Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 7/20/14  Mark 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. All of us like assurance of another’s love. Those whose friendship you treasure, thank them...TODAY!!              Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? God has different levels of intimacy with Him that we may enjoy (friends, Creator, Lord, Saviour, God, Father, etc.) I had this thought from this verse: even if we blow our life apart and forfeit all of the others, at the very least, He’ll always be our God and we have access that way. In other words, you’re never without recourse.             Exo 16:8b ...your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. All bitterness and complaining are ultimately against God, because, somehow we feel that He is wrong in allowing us to be treated in such a way. Hence, bitterness and complaining are signs of pride: “I deserve to be treated to a certain level of possessions, treatment, or status.”                   John 12:42-43 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. CALLING ALL UNDERCOVER BELIEVERS!!!  “Come out!! Come out!! Wherever you are!!”

Monday, 7/21/14  Pro 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of the foolish poureth out foolishness. There are 2 pairs of bitter rivals in this verse:  truth vs. gossip and proper usage vs. poured out foolishness. From your mouth...which topic is more common? And which method is more common?            Ps 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. “I shall not want”...simultaneously, this is an affirmation of God’s faithfulness to provide, and a resolution to control our own appetites.

Tuesday, 7/22/14  Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Do you have any personal traditions (habits, hang-ups, mannerisms) that supersede the Bible?  Or things that MIGHT displease Him?  (Ask Him!! I’d bet He’d tell you.)             Ps 25:2b ...let not mine enemies triumph over me. Do you ever pray this re: your enemies? “Oh I don’t have any enemies! Everything’s going good...I try to get along with everyone.” So...you’re not fighting in the Lord’s army??  As Bro. Hyles used to say, “People want to be in the Lord’s army, but no one wants to be in the Infantry on the front lines: they want to be in Supply way in the rear!!”

Wednesday, 7/23/14  Pro 18:17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him. I’m thinking this truth is the root cause of a WHOLE lot of the problems in our marriages, work, ministry, relationships, and Christian lives.           Pro 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Cloak yourself in His name: just casually mention His name or the Bible...not in a pious way, but conversationally. Most of the wrong crowd (and their temptations) will shy away.            Mark 15:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. As a leader, remember: having happy followers is not to be a primary goal. Sometimes confrontation and strife and disagreements and disunity and turmoil are God’s plan. Obey God and your boss.

Thursday, 7/24/14  John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Just a reminder:  Love!  Say it!!  Communicate it!! (Those 2 are not the same.)  Show it!!  Demonstrate it!!  Prove it!!             John 12:39-40 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. Have you neglected and rejected the Holy Spirit so much and so often that God has maybe blinded and deafened you to His word?? Beware...the next step is judgment.

Friday, 7/25/14  John 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot... Just a thought for those who are always in another’s shadow (either a good or bad shadow): God sees who YOU are and knows YOU individually. YOUR name is engraved on His palm (Isa 49:16).           John 14:23a Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words. Our flesh wants independence and rebels at obeying authority. Love is the key to sweet obedience (as opposed to forced compliance.) We must work on loving Christ: communication, thanking, worship, praise, acknowledgment...all the things that we do to foster an earthly relationship.

Saturday, 7/26/14  Pro 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Evidently, alcohol has a deception factor in it. Pride also is said to deceive (Obad 3) and sin in general (Rom 7:11). Those who drink usually don’t see anything wrong with it.                   What is your outstanding characteristic? Describe yourself in just a phrase or two: (Like on a resume.)  Listen to how God does this:  Exo 34:6 And the Lord passed by him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. God’s outstanding characteristic is His mercy toward us for violating His rules; His grace to reclaim us; His patience in putting up with us; and His all-encompassing goodness and truth. I love my God!!!

            An atheist can’t find God for the same reason that a robber can’t find a policeman.

Pro 20:21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning: but the end thereof shall not be blessed. Too much too soon is dangerous, and young people need to work and earn wealth before getting it.

Pro 21:22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the confidence thereof. Godly wisdom is superior to, and mightier than brute strength.

Ps 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. God is not limited by His lack of power: only by a lack of faith and followship by His people.

Deut 28:10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee. What an awesome promise. I wonder if a people sold out to God today could not enjoy the same promise.

Pro 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit thant 7 men that can render a reason.  A lazy man is unteachable; he knows everything.

Pro 25:26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring. A godly righteous man who falls into sin is like a polluted muddy water to a spiritually thirsty world.