Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Mar 29th, 2021 A Poured Out Life … by Lexi Scates

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

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 10 – 12;  Proverbs 29; Psalms 141 – 145)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 119:105

Read a previous post from this passage – “Eli Didn’t Correct His Children“

Read the “0329 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. (1 Samuel 1:4-6,10)

Have you ever had something you felt like you couldn’t live without? Maybe your phone or TV or a person? Well, Hannah could not have kids and that was her “something”. What about a request you desperately wanted to see answered? Hannah was unstoppable when it came to her request of begging God for children, the Bible even says she “poured out her soul before the Lord”.

And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. (1 Samuel 1:15)

This reminds me of another story in Luke 7 (one of my favorite stories in the Bible to be exact), you may recall the story of the woman and the alabaster box:

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:37-38, 47-48, 50)

When I think about Hannah and this Woman I see one major thing in common, I see women who are ready to pour out everything for their God. Hannah knew she needed to be persistent in prayer to make her request known to God. And the woman did not care how crazy she may have looked to others, she knew she was in the presence of her God, and she was ready to give it all to him. All Hannah wanted was a child, and all the woman wanted was her sins to be forgiven, but they were ready to do anything for their God. As a result of Hannah’s persistence and faith her prayer was answered:

Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him (1 Samuel 1:20,27)

Hannah realizes that her request was granted only by God, and there is no doubt it is because of her persistent prayer life and patience. I personally am ready to live a life completely poured out for God, not only in my prayer life, the world we are living in is constantly looking for something to get into to make them satisfied, but God is the one thing that will never leave you unsatisfied. Later on in the story Hannah reflects on the work God has done in her life, and praises His name and rejoices for the work He has done. In the beginning of the story we see Hannah “in bitterness of soul” and “wept sore” and now we see her rejoicing and thankful, so what changed? When I reflect on my own life, I see many hills and valleys, I see moments of bitterness and weeping and moments of rejoicing. But at the same time I can clearly see God’s hand in all of it, His timing and plan have never disappointed and are always transformed into situations better than I can imagine. Hannah was granted everything she ever wanted (a child) and more (because she had more children after Samuel). So what’s stopping you from living a ‘poured out’ life?

And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:1-2)

Mar 27th, 2021 Siding With Sinners – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Judges 20 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 4 – 6; Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135)

Read the “0327 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh. And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword. (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness? And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge. And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead. And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel. And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house. But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it; And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel. So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.” (Judges 20:1-14)

Good morning. When we give out the plan of salvation, we often quote Romans 6:23a: the wages of sin is death. This verse tells us that sin gets a paycheck: death. In our passage, the men of Gibeah beat up a man and left him as dead, then they raped and killed his concubine. They sinned. Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. Israel came to Benjamin and asked for the men who did the crime, so that this evil could be put out of Israel. They decided to defend Gibeah, and Benjamin went to war with the rest of Israel.

1) Sin Has Consequences.

Civil war broke out and all of Benjamin came to Gibeah to fight with the rest of the tribes of Israel.

“And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city. And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle. But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven. And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them. Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them. Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising. And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour. And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour. But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.” (Judges 20:37-48)

And Benjamin was almost completely wiped out; 600 men survived.

2) Sin Hurts More Than Just The Sinner.

“And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.” (Judges 20:21)

“And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.” (Judges 20:25)

“And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.” (Judges 20:31)

Forty-thousand and thirty men of Israel were killed. These are the ones who wanted to rid Israel of the evil that was done. Not that they were not sinners: the Bible says, “For all have sinned…” But they were trying to do what was right and remove the evil from Israel.

3) Sin Damages Can Be Repaired By GOD.

“And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.” (Judges 21:13-14)

“Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards; And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, Be favourable unto them for our sakes: because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war: for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty. And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.” (Judges 21:20-23)

Did God heal the tribe of Benjamin? Let’s fast-forward to the New Testament…

“Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee…” (Philippians 3:4-5)

The apostle Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin. And during the Great Tribulation, there are at least 12,000 left…

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.” (Revelation 7:4-8)

These all make up the 144,000 witnesses for Christ. If God can heal the nation of Israel, He can heal America too.

Peace!

