Baptist City Blog

Not Divided

2 Samuel 1:23

"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions."

It is interesting that the verse above says that Saul and Jonathan were not divided. If I recall correctly, there were times when the Scriptures clearly show that Saul and Jonathan were not on the same page. You will recall when Jonathan and his armor bearer fought the Philistines, that Jonathan ate some honey against Saul's commandment. Jonathan plainly told the people that his father made a mistake commanding the troops not to eat anything. Then there was the relationship between Jonathan and David. Saul clearly had a problem with Jonathan being so close to David. They disagreed so much so that one time Saul threw a javelin at Jonathan because he was so angry over the situation.

So, what does it mean that they were not divided? It means that they didn't let their disagreements divide them from their purpose. Sure, Saul and Jonathan had disagreements, but they did not let their disagreements keep them from working together for the purpose they both agreed upon.

I think of Paul and Barnabas who could have learned this truth from Saul and Jonathan. Paul and Barnabas both agreed upon their purpose, but they let a disagreement over John Mark divide them. A team that was so strong together was separated over a disagreement. One could only imagine what could have been accomplished if they would not have allowed their preferential disagreement to divide them from their purpose.

The key to every relationship is to not allow your disagreements to divide you from your purpose. In every relationship there will be disagreements because no two people will agree on everything; but, you must not allow your disagreements to divide you over your purpose of what you are trying to accomplish. If you will learn in your relationships to set aside your preferential disagreements for your purpose, then you can accomplish great things together.

Marital relationships must be careful not to allow preferential disagreements to divide their marriage. Let's be honest with each other, you are not going to always agree with your spouse, but you can still stay happily married. You must be careful that you don't let your preferential disagreements divide your marriage and cause a divorce.

In work or business relationships there are going to be preferential disagreements. If you want a business partnership to work, then both sides of the partnership are going to have set aside the preferential disagreements for the cause of succeeding in business. Certainly you will disagree with how some things need to be done, but you can't let that distract you from your original purpose of why you went into business with each other.

Likewise, we must be careful about allowing preferential disagreements to divide us in Christianity. I am not talking about compromise, but I am talking about allowing methods and personalities to divide us from the purpose of getting the Gospel out to a world. In our independent, fundamental Baptist world we are so easily divided over preferential disagreements that we are splintered. Let's be careful not to fight over preferential disagreements. Let's not let these disagreements divide us from the purpose of our cause.

Always remember that everyone will not always do things like you do them, but don't let that divide you from each other. Disagreements are a part of every relationship, but division does not have to come because of them. Learn to set aside your preferential disagreements and work together on that with which you do agree. This is how relationships last a lifetime.

A Youth Leading Men

1 Samuel 18:5

"And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants."

You rarely find a youth who is mature enough to be in any leadership position, much less leading men into war. The verse above says that David was"set...over the men of war." You must understand that David just killed Goliath. That feat may seem to be something that is worthy of promotion, but David was only seventeen years of age when he defeated Goliath. So, here is a young man who was given position to lead men into war at the young age of seventeen.

The amazing thing about this position that was given to David was that the men accepted his role as their leader. You often see young people given position at a young age, but rarely do you find that these young people are accepted by those whom they lead, especially those who are much older than they. I often see in the ministry pastors give their children a position in their ministry, but the people are not accepting of this leadership role. Though they won't tell the pastor their feeling, it can be seen in how they truly follow that person. We find in this story that there were two things that caused David to be accepted in this leadership role.

First, he earned the right to lead by killing Goliath. A person needs to earn the right to be given position. Position should never be inherited; it should be earned. The men of Israel accepted David's leadership role because he accomplished something. If a person doesn't have something that they have accomplished, then they should not be given a leadership role. Accomplishment is like a college degree to a position. Accomplishment validates that a person deserves the right to hold that position. If they have never accomplished anything, then they should never be given a leadership role.

