Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jun 1st, 2024 Are You Hearing God’s Word – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Nehemiah 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

Read the “0601 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Nehemiah 8:1-8) “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. (2) And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. (3) And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. (4) And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. (5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: (6) And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (7) Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. (8) So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”

(Hebrews 10:23-25) “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Good morning. Many times, while out soul winning, I would encounter people who would tell me that they don’t need to go to church. The Bible clearly states that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It is important to be in God’s house. The Jews of the Old Testament knew this. In Nehemiah 8:1-2, the people gathered themselves together, and compelled Ezra, the priest to bring out the word of God and read it. In vs3 we find that he read it from morning to midday. Verse 3 also tells us that their ears were all attentive to God’s Word. Verses 5-6 tell us that the people stood as Ezra read, and worshiped the LORD. And verse 8 tells us that they read (those in verse 7) in the Book of the Law distinctively, and gave sense, and caused the people to understand the reading.

Do you want to understand what the Bible says, then you need to be in church: church that believes what the Bible says.

Peace.

May 30th, 2024 Don’t Get Greedy

Today’s Reading – Nehemiah 1 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 5 – 8; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 30)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read the “0530 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “See the Need and Take the Lead,” and “A Mind to Work.“

The Greed of the Nobles

“1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. 3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. 8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? 10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. 13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.” (Nehemiah 5:1-13)

Nehemiah five is replete with principles regarding money and greed that can be gleaned by God’s people today. The beginning of the chapter explains the problems that some of the people of Jerusalem were facing. It is somewhat unclear whether Nehemiah is addressing this problem during the time of the building of the wall, which would certainly be a cause for the disruption of income for many people. Verse seven indicates that an assembly was called, which would seem impractical if the wall was still under construction, but verse sixteen indicates that the work on the wall was continuing. At any rate, the economic situation would have been temporarily hindered while the construction was taking place. Some people were short of food; others were forced to mortgage their lands; and many had to borrow money to pay the Persian government its tribute money. These were hard times. The debts that were accumulating were jeopardizing their children’s futures, likely putting them in bondage to the creditors. This is what happened to the widow and her two sons in the time of Elisha (2 Kings 4). Her sons would have been sold into bondage to satisfy the debt that the parents had accumulated.

Nehemiah acted when he became aware of this situation. He rebuked the nobles (v. 7) for exacting interest (usury) from their brethren, which was against God’s Law (Exodus 22:25 – 27; Leviticus 25:35 – 38). God was very clear: Israelites who had money were supposed to be a blessing to those who were struggling, and they were not to take advantage of them in any way. The heathen people surrounding Jerusalem had taken advantage of them, but God’s people were supposed to help them and not follow their practices (v. 8). Nehemiah implores them to “leave off this usury.” The people, to their credit, heed Nehemiah’s admonition, and agreed to “restore them, and … require nothing of them” (v. 12).

The Example of Nehemiah

“13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. 16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. 17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us. 18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.” (Nehemiah 5:13-18)

Nehemiah set the right example by not taking anything from the people, which he was entitled to do as a Persian governor. He was also very generous to the people, apparently using his own resources to do so. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s reminder to the elders of Ephesus: “33 I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me” (Acts 20:33-34). Also at Corinth, Paul refused to take anything from the people but worked to support himself (1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 12:13 – 15). Peter admonished the elders to not be in the ministry “for filthy lucre” (1 Peter 5:2). It is critical that the leaders in the local church follow Paul’s and Nehemiah’s example, as well as Peter’s exhortation. Money can be a big stumbling block for preachers. Some preachers are the biggest cheapskates I know. I know of a pastor that invites me out to eat on occasion and never reaches into his own wallet to pick up the tab. And if he is like that with me, a fellow preacher, I cannot imagine how he might be fleecing his congregation. I believe that if the pastor and leaders should set the right example by being generous and hospitable; by avoiding covetousness, excessiveness; and by working hard at being good stewards of the Lord’s money, the church will follow their lead. There will probably still be the 80 – 20 rule, where most of the congregation gives very little and a few give very sacrificially, but God will meet all the needs of the ministry (Philippians 4:19).

The Antisemitism of Their Neighbors

I would like to give an additional thought from this passage regarding antisemitism. Nehemiah has a desire to go to Jerusalem and help the people of God. He goes through the proper channels and has the authorization and support of the King. Yet, there were some who hated the fact that somebody was coming to help the Jewish people.

