Baptist City Blog

Tuesday, 10/18/16  Neh 9:31, Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them: for thou art a gracious and merciful God. Notice, in spite of their sin, He did not forsake (leave them behind). Do those who’ve sinned against you and tried to apologize feel forsaken (no longer worth your time and effort)? Confirm your love.                 Jacob needed to get things square with God. Gen 32:24b, And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the  breaking of day. ¹You need to meet God alone, and take ownership of your sin.  ²It’ll not be a pleasant experience (wrestling is strenuous.)

 

Wednesday, 10/19/16  Gen 32:24b, And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the  breaking of day. You can have your sin, but one of the effects is loneliness and the strain of God dealing with the issue. You will not win against the Holy Spirit. Surrender.                   Ps 39:1, I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle... If your tongue is your weak spot, hedge it (encircle it with thorns; guards). How are you keeping whatever is your weak spot from destroying your Christian life? Protect yourself from yourself.

 

Thursday, 10/20/16  Whom do you spend more time trying to get right with God: yourself or others? Rom 2:4b, ...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. “Leadeth THEE.” All of the Bible was written solely to you and no one else.               Rom 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Love was demonstrated/proven by a positive helpful action while the offense and non-repentance was still occurring. Have you proven your love to those around you? Your family, co-workers, neighbors?

 

Friday, 10/21/16  Rom 5:20b, But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. We like it when it was His grace abounding/working on our sin resulting in our salvation. But do you have grace for another’s sin? Christlikeness...is it for you, or is it all for show?        Jud 3:14-15, So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab 18 years. But when [they] cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer... 18 years?? How long will you endure the miserable fruits of your sin simply to avoid owning up and confessing it (to God and the ones you’ve offended)?

 

Saturday, 10/22/16  1 Sam 24:17b, ...for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. On which side of the equation do you place yourself more often? In the last 24 hours, would the scale tip more to the rewarding good side or the other? Is there more David in you or Saul?            2 Cor 2:7-8, ...ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. As a rather proficient sinner who is currently dealing with the fallout from my habits, I can attest to the need for this verse to be practiced. Be sure, in your world, that you’re not guilty of being the believer who proverbially “shoots their own wounded brother.”

 

Sunday, 10/23/16  Jud 5:2, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. It’s not God failing to want to protect and defend His people, it’s us not doing our part. Reread the verse.            Mic 7:8-10, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. I want this to be my testimony. ¹After a fall, a promised arising.  ²In the darkness of sin, the Lord will provide the light.  ³I’ll accept the effects of my actions, acknowledging them to be sin.  ⁴I’ll have faith that God is working on me and on the situation.  ⁵He’ll produce good out of my bad. What a God!!

 

Monday, 10/24/16  2 Sam 1:17, And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son... You can never control another’s actions or feelings toward you, but you can always control your actions and feelings toward them.            Rom 13:14, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, the fulfill the lusts thereof. Notice that we’re to think and work to prevent the fulfilling of the lusts of our flesh. Our flesh cannot be permanently defeated; it can only be controlled and kept under. ¹We will always want to do every type of sin.  ²Occasionally, the sewer that is our heart and flesh will back up.  ³Don’t be shocked when this happens: clean up the mess and continue on for good and for God.  ⁴Don’t be shocked when another’s sewer backs up. Help clean up their mess and continue on for good and for God.

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- Acts 7:55, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. Out of tragedy and the death of a great man, came the conversion of the greatest servant of God who ever lived, and who gave the Gospel to the Gentiles.

 

- Ps 12:7, Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. PTL we have a copy of it today. Leave it alone: It doesn’t need any help.

 

- Acts 8:26, And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. The will of God and His message are more important than the size of the crowd, fame, or publicity.

 

- Pro 23:29-30, Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without a cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry at the wine: they that go to seek mixed wine. The curse of America has to be alcohol. It promotes crime, immorality, divorce, poverty, sickness, injuries, misery, heart break, etc., and yet we allow it to be sold, advertised, and to run much of our sports, media, stock market, government affairs, etc. How tragic!