Mar 22nd, 2021 What Are You Standing For? … by Sarah Camillo

Today’s Passage – Judges 7 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Peter 1 – 5; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 47:1

Read the “0322 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And they stood every man in his place round about the camp:” (Judges 7:21a)

In the world we live in today, we need some people who will stand. Someone once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” 

Most of us are familiar with the story of Gideon in Judges 7. In this battle God used the trumpet, the pitcher, and the lamp to bring about victory. We read that the use of trumpets in Numbers 10:1-10, was the voice of God. It was used as a signal of gathering people together, for marching, for a time to commune with God, and for battle. The pitcher, was an earthen vessel used for food and water in Biblical times. In Judges 7, these vessels were empty when they were broken or they would not have made such a loud crashing sound. The lamps, were made from the broken pitcher to hold the light and possibly to keep the wind from blowing them out.  These three items have meanings that should remind us, encourage us, and prepare us to stand. 

1. The trumpet is sounding!  We are in the Lord’s army! We will find the strength to stand by being in the Word and being together with other believers. An army is a group of comrades who march together, support each other, lift up the fallen, give encouragement when the going gets tough, and stand strong together in their place against the enemy. Hebrews 10:25 “ 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.”
2. We are the pitchers. We are the earthen vessels, empty, broken, and worthless. God uses the broken ones! God can use us in great ways if we allow Him to! 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
3. We are to be the lamp! In this dark world where evil is called good and good is called evil, we are to shine the light of Jesus!  Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 

Sound the trumpet call to stand on the Word of God and let God use your broken vessel to shine His light.  Be in your place in the battle and stand strong!  Stand for truth!

O CHURCH ARISE

O Church Arise and put your amour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies
An army bold whose battle-cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness

~Keith & Kristyn Getty, Chris Tomlin, Stuart Townend 

Mar 20th, 2021 What Goes Around, Comes Around – The Saturday Morning Post

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

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 10 – 13; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100

Read the “0320 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him. And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men. And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.” (Judges 1:3-7)

Good morning. Meet Adonibezek. He cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings. When God sent Judah, with Simeon to help, they fought with him and caught Adonibezek, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. Then Adonibezek confessed, “…as I have done, so God hath requited me.” What did the LORD say…

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

So if you cut off someone’s thumbs and big toes, you should expect someone to do that to you. You can bully others, or you can show them the love of Jesus…

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 19-21)

When somebody wrongs you, do you really want the wrath of God to fall on them? He knows what they did to you, and He will repay them. Vengeance belongs to God, not you. The only way to overcome evil is with good. By doing good you will heap coals of fire on their heads; sometimes they need to feel the heat before they will repent. The outcome will be much better if you allow God to handle it.

Peace.

Mar 19th, 2021 Leadership Lessons from Joshua … by Corey Woolner

Today’s Passage – Joshua 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Proverbs 19; Psalms 91 – 95)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 25

Read the “0319 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15)

Joshua is nearing the end of his life during these last 3 chapters on this book. What a great man Joshua was! He was the minister of Moses which led him to become the leader of the Israelites.

Joshua 24:15 is a very well known verse. There are two thoughts on leadership I want to bring out of this verse today.

Leadership is setting the example. A real leader leads. A real leader doesn’t sit around and boss everyone around and tell everyone else what to do while he himself just sits idle.

By Joshua saying “..as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” he was setting another example for the people.
A real Christian leader will encourage others to serve the Lord.

The greatest form of leadership is to lead by example. This is how Jesus lead in John 13 with the washing of feet. Jesus said in John 13:15, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Leaders lead by example. In Joshua chapter 24, Joshua was continuing to set the example.

Joshua was not just setting the example for the Israelites, he was setting the example for his house. He was not just the leader of the nation, he was the leader of his home. God has ordained three things which are the home, government, and the church. Gods design & plan is for the man to be the head of the home. Joshua had for a long time served the Lord, and here in chapter 24 he declares again the stand his house will take. WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

Men, set the example for the people God has given you to lead. If that’s a congregation, a bus route, or a Sunday school class, set the example when it comes to serving the Lord.
When it comes to your house, your family, set the example that your house will serve the Lord and be a Christian house.

Joshua was an old man the Bible tells us in chapter 23:1. Even in his old age, Joshua wanted to continue serving the Lord. Think about how long he had been serving the Lord, yet he had no quit in him. A real leader doesn’t quit. A real leader runs their race and finishes their course.

Mar 17th, 2021 Driving Out the Inhabitants … by Dawn E. Foster

Today’s Passage – Joshua 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Titus 1 – 3; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read the “0317 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post on this passage – “Get to Work“

Borders are set to define an area. To keep things in, and to keep things out. They define a starting and ending point. Borders define countries, our yards, our way of life. These boundaries not only define physical space, but also sin.  

