Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 15th, 2015 God’s Perfect Plan – by Issan Acosta

Today’s Passages – Genesis 38 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the passages. Click here to view today’s passage on Blue Letter Bible.)

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

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 89:1

Read the “0115 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s passage – “What About Judah?“

“And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.” (Genesis 38:39)

When reading Genesis Chapter 38, I could not help but see God’s sovereignty through the Messianic line of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament clearly prophesied that the Messiah would come out of the Tribe of Judah.

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10)

Before Ruth, a Midianite woman; and Rahab, a harlot, were part of the lineage of Christ, there was a woman named Tamar, also a harlot who was part of our Saviour’s lineage as well.

“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse” (Matthew 1:5)

“And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;” (Matthew 1:3)

Tamar was Judah’s daughter in law and she deceived Judah into sleeping with her. She stood where the harlots stood and dressed the way they did. Tamar ends up giving birth to Pharez and Zarah. She is named in the lineage of Christ with her twin boys. Although the Bible does not record positive things that Tamar has done, she was a great, great, great, great grandmother to King David, and was also in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Tamar used a deceptive method, she was a woman who risked her life to bare a child for her deceased husband. She knew she had the right to a child, and she knew that her first husband (Er) had the right to an heir. It is amazing how God’s plans can develop through the deceptive means of a person. Not one person in this story knew what God was planning in the long term. They were just living their lives, but the mind of God had a plan of which they knew nothing. Christian, you may be living your life today without a clue of what the future holds for you. Know this, however, that God has a plan for your life. Walk with God and stay close to God and he may just unfold his plans for you as He wills.

Jan 3rd, 2015 In Search of Noah’s Ark – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage –Genesis 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 – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15

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

Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:1-4)

Good morning and Happy New Year! 2015 is finally here, and that brings us closer to the Lord’s return for His bride. Our passage, in today’s reading tells of another rescue by the Lord: the story of Noah’s ark. While reading this passage (and being old), I remembered a TV series (In Search Of), and a movie (In Search Of Noah’s Ark). With all the evidence presented in those shows, they determined that the ark of Noah is on Mount Ararat in Turkey. You can still see some of these old shows on YouTube. But we already know that this is where the ark is: God told us…

“And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:4)

God told us the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat, so the ark is there. What I’m looking for is Noah’s other ark…

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)

“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” (Genesis 6:22-7:1)

Noah’s other ark was faith…

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

In Genesis 7:1, God invites Noah, his wife, and their family, and their wives into the ark, “…for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” Noah and his family were the only ones on earth who God saw as righteous in his generation. But what about todays generation? Noah’s ark has already been built, but is broken in pieces, and scattered underneath the snow and ice of Mount Ararat. Today’s generation has an ark too. Our Ark can only be entered in by faith…

“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)

Our Ark was…

“…despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:3-12)

Our Ark is now seated at the right hand of the Father: He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Thesselonians 4:13-18)

If you haven’t been invited into the only Ark that can save you from the coming flood of destruction, allow me to. Twice in Ezekiel 18, verses 4 and 20 tell us that “…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”; we are all sinners…

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)

…And…

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

Romans 6:23 says…

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

But the Good News is in Romans 5:8…

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

And Jesus told us in John 3:16 and 17…

“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)

God’s word makes salvation plain and simple…

“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 5:12-13)

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

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Romans 3:20)

If you call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, He will. Isn’t it time to climb aboard the Ark by faith?

Peace. (2Corinthians 6:2)

Dec 30th, 2014 JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

Yeaaaaah!

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

This is my favor verses concerning the devil.  I thank God I read the back of the book.

