Baptist City Blog

Jeremiah 5:5

"I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds."

When Jeremiah said, "I will get me unto the great men," he was showing from whom his principles, philosophies and direction in life would come. The word "great" is talking about older men. Jeremiah wasn't just going to men who were considered great in his day, but he considered older men who had known the way of the LORD to be great men. To Jeremiah it wasn't about how much they were known to others that considered them great, but he personally defined greatness as those of an older generation who had been where he wanted to go.

Years ago a man said to me, "Find you an older man and make him great." To be honest with you, I thought that he was teaching me to find an older man and help him become known. Yet, when you look at the verse above this man's statement doesn't mean that at all. What this man was telling me was that I needed to find some older man who was experienced and allow him to become great in my eyes. This counsel has helped me through life. I've always tried to surround myself with men older than me so that I will know the way of the LORD. I want men around me to guide me and correct me when I get away from the ways of the LORD. My desire for my life is to continue in the ways of the LORD until the day of my death. One thing that will help me do this is to find an older man and allow him to become great in my eyes.

If you are going to walk in the ways of the LORD, then you need to surround yourself with older people who have known and are practicing the ways of the LORD. These people don't have to be well-known people, they just need to be people who have served God their whole life and continue to serve Him. So, where do you find these older people whom you should make great?

First, look in your church for the older people. All around your church are elderly people whom you could make great. No, they won't be flashy, and they probably won't know all about technology, but they do know about the ways of the LORD. You need to get to know these people. These people need to become great in your eyes.

Second, get to know the older men and ladies who your pastor brings to your church. When I was a boy, I had the privilege of sitting with older people who came to our church. I would question them and watch them so I could learn. When your pastor has an elderly preacher and his wife come to your church, be sure to get around them. Spend time with them and learn what has made them who they are. Learn the ways of the LORD from them.

Third, read books from those of generations past. There are many people God has used in a great way who wrote books that are still around today. You would be wise to find these books and read them. Read the biographies of men and women from the past who knew the ways of the LORD. Make these people the ones who are great in your eyes.

Christian, get yourself unto the great men. They will not come running to you, you must go to them. They will not demand your attention, but you must give your attention. Learn from them the ways of the LORD so that you can continue in those ways and keep yourself from straying from what it is that God wants you to do.

Proverbs 29:4

"The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it."

Leaders of nations make serious decisions every day that will literally impact thousands of lives. One bad decision by a national leader can cause someone to lose their life. One bad decision by a country's leader can change the course of a nation for good or bad. Needless to say, a leader of a country needs to make sure they make right decisions.

In the verse above, God says that a leader will establish his country by allowing judgment to make his decision. On the other hand, God says that a leader who allows gifts to influence his decision making will destroy his country. God is trying to show the importance of making decision by judgment. What does it mean to make a decision by judgment? God is teaching that you need to allow principles to guide your decision making. He is teaching that a leader of a country needs to have several principles set in place to guide them through their decision making process so they can make the right decisions.

I recently read a discussion by a member of President George W. Bush's cabinet. In this discussion, this man was defending the intelligence of President Bush by telling about how they came about decisions. He said that President Bush would question the cabinet members and his advisors to help him in making his decisions. His cabinet members and advisors were the guides that helped him in making decisions as he led the United States. In essence, the information he received from the cabinet members and advisors were the principles that he followed in making decisions.

If it is important for the leader of a nation to make decisions by principle, then why would you think decisions about your life and the lives of those you influence are of any less importance? Yes, the realm of your decisions may not influence as many lives as the decision of a country's leader, but your decisions directly impact you and your family for generations to come. It is critical to make sure every decision you make is one that is decided by principle.

The best time to establish your principles in decision making is when you are not under the pressure of making a decision. When God said that a king who "receiveth gifts" is a king who will destroy his nation, He was teaching that feelings will always lead you to a wrong decision. Your feelings are based on the emotion of the moment. Depending on whether that moment you are in is adverse or profitable will determine whether or not you do something. Just because something feels good or seems right doesn't always make it a right decision. You must set your feelings aside and depend on your principles to guide you.

