Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 5/3/15  Ps 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I just asked God to forgive me for being so cavalier towards people and not deeply caring...maybe you need to do so too.                                    What is prayer? Really?!? What is the essence of prayer?  It’s simply asking a favor from God. Well, if I’m asking you for a favor, it would hurt my chances of a positive answer if I’m being haughty or demanding; or if I am actively doing things that aggravate you. And it definitely wouldn’t help my cause if I’m abusive to your kids. Pro 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.                           Jud 2:4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that they people lifted up their voice, and wept. They wept, but didn’t change. Do you weep over the pain and sorrow that your sin caused Christ and/or His people, or over what it causes you? Do you keep doing it over and over again?

Monday, 5/4/15  Ps 150:6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. When was the last time you got alone with God and just thanked Him for things He’s done? Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to go walk around the block daily and just think of and thank Him for what He’s done for you.                               Ps 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. If you’re the one with the broken heart, get to God: in His book, in His house, with His people. Flood your mind with Scripture and truths and spiritual songs. DON’T burden your friends or look to them to heal you. DON’T be a drag on their spirits. God has called you to be a buoy not an anchor: “bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” Gal 6:2.                             Ps 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Even if your dwelling place is a war zone, you are safe: whether your body dies fast or slowly, today or in 2066, you’re safe: you’ll go immediately to Heaven, if you’re born again...that’s safe!!  (“Born again” is a specific Bible term...it doesn’t mean a member of a certain church, or sincere efforts at righteousness or being baptized. Its meaning is crystal clear. If you’re not 100% sure you are...there’s a good chance you’re not. Message me.)        

Tuesday, 5/5/15  Ps 83:1-2a Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult... The psalmist, like us so often, wanted God to change others. Remember, you cannot determine others’ actions, only your reactions.                                Acts 9:15-16 ...he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: That sounds GREAT: effectiveness, and fame to boot...but there is a price, and that’s v16, for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.   ¹If you’re inclined to serve God, realize this truth. God will use and bless you, but there is a cost.  ²Your pastor is probably suffering in ways you don’t know: do all you can to encourage him and his family.  The biggest thing you can do is to get in the yoke with him and help him pull his load.                                 Rom 16:2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints... Is your work record as becometh saints? Is your marriage as becometh saints? Is your driving as becometh saints? Is the topics of conversation at work as becometh saints? Are your websites as becometh saints? Just asking...

Wednesday, 5/6/15  Josh 23:3 And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. What has God done for you recently? Whom have you recently told about it?                             Matt 16:6-7 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. They missed a commandment because they worried about why Jesus said it. God might explain Himself...AFTER we obey. Don’t miss the WHAT because you’re worrying about the WHY. Don’t concern yourself with WHY the preacher preached on that...just obey the Word of God as it pertains to you.

Thursday, 5/7/15  Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. Mercy for others; truth for you. Hold yourself to a higher standard than you expect from everyone else. (For doing so, look at the promise of v4.)                              Matt 26:8 But when his disciples saw [Jesus anointed with the oil from the alabaster box], they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? To them, it was a waste to anoint Christ with expensive oil when ‘it could’ve been sold and the money given to the poor.’  These were disciples: “good Christians,” leaders. Perhaps nothing reveals our hearts like money.  I challenge you to evaluate your Christianity through the lens of your money. Or, what if I asked to look at your life through your bank accounts?  “I’d never let you, Bro. Hedderman!!”  Well, Jesus will look at ALL aspects of your life through multiple lens’...get ready...’twill happen one day...maybe today.

Friday, 5/8/15  Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve. What choice did you make yesterday? What did you do differently because of that choice? Could anyone tell that you made that choice? What choice will you make today? How will you implement that choice?                         Rom 6:19: ...even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Performing good deeds via our members (bodies) does not MAKE us holy, but they are the “entry ticket” to God making us holy.  Tie this truth with John 15:2 ...every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [cleanses from impurities, ie. makes holy] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Soul winning is unpleasant and “anti-flesh” because it involves risking humiliation and ridicule, i.e. it’s humbling. And we know that humility is the conduit for God’s grace (1 Pet 5:5). One of, if not the biggest thing that we can do to become holy is to go soul winning, but again, the act of going SW isn’t what MAKES us holy, it is the action that qualifies us to BE made holy.

Saturday, 5/9/15  Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. If more of us praised in the problems and sang in the stocks, more sinners in slavery would get saved.                              1 Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your’s become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. If you have the right to do or to not do something, and if doing it offends another (brings anger, bother them, etc.), then it is a sign of Christian maturity to refrain from doing it. “Well, they shouldn’t be offended so easily! There’s nothing wrong with that! Get a thicker skin!” You’re right, they should. But since the Bible is only written to you (and me), we are expected to not cause our brother to stumble. I believe this could fall under the category of “Manners” or “The Golden Rule.” To purposefully do something that you know angers another is arrogance. That is what bullies do, isn’t it? Placing their own pleasure above another’s feelings? Don’t become what you hate. You hated to be on the receiving end of bullying...why do you do it to others?

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

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

- Pro 29:3 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. A position of pride and arrogance is a dangerous place to be. Fear and worry will be constant companions. The humble in spirit are content and grateful for any praise or recognition.

- Ps 37:12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. We should not be surprised when we are attacked by a wicked world and we need to be prepared for their vicious, hateful attacks: it’s not getting any better out there.

- Ps 38:18 For I will declare mine iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin. This is what the godly do when confronted with and convicted of their sin. This is why David was called a man after God’s own heart.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 5:11  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. This is a very good reminder that God is there for us, AND He loves us!

- Ps 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (verses 3-19 lists some of those benefits).  When your heart is hurting or saddened - as mine is and so many others are upon the news of a friend's grave situation - let's remember all the good things that God does for us.

- Ps 40:17a But I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me. That the God of the universe would take note of, or think upon me is an humbling and awesome thought.

- Ps 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Isn’t it refreshing to know that the man after God’s own heart had times of depression and defeat that made him cry out to God?  But he never stayed down long and ended up praising Him!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 7:8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord , according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. Did you hear that, folks? God's the judge, not us!

- Luke 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. This verse about how much God takes care of us can be easily overlooked in the Gospels. Jesus, point blank, asks the disciples, when I sent you out without any money, a way to carry money, or even shoes, did you lack any thing? They were very sure in their answer: Nothing! God is so good to us it's unbelievable!

- Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. OK, I know this is almost too good to believe, but it is absolutely true. When God the Father looks at me he does see the me I see when I look at me. No, when the Father looks at me he sees his very own Son. Now this is one of the most difficult things for us to comprehend because we know ourselves for what we really are, but God knows us for what his Son is. I admit that I struggle with this and that makes my relationship with God more difficult because I assign my thoughts of me onto him, but his thoughts are not my thoughts and the more I remind myself of that, the more comfortable I feel in his presence. Oh that we could all learn this and live it to its fullest.

- Gens 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  Everything would be just fine when we follow God's plan.