Furthermore, the degree of the accomplishment should determine the degree of the leadership role. David didn't just kill anyone, he killed someone that nobody else could kill or even tried to kill. If a person wants a high ranking leadership role, then they need to accomplish something that nobody else has ever done.

Second, David behaved himself in a wise manner. Though he was a youth, he didn't act like a youth. I have watched people hold leadership roles who didn't behave themselves as was becoming to their position. If a person doesn't behave themselves rightly before they have position, then you can be guaranteed that they won't behave themselves wisely after they acquire a leadership role. Leadership is not a right, it is something earned. You partly earn that role by doing right in front of people and when they are not looking.

Finally, David did not look for a role of leadership. People who want leadership roles don't deserve it. The best way for you to acquire a leadership role is to do right because it is right to do. Don't seek to be a leader, just do what you are supposed to do. You will find that when you do what you are supposed to do and accomplish things that others are not able to accomplish that leadership roles will find you.

Helpful Hills

Psalm 121:1

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

The Psalmist said that he would get his help from the hills. Hills are often a place of refreshment. They are often hard to climb, but once you are at the top you can find the refreshment that you need. When I look in the Scriptures, I find there are several hills that every Christian needs to climb.

First, there is the hill of Golgotha. Golgotha is the place where our sins were paid. The first hill we need to climb is Golgotha, and you climb this hill by accepting Christ as your personal Saviour. The Word of God is of no value to you without the hill of Golgotha. Have you experienced this hill in your life? Has there been a time when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour. This hill is helpful because it is the hill that allows us to skip Hell so that we can go to Heaven.

The second hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Sinai. This is the place where Moses received the first five books of the Bible. In other words, you get your help everyday by spending time in the Word of God. This hill is what will give you your spiritual nourishment for the day. This hill is where you find the answers for your life. Without this hill you will become spiritually undernourished. Christian, you must visit this hill everyday of your life so that you can let God's Word guide you throughout your day.

The third hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Carmel. This is the place where Elijah prayed fire down from Heaven to consume the altar. This is the hill where the four hundred prophets of Baal were killed. Every Christian needs the power of God. You don't get this power from man, but you get it from God. You will never be the Christian God intends for you to be without having His power on your life. How do you get this power? Elijah saw it through prayer. You must spend time daily in prayer if you want the help of God's power on your life.

The fourth hill that you need in your life is the hill of Mt. Moriah. This is the place where Abraham took Isaac to give him as a sacrifice to God. In other words, every Christian needs a time in their life when they will be willing to sacrifice everything they have for the cause of Christ. There must come a time when there is nothing in your life that God cannot have. Have you experienced this hill yet? This is the hill when God becomes number one in your life. When God becomes the One Whom you seek first, then you will see God's blessings in a great way. Christian, you must visit the Mt. Moriah of your life and be willing to give God anything He wants if you want God to use you.

The last hill that you need in your life is the hill of Transfiguration. This is the hill where Jesus was transfigured into His glorified body in front of the three disciples. You need the hill in your life where God changes you into His image. It is on this hill where God begins the great works through your life. Though you will still live in your body of flesh, you need God to transfigure you into His image so that this world can see Christ through you.

Have you visited these hills? It is at these hills where you get your help for the Christian life. Instead of lifting your eyes to the world and man to get your help, lift your eyes to these hills to get your help. These hills are where you will find the help you need to live the Christian life on a daily basis.

My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

David personalized the fact that the LORD was his shepherd. You will notice that he did not call the LORD our shepherd, but he called Him "my shepherd." David understood that the LORD is a personal God. He understood that unless He made the LORD a personal God, then he would not allow Him to guide him into the right places.

