Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jun 26th, 2013 When a Friend Turns Against You

Today’s Reading –  Psalms 51 – 57 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 4 – 6; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)

Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement

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

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“

Read the  “0626 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” (Psalms 55:12-14 KJV)

It is not clear exactly what the context is surrounding Psalm 55. Some have claimed that David was referring to Saul; others have suggested that it was his son, Absalom; and still others believe that it could have been Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15) who was David’s counsellor but had turned against him. A man as great as David was, no doubt, had a lot of friends, along with a lot of enemies; and I am sure that he had several friends (and even family members) that turned on him. Nothing is quite as painful as the betrayal of a friend. It hurts deeply. You expect your enemies to treat you badly, but when a friend turns on you, it often takes you completely by surprise.

What can you do today when you are betrayed by a friend:

PrayThis whole Psalm is really a prayer from David regarding the situation. He gave the problem to the Lord. Resist the temptation to talk to people about the betrayers, and instead talk to the Lord. It is OK to “gossip” to the Lord.

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalms 55:16-17)

By the way, don’t just pray for the Lord to punish your enemy; pray that God will restore your friendship. Jesus commands us to love our enemies, which includes those enemies who used to be our friends. Pray also for God to show you where you might have failed as a friend yourself. It is very interesting that the person that betrays us often feels justified in their betrayal, and perhaps sometimes they are; not that their betrayal was necessarily right, but perhaps there may have been some underlying reasons, or hurt feelings that may have motivated the betrayal.

Love – You can continue to love and “do good to them which hate you”. This is certainly not easy, but it is the best way to demonstrate the love and grace of our Lord. He loves us, even though we fail Him continually, and even betray Him at times. We may never win back our friends, but we can make it easy for a restoration to take place. Continue to be a friend to those who no longer see you as a friend.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44)

I think we all have been on both sides of this equation. I have had people that in my view have betrayed me; but I am also sure that there are people out there that would say that I have betrayed them; and I suppose there is some truth to that. We don’t always get it right, do we?  But, we can strive to make things right with the people who are at odds with us.

Jun 23rd, 2013 Golden Nuggets from Psalm 37

Today’s Reading – Psalms 36 – 39 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 John 1 – 5; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement

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

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“

Read the  “0623 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Jun 20th, 2013 Mountaintop or Valley?

Today’s Reading – Psalms 21 – 25 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – James 1 – 5; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“

Read the  “0620 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this mornings’s reading – “Are You Teachable?”

Jun 19th, 2013 Call Upon The Lord

Today’s Reading – Psalms 17 – 20 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 9 – 13; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement

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

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Everyday Legacy“

Read the  “0619 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this morning’s reading – “My Words and My Thoughts“

“I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” (Psalms 18:3)

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” (Psalms 18:6)

“He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.” (Psalms 18:17)

“He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.” (Psalms 18:33)

“Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.” (Psalms 18:43)

“Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.” (Psalms 18:50)

When we hear the phrase, “call upon the Lord”, we tend to think about a person calling upon the Lord for salvation from Hell. It certainly is a wonderful truth to know that anyone who calls out to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith will be saved from the penalty of their sin. (Romans 10:13) The greatest day in my life was the day that I realized my need for a Saviour, and trusted Him alone to save me. His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary paid the full atonement price for my sin. Praise the Lord!

However, we also have the wonderful privilege as the children of God to call upon the Lord during times of earthly trouble. The context of Psalm 18 refers to a time in the life of King David when God delivered him from the hand of one of his greatest enemies. King Saul hated David, and was extremely insecure and jealous of the attention that David was getting from the people of Israel as they recognized God’s hand upon him. Saul became consumed with David’s destruction, and eventually spent much of his time pursuing him. What a shame. David wasn’t even a threat to Saul, and never did anything but lift up Saul, and support his authority as king. Saul wasted all his energy in his last years trying to eliminate David, but David called upon the Lord, and the Lord delivered him, by eliminating Saul.