“When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.” (Nehemiah 2:10)

This was not a new problem in Nehemiah’s day and it is still a serious problem today. Israel is surrounded by people who hate them and actually want them obliterated from the face of the earth. Ignorant college students here in America are chanting “From the river to the sea,” which is an expression that expresses the desire to sweep the Jewish people out of the land of Israel fromthe Jordan River and into the Mediteranean Sea. Yet, God promised that He would bless anybody that is a blessing to Israel. Way back in Genesis, God first gave this promise to Abraham: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). The covenant that God made with Abraham regarding the land of Israel passed through his son, Isaac, and then through Isaac to Jacob and his twelve sons. The land belongs to Israel. We may not be in agreement with every decision made by the Israeli government, but as believers, we should never side with this antisimetic world against Israel. I stand with Israel. I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and I am also praying for and supporting the work of Christian missionaries who are sowing the seeds of the gospel to the Jewish people. Someday, their corporate blindness regarding their Messiah will be healed and “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26). Until that time comes, though, as Christians we want to love and support the People of God.

May 29th, 2024 Our Trust Is in God

Today’s Reading – Ezra 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Psalm 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1

Read the “0529 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “I Am Ashamed and Blush,“ and “Here We Go Again.“

“21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.” (Ezra 8:21-23)

In Ezra 8, Ezra is reviewing the details of the preparations for his journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra was returning to Jerusalem with over 1,700 men, plus some women and children. Chapter seven gives us the date that Ezra left Babylon and the date that he arrived in Jerusalem. It also tells us that Ezra had permission from the king (Artexerxes), after Ezra assured him that God’s hand of blessing was upon him and the returning remnant:

“6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” (Ezra 7:6-10)

The chapter goes on to tell us that Artaxerxes wrote a letter on behalf of Ezra permitting any Jews who desired to go with Ezra and authorizing the complete funding of the trip. Ezra was very appreciative of the king’s kindness but also acknowledged that God worked in the king’s heart to motivate him to be such a blessing to the Jews: 

 “27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:” (Ezra 7:27)

“1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

After having assured the king that God’s hand was upon this returning remnant, the last thing Ezra wanted to do was request protection by way of a military escort from the king. Ezra 8:21 – 23 tells us that instead Ezra stopped at a place near the beginning of their journey to “afflict [themselves] … to seek of him a right way.” They fasted and prayed that God would protect them on their journey and be able to avoid all the pitfalls and dangers that they would surely face somewhere along the way. Ezra did not want the king to think that God was unable to protect them, so he bypassed asking the king for protection. They wanted the king to know that God was able to protect them on their journey. By stopping to fast and pray, Ezra and the remnant were declaring their complete dependence upon the Lord. And God came through. He brought them into Jerusalem safely.

May 28th, 2024 Tears of Joy, or Sorrow?

Today’s Reading – Ezra 3 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Romans 13 – 16; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 28)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “0528 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Leave Them Alone,” “The Heart of the King,” and “Stop Living in the Past“

“But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:12 & 13)

In chapter 3 of today’s passage, we see the children of Israel (or at least some of them) back in their land after a long captivity in Babylon and Persia. Eventually they begin the process of rebuilding the Temple of God that had been completely destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar years earlier. Remember, the Temple that had been built by Solomon was perhaps the most beautiful piece of architecture that has ever been constructed, with literally tons of gold covering much of the building itself and also the furniture and instruments used in the temple. The building that they were in the process of constructing now could not possibly compare to the old one. Only the foundation for the Temple had been laid at this point but the congregation of Israel was super excited about what God was doing. I remember when our church pulled the trigger on our recent building addition. We did not have the money that we needed to finish the project, but we did have enough to get started, so we cleared the land and poured the foundation. That foundation stood there for almost a year before we could add a building to it, but we were all still excited because we could see something tangible on that spot of ground. The process of building had begun and we rejoiced because of it.

In our text, we see that some of the very old folks that had actually seen the old Temple that was built by Solomon and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, were weeping. It very well could be that they were weeping for joy because they were seeing the beginning of the rebuilding of God’s House. They had witnessed the savage slaughter committed by the Babylonians decades earlier; they had seen their beloved Jerusalem completely destroyed; but perhaps worst of all, they had watched as the armies of Nebuchadnezzar pulled the Temple completely apart and stole any thing of value. But now, God was giving His people a second chance, and they were seeing the beginning of the construction of a building which represented the very presence of God.

