Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 7/27/14  Ps 33:1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.  Praise is NOT great, bubbling happiness. In this verse, the colon means the 2^nd half relates to the first half of the verse. Rejoicing is equivalent to praising God.             John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. Leaders (husbands, parents, bosses, SS teachers, pastors) look and think ahead and foresee what might knock your followers off kilter and prevent it or prepare them.

Monday, 7/28/14  Ps 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me. The word “sought” has the meaning a “treading out a path.” Think of path in the forest: it’s visible because of frequent use. Keep on seeking God: He WILL answer YOU.              Whose opinions, verdicts, and goodness do you employ everyday? Ps 72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son. Leaders, just a reminder: God’s judgments, righteousness, and mind (Phil 2:5) are available for your use.

Tuesday, 7/29/14  An idea to enliven your Bible time:  Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord... Take 60 seconds and calm your brain, focus your brain and heart, and realize Whose word you’re about to read and how vital it is to your present and future.             An idea to enliven your Bible time:  Is your physical setting conducive to focusing your attention? Turn off the electronics. Get away from other people. Use ear plugs. Is your location for prayer or Bible time cluttered and distracting? Fix the situation. Many people go outside...I get distracted on a walk. My desk is cluttered and has the availability of the internet and FB. I read my Bible in bed. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.           HEART CHECK TIME!! Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? He said to love Him supremely and our neighbors as ourselves. He said to forgive as we’ve been forgiven. He said to flee fornication. He said to build our lives around the Bible. He said to not forsake church. He said to not to sow discord among the brethren. He said to be pure as He is pure. How’re ya doing???

Wednesday, 7/30/14  Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Pray over what you’re about to read.  Ps 119:18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Ps 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.              Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Give God your best time of day. When are you most alert? Focused? Figure out how to be more alert and internally quiet. Mornings seem to be the Bible pattern: Ps 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. But you must prepare for your morning time with the Lord the evening before: go to bed early enough so you can give God your allotted time in the morning. Prepare your clothes, lunch, stuff so you aren’t rushing around. We have enough time: it’s our choice how we utilize the 1440 minutes we have.               Ps 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. There’s a lotta talk about “new songs vs old songs” today. As musicians or consumers, let’s ensure that the new stuff is #1 Scriptural; #2 it mentions and magnifies Jesus Christ; #3 it elevates God and not man; and #4 it pushes people toward purity and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord Heb 12:14.

Thursday, 7/31/14  Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for specific things as you read through your schedule. Look for commandments to obey. Mark each with a “C” in the margin or circle them with a specific color. For example: Phil 4:8 tells us what to think about. 1 Thess 5 gives many commandments.             An idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for specific things as you read through your schedule. Look for formulas to employ or recipes for life. “Put in these ingredients, and bake, and you have this result.” For example Ps 1:1-3; Pro 15:1 (it has 2); 2 Chron 7:14. Phil 4:7 says we can have “the peace of God which passeth all understanding” and it will “keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The ingredients to that product are in v6.          Is Ps 40:12 your current status? Your biography? (For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.) Then, #1, admit your errors to God, and be specific. Name your sins and confess that you like them, and that you want to change.  #2) Back up to v11 and get clean via His mercy and truth.

Friday, 8/1/14  Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for things for which God tells us to praise Him for. Ps 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. God then tells of some of those benefits in the following several verses. Maybe put a “Pr” next to these items.               Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for specific things as you read through your schedule. Look for promises that God makes, and look for the conditions attached to those promises. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Saturday, 8/2/14  Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for verses that tell of the current status of the believer, or of the lost man. For example: Ps 10:4-11. Eph 2 the whole chapter tells what we have with salvation.              Another idea to enliven your Bible time:  Search for character traits of the characters. What was it about Saul that God chose him as the 1^st king? What does God say about Satan’s tactics? Find 10 things about Moses.

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God wants all to be saved and it’s not His fault if they’re not. There will be no excuses before Him.

Ps 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain also filleth the pools. All of us pass through times of sorrow, but our faith and trust is in the Lord, it cam be made a time of blessing and joy. The choice is ours.

Pro 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord, but they that deal truly are his delight. There is a promised blessing to those who are honest in their dealings. Integrity and honesty have top priority on God’s list of character traits.

Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live. The choices we make today effect not only us, but all those who come after us.