Montague Baptist Church

Where do you stand? – Psalm 1

robrehk — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:53:02 +0000

Psalm 1.1-6 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

This passage speaks of where the ungodly stand and that they do not have a firm footing but are driven by every wind of doctrine. None of us wants to think that we are being controlled or led astray by others. We are all influenced by others to one degree or another; it is all dependent on how much time and focus we give to that individual or that activity (hobby), and we are all influencing others to one degree or another. The ungodly are not walking in their own counsel, but they are driven by the wind and other forces.

Note the ungodly will not stand in the company of the righteous, just as the sinner should not stand in the way of sinners. But the godly will stand like a tree, always able to reach the river of Life and constantly bearing fruit to benefit others. It all depends on how much you sit and read the Word of God, God’s Law, and meditate on it, not just read it.

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Eat of this Bread – John 6.35-36

robrehk — Fri, 08 May 2026 11:51:49 +0000

JOHN 6:35–36 “35 AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: HE THAT COMETH TO ME SHALL NEVER HUNGER; AND HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME SHALL NEVER THIRST. 36 BUT I SAID UNTO YOU, THAT YE ALSO HAVE SEEN ME, AND BELIEVE NOT.”

A multitude followed Jesus because they saw the miracles he did; he then fed them with five loaves and two fish. Their focus was on the physical need, when they asked for more bread, he said I am the Bread of Life. Many of us today are focused on God meeting our physical needs, whether that is physical provision or physical healing. God is able to do those things and when he does it is for a witness to us and to the world around us that He is alive and listening. God’s greatest desire is that we would be more interested in taking the truths of Jesus and the Word of God and eat them, chewing and swallowing and allowing those truths, his presence, his Holy Spirit to become an integral part of our lives. Just like the food we eat provides satisfaction and strength for us to take on our next task.

JOHN 6:51 I AM THE LIVING BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN: IF ANY MAN EAT OF THIS BREAD, HE SHALL LIVE FOR EVER: AND THE BREAD THAT I WILL GIVE IS MY FLESH, WHICH I WILL GIVE FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD.

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Its a new day – Lamentations 3.21-23

robrehk — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:02:33 +0000

Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

How often do we look at the day ahead of us, worrying about the failures behind us? We fret over the new day because of the failures of yesterday. Both you and I need to realize that every day is new and needs to be faced with a dose of God’s mercy. God wants you to succeed. He only desires good things for you and provides every moment and every day a new slate, a clean slate. So take those worries and frets that consumed you yesterday and leave them behind. Step into this day knowing God can and will forgive you, providing you with a new day, new opportunities. Call on him and ask him to refresh your outlook for the day ahead of you.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

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Fear is a fountain – Proverbs 14.26-27

robrehk — Mon, 04 May 2026 20:00:39 +0000

Proverbs 14: 26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

It seems that in our society, the only thing we connect fear with is harm. But fear can also be protection, when we respect something and its ability or the probability of it hurting us, that is a protection. I fear being burned; that fear keeps me from pouring gasoline on a fire, it keeps me from placing my hand over an open fire or a hot stove top, or even swallowing food that is steaming. That is good. In Proverbs, we learn that the fear of the Lord can give us strong confidence, and it will keep us safe. That same Lord, when we respect and revere him, will fight for us and protect us. He becomes a place of refuge. As we continue to fear him, we see our lives begin to bubble up with blessings. We also find that we are delivered from harm because we trust in HIM.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

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Look for a spiritual insight not a physical blessing John 4:3-4

robrehk — Sun, 03 May 2026 10:47:26 +0000

So twice in the Book of John: first, Nicodemus and the woman at the well, people take Jesus’ call to the new as a physical event. Nicodemus, a miraculous rebirth physically, the woman at the well, freedom from having to haul water (that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.). How often do we take the promises of God and apply them to our physical world rather than apply them to our spiritual lives?

John 3:3–4 “3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

John 4:14–15 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”

As the Lord speaks to our hearts, we need to first look at the issues of the heart before we try to apply the promise to our physical world. All of Israel’s blessings were attached to their Love of God

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

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The Horror of Sin Judges 19-20

robrehk — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:20:31 +0000

MATTHEW 5.16 LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE AMONG MEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.

So today I was once again struck by the wickedness of Israel during the time of Judges. I was shocked by the story in Judges 19 & 20. The Benjamites of Gilead molested a priest’s concubine to the point of death. The Priest then cuts up her body into 12 parts and sends a piece to each tribe, calling them to deal with the wickedness not of the men but of the city. The rest of Israel gathers and fights against Benjamin, destroying all their men of war, 25,000. Israel in the process of suffering the loss of 40,000 men. That’s 65,000 men killed in battle. Horrific. God led Israel against Benjamin, giving directions 3 times. So it was not just the offenders (Benjaminite’s) but Israel itself that suffered the judgment for this wickedness.

