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Author: Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.
The Widow’s Mites

The Widow’s Mites

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Today’s Passage – Mark 12 – 13 (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 106 – 110; Proverbs 22

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “I Don’t Want to Render to Caesar“

“41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” – (Mark 12:41–44)

The story of this poor widow giving her last two mites to the Lord is also found in Luke 21:1-4.

In this account, we see that Jesus was geographically positioned in the Court of the Women so that He was able to observe the gifts that people were placing in one of the treasury boxes that was there. According to Phillips, there were thirteen of these boxes located within the Temple grounds – four of which were designated for voluntary offerings and the other nine were for legal dues and temple taxes.[1]

Jesus saw this poor woman give her two mites (λεπτὰ from λεπτόν – lepton), which were very small copper or brass coins that were worth very little. With human eyes Jesus could see what she placed in that box, but because He is God, He also knew that this woman had given all that she possessed, and that nobody else had contributed proportionally more that she had. This gift was extremely sacrificial because it left this poor widow with nothing to live on. What would she do for food? How would her future needs be taken care of?

The question that I have regarding this woman’s gift was why did she do it? Did she give “all her living” because God wanted her to? Was it because of her love for God or perhaps was it because she was being pressured into giving by the scribes:” which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.” – (Mark 12:40). The main thrust of this Mark 12 involves Jesus’s rebuke of Israel’s religious leaders. Within the immediate context in the preceding verses, Jesus was warning the people about the scribes who demanded a lot for themselves at the expense of others, particularly the widows. 

I believe their are a couple of applications that can be made from this passage of Scripture:

1. It is good for us to give sacrificially back to the Lord. He is the source of all that we have and He is well able to bless us with more than what we give. As one man said, “I shovel it out and God shovels it back in, but God has a bigger shovel.”

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” – (Luke 6:38)

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – (Matt 6:33)

However, in most cases, God does not expect you to give “all your living.”

“1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. 12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” – (2 Cor 8:1–12)

In the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), the problem was not that they did not give all the proceeds of their sale of land, it was that they lied about how much they sold it for.

2. It is not good for ministers to take advantage of people. The real story in Mark twelve was Jesus’s condemnation of these scribes who were taking advantage of poor widows. Preachers need to resist the temptation of “fleecing the flock” while striving to raise funds for the church, or worse, attempting to line their own pockets.

[1] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Mark: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Mk 12:41.

 

 

Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership

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Today’s Passage – Mark 10 – 11 (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 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32

Read the “1021 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” – (Mark 10:43-45)

When I was in Bible college, I went to work for a supermarket chain in the East Texas area. This company had a unique, but refreshing leadership style that I was unaccustomed to at the time. My store manager, and all of the assistants were people that worked hard alongside the employees of the store. They didn’t just bark out orders to the clerks, they were willing to get their hands dirty themselves. It was not at all unusual to see the store manager with a mop in his hand, cleaning up a spill; or out in the parking lot gathering up the buggies (shopping carts). Their philosophy was that in order to be a leader in the company, you first had to demonstrate that you could be a great servant.

I find that in the ministry the same principle should also be true. The pastor, deacons, and other leaders in the church should not be beneath any task that needs to be done within the church. If the bathrooms need to be cleaned, or the lawns need to be mowed, the leadership should be more than willing to pitch in at times to do it. Now, I understand that it may not be the most efficient use of time and talents to have the leaders doing these things that could be done by others, but the leadership should be willing to do whatever needs to be done in order for the cause of Christ to move forward. There are no “big shots” in the ministry. The Lord we serve is the only superstar. The rest of us are merely servants.

Do We Really See As Clearly As We Think We Do?

Do We Really See As Clearly As We Think We Do?

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Today’s Passage – Mark 8 – 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 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

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

Read the “1020 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Hear Ye Him”

“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? … And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:17-18, 23-25)

In today’s reading from Mark 8, we first read about the “Feeding of the Four Thousand,” which takes place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is a similar, but different, event from the more famous story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” After feeding the four thousand, Jesus and his disciples leave for Dalmanutha, which is also on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, where he has an encounter with the Pharisees who demand for Jesus to give them some sort of sign to prove that He was the Messiah, which Jesus refuses to do. After leaving the Pharisees and when He and His disciples are back in the boat, Jesus warns the disciples about “the Leven of the Pharisees.” The word, “leaven,” in the Scriptures is often used symbolically as representation of sin. Jesus was really warning them about the sin of the Pharisees, but because He used the word, “leaven,” which is the ingredient used to make bread rise, his disciples thought somehow that Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing any bread with them. They misunderstood what Jesus was saying. They did not “see” or perceive what He was trying to tell them.

