Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

May 11th, 2023 When the Going Get’s Tough …

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – John 13 – 14; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

Read the “0511 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “God’s Will – God’s Way;” and “Obededom – A Doorkeeper for the Lord.”

“Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.” (1 Chronicles 15:28)

It is never easy to pick up the pieces and keep moving forward after blowing it “big time.” The natural reaction to failure is to just go hide under a rock somewhere and quit. That is exactly what David probably wanted to do after failing to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem the first time; a failure by the way which resulted in the death of an innocent man – Uzza.

The background to the story is complicated, but basically what had happened was that the ark of God had been taken in previous years by the Philistines in a battle they fought with Israel. The Philistines received the judgment of God because of it, so they returned it to Israel. For years the ark remained in Kirjath-jearim, but when David became king he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem (See 1 Samuel 4 & 5). David’s first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem is recorded in 1 Chronicles 13. There we see David with all good intentions and excitement because he believes that he is doing something that the Lord would be pleased with. David may have been doing what God wanted done; the problem was, however, he was not doing it the way that God had instructed. The ark of God was supposed to be transported by the Levites in a very specific way:

“[4] This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: [5] And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: [6] And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. … [15] And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Numbers 4:4-6, 15)

When David moved the ark in 1 Chronicles 13, he placed the ark on a “new cart,” which may at first sound like a great way to honor the Lord and His ark, but it was not the way that God wanted it done. It was supposed to be carried by the Levites. When the oxen that were pulling the cart stumbled and the cart wobbled, Uzza did what any of us would probably do, he put his hands on the ark to keep it from falling off of the cart. God was very upset because nobody was supposed to touch the ark. Even the Levites were forbidden to actually put their hands on the ark itself; they were only permitted to touch the staves (or rods) that were inserted into the loops on the ark. The result of Uzza’s (and David’s) error was that Uzza was killed by God. The fault for Uzza’s death, however, lay more with David and the Levites who should have known better. They blew it.

David failed, and his failure resulted in the death of a good man. That would have been enough to cause many a good man to quit trying to serve God at all, but David took some time to recover, and got back up and tried again to get it right, and this time He was successful. He instructs the Levites to carry the ark as prescribed by Moses in the Law, and they get the ark to Jerusalem where it belongs:

“[1] And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. [2] Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. … [13] For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. [14] So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. [15] And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 15:1-2, 13-15)

The point of this article is simple: don’t quit. You are going to fail and will probably do so often. The only people that do not fail are people who do not do anything. Also, your failure may hurt other people who are completely innocent. Bad decisions often have horrible consequences. You will want to run and hide, but you must eventually get back up and keep doing what you need to do. Take some time to prayerfully reevaluate what went wrong, but if you know that what you are trying to do is the will of God, try again, but this time be sure to do it God’s way. “The tough keep going.” Good leaders are not people who do not ever fail, they just do not allow their failures to keep them from trying to succeed again.

May 6th, 2023 The Four Requests Of Jabez – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 3 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – John 3 – 4; Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)

Read the “0506 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (1Chronicles 4:9-10)

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

Good morning. Growing up. did you ever watch your dad work and were amazed by his knowledge and skill in getting the job done? I was. I had broken the shift return spring on my Yamaha 500 Enduro. I watched as he fashioned a new one from an old wire coathanger. It worked, and I never had any problem with it ever. The foundation in the house we lived in was starting to settle. A crack in the wall near the ceiling started to open. My dad installed several rods and turnbuckles in the attic fastened to a joist and a rafter. Using house jacks to lift the settling end, he tightened the turnbuckels and the crack was pulled back together. Amazing. We have a heavenly Father who tells us to call on Him, and He will show us great and mighty things. We will be amazed: they are great and mighty things which we do not know. Jabez called on the Lord and made four requests which God granted…

1) He asked that God would bless him.

2) He asked that God would enlarge his coasts.

3) He asked that God’s hand would be with him.

4) And he asked that God would keep him from evil, that it would not grieve him.

