Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 3/1/15  Ps 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me. I understand praying for deliverance, but remember that all sunshine makes a desert; all victories make us cocky; all successes make us flabby and weak-willed.          In reading the daily comix, I often see cartoons about Hell. Often, it depicts the demons as being in charge. Basic Bible Doctrine: Hell was created, not for humans, but for the fallen angels. They will be inmates, not guards. Matt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. You may go to Hell if you choose to (and you choose Hell when you trust anything besides Jesus and Him alone to atone for your sins, or trust Jesus plus anything else, like good deeds, or church, etc.), but if you go to Hell, you’ll be an intruder. Jesus is not only the King of Heaven, but He is also the King of Hell.               Ps 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. If sin has caused you to lose what you now realize was valuable,  ¹weep, and return as far back as possible.  ²Apologize to God, and apologize and make restitution to whomever else you need to.  ³Encourage others not to fall for the same sin.  ⁴To others, remember that our duty is to restore them “in the spirit of meekness.”

Monday, 3/2/15  John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. If you’ve screwed up royally, and all that you have left of your life are fragments of what you used to be, the Lord is still interested in that...serve Him!!                 Ps 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth forever. Just a reminder (especially to those who frequently post about politics and political themes): ¹our God is in control and will win;  ²we’re to pray for our leaders;  ³people are not our enemy, even if they’re fighting for the wrong side;  ⁴the answer is the Gospel and soul winning and church building and personal holiness, not conservative, American, Republican democracy.                Pro 1:24, 31 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded... Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. Leaders, parents: sometimes you have to stand aside and let people blow their lives completely apart before they will let you help them pick up the pieces.  ¹Be willing to forgive and forget.  ²Be willing to pick up anyone’s pieces, even if you got hurt in their self-destruction.  ³Restore in the spirit of meekness.

Tuesday, 3/3/15  Pro 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. We often teach our kids not to brag on themselves (and that’s proper), but do we teach them to brag on others? Do we lead by example? Who’d you compliment in the last 12 hours?                Matt 15:1-3 The Pharisees accused Jesus: Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Practical advice: before pointing out another’s error, be sure that all your ducks are in a row.

Wednesday, 3/4/15  Pro 31:3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. Men, don’t sacrifice your manhood to get a woman: stand up and lead (don’t dictate), and do it by strength and holiness and love and example. Also, that which has destroyed other good men...will best you: avoid it.            2 Kings 19:30 And the remnant that is escaped...shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. Both are necessary: imagine a huge root ball, 10-15-20’ in diameter and only a 1 foot high sprout above ground. Or, picture a huge oak tree with only 6” deep roots for a few feet around the trunk. Neither are normal nor sustainable. We need roots; we need to produce. Do you have both?

Thursday, 3/5/15  John 7:38-39 He that believeth on me...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive...) Is your river flowing well, or has it been dammed by sin and stupidity?             Ps 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All of us pray for the solving or resolution of our problems. Remember, God may answer by adding strength instead of by subtracting burdens. (That being said, I think God answers a LOT more of our prayers than we give Him credit for.)

Friday, 3/6/15  Dan 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Daniel didn’t know that God would stop the lions’ mouths, yet he was faithful. Bible characters couldn’t read ahead: they were like you and me, so we can be like them.           Ps 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock...  Many of us often lament, “God must be SSOOOO disappointed in me...” No, the shepherd doesn’t get angry at the sheep because they act like sheep: he expects that. Just do what the Shepherd says; go where He says go; try in incorporate His mind and love and goals...til you see Him...

Saturday, 3/7/15  Ps 139:17...never get over it and never get past it:  How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! Valuable and voluminous...that’ll work!!! All day, every day!! How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!              Pro 4:5b ...neither decline from the words of my mouth. How does one go from being in love with God (or any person) to being “divorced” from Him? The answer is “gradually.” Question: are you on the decline to hellish living, or on the straight and narrow way to holiness? The direction you’ve been going in the last 6-12 months...where will it lead in 5 years?

- It's easier to AVOID temptation than to resist it. God thought this was so important He wrote it twice! Pro 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.  27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? Sometimes, if not most of the time, we say things that should be kept to ourselves. I, myself, may be the worst offender! The disciples practiced discretion. Let's ask God to help us to control our tongue - which will lead to more correct thinking.

Pro 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful man upon his bed. It is as easy for a lazy man to lie around in his bed as it is for a door to swing on its hinges. Not hard to lie around rather than to work.

Pro 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than 7 men that can render a reason. A lazy man has all the answers and is impossible to teach or tell him anything. He knows it all. Our secular schools are filled with these rascals.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.  A good godly pastor is a shepherd who teaches and leads the members of the congregation. We ought to make sure we subject ourselves to such a one. It's to our favor when we do!

John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.  This account appears in all four of the gospels. There's a theological side to this, but let's look at the human side. If anyone deserved glory, notoriety, a promotion, elevation, to-be-made-a-leader: it certainly was Jesus! He chose humility and prayer: his relationship to God: God's favor, if you please. How much more should we choose God's favor or recognition over man's?

Ps 121:3b He that keepeth thee will not slumber. O how great and dependable our God is. He never falls asleep or lies down on the job. Too bad we’re not as dependable.

Acts 21:14 And when he could not be persuaded, we ceased saying, The will of the Lord be done. It is futile to pray for God’s will if one’s mind is made up and the direction is stubbornly set. He will not force His will on anyone. -----------------------------------------------------------------
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