Fast forward now to the next story in Mark 8 regarding a man that really could not see; he was blind (vs. 22 – 26). When Jesus healed him, he at first could not see clearly; he stated that he saw “men as trees, walking.” However, when Jesus touched his eyes the second time, he could see clearly. I often wondered why it was that his sight was not wholly restored at the first touch. Did Jesus not use enough power the first time? No, I think through this healing story, Jesus is giving us an illustration regarding spiritual sight or understanding.

Here are some thoughts:

  1. When a person trusts Christ, he is given the ability to understand spiritual truth. Lost people cannot comprehend the teaching of the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
  2. However, even saved people do not understand everything that God wants to show them, at least not at first. This blind man did not see clearly at first, and the disciples did not at first understand what Jesus was trying to show them. They needed the help of Jesus to see clearly as well.
  3. To some degree, our spiritual understanding is progressive and increases with growth, experience, and obedience to God’s will. As the song says, “we will understand it better by and by.”
  4. We will never completely understand all spiritual truth, even when we get to Heaven. Omniscience is an attribute of God. However, in Heaven we will understand a great deal more.
  5. We must remember that we are all still blind to some things, especially some of our own problems. There are many things that we do not understand. Yet, our lack of comprehension is even something we have a tough time seeing. We think we see clearly. I am sure the man that was healed of his blindness at first thought he was seeing pretty good, but it was until after Jesus really cleared up his lack of focus on the second touch that he understood that previously his sight, though better, was still somehow limited.
  6. There are others who can see things that we cannot see yet because they have been granted clearer sight by God than us. Thus, we need to rely on other people who are a little further down the road spiritually to help us understand things.
  7. We need to pray and ask God to open up our understanding.

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)

You and I must realize that we may not be seeing things as clearly as we think we are. We think sometimes that we know it all, but there may be something in our lives that is a little out of focus. We need to be humble enough to admit that we do not have all the answers, and we need God’s help to understand better.

Are You For Real?

Are You For Real?

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John the Baptist prepares the way

Today’s Passage – Mark 6 – 7 (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 91 – 95; Proverbs 19

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

Read former posts from this pasage – “Don’t Lose the Personal Touch” & “Politicians”

“For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” – (Mark 6:20)

In our text today, we read about the execution of John the Baptist by Herod. I will not rehash the story, as most of you are probably familiar with it, and if by chance you are not, you can read it for yourself in Mark 6:14 – 29. John was arrested by Herod because he had been preaching against Herod’s immoral relationship with his (Herod’s) brother’s wife. People who sin willfully do not like to be pointed out or reminded about their sin. Most people do not have the option of silencing their critics but when you are the mistress of the King you can pretty much do whatever you want. Thus, Herodias eventually got what she wanted – John’s head on a platter.

Herod did not want to arrest or kill John the Baptist. He was actually afraid of him because he knew that John was real. He knew that John, unlike the rest of the religious crowd of the day, was genuine in his faith and holiness. Men will fear a genuine believer who walks with God and practices what he believes. Unfortunately, they will fear the crowd more. Herod feared Herodias and the people who were watching, more than he feared God or John the Baptist. Pilate also feared the people more than he feared the Lord Jesus. However, the fear that Herod had for John continued even after John was gone. He actually thought that Jesus was some kind of a reincarnation of John coming back to get him.

The thought I have this morning is that Herod feared John because he knew that John was the real deal. He was genuine. He wasn’t just playing some religious game or using religion to advance his own personal agenda. The question I have for you (and me) this morning is, are you real? Is your faith making a difference in the lives of the people around you? Are there some Herodias’s in your life that just can’t stand you because of what you stand for? Are you poking some holes in the darkness around you, or are you just going through the religious motions, playing the church game? Just a thought.

Go Home To Thy Friends

Go Home To Thy Friends

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Today’s Passage – Mark 4 – 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 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8

Read the “1018 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this morning’s reading passage – “Good Ground“

“Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19)

The testimony of this man from Decapolis that was saved by the Lord was incredible. He was delivered out of an horrible pit of the worst kinds of sin. He then volunteers by asking the Lord if he could stay with Him. You would think that the Lord would have this man travel with Him full-time sharing with the whole world what He had done for him. However, the Lord had different plans for this man’s life. Instead of taking him with Him, He told the man to go back home and tell all of his friends and family about his testimony. The Scripture tell us that the man “published” in Decapolis all things that the Lord had done for him.