Friend, I encourage you to allow principles to guide you in your decision making. Sit down and literally write out the principles that will guide you through your decision making. Let those principles be guided by God's Word. Then, when you are faced with a decision, if you will run to your principles and let them guide you, then you will find that making a decision will not be that difficult.

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Are you amazed that God would use you? When I consider my weaknesses, I am stunned that our great God would use me. There are many times when I pray and ask God why He would use someone like me. I am constantly amazed that God could use me. I do not wonder because I doubt God's greatness, but I wonder because I realize my weaknesses.

In the verse above, God shows us the difference between His greatness and our weakness. In verse 6, God says that man is as the grass of the field. He also says that our goodness is like the flower of the field. It's interesting that God uses these things to show us how weak we are. As pretty as grass may be, it takes a constant watering for it to exist. When you look at the beauty of a flower, you are amazed. Yet, the beauty of the flower will fade without water.

It is interesting that both grass and the flower need water to exist. God says in Ephesians 5:26, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," Notice, God's Word is compared to water. In other words, just like the flower and grass need water to exist, you need God's Word to make it. You will wither against life's attack if you don't stay in the Word of God. The beauty of your life will fade if you don't stay in the Word of God. Your strength is dependent upon God's Word. It is God's Word that has made you who you are. Whatever greatness you have, it is all due to the fact that God's Word is what made you.

So, you wonder how great is God's Word. The verse above says that the grass will wither, the flower will fade, "but the word of our God shall stand for ever." The word "stand" carries several definitions to show us how great It is. It means, "to rise, to abide, to continue, to remain, to accomplish, to lift up, to perform, to strengthen and to succeed." Don't miss it! You may fall, but God's Word can cause you to rise again. You may begin to fade, but God's Word will help to you to abide. You may want to quit, but God's Word will encourage you to continue. You may want to leave, but God's Word will cause you to remain. You may falter, but God's Word will help you accomplish what He has sent you to do. You may be thrown down, but God's Word will lift you back up. You may be broken, but God's Word will fix you and cause you to perform. You may begin to tire, but God's Word will give you the strength to continue. You may fail many times in life, but God's Word will help you succeed.

Christian, when you can do no more, God's Word is what steps in to help you make it. You cannot allow a day to go by without spending time in God's Word. Everything in your life may fail, but you can count on God's Word. Your world may crumble, but God's Word will always stand.

Always remember in your weakness, God's strength will be revealed to you through His Word. Don't give up! When you have no where to go, you can trust God's Word to keep you going. When you have withered and faded in life, then lean on God's Word for It will stand forever.

Proverbs 27:8

"As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place."

The shelter of the bird is its nest. Oftentimes a bird will build its nest in a location that their enemy cannot get to. Every time the bird wanders from its nest, it is putting its life in danger for it is away from the protection of its nest.

God uses this illustration to teach us that a man who wanders from his place is in danger. A young person doesn't get into sin while they are at home, but they get into sin when they are away from home. Adults don't get themselves into trouble when they are away from the protection of their home. The reason they get into trouble is because when they are away from home they will allow themselves to do things they wouldn't do when they are around their family. Home is where you find protection, and if you don't want to get into trouble, you would be wise to stay close to home. This is an important principle in many areas. Let me explain the areas and its importance.

First, be careful when you are away from your personal home. As we've already discussed, there are many things a person will get themselves into that they normally would not do if they were around their family. Because of this, you would be wise to set up precautions to guide you when you are away from home. One of the most important precautions you can make is to be sure you are not out late when away from home. Many people get into trouble away from home when it is late at night. Make it your habit to stay in late at night when you are away from home.

