Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 1/11/15  Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? The faith to let God do the avenging/settle the scores. Let God handle the paybacks and the promotions: you pray for your enemies and faithfully do your job.            Luke 19:42b ...the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. Another reminder that God does not have infinite patience re: the willful hard-headed-ness of His people. He will let you win the tug-of-war...and you’ll fall very hard on your posterior.

Monday, 1/12/15  Ps 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god... Notice the word “multiplied.” All of us have had and will have problems. The Christian life doesn’t preclude them, but to turn from it is to join the multipliers.                Luke 10:25, 29 What shall I do to inherit eternal life...  But he, willing to justify himself... This guy was either the most self-centered man in history, or so arrogant as to think God might have a special plan of salvation custom fitted to him. Nope...salvation for the Jew, the Greek, the Catholic, the Baptist, the Muslim, the Hindu, and the atheist is the same: simply acknowledge that you’re a Hell deserving sinner, but that Christ died and rose again to pay for all your sins (past & future), and then rely ONLY on Him to take you to Heaven (not Him + baptism or good deeds or membership in any church): Him plus nothing and minus nothing.

Tuesday, 1/13/15  Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets have spoken. Don’t be deceived by those who try to segment the Bible and declare that most of the OT is not applicable to us today. See 1 Cor 10:6, 11: the OT is all for our examples.             2 Sam 13:10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. Ladies, remember that a part of your femininity and charm is an innocence, a gullibility.  Eve was beguiled into sin by an appeal to better herself and her husband; here, Tamar was tricked into being raped by having her compassion taken advantage of. Learn to lean heavily on the Bible and your main man (daddy or husband) for wisdom, be alert and cautious and maybe a little cynical (thinking of and looking for ulterior motives), and when in doubt, lean toward the extreme: do the right you know and not the “maybe right” that you could do.               Ezek 8:11 And there stood before them 70 men of the ancients of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah...(committing idol worship). V12 says that they said, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth.  God showed Ezekiel what was happening in Jerusalem (1000 miles away) and make public the names and offices of the offenders, and what they said in their hearts. At any point in time, God can expose your sin to the entire world. I suggest you come clean with Him and get things right with your Father.

Wednesday, 1/14/15  Ps 21:1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Never get very elevated in your own mind. Though he was the king, David still was a little boy with his God. Forget that you’re a parent or the boss or are educated...you’re just His little boy or girl. “Except ye be as little children...”             Ps 18:30b ...the word of the Lord is tried... The “straight and narrow way” is not very palatable to some of you (join the worldly crowd), but His way is still the best and His way works out for the best. Just a thought...how many lives have you successfully guided to a happy completion? He’s got millions on His resume...try it His way....oh...just for a few decades and see how things are working.             John 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple...and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables... Some would say, “That wasn’t very loving of Jesus.”  I would say it wasn’t very nice, but it was loving. Why? Because God is love, so this was very loving. I don’t have to understand how it was; He said it, so I put His actions into the framework of His words. Quit trying to fit your God into your current understanding and concepts, and instead make your current understanding and concepts fit Him as He describes Himself. Start with God and accept what He says is the truth; don’t start with your own mind.

Thursday, 1/15/15  Ps 117:1 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us... English lesson: pronouns substitute for nouns.  “Us” refers to “all nations” and “all people.”  Here’s a sweet lesson: He’s even good to those who don’t like Him (they’d be part of “all.”) Are you trying to be like God in this area? What have you done recently to/for someone who doesn’t like you at work or school or church?              Pro 11:1a A false balance is abomination to the Lord. A purposefully faulty scale wouldn’t be WWAAYYY off: it wouldn’t measure a pound as 3 ounces, so this is a means of slightly cheating the customer, and yet, God says it’s abominable. I’m guessing all of us need to tighten up our behavior in terms of honesty, accountability, cheating at school, obedience to all authorities, personal holiness. Ask God to show you areas that you need to work on.                Ezek 16:2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. If divine revelations of your sins (followed by repentance) isn’t a regular occurrence in your life as a direct result of your personal devotions or church attendance, something is VERY wrong. If God’s not speaking to you about a lack of personal holiness, ¹Are you perfect?  ²Are you listening?  Or, ³Are you unsaved?

Friday, 1/16/15  So much of the Christian life could become more understandable if it’s put in the context of how parents treat their kids AND you think of how the kids sees things. (Think of your history.) Imagine a toddler, put into bed for a nap and pitching a fit. In his heart he’s panicking because he’s all alone. Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Think of the kids’ doubts, fears, insecurities, spankings, etc.)             Ezek 6:10 And they [His people] shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them. Do you really want God to show you that He means what He says? Some of my dear friends, you act like you’re DARING God to intervene in your life and challenging Him to spank you. Do you really want to get into a war of wills and strength with HIM???

Saturday, 1/17/15  Pro 13:3b ...but he that openeth wide is lips shall have destruction. Most of our problems come because we’re either in the wrong places, there at the wrong times, or doing the wrong things (which includes running our mouths.) So shut up already!!                 Ps 23:2-3a He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. In this business of life, be sure to schedule time to recharge your own batteries...or you’ll wither. Slow down and come apart...or you will come apart and slow down. BTW, God may MAKE you to lie down and slow down; He may lead you by a leash to those still waters to rest. Maybe all those “God’s judging me’s” should really be “God’s restoring me.” Think about it...don’t get bitter; get refilled.

 

Miscellaneous posts from 2 friends:  The Bible will always be full of things you can't understand as long as you won't live according to those you can understand. - Billy Sunday (I assume that B.S. said it, but I don’t know.)

It is true that the church should serve as a support group to its members, but the church is suppose to be much more than that. The church is to be an army organizing the dissemination of the gospel in which we are to be soldiers. We are not to be simply patients in a hospital, but also participants in a valiant struggle. See church for more than a place to get your needs met!

Pro 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. If we had a distaste and obvious anger over gossip and scuttlebutt, we would be less likely to hear it, and therefore, to pass it on.

Ps 84:5-6 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through Baca make it a well: the rain also filleth the pools. Those of us who are eternally saved and trust God for His best, need never to fear or to be chronically depressed. It says, “passing through” not “living” there.

Ps 86:5 For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. It is not a lack of God’s goodness, mercy or unwillingness to forgive that causes us to be separated and alienated from our God, but a refusal and unwillingness on our part to humble ourselves and call upon Him.

Pro 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop, but a good word maketh it glad. Anxiety causes depression, but a kind, appropriate word can cheer and act as an antidepressant.

1 Sam 17:29 And David said, What have I done? Is there not a cause? Pride, hatred, and speculation don’t need a cause. We need to be very careful about the attitude, thoughts, and actions of others.

Ps 88:7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. This could well be Messianic, and what our Saviour endured to pay for our sins. There is no way we’ll ever know what He endured for us.

Pro 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. We need to be very careful how we listen and respond to preaching and teaching from God’s word. We need to be convicted and take heed.