Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 11th, 2012 A Vision for the Future

Today’s Passages – Genesis 29 – 30

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)

Scripture Memorization – Isaiah 53

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

Read last year’s post from this passage – “Surprise!”

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.” – (Genesis 30:43)

Our passage today reveals the blessing of God upon the life of Jacob. Jacob was a man who was certainly not always deserving of the abundant favor of God upon his work and his family, yet God always took good care of him. In chapter 30, we see God increasing the livestock of Jacob. Notice in vv 37 – 42 that Jacob devises a peculiar and rather devious plan in order to make sure that his cattle prosper. However, I do not believe that Jacob’s “scientific” methods were the reason for the increase. It was God that had His hand upon Jacob’s life. I believe that God blessed Jacob the way He did because God saw the big picture. He was not blessing Jacob because of the things that Jacob had done in the past to deserve the blessing, because Jacob really hadn’t done anything yet. Up until this point, Jacob is mostly a deceptive person who takes matters into his own hands rather than place his trust in God. However, God saw what Jacob would become. God will change his name from Jacob (which means trickster or deceiver) to Israel, which means a prince with God. God was going to do something someday with Jacob. He saw what Jacob would become.

When we look at people, we also need to look past what they have been in the past, and even what they may be right now, and we need instead to try to see what they could be in the future. God has a wonderful tendency to make something marvelous out of ordinary, sinful people like us. In order to do this God has chosen to forget about the sins that we have committed in the past, and He even chooses not to “impute”, or record the sins of today and tomorrow. God had a plan for Jacob in the future that was not yet apparent at this point in Jacob’s life. I bet God has a plan for us too. If God chooses to see what we can and will be tomorrow, why don’t we do the same thing. Let’s not let the past bog us down, and cause to stay where we are. Let’s move forward into that abundant life of God’s blessing.

There is a passage of Scripture regarding Abraham that supports what this thought:

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” – (Genesis 18:19)

Motice in this verse that God knows some good things about Abraham, yet the things that He knows are all in Abraham’s future. God reveals His plan to Abraham, not based upon what He remembers about Abraham’s past, but what He sees in Abraham’s future. God saw what Abraham would be, and He did’t choose to remember any of the failures in Abraham’s past. We need to develop our spiritual eyesight so that we can see the possibilities of someone’s future rather than dwelling on what they were in the past. We have to learn to see people as God sees them.

Jan 8th, 2012 The Bride of Christ

Today’s Passages – Genesis 23 – 24

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)

Scripture Memorization for January – Isaiah 53

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25

“But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.” – (Genesis 24:4 KJV)

I just wanted to share a quick thought this morning from today’s passage in Genesis 24. I am sure that many of you have studied this passage before, or perhaps you may have heard a message or two on it; but this chapter is a wonderful picture of the Bride of Christ, painted by God in the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. Consider just a few of the many pictures or types that we see in this passage:

Abraham is a type of God the Father.

The servant is a picture of the Holy Spirit who was sent into a far away country to find a wife for the son of Abraham. Notice that the servant is not named in this passage, which reminds how that the Bible says in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself, but will draw people to Christ. The servant gives gifts to the bride, which is a picture of the Holy Spirit giving us His gifts.

Rebekah is a picture of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

And, of course, Isaac is a picture of the Lord Jesus.

There are literally dozens of pictures, or types, found in this passage and we have only named a few of them. I am sure that you can find many more. How awesome our God is who can paint such a beautiful and acurate picture in history of the event that every Christian is waiting for: the rapture of the Church, when we will meet our Bridegroom face to face.

Jan 6th, 2012 The Prayer of a Friend

Today’s Passages – Genesis 17 – 19

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)

Scripture Memory for January – Isaiah 53

“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:” (Genesis 18:3)

Genesis 18 is a wonderful account which tells of the communion that Abraham had with his God. In the passage, three “men” appear at the farm of Abraham. We are not sure who all of these “men” are. Some have concluded that one of them was the Lord, and the other two were angels, which is certainly a good possibility because the very next chapter begins with two angels going to rescue Lot from the destruction of Sodom. I tend to believe, however, that these three were physical manifestations of the the three members of the Trinity. I could be wrong, but it is interesting that though there were three men, Abraham always only addresses them in the singular form as one. Nevertheless, the Lord and Abraham enjoy a sweet time of fellowship during this time. You get the feeling from the passage that they were not rushing to conclude their time together. A meal was prepared while the Lord waited.

During this time, God, no doubt, spoke to Abraham about many things; but one thing in particular that he told Abraham was that he would, in fact, have a son that would be born to Sarah. The miraculous thing about all of this is that Sarah and Abraham both are well beyond the child bearing years. Abraham and Sarah actually waited 20 years from the time that God first promised them a child to the time when their son, Isaac, was finally born. God is faithful to do all that He says that He will do in His time. During this afternoon of fellowship with Abraham, God reassures him again of the promise.