In researching this passage, I found that many were using this and repeating the prayer over and over as part of the prosperity gospel movement. You can have prosperity, but Jesus said…

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John16:33)

There will be times of tribulation, maybe all through your life. Doesn’t sound too prospering. But there is prosperity in tribulation when you know Jesus. In the world ye shall (it’s going to happen) have tribulation: but be of good cheer. Why? Because you have Jesus, and Jesus has overcome the world. Dr. Lester Roloff said, “Don’t sing to me songs in the light if you can’t sing to me songs in the night.”

The Bible says…

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

In times of trouble…

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Corinthians 10:13)

The Lord told Jerimiah while he was in prison…

“Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” (Jeremiah 33:1-9)

Prosperity gospel? Knowing that Jesus is with you through the good times and the bad – that’s prosperity.

Peace.

May 4th, 2023 Reading God’s Word Requires a Response and a Call to Action by Nancy Wheeler

Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 23 – 25 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

Second Milers also read – Luke 23 – 24; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read the “0504 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The Law Read

2 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. (2 Kings 23:2)

The King’s Response 

3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. (2 Kings 23:3)

The King’s Action (vs. 4 – 25)

4 And the king commanded, 5 And he put down the idolatrous priests, 6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord… burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, 7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense … (2 Kings 23:4 – 8ff)

I think you get the picture. God’s word read, requires a response and a call to action.

There have been times in my life where God has put a fire in me to devour his word. Either before a great sorrow or after. Looking back, I can see His goodness in my life. God is always good even in tragedy and death.

Several months before my husband Mike passed away was one of those times. I couldn’t seem to get enough of God’s word. I read for several hours a day. Searching for answers and comfort. There was a situation within my family that was heartbreaking, and I was sure God was speaking to me about that.  Looking back, He was preparing me for grief as well.

I was traveling to Missouri when I received the call that Mike was killed. I remember taking my dad’s hand and saying, “I need to pray”. My prayer was one of thanking God for Mike’s bold testimony and knowing he was in heaven with him. And then asking God to not let this be something that pulls me away from Him but draws me closer. I asked him for His grace. That I wanted to be present in everything that was going to happen in the next week. I believe that that prayer was born out of the reading of God’s word the past few months.  God was preparing me for action, to walk through grief.

After the funeral, God drew me to the book of Job. The first part where Job loses everything and the last part, where God tells Job who He is. When I remember who God is, that’s when I trust and obey his word.

Again, God is preparing me for two years later, when I am a blubbering mess. Worried about something out of my control. I am thankful for those that day that prayed with me, that morning. My Pastor Charles, Tina, Phil Sr., Phil Jr., and several friends. That night though is when I again came to the end of myself and remembered who God is. He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I can trust him in life and in death. I’ve learned that to live a life of trust requires reading God’s word and putting it into action.

You must know God to trust God to Love God. I am to be strong in the LORD, steadfast, serving the LORD until He brings me home. 

Nancy Wheeler

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:3)

May 3rd, 2023 A Space of Grace

Today’s Reading – 2 Kings 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read the “0503 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “He Should Have Quit While He Was Ahead;” and “Have You Found the Book?”

“Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.” (2 Kings 22:16-20)

After the Word of God was discovered in the Temple while renovations were being made, King Josiah realized that the southern kingdom of Judah was far away from where she once was, and where she should have been. The king is a great man and desperately wants to get things right with the Lord, so he goes to a woman, named Huldah, a prophetess, who explained to him that judgment was certainly in store for Judah for the sins of her past. However, the good news is that the coming judgment would be postponed until after the days of King Josiah. Why? Because his heart was tender, and he was greatly humbled before God. He was determined to do what was right and lead the people of God to submit to whatever God commanded them to do.

Fast forward a couple of hundred years, way past the time of Josiah, and also past the horrible judgment that was prophesied by the prophetess as well as by others. Jerusalem had been completely destroyed, including the Temple, and the people of God had been living in captivity for seventy years, first in Babylon and then in Persia. God now opens up a window for the people of God to go back into the land of Judah, rebuild the Temple and the City of Jerusalem, and worship and serve the Lord as God had commanded them through Moses. Ezra the priest was leading a remnant of the people of God in worship, and explained to them that God had given them grace for a “little space.”