God commanded the people to drive out the inhabitance of the lot that was given to them for their inheritance.  Drive out meaning completely ridding them out of their borders.  Yet in Joshua 17:12 we see that “the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities;”.  In the next verse, verse 13 we read that they “did not utterly drive them out.”  All the bells and whistles in our heads are going off at this point.  Get them out! Hello!!!!! This is going to be a huge problem! God said get them out plain and simple so do it! 

It is funny how we can easily identify this, yet in our own lives we let sin fester. Just like the children of Manasseh let the inhabitants stay in the land, we do the same with sin. It’s ok if I do (fill in the blank) because it’s a gray area.  We make a justification. Well…. the Bible doesn’t clearly define if it’s right or wrong. It’s ok if I drink because the Bible says don’t get drunk… so as long as I don’t lose my mind I’m fine to do it. It’s ok if…. little by little we slowly make another justification… we let one sin stay, then another. We let the sliver stay in our finger because we don’t want to deal with the immediate pain that would be caused if we would just pull it out. So, it festers… and gets infected.  Suddenly the one “it’s ok if I do” thing because a major separation from the Lord. We become consumed with living with the sin because maybe it’s easier. Maybe because everyone is doing it.  We keep it because the world does it so it can’t be so bad… right? Wrong.  

Sin will dim our eyes so we will not notice that we are not seeing clearly.  We will not understand why we start to struggle. We won’t see that our walk with the Lord is drifting farther and farther off the straight and narrow. We become part of the world because everyone is doing it. 

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15 – 17)

Until we drive out the inhabitants we cannot be right with God. We won’t see how dark it is in our lives until we turn the lights on. God gives another warning in Numbers 33:55: “But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”

Child of God, if you are justifying sin get on your knees. Cry out to the Lord. Get in your Bible. Talk to your Pastor or Pastor’s wife. Get right, and drive out those inhabitances in your life.

Mar 15th, 2021 Five Peace Killers … by Pastor Wayne Z. Foster

Today’s Passage – Joshua 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 – 1 Timothy 1 – 6; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)

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

Read a previous post from this passage – “The Day the Sun Stood Still“

Read the “0315 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

In the Book of Joshua, we see the record of the Children of Israel as they go through and claim the Land of Canaan.  We know this as the Promise Land. These passages are historical recordings of Israel’s exploits.  Time and time again we see how God delivered Israel’s enemies into their hands.  What we read can be directly and spiritually applied to our lives today.

In Joshua 10, the five kings Adonizedek, Hoham, Piram, Japhia, Debir, were angry that Gibeon had tricked Joshua into making peace with them. This is a prime example from the Bible of why we should pray or we will pay.  These kings want to destroy Gibeon. This is because Gibeon made peace. In our lives when we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts we receive something we never had before.  It is the peace of God.  Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” 

Peace is something that the world desires but never achieves. This is because we live in a world run by chaos and confusion.  This world is run by the Devil. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4,  “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: “Ephesians 2:2. When we get peace our flesh automatically starts to attack and tries to destroy it.  

There are 5 things that will erode peace in your life: 

1. Worry: Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Worry is like a rocking chair it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere. Peace is based on trust.  If you are trusting God you will have peace.  It is when you don’t trust God to handle your problems or situations that worry creeps in and steals your peace.  Trust God!
2. Doubt: Matthew 14:31 “And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”  When you get saved you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  There is nothing that you cannot accomplish for God.  With God all things are Possible! The Devil knows this and takes full advantage.  He gets you to doubt. Doubt your self-worth in Christ.  Doubt that God can use you.  Doubt that you are good enough.  The ceiling that blocks your prayers is doubt.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the opposite of doubt.  Do not doubt God, have faith in Him!
3. Sin: James 1:15 – Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”  Sin is like an unlimited credit but with 100% interest.  You think it will give you everything you want but in the end its takes everything you needed and wanted. Sin is like the monster you used to think hid in your closet when you were a child.  The problem is this monster is real.  Even if you close your eyes it’s still there watching you, haunting you, and draining you of your peace.  Sin makes you paranoid just ask King Saul.  Sin makes you crazy just ask Samson.  Sin will steal your peace just ask David.
4. People: Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Setting yours eyes on people instead of God will steal your peace.  Often times we are so concerned with others opinions, we lose track of the one we really should be concerned about, Jesus. In our lives we live to please God not people.  Pride pushes us to please people.  The Bible pushes us to please God. You should not worry about how people view you.  Be aware of how God views you. If you are living for God, the right people will have the correct view of you.
5. Fear: Psalm 37:1 “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” Fear is paralyzing.  It inhibits you from accomplishing what God has for you.  Fear causes us to stay put instead of doing great things for God.  In the wild a lion roars to stun its prey.  Often that roar instills a fear so great it paralyzes the prey.  That’s what Satan does to Christians.  1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” There are many fears that will hinder your peace.  Fear of failure.  Fear of change.  Far of loss. God does not want us to live in fear.  We are meant to live victorious in Christ. Fear will hinder your walk with God.  It will steal your confidence in Christ, and bring you many sleepless nights. Don’t let fear rob you of peace, we are more than Conquers!

