Baptist City Blog

Tuesday, 5/17/16  Luke 11:2, ...Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. We’re to DO His will, not “learn” or “consider” or “debate” His will. Do it. And do it quickly, eagerly, thoroughly, fearfully, repeatedly, ceaselessly.           
      Ps 1:6, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the wicked shall perish. This could teach that God is aware of what we’re doing, but I think the emphasis is on the “way,” the actual path being trod. God knows the path that will produce positive results in our lives. We should trust those paths.

Wednesday, 5/18/16  Benefit of living scripturally:  Ps 1:3, And he shall be like a tree... Stability, strength, fruitfulness, usefullness (provides fruit and shade), dependability (“in his season”), longevity (“leaf also shall not wither”) , and prosperity. Go incorporate the 5 conditions in vv1-2 into today.              Ps 4:7, Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. Worldly pleasures are real and legitimate, but they always include unexpected negatives: guilt, non-satisfaction, emptiness, physical repercussions, etc., whereas God’s pleasures are deeper and longer lasting, and lead into Heaven where all the negatives are gone and the positives are eternal. Don’t trade the eternal for the temporal.

 

Thursday, 5/19/16  Ps 71:16b, I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Reminder: you have NO righteousness except what He’s put in you. There is NOTHING in us good. Isa 64:6, ALL our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.                   Here’s a great truth and sweet comfort:  Isa 30:15, For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Sweet verses...but don’t let the last 4 words be your biography: ...and ye would not.

 

Friday, 5/20/16  Ps 2:3, Let us break their bands (restrictions) asunder, and cast away their cords (ropes to lead) from us. It is vain (empty) and foolish to fantasize against God’s boundaries and directions. Are you guilty? (Remember that He often useshuman authorities to do His will.)                  Titus 3:8, ...I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. Could you list the good works that you did in the last week? That you regularly do? Would the list be longer or shorter than a year ago?

 

Saturday, 5/21/16  Ps 83:16, Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Negatives come to a believer’s life to make us more godly. Don’t rebel and fight against them so much: learn from them and adapt.              Pro 12:4, A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. Along with speaking of status and ability and position, a crown would gratify a man’s ego. Ladies, be sure to build up your man’s ego.

Sunday, 5/22/16  Isa 26:3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mine is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Re-ordered into conventional phraseology, the verse would read: “The one whose mind is stayed on God will trust in God, and thus, You’ll keep him in perfect peace.” On what does your mind dwell?                        Ps 148:14  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints. A “horn” in the Bible is symbolic of “strength.” Our praise is a source of strength for us.  Use it.

 

Monday, 5/23/16  Pro 16:9, A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. It is human nature want to plan long-term, though the only thing that is known is the immediate. It is divine nature to reveal only short-term, though the long-term is known. Both of these will always be true. Deal with it.                        Isa 51:1a, Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord. Is this you?  v51b, look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Be mindful of where you’re going, and how far you’ve come.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.

- While you are waiting for your prayers to be answered, God may want you to be the answer to someone else's prayers.

- Men: for us to be Men of God, we must first Man the battle station of our homes.

- There is a purpose to suffering, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.

- There is no better test of our true character, than the habitual effect of "vain thoughts" upon our minds whether we love and indulge them, or abhor, and watch and pray against them.

- Your teacher can open the door, but you must enter yourself.

- Live life while you're living life!

- Don’t worry if you’re making waves by just being yourself: the Moon does that all the time.

- You should so give yourself that it will lift you up out of yourself into a life above yourself.

- Saying the right things will not make you do the right things, but doing the right things will make you say the right things.

- Old school is the new school to those who did not know the old school.

- Challenge yourself everyday so when life brings on her challenges you are already in good shape.

- WISDOM is viewing life from God’s point of view, while UNDERSTANDING is applying God’s view of life in life.

- Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is an act of obedience often done with the opposite feeling. We forgive because are commanded to do so not because we feel like it.

- God's people using God's gifts in God's way will be used to do God's work in God's time.

- How much do you sacrifice in order to be able to spend time with God? Well, how much did God sacrifice in order to be able to spend time with you? Hmmmm.

