Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 1st, 2012 The Apple of His Eye

Today’s Passage –Zechariah 1 – 5 (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 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)

Scripture Memory for July – Matthew 5:1 – 16

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

Read “You Can’t Touch Him” from Zechariah 3

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” – (Zechariah 2:8)

In Zechariah 2, God is reminding us that He will someday make Jerusalem, and all of Israel the very center of His eartly Kingdom. When Christ returns, He will reign on earth for 1000 years, and “will dwell in the midst of [Jerusalem]” (v 11). In the middle of this passage God refers to the nations that have attacked Israel through the years, and describes His anger toward them. He says that they have “touched the apple of his eye”. We still use this phrase today to describe people who we love dearly. God was making it clear that he loved Israel, and His people that live there.

As a New Testament Christian, I know that God also loves me dearly. There is nothing about me that is loveable, yet because of the relationship that I have with Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, He loves me anyway. I am His child, and He is my Father. I am not always an obedient child, and I don’t always love Him as I should, but I am still the apple of His eye. Amazing. I understand a little how He feels, because I have children of my own. They are not always obedient either, but I cannot stop loving them.

Another application that we can take away from this passage is that since God loves Israel, we ought also to love Israel; and since God loves other Christians, so should we. I may be the apple of His eye, but I am not the only apple He has His eye on.

Sep 22nd, 2012 Politically Correct? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning. Let me give you a quote: “I’d rather be correct than politically correct.”

That’s my quote. It’s possible that someone else may have made the same quote, but as far as I know, it’s original. Let me give you another quote, God said through His servant Jude, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude vs 23).

Let me give you one more quote. Jesus said, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6).

Let me make this as clear as possible. If you are trusting any other way to get to heaven than the Lord Jesus Christ, you will die in your sins and find yourself in the torments of Hell and eventually be cast into the lake of fire. Only God can save you from eternal damnation. Hosea 13:4 tells us…

“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”

There is only one Saviour, and He is not satan’s brother. There is only one Saviour, and He is not Buddah or that Harry Krishner guy. There is only one Saviour, and He is not Michael the archangel. There is only one God and Saviour, and His name is not Allah.

There is only one Saviour. There is only one God. He is the Creator of the universe. He is the one who loved us so much. He put on flesh and was born of a human virgin – who would later bear other children to her husband Joseph. Mary was born with an earthly mother and an earthly father: she was just like us: human. Her child was Almighty God wrapped up in human flesh. Many times during His ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ had told those he was healing, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”

Only God can forgive sins. Here is logic: if Jesus was not God, He could not forgive sin. Not only that, He would have been telling a lie that would disqualify His perfection as our Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. But He is God, and as God, is the only One who can forgive sin. Just realize you’re a sinner (Roman 3:10 & 23). Because you’re a sinner, you can’t save yourself, God had to provide a way to save you (Romans 5:8). And to receive His free gift of salvation, all you need do is call on the precious name of Jesus to save you (Romans 10:13), and He will.

Telling the truth is not politically correct; telling the truth is just correct. And you can quote me.

Peace. (John 3:16)

Sep 15th, 2012 Ready?… – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

People really get upset when you point out the idols, or false gods in their lives. In Judges chapter 6, the people were upset because Gideon had destroyed their idol of Baal that was set up in the grove.

“And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.” (Judges 6:25-31)

Will ye plead for Baal? If he is a god, he can plead for himself. So, you may wonder, why all the violence in the Islamic world? Because Allah, the moon god, is not God: he can not plead for himself. So why doesn’t the only True and Living God plead for Himself? Why doesn’t He just take His thumb and squash them as you would do and ant? Because the True and Living God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That’s where we, as Christians, come in. We are the ones that the True and Living God has chosen to tell the world the truth. We are reaping what we have sown for not doing this: not getting the gospel out. If Islam and other false religions could only hear the truth of the gospel, the Holy Spirit would have something to work with in their hearts. We need to pick up the ball we dropped, and run with it. And just like the prophets of Baal that Elijah faced, they cried out to their false god, and cut themselves, but their idol would not, and could not, answer them. Only the True and Living God can save.

Please pray for missionaries, like the Town family, who will risk their lives to get the gospel to those blinded by the devil.

“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).

Get the picture?

Peace! (Revelation 20:10)

Sep 8th, 2012 (No Title)

Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 28 – 31 (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 – Colossians 1 – 4; Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)

Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18

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

Sep 1st, 2012 Just A Thought – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl

“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)

Last night, at the church, we held our Back To School Rally. 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. There were close to, or more than, two-hundred kids in attendance. 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. If asked, I could not give you the amount of time, or money, that had gone into the preparation for this day: the book bags, the school supplies, the video, the candy, the give-away prizes, the food, the music, the preaching, and especially the prayer for God’s blessing that would make the rally a night to remember. 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. This rally was a memory builder for all involved. 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. At least two souls came forward, at the invitation, to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. 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.

Was it worth it? What everyone did to make the rally a success is a mere pittance when compared to what Christ did on the cross. 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.

Peace. (John 3:16)

Aug 24th, 2012 Refrigerate After Opening – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! Have you ever seen the warning on a jar of food, warning you to “Refrigerate After Opening”? You would think that with all the preservatives used in processed food today, they would last forever. Preservatives like Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Nitrite, and Butylated Hydroxyanisole.

