Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 12/7/14  Matt 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The two commandments, love God and love your neighbor, are the essence of all the “rules and standards” that you complain and balk about. Maybe it’s not a “rules thing” that’s your problem, but a “love thing.”           Ps 112:4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  ¹To fully see and appreciate the light, we must be in darkness.  ²Jesus, the Bible, and believers are lights of the world...look to them and for them in your darkness.  ³Be upright in dark and scary times...and,  ⁴if there is no force trying to push you over, is there any merit to being UP-RIGHT?

Monday, 12/8/14  Pro 4:1, 20 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Your kinds are not the first to “be hard of hearing.” Children must be taught to listen to and focus on the words of their parents, teachers, or preachers.                    A Divine paradox: Christ, Who loves all mankind yet was sent to divide them. Luke 12:51, Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division. Could I ask: Whom have you divided? Some Christians are too concerned about “not offending” anyone that they never say a word for Christ. Maybe we should be more concerned about offending Christ than offending man.

Tuesday, 12/9/14  Ps 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. One reason that we don’t talk about the Bible is because we don’t live the Bible (usually because of rebellion); and one reason we don’t live it is because of ignorance (usually because of laziness).              Ecc 4:1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. One of the Holy Spirit’s names is “The Comforter.” Do you look for opportunities for Him to use you in the ministry of uplifting others and pointing them to Christ like He does? Are you more of a comforter or an afflicter?

Wednesday, 12/10/14  Do you feel a little cold-hearted? Do you feel spiritually vulnerable? Ps 84:11a For the Lord God is a sun and shield. Solution: get closer to God. How do you deepen an earthly relationship? (Time, offering self, listening, sharing feelings, compliments, gratitude, etc.) Do the same with Him.           Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that men should find nothing after him. The topsy-turvies in our lives are to force us to fix our eyes on Christ.

Thursday, 12/11/14  Pro 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. You may think you’re only playing with sin, but sin doesn’t play.                Ps 119:64 The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes. God doesn’t just give us mercy to spare us from judgment and gain Heaven. He expects us to learn His ways of thinking and living. To not do so is to be pretty ungrateful.

Friday, 12/12/14  Ps 119:60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The time spent between learning right and doing right is usually spent justifying wrong.               Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. It’s wise to remember the shortness of life so we refocus on the important things (God, people, eternity, wisdom) vs. the unimportant (material) stuff.

Saturday, 12/13/14  Reasons we don’t pray #1: sin. Gen 3:8 Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. Your biggest hindrance is your Christian life is what? You know it. Confess it. Coupled with it is pride: “Well, it’s not that BIG of a deal...” It’s keeping you from God, isn’t it? It’s a big deal. He died for it, didn’t He? It’s a big deal.                 In Pro 7:21, note “much fair speech,” “she forced him.”  Everyone has a breaking point in regards to sin. Wisdom sees how far away from the edge you can stay rather than how close to it you can get. Overestimate sin’s power; underestimate your resistance.

Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. God’s men must be filled with the Holy Ghost and be willing to preach truth in the face of adversity, hatred, and persecution, if they would see the glory of God and Jesus.

Ps 66:12b-14 I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble. I wonder how many promises to God in a time of crisis are forgotten after He has bailed us out and it has passed?

Pro 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to they eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. Laziness is irritating and repulsive to those who assign a task and expect it to be done.

Josh 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass. What a great God Who always keeps His word. What a great verse, and what an awesome God!!

Pro 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watered also himself. Those who are generous and share God’s blessings are the recipients of more blessings from God.

Ps 69:20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness, and I looked for some to take pity but there were none, and for comforters, but I found none. This old world is filled with broken lonely people. We need to find them and give them what they are are looking for.

Ps 70:5 But I am poor and needy, make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer, O Lord, make no tarrying. It is encouraging to know that I am not the only one who gets impatient and asks God to hurry my rescue in times of need. He always comes through just in time.