Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jun 23rd, 2012 Guilty – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning. Guilty in 45 of the 48 counts against him. That’s what the news said. Psalm 37, verses 1 and 2 cry out a warning: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”

Jesus warned, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:6-7).

I have a hard time even imagining what it was like to stand before a judge and hear the gavel slam down on the bench saying, “Guilty! Period! No if, ands, or buts!”

A good deterrent for crime is knowing the consequences. The wages of sin is death. Do you believe the truths of the Bible: God’s Holy, Infallible Word? Just like Adam and Eve, when we sin, we die inside: spiritually. Physical death will come later. Do we believe that the wages of sin is death?

Read all of Psalm 37: this is a great Psalm. Within this Psalm, there are five directions given. Give heed to them. Understand them. Do them.

Verse 3 tells us to TRUST in the LORD.

Verse 4 tells us to DELIGHT in the LORD.

Verse 5 tells us to COMMIT OUR WAY unto the LORD.

Verse 7 tells us to REST in the LORD.

Verse 34 tells us to WAIT on the LORD.

It is better, when the gavel comes down, to hear: “Not guilty! Case dismissed!”

Peace. (Psalm 37:37-40)