We have many enemies in this life who are trying to destroy us as well, and we also have many trials that we will have to face. It is very comforting to know that we do not have to face these problems alone. We have a wonderful God who desires to deliver His children from the enemies, and also help him get through the struggles of this life. What are you trying to go through today by yourself in your own strength? Why not call upon God? He wants to fight your battles for you and with you, and he wants to help you go through the trials of life. Stop trying to live the Christian life on your own. Allow God to live it through you. Without Him, you cannot win; but with Him, you are invincible. Call upon the Lord.

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalms 34:4)

Jul 13th, 2012 Draw Me Nearer

Today’s Passage – Psalms 140 – 145 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)

Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” – (Psalm 145:18)

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – (John 8:31-32)

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” – (James 4:8)

Recently, we had a man visit our church who did not come from any type of a Christian background. He currently knows very little about the Lord, but he does has a desire to learn. He is searching for the truth. I spoke to him after the service, and I concluded that this man was not going to be convinced about the truths of Christianity, and particularly salvation, in just a few minutes. I gave him some things to think about, and I gave him some literature to take with him, and I promised to pray for him. We later visited the man in his home, and talked to him a little more, and gave him some more material to read. He is coming closer to salvation. His heart is open to the truth, but he is just not sure yet what the truth is. He reminds me a little of myself as I was searching for the truth many years ago. I shared with this man, that if he genuinely wanted to know the truth about Jesus Christ, God would reveal it to him. I am convinced that this man will come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ shortly. Pray for him.

God is as close to us as we want Him to be. That statement is true for the lost man searching for Christ, but it also applies to the Christian as well. I find that many Christians aren’t too comfotable with God, and His will getting to close to some areas of their lives. They want to have God as a part of their life, but their are also many parts of their life that they don’t want God to interfere in; some rooms in their home that they don’t want God to go in. As a result, their relationship with God is not as close as it could be. As we grow in our faith, we should constantly be drawing nearer to the Lord, and as we draw near to Him, He will come close to us.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Jul 12th, 2012 Unity

Today’s Passage – Psalms 133 – 139 

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” – (Psalm 133:1-3)

“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; … And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” – (Acts 2:44, 46)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” – (Philippians 1:27)

The local church cannot function as it should without unity. We have been studying the Book of Acts on Wednesday evenings, and once again, last night, we saw the phrase “one accord”, which is repeated over and over again throughout the book. One of the great characteristics of the Church at Jerusalem was the fact that they were of one heart, one mind, and one purpose. They all had a burning desire to see the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ communicated throughout the world. They wanted to tell everybody about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to have that kind of unity of purpose today in our local churches. It seems that Christians today are divided as to what the church is supposed to be all about; but our purpose today is the same as in the early churches: the communication of the gospel, and the fulfilling of the Great Commission. It’s all about getting people saved. That was Jesus’ purpose – seeking and saving the lost; and it should be ours as well.

I believe the lack of unity in many of our churches is due to the fact that the preachers are not clearly communicating to the congregation the purpose of the church. We are sending mixed messages, and we have failed to “keep the main thing, the main thing”. If preachers were to clearly instruct about what the church is supposed to be doing, and then keep that purpose before the people regularly, the individuals within the congregation would be forced to make a decision to either get on board, or leave. I don’t want to see anyone leave our church, but it is better for them to leave than to be working against the direction of the church. I praise God for the unity that we have at Jersey Shore, but I want to see us even more vehement in our desire to strive together for the faith of the gospel.

By the way, unity does not mean  that we will all be cookie cutter copies of each other. We are all uniquely gifted by God, and we have different personalities, backgrounds, etc.; but we should all have the same goal. Find out what you can do individually within the body of your local church that will help complement what the other members are doing to advance the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is pleased with unity, and He can accomplish much with a church that is unified in the purpose of winning people to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jul 11th, 2012 Happy To Be At Church!

