Baptist City Blog

            Praise is bragging on God for His actions (worship: for His character). Reading Psalm 68 this morning, I noticed that although the word “praise” is not used specifically in this chapter, it is filled with references to the topic. For example: just in this chapter, I saw reminders or commandments to praise God for:

            V4: He’s above all the muck and mess that we’re mired in.

            V5-6: For the various relationships that we enjoy.

            V9a: the blessings of nature and weather.

            V9b: A confirmation of His care.

            V9c, & 28 & 35: appropriate and timely interventions/blessings.

            V10: He’s not a respecter of persons.

            V18: He conquered death.

            V18: He chooses to dwell with (and in) us.

            V19: Salvation

            V21: He’s our Defender and Warrior

            V28: He gives us what we need when we need it.

            So, I had this idea (which I’ll make into an assignment for you!!), if you want to get a blessing. Label a piece of paper “Praise topics” and keep it in your Bible with whatever reading schedule you use. Just for this week, the next 7 days, I want us to keep track of either commands to praise Him, or topics on which to praise, or reminders of which to praise Him. Write down the reference and the item, like I did above.

            If you want, email the list to me in the next week or so, and I’ll send it out. “

 

Monday, 2/29/16  Ps 56:5, Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. Does this describe how your co-workers or even your family treat you? In the following verses David, ¹opens up to God about it, ²rests in the fact that He knows, ³praises God, reminds himself of what God’s done for him.         Neh 13:26, Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. Even the son of the sweet psalmist of Israel, and a man greatly used by God in his own right couldn’t overcome evil temptations that were close at hand. Do you really think that you’re strong enough to do what he could not?

 

Tuesday, 3/1/16  Honesty check!! Ps 119:113, I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. How’s your love & hate life? Pray over your spirituality, or lack thereof, and then think of ways to fix it while you’re waiting on God to intervene.         Who are your true friends? True friends sometimes rub you the wrong way... Pro 27:17, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Have you discarded anyone because they were “too honest” with you?

 

Wednesday, 3/2/16  Ps 119:18, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I pray before sending out these texts. Let me encourage you to pray this verse before reading them, and before every service at church, and when you open your Bible personally.            Pro 27:25, The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and the herbs of the mountain are gathered. What does this verse mean??? Very simply, it’s a reminder to be patient. Our Christianity is an eternal proposition... A very big reminder in this instantaneous society in which we live.

 

Thursday, 3/3/16  Pro 29:10, The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul. Which is more important to you: that your enemies be right with you, or that they be right with God, even if they still are against you?           Luke 1:4, [I’m writing this Gospel so] that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. Everyone needs to know (in black and white) what the teacher said from the pulpit. So...why do you believe that Hell has fire? (Chapter & verse, please.) Why are pastors supposed to be men? (Chapter & verse). Why are men to lead the homes? Are wives supposed to obey their husbands? What does God say about being in debt? (Chapter and verse) What is God’s general yardstick to measure if an activity displeases Him? (Chapter and verse.)  I think all of us need to better prepared to “give an answer” (a scriptural, reasoned answer) both to ourselves and to a lost and dying world.

 

Friday, 3/4/16  Ps 60:1, O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. This is so typical of us today: we get incensed over God’s (or others’) reaction to our sin instead of correcting our initial action of sin.       Mark 6:3, Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended in him. Just accept it: when people are confused and don’t have the answers readily at hand, it is much easier to criticize and get mad than to investigate and learn the truth.

 

Saturday, 3/5/16  A benefit of prayer (other than the answer): It pleases God. Rev 5:8, ...golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. We need to do things that please God instead of looking at what we get out of them. “My prayers smell good to Him? I’ll keep doing it.”         Luke 10:12, But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. It’s very interesting: God’s judgment will be harsher on those who reject Bible preaching than on those who commit abomination. Those of you who preach actively against homosexuality, how’s your living on other Bible topics...like soul winning, tithing, honoring of parents, personal purity, forgiving?

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- You have a list of problems. You also have a list of blessings.  On what will you focus on today?

- No one is deserving of forgiveness.  When a person forgives, it may be the most Christ-like thing he or she can ever do. (So...not to forgive is to be un-Christ-like...)

- Guilt leads to hating one's self, while conviction leads to hating one's sins.

- Every church is filled with saved sinners so don’t be surprised when they do wrong.

- Do the average things for God in an above average way and you will soon raise the average of all of us.

- The greatest danger to mankind is not bad people, but good people who never speak up for that which is right & good.

- Compassion without conviction is compromise, but conviction without compassion is contention!

- You fell...so get back up...it's not that complicated.

- If you struggle with those who have failed the Lord, I have one question. How do you live with yourself?

- The prodigal’s responsibility was to reconcile with his father and the father's job to intercede for him with his elder brother. We get that backwards and when the brother rejects us, we take it as being a rejection from the Father. Never get the two mixed up. Elder brothers’ rejection does not reflect the Father's heart.

- “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."  -Winston S. Churchill

- You never so touch the ocean of God’s love as when you forgive and love your enemies.

- The first second in Heaven will cause all questions we have about this life to evaporate.

- We are all wounded people who have been wounded by people. The secret is not to look for a way to get back at those who wounded us, but to seek a way to use our wounds to move forward in helping other wounded people.

- Silent gratitude is selfish gratitude because you are the only one enjoying it. Give thanks. Don't just be thankful.

- As a man gains more responsibilities, God gives him the strength to handle them.

- Your unforgiving spirit grieves God more than it hurts the one you refuse to forgive.

- Going through a trial? It may seem impossible to believe right now, but you will get through this.

- Those who leave everything in God's hands, will eventually see God's hands in everything...

- A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never make that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether.

- Your children may live on your faith for a while, but there will come a time when they MUST live by their own faith or they will fall.

- You never look good while trying to make someone else look bad.

- Everything God gives must be dispersed in order to be enjoyed. If you get it and keep it, it will spoil, and you will not enjoy it.

- I fear that I am more sensitive to my phone buzzing in my pocket than I am to the Spirit's moving within my heart. Maybe it is because I am more aware of my phone that I am of God's Spirit. O wretched man that I am.

- Hearing slander should immediately make you question a person's credibility, not the one slandered's reputation, the slanderer's.

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- Bible thoughts! Ps 27:13, I had fainted , unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Feeling anxious? Don't worry, God has your back!

- Matt 21:15a&c, “And when [they] saw the wonderful things that [Jesus] did.....they were sore displeased.” God, Almighty, does wonderful things All Around Us! Be Happy about them!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 1:6, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. He knows where we are in life. What great news!

- Jon 2:10, And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. I wonder what that conversation was like? And hey, if God will talk to a fish and donkey, then I'm sure He will speak to anyone willing to listen ....

- The question is not "How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?" The question should be, "How could a holy God not send everyone to Hell?" Hallelujah, What a Saviour!!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 1:6, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. He knows where we are in life.

- God will give you what you want, but beware! Ps 106:15, And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. Read Numbers 27:12-14: Moses took God's glory. God did not refrain Moses from that choice, but God did take away the reward that comes from glorifying God.

- Ps 121:4, Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. If this is true, there’s no reason for both of you to work the night shift. Go to sleep and let Him do what He does.

- Many people will desire today God's open blessing, but few will meet with God in the secret place. That divine appointment is there every day. Once I completely forgot and missed my haircut appointment. Guess what? It showed...visibly. Getting my haircut is a private thing that has a public reward... Don’t neglect your secret place with God. Matt 6:4, ...thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.