Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 24th, 2022 God Remembers

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 37 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Romans 1 – 4; Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)

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

Read the “0824 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – The Truth Sometimes Hurts

“Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.” (Jeremiah 38:7-13)

“Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 39:15-18)

In our reading today, the prophet Jeremiah was speaking the Word of the Lord pretty much to deaf ears. He was trying to get the people to do what God wanted them to do, but they were not listening. At the this particular point in Jeremiah’s ministry to the nation of Judah, God told him to tell the people of Judah to submit to the will of King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. At one point, had the people of God repented from their idolatry and wickedness, God would have spared them completely from the Babylonian army, but they did not listen to God then either. Now, the the judgment of God through the Babylonians was coming, and God was warning the people of Judah to submit to them, but He also promises that if they do that, He will be merciful to them, cause them to be treated well, and not allow the city of Jerusalem to be completely destroyed.

The people, however, are convinced that they know better, and that they should resist. Keep in mind, during this whole time the people are still living in rebellion against God, there has been no repentance on their part, and they are certainly not listening to God’s prophet Jeremiah. In fact, they get so upset with what Jeremiah is saying that they throw him in jail. This particular dungeon is so bad that there is no water, just a filthy mire for a floor that Jeremiah sinks into when they lower him down into it.

One of the eunuchs that was in the king’s house, an Ethiopian man named Ebedmelech, realizes that what they are doing to Jeremiah is wrong and he goes to the king to intercede on Jeremiah’s behalf, and the king then sends Ebedmelech with a small army to rescue him and pull him up out of the mire.

Fast forward now to chapter thirty-nine. Babylon has arrived, and judgment is falling on all who refused to listen to Jeremiah, but Jeremiah himself is treated well by the Babylonians and is actually given his choice about whether to stay in Jerusalem or go with the rest of the captives to Babylon. Either way, he would be a free man. Notice in vs. 15 – 18 that Ebedmelech also is promised by God that he will be treated well. God remembered the kindness that Ebedmelech showed Jeremiah when he was in the prison.

Jesus said something very similar in Matthew 25:

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:37-40)

Did you notice that one of the things that Jesus will reward (besides the cup of cold water pictured above) is visiting one of His brethren in prison. That’s exactly what Ebedmelech did. His visited Jeremiah and He interceded to the king on his behalf. And, God remembered him. God stated the same thing in Jeremiah 39 that He states in Matthew. He told Ebedmelech that what he did for Jeremiah was just the same as doing it for God.

Ebedmelech was not a prophet, He wasn’t even a Jew, but He demonstrated faith in God by what he did for Jeremiah, God’s man. Not everybody today is a preacher or teacher of the Word of God, but if they faithfully serve God in whatever capacity God has given them and equipped them for, they will also be remembered by God. God remembers.

Aug 20th, 2022 Go Not After Other gOD;s – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 23 – 25 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 16 – 18; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

Read the “0820 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.” (Jeremiah 25:4-6)

Good morning. I’m seeing more and more of these bumper stickers on cars. I want to get one. Then underneath it I’ll place another bumper sticker that says, “BUT…JOHN 14:6!” Which says…

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Because we live in the United States of America, the land of the free, you are free to worship whoever you like. You can worship the moon god, Allah; but Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. You can bow down to statues of Mary, saints, a fat bald guy, or some multi-armed figment of someone’s imagination; but Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. You can be a Mormon, and worship a Jesus who is satan’s brother, or for that matter you can even worship satan himself; but Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. You can worship plants, trees, and shrubbery; but Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. Why you are so free that you can even bow down before a mirror and worship yourself! But Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

As Christians, we tolerate other religions, why is it that they do not tolerate us? Because Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:1 to make your bodies a living sacrifice, so why blow yourself up? How about those statues you bow down to?

“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.” (Leviticus 26:1-9)

HMMmmmm…. could that be why we are having so many problems in America? Maybe we should put the Real God first, and stop worshiping everything but Him, including ourselves.

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and it’s amazing how much He has tolerated us.

Peace.

Aug 19th, 2022 Men At Best

Today’s Passage –  Jeremiah 18 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 13 – 15; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

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

Read the “0819 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “The Potter’s House”

“Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.” (Jeremiah 18:19-23)

Have you ever heard the expression: “They may have been the best of men, but they were men at best?” Basically, it states that even good men are merely human and even though they are good most of the time, they also have their faults. In our reading this morning, in chapter eighteen, we see the humanity of Jeremiah coming through. He prays for God to destroy the people in Judah who had forsaken God and had turned against him. He even asks for their children to be punished. This is not the heart of someone who truly loves the people that he is ministering to.

Jeremiah was human, and he had an extremely difficult ministry. He had the job of preaching to the people of Judah at a time when God’s patience for their behavior had already run out. The people did not like or listen to what Jeremiah had to say and they often punished him for speaking the truth to them. But I don’t think that Jeremiah was always speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), sometimes he was angry at the people he was trying to reach, and in his flesh, he wanted God to judge them. I am reminded of Jonah who despised the Ninevites that he was sent to preach to.