Soon Christ will return for His bride, when the dead in Christ shall be raised and the living shall be changed.  The church and the Holy Spirit will be taken and the tribulation will begin.  Satan will give every effort to gain control of the earth.  He will give power to the Antichrist who will gather the armies to the battle of Armageddon.  At the end of the tribulation, Christ will return to the earth with the saints, riding on a white horse.  He will win the battle for His children at Armageddon.  Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.a  The flesh that remains, both great and small, will be devoured by the ‘fowls of the air’.  Revelation 19b ends stating, “All the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

But that’s not Satan’s end.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”(Rev 20:1-3)

After the awful condition of the tribulation and battle, Jesus will live and reigned on earth.   Satan will no longer have the power to  destroy, and disrupt.  But when the thousand years are over, Satan returns to stir up strife against the saints of the Lord.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

But be of good cheer, Satan may win many battles but he WILL lose the war!

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.   (Revelation 20:10)

Satan’s desire is to destroy and take every soul to Hell that he possibly can.  A saved soul is a testimony to God’s power therefore he desires to keep people from accepting Christ.

Satan hates Christians.  He causes people to murmur against God and to complain.  He leads them to worship false idols and gods.  Churches have often been torn apart.  He makes us feel unworthy to be called a child of God.  He loves to destroy families, he wants to destroy your life.  The only way we can conquer Satan and cause him to flee from us, is through the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So if it seems that Satan has a hold on your life and there’s no way out, remember this, some day Satan will bow before the Lord Jesus.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:10-11)

Just as God destroyed the Egyptians, Satan will be cast out, no longer able to hold his power over you and never shall you be tempted by him or anyone again.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.  (Exodus 14:13-14)

So when the devil reminds you of your past [sins], remind him of his future.

Amen!

Dec 27th, 2014 For Thy Pleasure – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Revelation 4 – 10 (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 –Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)

Read the “1227 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:8-11)

God created all things, and for His pleasure they are and were created. Even the United States of America. For His pleasure. In 2010, the United States sent out 127,000 of an estimated 400,000 missionaries. There were 32,400 missionaries that were sent to the United States from other countries in 2010 also. In 2010, there was an estimated 314,000 Christian churches across the United States. And in 1998 the porn industry was making almost 1 billion dollars per year. Leviticus 18 says…

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 18:1-30)

What are your eyes focused on? Does it bring pleasure to the Lord?

Peace. (Proverbs 15:3)

Dec 13th, 2014 Zombies – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Colossians 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 –Psalm 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:1-17)

Good morning. According to the dictionary, a zombie is a dead body that has been reanimated by a power or spell. You see them every day. They walk the earth just like you and I, going about their business. The spell, and the power, and their business are called sin. Zombies go about their business of committing acts of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication from their mouth, and lying. Sometimes the living can be like zombies: they do the same things that zombies do. Yes, even though they are called Christians, and are made alive by the Holy Spirit living inside them, they can still do the works of Zombies: acts of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, etc.

How can we get rid of the zombie in us? Take the advice given in verses 16 and 17…

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)

Peace! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Dec 6th, 2014 How To Have Happy Holidays – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 6 – 10 (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 –Psalm 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2Corinthians 6:1-10)

Good morning. If you happen to drive past Germania Cemetery, on Moss Mills Road, tell Melissa, “Happy Birthday!”: she’s 39 today. On February 16, 2012, at 1:15 am Thursday, Cervical Cancer took her to her new home: Heaven. My wife remarked today that many people do not seem to be in a ‘Christmas Spirit’. We just finished with Thanksgiving, and I was thankful for God’s salvation, and a Heaven. Early this year, my brother went home to be with the Lord. Shortly after that, my Uncle Frankie joined him there. All this was evident around the Thanksgiving table. Just me and Camille, my sister Ruthie, and my sister-in-law: Kathy. Our group is shrinking in size. But we can still be happy knowing that the separation from loved ones is only for a season. Let me give you three ways to have happy holidays…

1) Have JOY (Jesus, Others, You).

Put your sorrow into perspective. Start with Jesus. We thank God on Thanksgiving for all the love He has given us throughout the year…

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phillippians 4:19)

We celebrate Christmas. Yeah! Santa Clause! No! Emanuel, God in the flesh, Jesus’ birthday. We thank God for sending us His only begotten Son…

“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.” (John 3:16)

On Resurrection Sunday (Easter), we celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice, thank God for the love He showed us, allowing His Son to die on a cross, and shed His precious blood for us…

“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.” (Romans 5:8-9)

We should be thankful, not only on those special days, but every day of the year. If we keep our focus on the One who gives us every breath we breath, our lives will start coming into perspective. JOY: Jesus first, and then others.

