Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 11/30/14  Job 16:12 I was at ease, but [God] hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. Job was godly and right and yet, out of the blue, calamity came.  ¹If all’s good: rejoice.  ²While it’s good, strengthen your spirit.  ³It won’t always be good: hard times WILL come.           Matt 12:30b ...and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Just a reminder that being a soul winner is a command, not an option. If you’re not trying to win the lost, not only are you disobedient and very ungrateful for your salvation, according to this verse (“scattereth”), you make it harder on those who are trying to win the lost.

Monday, 12/1/14  Read Ps 38. It describes a saved man who is sin-filled and the physical and emotional toll unconfessed sin takes on us. David had a good relationship to God, but was “dirty.” The solution: v18, For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. Quit fighting God and start fighting your flesh.          Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is OFFENDED, or is made weak. Definition of offended: “to put a stumbling block or impediment in someone’s way, upon which another may trip and fall; to entice to sin.” For example, if you see me drunk, and therefore, lose faith in the Christian life, and give up on God and quit: I have offended you. Are you offensive to anyone?

Tuesday, 12/2/14  Pro 29:22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. Men, to one degree or another, we all have anger issues. Quit justifying it, excusing it, and tolerating it. Man up and deal with it. (Does that rub you wrongly: v23: A man’s PRIDE shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the HUMBLE in spirit.                 In Matt 14:12, Jesus heard of His cousin’s death. In v13, He tried to go to a desolate place, presumably to grieve. In v13b & 14, a multitude followed, and He placed their needs above His own. All day long He taught and healed, and then fed the 5000 late in the day.  THEN, He sent away the 12, while, v23, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. Lessons:  ¹Sometimes, what you need and want must bow to the needs and wants of others.  ²Others’ needs will often need to be handled during “normal” times, or at times when you would normally recharge.  ³So, you may need to sacrifice your own creature comforts in order to help you.  ⁴Renewing your spirit (grief, confession, prayer, meditation, Bible time) are more important than physical needs.  ⁵In times of grief and fatigue, don’t exclude God.

Wednesday, 12/3/14 Ps 78:29-30 ...for [God] gave them their desire; they were not estranged from their lust... Notice that fulfilled desire does not satisfy lust. Desire is basically physical or emotional; lust is a heart issue. So giving in to your wicked desires won’t do anything except inflame them more.            James 1:14-16a But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err... Note the order: inherent lust -> current enticement -> temptation -> conception -> temptation -> sin. All sin begins in the mind. I heard recently of a middle-aged couple splitting up. Whatever the reason, one day, that man conceived a bad idea: “Maybe I should just leave her.” That thought grew up into an action.  Lesson: strive to make every relationship/situation an A+ one, but if it is a C-/D+ one, learn to live with it. Be content with such things as ye have.

Thursday, 12/4/14  Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves... Heb 13:5 ...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The definition of forsaking: “to abandon; to desert; to leave in straits; to leave helpless.” Basically, think of walking away from an injured comrade and leaving him for dead.           Matt 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Just a reminder that worrying about where we “fit in or rank” is vain thinking. Simply serve others and point them to Christ. Greatness in the kingdom comes from humility.

Friday, 12/5/14  Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction...  Knowing wisdom is obviously the first step, but the choice must still be made whether to utilize it in any given situation. Do you seek and have wisdom? Do you ask His help so as to utilize it? Do you walk according to how He sees the situation?             1 Sam 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Astaroth from and among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.  If your heart has gotten right with the Lord, it’ll show on the outside.  Do you “look” like a “good Christian”?

Saturday, 12/6/14 Matt 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection...  Do you hold any beliefs that are extra-Biblical or anti-Biblical? “Well, I just don’t see it the way you do...” “I don’t agree with that...” Know what you know; know why it is so. Study to shew thyself approved...  Search the scriptures...                1 Sam 8:5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.  A bane of God’s people since time immemorial: wanting to be like those surrounding them. Our marriages, morals, child rearing, interests, vocabulary, goals, methods,...should be as different from the world as night and day...cuz we’re the light for this dark world. Are you different from the unsaved with whom your work or go to school?

Ps 58:11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Ps 58 is written about the wicked, unjust judges and political leaders. V10-11 speak of a time when God will judge and put down wicked and unfair leaders and especially judges. May He hasten that day.

Pro 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reproved thee, and thou be found a liar. New age Bible, and “Bible a month” scholars need to read this!!

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. We need to pray the same prayer, and it may not be long before we face similar opposition in America.

Ps 61:5 Thou, O God, hast heart my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. A heart for God is no accident. Our heritage can be traced back to parents, grandparents, and those who preceded us. We need to pause and thank God for them every day.

John 20:21 The said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Just a He sent His disciples, so too He sends us with the same message and expectations. Let’s not drop the ball and fail in our task today.

Ps 63:10 O God, thou art my God: early will I seek thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. This ought to be the heart’s cry and prayer of every child of God today as we face a wicked sin-cursed world.

Ps 65:4a Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. A heart for God and a desire to walk closely and fellowship with Him is His choice and not ours. To say I understand this would be untrue, but I will be forever grateful and never do I want to take it for granted.

Ps 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. We may have a chance to put that faith to the test in our lifetime. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being tortured and killed for their faith, and unless our Lord intervenes, we could be next.