Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 9/28/14  1 Sam 30:6c ...but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. ¹We are responsible to encourage ourselves.  ²If we don’t do ourselves first, we can’t encourage others.  ³For everyone else’s sake, get yourself straight. (We need you to help us.)            Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. I believe that there are far more saved people around us here (at least in the Hammond/Chicago area) than we would think. The problem is, I believe too many are, ¹content with God saving their soul but they have no desire to live for Him, or,  ²they have reached their ceiling of commitment/growth and therefore will not, under any circumstances, go higher for Him, or,  ³they have too many areas of their life where God’s will and ways are not welcome (that’s called “ungodliness”) or,  ⁴they are getting a substandard spiritual diet because of a corrupt Bible and/or weak preaching. (None of that describes you, I hope.) But I believe a lot more folks are saved than we think.

Monday, 9/29/14  Ps 37:1, 7, 8 Fret not thyself. “Fret” means, “To tease; to irritate; to vex; to make angry.” Don’t get bothered by “evildoers,” people who prosper doing it without God, and if you get irritated, nip it in the bud before you do evil.                  Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbor to his good to edification.  ¹Everyone is a candidate for spiritual growth.  ²You are to try to edify, to build up, any & everyone.  ³Do what they like so as to help them become what they should. This could range from sharing the Gospel, giving a tract, disciplining, or even just brightening someone’s day with kindness so as to restore their faith in mankind so a soulwinner will have a chance 6 weeks from now.               Pro 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. “Glory” in both places means “honor or reputation.” Do you think about how good you are? Do you think how much you deserve? That not honorable.

Tuesday, 9/30/14  Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. If you knew that you were going to see Christ sometime in the next 48 hours, what sins would you get confessed and forsaken so as to meet Him clean?  So...get it right, right NOW.  Behold, I come quickly.          Rom 16 Paul mentions many people by name.  ¹”The sweetest sound to everyone is the sound of their own name.”  ²Use names. Don’t hide behind “I’ve never been good with names...” (I’m very guilty...) Find a way to work on, make progress on, and solve that defect in you.  ³Leaders especially: use your follower’s names and acknowledge their contributions.

Wednesday, 10/1/14  Gen 45:7 And God sent me here before you to preserve you...and to save your lives...(as opposed to you guys sold me as slaves and I was falsely put in prison...) Your negatives come from God. Period. Now, will you get angry and bitter, or will you be patient and trust Him to reveal His plans in His time?                   2 Sam 6:6-7 ...Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God...and there he died by the ark of God. This man died, and the clear lesson to all those around him, and to us, is that God IS serious about His commandments.  ¹They are orders not options; directives not debate topics.  ²God is patient and merciful, but He does reserve the right to deal harshly with will ignorance, arrogance, flippant disrespect, or rebellion.

Thursday, 10/2/14  Ps 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled...who walk in the law of the Lord. Do you walk in the law or simply know of it? The law says, “Be ye holy.” The law says, “abstain from all appearance of evil.” The law says, “Go ye into all the world and preach.” The law says, “Love one another.” The law says, “Forgive as Christ hath forgiven you.” The law says, “In every thing give thanks.” The law says, “talk about the Bible day and night.” Judge yourself lest ye be judged.                 Ps 103:4 (More of His benefits) Who redeemeth thy life from destruction. “Redeem”: To purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, to repurchase what has been sold; to regain possession of a thing alienated. “Destruction”: a pit where an animal was captured by a snare. The Lord rescues us when we get misled by our own stupidities and lusts and ransoms, liberates, repurchases (again)....can somebody say, “AMEN!!”?

Friday, 10/3/14  Matt 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Jesus was hours from the Cross: humanly, He, no doubt, was scared, nervous, sorrowful...so He sang a song of praise to His Father. ‘Worked for Him, probably we should try His recipe.          Exo 19:4-8  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians...Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice...ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me...And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Why do we make decisions and choices when we’re in despair and defeated rather than when we’re on topside? If you’re coming to a crossroads, review all that God has done for you and with you...and give Him the benefit of the doubt regarding the future. The great man said, “Don’t undo in doubt what you did in faith.”

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son... Not a dirty, rotten, wicked, sinner, but a son. Be glad.

Pro 28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit, let no man stay him. We should not defend or be lenient on murderers. Our nation needs to return to Biblical justice and get back to public executions for murder.

Ps 145:3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable. The awesomeness of our God is beyond human reasoning. Every day we need to learn more about Him and praise Him for Who He is.

Ecc 5:2 be not rash with thy mouth...for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. How many times do we say something and later regret it? This pairs beautifully with Pro 10:19.

Pro 31:30 Favor is deceitful, beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. The attribute that is more important and more commendable than all others in a wife is her godliness and fear of the Lord.

Pro 29:25 the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Confidence and trust in the Lord is far more secure and safe than confidence in, or fear of man.

John 10:16 Other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Thank God we are included in the fold and by the only Shepherd of the fold.