Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

May 6th, 2020 Everybody Matters … by Moriah Rice

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)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

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

“The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea, And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things. These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.” (1 Chronicles 4:21-23)

We can see in 1 Chronicles 3-4 that it goes through the genealogy of David’s sons and successors. We often read through these passages of Scripture in order to just get through the list of names and check it off of our reading list, but as I was reading through those difficult to pronounce names this thought struck my mind, “God put every name here for a purpose.” It seems like a simple thought, but I correlated it with “God put every person on this earth for a purpose.”

We so often look at the big picture, per say. We see people and names and faces, but we don’t often recognize who they are and why God placed specific talents and abilities in certain people for a reason, including ourselves. We can see in 1 Chronicles 4:23, after it goes on to list all the names. It says, “These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.” We know that they are talking about the king that reigned during that time frame, but the thought is that we are all here on this earth ultimately to do the King’s work. We are all, when it comes to those who are saved, simply potters for the Lord’s use and if we personally choose to count that as an honor then there will be an automatic response of humility that follows. To be a potter for the Lord should be counted as a privilege and we should be able to find purpose in that.

We can see in chapter 5 where it talks about the sons of Reuben and in verse 1 it says: “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.” We see the importance of genealogy and birthright. God had a purpose for every single person He created for the time and purpose He created them. We can see in verse 1 when Reuben had sinned that it not only messed his life up, but also the genealogy that followed him. May it be a small reminder to be Christ-like in the way that we live, because in the end it does matter. God has a purpose; He has a plan and His ultimate desire is for us to follow and obey that which He has already put in place. Our heartbeat should be to find purpose in what He has called us to do, and then to live out His purpose in our lives all for His honor and glory. 

May 5th, 2020 The Runt of the Litter … by Pastor Gerald Hicks II

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

(Second Milers Read – John 1 – 2; Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)

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

Read the “0505 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:” (1 Chronicles 2:12-15)

After reading this passage, I just can’t help but think of the privilege it is to serve the Lord. If you’re saved today, aren’t you grateful to be playing for Jesus’ team!

In the passage, we see the lineage leading up to David, and we see he’s the youngest of seven brothers. The youngest son growing up around 6 older brothers most likely was not always a walk in the park. He probably had his days of getting bullied and made fun of, especially for being the youngest. Even when David went down to see the battle involving Goliath, he received ridicule from some of his brothers, even then.

Little did they, even David, know, how God would tremendously use David, not just that day amongst the giant, but even greater days lies ahead for him.

In a group of animals, a runt is a member which is significantly smaller or weaker than the others, making survival in the wild especially, almost impossible. We do not know how much smaller or weaker David was than his brothers, but in comparison to Jesus Christ, we are all runts! 

We are all good for nothing sinners that deserved to get tossed aside and forgotten about! And without Him, we wouldn’t survive! Aren’t you grateful that as His focus was like a flint, unwavering, on the cross of Calvary, that you were on His mind!

We may not see the whole game, the big picture as Jehovah God does, but we can trust that He does. We can fully rely on and abide in our Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Don’t take for granted the honor it is that we can call ourselves, Christians! We GET to serve Almighty God!

Aren’t you glad that God does not look on the outward appearance as man does! He doesn’t care how old or young you are— you can still serve Him! 

He does not care how much you’ve messed up— you can still serve Him!

” Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

We need to fall more and more in love with our God and His Word each and every day!

Love Him because He’s good, He’s wonderful. Love Him because He’s holy, perfect, and true! Love Him because… there’s nobody like Him!

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: … For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. … Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” (Isaiah 45:5, 18, 21-23)

May 2nd, 2020 God’s Protection – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – 2 Kings 18 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Luke 19 – 20; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

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

Read the “0502 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this passage – “Now You’ve Crossed the Line”

“Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.” (2Kings 19:32-37)

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3: God promising Abraham)

Good morning. With the attack of COVID-19 going on, it would be nice to have God’s hedge of protection on this nation again. When you touch something that belongs to God, in trying to steal it from God, you are in some serious trouble. The king of Assyria should have read Genesis before invading and trying to conquer God’s city of Jerusalem. God said that He would bless those who bless Abraham, and curse those who curse Abraham. The king of Assyria ended up dead by the hands of his two sons. We had this same protection once, until we started messing with Israel… England, damaging the Bush’s home and many others.

August 23, 1992, talks resume for Israel to surrender “Land for Peace.”

1991, President George H W Bush institutes his Land For Peace Plan. The result is “the Perfect Storm.” One hundred foot waves pound New Withing 24 hours, Hurricane Andrew hits causing $30 billion in damages to the U.S.

August 27 through September 13, 1993, Israel and the PLO work out a compromise peace plan in Washington, D.C. Our country is hit with the worst flooding in our history and $21 billion in damages.