Second, spiritually you need to stay close to home. Many people compromise when they stray from the principles of the Word of God. In other words, don't meet with people who don't believe like you. You will find that they can sway your thinking. Many times a compromiser is not a rude person, but they are very personable and have learned the art of swaying others to them with their personality. Stay close to your home church and the Word of God, and don't explore other beliefs that are different from yours.

Third, in the business world you need to stay close to home. Many businesses get themselves into trouble when they start trying to do something for which they are not known. For instance, a restaurant that sells burgers would be wise to stay in the burger business. If that is from where their success came, then that is where they will stay successful. Many business go bankrupt because they get away from what made them successful in the first place. They didn't mean to go bankrupt, but they simply strayed from what they knew as a business.

Fourth, stay close to home with what you know. I do believe it is good to continually learn, but it is bad to delve into an area about which you know nothing. Simply, don't give advice or explore opportunities in areas where you have no knowledge. Your safety is found in those areas where you are knowledgeable.

Christian, many of the heartaches we find ourselves in are in areas where we strayed from our nest. Always remember that home is where your safety is found. Stay close to home, and be extra careful when you find yourself away from the home in any area of life.

Song of Solomon 3:4

"It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me."

Nearly every week of my life I leave to go preach at a meeting for someone. One of the hardest things I do each week is leave my wife and daughter to go to the airport. I have yet to find the easy way to do this. During my daughter's early years, she would often grab one of my legs and hang on as I would head to the garage. She would say, "Daddy, I'm not letting you go." I finally had to tell her that daddy had to go and help people. She reluctantly let go, and I would leave with my heart crushed because I wanted to be with her and my wife.

In the verse above, the wife said she found her husband and "would not let him go." This lady searched her whole life for the right man, and now that she found him she was determined to hold on to him. She wasn't going to let anything come between her and her husband. She wanted to be close to him. I would think that this type of desire the wife had for her husband had a way of keeping him close to her. Just like my daughter grabbing my leg and not letting me go made it hard for me to leave, I also believe it made it that much more difficult for this husband to leave his wife.

Married couples should have a determination that they are not going to let their spouse go. I'm constantly amazed how couples who are struggling are so quick to divorce their spouse. Where is the determination not to let their spouse go?

Every spouse should determine to hold on to their husband/wife and not let them go. Don't let your spouse go for another person. Don't let your spouse go for your career. Don't let your spouse go for personality conflicts. Don't let your spouse go because you are going through a short spell of marital problems. Your marriage can make it, and you can work through your marital problems if both husband and wife will determine not to let each other go.

Moreover, I believe parents and children need to get the determination not to let each other go. I know children grow up and some of the things like my daughter did when I left for a meeting were an childlike stage action, but you can still emotionally hang on to each other and not let things or people pull you apart. Every family needs to be careful not to let technologies pull them apart. Don't get so wrapped up in other things that you truly never spend time with each other. Grab on to each other and spend time together, for you never know when your loved one will be gone.

Most importantly, every Christian needs to grab on to God and determine not to let Him go. Of course, you can never lose your salvation, but you must determine to hold on to God if you are going to keep Him first in your life. Don't let trials and heartaches cause you to let go of God. Don't let disillusionment in leaders cause you to let go of God. Latch on to God and determine that money, career advancement, outside activities or friends will not cause you to let go of God. Grab ahold of God and determine you are going to stay close to Him no matter what comes your way. Be as determined as Job was in Job 13:15 when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:..." Determine that you will hold on to God until the day of your death.

Ecclesiastes 4:6

"Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."

I remember going to visit my grandparents when I was a young boy. Neither set of grandparents had a lavish home. I remember visiting my mother's parents in Illinois. My grandmother did not have a big home. I believe she had a two bedroom house, and the porch was converted into another room in which to sleep when we came to visit. Her simple home was nothing you would look back to and wish you could have, but the one thing that stands out in my mind is that she was happy.

