Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 3rd, 2023 What A Day That Will Be

Today’s Passage – Zechariah 10 – 14 (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 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4

Read the “1003 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Oct 2nd, 2023 We Will Go With You

Today’s Passage – Zechariah 6 – 9 (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 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25

Read the “1002 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:21-23)

Throughout the Book of Zechariah, God tells us what life will be like during the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth. This will certainly be a wonderful time for people to live on the earth. The Bible tells us, “…the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof“ (Zechariah 8:5). It goes on to say, “And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.“ (Zechariah 8:8) God will be “running the show” here on the earth, and the people will be thrilled to have him ruling in righteousness.

In vs. 21 – 23 of chapter eight, there is a phrase that grabbed my attention: “ten men…shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.“ The people of the surrounding nations will be so impressed with the relationship that the Jews have with their God that they will ask to join them as they go to the House of God. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the people that we know today could look into our lives and clearly see the relationship that we have with our Lord, and say to us, “I want to go with you to church, because I can see the Lord is with you, and He has made a wonderful difference in your life”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God’s people today exuded the love, joy, and peace that comes from a life filled with the Spirit of God. Maybe the reason that we are not attracting too many people to desire a relationship with the Lord is because they cannot see the difference that the Lord has made.

By the way, I am not saying that all we need to do is live before our neighbors. We still need to speak the truth to the people around us. Notice v. 16

“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:” (Zechariah 8:16)

The truth is that people need to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ from our mouths, but they also need to see the love, joy, and peace that come from the relationship that we have with Him.

Oct 1st, 2023 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)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

Read the “1001 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“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.

Oct 3rd, 2012 Look and Live

Today’s Passage –Zechariah 10 – 14 (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 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)

Scripture Memory for July – Matthew 5:1 – 16

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

Read – “Touchdown!” from Zechariah 14

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” – (Zechariah 12:10)

“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” – (Zechariah 13:1)

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” – (Romans 11:25-26)

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” – (Numbers 21:8)

The Bible makes it very clear in the Book of Romans that Israel, as a nation, is right now blind to the Truth of the gospel. They just can’t see that Jesus was and is their Messiah. This does not mean that there will not be individual Jews that will trust Christ as Saviour, but as a whole they have been blinded because they rejected Christ when He first came to them:

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” – (John 1:11)

There is coming a day, however, when the blindness of Israel will be taken away, and they will be able to recognize “me whom they have pieced”.  The verse goes on to say that they will mourn, “as one mourneth for his only son”. In chapter Zechariah 13:1, the Scripture goes on to say, “in that day there shall be a fountain opened … for sin and for uncleanness”. The day referred to in this verse is the same day that Israel looks upon and mourns for the One whom they pierced. Cleansing for sin only comes after we recognize our sin, and our rejection of the Saviour.

This is the exact same process that God uses to cleanse us from our sins today. God opens our eyes so that we can see the one whom we have pierced, because it is our sin that put Him on that cross. When we see our sinful condition, and realize that Jesus took all of that sin upon Him on the cross, our eyes begin to open; and when our eyes open, so does that fountain of cleansing that removes the stain of our sin from us. What an awesome God we serve!

“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Oct 3rd, 2011 Touchdown!

Today’s Passages – Zechariah 10 – 14; Proverbs 3

(Second Milers also read – Psalm 11 – 15; Memorize – Mark 16:15)

Audio and Notes are available here from yesterday’s messages.

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

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”(Zechariah 14:4)

This is football season, and every fan knows the excitement of seeing his team score a touchdown. Here in Zechariah 14 God tells us about another kind of touchdown that all of God’s people can be excited about. This is when Jesus returns from Heaven and touches down on the Mount of Olives. This is when all of the enemies of God including Antichrist and Satan will finally meet their doom. Christians have put up with a lot of garbage through the years from the lost world: from martyrdom to simply being made fun of, the world has had its day. But that day will soon be over, and all of the world will know that Jesus is Lord!

I know that all Christians will have the same level of enthusiasm in that day when the Lord returns; but it is sad to think that yesterday there was more excitement about football than the Lord. Let’s get excited about the things of God; about the reality of the rapture, and the return of the Lord. Then let’s pour that passion into serving Him in these last days. I don’t want to be just a spectator, I want to participate.

One more thought from Zechariah 14:16 – 19:

The passage says that all nations will have to go to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Tabernacles; and if they fail to do so, they will receive no rain. The Scripture here specifically mentions Egypt, which was the nation that held Israel in bondage for a few hundred years. They will not only receive a drought if they do not participate, but they will also experience a plague. It is interesting to note that the Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration and remembrance of the Lord’s deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt; and His provision for them as they wandered through the wilderness. This feast and remembrance may take on a deeper during the Millenium as Christ will literally be dwelling (tabernacling) with His people.