Mar 13th, 2021 The Place Whereon Thou Standest Is Holy – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Joshua 5 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)

Read the “0313 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15)

Joshua was getting ready to bring Israel against the city of Jericho, when he saw a man with His sword in His hand, ready to fight. Joshua asked Him a simple question: are you for us or our our adversaries? This was not a yes/no question, but the man said nay: no. No? Wait, are you for us or them? Nay; but as Captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua found himself in the same place as Moses…

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:1-6)

And Joshua fell down with his face to the earth. And Joshua received the same command as Moses: take your shoes off, the place you stand on is holy. And Joshua did so. And in chapter 6, we see the Lord giving Joshua His plan for the destruction of Jericho.

Have you come up against a wall in trying to serve God? A problem with your Sunday School class? Trouble with local government? Maybe it’s time to look for the Guy with the sword…

1) Seek Jesus First.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

2) Do As He Instructed.

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:2-5)

3) When The Wall Falls, Move Forward.

“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20)

Is the work you are doing for the Lord? It is not your work, but His. He is standing right in front of you with His sword drawn, ready to get you through the wall. But, how can He if you are not relying on Him? Remember what Jesus said: without Me ye can do nothing.

Peace.

Mar 12th, 2021 A Simple Faith? … by Caitlin Tarr

Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10

Read the “0312 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Where are the Strong and Courageous Men?”

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:5-9)

Moses is dead and God has chosen Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Joshua has big shoes to fill after Moses. He had to wonder if he was a worthy successor to Moses. God laid it out the way in Joshua 1:1-9. Simple right? It would be if faith was simple. But faith isn’t simple. It takes strength and courage. The same strength and courage that God promised Joshua. The strength and courage needed to lead the people into the promise land that is offered to us if we show the simple faith needed to obey God’s commandments no matter how hard the challenge before us is. 

There are going to be times in our life when the challenges set before us seem too great for us to overcome. Times when our faith fails us because faith isn’t simple. Times when we need to remember that the promises that God gave Joshua are there for us. One of those promises is at Joshua 1:5, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”  With God on our side, despite the challenges, no enemy will be able to stand against us, no challenge is too great … if we have a simple faith. 

Joshua 1:9 carries a challenge and a promise, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” It’s just a question of simple faith … right? No, because there will be times when our faith falters, when the strength and courage God give us seems out of reach, when faith doesn’t seem a simple thing. There will be times when we find ourselves afraid, discouraged and facing defeat. All of this, even though we know that the God of the Universe is going to be with us wherever we go … if we simply have faith.

As the book of Joshua continues, the story of his faith, continues as he faces the challenges that God sets before him. Imagine what would be possible if we had his simple faith and depended on the strength and courage that God provides us as he did to Joshua! 

Mar 6th, 2021 Remember – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 15 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 3; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)

Read the “0306 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.” (Deuteronomy 15:12-15)

Good morning. We’re having a wonderful time down here in Texas. We have made new friends, and renewed old friendships. But we still think about our other friends back home in New Jersey. We will be leaving in two weeks to start our journey back. We will always remember Florida, Texas, and our home: New Jersey. In our passage today, God is telling the Hebrews, when after six years, to release their Hebrew servants in the seventh year. They need to remember that they were bondmen in the land of Egypt, and the LORD freed them and they left Egypt with everything they needed. The Hebrew masters should not send their Hebrew servants away empty, but should furnish them liberally from what God had blessed them with. Did they disagree with that? They needed to remember that they were in bondage at one time in Egypt, till the LORD redeemed them. We, as Christians, were once in bondage: in bondage to sin before the LORD redeemed us. God showed us mercy and grace as He paid the price of our redemption.

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

Should we not also show grace and mercy to other Christians? Remember where you came from.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John13:34-35)

1) Remember those in bondage to sin.

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

2) Remember those we follow.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Hebrews 13:7)

3) Remember to help the lost and fallen.

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:17-23)

One more item to remember: it’s hard to look down your nose unless you are looking in a mirror. Remember.

Peace.