One thing we learned from our dwindling table, is that life is short: compared to eternity, our life is just a breath. Do you really have time for petty quarrels with family and friends? You don’t know how much time you or they have left on this earth; is it worth it? No. Go bake some cookies and be reconciled with them…

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:21-24)

Jesus first, others second, then you. And what do you think our attitude should be? Jesus was our example. Shouldn’t we be more like Jesus who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1Peter 2:24). Paul vowed…

“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” (2Corinthians 12:15)

If you are saved, your not going to Hell. Why do little things bother us so much? We need JOY: Jesus, others, then you. So…

1) Have JOY.

2) Have Peace.

Jesus said…

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:26-27)

Some may have been praying for Melissa’s recovery: that God would heal her from the Cervical Cancer. Thank you for your prayers for they were answered. Like I said, my daughter is 39 today. When she was 8 years old, she was afflicted with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. She underwent several joint replacements which gave her some relief from the pain. But the drugs she was taking affected her bones. When her head started slipping down on here spine, the doctor told us it would be a 4 hour operation. Ten hours later, the doctor told us she would be okay. He was able to wire her head so it would not slip. The reason it took 6 hours longer: every time he went to place a wire, a piece of her vertebrae would break off. Melissa was no stranger to pain. After almost thirty years of dealing with the pain of Arthritis, and the Cervical Cancer, God finally healed her by taking her home. Now she is alive and well, no more aches and pains. She is with her Saviour: the Lord Jesus Christ. And in perfect condition: even better than new! We can have peace through all this… but… we still miss her. And that brings us to…

3) Have Faith.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

It’s only for a season, and then we’ll get to see Melissa again. So Have JOY, Have Peace, Have Faith, and you will have a happy holiday!

Peace! (Jesus IS the reason for the season.)

Nov 27th, 2014 Thankful For Family and Friends

Today’s Passages – Romans 8 – 10 (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 –Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)

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

Read the “1127 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “Paul’s Motivation“ and “‘Whosoever’ Meaneth Me and ‘Preacher’ Meaneth Me, Too”

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,” (Philippians 1:3)

Last night, as we were studying the Book of Romans during our Wednesday Evening Bible Study, I was reminded of the fact that one of the characteristics of our fallen nature is a lack of thanksgiving. Romans 1:21a states: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful;”. Selfishness and discontentedness come naturally to sinful men, but true thanksgiving, on the other hand, is supernatural, something that we can only get through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit of God within us. The carnal man sees himself as the center of the universe and is never satisfied or content with the way life treats him. Conversely, the spiritual man sees himself as a rotten sinner deserving of nothing but judgment, so much so that when he receives even the smallest blessing, he is thankful for it.

I have an awful lot to be thankful for today. God has truly blessed my life in so many ways. However, after carefully considering how awesome God has been to me, I have realized that the things that I am most thankful for are not things at all; they are people. God has brought into my life so many wonderful people. Not only has He given me an amazing wife and great children (and now grandchildren); God has also blessed me with many good friends that have been a tremendous source of encouragement and strength during the difficult seasons of life. You cannot place a value high enough for family and friends. If I were to lose all of the things that God has blessed me with, but still retained my friends and family I think I could still find happiness; but if I were to lose the people I think my life would be miserable.

To all of my family and friends, I would like to say “Thank You”; and please know that I truly appreciate the fact that God has brought you into my life.