Christian, let me ask you, is the LORD your shepherd? I know it is easy to say that He is, but when I look at Christianity I see that the LORD is not the shepherd of many Christians. Often, these Christians who audibly call the LORD their shepherd live in such a manner that depicts that they have another shepherd. Let me help you determine whether the LORD is your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will feed in His pastures. I find many Christians are going to other pastures to be fed. The LORD is not your shepherd if you are feeding from the trash of the world. Don't tell me that the LORD is your shepherd when you would rather emulate the world more than living the life of Christ. If the LORD is truly your shepherd, you will want to live no other life than the Christian life. The pastures that you should feed from are the Christian life. You can always tell who a sheep belongs to by seeing in whose pasture they are feeding. If the LORD is truly one's shepherd, then they will unashamedly live in the pastures of the Christian life. They won't try to hide the fact that they are a Christian. They will dress and talk like a Christian because they live in the pastures of the LORD.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will drink from His waters. What is it that refreshes your soul? Do you find yourself drinking from the waters of the liberals? Do you find yourself drinking the waters of liberal authors? Do you find yourself drinking the waters of the internet? Unless you go to the water of the Word of God to be refreshed, then the LORD is not your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will walk in the paths of righteousness. One of the tale-tale signs that the LORD is one's shepherd is when you see them living a righteous life. Your lifestyle will ultimately show whether the LORD is your shepherd. If you're walking in the paths of adultery, the LORD is not your shepherd. If you are walking in the paths of gossip, the LORD is not your shepherd. If you are walking in the paths of liberal Christianity, then the LORD is not your shepherd. Christian, it is important that you choose the right paths to walk, for those paths will determine if the LORD is your shepherd.

If the LORD is your shepherd, then you will eat at the table He has prepared for you. Sometimes you may not like what the LORD prepares for you, but you will eat from it. Sometimes He will put an easy life to eat, but there will also come times when He puts hardships for you to eat. It isn't always pleasant to eat what the LORD puts in front of you, but if He is your shepherd, then you will eat it for you will understand that it is best for you.

What is the benefit of the LORD being your shepherd? The benefit is that you "shall not want." In other words, if you will allow the LORD to be your shepherd, he will make sure that you will not lack in any area of life. He will provide all of your needs. Let me encourage you to let the LORD lead you in every area of life. Let Him be your shepherd and you will find that you will never lack in any area of life.

Grabbing God's Attention

Acts 10:31

"And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God."

There will come a time in everyone's life when you will need God's attention to get a prayer answered. It may be a health issue that you are facing, a serious situation that you are facing in your life, a financial calamity or a family situation. In times like these, it would be good to find out how to grab God's attention so that you can get His help. I find in the Scriptures there are some things that grabs God's attention and if you will do them it will help you in your time of need.

First, praying grabs God's attention. You will notice in the verse above that Cornelius prayed. God says in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Nothing grabs the attention of God like prayer. Daniel prayed and got God's attention. Elijah prayed and got God's attention. Hezekiah prayed and grabbed God's attention. The publican prayed and got God's attention. You will NEVER grab God's attention without prayer. Prayer is the avenue God uses to give us what we need. If you have a need, then you must go to God in prayer to grab His attention.

Second, giving grabs God's attention. Not only did the prayers of Cornelius grab God's attention, but his giving helped God to remember him. If there is any reason for you to give, it is so that you can grab God's attention when you need it. We are reminded in Luke 21:2-3 that giving grabs God's attention when it says, "And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:" You will notice it was not the amount that grabbed God's attention, but the sacrificial amount that she gave. You don't have to have a lot of money to give to get God's attention, but you must be willing to give sacrificially to grab God's attention.

Third, helping children grabs God's attention. Genesis 21:17 says, "And God heard the voice of the lad;..." This was the cry of Ishmael when Hagar was thrown out of her house. God has a special place in His heart for children. One of the reasons it would be wise to be involved in a church ministry that helps children is so that you can grab God's attention when you need it. When a church is aggressive about reaching children, I believe they will be able to grab God's attention. Likewise, when a Christian will be involved in helping children, they will find that God's ear is more open to their prayers.

Fourth, soul winning grabs God's attention. Psalm 126:5-6 says, "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." The heartbeat of God is to reach the lost for Christ. When a Christian is aggressively trying to reach the lost, they will find that God will do His part is helping them in their time of need.

