Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 4/12/15  1 Cor 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. No opportunity is without its challenges: active resistance or hard work or risk or the doubts of loved ones. Using counsel and the Bible, determine God’s plan for you and DO IT!!!            Matt 4:1-11 The Devil isn’t going to hold a conversation with you, but the temptations are still real. How did Jesus respond and win? By a knowledge of God’s word. “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book. “Ask your pastor or SS teacher (or me) for ideas to help enliven your Bible time.    
          John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him...  OK, Bible scholars:  what does v2 have to do with anything? What does it mean? What does it add to our knowledge? (A friend posted this:  “Why does John also seem to repeat himself in 1 John 1:1-3? For emphasis, clarity, and further explication. Sometimes we need truth emphasized, repeated, and explained in different ways. It helps our understanding, reinforces truth, and prevents error. Poole: "Whether the evangelist, forewarned by the Spirit of God, did add this repetition to forearm Christians against those errors which did afterward trouble the church, I cannot say; but certain it is, that these words do effectually confute the Eunomians, who distinguished between the Word which in the beginning was with God, and that Word by which all things were made; and the Arians, who make the Father to have existed before the Son; as also the Anomians, who would make the Father and the Son diverse both in nature and will." Are there three different Words in vs 1? Vs 2 prevents that error. Was the Word in the beginning, but not yet God? Or in the beginning, but not separate from God until later? Vs. 2 prevents error, uses repetition to emphasize and drive a point home, and draws our mind to the truth of vs 1 in a different manner to aid our understanding. At least, that is my opinion. I don't believe a single word is wasted. V3 to me definitely adds something not spoken, but merely implied in vs 1-2. Just because He was there does not guarantee He was an integral part of Creation.”)

Monday, 4/13/15  1 Cor 15:34a Awake to righteousness, and sin not. A reminder that the key to less sin is not to focus on sinning less, but rather focus on more righteousness (which produces holiness. See Rom 6:19.)          Ps 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Two truths:  ¹Those with a right relationship to the house of God have an active praise life. (Check yourself.)  ²Praising stills the troubles in your spirit. It gets your eyes off of yourself. It reminds you of God’s care in the past, thus giving confidence in the future. And, it reminds you of His power to solve problems, also imparting confidence. So, go brag on God for what He’s done.

Tuesday, 4/14/15  Ps 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. No one can choose a virtuous, godly life without keeping a constant, daily eye on the Word of God. Where else can you get the instruction and encouragement to do rightly? Have you chosen His way? Have you looked in His book today?               Num 32:6-7 ...Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel... Shall your brethren go soul winning, and shall ye sit here [discouraging them]? Shall your brethren tithe and shall ye sit here [discouraging them]? Shall your brethren uphold the standards of modesty and virtue and shall ye sit here [discouraging them]? Shall your brethren go to 3 services a week and shall ye sit here [discouraging them]? Shall your brethren work and volunteer and serve God and shall ye sit here causing discouragement? NO!! There’s a work for all to do!! There’s a higher plane that you could ascend to!! Quit the (usually selfish) excuses and serve the coming King with all your heart!!!

Wednesday, 4/15/15  Ps 119:22 Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies. “Oh God! Intervene in my life!! Help!!”  Why should God give you a blessing if you won’t obey what you’re told to do? Are you tithing? Winning souls? Faithful to church? Truthful? Good to your spouse and kids? Apologizing often?            Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Though the path to the door and the door itself may be dark and scary and painful and arduous...beyond is HOME!! And FAMILY!! And your ETERNAL FATHER!! You can take it. You can make it!!

Thursday, 4/16/15  Ps 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. Understand that you’re a custom model! You’re as tall as He thinks best. Your nose was chosen FOR YOU. Your weight...that’s mostly on you! But He gave you the exact genes that produced a 1-of-a-kind gem: YOU. Now, pray the second half of the verse so you’ll learn His specific plans for you to fulfill.                Pro 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit. I believe this verse refers to knowing your own weak spots, failures, pet sins, and shortcomings. The fool lies to himself: “I’m not that bad. I can handle it.” The prudent knows he’s playing with fire (concerning sin) and he knows the fireman sometimes sets the fires (referring to himself).

Friday, 4/17/15  2 Cor 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. Your spirit groans to get its new body at the Rapture. How long has it been since you thought of that? Are you ready and willing to meet Jesus...IN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES??             Deut 5:1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. Our goal should be to obey God. To get there, we must “hear” the words of God; “learn” them, and “keep” (guard, or treasure) them.

Saturday, 4/18/15  Ps 93:12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law. If we bristle at the chastening, we may very well miss the teaching that accompanies it...and therefore, keep doing the error that brought the chastening...yada yada yada.              Ps 93:12-13 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law. That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, unto the pit be digged for the wicked. Notice v13. The purpose of chastening is not divine punishment or retribution: God does not “get us.” His purpose is correcting our direction, to teach us His word, and ultimately, to simplify and ease our lives. (BTW, our chastening of our kids needs to follow these principles.)              John 5:3, 5 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity [38] years. I see a single, solitary man healed and happy, while a multitude were still ailing and were confused as to whether their situation matters to Jesus.  ¹Jesus came, not to heal all sick people, but to die on the Cross.  ²Sickness, suffering, and death are a constant: they won’t be eliminated until eternity begins. All of us will die, and it’s because of sin. Healing only delays the inevitable.  ³Our glorified bodies, totally healthy and perpetually new were purchased by His blood, so my immediate want/need is ultimately fulfilled by His long-term goals.  ⁴Why this particular man? Was he more important? Sicker? I don’t know, but notice vv16, 18. Jesus picked him because his circumstances helped start the ball rolling toward the fulfillment of the big purpose.  ⁵Many of the “wrongs” we attribute to God (“I’m not His favorite...” “I’m too wicked to get my prayers answered...” etc.) can maybe be resolved if we look at the big picture.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- Job 1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Being under the love and protection of our sovereign and Almighty God - even our heavenly Father - brings great comfort and security. Satan cannot touch us without God's permission and specific instructions!

- Ps 17:8 Keep me as the apple of thy eye: hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Our constant daily prayer and heart’s cry must be for our God to protect us as the pupil of the eye. It is the most sensitive, focal part of our vision.

- Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. A hard truth to grasp, but thank God for his mercy and for a tender heart!

- Ps 19:3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. It is impossible to miss the glory of God anywhere in the universe. There will be no valid excuses when we stand before God and we all will.

- The best way to be happy is to enjoy what you have; instead of getting frustrated over things you wish you had. It'll only cause you anxiety and what comes with it: all for naught. Ecc 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

- But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace, Ps 37:11. Being willing to be humble in exchange for an abundance of peace? I'll take it!

- Pro 9:3b She crieth upon the highest places of the city.  9:14 For she sitteth on a seat in the high places of the city. There is a battle for the mind and life of the naive man by wisdom and the wicked woman.

- Ps 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths. This needs to be the prayer and heart’s cry of each of us every day of our lives.

- Pro 6:23-24 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life. We needs God’s word to give direction, and regular preaching to keep us out of trouble.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Contact me at baptistcity@gmail.com for information on subscribing to the weekly email or daily text messages from Terry.