Baptist City Blog

- Tuesday, 11/16/21  Psalm 60:11, Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. A double application: we often put too much weight on how

others could help us. Ultimately, our help must come from Heaven. And, we often have too high of an opinion of how much our input is needed with another.                          Psalm 57:3, He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. How does He save us in situations? He uses mercy (for us, for our past screw-ups, and for us to extend to others), also truth (to tell us what to do and how to act IN the trial.) Rarely does He save us by separating us FROM the trial. We want to be TRANSITIONED OUT of it; He wants to TRANSFORM us THROUGH it.

- Wednesday, 11/17/21  Psalm 61:2, From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Too many of us refuse to try to get closer to God until the screws are put  to us. If we’d by choice, and by habit, ‘dwell in the secret place, under His wing,’ maybe we could avoid some heartaches.                              Luke 20:2, And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? Because of the inherent rebellion in man’s heart (yes, in yours and mine too), authority is always suspect, and anarchy is the true inner desire. So, to presume to speak/teach with authority, especially authority far higher than human, is VERY distasteful to the carnal flesh.

- Thursday, 11/18/21  Worship is bragging on God for what He is. Psalm 120:1, In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Go love on Him for always being there when we are in trouble, despite how often we neglect and ignore Him when all is seeming to go well for us. Sooooo gracious!!                                    Psalm 122:1, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. “Oh Lord, may I never get over the incredible gift you gave me in my church. Please help me to be like a new convert who is overwhelmed at being in God’s house, with God’s people, hearing God’s word, perceiving God’s conviction, and feeling God’s love. Help me to remember that not all, not even most, of your children have what I have. Please help me to ‘up my game’ concerning all aspects of church.”

- Friday, 11/19/21  Proverbs 15:10, Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die. The implication is that correction is not AS distasteful when we are tightly holding the paths of truth. How direct-able are you? How pliable? Manly men...we are especially hard-headed.                               Proverbs 15:25a, The Lord will destroy the house of the proud.  Pride is still on God’s “Top 10 Most Distasteful Characteristics” list. He says that it’s an abomination to Him. He’ll actively work on eradicating it in us. Like a surgeon who is willing to take out some good tissue while ensuring that all of the tumor is taken, He may take off something valuable to us to get out that hideous cancer. Be careful feeling like you “deserve” a certain level of treatment, status, or possessions.

- Saturday, 11/20/21  Deuteronomy 32:50-51, And die...and be gathered unto thy people..: because ye trespassed against me [by striking the rock twice]; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Moses was denied his entry into the Promised Land. Beware: God does have a Point of No Return. He does draw lines in the sand that we’re not to cross. He will forgive and yet still punish. Beware.                           Proverbs 15:31, The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. “Oh Lord, may my ears be attuned to hear when life scolds me.” Not all negatives are from another; some we cause ourselves by our actions. May we learn from our little slip-ups; may we see them for what they are: bad judgments/decisions that we are to not repeat. The next verse: He that REFUSETH instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth REPROOF getteth understanding.

- Sunday, 11/21/21  John 14:1, Let not your heart be troubled... This is a command, so we are able to prevent our heart from being troubled. Yes, we can: we “can do all things thru Christ.” The old saying: “You can’t prevent a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep it from building a nest.”                                 John 14:9, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? A personal, direct, introspective question for each of to ask with the Holy Spirit: “Am I enough of a ‘little Jesus’ that observers think of the Father”? Don’t just blow this off: think on it and do better...incrementally better. Be cognizant of it. May the Lord help each of us to be so.

- Monday, 11/22/21  Proverbs 16:8, Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. Here’s a lifetime goal: think of holiness every time we think of money. Maybe memorize this verse and let it cue us to pray for holiness every time money crosses our thoughts.                          Luke 22:42, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Ever since being alone, I wanted to be married again; whether to reconcile to my former wife or to get a new wife. So, for 5 years, I prayed to that end. But it was only in the last several months when I told God that I wanted His will, His timing, and His glory, and that I’d be willing to be alone if that was what He wanted, it was only then that He gave me Becky. Each of us is like a custom made, exactly fitted glove for the other. That prayer that you’re SSOOOO desperate for Him to answer: whose will do you REALLY want? Our prayers are to be like Jesus’... “nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.”