One of the mistakes most people make is to wait till they need God's attention to start doing these things. Christian, don't wait till you need God's attention to start doing these things, but start doing these things before you need His attention. If you have God's attention before you need it, then it will be easier to get from God what you need in your time of need. Find a way to do these things on a daily basis so that you can daily get God's attention.

The Greatest Need of Every Hour

Acts 1:14

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

I was talking to a friend of mine one day about the problems that churches face when he asked me what was wrong with the churches of today. There is no doubt that churches, whether big or small, face huge problems. My response was that too many churches have left the prayer closet and started doing everything under their own power and wisdom. This lack of prayer has led to sin in the church and results that are not lasting.

The church in the Book of Acts understood the importance of prayer. Not many days after Jesus ascended to Heaven you will find the church was in the upper room praying for God's power to fall upon them. Throughout the Book of Acts you find the theme of the church was prayer. In their time of need they went to God in prayer, and in the time of success, as seen in the verse above, they continued in prayer. They didn't stop praying when success came, but they continued to pray.

The greatest need of this hour is prayer. Nothing is a substitute for prayer. You may have all the wisdom, but without prayer your wisdom will not give the results it should give. You can preach strongly against sin, but without prayer sin will continue to run rampant in the church. You can have the knowledge of how to build a church, but without prayer the results of growth will be temporary. You will never experience what God intended for you to experience without prayer.

Why is it that prayer has been neglected? The reason its been neglected is because it takes work to pray. There are many things in the Scriptures that are easily followed, but prayer is one of those things that takes work. The reason it takes work is because you are entering a spiritual warfare every time you enter your prayer closet. Yes, you may be regular in your Bible reading, but you will find it is easy to read the Bible once you start, whereas praying never becomes easy. Winning people to Christ can become something of habit, but you will find that prayer will be the hardest thing to make a habit. Prayer is so easily neglected because of the work it takes to pray.

Let me challenge you in this devotional not to neglect your prayer life. A prayer life will give you the power you need to face your daily life. A prayer life will give you the strength to overcome sin's temptation. A prayer life will give you the energy you need to keep going during life's toughest times. Your prayer life is imperative to the health of your spiritual well-being.

Christian, you must daily schedule a time to pray if you are going to be successful in this area. Furthermore, you must not allow anything to take you from your time of prayer. The greatest need in your life is prayer. Moreover, be sure to continue in prayer when you see success. Make prayer a staple of your life. There are some things you may cut back on in your life, but never cut back on prayer.

Dealing with Accusations

John 8:3

"And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,"

Accusations are easy to throw out, but just because someone has been accused of something does not mean that they are guilty. The scribes and Pharisees accused this woman of being caught in the act of adultery. That is a very serious accusation to hurl at someone. Yet, when Jesus heard this accusation He dealt with it in a godly manner. Jesus' goal in handling this accusation was to be sure it was true and to restore the one who was fallen if they were guilty.

When someone accuses another of something in your presence, how you handle that accusation could make or break your credibility. If you handle the accusation in a wrong manner, it could stain your credibility for a long time. On the other hand, if you handle the accusation in a right manner it could not only save the one who was accused of being destroyed, but it could also save your name. Dealing with accusations must be handled in a deliberate manner. Let me give you several thoughts on how to handle accusations.

First, don't believe the accusation just because it has been given. You should always fall on the side of innocent until proven guilty when you first hear the accusation. Just because someone says it is true does not make it true. You may even trust the person who gave the accusation, but every person is capable of making mistakes. Whenever you hear an accusation about anyone, your immediate response is that they should be innocent.

Second, don't move quickly. Just because someone else wants you to move quickly does not mean you have to move at their speed. You need time to deliberately work through the accusation. Many people have had their name soiled because they moved quickly through the accusation without giving time to find the whole truth. It would be wiser to move slower than faster.

Third, always get the story from the other side before determining your opinion. It is never right to take one person's word. The just thing to do is to ask the accused what they have to say. You will find out quickly that there are always two sides to a story. Even if your first opinion was right, how you came to that opinion was wrong if you didn't listen to both sides.