“And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 9:6-9)

I believe that God will give America a space of grace as well, even though judgment is certainly warranted for our sins as a nation. We have forsaken God; we have tolerated, condoned and even promoted all kinds of vile immorality, and we have murdered the unborn by the millions. Our country certainly has judgment in its future, and it may be that we are experiencing some of that right now through the pandemic and all the hatred and division. But, we can also get that space of grace if we will simply humble ourselves and submit to the will of the Lord.

“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

Apr 29th, 2023 Subtil Jehu – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 13 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145

Read the “0429 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

2Kings 10:18-19 – “And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much. (19) Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.”

Good morning. If only the Baal worshippers knew what was coming. But they didn’t. They may have had some kind of bible, but they didn’t have the Word of God. Their god was one of stone. Their god had stone eyes that could not see, stone ears that could not hear, and a stone mouth that could not speak. We have the One and Only Living God.

Now everyone loves to go to a party or BBQ. Jehu called for a great sacrifice to Baal. He was trying to get all the Baal worshippers together in one place.

2Kings 10:21 – “And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.”

2Kings 10:24-28 – “And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him. (25) And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. (26) And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. (27) And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. (28) Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.”

It was almost like the Psychic Network: how come they didn’t see the bankruptcy coming? The priests of Baal didn’t see Jehu’s men coming in with their swords and slaughtering them. Jehu got the job done. Today, when you look at the government, you need to know your Bible: THE Bible: the Word of God. Does your party support the killing of babies? Abortion is nothing but modern day Baal worship…

Luke 17:1-2 – “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (2) It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

Does your party support Transgenders, homosexuals, lesbians, and letting little boys decide if they are girls, and little girls if they are boys. And the devil just laughs. God is THE Perfect God. He made you a boy or a girl. If you try to change that, you are saying that THE Perfect God made a mistake, and God Almighty does not make mistakes.

Genesis 1:31 – “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

The time has come to get our country right with God. We should be voting for politicians who live and act and support the Word of God. They will lead our country in the right way we should go.

Peace.

Apr 27th, 2023 Great Expectations by Misty Woodrum

Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33

Read the “0427 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Today’s text contains several well-known children’s Sunday School stories. One of which is the story of Naaman, captain of the host of the Syrians, who was said to be “a great man,” “honourable,” and “a mighty man of valour.” We remember learning in Sunday School of the great faith of the little Israelite maid who had the courage and boldness to speak out. 

Naaman might have been a great man, but he had a problem. Naaman was a leper. The little Israelite maid is often the key Sunday School character in this story for her being young, yet having such abounding faith that she spoke up and boldly proclaimed that there was a prophet of God that could heal her master. The other servants and Naaman were quickly ready to listen to this young girl, collecting a good sum of money and gifts as payment, and then Naaman headed out to find this healing prophet at the word of the maiden. What a testimony she must have had to convince him! This alone is a wonderful, inspiring devotional application; but, there also may be something in this simple children’s story you haven’t considered.

I really want to focus on the next portion when Naaman arrives at the prophet’s  door. Elisha sends out a messenger (vs 10) telling Naaman to go wash in the Jordan 7 times and he would be clean, cured from leprosy. In verse 11 we see this is not what Naaman was expecting at all. He says, “Behold, I thought…”. He then turned “and went away in a rage.” This jumps out as a great conviction. How many times do I enquire something of the Lord and then end up upset because HE isn’t working the way in which I expect? “BUT I THOUGHT”… God doesn’t always work like we think or expect and that needs to be okay because HE is God and His ways are perfect.

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” Ps. 18:30

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” – Ps. 62:5

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

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” – Is 55:8

How many times have I asked God for something, prayed over, was broken over, and then saw an answer but it wasn’t what I “had in my head”? We all have all kinds of great expectations in life and then are disappointed when it wasn’t what we imagined. We must be very careful. So much of the time, what we are given is much better; it just looks different than anticipated. We have great expectations: those we date, spouses, children, employers, government officials, friends, church leadership, and the list goes on. 

Naaman had a different expectation and it almost cost him. 

