Baptist City Blog

I am at that age when the eyes don't see as good as they used to. I am the only one in my family who has never had to wear glasses. In fact, when I was in my early twenties, the eye doctor told me that my eyesight was the best of all his patients.

What is truth? That has been the battle of the ages. It doesn't matter in what form the battle comes; it has always been over truth. The importance of knowing what truth is can never be underestimated because it determines what you should and should not do. The Apostle, in his greeting to Titus, claims his position based upon “the acknowledging of the truth.” His basis of truth shows us the impact of truth on one’s life.

Sometimes, the only defense against the onslaught of attacks from those who desire to destroy you is your testimony. Paul warned Timothy that there would come a day when his testimony would“both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” There were three things that Timothy was to guard carefully so that his testimony would continue to be his defense.

When I was a boy, there was a time when candy cigarettes were the thing every child wanted. I remember asking my mother if I could have candy cigarettes only to hear her respond with an emphatic, “No!” I asked my mother why I couldn't have candy cigarettes, and she said, “We don't play sin in our house.” When other parents thought my parents were too strict, they understood that if you play sin, you will eventually try it for real.

We often hear how the NFL tells the players that it is a privilege to work for them. Very few people get the privilege of working in the NFL. It isn’t a right to work for the NFL, but only a select few get to work for them. When they remind their players that it is a privilege, they are also telling them that they need to conduct themselves in a worthy manner as is becoming to the organization.

Paul talks about a “thorn in the flesh” that was given to him by God. Three times he asked God to remove the thorn, but God’s answer is seen in the verse above when He says, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” As much as Paul wanted this thorn removed, this thorn was his story of grace. His thorn showed God’s power in his life. If the thorn were removed, the story of grace could not be seen. Paul’s dialogue with God shows us several reasons that God gives us a“thorn in the flesh.”

Years ago, they came out with a lawn mower that was self-starting. I remember them advertising how you would never again have to pull the rope to start the engine. That was a great selling point for anyone who had a lawn mower that was hard to start. Having a self-starting engine made it much easier for the owner when they wanted to mow their lawn.

“Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.”

What God did for Israel was truly miraculous. To take a nation from Egypt and bring them through the wilderness and into the Promised Land could only have been done by the hand of God. Not only was God’s deliverance miraculous, but the infrastructure He gave them was second to none.

I was driving down a country road with a preacher when we came upon a piece of land that was in the beginning stages of being transformed into a construction site to build a large edifice. I commented to this preacher that it is amazing how they take a piece of land, envision what they are going to build on it, and then they transform it into that image. Eventually, that piece of real estate will become a beautiful building that will be used to help many people.

One battle that every Christian battles is the battle over sin. It doesn't matter who you are, how long you have been saved or what position you hold in a church; you are going to have a daily battle with sin. For anyone to say otherwise is simply a lie. 1 John 1:8 clearly shows that everyone battles sin when it says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”