God reveals something else to Abraham during their time together. As Abraham was walking with the Lord as He was leaving, God shares with Abraham his planned destruction of the city of Sodom. God didn’t have to tell him, but He did. Of course, this got Abraham’s attention because he had a nephew in Sodom that he cared for. Abraham begins to intercede for the city of Sodom. He is begging God to spare the city, but his concern is really about Lot. The Bible tells us that Abraham was the friend of God, but here we see that he was also a good friend to Lot. God never promises to spare the city, and interestingly, He never promises to spare Lot; but He did say that He would spare the city if He had found ten righteous people there, which, by the way, He does not find. However, God does spare Lot and the family members that are willing to listen to Lot’s warning of the coming destruction. I want you to notice something very important, however, from chapter 19 and verse 29:

“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.”

Did you catch it? It does not say that God spared Lot because he was righteous, though we know that the New Testament speaks of him as being “just” (justified). It also does not say that God remembered Lot. It does say that God remembered Abraham. What did God remember about Abraham? He remembered Abraham’s intercession on behalf of his nephew, Lot. God spared Lot and his family because of the prayer of Abraham.

What a wonderful picture we have here of prayer. God communing in sweet fellowship with his child. God revealing something to that child that would be of concern to him. God giving that child an opportunity to intercede, to pray for that very concern. And then the best part: God answering the request of the child: not exactly the way he wanted it; but a wonderful answer none the less. Kind of causes you to want to spend a little time in prayer yourself, doesn’t it?

Jan 3rd, 2012 A Token

Today’s Passages – Genesis 7 – 9

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15)

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” – (Genesis 9:13-15)

I love rainbows. However, in recent years the rainbow has become symbolic of many things, one of which is a very ungodly lifestyle.  Actually, the rainbow was (and still is) a token, a visual representation of the covenant that God made with Noah, and all of the other living creatures of the earth, that the earth would never again be completely destroyed by a flood. It is interesting that the rainbow wasn’t placed in the sky for our benefit, but it served as a reminder to God of His covenant. I am not sure why God needs to be reminded, but He can do what He wants. Nevertheless, when I see those beautiful rainbows in the sky, I think about the wonderful promises of God. God never breaks His Word. Unlike us, He will always do what He says He will do.

God uses a lot of other pictures, or symbols, in the Bible that serve as reminders for us. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder, a memorial, of the shed blood and broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Whenever I partake of the Lord’s Supper, I am reminded that all of my sin debt was completely paid for by the Lord, and that I no longer am under judgment for the bad things that I have done. What a wonderful reminder. God says that because He remembers what Jesus did on the cross, He no longer remembers my sin. What an awesome thought.

There are other tokens in my life as well. My wedding band is a token. It reminds me (and everybody else) of the fact that I belong to only one woman – Cindy Erickson. I once had a friend that said that he would never think about cheating on his wife because he believed that his wedding ring somehow had some sort of spy chip in it that let his wife know everything that he was doing. I don’t know about that, but I do know that my wedding band reminds me often of my wonderful wife and the covenant that she and I have made before God to love each other, be faithful and serve one another until God takes one of us home to Heaven.

There have been many different kinds of tokens throughout man’s history; but the rainbow was the first. I love a God that never, ever, goes back on his Word. I have let a lot of people down in my life, but God has always been faithful to do what He says He will do; and the rainbow is a reminder of that. It’s been many thousands of years since the Great Flood, and it hasn’t happened since. It won’t either, because God said it won’t, and the rainbow is our assurance that it won’t. God will someday destroy this earth, and then create a new one, but He will not destroy it with a flood.

Jan 2nd, 2012 Walking With The Lord

This is the theme for Jersey Shore Baptist Church for 2012

Today’s Passages – Genesis 4 – 6

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

“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)

In our text we read about a man that is not mentioned all that much in the Bible: maybe a half dozen times; but we know that he walked with God; and we also know that God took him to Heaven long before his time to die. He has the distinction of being only one of two people in the Bible from the past that was “raptured” up to Heaven. Do you know who the other man was? I’ll let you research it if you do not know. Anyway, God took Enoch a few years prior to the flood of Noah’s day, and he is a picture of the believer today who will be taken to Heaven (raptured) prior to the Great Tribulation that will take place here on the earth in the near future.