You see, it is a society that allows its people to digress and increase in wickedness. When we do not stand on the word of God and allow anything a man desires to go unchecked, the entire society spirals toward sinfulness. It is time for us to make a stand in our homes, in our lives, and in our minds, making sure the Word of God is planted deeply in our hearts and in our households. Then we need to make an effort to be a light to the world. If not, expect our society to continue to regress, without a revival of even a few the spiral will just continue.

Why does a priest have a concubine?
Why did God tell the Israelites attack twice only to see them defeated and suffer the loss of 40,000 men of war? No I don’t have the answer to everything.

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Rods and Stripes nevertheless Lovingkindness – Psalm 89:31-33

robrehk — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:54:03 +0000

Psalm 89:31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

Every so often, a verse jumps out from God’s word. It seems like you have never seen it before. Psalm 89 has been encouraging my heart to the point that I am trying to memorize it because it presents such a balanced view of God. In today’s preaching, you rarely hear anyone talking about God judging us for our sin; the focus is on His forgiving our sin and on the fact that we are His children. In this verse, we see that judgment, rather harsh judgment, rods, and stripes, not just a timeout or taking away our toys. Immediately following, God reassures the offender that his lovingkindness is still available, and his promises to help are still valid, even though they have been severely punished.

Today, if you are feeling like a failure and that the correction of God is upon you, take heart and remember this is just for a season. His lovingkindness and his faithfulness are still available to those who are willing to repent and call upon his name again. Don’t lose heart, look to the Lord, He is waiting.

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Wait for understanding – Judges 14.4

robrehk — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:59:50 +0000

In Judges 14, we have a wild man named Samson who decides to marry a Philistine woman contrary to the commandments of God. His conception was miraculous, and his upbringing was that of a Nazarite, nothing from the vine. His parents discouraged him but the scripture says

Judges 14.4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

My tendency is to say that God authored this rebellious behavior, yet the scripture also tells us that

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

So how do we handle this seeming conflict? Prayer, I asked the Lord to show me. He asked me to journal it. As I started to type, he showed me the explanation. God did not introduce the thought into Samson’s mind; his selfish, corrupt nature lured him towards this woman. It was his decision. God looked at it and saw a man he had created for the purpose of delivering Israel from the oppression of the Philistines. God saw that he could judge the man for his sin and strike fear in the hearts of the Philistines, which would bring an end to the reign of terror on Israel. So God used the occasion of Samson’s sin to bring judgment on the Philistines. Samson suffered humiliation at the hands of his enemies and lost the woman he wanted to marry. Never doubt God; His ways are always just and righteous. When we feel stumped and unable to understand the whys and hows of God’s work and his word, wait, call on the Lord, and allow Him to bring clarity, purpose, and truth into your heart.

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That they might understand the Scriptures – Luke 24.44-45

robrehk — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:09:01 +0000

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Here it is the key to a stronger walk with God, realize that all the scriptures, Old Testament, New Testament, Poetry books, History books, they all are able to show us more about our Savior Jesus Christ.

We must be willing to ask Jesus to open our understanding. The Holy Spirit has been given to those who believe; He assists those who do not believe. He helps us to understand the scriptures. No Seminary degree, no outlines or PowerPoint presentations can help us understand, only the spirit of God.

STOP

Ask him to teach you in his still small voice. Then you will marvel at the miracle of understanding that comes flooding across your soul, little by little, piece by piece.

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The Truth will set you free from His judgment – Psalm 96.13

robrehk — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:02:42 +0000

JOHN 8:32 AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.

In a world full of opinions, how are we to know the truth? Everyone seems to have their version. it seems the defense of personal truth is becoming more and more heated, from riots in the streets, to nation against nation, tribe against tribe, party against party. Everyone believes their truth is the real answer. In the Bible, we see nations and tribes in conflict over resources. Today, we are no different; our methods of engagement may be different: bombs, missiles, drones, automatic weapons. All in the name of “Truth”. The problem is, what is the truth? Whose truth is right? Remember, there will come a day when the God who created us all will judge us based on his truth, irrespective of what we believe to be true. Think about it, how many ways and times did you think something was absolutely right only to discover that you were wrong? Truth is not in the eye of the beholder; it is with our creator.

PSALM 96.13 BEFORE THE LORD: FOR HE COMETH, FOR HE COMETH TO JUDGE THE EARTH: HE SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THE PEOPLE WITH HIS TRUTH.

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