Also, notice in chapter twenty that Jeremiah attempted to quit preaching:

“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:7-9)

God did not let Jeremiah give up, however. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). God wouldn’t let him sit on the sidelines, His word was burning in Jeremiah’s heart and had to get out. But, Jeremiah was discouraged and at one point wanted to quit. He was human.

This is not a “let’s pile up on Jeremiah” devotion. I am merely pointing out that the best of men in the Bible got discouraged, angry, disgruntled, bitter, and even at times sinned against God. I am not rejoicing in their failures, but I am encouraged because I often feel as they do. I get discouraged, bitter, and angry. I sin against God often, I get mad at God’s people sometimes, and I want to quit about every other week. I am human and so are you.

What are we to do? We need to keep getting back up, dusting ourselves off, confess our failures to God, ask for His help, and keep doing what He has called us to do. We may someday see the great results of our work, or like Jeremiah, we may not. Judah was in worse shape after his ministry than before. But, we can have the satisfaction of knowing that we did what God had called us to do and we will hear God say, “well done.”

Aug 13th, 2022 New Heavens And Earth – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 63 – 66 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – John 19 – 20; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)

Read the “0813 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)

Good morning. As time passes, it brings us closer to the LORD’s return. I sometimes wonder how much longer I have on this sin-cursed world. I’m 68 years old: if I live to be 100, that will be 32 more years, or the year 2054: if I live to be 70, that’s only 2 more years. No one will be weeping or crying there. All the bad thoughts that may pop into your head will be gone: you will not remember them. God’s description of the new Jerusalem is that He will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. God Himself says that He will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in His people. Excited?

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:1-27)

Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If not, then this is what you will see…

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

Not a pretty sight, but then neither is sin in God’s eyes. You need to ask Him to forgive your sins. He already took care of the hard part by being the sacrificial Lamb of God to die for your sins. The Word of God tells us that we are all sinners. As sinners we cannot save ourselves…

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

…we need a Saviour.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:8-11)

The only thing that you can do is to pray and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save you.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Then you will get to see the new Heaven and the new earth.

Peace.

Aug 6th, 2022 Strengthen Ye The Weak Hands – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 33 – 36 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – John 5 – 6; Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 26)

Read the “0806 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:3-6)

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” (1Corinthians 14:3)

Good morning. Do you enjoy fellowship with other Christians? I hope so, because one day we will all be together in Heaven. Of course we will all be changed: if there is something in me that you dislike, it will either be gone, or your attitude adjusted to like it. But what about here on earth? We are all not anywhere close to being perfect, and yet Jesus came and died for all those imperfections. Why can’t we bring a little Heaven here to earth, and forgive those imperfections as Jesus did. We should strive to edify, exhort, and comfort each other. Would you consider helping the handicapped? Think of all these imperfections as disabilities. We should strengthen weak hands and feeble knees. Know and share what the Bible says about God taking care of us. “Vengeance is Mine.” saith the LORD. He will save you, He will repay: there is no need to fear. One day the blind will see, the deaf hear, the lame jump up and walk. Waters will break out and there will be streams in the desert. In the meanwhile, be forgiving. Cut everybody some slack (as the saying goes.): after all, there are others who are cutting you some slack too. And what if they are not?

“Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:21-22)

Peace.

Jul 30th, 2022 Are You Going To Heaven? – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 15 – 16; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 30)

Read the “0730 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Good morning. Are you going to Heaven? Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you can not.

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

But there is a problem…

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Our righteousness is no good. We would need our righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees, which means the righteousness of the Pharisees is also no good…

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)

No one is justified by works of the law…

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

There is only one righteousness that would exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, and that’s the righteousness of God.

“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.” (2Corinthians 5:21)

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:8-9)

When you receive Jesus as your Saviour, you get the righteousness of God. When God looks at you, He sees His Son. He sees the water turned to wine. He sees the woman with the issue of blood healed. He sees the blind given his sight, and the lepers cleansed, and the lame healed. He sees the vacant cross and the empty tomb. Our righteousness is as filthy rags, we need a Saviour: we need Jesus.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Receive Jesus as your Saviour, then you can answer yes to the question: “Are you going to Heaven?”

Peace.

Jul 23rd, 2022 My Best Friend – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 25 – 27 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 1 – 2; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Read the “0723 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:6)

Good morning. I went into my calendar book and found that Camille had written me a message…

“There have been 3 greatest things that have happened to me…

Jesus, Melissa, and you.”

Camille is my best friend. I love my best friend. I married my best friend. Her kisses are true, they are not deceitful. Her wounds are faithful: she always tells me the way it is, and let’s me know when I screw up. Camille is my best friend. But she is not my greatest Friend.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

Jesus is my Greatest Friend: He laid down His life for me. He saved me from Hell, and built me a mansion in Heaven. He gets me through life here on earth. I love Jesus. Jesus is my Greatest Friend. Jesus, My Greatest Friend, even introduced me to my best friend, Camille, my wife. He told me, along with every other husband…

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

When we see the love that the Lord Jesus Christ had for His church, and what the church did to Him, we begin to understand that there may be problems. The church beat Him, spit on Him, mocked Him, pulled His beard out, and crucified Him. But He still loved us. This is our example to love our wives as Christ also loved the church. Be forgiving.