Thankfully the story doesn’t end there for Naaman. His servants come along and basically say, ‘Come on Naaman, it’s worth a shot. He didn’t ask you to do anything complicated.’ So in verse 14 he goes down into the Jordan as is commanded, and is healed. Here also lies a great doctrinal application. Leprosy is a picture of sin. Naaman, though a mighty man, was not able to fix his sin issue on his own. He HAD TO SUBMIT and do what God said. It really was an issue of faith, just like for us today. Often, like Naaman, people are willing and expecting to jump through all kinds of difficult, crazy religious hoops of works in order to be saved; yet God wants each of us to simply yield and be fully submitted to Him by faith and experience the healing (forgiveness) from sin. We cannot go to God on our own terms but must humbly submit to Him. In Romans Paul warns of Israel’s problem with this as well: 

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” – Romans 10:3

In summary:

#1 Have a good testimony like the little maid and speak out by faith.

#2 Beware of your own “great expectations” and remember that God doesn’t work on our terms or like we always think.

#3 When we are able to submit to God, He is able to work. Yield to the Lord, first by salvation from sin, then for the rest of your life in daily decisions.

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” – Ps. 62:5

Apr 25th, 2023 Micaiah, the Prophet of the Lord by Derek Woodrum

Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11

Read the “0425 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 Read a previous post from this passage – “Shouldn’t We Be Different?”

“7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” (1 Kings 22:7-8)

There is so much going on in this chapter that I could write a month’s worth of daily devotions. However, one person stands out and is an example for all of us to follow. The man Micaiah! 

The king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, has gone to the king of Israel presumably because he was asked to come (2 Chronicles 18: 1-2). He is a good king, and he leads his people during a time when the nation of Israel is split. There is much sin throughout both nations as the kings before these two have allowed idolatry, Baal worship, and spiritualism (this refers to the groves and burning of incense in high places) to flourish instead of turning the hearts of the people to God.

The king of Israel, Ahab the husband of Jezebel, has asked Jehoshaphat to help him take back the city of Ramoth in Gilead. He says, hey let’s go fight against the king of Syria and take back the city of Ramoth because it is ours. He is driven of his own desires and is set against God in all that he does. 

So, the king of Judah says, ok, we will fight against the king of Syria together, but before we do, let’s find a prophet to tell us if God thinks this is a good idea. This was a common practice of the day, and Ahab says, no problem I have about 400 prophets here and they are all for us going into this battle. But wise Jehoshaphat says, is there not a prophet of the Lord besides these guys, probably because he had heard what happened in chapter 21 of 1 Kings! So, Ahab says reluctantly, yeah there is one guy, but I hate him because he always gives me bad news and is always against me. Jehoshaphat is like, yep let’s talk to him!

So, they go and get Micaiah and bring him back to these two kings and they ask him, shall we go and fight this battle? Micaiah says, sure, go, the Lord be with you. Now Ahab, knowing that Micaiah was telling him what he wanted to hear, says, come on man, tell me the truth what does God say? And this is where we are going to focus because Micaiah is the man.

From the story we know that Micaiah lives in a time when there is rampant sin. There are false prophets everywhere and leaders are listening to them. When he tells people what the Lord says, they hate him for it because they think he is being mean to them. He is physically attacked by these religious leaders for speaking against them, but one thing is certain, everyone knows that Micaiah is a prophet of the Lord!

Does this sound familiar? Does it sound like the days we are in? There is rampant sin and idolatry in our country today. Right is wrong and wrong is right. You are demonized as being a radical and railed upon by other “Christians” when you call them out for their sin. You are told that you are a hater because you will not accept people that want to live differently than you. You are told that that old book that you hold is archaic and outdated. That the translation is bad and that you should get a new one. That the book doesn’t really say what you can clearly read. That these days are different, and that God is love so don’t be a hater.

Here is the question, will you stand up for God or will you conform to the world?

In Ephesians 6:13 -14 we are told:

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”

We are not told to go out into battle with the armour of God, we are told to stand. We are to stand against the depravity of this world. Stand against the complacency of sin. Stand against the false prophets of our day and the acceptance of everything that is against God. This is exactly what Micaiah did. He didn’t argue with the king; he told him exactly what God was going to do. He knew this because he had a personal relationship with God. He knew the words of the Lord and he believed them.

