Baptist City Blog

No Want of Anything

Judges 18:10

"When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth."

To say that there is a place that didn't lack anything is quite the statement. In the verse above, Micah's priest told the tribe of Dan that the city of Laish was a city "where there is not want of any thing that is in the earth." He told them that if they could get this city that they would have anything they wanted.

On the surface this seemed wonderful to these men. However, when you look at this city it was a place where they lacked quite a bit. They lacked defense, leadership, direction and they had a false security about their situation. These people thought they had it all, but in reality they truly lacked a lot. One of the greatest things they lacked was the presence of God.

This story reminds me of many people who often think that there is another place or person who doesn't lack anything. There are people who will leave their spouse for someone else because they think that another person is the "perfect" person. There are people who will leave their church for another church because they think the other church doesn't lack anything. There are people who will leave their place of employment for another job because they think the other place is the perfect place of employment. Yet, when they get what they want they don't like what they get. The reason is because everything always lacks something. The best thing any person could do is learn to accept what God has given them and work at making their situation better. Let me give you some thoughts that will be helpful in your life.

First, don't let the flaws of what you have cause you to forget the good that you do have. Many people lose sight of what they have because they learn about the flaws. Married couples become disgruntled with each other because they learn about each other's flaw, but they forget that the good they like in that person is still there. Likewise, people see the flaws in a church or place of employment and let the flaws become their focus. Don't let the flaws that you learn about someone or some place cause you not to see the good that you do have.

Second, always remember that the "perfect" place or person is not as good as you think. The reason you think another person is "perfect" is because you see them at a distance. You will think the other place is perfect only because you are looking at a distance. Distance has a way of causing you not to see the details. When you can't see the details, then you can't see the flaws. Just because it looks perfect at a distance does not mean that they have no flaws.

Third, realize that someone thinks what you have is perfect. There is someone right now looking at what you have who thinks you have the perfect situation. There is someone right now who wants what you have. Though you don't like what you have, they would love to have your situation. If someone wants what you have, then apparently what you have is not that bad.

Let me sum this up by simply reminding you to be content with what God has given you. Don't let your familiarity with what you have cause you not to see the good that God has given you. Stop looking at what others have and realize that God has blessed you tremendously. If what you have is not perfect, then work at making it better instead of leaving it. Realize that God showed you the flaws so that you can make it better. Working at improving things is always better than running to the "perfect" person or place.

Diligent Heed

Joshua 22:5

"But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Success in the Christian life is not achieved by accident. If you are going to be successful as a Christian until the day you die, then you are going to have to purposely serve the LORD. God cautioned the children of Israel to take "diligent heed" in their lives. This is interesting because God did not say to simply take heed, but God expressed extra diligence in what they should do. God wanted you to take painstaking measures to be sure that you do four things in your Christian life.

First, take diligent heed to do God's commandments. You are not going to keep God's commandments by accident. One of the reasons God told Israel to write the commandments down and place them around their homes was because He wanted them to be constantly reminded to do them. One of the reasons you should read the Scriptures daily is so that you will be reminded to do God's commandments. One of the reasons you should be faithful to all the church services is so that you can be reminded to do God's commandments. If you don't watch it, you will get so busy doing everything else and your attention will be drawn off God's commandments which will cause you to soon stop doing them. If you are going to be successful in doing God's commandments, then you would be wise to place His commandments in several places so you will be reminded to do them.

Second, take diligent heed to love the LORD. This may seem strange, but because you must serve the LORD "in spirit and in truth," then you must be careful that your love for God does not wane. As humans, we are prone to love that which we see and touch. Therefore, you must be careful that you don't let anything steal your love for God. Just like a married person must be careful that they don't let another person steal their love from their spouse; likewise, you must be careful not to let people or possessions steal your love for God. You must be diligent about guarding that love.

