins."

One of the greatest dangers for an individual, organization or nation is to lose their purpose of existence. In the verse above, it seems as if Zidon had lost its purpose for existence.  Notice what the verse says about Zidon, "I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins." Zidon fell for the trap of trying to do everything that was easy and living for itself.  It forgot that a generation followed whom they were commanded to teach the ways of the LORD.  Because Zidon lost its purpose for existence, they wandered from God's commandments, therefore they had to face the judgment of God.  

Christian, you must be careful about losing your purpose for existence.  You can clearly see in the verse above that your purpose for existence is not you. God did not bring you into this world so that you could live for yourself.  God brought you into this world to fulfill a task that only you could fulfill, which is training the generation that follows you in the ways of the LORD.  If you fall for the trap that Zidon did, and to no avail, then you will lose your purpose and face God's judgment.  

Furthermore, every church must be careful not to lose its purpose for existence. The purpose of the church is to fulfill the Great Commission. You will notice that the Great Commission is about others.  When a church becomes focused on itself, then a church will lose its purpose for existence.  When a church loses its purpose, that is when a church will start having problems between church members.  Simply put, a church needs to travail over making sure the next generation carries on the truth.  

Once you lose your purpose, it is hard to get it back.  Yet, you must get it back or else you will spiritually die.  The way to get it back is to get some help.  Recently I had a person call me for help in this area.  They told me they had lost their purpose, which led them to make many selfish decisions.  They told me that they needed someone to help them get back on track.  That is exactly what you need to do!  When you lose your purpose, you need to get help from someone who will help you to get refocused on your purpose.

Furthermore, while getting help, you need to get refocused on others.  The best way I have found to do this is through soul winning. Soul winning has a way of getting Christians focused on their purpose for existence.  When you see what sin is doing to people, you will find it easier to get refocused.  Likewise, when you start seeing people saved, the focus of your purpose starts coming back. You must purposely take your eyes off of yourself to get refocused, and the best way to do this is through soul winning.

In closing let me encourage you to keep your purpose of existence. Your purpose as a Christian is to reproduce yourself in others.  That means you need to be a soul winner and lead others to Christ, then help disciple them to go out and do the same.  If you will keep your focus on this purpose, then you will find it easier to obey every command of God, which will keep you from His judgment.

Ruling Your Oppressor

Isaiah 14:2
"And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors."

 One of the things that everyone will have to endure in their life are things that will try to oppress them.  Whether or not you like them, trials will come your way and will try to oppress you as you try to serve the LORD.  The degree of success in your Christian life will be determined by whether you rule your trials or your trials rules you.  If you allow your trials to oppress you, then you will fail in your Christian life.  Moreover, if you decide to rule over your trials, then you can use those trials as a stepping stone towards a successful Christian life.  

In the verse above, you will notice that God said He would allow His people to one day rule over their oppressors.  The same people who ruled them in captivity would be the same people whom Israel would one day rule over.  The key to them ruling over their oppressors was taking the initiative to follow God's leading and bringing their oppressors to their land.  

In order for you to rule your oppressor you will have to take several steps that Israel took in the verse above.  First, you must choose to rule your oppressor.  Notice it says in the verse above, "And the people shall take them..." Israel had to choose to rule over their oppressor.  If they would have sat in their captivity and sulked, then they would never have had victory over their oppressors.  Likewise, you will never obtain victory over that which oppresses you until you choose not to let it rule over you.  

Second, you cannot run from that which is trying to oppress you.  Notice in the verse above that Israel brought these people "to their place..."The best way to choose to rule your oppressor is to decide to stay and not run.  People who run from their trials end up letting their trials oppress them.  Though you may not enjoy your trials, you must decide to stay put and not run from them.  

Third, you must realize that the source of your oppression will not leave.  In the verse above, Israel did not rid themselves of their captors, instead they ruled over them.  Many times people think that getting rid of their trials will cause them to overcome their oppression only to be disillusioned when they realize the trials will follow them the rest of your life.  I don't know what you are facing, but you must accept that you may end up having these trials the rest of your life.  Accepting this is part of the steps to ruling your oppressor.  

Fourth, you must control your oppression and not let it control you.  What I mean by this is you must not let it stop you from doing what you have done before. Instead, you must keep on doing what you are supposed to do in spite of your trials.  If you allow your trials to stop you, then they will oppress you.  So, take your trials and decide you will not let them take your joy and stop you from doing what God has called you to do.  Take them and use them as a tool to do greater things for God.  

Last, if you are going to rule your oppressor, you must get God's help.  Israel got God's help in ruling their captors.  Likewise, you must daily ask God to help you to rule that which would like to oppress you.  Without God's help you will wear down.  So, daily ask God to give you the strength to rule your oppressor.  

Christian, don't let your oppressor rule you, but decide right now that you will rule your oppressor.  Take whatever trials you are facing and use them as the tool to serve God in a better way.  By doing this you will find that you can rule your oppressor.

Working What You Know

1 Chronicles 28:3
"But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood."   

A very important principle for life is taught in this verse when David was forbidden from building a house for God.  The reason why God would not let David build him a house is because he was a "man of war." It was not that David was a warrior, but God knew that David was better at fighting battles than building temples.  David's knowledge of building a house for God was not his expertise.  For David to build a house for God would be out of the area for which God had made him.  

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is that they pursue things for which they were not made.  My good friend, Dr. Russell Anderson, constantly tells people about business, "Work what you know, and know what you work." Often people try to go into a business that they know nothing about and end up financially ruining themselves.  Likewise, often people try pursuing something that they know nothing about only to waste a portion of their life and get sidetracked from doing what God wants them to do.  

God gave you some talent at which you are very good. God gave you that talent to use for Him.  God never gives us something for the purpose of wasting it on ourselves; He always gives us something so we can use it for Him.  Christian, whatever talent God has given you, use it to serve Him.  It is selfish and wrong to use it for your gain and not for God's service.  Though God is not against you using it for yourself, the primary purpose of your talent is to serve Him.  

Furthermore, be careful about getting sidetracked in areas where you have no knowledge.  Don't waste your life and talent on things that will pull you away from doing what God created you to do. You will find the greatest satisfaction in life by doing that for which you were created.  One of the greatest lures Satan uses to get you away from serving God is to get you to pursue something for which God did not create you. What you pursue may not be bad, but you are to stay in God's will for your life.  It is in God's will where you will find true satisfaction.  

Be careful to stay in the areas that you know, and work those areas, for that is where you will accomplish the most in your life.