Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 6/5/18  Proverbs 31:1, The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. Each parent has material to input to each child on how to be the best, most proper man or woman they can be. All femininity isn’t to be taught by the mom, nor all masculinity by the dad. Each kid needs both parents.
                                   Leviticus 14:1, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest. Leprosy is a symbol of sin, especially in terms of needing to get saved. But oftentimes, saved people, enveloped in sinful circumstances, can’t bring themselves to get out. Are you actively bringing anyone, lost or saved, to the High Priest so they can be cleansed and become an active member of Christian society?

 

- Wednesday, 6/6/18  Proverbs 31:12, [The virtuous woman] will do [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life. I’m guessing that in “all the days of her life” there would be some days when he offends her; when he doesn’t try; when he’s sinful and backslidden. But, the virtuous woman never misses a beat... Ladies, measure yourself.                               Have you done all you can do to fix your problem? Have you prayed as much as you can? Repented of everything you can think of? Apologized to any and all for anything? Worked? Waited? Have you done all?  Ephesians 6:13, and having done all, to stand.  OK. Since you’ve done all, God tells us what to do next, and how to do it:  V14-16, Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. While you stand, having done all, stay pure (loins), keep a forgiving, un-bitter heart (breastplate), win souls (feet shod), and trust. When you’ve done all you can to fix your situation, then STAND, DO RIGHT, and TRUST. You’ve done all you can do, right? So, now you’re to wait and trust Him to do whatever it is He is going to do...just do rightly while waiting. Don’t get impatient and angry and bitter...that’s what the shield of faith is for. The Devil tries to get us impatient, and therefore, angry and bitter against God. The shield of faith is for the waiting times...it’s easier for the Devil to hit a stationary target.

 

- Thursday, 6/7/18  James 2:9, But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin. I was struck by James’ bluntness. So often today, we couch our SIN in PC terminology: I have a “bad habit,” or a “hangup” or an “alternative viewpoint,” or “a different interpretation.” We can lie to each other and even to ourselves, but God calls it SIN. So, do you have some things that you’re hiding behind those cute little words? They’re the reason for the disquiet in our hearts...                              We believe that our God is good and wise and loving, right? Though things may sting at times, we believe He is sovereign and able to control events and that He orchestrates “all things” to “work together for good,” right? The best Christian in the world in his day said this: Job 2:10, What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. We very gladly receive His good and tell others how “God has really blest” us; should we not be equally glad at His sending evil? Cuz, if it’s from Him, could it really be evil? Now, it might be grueling and hard and distasteful, but it’s ultimately for our good. Here’s a Graduate Level Christianity assignment: GLADLY receive the bad that He’s allowed into the present season of your life. Ooooo...that’s hard enough to type, let alone live...

 

- Friday, 6/8/18  Job 3:1, After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. We’ve heard the saying, “Hurting people say hurtful things.” If you’re in a situation with one who’s hurting, don’t hold every syllable against them. If you’re a friend of that one, allow them to vent without feeling the need to respond. Just listen and love.                              Psalm 55:6-7, And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.  ¹David wanted to run from his problems, just like you and I.  ²He thought he COULD run.  ³He knew that running becomes habitual.  ⁴He knew running would take him out of the will of God. Go THROUGH your problems. It hurts as much to limp forward as it does to limp backward.

 

- Saturday, 6/9/18  Psalm 55:17, Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. When all we have is God, we’ll learn that God is all we need. However, sometimes, God is silent...keep praying and trusting. (We have to choose to trust...it’s not a combo pack with the prayer.)                         Psalm 58:1-2a, Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness... It’s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. Each of us must constantly (re)examine whether our lives match our beliefs and professions, and then, be humble enough to make course corrections. See you in church...

 

- Sunday, 6/10/18  Psalm 56:3, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. By faith, can you say, “Thank you Jesus for fearful circumstances”? The burdens build our spiritual muscles. The afflictions soften our crusty hearts. The persecutions humble our proud souls. “Thank you Lord for giving me what I need and not what I want.”                                    Luke 14:16-20, Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. With good reason, many a mocking comment has been made regarding these men and their excuses. The parable concerns refusing to attend the king’s wedding feast which is paralleled to salvation. No excuse will hold a drop a water when the lost are facing their doom before Christ. However, not a bit of the excuses that WE offer today for not doing more to serve the King here and now will matter when we see Him. I’m referring to the excuses we make for our sins; for a lack of holiness; for justifying our lack of forgiveness/bitterness; for refusing to go soul winning; for a lack of tithing and giving...and dozens of other things.  Lord have mercy on us.

 

- Monday, 6/11/18  Job 5:17, Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. By a conscious choice to exercise faith, we must thank God for being, at times, a stern parent, and trust that He has our long-term happiness in mind when He “interferes in” and “messes up” our lives.                            John 21:15, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. Jesus took his assertion of love and said, in effect, “If you love Me, do what I ask.”  Believer, do you love Christ? Are you doing His will? Both the general one found in the Book (holiness, soul winning, tithing, forgiving, loving, etc.) as well as whatever is unique to you?

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- Mark 14:38, The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. How often do we find this same human weakness in our lives today? We make promises, have great expectations, but fail to fulfill them all too often. AND, we oftentimes excuse the weakness in ourselves while condemning it in others.

 

- Ps 40:8, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. I wonder how much do we really enjoy and delight in doing what He wants? To that degree we will memorize and hide His word in our hearts.

 

- Ps 38:22, Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. It seems that we are always in a hurry to get God’s help and attention after we have said or done something stupid.

 

- Acts 10:9, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always. Sincere, religious, but lost, and in need of an eternal Saviour. Hell will be filled with good, religious, sincere sinners who are lost. We must win them now.

 

- Ps 40:11, Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. This needs to be our daily plea and prayer. Without Him, and His constant attention, we are in a mess.

 

- 2 Sam 15:37, So Hushai, David’s friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. True friendship does not depend on circumstances or location, and you can never lose a true friend.

 

- Ps 44:23, Awake, why sleepest thou O Lord? Arise, cast us not off forever. I’m glad we aren’t the only ones who gets down and wonders if God hears us or has forgotten us.

 

- Over the years I have witnessed that most prodigals make their way back home. However, not every father has had his heart prepared to receive them and missed his single opportunity.  Always keep a fat calf, a change of clothes, and a familiar ring!

 

- Romans 5:20, But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. If God's grace is inexhaustible why are so many Christians so stingy with it?

 

- The message of the cross is actually a message of wrath, of condemnation and of damnation. Yes that is the real message of the cross. But when Jesus cried "It is finished" he was saying, God's wrath has been satisfied, condemnation has been appeased and damnation has been overturned and there is nothing left for you to do.

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- Just because some people are fueled by drama it doesn’t mean you have to attend the performance.

 

- If you are helping someone and expecting something in return, then you are not extending kindness, you are doing business.

 

- Over the years I have witnessed that most prodigals make their way back home. However, not every father has had his heart prepared to receive them and missed his single opportunity. Always keep a fat calf, a change of clothes, and a familiar ring!

 

- Remember another's sins no longer than you wish your own sins to be remembered.

 

- Forgive people until they ask “Why?” Love them until they ask “How?” Show them grace until they ask “Who?”

 

- It’s easy to accept that God's will is perfect, but sometimes it is harder to accept that His timing is. Trust God's timing.

 

- Lord deliver me today from sinful responses to other's sinful behavior.

 

- Stop blaming God and the Christian life for the troubles that foolish decisions and worldly living caused.