Third, take diligent heed to walk in God's ways. There are many methods on how you can do things, but the only method you should follow is God's method. You will find in the Christian life that men come up with many ways to do things, but you must always be sure that man's ways don't disagree with God's ways. Don't follow man's ways of rearing your children, but follow God's ways of rearing your children. Don't follow man's ways to achieve position, but follow God's way of serving others. Don't follow your ways of how situations should be handled, but follow God's way of handling situations, which can be found in the Word of God.

Fourth, take diligent heed to serve God. This is interesting because you would think that this would be easy, but it's not. God warned Israel about being diligent to serve Him because He knew that man could quickly start serving man. If you are not careful, you will start serving your preacher instead of God. Though your preacher may not ask you to do wrong, you are not to serve Him. You are to serve God! NEVER let your eyes be placed on man; instead, always keep your eyes on God. Let God be the One Whom you purposely serve. Don't ever be guilty of serving man instead of God.

These four areas will never be achieved unless you are diligent about doing them. Set up guards in your life so that these four things don't slip away. Purposely choose daily to do these things. Don't get so busy in what you do for God that you allow these areas to slip. You may have right intentions, but these areas will slip if you are not diligent about heeding them.

Remembering Hospitality

Deuteronomy 23:7

"Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land."

As God prepared Israel to enter into the Promised Land, He wanted to remind them of how they should treat their neighboring countries. God knew that they would eventually have the power to destroy any nation around them. In the verse above, God told Israel to be sure to treat Edom and Egypt kindly to their third generation. The were two reasons for this. First, Edom was a relation to Israel, and God wanted them to remember to be kind to them because of their connection. Second, Egypt allowed them to be fed during the great famine in Joseph's day. God wanted them to be kind to these nations because of their past hospitality.

However, you may remember that both of these nations were at one point unkind to Israel. When Israel asked Edom if they could go straight through their land while traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land, Edom would not grant them passage. Likewise, the latter years in Egypt were not the greatest years of Israel's existence. Egypt had treated them unkindly by putting them under cruel bondage. Yet, God still wanted them to treat these nations kindly because of the good that they had done to Israel.

When I look at my life, I can recall many people who have been kind and influential in my life. Of some of these I have very fond memories. These people were good to me all the time. We never had one time of disagreement. We never had one time when they mistreated me. These people were very good to me. On the other hand, there were some people who were good to me and even influenced me, but the end of our relationship was muddied with disagreement. There were some who were good to me for many years, but they turned on me and tried to destroy me. If I'm not careful, I will forget all the good they had in my life and let a few months of disagreement ruin all the good years of hospitality shown.

Christian, it is very important that you remember to be good to those who have been good to you in the past. Don't become so busy in life that you forget to remember and honor those who have been good to you. They had a part in your life, and the least you could do is take time to write them a note of thankfulness for their hospitality. It may be a teacher you had in school, a Sunday school teacher when you were growing up, a preacher in a previous church, or some person who took interest in you and helped you. Always take time to remember people who were good to you in the past.

Furthermore, don't let the bad that someone did against you cause you to forget their hospitality shown. I often have to remind myself that when people turn on me, it is not because they are bad people, in most cases it is because of sin. Sin caused them to turn. You must be careful not to let the small portion of bad erase all the good that they did. Sure, the bad is the last memory you have with them. If you are not careful you will let your last memories erase the major portion of the good. Take the whole picture in context and you will realize that the good they invested in you is greater than the bad.

Remembering hospitality will only be done by character. Set time aside each week to remember someone from the past who influenced you for good. Then, honor them or their family in some way for what they did. If you will do this, then you might rekindle a friendship. Likewise, if you will remember hospitality, then God will be sure that others will remember what you have done for them.

The Fine Line Between Faith and Stupidity

Deuteronomy 11:25

"There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you."

My dad would often make the statement that there is a fine line between faith and stupidity. Trying to determine that line can seem very difficult, but in reality it really is very easy to discern. When you are able to discern the line between faith and stupidity is when you will be able to do great things for God if you will learn to step out by faith.