August 25 through September 10, 2001, the U.S., Arabia, and Israel prepared the most comprehensive peace plan ever. God lifts His hand of protection, and the Twin Towers along with the Pentagon are attacked on September 11th, just before the plans were finalized. This cost the U.S. over $40 billion.

November 7 through 12, 2002, during Ramadan, President Bush hosted a dinner to honor Islam and the “revelation of God’s word in the holy Koran.” When officials flew to pressure Israel, 88 out of season tornadoes hit seven states.

In 2005, President George W. Bush pressured Israel to give up the Gaza strip. Israel did, and the next day Hurricane Katrina hit: the largest disaster in U.S. history. One million people were forced from their homes, and close to $200 billion in damages.

Now, in 2020, even though this is not against Israel, there have been almost 62 million abortions performed since Roe vs. Wade in the U.S. Sixty-two innocent children murdered since 1973. Do you think God is angry? There have been 60,057 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States. All states have been affected by this virus. Here in New Jersey, 6,770 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. The United States is not mentioned in the end times, in the Bible. I would like to think that all of America was caught up in the Rapture. But this is doubtful, unless of course, America goes back to her roots and we become one nation under God again. The Bible needs to be back in schools, teach the children that life is precious: that they didn’t evolve from swamp scum: they were created in the image of the Creator. Maybe then they will stop chasing after drugs, alcohol, and stop killing themselves, or each other. The Ten Commandments need to go back in our Federal Buildings, and our Courts. Then our judges can judge righteously, and not compromise. And most of all we need to support Israel, God’s chosen people. If we stay on the same path in which we are going we will end up like Sennacherib king of Assyria: dead!

“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.” (2Chronicles 7:14)

Peace!

May 1st, 2020 Halfway Doesn’t Cut It With God … by Mason Atwood

Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 16 – 17 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Luke 17 – 18; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

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

Read the 0501 Evening and Morning devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Note – this post is from yesterday’s reading passage.

“And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” (2 Kings 13:17-19)

As we recall the account of Elijah’s translation, we remember Elisha as a man of God who who would stop at nothing to get the power of God. This hard work and determination to stick to his cause, is what brought a double portion of Elijah’s power upon him. 

In this passage of 2 Kings 13, while the prophet Elisha was lying on his death bed, Joash, the king of Israel, had come to see him. As Joash is weeping over him, Elisha tells him what would come to pass. Joash takes a bow and arrow and shoots out of a window. This was a symbol of God’s deliverance from Syria. Elisha was showing Joash that by shooting the arrow of God’s deliverance, Joash could consume the armies of Syria.

Next came the test. As Elisha is lying there, he tells Joash to smite the ground. Joash had already shot a random arrow out of a window. To smite, or hit, the ground probably seemed like a trifle or trivial task but Joash did it anyways. The verse says he smote the ground three times and stayed. To stay means to fix oneself where you are and to settle. 

This passage teaches us that if Joash had smitten the ground five or six times then would Israel be delivered. Since Joash had only halfway done what the man of God had told him to do, Syria would lose a few battles but the deliverance of God only went as far as the effort Joash put towards smiting the ground.

 God doesn’t appreciate it when congregations only half-way follow their pastor. Whoever that person is in your life, should have the utmost respect to the point that you will give all of your effort to whatever task you are given. What charges have come from your pastor? How many have you half-way done?

Apr 28th, 2020 Are You Longing for Christian Fellowship? … by Mike Bliss

Today’s Passage – 2 Kings 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 11 – 12; Proverbs 28; Psalm 136 – 140

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

Read the “0428 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”  – (Philippians 1:8)

A little over a month ago, our Nation, States, Townships, and most importantly churches entered into the current situation of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. As an Adult Bible Class Leader for our church, we suddenly faced the problem in that we were not able to assemble as normal in order to protect against the spreading of the virus. I certainly was not pleased with this new situation, but we chose to make the most of it. We adapted, and by the second Sunday we convened our class virtually via the Zoom Video Conferencing Application.  