Or, it could be that some of these old timers were upset because this new building could not possibly be as beautiful or extravagant as the former one built by Solomon. However, it is important to note that these elder men who may have been despondent over the lack of luxury in this new temple had actually never seen the presence of God at the old one. At the time that they were there (before the captivity), the glory of God had long since departed because of the falling away of the people of God. So these elders were upset simply because of a building. They failed to see that this new building, though not nearly as ornate and expensive as the old, had the potential for being a place where God would actually meet with His people.

In my many years of being saved, I have observed this same mentality. I have seen church buildings that were absolutely gorgeous with large auditoriums, countless classrooms, fellowship halls, and even landscaped gardens. However, many of these buildings, though beautiful, have “Ichabod” written all over them. But on the other side of town there is a storefront building with no classrooms, where a preacher and church are boldly proclaiming the Truth, with the Spirit of God all over them. Yet, most people in the world, and even some Christians, would say that the church with the beautiful facility is the “real” church.

One more thought from this passage: Sometimes, those that have been saved for a while and have seen the power of God in previous years, tend to live in the past. God does not live in the past. Actually, He is way ahead of us. We are supposed to be following Him. This is partially what Paul meant when he said, “leaving those things which are behind.” I believe the greatest movement of God is yet to come.  I believe the greatest days of Jersey Shore Baptist Church will be in the tomorrows, not in the yesterdays. While I rejoice over what God has done in the past, I am looking for “greater works than these.”

May 27th, 2024 Reconciling God’s Sovereignty with Free Will

Today’s Reading – Ezra 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Romans 9 – 12; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32

Read the “0527 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this morning’s passage – “A Fresh Start,“ and “It’s All According to God’s Plan”

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.” (Ezra 1:1-6)

The Book of Ezra details the return of some of the people of God from their captivity in the land of Persia. You will recall that the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had conquered and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and had taken the people of Judah captive somewhere around 586 BC. The Babylonians were then overtaken by the Medes and Persians and during the reign of King Cyrus, the people were permitted to return to Jerusalem. Ezra 2 records the specific number of people who returned (approximately 50,000) along with some genealogical information.

What caught my attention from this passage is the contrast that seems to exist between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. Note the highlighted words in the passage above. For example, we see that the return of the people of God was a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, and that the Lord had “stirred up” and “charged” Cyrus. We also see that the people who participated had their spirit’s stirred by God. But we also see that these folks who returned into the land had “willingly” offered their “freewill offerings.”

From this passage we can clearly see that God was doing something and that He was moving in the hearts of both His people and this Persian King. Consider the following verses:

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

However, could we also say that these people who were part of this movement of God were also operating according to their own free will. Do you think that there were any there who really did not want to go? Do you think that King Cyrus really hated the people of God and desired to keep them locked up in Persia, but God forced him to do His bidding? I don’t think so. God was certainly moving and working and influencing in order to accomplish His will, but He was also using willing participants.

The story about Pharaoh from the Book of Exodus is similar to this one, but only in reverse. There we see the king of the land bent on holding the people of God back and persecuting them. He refused to let the people go. The scripture tells us fifteen times that Pharaoh’s heart was “hardened.” The interesting thing is that some of those times it was God who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and other times it was Pharaoh who hardened his own heart. The bottom line is this: Pharaoh’s will was already made up. He had determined already that he would not let the people go (see Exodus 5:2). Do you really think that Pharaoh was just about to start a new Sunday School ministry for the Hebrew slaves, but then was instead forced by God to make things harder for Israel? No – he was a willing participant in Israel’s misery, and he was completely unwilling to release the people of God out of Egyptian bondage.

How can we reconcile these two concepts – man’s free will and God’s sovereignty? I must confess that I cannot completely wrap my head around all that would be included in this discussion, but I am pretty sure that God’s sovereign plan is accomplished while allowing man to make choices. Man certainly chose to sin against God. Could God force His will upon man? He could, but does He? I am not so sure about that. Does God work in man, influencing man’s decisions? I believe He does, but I do not think that man is a mere robot preprogrammed to do whatever God desires. Neither is he a puppet whose strings are controlled from Heaven. God is certainly sovereign and accomplishes His plan for the ages just as He determined before the beginning of the world, but He will not remove man’s free will in the process. Man is free to accept or reject God’s grace, and he is free to obey or disobey God’s commands. He (and the people around him) will also suffer the consequences of his choices, but he does have a choice. Joshua said, “choose you this day,” and in Revelation, the Spirit of God invites “whosoever will.” These are expressions of choice. I do not always choose wisely, but I cannot blame God for the choices I make or the consequences of those choices.