Fourth, ask God to guide you through the accusation. God can help you know the truth if you will ask Him. Your desire should be to come to the truth, and God certainly knows it. You will find that God will guide your mind down the right paths if you will ask Him to help you come to the knowledge of truth.

Fifth, don't cover up sin if you find out that sin has been committed. Dealing with sin truthfully is the best way to deal with it. It may not be easy, but to prevent further damage in the future it must be dealt with in a godly manner. This society is known for its coverups, and when you cover up it will always come back to get you in a greater way.

Unfortunately you will have to deal with accusations throughout your life. Be careful that you handle the accusations in a spiritual manner. When you follow God's method of handling accusations, then you will find that God will lead you to the truth.

Turning Enemies Into an Ally

Luke 6:27

"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,"

No matter who you are, how kind you are, or what kind of job you have, you will acquire enemies in your lifetime. There is no way you can do anything for God without getting someone upset with you. Sadly, I have watched people who were once good friends become bitter enemies. I have watched people who accomplished so much together become enemies. However, how you treat those who are your enemies is important for the sake of Christ. God tells us how we should treat those who become our enemies for the sake of turning them into an ally.

First, love your enemies. I know this sounds strange, but just because they are a bitter enemy doesn't mean that you can't love them. Remember, love is of God. When God loved the world He also loved His enemies. There are those who try to destroy everything that God is and wants, but God still loves them. As a Christian you are to love your enemies. Loving someone is a choice; therefore, you can choose to love those who fight against you. The reason you can love your enemy is because they are the one who chose to be your enemy. You didn't make a person your enemy, they chose to be your enemy. They consider themselves your enemy. Because this was their action and not yours, then you can choose to love them.

Second, do good to your enemies. Just because they mistreat you does not give you a right to mistreat them. As a Christian, you are not to fight people, but you are to fight sin. You can do good to them when they treat you wrongly. It is more important that you do right because you are supposed to than it is to treat them the same way they treat you.

Third, you are to be a blessing to your enemies. God commands you to bless your enemies. In other words, when you find a way to help them, do it. They may not want your blessings upon them, but they can't stop you from being a blessing. They may not understand it, but you must find a way to be a blessing to them so that they can have a good day.

Fourth, pray for them. The best way to change the heart of your enemy is to ask God to work on their heart. Christian, when is the last time you prayed in a positive manner about your enemy? Pray for God's protection. Pray for God to help them. Pray for God to allow a way that you can mend the fences. Ask God to help them do right. You don't have to preach at your enemy when you pray because God is the One Who works on their heart.

Verse 45 shows us that the reason we should treat our enemies right is because it reveals what our heart is like. If you have a good heart, then good will continually come for your heart even when you are not being treated right. How you treat your enemies shows what is truly in your heart. Your goal should be for God to turn your enemy into your ally. The best way to do that is to follow God's advice on how to treat your enemies.

Don't Limit God

Mark 6:41

"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all."

Have you ever driven a vehicle that someone put a limit on how fast it can go? There is nothing more frustrating than having the power to go faster, but not being able to do so because someone limited the power. When a limiter is placed on a vehicle, then it wastes the power that the engine is able to produce.

Humans are negative and doubtful by nature. It is rare to find someone who does not put a limit on their dreams or on what God can do. Often, when a person steps out and attempts something great, the naysayers begin to speak up and try to diffuse the energy of the one who is attempting great things for God.

Jesus had been teaching all day. The people were tired and hungry, and they needed something to eat. The disciples lack of faith in God's power caused them to tell Jesus to send the people away so that they could get something to eat. Instead of sending the people away, Jesus responded by saying, "Give ye them to eat." Jesus knew what He was going to do. Jesus knew that feeding five thousand people was not going to be too hard for Him. But, in order for the five thousand to be fed, the disciples had to obey what Jesus told them to do even when they couldn't see how it could be done. Because the disciples obeyed Jesus' command, five thousand people saw Jesus feed them with five loaves of bread and two fishes.

