Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 5/11/14  Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.  “Take” not “say.” I don’t think it refers to speech at all. I think He says that we’re to act like we belong to Someone Who is “not from around here.” We’re to act differently because we have a different God.             John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Thomas had to see in order to believe: that’s not faith. Jesus said the blest ones are the ones who believed (relied upon) by faith.

Monday, 5/12/14  Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. This commandment was done away with at the Cross. (Gal 4/Col2) Irrelevant now? No, He is simply saying we’re to keep a proper balance in our lives: give Him His due too. We must balance work AND God AND rest AND the rest of life.           Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind... Unless you’re a nudist, you have dress standards. Unless you’re an alcoholic or a drug addict, you have substance standards. Unless you’re a prostitute, you have morality standards. The issue isn’t “I don’t believe in standards,” the issue is whether your personal standards are derived from, and are more aligned with the way the world thinks or derived from and more in line with the way the Bible teaches (by commandment or principle.)

Tuesday, 5/13/14  Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother. You’ll never outgrow this commandment. Children are to obey: if you’re an “adult” but are still living at home: you’re a child: obey & honor. If you’re on your own, God sees you as an adult: no more obedience, but always honor. (Seeking advice would be wise.)               Ps 23:3 ..he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names’ sake. Standards of conduct and personal holiness are, first and foremost, for the sake of God’s name, not our own benefit or convenience. Proper dress, music, restraint, modesty, abstinence, honesty, decorum do benefit us, but it’s secondary. You comfort, convenience, or tastes don’t matter a whole lot!!! Do rightly, internally and externally, for God’s sake!! IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!!!

Wednesday, 5/14/14  Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. Murder is wrong...and we learn later that hatred is its equivalent. If an act is wrong, getting close to where the act will transpire is also wrong. Apply this principle to any area in your life: dress, alcohol, obedience, disrespect, morality, anything.              Pro 11:29 He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart. Do you bring peace to your home? Dad: are you a dictator? Kids: do you follow God’s chain of command and obey your parents orders AND wishes? Wife: are you submissive? Dad: do you provoke the kids to wrath? Do you dwell with your wife according to knowledge? You have a place in the home and duties to fulfill...fit into that place and do the duties like God wants.

Thursday, 5/15/14  Exo 20:14 thou shalt not commit adultery. Moral purity is God’s standard and expectation for us, NOT just a lack of gross impurity. Quit seeing how close to sin you can get and see how holy you could get. Quit asking “What wrong with it” and start to ask, “Would this please the Lord?”           Matt 4:8 Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. Why a very high mountain? Satan always gives the far away view of the world. He’ll show the pretty skyline and the lights. He won’t show the homelessness and bruises of abuse and the funeral processions and the lonely sighs that sin leaves. Don’t be suckered into that view of sin: it WILL MESS YOU UP!!!!

Friday, 5/16/14  Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. Pretty simple: if it’s not yours, leave it alone. Apply to property, of course, but also reputation (gossip); purity (sex is restricted to marriage); work (cheating at school); using needed family money or money for debts for personal pleasure (gambling); not tithing.           Acts 5:1-2 Ananias...kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it... Do you help people around you to be holier or more wicked? In your presence, are they inclined to be more righteous or more sinful? Because of your advice, is Christ glorified or ashamed?

Saturday, 5/17/18  Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Lying of course is wrong, but the language sounds like a court case: don’t try to sway opinion against someone. You’re not to place yourself as the Prosecuting attorneys for your world. Quit the gossiping. BTW: I don’t think kidding, teasing, and joking are forbidden here.               2 Pet 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. “Just Lot”  It’s not our job to decide if someone is saved or not. Our mission in life is to  ¹keep ourselves clean, but  ²do all we can to help recover those that they Devil has ensnared. Are you striving to do #1? Are you active at doing #2?                Ps 29:9b ..and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. Since we’ll talk about “God stuff” there, shouldn’t we be talking about some of it here? (This is for those of you who don’t like all the spiritual stuff on FB!!)

Pro 14:26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. Confidence and security are found in and by those who fear God.

Deut 3:26 But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, let it suffice thee, speak no more unto me of this matter. Why is there no one to intercede for Moses with God as he did for them? How sad and thoughtless.

Ps 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of man in whom there is no help. We need to be very careful whom we trust and in whom we place our confidence. God only deserves our complete trust and will never let us down.

Deut 4:24 For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.  A startling, solemn statement from our God Who loves deeply and will not stand for divided love and loyalty.