I got to thinking that the Lord has different plans for all of our lives. Some of us He will call to minister for Him full-time as pastors or missionaries, etc. However, the vast majority of His children will be asked to stay home and tell their friends, family members, and neighbors about the Lord. We all have a testimony if we are saved, and the best place to start in sharing Christ with others is simply telling them what that Lord has done for us. Have you shared with your friends “how great things the Lord hath done for thee?” If you haven’t, there is no time better than today to start.

A note to you who have been saved and serving in a particular area for a long time: If you are like me, when you were first saved all of the people you knew were lost, and you had many wonderful opportunities to influence the people in your life with the love of Christ, which was literally bursting out from within you and your new and exciting faith. Now that you have been saved for some years, most of the people that you know are likely to be saved as well. You now have the challenge to intentionally seek out opportunities to interact and impact the lost people where you live for Christ. Get out into your community, meet new people, and share Christ with them.

The Great Commission

The Great Commission

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Today’s Passage – Matthew 27 – 28 (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 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “1016 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Great Commission Involves Three Primary Duties

  • Preaching the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1 – 8)

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …”

It is through faith in the gospel that people are saved from going to Hell. We are all lost sinners and without Christ we were doomed to an eternity of separation from God in a horrible place the Bible refers to as Hell. But the Gospel (or good news) teaches us that Jesus Christ died on the Cross 2000 years ago and was buried and rose again on the third day, and by doing so satisfied the payment that God demanded for our sin. God says that if we will repent and place our faith (our dependence) on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross, we could not only escape the penalty of Hell, but also enjoy the pleasures of Heaven for all eternity.

But in order for people to hear the Gospel, the Gospel must be preached:

“14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

  • Baptizing the Saved

“… baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

What is Biblical Baptism?

Baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water. Baptism is not sprinkling. The Bible is clear in every case that the people being baptized went down into the water and came up out of the water. John the Baptist baptized in Aenon (John 3:23) because there was “much water” there. You do not need a lot of water to sprinkle someone.

Baptism is not for babies, for the Scripture tells us in Acts 8:37 that the requirement for baptism is first a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Baptism is a public profession of your faith in Christ. It publically identifies you with Christ’s message, and it paints a picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Baptism also pictures the cleansing from sin.

Baptism also is a requirement for membership in the local church. You cannot be a member of the church unless you have been Scripturally baptized.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

Jesus commanded baptism.

Jesus identified with His own message through baptism. He was baptized Himself. That is why we sometimes say that we are following the Lord in baptism.

  • Training Disciples

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:”

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

After a person has a been saved, and after they have been baptized, they should begin what is really a lifelong process of Christian growth, which we commonly call discipleship.

Once we are saved, we become ambassadors for the Lord, and we must be trained to represent the Lord well:

“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

We have an organized program of discipleship which we recommend to all new believers. It is a one-on-one program where one of our disciples sits down with a new convert and teaches him (or her) the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. We also recommend this program to all who are new to the church, even if they have been saved for a long time.

We are also discipled through the instruction that we receive in our church services. The best counselling and instruction that you can receive will come through what you learn in the church services and Adult Bible classes. We use a lot of Scripture here in our preaching, and you will learn the Bible, and, more importantly, learn how to better glorify and represent the Lord through faithful attendance to the church services.

You can also go even further in your discipleship by attending a Bible Institute level class, or Bible College.

The point is that after we are saved God wants us to grow in the Lord.

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Discipleship and Christian growth will better equip you to fulfill the Great Commission yourself.

More Great Commission Verses:

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

“46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46-48)

“21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

 

Just Me and God

Just Me and God

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Just Me and God

Today’s Passage – Matthew 26 (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 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)

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

Read the “1015 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this morning’s reading passage – “Who Me?”

“38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:38-41)

This was no doubt the worst night in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was in the process of being betrayed by one of the twelve. He knew also that Peter was going to deny even knowing Him – not just once, but three times. The rest of the disciples were going to scatter and follow afar off; all of them distancing themselves from their leader in His time of need. In the midst of this agonizing night, Jesus desires that three of His closest friends spend some time in prayer with Him. Though it was very late, the Lord was obviously not going to get any sleep and He asked Peter, James, and John to stay up with Him in prayer. Unfortunately, the men were weary and could not stay awake through the prayer meeting. It appears that Jesus would have to go through this trial alone. It was just Him and His Father.