I recently talked to a preacher friend about the subject of faith. He told me that he patterned his life after doing whatever God told him to do even if it didn't make sense. For many years he traveled as an evangelist before he became a pastor. He told me that when he stepped out in evangelism that he didn't have any meetings, but he knew he was supposed to go in evangelism. God blessed that decision and used him in many churches to be a help.

I recall when I stepped out in evangelism, I only had four meetings on my calendar. If a preacher asked me if I had any openings, honestly, I could look forward and backwards and see many openings. Stepping out in evangelism seemed foolish to many people because I wasn't traveling at the moment, and I only had four meetings on my calendar. However, I obeyed because I knew God wanted me to step out into full-time evangelism. Though that step of faith seemed foolish to many, it didn't seem that foolish to me as I knew that God wanted me to be an evangelist.

So, you wonder what is that fine line between faith and stupidity? God said in the verse above, "There shall no man be able to stand before you:..." What a promise from God! In the previous verses God showed Israel how they could have this confidence. Two things were needed to have this confidence. First, obedience to God's commandments. Second, obedience to God's leading. If they obeyed everything that God commanded them to do in His Word, and if they would step out by faith and go forward and conquer the land, then the promise in the verse above applied to them. The fine line between faith and stupidity is simply doing whatever God commands you to do.

Christian, this may not sound that simple, but it really is. Was it hard for the children of Israel to go forward in the land of Canaan and conquer these cities? Sure it was! There were renown cities that were known for their feats. When they came to the city of Jericho, it seemed foolish for them to try and conquer it, but by faith they obeyed and God came through. That fine line was not so fine when obeyed by faith.

For those who have a hard time living by faith, the line between faith and stupidity seems very fine. On the other hand, for those who know to live by faith, the fine line between faith and stupidity is very obvious for that line is simply making sure that God wants you to do it. Christian, it is as simple as knowing that God wants you to do something. If God tells you to do something, then do it. However, if you are not sure that God wants you to do something, then you better be careful because you don't want to cross the line into stupidity. Stupidity is acting on your own ideas and feelings, even if they make since. Faith is acting on God's Word to you, even though His Word may seem stupid to others. As long as you do what God tells you to do, then you have nothing to worry about. God will always be there for you when obey His commands.

People Are Not the Problem

Numbers 22:6

"Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."

The story of Balaam is certainly one of the more popular stories in the Scriptures because of his incident with his donkey. However, in this story we will miss some important truths if all we do is focus on that one incident. One of those truths is when Balak thought his problem was Israel. He saw that they were more powerful than he, and that his power was at risk because of them. In the verse above, he asked Balaam to come and curse the people. Balak's problem was that he was focused on the people, and not on the real issue at hand, his sin. Balak simply used people as a deflection from the real problem, and that is why he wanted them killed.

People will often make the same mistake the Balak made in making people the problem and not sin. You will find from the story above several reasons why people are attacked. They are attacked because we feel we may lose our power. You will notice that Balak said that Israel was "...too mighty for me:..." He was more afraid that he would lose his own power than he was with dealing with the issue.

I have found that when people attack you that many times it is because they feel they are going to lose their power. People by nature love power. If you are a threat to their power and if they are not spiritual, then they will attack you. You must not take their attacks personally, for their problem is sin.

Another reason people will attack is because they are afraid they will lose their position. Balak knew that if Israel destroyed his country that his position would be gone. With position comes benefits. Balak was more concerned with benefits than he was with doing right. Christian, when you become more concerned with the benefits that come with your position than you are with the people you are to help, then you have real issues.

When Balak displayed his desire to curse Israel, he revealed his heart. It is evil to want to destroy a person. It is never our right to try to destroy or take someone down, that only belongs to God. Romans 12:19 says, "...Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Whenever you are out to destroy people, then you are revealing the evil in your heart.