Nov 22nd, 2014 Are You In The Ministry? – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passages – Acts 20 – 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 –Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)

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

Read the “1121 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:8-14)

Good morning. Jesus said to a disciple named Ananias in a vision…

“…Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:11-16)

The Apostle Paul had been through alot. He still had alot more to go through. He was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, all for the cause of Christ. And now he had made his mind up to go to Jerusalem. In our passage in Acts 21, he was warned that he would be bound and turned over to the Gentiles. The disciples who were gathered with him, tried to talk Paul out of going. But Paul was in the ministry. And he told them, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Are you in the ministry? If you are saved, you are…

“And he [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

Did you ever notice the first two verses of ‘Am I A Soldier Of The Cross’, by Isaac Watts?

*1*

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb?

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His name?

*2*

Must I be carried to the skies to the skies

On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed thro’ bloody seas?

Are you in the ministry? Is it really that difficult to hand somebody on the street a tract. Or even leave one in a public rest room? Paul was in the ministry. Beaten and locked in prison, he was still ministering the gospel to those around him…

“And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:23-31)

Are you in the ministry? Just something to think about.

Peace! (Matthew 28:18-20)

Nov 8th, 2014 Bring Glory To God – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passages – John 6 – 7; (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 – Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)

“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” (John 7:16-18)

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21)

Good morning. Do you have peace this morning? Look at John 20:21. Jesus said, “Peace be unto you…”; and then there is a colon. A colon usually gives a fuller explanation of the statement before it. According to what Jesus said in John chapter 7, He was seeking to bring gory to His Father who sent Him. And there is peace for us in doing the same. How can we bring glory to God? Here are 9 ways…

“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.” (Joshua 7:19)

1) Be Truthful – Achan was told to give glory to the Lord by telling the truth about what he had done.

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:12-19)

2) Be Thankful – only one of the 10 lepers returned to give God glory.

“Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.” (1Chronicles 16:10)

3) Be Joyful – let your heart rejoice in His Holy Name.

“Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.” (1Chronicles 16:24)

4) Be Witnessing – declare His glory.

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (1Chronicles 16:29)

5) Be Giving – bring an offering, and come before him. God doesn’t need your money: He’s given you 168 hours this week, do you have 17 hours to bring to Him?

“Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.” (Psalm 138:5)

6) Be Singing – God will give you a song to sing no matter what your situation is.

“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” (Acts 12:21-23)

7) Be Fearful – the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Abraham…

“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:18-21)

8) Be Believing – what God has promised, He is able to perform!

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

9) Be Saved – for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

Peace. (Habakkuk 2:14)

Nov 4th, 2014 JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

Today’s Passages – Luke 21 – 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 – Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)

Read the “1104 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “This Is Just The Beginning” and “God Sees“

There Is Safety in Numbers

“Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.”  (Luke 22:3-6)

Although Judas was with Jesus and had his place with the twelve, he did not believe who Jesus really was, the Only Begotten of the Father.  Satan too was with God but wanted to be a god.  It seems obvious that Judas would be a likely candidate for Satan to use.

Now I would like you to notice the last part of verse 6, “sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude”.  Isn’t that just how Satan works?

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

Have you ever watched a lion hunting for prey?  They will crouch down and walk slow and quietly.  The sneak up and watch their prey.  Most all animals live and travel in groups.  There are some who may be weak or stray a little.  Those are the prey that the lion goes after.  They are the perfect ‘candidate’ for the lion to ‘devour’.

Satan wanted to wait for Jesus to be alone when he attacked.  He thought if there was a crowd, they would fight back and he would lose the chance to kill Jesus.  Just a side note, Jesus gave His life willingly.  Unknowing to Satan, it was in God’s plan, and He was using Satan to fulfill His will.

Satan works the same way today.  He is waiting for an opportunity to strike his pray.  As Christians we must stay close to our Saviour.  It’s important to pray, read our Bible and stay in church.  We also must be in fellowship with other Believers.  We must stay strong and stay with God’s crowd.  Once we start straying or become a weak Christian, Satan will pounce as that roaring lion going for the kill.

For now, things may seem hopeless.  You may be on the verge of growing weak or even straying away.  You’re growing weary of Satan’s attacks.  But be of good cheer.  Someday he will get what he deserves.

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  (Revelation 20:10)

AMEN

Thank You

1 John 5:12 – 13