It is human nature to desire the company and encouragement of other people when we are going through our trials. However, in the end, it will only be God that will be with us throughout the darkest days of our lives. Our friends cannot possibly understand completely the pain that we are experiencing; they have their own concerns and troubles that plague them. Friends and family can be helpful at times but we need to learn to wean ourselves off of dependence upon human help for comfort and encouragement and instead turn to God. People cannot possibly meet the spiritual needs that can only be met by God. If you are going through a trial right now, look to God. Don’t be too hard on your friends. Though God may use them to edify, comfort, and encourage you partially, they are severely limited in their ability to help.

Having said that, let me now speak a word to those of us who may have some friends who are going through a difficult trial. Don’t try to be a replacement for God in their lives. You cannot meet their spiritual need: you can only point them to God and encourage them to feed upon the Word of God. Don’t preach to them and don’t promise them things that you cannot deliver because you are not God. Provide a listening ear and refrain from speaking unless you are sure that the words you will give them are what God would have you to say. Just try to be there for them as much as you can while continuing to point them to the Lord.

Wasting Talents

Wasting Talents

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Today’s Passage – Matthew 24 – 25 (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 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6

Read the “1014 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s Bible reading passage – “Where Lord?“

“But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.” (Matthew 25:18)

The context of the chapters which we read today really has to do with Israel and the Tribulation Period, but we can certainly make some good, practical applications to ourselves for today. In the parable referenced in Matthew 25:14 – 30, we have the story of the man who left with his stewards some money (talents) for them to invest in some way and make a profit for him while he went away. (Note – a talent was actually a weight of measure, thus a talent of gold would be approximately 75 pounds of gold; etc.) He gave each of the three stewards a different number of talents, and expected each one to bring a return proportionate to the number of talents that they received. In other words, he did not expect as much from the guy that was given less talents as he did from the guy that received more talents; but he expected each man to give him a return on his investment.

The traditional way that we interpret and apply this passage is to use the secondary meaning of the word talent, which is a gift. We say that the Lord has given us each certain gifts. Some have been given more gifts than others. God expects us to be faithful and profitable with the gifts and talents that he has given us. We are not to waste our gifts by not using them, like the guy in our text who buried his talent in the ground. We are also not to misuse our gifts for sinful or selfish reasons. Our gifts are to be used to bring a return to the Saviour, and to glorify Him.

We could also make an application of this parable to the subject of stewardship which is what the passage is really dealing with anyway. However, today we no longer deal in talents, but in dollars. God supplies each one of us with a certain amount of income, and He expects us to be faithful and profitable with the money that he gives us. When we give our tithes to support the local storehouse, and we give our offerings so that worldwide missions can go forth, we are bringing the Lord a return on His investment in us. Conversely, when we hoard our money or misuse it, it is like the man who squandered the talent that the Lord gave him.

The bottom line is that we are to use whatever the Lord gives us for His Kingdom and His glory. We are only here on this earth as His ambassador anyway. Are you using your finances and talents for the Lord’s glory, or are you burying them in the sand? There is still time to get it turned around. You’re not dead yet. Dig that talent back up and invest it for the Lord. Find ways to invest yourself in God’s ministry to this lost world.

Inside, Then Out

Inside, Then Out

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Today’s Passage – Matthew 22 – 23 (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 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

Read the “1013 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:26)

Matthew chapter 23 contains a harsh rebuke by the Lord to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the fundamentalist of their day. They had the right doctrines. In fact Jesus admonished the disciples to do what the Pharisees taught, but He was careful to warn them not to follow their example. They were hypocrites: they portrayed on the surface a godly lifestyle, yet on the inside they were anything but godly. They were a cold and judgmental bunch. They were quick to point out the flaws of others but they never looked within themselves to see if their own lives were right. They had all kinds of inward problems, yet they focused on pointing out the flaws of others.