My father's parents also had a very small home. They lived in a small town in Shelby, Indiana. Their home was a three bedroom home, but two of the three bedrooms were nothing more than an oversized closet. They lived in that home for several decades and seemed to be very happy living there.

When I look back to both sets of grandparents, I see they did not have big homes or lavish possessions, but what they did have was happiness. I believe their happiness came from living a simple life. They didn't feel they needed all the updated technologies or possessions that others had. Though they didn't have a lot of possessions, their simple life did give them happiness.

The verse above says, "Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit." One of the things many miss in life is the happiness that a simple life brings. You can have your hands full with every possession the world offers, and have all the newest technological gadgets, but if you don't have happiness, you are a very poor person. Too many people get caught up in making their life complex by having to have more, thus they bring strife and discontent into their homes. You will always find that those who tend to live a more simple life will normally have a happier life because they don't have to squabble over "things."

You would be wise not to get caught up in the status game. Be careful that you don't purchase a home that is truly too big for your family. I'm not against bigger homes, but I do feel that sometimes we purchase homes that are too big, and the price of those homes force husband and wife to have to work to pay the bills. Always remember when you purchase a home that eventually your children will be gone. Don't think that you have to have a bigger home just to stay up with someone else.

Furthermore, be careful about falling into the trap of always having to get some gadget or technological device that someone else has. Most of us have, at one time or another, gotten something we really didn't need, and ended up selling it in a yard sale. Learn to wait a while before going out and buying something that someone else has. You will find that many times you really don't need it.

Christian, there is nothing wrong with having things, but don't fall into the trap of having to have something because someone else has it, or getting something for the sake of status. Live within your means. When you learn to keep your life simple, you will find true happiness is easier to obtain.

Job 1:5

"And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually."

Having godly parents is a great blessing for anyone. Certainly, when you look at Job's children, they could easily say that they had a godly dad. For God to give the commendation to Satan about Job is nothing short of amazing. God said there was no one like Job. God bragged about Job's spirituality. His children had no excuse not to be spiritual themselves.

However, one of the mistakes that Job made was thinking he could be spiritual for his children. It says in the verse above that Job sacrificed burnt offerings for his children just in case they sinned against God. Job felt that he could do for them what they should've done for themselves. Job needed to understand that as much as he loved his children, he could not pass his spirituality down to them like an inheritance.

Parent, you cannot be spiritual enough to pass your spirituality down to your children. Being spiritual is not a possession; it is an action. Far too many parents think their children are spiritual because they serve God. As much as I love my daughter, I cannot pass my spirituality down to her as an inheritance. I am only as spiritual as I am because I do what I'm supposed to do. If your children are going to be spiritual, then they must do spiritual things. Your children will not be spiritual because you are. They will be spiritual because they do right.

However, you can be spiritual enough to influence them in the ways of God. Though you cannot pass your spirituality down to them, you can influence them in the right ways to become what they are supposed to be. This is what you must understand about rearing your children. Your children are not going to become spiritual through osmosis, but you can make sure that all of their influences are spiritual so that they have a better chance of choosing to do spiritual things.

If you want your children to be spiritual, then be sure they're in a constant atmosphere of spirituality. In other words, make your home life a spiritual life. Don't leave your spirituality at church; instead live a spiritual life 24/7. Be sure your children attend spiritual activities. When the youth department at your church has activities, be sure they are involved in those activities so they can have an enjoyable time in a spiritual atmosphere.

Furthermore, be sure your children have spiritual friends. Friends will influence your children more than anything else. One of your responsibilities as a parent is to be sure your children have the right friends. They may not like you telling them not to spend time with a certain person, but it is your responsibility to be sure their friends are spiritual.

Finally, be sure you do spiritual things with them. Every night it would be good to have family devotions. Read the Scriptures and pray with your children on a daily basis. Be sure they have a personal time alone with God.

It would be a wonderful thing if we could put in our will that we are passing our spirituality down to our children, but we can't. So, the best thing you can do is to be sure they are around a spiritual atmosphere and that they do spiritual things. Ultimately, spirituality is their choice, but you can make sure their choice is influenced by spiritual things.

