Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

Daily Nugget: Zion is the highest point in Jerusalem. Eventually, the world’s government will be centered there during the millennial (1,000 years) reign of Christ. “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Isaiah 2:1-2 God loves Zion (Psalm 87:2). It is referred to as the City of God (Psalm 87:3). That should be taken into consideration when Muslims currently attempt to seize it for their false religion. Zion will be where God will choose to dwell and certainly is not a place that will house false doctrines. However, during Christ’s reign, it will be a place that many nations will be united to God. It will be nothing like the place it is today. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst o...

Daily Nugget: God certainly should not need a resume or letter of referral, but if He did, this Psalm from David would be the perfect one. Many of God’s attributes and experiences include: Listener (Psalm 86:1, 5, 6) Merciful (Psalm 86:3, 5, 13, 15-16) Good (Psalm 86:5, 10) Able to forgive (Psalm 86:5) Helper (Psalm 86:7-8, 10, 17) The only God (Psalm 86:8, 10) Maker of nations (Psalm 86:9) Teacher (Psalm 86:11) Compassionate (Psalm 86:15) Gracious (Psalm 86:15) Longsuffering (Psalm 86:15) Truthful (Psalm 86:15) Encourager (Psalm 86:16) Comforter (Psalm 86:17) Today’s Thought: “There is nothing that God cannot accomplish.” — Cicero Words to Understand: Preserve: keep in good condition Supplications: urgent requests Today’s Reading: Psalm 86 1 A Prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. 4 ...

  Daily Nugget: Throughout the Psalms, there is much mention of God being angry at the heathen and their sin. In many of the situations, the psalmist pleaded that God strictly discipline the ungodly. Unfortunately, there is another group that also deserves God’s judgment and discipline. It is His people. At least ten times in the Psalms, it was mentioned that God was angry at Israel. Most of the time, when God was furious at His believers, it was concerning rebellion against Him and His commandments. “Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?” Psalm 85:4,5  Also: Psalms 6:1, 74:1, 77:9, 78:21, 78:38, 79:5. 80:4, 85:4-5, 90:7. Sadly, that rebellion continues in this church age. Many that call themselves Christians certainly are not Christ-like. The world’s thinking, actions, and philosophies have gotten a higher priority than obeying God’s...

  Daily Nugget: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10 At the time of Psalm 84, there were still tabernacle s ( perhaps “tabernacles” was plural because, as one tabernacle was in disrepair, it was repaired or replaced. It could have also referred to the places of reflection built during the Feast of the Tabernacles). The temple must have existed and perhaps it was being constructed as it had become a home (Psalm 84:3) for nesting sparrows. For the Jews, the tabernacle or temple was where they met God. Those places were where He visited His people.  It was also where Israel could be physically closer to God.  Because of the nearness of their God, it was a special place. The writer declares it was a friendly place (Psalm 84 — “amiable”).  He was overwhelmed (Psalm 84:2) to be where God had been and where His commandments were obeyed. ...

Daily Nugget: Being a Christian is not always easy. It can be very discouraging and even scary when it seems the ungodly have the upper hand in life. Sometimes it just does not seem fair that a Christian is doing as the Lord commands, yet it seems he has more opposition than those directly in violation of God’s commandments. It can get to the point that believers desire God to deal with those people, and quickly. “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18 Asaph, the musician, felt that way. He wanted God to unleash His fury on the ungodly. “A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.” Psalm 83:1 The music leader wanted God to persecute them (Psalm 83:15) and allow them to be ashamed of their unrighteous living (Psalm 83:16). Asaph also begged God to let them be confused and bothered by the sin they were committing (Psalm 83:17). He...

Daily Nugget: All of us, at times, are quick with our judging of situations and people. Most of the time, our judgments are inaccurate because we know only a portion of the circumstances or what is happening in one’s life. “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13 Only God can judge justly. We too often attempt to take His position of judging and try to put ourselves in His place. We are not “gods” (Psalm 82:1, 6), even though some still assume God’s role in passing sentences on others. Our judgments and even our judicial professionals are “unjust” (Psalm 82:2) much of the time. All should be treated the same, be they poor, fatherless, afflicted, and the needy (Psalm 82:3). Personal gain or fame should not taint righteous judgment, but too often, it does (Psalm 82:4, 5). Man has failed miserably in judging. More than ever, this is quite clear, as many judges are not even hiding their biased opinions and ign...

  Daily Nugget: Although Psalm 81:8-16 reminds Israel of their sin against God, it can be a chilling wake-up call to what can happen to Christians today. When believers get to the point they neglect God’s Words and do what they want, as did Israel, God may give them over to their demise. “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” Psalm 81:11-12 Romans 1 also recorded some in the early church with a similar “I’ll do what I want” attitude. Since some of the early Christians were determined to do their own will and way, God also gave them “gave them up” (Romans 1: 24,26, 28) to their sin. The ungodliness of those Romans worsened, and God let them reap the terrible consequences of their iniquities. In Romans 1:27-31, one can read how progressively more vile and immoral their iniquities became when God stopped His intervention, and they reaped the awful wages of ...

Daily Nugget: Similar pleas and fears found in Psalm 79:5 also appear in Psalm 80. Asaph, the psalmist, felt that God was angry at Israel because He would not answer their prayers (Psalm 80:4). “LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?” Psalm 80:4 “How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?” Psalm 79:5 Because of God not answering their prayers and protecting His people, the ungodly neighbors again looked at Israel, lost respect for them, and laughed at them. In the previous Psalm, Asaph (Psalm 79:4, 10) was concerned about what the observing heathens thought about Israel. “Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.” Psalm 80:6 “We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.” Psalm 79:4 Asaph's solution to the predicament his nation put itself in was for God to help them. The psalmist knew if God would...