Baptist City Blog

Tuesday, 3/15/16  Ps 126:5-6, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth...shall doubtless come again...bringing his sheaves... You WILL live later with the results of the choices you make today. Tomorrow WILL come...don’t plant discouragement and despair even if the seed bag says, “Fun.”                       Pro 13:14, The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. This seems to indicate that our household/school/workplace rules should be to primarily to keep us from deadly snares, i.e. sin. Of course, some rules are for procedure and efficiency, but we maybe should be cautious about legislating things pertaining to our conveniences.

 

Wednesday, 3/16/16  Re making decisions: Pro 11:5, the righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. Does Choice A or Choice B afford the greater opportunity to do acts of righteousness? Does Choice C or Choice D carry any potential snare of sin?                     Ps 126:5-6, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Verse I used as a text on Monday night at the Hammond Mission for my sermon entitled “AGRICULTURAL FACTS for HAMMOND” and the 5 points. Agricultural Fact #1:  It takes work to produce a crop. Agricultural Fact #2: You WILL live tomorrow with the consequences of today’s choices. Agricultural Fact #3: There will probably be some lag time before you see the fruit of your labors (or lack thereof). Agricultural Fact #4: Life is cyclical: no one rejoices all of the time. Agricultural Fact #5: Even if you’re weeping, do what you’re supposed to do.

 

Thursday, 3/17/16  Pro 11:6a, The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. If you always do rightly, you won’t have to worry about having to keep stories straight.                       1 Chron 12:2, These were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones, and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin. These men weren’t satisfied with being normally good soldiers: they mastered more aspects of warfare than the average soldier. At work, at school: are you “good enough” or “good”? Are you “average” or “indispensible”?

 

Friday, 3/18/16  Pro 12:26b, The way of the wicked seduceth them. Another reason to NOT trust your heart/feelings. Sin IS fun (which is why it’s so popular...) Not all fun is sin, however, but beware of rendering a final opinion based on the “fun-o-meter.”               Ps 126:6, He that goeth forth and weepeth... Why was the farmer weeping? We don’t know, but he went to work anyway. Lessons: ¹Don’t be a slave to your emotions. Even if you’re blue, do what you’re supposed to do. (It may be the best medicine you could take...)  ²Get your mind off of how you feel and onto an important task. ³Others are depending on you to do and be what you’re supposed to be.  ⁴Even if you’re working at less than 100%, work is still getting done.

 

Saturday, 3/19/16  Ps 18:31, For who is God save the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God? (From my wife): Another way that we’re created in the image of God: He’s a rock and we are dust.                                    Ps 141:3-4, Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity. When was the last time you named and confessed your specific sins, and spent time in prayer over them? Idea: write down, REALLY, on paper, 1 besetting sin, and walk around the block daily for a month and confess it, confess the weakness and the desires that lead into it, pray over it, and think of ways to eliminate it or safeguard yourself from the temptation to commit it.

 

Sunday, 3/20/16  Pro 16:24, Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Go be a refreshing medicinal treat to those in your world today.                              Pro 17:1, Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. Spring Cleaning Time!! Get the strife cleaned out. Apologize for the past and analyze how to prevent future problems. Are the strifes caused by fatigue? unreasonable expectations? unawareness of how busy others are? pride and arrogance on your part?

 

Monday, 3/21/16  Got plans for today? Here’s a task to add to your list:  1 Chron 16:11, Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.                              Pro 17:12, Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. We’ve got to be on high alert whenever we’re around a fool, which means that we’ve got to identify or classify people as such. Definition of a fool:  one who ignores and defies God’s principles.

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- Never laugh at someone who mispronounces a word. That means they learned it from reading!

- It's hard to recover from a wrong conclusion, especially one that you've already shared with others.

- Lord, let us fall on our face, seek You, depend on You & be led by Your Spirit today! Do a work in us & let us help others for your glory!

- Many people devote more energy to generating the appearance of being a leader rather than developing the character required to actually lead.

- Every church is filled with saved sinners so don’t be surprised when they do wrong.

- A real leader knows how to build with the stones thrown at him.

- I can’t alter the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails.

- Forgiveness is immediate while trust takes time.

- In life fish see the bait, but not the hook; while men see the popularity of something but not the peril of the same.

- You cannot go back and redo, but you can go forward and do.

- Forgive and forget what hurt you, but never forget what hurt taught you!

- You may be right so much of the time that you begin to believe you are right all the time.

- When I think of my "good" works I forget Him, but when I think of Him I can't think of one good work of my own.

- Oh, the audacity of me not forgiving one who God gave His only begotten Son to forgive.

- Jesus took the blame although he was innocent, yet we often refuse to accept the blame even when we are guilty.

- Since God has not told you (or anyone else) why He is doing what He is doing in your life, do not seek a reason. Just rest comfortable in the fact that He has a reason and it is for His good purpose.

- If your wife was unhealthy would you leave her or would you see her through it? Then why do we abandon our church when it is going through a time of unhealthiness. When a pastor falls or the church is struggling with finances or other difficulties, many people bail out. It is obvious that they do not really love the church. They only love a perfect church. Be as careful in leaving a church as you are in joining one.

- If God is to be blamed for his children's sins then a mother should be imprisoned for her son's crimes.

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- Ps 145:20a, The Lord preserveth all them that love him. What a great incentive to fall in love with Jesus!

- Rom 13:12, The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. If this was true in Paul’s day, it is nearer today and far more appropriate and necessary than it was then. We need to wake up!!

- Ps 148:13, Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above all the earth and heaven. All of creation is to praise the Lord according to this Psalm. If we’d count our blessings, look up, and focus on Him, we will automatically praise Him.

- Job 16:2, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. If we can’t give comfort, and help the hurting, let us be still!

- Gen 32:24, And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. Those who will have God’s power must be willing to pay the price and to wrestle with God until he gets it. There are no shortcuts or substitutes.

- Ps 1:1, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Where we walk, stand, and sit is almost as important to God as what we do when we get there.

- Luke 21:33, Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. We should not get too tied to or in love with this world’s goods and glamour.

- Ps 3:4, I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Praise the Lord for a God Who still hears and answers prayer.

- Pro 18:10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe. PTL for the strong tower of safety that we have in Him!

- Wisdom, knowledge, understanding: these triplets are the key components to a successful life. Pro 20:5b, ...a man of understanding..."  The more I read Proverbs; the more I see that HAVING THEM means needing to “worry" less about what NOT to do. Pros 20:5, Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

- Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow. Albeit, better that than allowing stubborn rebellion to block the way to a successful life. Pro 17:10, A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

- Bible thoughts! Ps 21:12, Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. Oh wow! Those are fighting words! God is our protector!

- Bible thoughts!Ps 17:1, Hear the right, O Lord , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Notice it said hear the right, not the perfect. We may be trying to do what's right, but still fail at times. That's OK! Get back up, dust yourself off and get back to it!

- In everything give thanks. Hmmm. That would seem to include the hurts done to me...  ...but to give thanks for the things done to hurt me I would have to give thanks for the ones who performed those hurts...  ...but to give thanks for the ones who caused my hurts I would have to forgive them…  ...but to forgive them I would have to pray for them. Maybe that is what God had in mind in the first place.

- The "Great Commission" begins with, all power is given me... and ends with, Lo I am with you alway..." Every lasting work we do for God originates with His power and culminates with His presence.

- Our problem is not low self esteem it is low grace awareness.