Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 8/22/18  Philippians 3:1, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Repetition from the pulpit may seem to be boring, but it is beneficial and safe.                                  Colossians 2:5, ...yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. Whatever is happening in your life, 1) you can take it (according to 1 Cor 10:13), and 2) you can remain faithful. You may look like Rocky Balboa: bruised and bloody and beaten and ugly...but you can remain on your feet. Be faithful to do what you know to do: do all you can, as much as you can, for as long as you can...and then do it some more. DON’T QUIT!!! EVER!!

 

- Wednesday, 8/22/18  Philippians 3:3, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Three statements of action. Each of us must evaluate whether we are batting 1 out of 3; 2 for 3, or getting all 3 out of 3.                                 Colossians 2:6, As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Of course, we received Him by faith, so we are to walk that way. But, we didn’t know the future when we took Him (sorta like getting married: “for better, for worse.”) There have been and will be some incredibly awesome mountain-top experiences with the Lord, AND there have been and will be times of the “shadow of death.” Both are what we need. “Walk ye in him” for better, for worse...cuz the ultimate better is soon to come.

 

- Thursday, 8/23/18  (LONG) Colossians 2:8, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Head up!! All that glitters isn’t truly gold. Satan doesn’t always tempt us with “BAD” and “SIN-FULL” activities. He is equally adept at sneaky attacks with “good things.” 1 John 4:1, “Try the spirits whether they are of God.”                                Realize that God only commands us to do things which we are not already doing. He never commands us to be hungry in the morning or to be tired after a day of work. So, the commands are God are aimed at our “weak spots.” Colossians 3:19, Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Men, we evidently are prone to not love our wives unconditionally and we are prone to not forgive them and to let offenses fester in our hearts. We’ve got to get over it, and love her like Christ loves us.

 

- Friday, 8/24/18  Here is our whole Christian life in 2 verses:  Colossians 3:1-2, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. “Seek and set”: today, and again tomorrow, and again and again.                             Psalm 1:4, The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. In this psalm, the ungodly are those who are NOT doing two things: NOT doing wrongly and ARE doing rightly. So, are you avoiding the wrong crowd AND meditating on the Bible day and night and bringing forth fruit AND nourishing and comforting others by your life? Are you godly or ungodly? A doer, or a non-doer/Pharisee?

 

- Saturday, 8/25/18  Psalm 1:1, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But... To “not do wrongly” isn’t sufficient. The reason to not do wrongly is so we’re not distracted from doing rightly. So, are you “not” or are you “are”?                          Title above Psalm 3: A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. All Christians know we’re supposed to treat our enemies rightly. Many even do so...to a point. It’s relatively easy to be sweet back at someone whom we really don’t know. We can give a stranger the benefit of the doubt. However, when the offender is a family member, we oftentimes fail in practicing our doctrine. To do rightly in this case, like David, we must have the walk with God that David had. (BTW, that walk with God was fraught with a multitude of problems that kept him praying. Are you willing to go through what he went through so as to become what he was?)                           Read carefully: Jude 5, I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. Don’t fall into this comfortable (but wrong) doctrine that God is all love and sweetness and only love and sweetness. Yes, He is full of compassion and of great mercies; yes, He’ll save us from the uttermost to the guttermost. Yes, He is our loving Father and is ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy. BUT...when we know better, He does expect us to act better. And if we thumb our noses at Him and His word and His way, judgment WILL come. So, yes, if you’re trying and failing, He is an Advocate called alongside to help. If you’re not trying and succeeding, He is a “great and terrible God,” (Nehemiah 1:5). Choose wisely. Reevaluate often.

 

- Sunday, 8/26/18  Psalm 5:1, Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Honesty time: regardless of your exterior demeanor, words, and actions (good or bad), how are things REALLY with the Lord? However good or bad they are, MEET with God this morning in Sunday School and church.                            2 Kings 6:16, And [Elisha answered his servant] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. “With us,” not, “with me.” Even if you’re not the mighty man of God, if you’re at least close to him, you can be protected. (And never forget: the greatest pastor is no more of a child of God than you or I are, nor is the “best” Christian more loved than the “worst” one.)

 

- Monday, 8/27/18  Of course, we should distance ourselves from temptation and sin. But that is not the basic reason we commit so much of it. 1 John 3:6a, Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Quit focusing on the sin, and focus on getting closer to Him.                      2 Kings 6:30, And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. The king here, Joram, was a bad man, but he seemed to be trying to humble himself and connect with God. Don’t write people off as “worthless” and “incapable of changing.” Offer a supportive hand and an encouraging word to everyone, because there may be some tenderness under the gruff, hard exterior.

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- Ps 101:8, I will early destroy all the wicked of the land: that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. A wise leader will be tough on dishonesty, corruption, and wickedness. It’s the only way to rule successfully and to stay in control.

 

- Acts 17:4, And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. Look out for trouble when a lot of sinners get saved and there is a spiritual revival. The devil and his crowd cannot stand that.

