Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

Daily Nugget: “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Luke 19:46-47 The world, and unfortunately many Christians, have the wrong idea as to how a Christian should behave. Somehow many are convinced that a Christian should be tolerant of those doing wrong, should be polite, and never voice his opinion. Nowhere in the Bible is tolerance to evil suggested. Here, in Luke 10:46-47, we see a contrary example to the pathetic, polite, and “proper” image that most think marks the behavior of a Christian. In this example, the person that did the opposite was the Saviour Himself – Jesus. Jesus saw what man had done to the house of God. Some wanted to make money (see also Matthew 21:12-13), so they came up with enterprising ideas to make a “buck” using the religion. They knew the Jews attending the temple were supposed to present animal ...

Daily Nugget: A rich man came to Jesus unintentionally admitting that he had committed the same mistake that most of the religious and unreligious would not dare confess. It is the same philosophy that is responsible for sending most to Hell. This terrible iniquity is where over 90% of churches and religions in the world are wrong. His confession was, “… what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke:18:18) This ruler (Luke 18:18) was trying to work his way to Heaven by doing all he could to earn him a place there. Certainly, he, and others in many unbiblical religions, think it natural that if you do enough good things that the good will outweigh the bad, and God will let you into Heaven. Wrong! Unbiblical! That is what distinguishes all man-made religions from real Christianity! Other religions teach that doing something, as abiding by traditions, rules, catechisms, rites, sacraments, pillars of the faith, or their religion’s teachings, will get one to Heaven. Real Christianity is t...

Daily Nugget: After passing through Samaria and Galilee, Jesus healed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-17). In the account, only one turned back, thanked Jesus, and gave God credit. After being healed of a debilitating disease that severely disfigured their bodies and made them social outcasts, one would expect that all would be grateful. Perhaps they were, but only one expressed his gratitude.  We dare not ridicule them because we certainly have been ungrateful for what God has done many times for us. We pray. We beg God to deliver us from the clutches of a disease or deliver us from a hopeless situation, and He does. How many times did we forget to thank the Lord for His miracles and answers to our prayer? Sometimes, maybe because we did not ask God specifically how to answer our prayer request, we do not see that He answers it. Unless the answered prayer is gift-wrapped and dropped out of Heaven with a note “From God, with Love,” we just write the prayer fulfillment off as a “coincidence....

Daily Nugget: In Luke 16, we read of Jesus’s telling of two men’s accounts of their life after death. One man was a beggar in his past life, and the other was wealthy. It is not a parable; it is a real account. While in this world, the rich man had many of the niceties this life can offer. However, one crucial thing was missing in his life. He did not have faith in God, and because of it, when he opened his eyes in the next life, he found himself in Hell.  Jesus’ account of the rich man’s life in Hell shows us more of the terrible abode of the unrighteous. We learn that: Hell is down. The occupant of Hell looked up to see a righteous man who had also died. “And in hell he lift up his eyes ...” Luke 16:23 Hell is a place of torment (Luke 16.23). Also, in verses 25 and 28. Those in Hell think. They remember and recognize some from their past. “… and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” Luke 16:23 Those in Hell suffer from thirst. There is no water there (Luke 16:24). “…...

Daily Nugget: In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus discusses some important, life-changing, power-giving decisions that all Christians face, whether they realize it or not. These resolves will develop a strong Christian character if the right choices are made. One of the most difficult and unusual life-changes one should make is found in verse 26, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Dr. John R. Rice, in Luke, The Son of Man1, explains it well: “… the meaning is that love for Christ and loyalty to Him should so far exceed all other loves and loyalties, that they can hardly be expressed in the same terms. If you say that you love your father and mother and love God, that puts God and parents in about the same relationship, and that is not what Jesus requires. So here, to hate father and mother and wife and children and brothers and your own life also does not mean m...

