Baptist City Blog

Wednesday, 9/21/16  John 15:4a, Abide in me, and I in you. Don’t forget or neglect this vital component of daily Christian living. Figure out ways to remember the Lord throughout the day. Talk, thank, praise, and read His word (at lunch? at break? listen to it?)
       Six thoughts concerning (un)forgiveness (continued): 3) God commands us to forgive our brother, so to not do so is to disobey Him [which is illegal and places us in the same realm beside the one at whom we were originally upset].  4) (Un)forgiveness is a legal matter, a matter of the will, not a heart matter, an emotion. The feelings of forgiveness will follow the act of forgiveness.

Thursday, 9/22/16  Hos 7:9, Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth it not. Spiritual deterioration, like growth, takes place gradually and generally imperceptibly. Beware of drifting.                              Six thoughts concerning (un)forgiveness (continued):  5) Sin is a violation of God’s laws, so who are we to hold a grudge if the Lord is willing for the offense to be put away? Even if the offense was directed at us, it was still God’s law to ‘love each other [i.e. me] as a brother’ that was violated. (Our only rights were given us by God, so the offense was against Him first and primarily. His higher law supersedes any lower law that would directly concern us.  Plus, we’re not smart enough nor strong enough to carry a grudge.)  6) Since we don’t know who is saved or not, it’s at least unwise to take offense against those whom we deem to be unsaved.

Friday, 9/23/16  Hos 7:10, And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek him for all this. When confronted with evidence of your sin, are you more likely to immediately repent or justify yourself?               Six thoughts concerning hindrances to the extending of forgiveness:  1) Pride (thinking we deserve a certain level of status, treatment, or possessions). You deserve Hell; anything that is better than Hell is more than you deserve.  2) The elevating of self and our will and agenda over God’s will and agenda. God’s will is to forgive “as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” His will is for us to live as brethren.

Saturday, 9/24/16  1 Cor 10:13, There hath no temptation taken you...God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted [tested] above that ye are able... Even if someone provoked you (sinned against you first), your improper, less-than-godly reaction is still a sin, otherwise, this verse is not true.                       Six thoughts concerning hindrances to extending of forgiveness (continued):  3) Rehashing the matter to ourselves or others (which shows a lack of mental discipline, self-control, i.e. temperance...in other words, not being filled with the Spirit).  4) Focusing on the sin and our feelings rather than on the payment of Christ and God’s feelings (thinking of lesser, lower matters vs. higher and more important ones).

Sunday, 9/25/16  Ps 89:1, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. How can you do this verse if you don’t write down what God has done for you? Record the date and all the circumstances. (You know how your memory is...)                  Six thoughts concerning hindrances to extending of forgiveness (continued):  5) Insisting on retribution (showing a vengeful spirit, illegal, not our place).  6) A lack of love for our brother and for Christ. The problem is that we love ourselves more than we love others.

Monday, 9/26/16  Ps 139:24b, ...and lead me in the way everlasting. Are you more often following in the “Path Everlasting,” i.e. the heavenly, loving, mercy-full path or the temporal path of self, pride, anger, revenge, etc.?               Could you pray this verse honestly? Ps 119:125, I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. I ask that because His teaching methods often involves tests, and trials and hardness. Do you really want to learn?

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- John 18:25, And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said I am not. Don’t be too hard on Peter: when we are in the wrong crowd and away from church, how often do we let the world know that we are His children?

- Ps 84:11, for the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Eternal salvation is free, but the blessings and protection by God will depend on our living styles after salvation. It pays to live for Him!!

- Ps 136:26, O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever! Never do I want to take God’s mercy for granted!

- Ps 138:6, Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. No matter whom we are, or how successful or how much fame or popularity we attain, we must bury pride, humble ourselves, and fall prostrate before the Lord God!

- Ps 139:17, How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! We have the very thoughts of God Himself! Our love for it, the time we spend reading, meditating upon, and applying it to our lives is a reflection of our love and devotion to Him.