- Trees can't move rocks, so they just grow around them. When you can’t move the afflictions God allows in your life, grow around them.

- It takes two to reconcile but only one to forgive.

- We annoy each other so we assume that somehow we annoy God. No, we don't. God has fresh mercy for each day so that we never annoy him with our silliness or even our sins. Methinks we amuse him like a baby amuses us, for we are his children, not his robots.

- Maybe those of us who have fallen are now running in the special Olympics, but I am convinced God still enjoys watching us run.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

- Ps 51:13, Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinner shall be converted unto thee. The greatest hindrance to personal soul winning is a lack of repentance and unconfessed sin in the hearts and lives of soul winners. Powerlessness saints are a curse in the pulpit and the pew!

- 1 Sam 15:22, And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. He hasn’t changed and we need to heed this today!

- Pro 13:11, Wealth gotten by vanity sahll be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase. There is no substitute for honest hard work!

- Ps 52:4, Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. The tongue is wicked and always prone to evil. We must guard it at all times.

- 1 Sam 26:9, And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? This would be good advice for all who would criticize and verbally destroy men of God who lead in God-appointed positions. Let God care for that!

- Pro 16::4, The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. We need not worry about God’s plans and purpose in our world or the universe. He has a purpose and a plan for all that has always turned out right. Our job is to be obedient, not to question.

- 1 Sam 27:3a, And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, and his men, every man with his household, even David and his two wives. We always take others with us when we go down to the camp of the enemy, and join with the heath and ungodly, regardless of why we do it!

1 Sam 25:33, And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. The level head and tender heart of a loving wife is a valuable asset that can save not only lives, but also marriages.

- Job 19:25, For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. No matter how bad our circumstances may appear, every child of God has this hope to hang onto. We need to look around us less often and look up more often.

- 1 Sam 11:2, And it came to pass, in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. What was he doing watching a late night striptease show? If a man after God’s own heart is vulnerable to this, every man needs to be on guard, especially at night.

- Pro 23:19, Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Like the skillful steering of a car, we must guide and guard our hearts and minds.

- Abraham was extremely wise, successful and wealthy. Yet, when he sent away his servant Hagar and their son, Ishmael, he only gave them bread and water: as opposed to the inheritance the prodigal son's father gave in Luke 15:12.  How much influence do you think Sarah had in that decision?  Wives, be careful how you advise. Husbands, be careful how you decide. Gen 21:14, And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. Yes, Abraham talked with God about it; but, IMHO, it wouldn't have come up, otherwise.

- Abraham lied...AGAIN. When we do wrong Satan tells us HIS lie that we're a nobody and that we can't do anything for God. Not so, my friend! From God's own lips to Abimelech: God defended Abraham; told the King who he was; and reaffirmed that he COULD STILL work for Him; and, then, He protected him. That's great news! Now, STICK THAT to the Devil when he tries to depress you! Gen 20:7, Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

- Abraham was wronged, personally. How did he handle it? He shrugged it off - for who-knows-how-long - until he was confronted about it. Then, he was proactive in showing that he had no hard feelings. Wow, that's incredible! We could learn from his example. Gen 21:25-27, And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

- Bible thoughts! Matt 17:27, Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Hey, what is it you're begging God for? It's kind of obvious, humorous also, according to this above story in the Bible that God's ways and resources are NOT the same as ours! If God can give Jesus and Peter the money to pay their taxes via the mouth of a mere fish, then I KNOW He can do something miraculous for us, too! What a very encouraging thought!

- Bible thoughts! Pro 18:10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. I love this! I usually require a coffee to wake me up, but a promise from God like this one will do!

- Bible thoughts! Exo 13:21, And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. If God can lead the Children of Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud and fire, just imagine what He can do for us! He's an amazing and able Lord!

- Bible thoughts! Ps 47:4, He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. What is it you desire so badly that it consumes you? Let God chose our blessings for us! He ALWAYS knows what's best! He will bring things to pass we could have only dreamed of!

- It is sadly true, that even a Christian will grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him and made his blood run cold, does not alarm him in the least.