Baptist City Blog

Sunday, 8/10/14  Ps 119:102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. Don’t settle to just have the pastor or SS teacher or the Bible class instructor teach you. Let GOD teach you...it’ll stick better.            Pro 7:1-4 My son, keep my words and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy finger, write them upon the tables of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman. It sounds like we have to really work at keep the Bible close and having a relationship with It that is profitable.  *For most believers, I’m guessing that consuming about 20x as much Bible as you are currently might put you up to about “a minimum level” to prevent spiritual starvation. “But I’ve tried reading it! I’ve been in church for years!!” Well, the problem isn’t with God...so it is either President Obama’s fault or it’s yours. Change HOW you read; WHERE you read; and/or WHEN you read the Bible.

Monday, 8/11/14  Ps 119:76 Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. God has comfort for me. It’s because of His kindness and not my merit. But it’s delivered through His word.              Num 12:10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. Both Miriam and Aaron sinned. God spoke to both, but only she was afflicted with leprosy. Evidently, Aaron’s punishment was to see his sister stricken and to be helpless. God may judge you personally, or make you helplessly see another suffer because of your actions.

Tuesday, 8/12/14  Ps 119:129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. What a great attitude toward the Bible!! How’s yours? Attitudes are driven by thoughts. Maybe obedience would be easier if you changed your thinking.             Matt 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt. What a tumultuous early marriage for Joseph and Mary: an unexpected pregnancy; living together as spouses albeit without physical contact; being required to do a 3-5 day journey while she was 9 months pregnant; giving birth in a stable without a midwife; receiving the worship of the shepherds; the presentation in the Temple and the events there; a possible return to Nazareth so as to move to a house in Bethlehem; reception of the wise men; fleeing to Egypt with about an 18-month old; setting up a new life in a foreign land; returning to Nazareth.  Lessons: ¹God never tells us the future.  ²When we fantasize of the future, we never put in negatives...only dreamy positives.  ³You are vowing “for better; for worse” and have no clue what that entails.  ⁴Do you have the character to endure such hard times? Does your sweetheart? (Look at how much character you’ve shown in the past year.)

Wednesday, 8/13/14  Num 22:8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. For all his faults, Balaam seemed to have the habit of asking God about everything before making a decision.              Num 22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. God make known His will in v12, so therefore, Balaam’s mistake was in re-examing the issue. Those of you who now engage in behavior that you once avoided (immodest dress, worldly music, alcohol, wicked videos, no Bible, wimpy preaching, fornication, etc.) what “new information” from Heaven led you to this new stance? Or was it just a stubborn, self-will winning the war in your soul?? Take the Bible, decide what God said, and settle it.

Thursday, 8/14/15  Gen 19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom for money; then got closer; got entwined and lost his married girls and SIL, and destroyed the morals of his teen girls.             Gen 19 WHAT A DISGUSTING CHAPTER!!!  -The perverts wanting to rape the 2 visitors in town.  -Lot offering his virgin daughters to the perverts.  -Elevating culture over family.  -The queers still trying to enter the house after being blinded. (NOTE: sin’s effects!!) -Lot’s inability to persuade his daughters and sons-in-law to leave town.  -Lot’s wimpiness in choosing Zoar.  -Cities being burnt in literal Hell on Earth.  -Mrs. Lot’s death.  -The 2 daughters and their corrupted morals.  Lessons:  ¹Beware of tolerating sin in your life.  ²This world desperately needs Christ.  ³You’ll become like the crowd you hang around.

Friday, 8/15/14  Ps 126 is all about praise for deliverance from captivity. Then v6: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. It’s often used re: soul winning, but I think that’s out of context. If we’ll sow tears of prayer for God’s intervention, that’ll produce a joy that only He can give.            Pro 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. In light of Robin Williams suicide: ¹Laughter can cover up the sorrows of life, but not displace them.  ²When the fun party’s over, the sometimes harsh reality is still there.  ³It’s impossible to live in an “always positive” state here on earth.  ⁴Only in Heaven will be be free from “heaviness” i.e. depression.  ⁵Depression, sorrow, mirth...are all aspects of humanity: we all go through them.  Trace the words “heavy(iness),” “sorrow,” & “grief” in the Bible and learn how to deal with it in your life. The website I use is: http://eliyah.com/lexicon.html

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Saturday, 8/16/14  Ps 129:8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord. What can you do to incorporate more mentions of God in your everyday conversation? I think it would prevent many problems.                   Num 32:5 ...if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan. These 2½ tribes hadn’t seen Canaan but were trading it for this land. So often we will forfeit something great for something good. We’ll trade a degree for a job now; we’ll choose the first boy/girl showing interest in us for God’s match; we’ll pick the easy road of premarital sex vs purity and building of trust and development of a relationship; we’ll just get mad and quit instead of forgiving.

Ps 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. We should never get so busy that we forget to count our blessings. How good God is and how blessed we are!!

1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. The reason the devil and the world hate Jesus Christ is because He is the only source of eternal life, and without Him they are eternally condemned. The devils knows and the world is deceived.

Josh 4:14 On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him, as they feared Moses all the days of his life. Godly leadership must be empowered by and have reverential respect/fear of its followers.

2 John 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him godspeed.  We are not smarter than God and need to obey this admonition to the letter. We’re not going to win them, and an argument, or wasted time does no good. Run them off and don’t let them feel good about what they believe.

Ps 105 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtily iwth his people. God controls attitudes for His will and purpose. It is not to question, rebel, or complain, but to trust Him.

Ps 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. We should never forget the blessings and miracles of God in our lives because of, and for His glory, not because of us.

Jude 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouths speak great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. Enoch dealt with murmurings in his day. How are we doing today with this age-old problem? Do we murmur or thank? Do we complain or praise? Let’s make progress today: give thanks and praise.