Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 3/23/14  Pro 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? That sin that you used to do? The one you got victory over years ago? Its seeds are still in you: be on the lookout for a reappearance. In my 50’s, I’ve had to fight against sins that I had stopped cold in my 20’s. 
          Ps 71:20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Some of our troubles we cause; some are just life happening; some are from others or Satan, but many of our troubles are directly from God. Figure out His purpose if you can and learn His prescribed lessons.

Monday, 3/24/14  Ps 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. So often our flesh chooses to sin, and so often our heart delves on trails of hatred and lust and unforgiveness. At times we want to be holy; oftentimes, we want to be sin-full...but God!! He remains the same...and He still keeps us, and is glad to do so. Confess, forsake, get up, and start anew on His straight and narrow. You lost a battle: the war is already won.            Pro 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. Every new generation has thought that they saw “a better way” on every topic. That’s normal. But the things that the gray hairs believed, practiced, and lived by; the standards they adhered to, usually (not always), were grounded in wisdom, experience, and the overall good. All new stuff isn’t necessarily wrong...nor is all old stuff obsolete. Filter all choices (new or old) through the Bible: direct commands, related topics, general principles. Also, think beyond the immediate matter in question: “If I do/adopt/change/begin this, then what will happen...in 5-10 years?” Ask, Will the choice will result in more holiness or less for you and for others? More salvations or fewer?

Tuesday, 3/25/14  Ps 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again. Simple enough....are you guilty? Borrowing (even at home) without asking is stealing. Ask God to help you remember.           Rev 15:3 And [the martyrs from v2] sing the song of Moses...and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. When we get to Heaven, we’ll understand all of the negative circumstances God “made us” go through, and we’ll see why it was best, and how it was “great and marvellous.”

Wednesday, 3/26/14  Ps 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Truth and righteous living will win out in the end. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. What does your future hold? Peace? or turmoil?             Ps 37:21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. According to this verse, are you wicked or are you righteous?

Thursday, 3/27/14  Ecc 8:12-13 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked... In life, we must discipline ourselves to #1 take the Look of Faith, and #2 take the Longer Range look.         Which group are you in? Rev 18:5b ...and God hath remembered her iniquities, OR Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  Either God is constantly aware of ALL of your sins and they are a thorn in His eye, or He’s aware of none of them, and you are accepted in the beloved. The difference between the two is reliance solely on the finished work of Calvary for your salvation. A person can be saved in a moment: it’s not a process. I had an 80+ year old uncle get saved over the phone the other night.

Friday, 3/28/14  Luke 7:41-43 ...the one owed 500 pence, and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both....which of them will love him the most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. One of the keys to loving Christ is a constant awareness of how much we’ve been forgiven of; an increased awareness of our own sinfulness. Pride however, tells us that we’re not so bad, and focuses the spotlight onto others. Think of your huge debt to God; think of the fact that you had no way to pay it; think of being “frankly forgiven.”              A soul winning trick I learned in college. On point 1, (all are sinners) and while at Rom 3:23, I say, “’Course you know a sin is just doing something we’re not supposed to or not doing something that we are supposed to do, like lying. I know I’ve told a lot of lies: have you ever told one?” Get them to admit they’ve lied. Then after Rom 6:23, I go to Rev 21:8 and explain the 2^nd death, the Lake of Fire. I go through and define each group of people, but I stop at murderers. I ask, “How many people would I have to kill to be a murderer?” They will say one. Then I get down to all liars. I then ask, “If I only would have to kill 1 person to be a murderer, how many lies would I have to tell to be a liar?” They’ll admit one, and they will see their doom. If you get a person dangling over a lake of fire, it’s then easy to get them to trust the Saviour.

Saturday, 3/29/14  Ps 113:5 Who is like the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high. Think of it: the God Who made everything has identified Himself with YOU!!  But...v6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! The Awesome One....humbles Himself to look at our lives. What a God!!              Ps 81:11-12 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own heart’s lust: and they walked in their own counsels. They didn’t want God, just His trinkets. God wants to be wanted...just like a person does. Do you want Him? His influence? His holiness? His leading? His purity? If so, then you’ll be more likely to get His stuff (v16).

Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.  How ungrateful most of us are. We have so much to be thankful for, and we need to let our God appreciate and love Him and all he has given us.

Pro 24:8 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips. What gives us the right to stand in judgment against another? Let’s pledge ourselves to not be a manure spreader, but the bearer of good news about our neighbor!!

1 Tim 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure. Speaking of ordaining immature, unproven men to the ministry, and of being guilty of sins they comit and lead those they pastor to commit.  A word of caution for all of us.

Pro 27:7 The hungry soul loatheth an hnoneycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. We live in a nation of plenty, where waste and complaining are diseases that hunger and poverty can cure. Go out to each and see how much food is uneaten and thrown away.

1 Tim 5:19a Against an elder receive not an accusation. This ought to be read and practiced by every believer. No preacher is perfect, but he has enough to ocntend with as pastor without criticism and contention. Pray for him: don’t cause him grief and trouble.

Num 13:17a ...and Moses sent them to spy out the lad of Canaan. This is a case of God allowing His man to see what his faith in God’s direction and leadership should have satisfied. It cost hm and those he led dearly. There are many times need to trust God and not worry about looking ahead into the future: that is His business.

Ps 90:14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy...  Until we are satisfied with His mercy will we be satisfied with anything else?