Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 8/2/15  Pro 29:10, The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul. Do you:  ¹hate your enemies?  ²try to ignore and have nothing to do with them?  Or,  ³actively seek to improve their welfare? (The just man does the last one: he ACTIVELY seeks to help them.)             GROWTH POTENTIAL ALERT!! Ps 27:4, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. What ONE THING would you desire of the Lord?

Monday, 8/3/15  Is life coming at you pretty hard? Pro 30:5, Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Get behind the shield that you’ve been given by the Captain of the Lord’s host. Deepen your relationship to the Bible. Ask for help to get more from it.            Luke 11:27, ...as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the woman that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. (She exalted Mary above others. That’s called “Mary-olatry.”) Jesus’ response?  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. He tolerates no human’s elevation to the level of being worshiped. Dear Catholic friends, examine your doctrines in the light of the Bible. I don’t care which man or group of men says something, if it contradicts God, MAN is wrong. (See also, Luke 8:19-21, Matt 12:46-50.) Bottom line: she was a great lady, but has no potential spiritual effect in your life above any other woman. She is not a go-between to get us to God: that’s solely Jesus’ office.                Ps 30:1-3, I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Homework: think through recent events and how God delivered you. Praise Him.

Tuesday, 8/4/15  Job 23:10, But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. We may not understand what God is doing in our lives, but we can trust that it is to increase our value.              Ps 29:1, Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Is God weak and needs an infusing of my strength? No, It means to quit trusting my own abilities, trade my strength for His, and realize that without [Him] [I] can do nothing.                Ps 32:11, Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. You’re COMMANDED to not be a grump today!!! Go spread some good cheer!! Quit with the negativity!

Wednesday, 8/5/15  Job 31:1, I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? Men, have made any vows to God concerning your eyes? Are you thinking upon maidens? Purity (internal and external) must begin with you and with me...and it must begin TODAY!            Job 23:3-4, Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Praise the Lord!! We don’t need to plead our own case before the Father because we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 1 John 2:1.

Thursday, 8/6/15  Ps 31:19, Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! There is a huge refreshing reservoir available for your spirit...so why do you live so parched and cracked and lifeless? Check your attitude, and then tap into the heavenly spring by thinking and awareness!!              2 Sam 12:22, But now [the baby] is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Basic doctrine: babies who die go immediately to Heaven. This includes aborted ones and miscarriages and toddlers. (Also note, David KNEW he was going to Heaven. He said he definitely would to to the little one. Do you 100% know that you’ll go to Heaven the moment your heart stops? Message me if you don’t.)

Friday, 8/7/15  Ps 34:1, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Did David keep this vow? Probably not, but he did better than if he never had vowed. Make yourself stretch out to reach the next level in Christianity, even if you fail to reach it several times.               Rev 2:2-3, I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. What an awesome commendation!! What a church!! V4, Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee... The absolute BEST of us have things to improve upon...so, what are you currently working on starting or stopping or improving?

Saturday, 8/8/15  2 Chron 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways... Notice, He said, wicked ways, not wicked deeds. Are your paths (habits, hobbies, websites, entertainments) wicked? Are they leading you closer to sin or farther from it?             Ecc 3:16, And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. This side of Heaven, it is impossible to achieve perfect, total justice, so quit expecting it from your boss, your parents, pastor, or civic officials, i.e. policeman.

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- I don't know about you, but I want something to live for bigger than nurturing my sorrows. I'm on this train called life and even though it has wrecked with me on it a few times along the way, I'm asking it to drop me off at better places these days. I say "no, thank you" when it asks me if I want to stop at stations like Bitterness, Depression, Drugs, Alcohol, Immorality or Hopelessness. Nope, I have absolutely no desire to stop and settle at any of these places. I've asked the Conductor to take me to places that will bring my life genuine healing and pleasure. A year and a half ago He brought me to Melbourne. This morning He is dropping me off at church. It's Sunday morning and church is a perfect place to stop as I ride this train along life's pathway.

- The fact that Christ took my sin upon himself is amazing, but even more so is the fact that he took God's wrath for my sin as well.

- People don't quit church because there are too many sinners but because there are too many people pretending not to be sinners for fear of being scrutinized and criticized.

- Control your feelings or your feelings will control you. Far too often we say, "I feel like I should..." Sadly that is how this generation makes decisions. Whenever I said that, my dad would say, "Son, good decisions are never felt out, they are thought out.

- You don't outgrow sin. You outrun it.

- You either hate losing bad enough to change; or you hate changing bad enough to lose.

- Whenever I feel overwhelmed by grief for that which I have lost, I try to replace it with gratitude for that which I had.

- Some read the Bible to learn, and some read the Bible to hear from Heaven.

- Treat your spouse the way you hope your kids' future spouses treat them someday. Your kids are learning what to expect from marriage by watching you.

- Note to self: Not everyone with an opposing opinion is an opponent.

- If we ever become as good at confessing our own sins as we are the sins of others we will have revival.

- When you ask me if I can keep a secret, you are revealing the fact that you can't.

- Silent gratitude is selfish gratitude because you are the only one enjoying it. Express gratitude. Don't just be grateful.

- If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.

- Satan is disguised in the garb of whatever you desire more than God.

- If God had wanted me to live in tomorrow He would have made tomorrow today.

- If you don't accept excuses pretty soon you start looking for solution.

- When in a bad mood, do not speak, because when your mood changes you will not be able change the words you spoke while in that bad mood.

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- Bible thoughts! Ps 3:5, I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. It sure is refreshing to rest KNOWING the Lord has our back! Have a valiant day, friends!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 3:3, But thou, O Lord , art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. God is our shield AND our lifter when we are down! He's so great!

- Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we look at our lives there are a few points. 1) God loves us! 2) We are sinners and He still loves us. 3) Christ died for us. After reading this it comes to mind that we continue to fail Christ but He still loves us. He loves us so much that He paid the ultimate price and died for our sins.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 7:1, O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.” There's times when we put our trust more in the all mighty dollar than we do our God. My own hand is up, OK?!  Let's put our trust back where it belongs! Isn't it funny how money says "In God we trust?" Like He's reminding us where our loyalty belongs! Way to go, God!

- If you have any doubts about the Lord's thoughts about lying or speaking deceitfully, read Jeremiah 9:2-3, Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.”
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