Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 12/14/14  Another reason we don’t pray: pride. Ps 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God. Solve pride by directing your thinking; by fasting; by body position: lay face down and remind yourself you’re made of dirt, and are filthy. Try it....                   Ps 119:158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word. Do you ever hurt because God must hurt at sin?  Do you ever hurt for the people who suffer because of their sin and its consequences?

Monday, 12/15/14  Reason we don’t pray #3: time management. THINK: when can you spend time with your God? Where? Get it done. If a time or place doesn’t work, change it. Make it a priority. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to go for a walk or something. Be accountable: ask your SS teacher to call you daily for 2 weeks every evening to see if you spent ___ minutes in prayer that day. Ask others how they’ve developed a successful time with God. Figure this out!!                              Ps 120:7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war. Some words are like gasoline to others’ fiery personality, and some are like fire retardant. Criticism, complaining, fault-finding, gossip fall into the first category. Affirmation, compliments, gratitude, acknowledgment, the second. Which do you do more of?             Pro 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Laws (restrictions, boundaries) laid down by wise people are sources of life and vitality. Quit fighting the fence that’s protecting you, and the spring watering your crops!!

Tuesday, 12/16/14  Ps 100:2, 4 ...come before his presence with singing. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Things to do before asking for things: forgiving your brethren/confession, praise God for what He’s done; give Him thanks for what He’s done; worship for what He is; singing.  See also Matt 6:14-15; Col 3:16-17.               Isa 29:13-14a Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people... Honestly, where is your heart? Toward what, whom, or Whom is it turned? For what, whom, or Whom is it yearning? HONESTLY?!?! Is it closer to the things of God now than at the start of the year? Quit playing with the things of God!                 Luke 19:13 And he called his 10 servants, and delivered them 10 pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. “Occupy” - (do My business with what I left you). His business is the souls and hearts of men; His deposits: His Book; His body (church); His bride (individual brethren); His peace; His love; His commission.  Are you occupying, or just taking up space?

Wednesday, 12/17/14  Isa 31:6 Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. Be honest: when you were seeking God and giving your heart to Him, though you still had problems, you had an inner peace. Now...you’ve got as many problems or more, and no peace. You know the solution: come home!!                  1 Sam 19:18 So David fled, and escaped, and come to Samuel... In times of trouble David fled to a former spiritual mentor. Middle aged adults: are you on the same paths that you were on 20 years ago so that if a former protégé comes looking for you, they’ll know where to find you?

Thursday, 12/18/14  Ideas to help you pray more:  Pray for your family: by name and by need; your financial situation; your vehicles/appliances/furnace to continue to run; your town/county: political leaders, schools, the troubled teens, single parents, the job situation in your region, police/firemen.                   Mark 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. I think God’s most overlooked attribute is that He is a very black and white God. I don’t get the impression that He sees a lot of gray areas. So...how much black is in our daily lives?               Ps 100:3a Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Put the fact that He’s God and we’re human in the forefront of your mind, (and therefore has sole rights to command); He’s the Creator and we’re just creatures (so we’re made as He would have us be made); He’s the Shepherd and we’re the sheep (so the paths we’re on are by His choice.)

Friday, 12/19/14  More ideas to help your prayer life: Matt 6:9-13 is an outline for prayer. Each phrase is to cue you to another subject to talk to God about. “Our Father” - think of and thank Him for all aspects of salvation. “Heaven” - think of and miss those whom you know up there. Etc. Study out the rest.             Rom 2:19-21 ...and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Step #1 to teaching: before you teach it, at least try to be living it. (On the flip side, don't listen to the Devil whispering that unless you're 100% consistent you have no right to teach Bible doctrine.)         Ps 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Note: “they”, “us.” We all know that we should invite a visitor to be with us Sunday, but here’s a new idea: invite those who regularly sit around you also. They could probably use the encouragement of your phone call. And maybe you’ll preserve the one who is wavering slightly.

Saturday, 12/20/14  Ideas to spark your prayer time:  Pray about 3 personal needs; 3 family needs; 3 pastors; 3 church needs; 3 missionaries; 3 local, state, and national needs; 3 lost souls; 3 backslidden people; 3 newly married couples; 3 with new babies; 3 senior citizens; 3 teens; 3 sins you need to conquer; 3 spiritual mentors (current/past).             Pro 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The verse separates mankind into 2 groups (wise and fools), and suggests characteristics of 2 aspects of their speech: quantity and quality. The fool speaks foolishness while the wise person speaks of things he knows. Also, the fool pours it out whereas the wise gives what is necessary when it’s appropriate. Is your speech more characterized by “pouring out” or “using”? By “foolishness” or “knowledge”?

Pro 16:1 The preparations of the heart, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. We need to engage our brain before speaking and yield our minds and tongues to the Holy Spirit. Nothing hurts us quite as much as cruel harsh words.

Ps 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. When we take our eyes off Jesus and look only at the world, it is a formula for failure and defeat for a Christian who desires to live for and please his God.

Judg 6:15 He said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. A prerequisite for being used and blessed by God is humility and humbleness of spirit. God uses the weak and lowly to confound and overcome the world.

Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. When new, immature Christians are exposed to the unusual and miraculous without grounding and/or Biblical basis, they can be easily drawn into cults, false religions, and erroneous beliefs. That’s why new converts must be under sound Bible preaching.

Acts 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that would come up and sit with him. I wonder how many lost sinners in the world, like this man, are awaiting someone to guide them to the eternal Saviour? We can...but will we?

Judg 6:2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. God wants and deserves all the glory and credit for victories in our lives.

Pro 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Great, wise man are not prone to talk or give advice freely, and one must ask and draw it out if he would learn or obtain it.