Daily Nugget: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:5 In this chapter, Luke 13:2-4, Jesus mentions two terrible tragedies that occurred at the time. One was a man, who some believe might have been the notorious Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), whose death was ordered by Pilate (Luke 13:1). The other tragedy was the unusual death of 18 people, when a tower fell on them (Luke 13:4). Of both events, Jesus asked His listeners if they thought that the deceased were terrible sinners to have had such horrible deaths. Apparently, the one that was killed by Pilate had committed some horrific infraction against the government. The other tragic deaths, although most likely caused by accident, appeared to be a judgment from God. Although not all deaths and hardships are judgments from God, sometimes they are. Jesus addressed those that are by answering His own questions by saying, “… except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:...

Daily Nugget: “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” Luke 12:22  Worrying over life’s troubles consumes too much time for many. Sometimes the anxieties are legitimate; sometimes, they are only imagined and never come to fruition. We all have been vexed by what we have perceived as problems. God has much to say about the sin of worrying in His Word. Matthew 6:34, along with the verse in Luke 12, compels us not to worry about our needs and to take life’s obstacles on a day-by-day basis. We have a lot on our plate for today; do not worry about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Besides, what situation has worrying ever improved? “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34 Looking at all the possible problems that could happen on another day is ...

Daily Nugget: Reading our Bible is one way God speaks to us. A Christian can speak to God using prayer. Some interesting truths about praying can be learned from this chapter, particularly in Luke 11:5-13. In these verses, we see: That prayer can be used to have God meet the needs of others, not just ourselves (vss. 5-8). Our prayers go to the God that created the universe and is currently keeping all within it in order; still, He offers us a way to communicate with Him. We should be honored that God even listens to us. With this avenue of being able to talk to Him, we should unselfishly seek to have Him help others also. That we can ask (vs. 9) Him for help in this life. Although He is the mighty God, He wants us to rely on His hand of provision. Many do not have what they require because they never think to ask Him! “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” James 4:2 That we should look (vs....

Daily Nugget: Telling others about God’s way to Heaven should be a great concern of born-again children of God. Jesus’ main purpose while on this Earth was to be the Way for all who believed in Him and to show all God’s only way to Heaven. He spread the word to many that He was the promised One and that trusting in Him was the only way to Heaven. Jesus also assigned His disciples to go and tell others God’s way to Heaven (Luke 9:1-2). Shortly afterward, He picked 70 followers also to go and tell all they could the Good News. The Saviour knew many were ready to be saved, but someone had to tell them (Luke 10:1-2). “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2 “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2 Therefor...

Daily Nugget: “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” Luke 9:55 Luke 9:55 should make us aware that there are different spirits in this world, and they are not all of God. In this chapter’s account, Jesus rebuked James and John. Although they thought they were protective of Jesus, He told them that the spirit in them that was doing the talking and thinking was not of God. Christ similarly discerned that one time Peter was letting the wrong spirit direct his thinking (Matthew 16:23). A little knowledge of the different spirits described in the Bible can help us know, if what we are dealing with is of God or another force. “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Mat. 16:23  There are three sources of “spirits” in this world. The most commonly addressed spirit in the Bible is man’s nature and char...

Daily Nugget: This chapter brings to light a frightening but true story. A man was possessed with many devils. Because the crazed man was called “Legion,” which was a division of the Roman army numbering 3,000-6,000, there may have been thousands of these demonic beings influencing him. Hollywood movies try to glorify this occurrence of demonic possession as something “cool” and interesting. When an unholy spirit has any control in an unsaved man, it is not “cool.” It is devastating. This story, found in Mark 5 and Luke 8:22-39, tells us what these demonic spirits can do to a life. Here we see that they: Can be more than one demon (Luke 8:27). Can make one’s life miserable for a long time (Luke 8:27). Can influence a person to be immodest (Luke 8:27). Can inhibit a person from being socially acceptable (Luke 8:27). This man could not live in a house like a normal person. May encourage a person to be fascinated with death (Luke 8:27). This man lived in tombs. May make a per...