 

- Ps 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. PTL for His forgiveness and His lack of memory when it comes to our sins, ignorance, and stupid blunders.

 

- Pr 25:24, It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. There are some situations that are worse than living alone and under less than ideal circumstances.

 

- Ps 106:47, Save us, O Lord our God and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto they holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. This needs to be the prayer of the people of God in America today! We are overrun with the heathen who hate us and our God.

 

- Rom 7:25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. A continual battle goes on in every believer between our mind and our flesh. As we yield our mind (will) to Him, then, and only then, will we have victory.

 

- A man once told me he had a secret relationship with Jesus. Would a man have a secret relationship with his wife?  It is false.

 

- For the longest time, I thought that God was being selfish. When the Bible says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you," I always thought that God was a little selfish in expecting me to move first in order to engage Him to move second. I thought that the more spiritual one should make the first move. I thought maturity took the first step. I was right, but I was wrong. Yes maturity does take the first step. I was just so selfish that I only was looking at my first step. One day it dawned on me that God had already taken two steps before asking me to take one step. God created man perfect and surrounded him with perfection (step one). Then man sinned and stepped back. God then sent His perfect Son to redeem that man (step two).  So in reality, God had already made two steps toward me first.

 

- The joy of the Lord is not in your circumstance, but your inner stance. That's why the Psalmist could say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."  It's a matter of focus. If we set our affections on the things of earth, we will lose strength. Many Christians today are struggling in weakness. Christ is not weak.  When we set our affections on things above, the power of Christ begins to trickle charge. [That's right! Trickle charge! You don't get God's power in one church service or one prayer or one devotion] Your senses are captured and your emotions are stirred, which is very real!  But my friend, you must STAY connected! You can search your situation or you can search your soul. Are you looking out or looking in?  (Luke 17:21) "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

 

- The person who viciously hurt you may have NO RIGHT to expect you to immediately forgive them, however the Lord does...and THAT is exactly what He commands.

 

- How did people get closure from those who hurt them before we had social media so they could tell the world? Oh, I guess they took it to the Lord in prayer instead.

 

- God does His greatest outward work in those who are willing for him to do an even greater inward work.

 

- Loving my friend is the love of commonality. Loving one less fortune is the love of compassion. Loving one more fortunate is the love contentment. Loving my enemy can only be the love of Christ.

 

- God can’t be God if we’re trying to help Him.

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- We're all a little broken, and we don't need more varnish; we need a Carpenter.

 

- Speak with love and you’ll never regret what you’ve said.

 

- The WAY we view our problems is often our larger problem.

 

- Jesus does not satisfy until he first makes you dissatisfied.

 

- Be Real today!  Don't try to impress others. Be yourself. That's how God made you. And everything God made was good!  Trying to be someone or something else will stress you and confuse others.  The great identity crisis is when a person wants out. They want out of who they really are, who God made them to be.  Just be Real!

 

- Every time one of my parents called me, I took the call. I let them talk. I answered their questions and listened to them repeat themselves. Even if it wasn't important to me, it was important to them. I laughed at the same joke over and over like I was hearing it for the first time. I have no regrets. They're gone now. If your parents are alive, take their calls. They are more important than your friends.  Don't be a selfish adult who weeps in regret standing over a casket.  I remember a funeral where a daughter just kept screaming, "I never told you this before Daddy, but I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU DADDY....," Sob, sob, sob. Mail a card today. Send flowers now. Write down all the good things and the great memories and share it with THEM, NOW, while they live! Brag on them publically, NOW! Reading a canned statement to a cold, dead body will be nothing but an echo, echo, echo.  Sow now, and you'll reap later, and you'll reap much, much more than you sowed!

 

- It's easy to get caught unawares not realizing what you have until you lose it. After it happens once, only a fool would be careless to let it happen again. A wise man will learn to cherish what he has.

 

- The hardest thing you will ever do is the right thing. After repeating the hard thing, it becomes habitual and freedom. The easiest thing you will ever do is the wrong thing. After repeating the easy thing, it becomes habitual and slavery.

 

- Restoration can only be done in the spirit of meekness because self righteous people don't care about the fallen.

 

- Do not expect God to reveal Himself to you if you’re not willing to expose yourself to Him.

 

- Those actively engaged in fighting the good fight of faith will have less time to fight the bad fight of revenge.

 

- Rather than asking yourself if you have ever had a real true friend, ask yourself if you have ever been one.

 

- Many Christians share Satan's agenda to destroy another Christian because they are angry and hateful.

 

- Humility is best seen when others feel they are with a servant when they are in your presence.

 

- I have spoken to several people recently who are being punished by someone for the mistakes they have made. Several have children who won't have anything to do with them and it is breaking their heart. Be patient with those who seek to punish you. They somehow have bought the lie that hurting you will ease their hurt. Forgive them and leave it in the Lord's hands. When they see the peace you have perhaps they will come to realize that the only one they are punishing is themselves.