Today’s Passage – Psalms 120 – 132 (Click on the references to listen to the audio reading.)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Psalms51 – 55; Proverbs 11)

Scripture Memorization for July – Hebrews 1

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

Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Bearing Precious Seed”

Watch “Being God’s Instrument in Someone’s Life” by Pastor Paul Chappell

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” – (Psalm 122:1)

“Except the LORD build the house they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” – (Psalm 127:1)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – (Psalm 133:1)

For my devotion this morning I have listed a couple of verses from our reading today (and one from tomorrow’s reading) that I believe can certainly be considered together. Though, I may be taking a little bit of liberty regarding the proper interpretations of these Scriptures in their original contexts, I do not believe my thoughts violate basic Biblical truth.  The first verse (Psalm 122:1) talks about the joy of being in the house of God. I also love to be in the house of God with God’s people, but there have been times in my life when I did not appreciate going to church. Before I was saved, the last thing I wanted to do was to go to church; and even after my salvation there have been times when I dreaded church. Thinking back at these times I now realize that the reason for my apprehension was either because my own heart was not right, or that there was something not right going on in the church.

I remember years ago my wife and I were at a church business meeting. The pastor of the church had fired the youth pastor. The problem was that a good portion of the church really liked the youth pastor and did not want to see him go. The result was a church split, with a lot of arguing, gossipping, and bitterness that certainly was not pleasing to the Lord. The lack of unity (Psalm 133:1) among the brethren caused the church to become an unpleasant place to go.

The bottom line is, however, that a church where the pastor and the people are striving together, submissive to the will of God, is a place that is a downright joyful place to go for the Christian who also loves the Lord and is living for Him. If the church is healthy, and the Christian is healthy spiritually, there ought to be a joyful anticipation of going to the House of God. I am very thankful for the church where I serve. Though we are not a large church, we enjoy serving and worshipping together. It is my prayer that our church will grow together, both spiritually and numerically. However, the house must be built by the Lord. It must be done His way, otherwise, we are just wasting our time.

Do you look forward to going to church, or to you you dread it. If the thought of going is unpleasant to you, you need to ask yourself, why? It may be that there is a major problem within the congregation; but more often than not, the problem lies within your own spiritual condition. If you are out of the will of God, being in God’s house, and around God’s people will certainly be a difficult experience. If that is your situation, please don’t blame the church for your misery, and don’t run from the church either. If you do, you may experience a temporary relief from your feelings, but it will ultimately lead to more sorrow. The best thing that you can do is get back inside the will of God. Inside of God’s will, the local church is a place of happiness.

Jul 9th, 2012 Not Short on Truth

Listen to Sunday Night’s message from the Fifth Psalm.

Today’s Passage – Psalms 115 – 118

Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9

Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1

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

Jul 8th, 2012 Be Ye … Unmoveable

Listen to “The Difference That One Man Makes”, which was preached at Jersey Shore Baptist Church on the Fourth of July.

Today’s Passage – Psalms 108 – 114

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

Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1

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

Read “5 Ways To Be God’s Friend” by Pastor Kurt Skelley

“Surely he shall not be moved forever…” (Psalm 112:6)

“…his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7)

“His heart is established…” (Psalm 112:8)

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,  forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor 15:58)

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed….A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:6,8)

There is far too much instability among God’s people today; they just can’t seem to make up there minds as to where they stand. The Bible says about Jesus that His face was set like a flint, meaning He wasn’t budging from the will of God.  Why is it that His children, however, are always moving in their doctrinal positions, and in their personal convictions.  We need to learn the lesson that the Psalmist teaches here in the 112th Psalm.

Notice the characteristics of this unbending, righteous man spoken of here in the Psalm:

1  He is unmoveable about His Bible.

“He delighteth greatly in his commandments” (v 1)

He is not the type of guy that changes the Bible he uses, or what he believes about the Bible.  He is bull-dogmatic about Bible principles.  He believes and applies what God says; and doesn’t deviate off of the course that the Word charts.

2  He is gracious and full of compassion. (v 4)

Even though you are not going to move him about what he believes, he will be gracious and compassionate with those who have not yet grown to where he is.  He gives people who are heading in the right direction time to get there.  He is willing to give somebody a second and third chance when they demonstrate true contrition and repentance.

3  He is generous in his giving. (v 5, 9)

He knows that the source of all of his wealth is God.  He knows also that God expects him to distribute the wealth that he has given him in order to be a blessing and a help to others.

How often do we change our minds and our actions regarding our Christian walk.  We need to be a little more like this man mentioned in the Psalm.  We need to dig in, find out what we believe from the Bible, and stick with it until the Lord takes us home.