May 25th, 2024 The Protection Of God – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 32 – 33 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Romans 1 – 4; Psalm 119; Proverbs 25)

Read the “0525 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

2Chronicles 32:7-8 “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: (8) With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”

Good morning. God’s Word is powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. It gives us comfort in knowing that God is with us.

1) We can be strong and courageous.

2) We do not have to be afraid or dismayed.

3) We have God to help us.

4) We have God to fight for us.

5) We do not have an arm of flesh like our enemies; we have the LORD our God.

(Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

There are many examples of men in the Bible who refused to believe God.

In this chapter it was Sennacherib king of Assyria.

(2Chronicles 32:9-22) “After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, (10) Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? (11) Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (12) Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? (13) Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? (14) Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? (15) Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? (16) And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah. (17) He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. (18) Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. (19) And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. (20) And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. (21) And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword. (22) Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.”

God protects His people. And with God’s protection comes…

Peace!

May 24th, 2024 Seek Ye First

Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 29 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Acts 25 – 28; Psalms 116 – 120; Proverbs 24)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8

Read the “0524 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “Living for the Lord – A Formula for Success;” and “Soulwinning in 2 Chronicles“

“3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.” (2 Chronicles 29:3)

“33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Hezekiah is not my favorite king, but he is high on the list. He definitely started out extremely well. As a very young, 25-year-old king, he made it his first order of business to open the doors of the Temple and repair it. By the way, have you noticed from our reading through these chapters in 1st and 2nd Chronicles that the House of God would always fall into disrepair when God’s people got away from Him. And when a good king came along, he placed the repair of the Temple and the reinstitution of sacrifices and observances high on his priority list. Here in chapter twenty-nine, Hezekiah commands the Levites to remove “the filthiness” out of the Temple. That word, “filthiness,” is an extremely strong word which describes the worst kinds of impurity and here is probably referring to idolatry.

Once all of the garbage was out of the Temple, they began to worship the Lord through sacrifices and singing:

“27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. 28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. 30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (2 Chronicles 29:27-30)

I believe that a pattern can be seen here in the reign of King Hezekiah that we can follow in our lives today. We need to get rid of the all the garbage that this world pumps into our lives, homes, and churches also. And we also need to confess our sins and sinfulness to the Lord recognizing the sacrifice that He made for the sins when He died for us on the Cross of Calvary. Then will also be able to sing, praise, and worship the Lord. But let’s not wait to start this process; let’s get right on it. Just as Hezekiah put God at the highest level of priority when he became the king, we need to start right now to put God and His will first in our lives.

May 19th, 2024 There is Always a Remnant Seeking the Lord

Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 9 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Acts 10 – 12; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

Read the “0519 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this passage – “Not Happy Anymore”

“13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. 14 For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest’s office unto the LORD: 15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. 16 And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.” (2 Chronicles 11:13-17)

In today’s reading we see the wisdom and tremendous success of Solomon in chapter nine, which was even noticed by people from distanced lands such as the Queen of Sheba. Unfortunately, though Solomon started out very wisely, he chose to forsake the wisdom of God as he got older, and made a bunch of mistakes that affected the entire nation in a negative way. When Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, took over the kingdom, the people of Israel were a little disgruntled because of the oppressive burdens that were put upon them by Solomon. In chapter ten, Rehoboam has an opportunity to correct some of the abuses brought on by his father, but he instead listened to the unwise counsel of his young friends and make the situation worse. As a result, the northern tribes of Israel split off from the kingdom and created their own kingdom to the north. So, now there are two kingdoms, Israel in the north, and Judah, in the south.

The biggest problem caused by this rift was that the people from the north were separated from the Temple, which was located in the southern kingdom of Judah. The new king of Israel, Jeroboam, did everything in his power to keep the people from the north from traveling down south to worship the Lord. He was afraid that if they went to Jerusalem to worship that they would be tempted to reunite with the southern kingdom. He even set up two golden calves in the northern kingdom so that people could have something to worship. Unfortunately for him, many of the people living within his kingdom were never going to accept a false worship system; they were going to continue seeking and serving the Lord (v. 16).