Let me make this clear to you, the problem is not people, the problem is sin. You must be careful in your fight against sin that you don't let people be your target. We are not fighting against people, we are fighting against sin. Sure, people commit the sin, and they will be our opponent, but they are not the enemy, the enemy is sin. When we fight the true enemy of sin, then we can salvage the person and help them. Your whole desire in fighting sin should be to help bring people to the position where they can be right with God. Be careful that you don't become so involved in the fight against sin that you start trying to destroy the individual. Stay focused on the real issue, which is sin. If you will fight sin properly, then you will be able to help those who are involved in it. That should be your heart's desire.

At the Commandment of the LORD

Numbers 9:23

"At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses."

One of the things I am always amazed with is how Christians are more reliant on man's word than they are the Word of God. I recently had a pastor tell me a story about a church member who came to his office asking him to tell them that they needed him to help them make decisions about every little detail in their life. This member had recently joined his church, and they told him that they would weekly go to their previous pastor about every decision in their life. This pastor wisely told this new church member that they needed to learn to walk with God and let His Word dictate their decision making.

Twice it says in Numbers 9, that the children of Israel were to move "...at the commandment of the LORD." They were not to journey unless God commanded them, and they were not to rest unless God commanded them. You will notice they were not to move at the commandment of Moses, but at the commandment of the LORD. The reason the emphasis was made to move at the LORD's commandment is because the LORD's commandment never changes, but leadership will change. If the people were focused on the LORD, then they would never have to be concerned with what to do.

If you want to know the commandment of the LORD, then you are going to have to have a personal relationship with Him. One of the biggest reasons Christians run to man and not the LORD is because they don't have a personal relationship with Him. If you are not careful, you will become too busy to have a relationship with God. One of the biggest reasons you need to have a daily time with God is so that you will know how to move in your life. If you don't have a personal relationship with the LORD, then you won't know His commandments.

Christian, stop looking to a man for what to do in life. I'm afraid that Christians have become idolators. What I mean by this statement is that there are many Christians who will follow what man says over what God's Word commands. Though God uses human authority to guide us, the human authority should never replace God's in your life. Before you ever run to man to decide what to do, you should always run to God.

Moreover, don't allow man to move into God's place in your life. When any man tells you that you don't need to go to God, but you need to go to them, then stop following that man and follow God. No pastor or authority should ever replace God in your life. Yes, your man of God can counsel you, but he should never take God's place.

When you learn to let God's Word become the final authority in your life, then you will find that your life will become stable. Avoid those who try to micromanage your life, for that will cause you to become dependent upon man. Any true man of God will want you to learn how to become dependent upon God. He will point you to God if he is what he ought to be. Whenever you need to make decisions in your life, then run to God and ask Him what you should do. Learn to be a Christian who only moves "at the commandment of the LORD."

Harboring Ill Feelings

Leviticus 19:17-18

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

One of my chores when I was a boy pulling the weeds in the flower bed. The easiest time for me to take care of the weeds was when they were in their infancy stage of growth and the roots were not deep in the soil. Every once in awhile I would get behind on pulling weeds, and trying to pull the weeds once their roots had grown deep into the soil was no easy task. The best time to take care of the weeds was when they first started growing.

One of the common principles of the Scriptures is caring for the root of the problem before it is fully grown. In the verse above, God dealt with harboring ill feelings towards people. You will notice that God said that we are not to hate our brother in our heart. In other words, that hatred is not visible to the outside, but it is in our heart. God knew that if someone did not deal with their hatred in their heart that it would eventually grow into bitter feelings and actions. God went further by saying, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,..." You will notice again that God commands us not to hold grudges against people. A grudge is carrying resentment towards someone in our heart for something that happened in the past. God understood that harboring a grudge will eventually destroy a good relationship.