Nehemiah 6:11

"And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."

Opposition is always going to be a part of the ministry. The enemy is never thrilled when God's work is going forward. Nehemiah figured that out early in the project of rebuilding the walls. Two of his chief opponents were Sanballat and Tobiah. These men were evil and were bent on stopping the rebuilding of the walls.

One of their attacks was to falsely accuse Nehemiah of rebuilding the walls so that he could rebel and become king of Israel. Of course, they spread this rumor trying to scare Nehemiah into quitting. Then they asked Nehemiah to come and meet with them to discuss this accusation. Nehemiah wisely asked himself, "Should such a man as I flee?" Not knowing whether their threats were real, Nehemiah kept on building and did not allow the threats to deter him from what the LORD called him to do.

One of the ugly parts of serving the LORD is dealing with threats. Nobody likes to deal with the threats of the enemy. Sadly, many times these threats come from Christian brethren. As much as we would like to change this from happening, it is part of the ministry and you will have to deal with it. Dealing with these threats will literally make or break your success. Let me give you some advice on what to do when threats come your way.

First, don't run! If you run, then the enemy's threats have succeeded. Their purpose is to get you to stop doing the LORD's work. If you run, you will never know how the LORD will deliver you. Imagine if Nehemiah would have run. The walls would have never been finished, and the motivating story of the Book of Nehemiah would not be here to read. When threats come your way, dig your heals in and decide to stay. You don't know if the threats are empty or real, but most of the time they will be empty threats.

Second, stay focused on the work at hand. In the midst of threats, Nehemiah kept building the wall. He didn't become sidetracked with the threat and pull the workers from the wall to hold their swords; instead, they simply put a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other and kept on building. When threats come, keep doing the LORD's work. Don't stop soul winning, preaching, praying and helping lives to fight the threats. Let the LORD take care of the threats while you keep doing His work. What better way to get the LORD to fight for you than to continue doing His work.

Third, don't negotiate with the opponent. When threats come, part of what they want you to do is to change. Nehemiah kept building the wall and would not meet with these wicked men to discuss the threats. When threats come, there is nothing to talk about. What are you going to discuss; how to compromise? You must determine that you are going to continue doing what you have always done. Don't ever sit at the negotiating table with the opponent. If you do, they win and you lose.

Friend, as much as we don't like this subject, this is a real part of the ministry. I have had to deal with these threats several times in my ministry and have had to help others deal with threats. These three steps have helped me and will help you to keep doing the LORD's work. In the midst of threats always remember 2 Chronicles 20:15, "Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's." Let God fight the battles while you continue doing what the LORD has called and commanded you to do.

Nehemiah 2:4

"Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven."

What was the secret to Nehemiah's ability to overcome every obstacle that stood between him and completing the wall of Jerusalem? Was it his position with the king that caused him to be successful? I think not! Was it his ability to plan? I think not! Was it his ability to rally others to his cause? I think not? Was it his ability to outwit the enemy? I think not! Was it his charisma or personality? I think not! Was it his prowess to stand alone? I think not! One who wonders may come up with many good answers that may have contributed to his success, but the answer is found in the verse above when he said, "So I prayed..." This is why he found such great success in building the wall.

Nehemiah's success comes down to one thing; he prayed! Though his talent was part of the reason for his success, it was his prayer life that enhanced that talent. Though bravery was a small portion of his capability to withstand the enemy, it was his prayer life that strengthened him in times of fear. Though his position may have given him access to the king so his petition could be heard, it was his prayer life that caused God to move the heart of the king to listen. Though his leadership ability was one of the best in the Scriptures, it was his prayer life that helped to guide his leadership ability. The greatest attribute of Nehemiah was that he prayed.