Unfortunately today we often see Christians who we thought had “all of their ducks in a row,” only to discover that they are hiding some dark sin in their lives. They looked good on the outside but they were filthy on the inside. Don’t misunderstand, we all struggle with sin, but we must be careful that we come clean with the Lord through confession and then do our best to forsake the things that displease Him. God forgives and cleanses from us from our sin. More importantly though, we must not try to appear to others in a self-righteous way.  As Bible-believing Christians today, we must be very careful that while we take our stand for all of the right doctrines and as we preach the truth about sin, that we make sure that we don’t portray ourselves as above sin. We are sinners just like everyone else. While we try to live our lives as righteously and separated as we can, we are still a people who struggle with sin ourselves. Most importantly, we must not think ourselves to be any better than those that are without. If it wasn’t for the grace of God we could certainly find ourselves involved in some of the vilest sins. We must have a genuine compassion for people who are struggling. We must never compromise the truth, but we should preach the truth with a tear in our eye.

Jesus was very hard on the religious crowd, the ones that didn’t think that they needed any help. However, you will find that though He never once compromised in either His living or His preaching, He always treated the lost sinner with compassion. He loved them to Himself. We must do the same thing. While we strive to live a holy, separated life let us also demonstrate love and compassion to the lost world around us. If they get upset with us for our position, so be it; but let them never be able to find fault with our disposition.

Christianity distinguishes itself from all other religions in that it does not focus on an outward conformity to a set of rules or standards but rather involves a relationship that results in an inward transformation. Paul admonished the Roman’s to not be conformed to the world but instead be transformed inwardly (Romans 12:2). Christianity is about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ which results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God within the heart of every believer. The Holy Spirit works from the inside and slowly but surely brings about a change in the outward behavior. True believers are “new creatures” because of the presence of God within them (2 Corinthians 5:17).

It’s Not Fair!

It’s Not Fair!

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Today’s Passage – Matthew 19 – 21 (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 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)

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

Read another post from this passage – “The Ministry – Not What I Expected“

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15)

In the passage referenced above we have the story of the man that hired a number of laborers to work in his vineyard. He started hiring first thing in the morning and promised those early workers a penny for their toil. Throughout the day he would find more people who were idle, and he offered them “what is right” in exchange for their labor. When the day was finished and it was time to pay the workers, each man, regardless of the length of time they labored, received a penny. The men who were hired early in the morning worked longer hours yet received the same wage. They complain that the man who hired them was unfair, but he reminded them that they received exactly what they agreed to work for; and that he had the right to pay anybody else whatever he chose to pay them.

The primary interpretation of this verse, I guess, would involve Israel. They are probably a little envious of the church who is a late arrival to the service of God. After all the Jews have had a long relationship with him, and who did these Gentiles think they were coming in and claiming that they have a claim to Heaven. I believe we could also see this attitude among those in the church. Let’s say for example that a man grows up in a Christian home and is saved at an early age. He goes to the same Heaven that another man would go to who trusted Christ on his deathbed.

The thought that grabbed my attention this morning, however, as I read was that we often think God to be unfair because He deals with us uniquely, and it seems sometimes that he treats others better than He treats us. There are two things that we can learn from this passage. The first is that God will always do what He says He will do; and secondly He will always do that which is right. So for us to become envious about how God blesses others, or uses others is to say that God is making mistakes, or is acting like men.

Sometimes as a pastor, I see the way God is blessing other ministries. It seems that some churches and pastors just have victory after victory. Sometimes I want to cry, “unfair!”  But I need to remind myself of a couple of things that I am sure of:

1  God loves me just as much as He loves anybody else.

2  God will fulfill every promise and principle in my life, family, and ministry just as He will with anybody else.

3  God has a unique plan and purpose for my life and ministry, which is different from His plan for others.

4  I may not have had the same upbringing, training, and equipping that others have had. I just need to be faithful to do the best I can with the training that I have received; and I need to learn and grow as much as I can so that I can be more effective in ministry.

5  My vantage point of others in the ministry is limited. I can only see a small part of the picture. Even though it may seem that there are no burdens or problems at the other ministry, I know that there are. That pastor in the large ministry is probably paying a much larger price than I am paying.

In John’s gospel there is an interesting story that took place after the resurrection where Jesus is restoring a very discouraged Peter. Peter had denied the Lord prior to the crucifixion. Here Jesus tells peter to “feed His lambs”. Peter, however, was not satisfied with just being restored to the ministry: he wanted the top post. He asked the Lord (referring to John), “and what shall this man do”. Jesus replied, “what is that to thee?”. The Lord basically told Peter to mind his own business. God had a purpose and plan for Peter, and He also had one for John. He has a plan for me and you too. I don’t need to worry about what God is doing with you, and you don’t need to worry about what God is doing with me. We both just need to be faithful.