Baptist City Blog

Monday, 12/14/15  Fear is a prompter and motivator of action. Luke 22:2, And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Here it prompted evil, criminal behavior. The fear of God prompts righteous acts.            Luke 21:16b-18 ...and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. You may be hated; you may be killed, but God says you won’t perish. To understand His word and His promises, we must understand His definitions and values and perspective.

Tuesday, 12/15/15  Acts 9:36, Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha...and this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. If God wrote a new chapter in the Bible and mentioned you, what could He say that you’re full of?            Ps 74:2, Remember the congregation which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. In trouble, it’s easy to complain against God or others for causing it. (Occasionally, we even focus on ourselves as the cause.) While there’s a time and place and purpose for ascertaining cause and assigning blame and preventing a reoccurrence, the priority issue needs to be dealing with what is. Too many people sit there and talk about blame instead of getting up and living with and dealing with and actually solving the problems.

Wednesday, 12/16/15  Ps 37 is a “Look Ahead” psalm. Much of the verbiage is future tense. Take away truth? God’ll deal with others on His time schedule, but I have responsibilities now.                “It’s my life!! I should be able to do as I please!!” In a way, it is yours, and you’ll be the primary partaker of the consequences, positive or negative, of your choices. But you have influence. Num 32:6-8, And Moses said unto the children of Gad...and Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them? Thus did your fathers... You won’t be so cocky and glib when you see the results that your selfishness caused: broken lives, unsaved children, destroyed marriages, etc. It’s NOT your life: Christ made you, sustains you, bought you, and reigns over you. So simply, shut up and do what you’re told. (If you wanna act like a bratty kid, I’ll talk like the parent of a bratty kid.)

Thursday, 12/17/15  What is that following behind you so often? Is it mean, hurtful occurrences, or goodness and blessings? Characterize your daily life... Pro 13:21, Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.           Acts 11:23, Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted hem all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Grace comes because of sin, so Barnabas here saw sinners receiving and using the grace of God, i.e. getting saved and serving. Are there any sinners that you wouldn’t be glad to see get saved (Muslims? homosexuals? felons?) or any group that you wouldn’t want to ever serve God again (former preachers? the immoral? addicts?)

Friday, 12/18/15  John 7:16, Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. That which you teach: is it your doctrine or Bible doctrine? It’s OK to teach your preferences or personal philosophies or tradition as long as you don’t represent them to be direct Bible doctrine.              Deut 5:29, O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always... God wants us to have this kind of heart, and only you can answer whether you have it or not. Are “doing OK” or “pressing toward the mark”? Are you content or “pressing on the upward way; new heights I’m gaining every day”? Are you satisfied with doing “some” of the commandments, or “more than most” or are striving, yearning, and searching for all of them?

Saturday, 12/19/15  Matt 7:13, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction... This command was given to saved disciples, not the unsaved, so we need to choose to heed it daily. Is your path a little wider and smoother than it used to be?                Ps 115:1-2, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? Are you willing to place God’s reputation and agenda and methods above your own for the sake of the heathen?

Sunday, 12/20/15  John 4:6, ...Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well... Basic doctrine: Jesus, on earth, was 100% human. Though He was still God, He did not live and act and exist as God but like you and I do. He endured all of the characteristics of a human body just like we would.           Matt 8:2, And, behold, there came a leper, and worshipped him, saying... Yes, the leper was about to ask Jesus to heal him, but in worshipping first, he acknowledged that He was God, and submitted to His will vs. his own desires. Are you willing to do that in your problem?

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- There is nothing that you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do that would cause God to love you less. Most of us give lip service to this doctrine, but our hearts fail to follow our heads. We somehow feel more loved of God, more likely to be heard of Him, when we are doing “well.” How wrong we are, if this is our mindset. God hears us, loves, us, accepts us, and blesses us because of Who He is, not because of what we do.

- God's wrath fell on Jesus so his mercy could fall on me.

- Comparing men to women is like comparing apples to complicated long-range, heat-seeking, land-attack missiles.

- Boys will be boys...until and unless someone teaches them to be more.

- God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

- For iron to sharpen iron, both force and friction are required, which in turn produce heat. Heat is uncomfortable, even painful. Tough it out!

- A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing. 

- Doctrines divide one says. Yes the sheep from the goats!

- Christ was born free of sin, but full of love.

- Lose your life at the cross and you will find it there too.

- Even if the person doesn't deserve your forgiveness God deserves your obedience.

- Forgiveness does not always heal a relationship, but forgive anyway.

- The Christian will never learn to cry out to God until he has a good reason.

- The only way anyone will understand forgiveness is to be forgiven first. And the more you ponder and dwell on our own forgiven state, the more likely we’ll be to extend forgiveness to others (whether that forgiveness if from us personally, or whether we try to reunite sinful human with a holy God.)

- Teach your daughters to dress for the respect of boys not their attention. Their respect will last longer. 

- If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one and ye which are unspiritual shut up and mind your own business.

- The scriptures ought to be treated as loving words of correction and instruction from a father to his children, as opposed to the cold and lifeless dissertations of a college professor. The former informs, corrects, matures and instructs; the latter merely informs. There is a great difference. The question is not one of the intellect, as of the will. It is a matter of volition. Change requires us to yield and surrender. We must capitulate. Therein lies the difficulty...

- As soon as you get back up go help somebody else get back up.

- Trust my heart? I know my heart all too well to trust it.

- I believe in the kind of grace that allows a sinner who still smells like the pigpen to return and eat at the table of the Father.

- Don’t be so quick to believe what you hear because lies spread more quickly than the truth.

- The reason we lose so many spiritual battles is that we keep putting on the pajamas of self rather than the whole armor of God.

- God's Mercy and Grace is for more than the .01% of my sins I am aware of. It extends to the 99.99% of sins I am not even aware I have committed.

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- Pro 11:21, Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. No matter the numbers, the strength, or cohesiveness of the forces, God’s punishment for the wicked will come as will deliverance for the righteous.

- Pro 12:48b, For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they shall ask the more. Many of us who have been tutored, taught, and observed the great workings of God, will be more accountable to our Lord.

- Ps 85:6, Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? This needs to be our heart’s cry every moment of every day.

- Good health is promoted by being content with what you have: instead of wanting what you don't/can't have which causes sickness. Pro 14:30, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.”

- Bible thoughts! Ps 40:10, I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. has God been ex exceptionally good to you? Well, why not broadcast it to the world, yell it from every roof top, tell everyone you meet??!! He's good to His kids!

- Pro 14:17a, He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly. Quick tempered, angry men are poor decision makers, and cannot be trusted.

- Pro 15:27, He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house, but he that hateth gifts shall live. Honesty is far more important than wealth.

- Luke 14:11, Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. We need to let others praise and comment us instead of tooting our own horn. What God and others think and say is far more revealing and important.

- Luke 14:3, And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?  We have similar attitudes today. We are more concerned about methods and incidentals than we are about lost souls and getting them eternally saved.

- Pro 15:12, A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise. By inference, this says we ought to seek wise counsel.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. God is an amazing artist! I can look at His artwork all day
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