During these first few weeks of the quarantine, I reflected on the Apostle Paul’s situation as he was imprisoned in “House Arrest” in the city of Rome. We know he authored many letters during his time in Rome, relying on the “Zoom” technology of his day, the written letter and personal courier.  In those letters, we are able to grasp Paul’s heart-felt compassion for his fellow believers that he left behind from his missionary journeys.  We see in the first chapter of the Book of Philippians in verse 8, Paul states “I long after you all”, referring to the believers in Philippi. Not only did Paul “long” to be with the people, but in verse 3 of the same chapter he thanks God: “upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).  Likewise, in verse 4, Paul makes a point to mention that he “with joy” prays for the same believers. (Philippians 1:4)

When we did host that first Zoom Bible class session, can I report that our class thoroughly enjoyed seeing and fellowshipping with each other. Just like the Apostle Paul, we “longed” to see and talk to our class members, and even to the point that we took for granted such a luxury of assembling for church services. We are blessed by today’s technology in that we are able to not just talk, but to visually see people in locations around the world. As a retired U.S. Army Soldier, I have experienced many extended periods away from my family in the service of our great Nation. I assure you during all of those occasions of separation that from the minute I was dropped off at our base for the start of the mission, I “longed” to be home with my family.  That feeling never subsides until we are re-united again with our family.  As each day goes by during this season of separation, are we longing to see our fellow church believers? Do we “long” for Christian fellowship like the Apostle Paul expressed for the believers in Philippi?

Apr 25th, 2020 Truth And Consequences – The Saturday Morning Post

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

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

“And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak. So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.” (1Kings 22:14-28)

Good morning. Can you imagine being thrown in jail because you told the truth? King Ahab recognized that Micaiah lied to him in telling the king to go and attack Ramothgilead? The king should have known right then that he should not go. Then Micaiah explained how the LORD allowed a lying spirit to speak through Ahab’s prophets. He would believe it was ok to go and attack Ramothgilead. That got Micaiah a slap in the face from one of Ahab’s prophets. But Ahab imprisoned Micaiah and went off to do battle. And…

“So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.” (1Kings 22:29-38)

So the king died. Elijah was released. He roamed free until taken to Heaven in a whirlwind in 2Kings chapter 2.

We may be in lock down for this Corvid19 virus thing, but we are still free. We get to have our church services on-line. We can still go shopping at Walmart as long as we stay six feet away from others and wear a mask. Remember that even the nation of Israel, down in Egypt, had to stay inside their homes, behind the blood on the door posts till the LORD passed over the land taking the first-born.

“And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” (Exodus 12:29-32)

Freedom is coming. Wait on the LORD and renew your strength. Remember what Paul said…

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:10-13)

Peace.

Apr 23rd, 2020 Proving God to Others … by Michael Garner

Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 18 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

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

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15

Read the “0423 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.” (1 Kings 18:38-39)

In this passage we see Elijah is trying to convince the false prophets of Baal that he knows the true, living God while the false prophets try to the same with their god. Elijah challenges the false prophets to prove who was right. The challenge was whoever’s God struck fire down from above onto their sacrifice on their altar, He would be the real God. When the prophets of Baal did their sacrifice, they began to call out to their god and ask for that fire. They did it all day long and, of course, nothing happened. Elijah gets a laugh out of this and starts to mock them. The prophets kept trying and trying, and nothing worked. They had failed. It then becomes Elijah’s turn to prove the true God. But Elijah does something odd. He wanted to make things more interesting. He begins to dump barrels of water three times on the altar he built. There was so much water, it filled up the trenches he had made. But he wanted to REALLY prove that it was the truly almighty God. When he cried out to the Lord, fire struck the altar from above. When all the people saw it, they believed Elijah and knew it really was the Lord.

In our lives today, we must prove to this world we have the true, living God. In the circumstances we are under right now, people are looking for answers for getting through this virus. Why not show them God! We need to prove to people that our God is the one, true God. Tell people your testimony on how God has changed your life. Tell someone about how serving the Lord is the best life to live. Tell someone about the goodness of God. Tell someone about His faithfulness to us. Tell them about how He will never leave us. Tell someone He’s in the middle of all our problems. And the list can go on and on!

Maybe today we need to find someone that needs proof. When fire came from above and came on Elijah’s altar, the people saw the proof and knew his God was the real deal. today, let’s prove to someone that our God is the real deal!

Apr 22nd, 2020 Trust and Obey … by Katelyn Erickson

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

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Proverbs 3:5 & 6

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

This song comes to mind as I read these first accounts of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 17: 

We see that after Elijah prophesied the famine to Ahab, God sends him to a special place, a particular person, and He answers a powerful prayer.

In vs. 1 – 7, God had prepared a place for His man to be well taken care of. He sent ravens to feed him and fresh water to drink. Elijah got all he that he could while he was there…he didn’t squander the opportunity God had given him. When the brook dried up, he didn’t just hang out there…he obeyed and trusted once again. 

In vs. 8-16, Elijah went to a particular person God had planned to use to take care of Elijah. Not someone who had plenty to share, but someone who would have to sacrifice and surrender. A woman who had no hope and needed the touch of God in her life. God wants to use people who will cooperate with Him, especially when what He is doing doesn’t seem to make sense.

In vs. 17-22 When the widow’s son became very sick, Elijah then cried out in powerful prayer to God to heal him. His prayer was not a request out of religious duty, but a genuine plea for help and mercy from the Lord.

