Baptist City Blog

Hebrews 2:18

"For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

When you need someone to work on something that is broken, you want a qualified technician who knows what they are doing. When I go to get my car worked on, I look for the badge on the mechanic's uniform that shows they are a qualified technician. Why do we look for someone who is a qualified technician? Because we want someone who has been trained to deal with our problems because they will know best how to fix and repair what is wrong.

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2 Thessalonians 3:10

"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat."

One of the things that contributes to the destruction of a society is when people loathe work. One of the first things God commanded Adam to do in the Garden of Eden was to work. When you study the Scriptures, you will find that the first thing we see God doing is working. When a society or a person avoids work, then they are avoiding one of the first principles that God set up.

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Philippians 2:20-21

"For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."

Superstars don't win championships, but teams do. Developing a team mentality is important to any organization being successful. With a likeminded team, you will find division and an unhealthy competition between team members will be absent. It is vitally important to develop a likeminded team if you are going to be successful in whatever you do.

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Ephesians 1:5

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

Predestination often scares many people, but when you look at what it is, there is nothing to avoid. When God talks about us be "predestinated," He is talking about a plan that He has for everyone who would ever be created. In reality, you could say that everyone was chosen, because God had a plan before they were ever born. Before there was a world, God planned three things for every person. It is their choice whether or not to accept their destiny, but if they accept it they will find a great result. Let me show you the three areas where God has a plan for everyone.

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Galatians 2:12

"For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision."

Being accepted by the crowd is a desire from childhood. Clothing and hair styles become popular because people have a desire to be accepted by the popular crowd. It doesn't matter the age of an individual because people from all ages will oftentimes do whatever it takes to be accepted by the crowd.

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2 Corinthians 12:10

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

The journey to pleasure has been fraudulently twisted by advertisers and Hollywood. One would think that pleasure comes with no adversity in life. One would think that vice, wealth or possessions are the key to pleasure, but this is not true. You will find in 2 Corinthians 12 that there is a journey to pleasure. This journey is oftentimes hated and avoided, but you will never have true pleasure in life without taking the journey God prescribes to pleasure. Let me show you several steps on this journey.

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1 Corinthians 1:27

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;"

Can you remember as a child being on the playground and everyone lined up to be chosen to play a game? If you were not the one choosing, your greatest fear was being the last one chosen. Everyone knew that the last couple of people chosen were normally the ones who were not that good at the game about ready to be played.

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Acts 26:22

"Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:"

One of the greatest battles that the Christian will fight will be to continue. I have watched people who started right, but veered off into false doctrine. I have watched Christians who started right, then they quit when the times got tough. I have watched Christians who started right, but turned back or coasted when they got tired. I have also seen Christians who started and continued on until the day they died. That is the type of Christian I want to be.

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Acts 21:4

"And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem."

Coincidence, happenstance or chance are the words we often use when a concurrence of circumstances or events happen without any apparent connection. What one can overlook very easily is that maybe this is the providence of God in one's life trying say something to them to either warn or guide them down a certain path. One must realize that there are no coincidences with God, and everything that happens in life happens for a reason.

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Acts 16:35

"And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go."

The magistrates made a mistake with Paul and Silas by imprisoning them on hearsay. They mistakenly followed the accusations of the mob, and sent soldiers to have them openly arrested. The problem was that the next morning they realized their mistake and wanted to privately release Paul and Silas. Paul's response was, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." Paul wanted the same people who arrested them openly to release them in open view so the city understood the mistake.

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