Will you “hold the line”? Will you be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who standing before Nebuchadnezzar, with all the powerful elite in attendance watching them, say: 

            “… O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Dan 3:16-18)

Our actions speak to the world that is watching. People are watching to see what you will stand for and what you bow down to. Micaiah was willing to stand for God when it was not convenient. When the so called “religious” people around him were all bowing down to the whims of the king, he stood for God. When he knew his words were not pleasant to hear; he spoke them anyways and did so with conviction. These two chapters (1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18) are the only chapters where we see Micaiah, but they are some of the most intense passages on standing up for your faith! Be Micaiah in these days and see what God will do!

Apr 22nd, 2023 Now By This I Know – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 15 – 17 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 15 – 16; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110

Read the “0422 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(1Kings 17:17-24) “And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. (18) And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? (19) And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. (20) And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? (21) And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. (22) And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. (23) And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. (24) And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”

Good morning. Here we have the account of the widow woman, the widow’s son, and the man of God: Elijah. We see in verses 17-18, that the widow’s son got sick and died. We see that the child died because verse 17 tells us that there was no breath in him; and verse 21 tells us that the soul of the child had left him: the widow’s son was dead. The widow woman blamed herself and Elijah. Did Elijah bring up the woman’s sins before God? Probably not, God’s Word does not say. But the Word of God does tell us that Elijah took the widow;s dead son, and laid him on the bed where he slept. The man of God prayed, and the widow’s son revived. He then presented the widow woman with her son, alive again!

(1Kings 17:24) And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.”

The Word of God also says…

(2Corinthians 5:18-21) “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. (21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

How are you perceived as a Christian? Do others come to you with their problems? Do you go to the Lord on behalf of that person? Do others recognize you as a man of God? Is the Word of God in your mouth? Are you an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ? Just something to think about. Maybe you are looking for a place to start…

(1John 5:12) “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Peace!

Apr 18th, 2023 A Tale of Two Houses by George (the real) Deihl

Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 6 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4

Read the “0418 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. 1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.” (1 Kings 6:38 – 7:1)

Reading I Kings, chapters 6 and 7, it never ceases to amaze me the intricate detail that the Word of God (King James Version) gives when describing various things throughout the Bible. In these is the construction of the Lord’s House (the Temple) and the house of Solomon (his palaces). When reading these two chapters, two verses really stand out to me, the last verse in chapter 6 and the first verse in chapter 7, and what stood out were the number of years that it took to construct the Lord’s House, which was 7 years and Solomon’s house, which was 13 years.

It’s interesting that the Bible in describing the House of the Lord and the house of Solomon mentions the number of years it took to build each house. It’s also interesting that it took 7 years to build the Lord’s House and 13 years to build Solomon’s house for a total of 20 years. Meaning Solomon started and finished the Lord’s house first and then he built his own house (I Kings 9:10 and II Chronicles 8:1). 

7 and 13 are very important numbers in the Word of God and in the study of numerology. Numerology is the study of numbers and their specific importance in the Bible and how they are used to convey a meaning outside of the numerical value of the actual number being used. However, in order to understand these two numbers and what they mean we must first visit the Law of First Mention. What is the Law of First Mention?  In order to understand a particular word or doctrine you must first find the place in scripture where that word or doctrine is introduced.  So in order to understand the Lord’s placement of these numbers in these two verses we must first go back to where they originated in scripture.

The number 7 is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 2:2 where it says: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”  Because of this verse the number 7 is correlated to the Lord’s perfect work ending and because it was complete, He rested. Throughout the entire Bible you’ll be amazed how the number seven correlates to perfection, completion, and rest. For instance, it’s interesting that the word, “Saviour,” in the  King James Bible is exactly 7 letters and word, “Baptist,” also happens to be 7 letters as well. I could go on and on with the use of the number 7 in the book of Revelation. Also, in Psalm 12:6, the word of God is said to be purified 7 times; in Proverbs 8:1, the Bible states that wisdom hath built her 7 pillars.