Every married person must be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their spouse. Carrying a grudge against your spouse will not help your marriage. In fact, it will only cause problems that can become irreparable if you let them go too long. The best time for married couples to deal with problems that they have with each other is in the infancy stage. When your spouse has done something to hurt you, be honest with them and deal with it so that it doesn't go any further.

Children must be careful about harboring a grudge against their parents. There are many children who hold grudges against their parents only to see the grudge turn into bitter feelings that are carried into their adult years. If you have problems with your parents, then sit down and talk to them in a reasonable matter. Don't become accusatory, but in a humble spirit talk to them.

Christians must also be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their pastor or other Christian brethren. There are many Christians who quit serving God because they never dealt with ill feelings in their infancy stage. Instead, they let those feelings fester to the point where they become bitter at God and anything that has to do with Him. If they had dealt with the problem in the infancy stage, bitterness and anger would not have set in.

God says in Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Christian, be careful about allowing hatred in your heart. The only feeling that we should have towards others is love. If someone does something that hurts you, then be Christian enough to deal with it immediately and in a proper attitude so that hatred will have no place in your heart.

Harboring Ill Feelings

Leviticus 19:17-18

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

One of my chores when I was a boy pulling the weeds in the flower bed. The easiest time for me to take care of the weeds was when they were in their infancy stage of growth and the roots were not deep in the soil. Every once in awhile I would get behind on pulling weeds, and trying to pull the weeds once their roots had grown deep into the soil was no easy task. The best time to take care of the weeds was when they first started growing.

One of the common principles of the Scriptures is caring for the root of the problem before it is fully grown. In the verse above, God dealt with harboring ill feelings towards people. You will notice that God said that we are not to hate our brother in our heart. In other words, that hatred is not visible to the outside, but it is in our heart. God knew that if someone did not deal with their hatred in their heart that it would eventually grow into bitter feelings and actions. God went further by saying, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people,..." You will notice again that God commands us not to hold grudges against people. A grudge is carrying resentment towards someone in our heart for something that happened in the past. God understood that harboring a grudge will eventually destroy a good relationship.

Every married person must be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their spouse. Carrying a grudge against your spouse will not help your marriage. In fact, it will only cause problems that can become irreparable if you let them go too long. The best time for married couples to deal with problems that they have with each other is in the infancy stage. When your spouse has done something to hurt you, be honest with them and deal with it so that it doesn't go any further.

Children must be careful about harboring a grudge against their parents. There are many children who hold grudges against their parents only to see the grudge turn into bitter feelings that are carried into their adult years. If you have problems with your parents, then sit down and talk to them in a reasonable matter. Don't become accusatory, but in a humble spirit talk to them.

Christians must also be careful about harboring ill feelings towards their pastor or other Christian brethren. There are many Christians who quit serving God because they never dealt with ill feelings in their infancy stage. Instead, they let those feelings fester to the point where they become bitter at God and anything that has to do with Him. If they had dealt with the problem in the infancy stage, bitterness and anger would not have set in.

God says in Ephesians 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Christian, be careful about allowing hatred in your heart. The only feeling that we should have towards others is love. If someone does something that hurts you, then be Christian enough to deal with it immediately and in a proper attitude so that hatred will have no place in your heart.

Have You Forgot?

Exodus 1:13-14

"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

The world has nothing to offer but hard times. I fear too many Christians forget what the world did to them before they got saved and go back to it only to experience the heartache that they came out of. Egypt is a type of the world. In the verses above, God tells us what Egypt did to the children of Israel. What Egypt did to Israel is the same as what the world will do to every person. We must be careful not to forget what the world did.

Let me ask you, have you forgotten the cruelty of the world? The word "rigour" means cruelty. The world's service is always cruel to those who serve it. If you don't believe me, just look at Hollywood and the rock musicians who serve the world and see for yourself how cruel the world is to people. Drugs, alcohol and family violence are the result of the world's cruelty. Don't every forget the pain the world's lifestyle caused you. It has nothing to offer but a cruel lifestyle.

