Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 9/27/15  Ps 21:1, The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! We (I) have HUGE reasons to joy and rejoice. Why do we (I) dwell on sad and bothersome topics. Put a smile on your face: we’re on the winning side!!! At worst, you’ll go to Heaven today.           Ps 23:4a, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Whether the psalmist followed through on not fearing or ran away in fear, we don’t know, but he was more likely to remain brave after making and vocalizing his positive decision. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So, attempt great things for God and expect great things from God. Nothing ventured; nothing earned.

Monday, 9/28/15  Ps 23:1, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. This is equally an affirmation of the great character and dependability of the Shepherd, as well as a choice to be content. Many of us do the first part fairly well, but fail miserably on the second.                  A question that only you can answer: could you/would you honestly pray this verse: Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, Ps 25:4-5a. Do you even care about which route God would have you take to work today? Or, how He would have you respond to the grouch at work, or to the idiots on the road home? If God nudged you to pass out a tract, would He be wasting His time? If He prompted you to apologize, would you? If He wanted to instruct you, would you change?

Tuesday, 9/29/15  John 17:3, And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Do you know God? What’s His character like? Describe Him. What things does He like? Dislike? What delights Him? Angers Him? What are His main priorities for you?           John 18:11 (to Peter), The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Does God have a cup for you to drink from which you are shrinking? Just like we’d be in trouble if Christ had refused His cup, so others will be in trouble if you refuse yours. Go to it.

Wednesday, 9/30/15  Ps 30:6, And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. In prosperity, we feel like we’ve turned the corner and will never look back. In despair, we figure we’re sunk and can never rise. Both are wrong. Life is cyclic. Be prepared to rise and fall...and rise again, and fall again.           Rom 16:1, I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. Could this verse apply to you? Do you serve your church? How? If someone had to find you at a certain time on Sunday, would they know where to look?

Thursday, 10/1/15  Ps 31:24, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. God works on our hearts: our bodies and external circumstances are not nearly as important to Him.              Eph 2:19, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. No one has more access or standing than I do. I (we) are not spiritual immigrants, nor do we merely have a heavenly green card: we’re full citizens of Glory.

Friday, 10/2/15  Ps 32:6, For this shall everyone that is godly pray for... For what? V3-5 detail physical affliction and confession of sin. The godly pray for daily forgiveness (both from God and man.) Are you godly?            In Ps 32:1-2 David states clearly that no sin is imputed (charged) to a believer. Yet, he then goes on in v5 and confesses his sin. Lesson: though our eternal record is spotless, our temporal record still needs daily confession and forsaking of sin. Have you taken your daily spiritual bath today? Yesterday? Recently?

Saturday, 10/3/15  In John 21:15-17, three times, after Christ asked Peter if he loved Him, Jesus told him to feed His lambs and sheep. Could it be inferred that loving Christ automatically makes one willing and desirous of teaching others about the things of God? Or, that refusing to teach (win souls, testify, teach a class) indicates a lack of love?                   Dan 2:49, Then the king made Daniel...ruler over the whole province of Babylon...  Dan 3:2-3, Then Nebuchadnezzar...sent to gather together...all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image...and all the rulers were gathered together.  V7, ...when all the people heard the sound...all the people...fell down and worshipped the golden image... Daniel was a great, godly man prophet who is believed to be author of this book, but I believe it is clear that he bowed to the pressure here. I also take note that God told the truth of the story without shining the glaring spotlight onto his servant in a mistake/sin. Lesson for us: Tact and truth-telling can coexist.

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- If you don't teach your children to be alone then they'll only know how to be lonely.

- Our hearts are funny things. We think we can control them but they are not paying any attention to us. they are treasure hunters. Control your treasures and you will control the heart. Quit trying to place your heart where you want it and place your treasures there instead. Your heart will follow. If you want your heart to love the things of God put your treasure there. Your heart will then run after it. So do the cell phone test on your heart: search your treasures and see where it leads you. Don't be surprised that when you find them your heart will be there as well.

- Why do disgruntled people feel the need to justify their attitude by infecting others before (or after) they leave a church? If their reasons for leaving were truly spiritual they would leave it in God's hands rather than taking matters into their own hands. Their attacks are evidence that their issue is not the churches.

- Grace is not best revealed when I treat others well. It is best revealed when others treat me wrong.

- Today try not to send anyone on their way from your presence feeling unloved or unwanted.

- When a critic tells me, "You're getting what you deserve," I simply, "No, I'm getting what I need. God is too gracious to give me what I deserve.

- We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.

- Ponder anew what the Almighty can do.

- It's difficult to care for others when you always have to be right.

- When I start to think that I do not deserve my fires of afflictions, I remember that I do deserve the fires of hell.

- Do not mistake knowing for believing or believing for trusting.  *Knowing is mental awareness.  *Believing is conscious acceptance.  *Trusting is willful obedience. The devil knows and believes but does not trust. We must go beyond what even Satan does and trust our God.

- When you feel most unworthy make yourself most willing.

- It is geographically impossible to love the Lord and not love me. You see I am in Him and He is in me, so if you love Him who is in me, then you must love me. And if you don't love me, then where does that put you.