Nehemiah's prayer life was more than just a repetition of a prayer list, it was a pouring out of his heart. His prayer life was more than a time that he set aside to pray. His prayer life was a part of his life. He didn't leave his prayer life in the prayer closet, but he took his prayer life with him throughout the day. At a moments notice he was praying to God for a need to be supplied. Whenever he faced any problem, he prayed. That was Nehemiah's great secret to success.

You will only be as successful as your prayer life. Yes, your talent may take you to great heights, but a prayer life will take you to greater heights. Certainly, your charisma may take you places that others would never see, but a prayer life will take you to places that you could not imagine. Without a doubt, your associations with the right people will help you obtain the resources you need, but a prayer life will supply every need when others try to cut off your resources. Your valor may help you to not flinch with the enemy's attack, but a prayer life will bring the enemy's attack to nought. Your determination may help you not quit when faced with great adversity, but your prayer life will help you to overcome all adversity.

Like Nehemiah, it should be said about you, "So, he prayed!" That is the answer to what you face today. You can try every method, philosophy and theory, but prayer is the only thing that will bring you through. I don't know what you face today, but you need to pray. You will find that the hardest thing you will accomplish in your Christian life is having a prayer life, but if you can establish one you will find God's hand will be upon you.

If there is anything I can ever motivate you to do, it would be to pray. More than anything else in the life, your prayer life will determine the degree of success you will have in the Christian life. A prayer life will not demand your time, but you must demand time to pray. Set everything else aside if you must, but pray. It is better to let other things slip, but don't ever let your prayer life slip. Let prayer be at the tip of your tongue in everything you do. Let prayer be the answer to which you run for every obstacle and problem you face.

2 Chronicles 24:1-2

"Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest."

Jehoiada's influence on Joash's life was great. Joash grew up in a home with a wicked mother. It is simply amazing that he did anything right for the LORD. His father followed Ahab's life and lived wickedly. His mother was a contributor to her husband's lifestyle. In fact, when her husband was killed, she tried to kill all of her children because she wanted the power of the throne of Israel. Simply put, she was a wicked woman.

Yet, Jehoiada, the priest, saved the life of Joash. His influence on this young man's life caused him to do right. In spite of the home in which he was reared, and in spite of his wicked parents, the influence of a man of God on a young man's life caused him to turn out right.

Influence is very important. Whoever gains the influence in someone's life will determine what that person becomes. I look in my life and I can remember several people who had an influence in who I became. Of course, my parents had a great influence in giving me proper character traits. Dr. Jack Hyles had great influence in what type of preacher I became. A layperson, Jack Compton, had a great influence in my work habits. Pastor Rick Flanders had an influence in placing a fire in my heart to travel. A school teacher, Bernadine Fenters, placed a belief in me that God had something for me. These are just a few people who had an influence in my life. If one of them would have abused their influence, I may not be here today, and those whom God has used me to help would not have been helped.

Christian, you should never underestimate the power of influence you have in someone's life. I promise you, some of these names I mentioned above had no idea how much influence they had in my life. There is someone whom God has placed in your life with whom you have influence. It doesn't matter how much influence you have, it's the fact that you have some influence that can change the course of their life.

Moreover, because you have influence in someone's life, you need to be careful to live right. It would be sad if the one whom you influence saw you doing wrong. It would be sad if the moment you did wrong they saw it, and they deemed it okay to do the same wrong because they saw you do it. You must do right all the time because you don't want to be guilty of influencing someone the wrong way.

Furthermore, don't abuse your influence. When you know you have influence in someone's life, you need to be sure that you use that influence for good. God entrusted you to have influence over someone's life, and He will hold you accountable for how you used it.

Influence is a privilege to have, but with this privilege come great responsibility not to lead a person in the wrong way or to cause them to become disillusioned. I encourage you to look at your life and see if there is something you need to change that would cause those with whom you have influence to do wrong. Always live your life as if someone is watching you, because there is someone watching you, and what you do will either cause someone to do right or wrong. Live your life to cause others to do right.