Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 2/16/14  Pro 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. Because life is cyclical, realize that whether you’re up or down now, you’ll be the opposite soon. Expect it. And don’t make too big of a deal about heaviness:  don’t get too sad over being sad.             Pro 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! Pray that you will develop the ability or be open to the leading of the Spirit to say just the right thing at just the right time.

Monday, 2/17/14  Ps 71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. Is your relationship to the Lord any better than when you were a kid? If you had to reply to this text, what would you answer? How is it different?               Ps 132:4-5 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, and habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Is your “God & me” time more important than your sleep time? Which wins the battles most of the time: your pillow or your Bible? Your dream time or prayer time?

Tuesday, 2/18/14  James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Bible word definition: lust: a strong desire, usually, but not necessarily bad. Check the context to understand the meaning.             Gal 1:8 But thou we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. No man is above the laws of God and no man’s single man’s word or the words of a group of men supersedes the given Word of God: no priest, no preacher, no church, no Pope. God said it, now read it, learn it, obey it, and teach it.

Wednesday, 2/19/14  Ps 134:1-2 ...ye servants...which by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. Night watchman = boring job. Idea: give your boring times to God: pray or praise at stop lights, in doctor’s offices, at BMV, on elevators.         Matt 23:6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts... / Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten... Bible word definition:  “phileo” - brotherly love “to have affection for” A natural love, as opposed to the unconditional godly love, agape. However, it is NOT a bad or 2^nd class love: both the Father and Jesus “phileo” us. It seems like this word is very akin to how “love” is used in general society today: “I love the Cubs and Bears,” “I love the people I work with,” “I love flowers on Valentine’s Day!”

Thursday, 2/20/14  Ps 74:1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture. We’re so short-sighted and immediate: logically and doctrinally, we know that God hasn’t left us. We’re like a dog with separation anxiety. God is good, even when He’s confusing.             Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Christian liberty doesn’t give you an excuse for selfish, sinful behavior. You’re liberated from wondering if you’re saved, so love and serve others.

Friday, 2/21/14  Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Bible definitions: submission: to yield or subordinate. Wives, children, employees, place your mission (agenda) under your another’s.  Submission is voluntary whereas compliance is forced. One is beautiful and the other can be ugly.            Act 20:28 ...feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Bible word definitions:  Church  “ekklesia” A called out assembly. That means people were in another group and were called out and assembled to form a new group. We were in the world, and were called by Jesus to form a church. It’s a literal, tangible group: it can’t be a universal, spiritual group of all believers since all believers have never assembled.

Saturday, 2/22/14  Ps 75:5-6 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. Just a reminder against promoting yourself (tooting your own horn) at work, church, school, home, or ministry. Let God do it.               Ps 75:6-7 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. If you’ve been promoted or demoted recently, realize that God approved the choices of leadership. Rejoice if it was good, and examine the reasons for the move if it was bad. Change yourself if necessary.

Pro 19:22b ...a poor man is better than a liar. Better to have honesty, integrity, and character and to be poor than to have wealth gotten by cheating, lying, and dishonesty.

Ps 66:20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. We need to take time regularly to thank and praise God for hearing our prayers and especially for His mercy.Thank God we don’t get what we deserve.

Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.  We have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling inside us and the only way the devil can defeat and destroy us is for us to let down our guard and try to fight and defeat him on our own and give him access. We have God’s omnipotent Spirit at our disposal; let’s use Him and not allow the devil to even think he can challenge or defeat us.

Pro 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. The path we travel the most is a reflection of our character and the right road is not by accident.

Pro 18:20  A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his shall he be filled. Question: what seeds did we plant this morning in the field of our heart so that we could have fruit to satisfy us today?

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. The mind of Christ is a constant, never-ending battle to attain and maintain personally. It will take care of pride, arrogance, and self-exaltation.

Pro 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. God is more please with right and justice than any other activity including sacrifice. His greatest attribute is justice.
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