Oct 2nd, 2011 Guest Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Passages – Zechariah 6 – 9; Proverbs 2

Second Milers also read – Psalm 6 – 10; Memorize – Mark 16:15

This Morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 3:1

Read “Habits of a Fruitful Soulwinner” by Dr. Paul Chappell

Are You A Curse Among The Heathen? – Zechariah 8:13-17

“And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.” – Zechariah 8:13-15

As I mull over this passage that the Lord has given me I have to ask myself am I a curse among the heathen, the unsaved? I sometimes could care less about what other Christians think about me. They need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror. But what kind of impression do I make on the unsaved? Do they see any Jesus, or just me? Verses 16 and 17 instruct us in what to do.

Speak the Truth. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” If I love my neighbor as myself then I will want to be truthful to him. The Gospel cannot be watered down. Have you broken any of God’s commandments? Welcome to the club: we are all sinners, and as sinners we need a Saviour: Jesus Christ, who shed His precious blood to pay for our sins. As a preacher, I will preach that it was a bad idea that as a Christian nation we tried to keep God out of the government by removing the Bible from schools, the 10 Commandments from offices, and whatever else this anti-Christ ruling class has come up with. I will preach that homosexuality is not an alternate lifestyle, it is an abomination (Lev. 18:22 & 20:13). Don’t look down your nose at the sodomite, what about your little white lies? The abominable and all liars have their place in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). We all need the Saviour, and that’s the truth. Number 2…

Do the Truth. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. We all need help in this area: doing the truth. After a long week of work, I look forward to our Saturday morning prayer time at the church. 1Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. I haven’t mastered that yet, have you? But I going to keep trying and praying. God says that 10% of my income belongs to Him (Malachi 3:8-12). I’m still going to tithe, because I know that I can do more with God and 90% of my income then without God and 100% of my income. God set the tithe up to supply the pastor with his needs and to get the gospel out. When a church is tithing, the pastor can spend more time with God and feed the flock better: he shouldn’t have to work a secular job. Also tracts can be purchased, ‘Done’ books, and the like: things that edify the body of Christ. I’m going to support missions with an offering, because Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” I can’t go into ALL the world, so I’m still going to give to missions. Not to get side-tracked, but doesn’t the Bible say, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19). That should lead you to a question to ask yourself: “Am I putting my trust in the all mighty dollar, or the Almighty God?” To quote George Beverly Shea, “I’d rather have Jesus…” Number 3…

So we should Speak the Truth, and Do the Truth, but we should also…

Focus and Meditate on the Truth. Zec 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” You will have a love for people: friends, enemies, neighbors. If you love them with the mind of Christ then you will not imagine evil in your hearts against them. Read God’s Word. The more Bible you have, the quicker the Holy Spirit can bring Scripture to mind when you need it. If you have the mind of Christ then speaking and doing the truth should be no problem.

Don’t be a curse among the heathen. If we are going to be called Christians, let’s live like Christians. Speak the Truth. Do the Truth. Focus and Meditate on the Truth.

Peace (John 14:27).

Oct 1st, 2011 You Can’t Touch Him

Today’s Passages – Zechariah 1 – 5; Proverbs 1

(Second Milers also read – Psalm 1 – 5; Memorize – Hosea 10:12)

You can listen to this morning’s passages by clicking on the references.

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (Zechariah 3:1 & 2)

The verses referenced above tell of Satan attempting to “resist” a man named Joshua who was the High Priest during the time of the return of the captivity to Jerusalem. Here was a man trying to do the work of God, and Satan desired to stop him from his work. God intervenes and does not allow Satan to hinder the work. God says that Joshua was “a brand plucked out of the fire”. That phrase reminds me of what Jude said in the New Testament:

“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 23)

I take comfort from these verses for two reasons. First, I am just a brand plucked out of the fire myself. I am a hell deserving sinner that was saved by the marvelous grace of God. I have nothing to offer God except my service to Him. He has saved me from the fire, so the least that I can do is give myself to His commission of winning people to Christ and training those that trust Him. What a glorious privilege it is to serve the God of Heaven. Why God chooses to use us is a mystery, but I am sure glad that He has called me into His service.

Secondly, I got to thinking about how Satan wants to resist us and destroy us. Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat. That does not sound like a pleasant experience. Satan hates me especially because he lost me. I was part of his world, but now I am a child of the King an a citizen of Heaven. Satan would love to get his filthy hands on me; and he loves to try to hinder the work that God has given me to do. But Satan has a leash on him, just like I would put on one of my dogs. He can’t do whatever he wants to do. He can only do what he is allowed to do. And if God lets him through to me it is only because he knows that it will strengthen me, and glorify Him. I know that what ever God allows Satan to do to me I can handle through the power of God. Interestingly, the very next chapter gives that famous verse regarding another man, Zerubbabel:

“…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”(Zechariah 4:6b)

It is wonderful to know that God is with me as I yield myself to His will fulfilling His service. Satan hates me. He wants to destroy and devour; but he can’t get past God, unless God allows it. And if God allows it, I can get through it through the power of His Spirit.