Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 8/22/17  Acts 8:4, Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. They took their exceedingly bitter lemons and made gallons of sweet lemonade. Will you do the same? (Hint: the recipe calls for lots of sugar, which, in the Bible, is spelled J-E-S-U-S.)   

                          Joshua 7:21, When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. The diet of the eyes becomes the appetite of the heart.                           Psalm 57:1, Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. In the midst of the dark storm, calm breezes and the morning light seem an impossibility. (I’m there now.) But tomorrow WILL come; the sun WILL rise again; you CAN keep going...and His mercy and the shadow of His wings will help. Cuddle closer to the Captain and keep on trusting.

 

- Wednesday, 8/23/17  Luke 21:3, And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all... Jesus shows love by noticing what we do more so than we cannot do. He knows our circumstances and our spiritual state. Do YOUR best, not my best.                         1 Timothy 2:14, And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Two reminders: ladies, remember that you tend to be more gullible than men. Also, Adam did what he did so as to not to lose his wife. Be aware of, and very careful with the power you have over a man. He went so far as to trade God for your love and affection...think about that.

 

- Thursday, 8/24/17  Proverbs 16:12, It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. Leaders, (parents, bosses, pastors, coaches, etc.) what is sinful for your followers is abominable for you. With position comes responsibility and accountability.                                    1 Timothy 1:3, As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine... A lot of Christians today need to heed this. If you’re hearing something that you have never heard before, there’s a good chance it’s a perversion of the Scripture. Compare Scripture with Scripture (all of it: 1 verse seldom proves anything); new truth must harmonize with types and shadows. I’ll say this kindly, but Bro. So-n-so, who teaches a wrong gospel or that there are no need for standards or tithing is optional, probably isn’t going to get some AWESOME new truth that the great soul-winners of yesteryear never heard. “By their fruits you shall know them.”

 

- Friday, 8/25/17  Have you ever wondered if you’re trusting God in a situation? “I feel like I’m trusting Him, but I don’t know.” Proverbs 16:20, He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. How happy are you IN the situation? How much good are you finding?                              Luke 24:28, And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. Jesus loved by not presuming upon people: assuming their time, devotion, or love. He does the same to us today. Do you REALLY want Him in your life, knowing that He’ll bring direction and correction?

 

- Saturday, 8/26/17  Luke 24:38, And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Jesus loved by acknowledging the fears of His followers: He didn’t chide them as a first resort; He encouraged them.                          If God were the proverbial genie’s lamp and gave you your biggest prayer request, what would it be? What would getting that request do to you? It’s a tough question, but consider Proverbs 19:1, Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Maybe it would destroy your integrity, and that is why God is “ignoring” you.

 

- Sunday, 8/27/17  Jesus loved by...Luke 24:45, Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. ‘Nuff said. Do you love your family? Friends? SS Class members? Please consider sending out a daily or weekly Bible thought text.                             Matthew 3:11, “...but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear...” Jesus loved by allowing unqualified, unworthy, and inept creatures to serve Him. Are you serving Him? Are you allowing other unqualified, unworthy, and inept creatures to serve Him (regardless of how much “less qualified” than you they are, or how they showed their unworthiness by sin...?) How could you do it more fervently or frequently or whole-heartedly?

 

- Monday, 8/28/17  Proverbs 21:2, Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. Your eyes can convince you; your lips can produce a pretty good argument why you’re right; but God knows if your heart wants to please God and is holding something back. Pretty hard to fool Him.                                    Judges 16:18, And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying... Two lessons: not everyone who wants to know your heart are worthy of it. And, if God’s people can’t find a godly believer to love and open up and share their heart with, they may not be godly enough to resist one of the Devil’s crowd to open up to.

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- 2 Sam 6:7, And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah: and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God. Doing the right thing in a wrong way can be costly in God’s business. Methods do matter when it comes to serving God.

 

- Pro 20:5, Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water: but a man of understanding will draw it out. Most godly/wise men are humble and will only give counsel and advice if convinced that the seeker truly desires his honest opinion. He must be prompted.

 

- 2 Sam 6:23, therefore Michael the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. Heart attitude affects more than disposition.

 

- Ps 118:28, Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. Is He really our God, or simply Someone we come to and rely upon when we are in trouble or have a need? Do we exalt Him before the world, and let them know that He’s important to us?

 

- Pro 24:10, If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. We can only find out how strong we are spiritually when trouble comes.

 

- Ps 119:18, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. This should be the constant longing and prayer each day as we open the word of God, and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate it so we can understand exactly what we need for today.

 

- Pro 22:4, By humility, and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life. God’s idea of wealth, social position, and real living is very different from ours.

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- You may have a good reason to be bitter at someone, but the cross gave you a better reason to forgive them.

 

- DO NOT preach the consequences of sin to your kids more than you preach the forgiveness and acceptance of God even in our sins.

 

- Prayerful in little, anxious in much; OR prayerful in much, anxious in little. It is your choice. Choose wisely.

 

- We all have fallen, but some fall running alone with no one watching, while others fall before a crowd of onlookers. Funny how the secret fallers love to criticize the public ones.

 

- We criticize Peter for sinking while walking on the water, but it was in his sinking that he was able to understand how much his faith needed to grow. Most of us never put ourselves in positions where we could fail because we would rather try less and not fail than try more and learn from our failures.