Imagine if the disciples didn't obey Jesus command to get the lunch from the boy? Imagine if the disciples questioned Jesus ability to feed this many people? Imagine if the disciples went against Jesus and simply sent the people home? If they would have done these things, then a boy would not have been blessed by giving his lunch, five thousand people would have gone home hungry, and this story would not be in the Scriptures. For this miracle to happen, the disciples had to obey what Jesus told them to do even when their faith was weak. If the disciples limited Jesus by their doubt, then this miracle would not have taken place.

The only thing that limits the power of God is doubt. When a Christian doubts whether God can do something, then they have put a limit on God's ability to do great works. Yes, God could choose to do everything on His own, but He chooses to do His works through people. The greatest works of God can only be done when people stop limiting what God can do.

The only thing that will keep God from doing something great through your life is doubt. When you doubt whether God can use you, you are limiting Him. When you doubt whether God can save a soul, then you are limiting Him. I have watched many Christians stifle what God could do simply because they let their doubt limit God.

It is normal for doubt to show up when God asks you to do something by faith, but you must not act on the voice of doubt. You must not allow doubt to be the voice of reason in your life. Most of the time when God asks you to do something by faith it will make no sense, but if you will act upon faith and not upon doubt, then God can do great works through you. Be careful about limiting God's power in your life. Don't put a limit on what God can do. If God tells you to do something, then obey His command. God can and will do great things through you if you don't limit Him. Don't waste God's power by limiting Him, but unleash His power by obeying what He tells you to do.

Getting God's Anointing

Matthew 21:43

"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

Having God's anointing on your life and ministry should be the desire of every Christian. When I talk about God's anointing, I am talking about God's blessings upon what you are doing. Having the anointing of God is what gives you power and authority to do God's work in a great way.

In the verse above, we learn that the key for God's anointing is to bring forth fruit. You will notice that God is talking to Israel as a nation. God blessed Israel for many years with His anointing, and this caused them to be the nation that every other nation looked to for the Gospel. However, Israel stopped carrying the Gospel and God gave His anointing to another nation. We can see in history that God gave England His anointing for many years, but when they stopped bearing fruit He gave that torch to another. America has been the nation for many years that has God's anointing, but if the churches in America continue not to bear fruit, then God will give this torch to another nation.

God is not obligated to keep His anointing on any nation. God does not owe any nation anything. Just because God anointed a nation in the past does not mean that He will continue to anoint that nation and make it the center for sending out preachers and missionaries around the world in the future. When a nation chooses an inward vision instead of an outward vision, then God will take His anointing from it.

Let me take this thought further. Throughout history God has blessed many churches with His anointing. Just in my lifetime I have seen many churches that God blessed in a tremendous way. I believe the reason He blessed them was because they had an outward vision. These churches were producing preachers. These churches were not just seeing souls saved, but they were discipling their converts and sending them out to be pastors, evangelists and missionaries around the world. These churches were responsible for seeing numerous churches started. Yet, when they changed their vision from an outward vision to an inward vision, God slowly took His anointing from them. If you want your church to have God's anointing on it, then you better make sure your church has that outward vision that bears fruit. Not just the fruit of winning souls, but the fruit of producing pastors, evangelists, missionaries and other churches.

Moreover, God has also placed His anointing on individuals. These individuals had God's blessings because they were interested in bearing fruit. Christian, God would love to place His anointing on you. The only way you will get God's anointing as an individual is to become a Christian who produces fruit. You should make your life about seeing people saved and discipling them to bring forth fruit themselves.

This world needs a nation that has God's anointing. Every nation needs a church that has God's anointing. Every church needs a pastor who has God's anointing. Every church also needs Christians who have God's anointing upon them. Would you be the one who would bring forth fruit so you can get God's anointing upon you? Don't let God's anointing be passed to another. Don't become history, but continue to make history by having God's anointing. The greatest need of today is for churches, pastors and Christians to have God's anointing.