My thought for this post, however, is not Enoch’s departure from the earth, but rather his walk with God. It is interesting that the phrase “walked with God” is only used twice in the Bible: here, and also once referring to Noah. I hope that some day, it can be recorded about me that I walked with God. One of my resolutions for  this New Year is to get closer to God: to spend more time with Him. Recently, I have begun walking early in the morning so that I can spend some undistracted time with the Lord. I pray that it continues to remain a regular part of my routine throughout the year. Don’t misunderstand, I also want to see some changes and improvements in my life this year, but I am completely convinced that the way to see real change occur in a life is through a relationship with the Lord that daily grows more intimate. I like what Paul said in Philippians 3:10:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

By the way, I know that I have been writing and speaking a lot lately about this theme. I can’t help it. It is in my head. I feel like the guy who just came back from vacation and can’t talk about anything else. I am excited about what God is going to do this year, and the best part about it is that I am not going to do the work; He is. All I am going to do is try to walk as close to Him as I possibly can; and just maybe, on one of our walks He will take me home to Heaven as well.

How about you? When was the last time that you took a nice long walk with the Lord? Have you been neglecting your time spent with Him? Why not determine that the one thing that you accomplish this year is strengthening your relationship with Him.

Jan 1st, 2012 A New Beginning

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3

(Second Milers also read – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

Scripture Memoriztion for January – Isaiah 53

Read “Five Principle of Achieving Goals” by Dr. Paul Chappell

Check out the new Daily Devotional resource – “Rooted in Christ”

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” – (Genesis 1:1)

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” – (Revelation 21:5)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Isn’t wonderful that our God is a God of new beginnings? 22 years ago, almost to the day, God gave me a completely new life, and charted a radically different course for my life. God gave me a chance at that time to start over again with a clean slate. The awesome thing about our God is that since He took my sins away through the blood of Jesus Christ, my slate has remained clean (at least positionally).

I thank God for this new year that we are beginning today. I always look at the New Year as a time to hit the re-set button; a time to review the successes and failures of the year before and make the necessary adjustments in order to make the most out of the coming year. It’s kind of a new beginning. Last year is gone. 2012 is brand new, and we have the opportunity to strive to make this year the best one yet.

Tonight in our evening service, we will be casting the vision for the new year. We will unveil the new theme, and reveal some of the changes that we will be making in order to make 2012 our most fruitful year ever. Don’t miss it; and don’t miss out on the opportunity to make the necessary adjustments to your personal life and schedule in order to make a new beginning out of your own life.

Jan 19th, 2011 Graduation Day

Today’s Passage – Genesis 48 – 50; Proverbs 19 (Second Milers also read Mark 9 & 10; memorize Colossians 3:16)

“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” (Genesis 49:1)

I remember when I was a young person attending school. At the end of every school year there was an awards ceremony and they would give out various awards for attendance, academics, athletics, and even some for attitude. I didn’t receive many awards as a child, I was what you might call “exceedingly average” in just about every area. Looking back on my school days, I can only recall receiving three awards: two in intermediate school, and one in college (the first time I went to college – not Bible school). However, I remember that every time I attended one of those awards ceremonies, or a commencement exercise, I would always feel two things. First, I would feel regret for not having applied myself more that year. I would realize that I could and should have done more; I should have worked harder; I shouldn’t have goofed off so much, wasting valuable time. The second thing that I would feel is motivated. I would determine that next year was going to be different for me; next year I was going to do better; next year I would be up there on the stage getting some kind of award. The only problem was that my weaknesses in character always outlasted my bursts of motivation.

You may be wondering right now what all of this has to do with the passage that we read in Genesis this morning. Well, here is the connection. Every time I read chapter 49 in Genesis, I am reminded of these award ceremonies. Except, here it is the one who is graduating to Heaven that is handing out the awards. Jacob is about to die, and he calls all of his children together to pronounce a blessing upon some. Unfortunately, he also will be pronouncing a curse upon others. Can you imagine the last words that you hear out of your father’s mouth before he dies being words of regret, rather than words of praise. I know well what it feels like trying to live a life that is pleasing to a father. I spent a good deal of my young adulthood trying to receive “attaboys” from my dad by achieving sales and success in the business world, which was his life. I think every child desires to please their father; at least most do. I cannot imagine the hurt I would feel if my father were to offer words of regret about my life at his passing. These sons of Jacob had all ran out of time. The time to live a life that would be worthy of being blessed by their father had passed.

You know what’s worse, however, than not receiving words of blessing and praise from your earthly father? Not receiving them from your Heavenly Father. Someday all who are His children will stand before Him and give account for their lives. Some will hear words of praise and will receive rewards; others will not. I want to please my Heavenly Father in my life today so that He will someday say to me, “Well done”. I guess I never got past that desire to hear “attaboy”; only now it is my Heavenly Father that I want to live for. Don’t misunderstand, I love my dad dearly, and I want my life to be a source of blessing to him as well, but my passion in life today is to live for God. I want the same thing for my children. Yes I want to be pleased with them, but ultimately the only thing that matters is if God is pleased with them.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4)