The number 13 is first introduced in Genesis 14:4: “Twelve years they serve Chedorlaomer and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.” The number 13 correlates with rebellion and wickedness because this is where Sodom and Gomorrah started their rebellion with the other Kings against king Chedorlaomer. 13 is also associated with evil and bad luck. For instance, Friday the 13th, the missing of the 13th floor in buildings, and Dan Marino never winning a super bowl because he wore 13 (Lol!). The second time 13 is mentioned in the Bible also has to do with result of rebellion: “And Ismael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin”(Genesis 17:25). Also, in the book of Esther, on the 13th day Haman was to have all the Jews destroyed. (Esther 3:12,13, 8:12, 9:1,17,18)

[A side note Genesis chapter 13, verse 13, has 13 words regarding the rebellion and wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and their sin before the Lord.]

I.  The 7 years it took to build the Lord’s House represents perfection, completion, and rest while the 13 years it took to build Solomon’s house represents rebellion, pride, and wickedness. The Lord gave Solomon the wisdom to physically construct His Temple and it was precise and calculated, down to the finest detail all cuts were made away from the house so that there was no hammer or any other tool of iron heard in the while it was in building (I King 6:7). While on the other hand it seems that Solomon was more consumed in achieving glory and status among the other kings on earth when building his house (palace), which took much longer to build and was extravagant and full of excess.  

II.  The numbers 7 and 13 are reminders to the nation of Israel the day they rebelled against God by placing a king to rule over them instead of the Lord. Since before the Exodus out of Egypt the Lord ruled over His people Israel. His rule was perfect, complete, and He gave His people rest when they followed Him. However the influence of the world always weighed heavy on Israel causing them to desire to have earthly kings to reign over them and not God. Therefore the Lord granted them their request because of their rebellion. Their kings would take to themselves the wealth of the entire nation and Israel would become servants to them (I Samual 8:7-22).  

[Some would argue that the same could be said when Israel rebelled yet again by rejected Christ in the New Testament. Because of this they were set aside and Paul would be known as the 13th Apostle to the Gentile Church.]

III.  Finally, Solomon was loved by the Lord and the Lord gave him wisdom above all that ever lived outside of Jesus. With this wisdom the Lord gave the blueprint that Solomon needed to build the Lord’s house. Solomon had a heart for the Lord and a great desire to serve and complete the Lord’s House. He started his reign on the right track and was pleasing to the Lord. Even with some of the faults he had Solomon was used mightily at the beginning, completing the house of God to exact perfection.

However, Solomon used that same God-given wisdom to glorify himself in building his own house and setting up his earthly reign. This fed his discontentment which would eventually lead to his demise. Because Solomon wanted to glorify himself in the eyes of the world he was never content with what he had. He literally had everything and yet having everything was still not enough. 

Solomon had a heart like you and I – a heart to serve the Lord and at the same time a heart to please himself. And because he was not focused on the Lord`s Temple after he had completed it, he became prideful and discontented which lead in a downward spiral to destruction and ultimately caused him to rebel against the very Lord he once served.

Apr 15th, 2023 And Seventy-thousand Men Died – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75

Read the “0415 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

2Samuel 24:16-25: “And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. (17) And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house. (18) And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. (19) And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. (20) And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. (21) And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. (22) And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. (23) All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. (24) And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. (25) And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.”

Good morning. King David screwed up royally, if you pardon the pun. He numbered the people who were able to go to war without God’s permission. God gave him a choice of three punishments. King David wanted to rely on God and not fall into man’s hands. God heard David’s prayer and sent a plague. Seventy-thousand men died. I thought about Achan who took the Babylonish garment, and some gold and silver. Because of Achan’s sin, 36 men were killed when the fought against Ai. A drop in the bucket compared to David, and the seventy-thousand me who died because of his sin. All Israel stoned Achan to death. But David was greatly affected by the seventy-thousand…

2Samuel 24:17: “And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.”

Notice, when we sin it affects others around us. It has been that way since Adam sinned…

Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

But also notice that Achan hid his sin among his stuff, burried in his tent, but David confessed that he had sinned. God forgave him.

1John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we sin, we need to come to the LORD and confess it. Accept His forgiveness, get up and continue your walk with Him. Remember what Jesus said…

John 6:37-40: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Peace!