The God of Elijah is still the very same God of today and when we find ourselves in our own seemingly hopeless situations, let’s be reminded of these simple truths in this passage….God loves us, provides for us, desires to use us, and He hears our prayers! We just have to trust and obey.

Apr 21st, 2020 Like Father, Like Son … by Phil Erickson, Jr.

Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

Read the “0421 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:” (1 Kings 12:6-8)

Most of the sermons, devotions, and Sunday school lessons I’ve listened to or read about Rehoboam have dealt with the issue of his pride, that he was an all around bad guy, and that during his reign“…Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.” (1Kings 14:22).  And, that’s all true. We need to heed the warnings of those messages. However, every time that I come across this passage, my first thought is, “What happened?”. How did we go from Pop-pop David, a man after God’s own heart, to wicked, prideful, rug-rat Rehoboam? How did an entire nation go from loving and serving God, to doing more evil than ever before? It’s a sobering thought, and it scares me. It scares me to think that in a few generations, you can go from one end of the spectrum to the other. 

Rehoboam made all of his own choices. He chose to live and lead the way he did. But I think all of this might have started with his father, Solomon. When I read this story, I think of Solomon. Again, Rehoboam made his own choices, but he learned how to live, and how to lead, from his dad. Which is what scares me. God has given me a great responsibility as a parent. My kids will learn how to live, how to love, and how to lead – from me. Solomon started well. He loved God, feared God, and was humble. But that changed. 

Here’s a few things I think we can learn from the story of Solomon and Rehoboam:

1 – Stay Focused. 

God has given all of us a purpose. It’s different for all of us. Solomon’s purpose was to lead the people as a king. He was to seek God’s wisdom in leading and guiding the kingdom. As a father, he was to lead his family. He was to love them, and teach them how to love, and to one day lead. But Solomon got off track. He became enamored with doing everything person could possibly do. In Ecclesiastes, he tells how he experienced all the things that anyone could possibly imagine would bring pleasure. I’m sure not all of the things he experienced were bad things. But while he was doing those things, he was not focused on being a king or a father. His focus became pleasure. His focus became getting all the things, and doing all the things that made him happy…and guess who was watching? Rehoboam. Do those following you know that you care about your purpose? Because if you don’t, why should they? Stay focused.

2 – Stay Humble.

When Solomon first became king, God let him choose anything he wanted. All he had to do was ask. Solomon knew that he needed God more than anything if he would be effective as a king, so he asked God for wisdom. He was humble. He leaned on God for everything. But somewhere along the way, Solomon aloud himself to think that he was ok on his own, and started doing whatever he thought was right. One of my saddest memories from growing up was a phrase that my dad would say to me often. Its makes me sad, because at the time, I hated hearing it, but now I know he was right. Every stinkin’ time. He would say, “Do what you want to do Phil, ‘cuz that’s what you’re gonna do anyway.” Now that I’m a dad, and I see the other side of it, I get a sick feeling in my gut when I think about how my pride so often caused my mom and dad to grieve. They knew what was best for me, but I thought I was right, so I did my own thing. Somewhere along the line, this is how Solomon started acting with God. And guess who was watching? Rehoboam. Stay humble.

I started out by saying that this passage scares me. It does. It scares me to think that my choices, my actions, and my pride can have such a huge impact on those following me. I am so thankful that God gave me parents who were focused and humble. Perfect? Not even close! 🙂 But real. I pray everyday for God to give me wisdom. I want my kids and those following me to see someone with a genuine love for God, someone who is focused on what God has given them, and someone who is humble. And I’ll pray for you too. We need the next generation to go farther for God than we can imagine. But they’re watching us.

Apr 18th, 2020 Good For Something – The Saturday Morning Post

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)

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

“And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.” (1Kings 7:13-14)

Good morning. King Solomon was given the task of building a house for the LORD. Being it was for the LORD, it had to be the best. Solomon called for Hiram out of Tyre to do all the brass work of the house. Hiram was a worker in brass, filled with wisdom and understanding, and he was cunning to work all works in brass. God supplied Solomon with the right person for the specific job that needed to be done.

Have you ever been told you were good for nothing? Have you ever been treated like you had nothing useful to contribute? Are you good for nothing? God doesn’t think so…

“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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

We, me and you, are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Take a close look the end of verse 10: “…which God hath BEFORE ORDAINED that we should walk in them. God created good works, and then created us to walk in them. You may think that you are useless, but God created a thing specifically for you to do.

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.” (John 9:1-11)

Here is a man born blind. Why? Not because of sin, but that the works of God could be made manifest in him. God has created you for a reason. He needs you to walk in the good works that He created for you to walk in. You are good for something. Maybe just to glorify God?

Peace.