- The quickest way to be at ODDS with God is by trying to get EVEN with others.

- The Spirit of God never leads the child of God to violate the Word of God

- Hating a preacher for telling you the truth is like hating the scales for revealing your weight.

- When God could not speak to me through His word, He always used a trial that got my full, undivided attention.

- The only thing that living for Christ will cost you is the life you were never intended to live.

- How To Live a Grace-Full Life:  Grace is amazing and living a life of grace makes for an amazing life. It is sad that by not living this way we sabotage our own peace and happiness. Allow me to share a few suggestions on how to live the grace life.             1. Forgive often and easily.                   2. Apologize even when you were not wrong.                       3. Put other's needs ahead of your own.                   4. Speak words of encouragement and kindness.                     5. Never condemn another person.                6. Never give up an anyone.                       7. Show mercy abundantly.                8. Love the unlovable.                        9. Return hatred with kindness.                     The life of grace is the life of peace. If you want to know the peace of God in your life do the things that bring you peace and these are some of those things.

- Discouraged? I've got news. God expects you to be human...flawed...scared at times...confused at others. He does not wish you were someone else or feel like giving up on you. He is not looking His nose down on you or rolling His eyes at your foolishness. He is your perfect, loving heavenly Father. He loves you just as you are even as He is making you all He wants you to be. Relax. God is not petty like us.

- Sound preaching arises out of two loves - love of the Word of God and love of people - and from them both a desire to show people God's glorious grace.

- Forgive them not because they deserve forgiveness, but forgive them because you desire peace!

- You are already precious to God, now concentrate on making God precious to you.

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- Bible thoughts! Ps 26:1, Judge me, O Lord ; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord ; therefore I shall not slide. Could you, would you go to God and let Him tell you what you need to change in order to be more like Him?

- No matter the depth of your pain or the weight of your burden, they cannot exceed the comfort and help of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ, 2 Cor 1:5.

- The hardest thing you will ever do is make the decision to do that hard thing. Then you learn that the hard thing was not as hard as you thought. Our own minds can become our worst enemy. Hosea 13:9, O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 28:7, The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. MY HEART TRUSTED IN HIM, well, there's the answer to all of life's troubles, folks!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 29:2, Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. We are constantly asking God to give us stuff. Why not give Him something, instead? Whatever it is He's telling you to surrender to Him, DO it!

- Oh, our Saviour Shepherd is gentle, patient and merciful! A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench... Isaiah 42:3

- What I've highlighted is what jumped out at me when I read this passage recently. I know the “in thing" is to criticize gov't & politicians. I've been guilty of it myself in the past! However, if God says it's one of the things the unjust will be punished for, then, should we Christians be doing it??!! 2 Peter 2:9-10, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the --> unjust <-- unto the day of judgment --> to be punished: <-- But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and --> despise government. <-- Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to --> speak evil of dignities. <--

- I wonder how much more blessed my family and friends would be if I prayed (or had prayed) for them more often! Rom 1:9, For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.   1 Thess 1:2, We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.  Phile 4, I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers.

- Always give credit where credit is due, for "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." (John 3:27). Give God the glory!

- Ps 10:13, Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. The wicked and ungodly do not believe that they will ever face a living, eternal, angry God and give an account for their wickedness and evil.

- Ps 7:9b, God trieth the hearts and reins. God is the only one qualified to judge motives. Why can’t we leave it to Him?

- Ps 18:30, As for God, His way is perfect! Let God choose for you, it will be the right decision. Let God guide you, it will be the right direction. Let God plan for you, it will be in the right timing. Let God measure for you, it will be the right portion. Let God help you, it will be the right care. Let God instruct you, it will be the right teaching. Let God prepare you, it will be the right training. Let God counsel you, it will be the right perspective. Let God fight for you, it will be the right outcome. Let God work in you, it will be the right result.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 2:2-4, The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord , and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Don't worry, folks, I've read the back of the Book and we win!!

- Ps 39:2, I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. I saw this scripture on a friend's post and it made me think, “Would I rather look dumb for keeping quiet; or because of something I said?" I choose the former. Sometimes it's better to just keep silent. --> Prov 17:28, Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Now, to do it more often than not!!

- 1 Kings 4:1-2, So king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest. Notice this wisest king chose his heads of state in his cabinet, his "princes" were spiritual God fearing people: a priest's son, scribes, a recorder.  Life Principle: Surround yourself with people that love God and will lift you up and not tear you down or spiritually abase you. If you are the most spiritual of all your friends, you need to get some better friends. Some friends may have to go or you will need to add some friends spiritually more mature than you.

- Romans 3:9-20-The whole world is guilty before God. I don't need to see the sin to know it's there

- Patience is waiting under trying circumstances. Longsuffering is waiting under trying people.

- John 2:22, When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Jesus' disciples believed who he was; but I wonder if they still had some underlying doubt - until his resurrection. This caused me to ask myself, “Do I take Jesus/God completely at his word; or do I have some underlying doubt?! God loves it when we have complete faith in him! (Hebrews 11:6).