Yummy! (As a rule of thumb: if you can’t pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it).

Refrigeration is a good way to preserve food. Although, when that big storm blew through and knocked out power for a week, I was told that my house smelled like Armageddon. And when we got home, we found it did! All the food in the refrigerator needed to be thrown out. I guess some of these man-made preservatives did not work too well under extreme conditions.

There is only one perfect preservative. He is the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)

If you could lose your salvation, it would not be a perfect salvation, it would not be God’s salvation. It would be a salvation based on what I do, and not on what Christ did. Look at what King David wrote, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalm 121).

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

“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. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” And, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (John 3:16-18 and Romans 10:13).

What kind of preservative do you have?

Peace. (John 19:27-30)

Aug 18th, 2012 A Poem – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Hurting People

by Ted Stahl

There are hurting people in the pew.

Exactly now, what will you do?

Shake a hand and talk a few?

Simply start: “How do you do?”

There are hurting people in the pew.

Exactly now, what will you do?

Turn the blind eye? Never wave goodbye?

Still hurting, they leave, and you just sigh.

There are hurting people in the pew.

Exactly now, what will you do?

What would Jesus say when He sees?

You didn’t do it to them, you didn’t do it to Me.

There are hurting people in the pew.

Exactly now, what will you do?

Pray that you are not like these?

Or pray for mercy and shed some tears?

There are hurting people in the pew.

Now you know. What will you do?

In Acts chapter 15, Elymas the sorcerer was blinded for only a season for perverting the right ways of the Lord. It’s a new season. It’s time we opened our eyes and see… There are hurting people in the pew. Now you know. What will you do?

Peace. (John 3:16)

Aug 14th, 2012 THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE – By Camille Stahl

Pharaoh’s Daughter

  “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”     (Exodus 2:1-6)

 Today in the worlds eyes being important, and well known, is everything. But is it really? Pharaoh’s daughter was educated, powerful, and well known in her time. She had all that anyone could ever have. Wealth, servants, beautiful clothing…. Her father was the ruler of Egypt. He just commanded, that all Hebrew boys 2 years old and younger be drowned in the Nile River. When she saw the baby, the Bible says she had compassion on him. She was brave enough to disobey her father and kept the baby. She would later raise Moses in the house of Pharaoh. The education, and training, helped Moses in many areas of his life; and God used him in a mighty way.

Even with the important role she played, and what she did, no one knows her name. The Bible doesn’t say if she came to know the God of the Hebrews, but God placed the right woman in the right place at the right time.

How many people do you know that may be unsaved that performs good deeds? A coworker, a family member, your friends. God can use the unsaved to fulfill his will in our lives. God can use different people to fulfill His goals. However, He never forces them to have faith in Him.

There are many daughters of Pharaoh living among us. They are guided by God and doing His will but lost. We see them and think all is well. They have it all, as Pharaoh’s daughter, and yet they have nothing.

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

 Will you reach out to one today? Will you give them a track or invite them to church? We can all rejoice when they come to know Jesus too!

 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.   (Matthew 9:37-38)

People Need the Lord. Listen to this link.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZcGaixMhg&feature=related

 Thank You

1 John 5:13

Aug 11th, 2012 Warning Signs – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

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

Good morning. Someone once said that confession is good for the soul. According to 1John 1:9, it is. King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then had her husband, Uriah, killed to hide her pregnancy. Eventually the sin was exposed, and the baby died. David poured out his heart to God in Psalm 51 for forgiveness. Something that we should consider when we think about sinning is that you can’t hide anything from God: He already knew you were going to sin before you were born. David gives us some warning signs that should direct us to the Lord when we see them in our lives.

WARNING: Verse 7: Do you feel dirty? Unless your conscience has been seared with a hot iron, or you are not saved, the Holy Spirit will not let you be ‘comfortable’ with your sin. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

WARNING: Verse 8: How’s your hearing? Can you still hear the wonderful sounds of joy and gladness? “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”

WARNING: Verse 10: Do you have an attitude problem? Go to the Lord, He can fix it, or do you like being miserable? “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

WARNING: Verse 11-12: Are you feeling alone: not able to fit in with the world, or with Christians? Have you lost the joy of your salvation? God promises that He will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. He is patiently waiting for you to come to Him. “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

WARNING: Verse 13: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30). How is your soul winning? “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

WARNING: Verse 14: Do you have a frog in your throat, maybe like Pharaoh may have? How is your singing? The Bible says to make a joyful NOISE! Can you manage a noise that is joyful? God can fix that too. “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.”

WARNING: Verse 15: Can you give God praise for anything that He is doing in your life. He prepared a gourd to give shade to an angry Jonah. “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.”

Seven warning signs. Do you see any of them in your life? It may be time to sit down, or kneel down, and talk to the Lord about it. Accept His forgiveness for any wrongs you may have done. Then you will be clean. You’ll rejoice with others. Your fellowship with the Lord will be restored. You will once again give the gospel out to a lost and dying world. Your voice and your mouth will send forth praises. (And if your voice squeaks, just tell people you invented a new note!)

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17).

Peace. (1John 1:9)