Peace.

Jul 16th, 2022 Tell Melissa I Said Hi – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “0716 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.” (Proverbs 4:1-2)

“I want to share something with you that has revolutionized my relationship with my Heavenly Father. My God is an awesome, powerful, all-knowing, mighty and righteous God. He spoke the world into existence and holds creation in the palm of His hand. He raised others and even Himself from the dead and healed scores of people from all manner of diseases. He caused the earth to swallow legions of people, and the waters to destroy others. He is magnificent, all-seeing, and unfathomable.”

“But He is also my Heavenly Daddy. Sometimes when I hurt, all I can manage to pray is “Dear Heavenly Father,“ and then I cry for a time. Jesus told the disciples that they must become like children (completely trusting), and to suffer the children to come (don’t hinder that complete trust). The Bible tells us that if our earthly daddies can take care of us, how much better can our Heavenly Daddy take care of us. Let me challenge you, when you have the “fear of evil”, go to God. Ask Him to put you on His lap, pet you, kiss your forehead, rock you, and tell you everything is going to be ok. I believe that is the key to ‘the peace that passes all understanding’.” (Melissa Dilley 12/6/1975 – 2/16/2012)

Good morning. There is nothing like the salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ. I was 58 years old when our daughter, Melissa, went to see Jesus in person. We miss her very much still, even though it’s been 10 years. But I tell you Heaven is going to be great: a reunion of loved ones. Plus we get to see the One who died for us too! Not only our loved ones who have gone on before, but also those we have only read about in the Bible. Not only those, but believers just like us, whom Jesus saved. And we’ll have all eternity to meet everyone. Our Heavenly Father’s Word is the key that unlocks everything…

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1John 5:11-13)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. You know Him personally, and He knows you…

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Hear your Heavenly Father’s instructions, and have understanding. God gives us good Doctrine, let’s not forget His Law.

Dear Heavenly Father, because of your Word, I know that Melissa is safely with You. Thank You for such a great salvation, and tell Melissa I said hi.

Peace.

Jul 9th, 2022 The Truth – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 115 – 118 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Read the “0709 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 117:1-2)

Good morning! What is truth? Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) said that..

“Pure truth, like pure gold, has been found unfit for circulation, because men have discovered that it is far more convenient to adulterate the truth than to refine themselves.”

Some people say that truth is relative: what may be truth to me, may not be truth to you. To that, I say,

“Truth is truth. If you try to bend it, or shape it into something else then it becomes a lie.”

Can you imagine if the government started telling the truth? Just a simple truth. They come out and admit they were wrong about our nation: we are a Christian nation, and the operation of our government can be found in the Bible. But then they would have to admit that there is a true and living God. They would have to allow the Ten Commandments back into it’s buildings. After all – they would have to admit – we’re trying to keep the government from interfering with God, but allow God to work His will inside government. (Can I let you in on a little secret? God is working His will inside our government whether they believe it or not!)

So truth is solid: it cannot be moved or changed. If anything is not the truth, or if the truth is flexed and stretched, then it is no longer truth, but a lie. Malachi says…

“For I am the LORD, I CHANGE NOT; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” and in John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Malachi 3:6)

Jesus also said…

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)

And what is the truth?

The truth is that we are all sinners.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [AND] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:10, 23)

It’s in our blood to sin, and to lie, and to not do the truth: because Adam sinned, we all sin. In Romans chapter 5 the Bible says…

“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:” (Romans 5:12)

So the truth is that we are all sinners. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). But…

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

And the truth is that it is so easy to get this love for your self. And He made it so easy for us. Jesus took on Himself the hard part: dying for our sins on the cross. All we need do is receive Him into our hearts. That’s the truth.

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-10 & 13)

And that’s the truth.

Peace.

Jul 2nd, 2022 Happy Anniversary! Revisited – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 80 – 85 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

Read the “0702 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” (Psalm 82:1-8)

Good morning. I had gone back to my last post: ‘Happy Anniversary!’ And as I stared at the picture, I realized something: unless the three pictured had received Jesus when they were children before their involvement in atheism, they are burning in Hell right now: since 1995. When Jesus died on the cross, He bought back, paid the price, for every soul of every nation that ever was, is, or will ever be. They all were His creation…

“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. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 1:31-2:3)

And our God even claims ownership of every soul…

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

God is a perfect God, and He created a perfect world, and all that is within it, until sin entered in. God had to create the perfect way to fix His creation.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

Jesus said…

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 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. 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.” (John 6:37-40)

Perfect God: perfect salvation. And all you need do is to ask Jesus to save you, and He will…

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

So as I look at these three smiling faces, I think of those ‘missed opportunities’: people I had the chance to witness to, but didn’t. This is our purpose: this is what we should be doing. Did they hear, and refuse the gospel? Did they have time to call on the name of the LORD before the kidnappers ended their lives? I don’t know. But I do know I need to be much bolder in my witnessing before it’s too late. How about you?

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Peace!