The Levites who were not part of the tribe of Judah and lived throughout the northern kingdom, moved south to be near the Temple. And also many people, common people from every tribe who were not full-time ministers for the Lord, moved south as well. Some of them probably left family and friends of a lifetime because of their love and devotion to the Lord. This was not a time of great spiritual revival; it was a time of war and division, a period where many were forsaking God and His Word, but there were some that were still seeking Him. There will always be a remnant of people who will choose the Lord over every other thing or person in their lives.

Elijah discovered this very same principle. He thought that he was the only one that loved the Lord. God reminded him that there were many others, a remnant that loved God and were faithful to Him.

“18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

It has always been a great encouragement to me when people show up, seemingly “out of the blue,” because they believe that the Lord wants them to be part of our ministry. Sometimes this happens when we are going through a spiritual slump as a church. I remember years ago, a man showed up at the church and told me after the service that God brought him there. He is still there and has been a tremendous blessing to me personally and also to the church. God always gives us what and who we need.

May 18th, 2024 Prayer Changes Things – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 6 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Acts 7 – 9; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

Read the “0518 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(2Chronicles 7:1-3) “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. (2) And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. (3) And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Good morning. Have you ever listened to South West Radio Church? They would always open the program with these words…

“God is still on the throne, and prayer changes things.”

Man prays, God acts. When you ask for something, there are only three possible answers you can get: yes, no, or not right now. We can see, by the first verse of chapter 7 that…

GOD Is Listening.

He heard the prayer of Solomon. He heard when Solomon finished praying. Then…

GOD Acted.

He sent fire down from heaven, and…

GOD Answered.

The fire came down and consumed the burnt offerings, and sacrifices. Then…

GOD Was Glorified.

The people worshiped and praised God. They said, “For He is good; For His mercy endureth forever.”

Don’t you just love it when God answers yes? Will you still love God when He answers no, or not right now? He may be keeping you from being hurt or maybe hurting someone else. Remember that God is good, and His mercy endureth forever. He wants only those things that are good for you. If he delays, or says no, it is only for our own good, and the good of others.

Peace.

May 16th, 2024 What a Promise!

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 28 – 29 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Acts 1 – 3; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “0516 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“(20) And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 28:20

Our text today brings us to the end of David’s life where he is giving final instructions to his son Solomon and the leaders (“princes and captains” 1 Chronicles 28:1). He explains again that it had been his desire to build the Temple but God had other plans. He also publicly thanks the Lord for making him the king, and for promising to keep his seed on the throne of Israel. He then charges his son Solomon and all of Israel to love and serve the Lord, and to fulfill His will for their lives.

That brings us to the promise made by David in v. 20. David assures Solomon that as long as he is doing what God called him to do that he has absolutely nothing to fear because God would: be with him, not fail him or forsake him, until he completes what God called him to do. For Solomon, that meant building the Temple and reigning as king over Israel.

I believe that this promise is applicable for us today as well. God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives, and as long as we are living inside of the will of God, doing what He wants us to do, we are basically invincible. God will give us everything that we need to fulfill His will, and He will also protect us from anyone or anything that tries to deter us from doing what He has called us to do. What a promise! However, this promise does not apply to those who are living out their own will; it only is good for those who are yielded to the will of God.

Question – Are you living your life doing what you want to do, or are you fulfilling God’s will for your life? If you are not sure about what God’s purpose for your life is yet, then I would suggest that you do three things:

1. Seek God’s will through the Word of God. the Bible reveals the will of God principally in a general way. God will never specifically direct you contrary to His word.
2. Seek God’s will through prayer. Pray about what God wants you to do, where He wants you to do it, and who He wants you to do it with.
3. Seek God’s will through godly counsel. Once you have a good idea of what you think God wants for your life, run it by someone who also is walking with the Lord inside of His will. Ask your parents, pastors, or other godly counselors for their input. Don’t shop for counsel, but ask specific mentors to be brutally honest with you. Enlist their prayer support as well.

What a blessing it is to know that we don’t have to worry about anything as we live for the Lord as His ambassadors here on the earth. He has got our backs. He goes before us and surrounds us. He provides and protects us every step of the way. And when we are finished with what He has called us to do here, He will bring us home to Heaven.