Have you forgotten the bitterness of the world? It says that Egypt "made their lives bitter." There is nothing that will leave you more bitter than the world. Many people come to mind who wouldn't listen to the Word of God and lived a worldly lifestyle only to see the end of that lifestyle leave them bitter. Naomi left the land of blessings to come back a bitter woman. Samson left the will of God to end up in bitterness as he ground the corn in the prison cell. Christian, the world will bring you temporary happiness, but it will leave you with lifelong bitterness.

Have you forgotten the bondage of the world? The children of Israel were not free to do as they pleased, because they were in bondage to Egypt. Likewise, the world will bind you with the cords of sin and control you. If you are honest with yourself, every sin the world has to offer has ropes that will bind and control you. Don't forget how the vices of this world may bring temporary highs, but they always leave you bound to their command.

Have you forgotten the world's carelessness? It says in the verse above, "...they made them serve, was with rigour." The world doesn't care for you. The world only cared for the prodigal when he had something to offer, but when he had nothing they forsook him. Likewise, the world could care less about you when you are empty. Don't forget that it was God Who cared for you when you were in life's gutter. The world left you to die, but God was the One Who cared and rescued you.

Christian, why would you want to go back to the world? If you go back to the world, it will treat you the same way it treated you before you came out. Don't have a short-term memory about the world's treatment, rather remember how they left you. Stay away from the world and its offers, for they will only bring you heartache. Young person, learn from those who have experienced the pain of the world. Don't think you are better than they. Always remember that God is the only One Who can give you the joy and freedom that you desire. Don't forget!

Have You Forgot?

Exodus 1:13-14

"And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour."

The world has nothing to offer but hard times. I fear too many Christians forget what the world did to them before they got saved and go back to it only to experience the heartache that they came out of. Egypt is a type of the world. In the verses above, God tells us what Egypt did to the children of Israel. What Egypt did to Israel is the same as what the world will do to every person. We must be careful not to forget what the world did.

Let me ask you, have you forgotten the cruelty of the world? The word "rigour" means cruelty. The world's service is always cruel to those who serve it. If you don't believe me, just look at Hollywood and the rock musicians who serve the world and see for yourself how cruel the world is to people. Drugs, alcohol and family violence are the result of the world's cruelty. Don't every forget the pain the world's lifestyle caused you. It has nothing to offer but a cruel lifestyle.

Have you forgotten the bitterness of the world? It says that Egypt "made their lives bitter." There is nothing that will leave you more bitter than the world. Many people come to mind who wouldn't listen to the Word of God and lived a worldly lifestyle only to see the end of that lifestyle leave them bitter. Naomi left the land of blessings to come back a bitter woman. Samson left the will of God to end up in bitterness as he ground the corn in the prison cell. Christian, the world will bring you temporary happiness, but it will leave you with lifelong bitterness.

Have you forgotten the bondage of the world? The children of Israel were not free to do as they pleased, because they were in bondage to Egypt. Likewise, the world will bind you with the cords of sin and control you. If you are honest with yourself, every sin the world has to offer has ropes that will bind and control you. Don't forget how the vices of this world may bring temporary highs, but they always leave you bound to their command.

Have you forgotten the world's carelessness? It says in the verse above, "...they made them serve, was with rigour." The world doesn't care for you. The world only cared for the prodigal when he had something to offer, but when he had nothing they forsook him. Likewise, the world could care less about you when you are empty. Don't forget that it was God Who cared for you when you were in life's gutter. The world left you to die, but God was the One Who cared and rescued you.

Christian, why would you want to go back to the world? If you go back to the world, it will treat you the same way it treated you before you came out. Don't have a short-term memory about the world's treatment, rather remember how they left you. Stay away from the world and its offers, for they will only bring you heartache. Young person, learn from those who have experienced the pain of the world. Don't think you are better than they. Always remember that God is the only One Who can give you the joy and freedom that you desire. Don't forget!