Leave Them Alone
Today’s Passage – Ezra 3 – 7
Second Milers also read – Romans 13 – 16; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 28
“Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.” (Ezra 6:7)
This verse jumped out at me when I read it. Darius the King of Persia ordered the governors that were over the land of Judah to let the people of God alone; and stop trying to hinder them in their work of re-building the Temple. If you recall from chapter 4, the devil had used some people to complain to the king about the Jews and the work they were trying to do. The king (Atexerxes at the time) ordered the work stopped, because he believed the lies of these men. Later, however, the people of God went back to work, apparently without authorization. Again the children of the devil began to complain and worked to stop the people of God from their work. This time, King Darius (whose heart was in the Lord’s hand) not only approved their work; but also financed it. And best of all, he commanded that the enemies of God were to “leave them alone” in their work.
Today, there are many people inside and outside of the church that are working against the cause of Christ. We can’t really do too much about the government, or anybody else outside of the local church; but let me offer some advice to those of you within the local body. You need to find a way to support and serve your church as it strives to fulfill the Great Commission. Keep your hands of hindrance off those who are trying to bring the ministry forward. Lead, follow, but by all means get out of the way of the folks who are trying to do what God has called them to do. Leave them be.
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Living in the Past
Today’s Passage – Ezra 1 – 2
Second Milers also read – Romans 9 – 12; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning;s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read – “3 Characteristics of a Servant Leader” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” (Ezra 3:12 & 13)
In chapter 3 of today’s passage we see the children of Israel (or at least some of them) back in their land after a long captivity in Babylon and Persia. Eventually they begin the process of rebuilding the Temple of God that had been completely destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar years earlier. Remember, the Temple that had been constructed by Solomon was perhaps the most beautiful piece of architecture that has ever been constructed, with literally tons of gold covering much of the building itself, and also the furniture and instruments used in the temple. The building that they were in the process of constructing now could not possibly compare to the old one. However, it is important to note that these elder men who were despondent over the lack of luxury in this new temple had actually never seen the presence of God in the old Temple. At the time that they were there (before the captivity), the glory of God had long since departed because of the falling away of the people of God. So these elders were upset simply because of a building. They failed to see that this new building, though not nearly as ornate and expensive as the old, had the potential for being a place where God would actually meet with His people.
In my 22 years or so of being saved, I have seen this same mentality. I have seen church buildings that were absolutely gorgeous with large auditoriums, countless classrooms, fellowship halls, and even landscaped gardens. However, many of these buildings, though beautiful, have “Ichabod” written all over them. But on the other side of town there is a storefront building with no classrooms, where a preacher and church are boldly proclaiming the Truth, with the Spirit of God all over them. Yet, most people in the world; and even most Christians would say that the church with the beautiful facility is the “real” church.
One more thought from this passage: Sometimes, those that have been saved for awhile, and have seen the power of God in previous years, tend to live in the past. God does not live in the past. Actually he is way ahead of us. We are supposed to be following Him. This is partially what Paul meant when he said, “leaving those things which are behind”. I believe the greatest movement of God is yet to come. I believe the greatest days of Jersey Shore Baptist Church will be in the tomorrows; not in the yesterdays. While I rejoice over what God has done in the past, I am looking for “greater works than these”.
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The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Amos – The Last Call To Personal Holiness Part 4: Words
Good morning! I have a riddle for you…
Once they’re out, they can’t come back.
Of their weight, there is no lack.
People use them when they’re sleeping.
People use them when they’re weeping.
Some use them to make a pitch.
Others dig themselves a ditch.
Some are bad, and some are good.
They should all be used as Jesus would.
What are they?
That’s right – words.
Verse one of chapter one starts off with, “The words of Amos…” After that, he uses the phrase – “saith the Lord” – forty-three times. Amos chose his words wisely: God showed him what to say and he said it. We need to be wise in what we say: think before you speak. Proverbs 29:20 tells us, “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” And Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Choose your words wisely.
In James, chapter 3, the apostle wrote, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” (James3:5-10)
These things ought not so to be; choose your words wisely. 1Thesselonians 5:11 through 18 give us some insight on our lives which should be reflected in our words. “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1Thesselonians 5:11-18).
Our words should be a comfort to others (2Corinthians 1:3-4).
Our words should edify others (Romans 14:19).
Our words should admonish, that is, gently reprove. How did Jesus talk to the woman at the well who was ‘shacked up’ with a man she was not married to? (Colossians 3:16).
Our words should be peaceful (Proverbs 15:1).
Our words should be warning others (Ezekiel 3:18).
Our words should be supportive: you can encourage, or you can discourage with your words: be an encourager (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
Our words should show patients with others (Ecclesiastes 7:8).
Our words should be rejoicing (Philippians 4:4).
Our words should be prayerful (Psalm 55:17).
And our words should be thankful (Psalm 26 (in particular verse 7, but read the whole Psalm: it’s all good)).
Your words reflect who you and what is going on inside you. If you are saved, they should reflect Jesus, so choose your words wisely.
Peace. (Psalm 19:14).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Grace of God
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 32 – 33
Second Milers also read – Romans 1 – 4; Psalm 119; Proverbs 25
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
“And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.” – (2 Chronicles 33:12 & 13)
In our passage today we see a beautiful picture of the grace of God. The theologians degine “grace” as an unmerited or undeserved favor. In chapter 33, we have the account of King Manasseh who was arguably the most wicked king that the southern kingdom of Judah ever had. He had undone many of the wonderful things that his father, Hezekiah, had done for the nation. Manasseh was into witchcraft, and even had two of his sons “pass through the fire”, which means he sacrificed them. Manasseh was a bad dude, as bad as they get.
In verse 10, the Scripture tells us that God “spake” to Manasseh, but he didn’t listen. God then came in and judged Manasseh by sending in the armies of the Assyrians. Now that got Manasseh’s attention. Now he was ready to listen to God. The Scripture says he “besought” the Lord in his affliction. Manasseh was truly a “new creature” after this moment, and he dedicated the rest of his life to serving the Lord. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to undo all of the evil that he had done before he was redeemed, and even though he finished well, he still has the reputation of being a wicked king.
The first thing that I would like to point out from this passage is that God saves bad people. It is hard for us to fathom the salvation of a man like Manasseh, but God has been in the business of saving wicked men and women for a long time. By the way, it is kind of arrogant on our part to decide who “deserves” salvation. None of us deserves to be saved. We are all sinners, and are all capable of all of the depravity that we have seen in the life of Manasseh. The amazing thing is not that God would save someone like Manasseh, but rather that he would save any of us.
The second thought I would like to pull from this passage is that God had to bring Manasseh down, before he could get his attention. I have often prayed for specific lost people that I know, and I have noticed that God will often allow tragedy to come to their lives in order to get their attention. People who are on top of the world, tend not to take notice of God; but let them go through a severe trial, and they will often re-think things. Though I do not enjoy watching people suffer, I know that the affliction that they may be experiencing today may be the very thing that causes them to turn to the Lord.
The third thought from the passage is that even though it is a wonderful thing that God’s grace reached Manasseh, and that He was saved before it was eternally too late; he still did a lot of bad things in his lifetime. I bet that he wishes that he could go back and re-do some things. But once our time is up, it is up. Manasseh had an appointment with death, and when that appointment came, there was no more time to get things right. We all need to redeem the time, because our time is running out as well.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” – (Hebrews 2:9)
Did you catch that? – every man – even someone as bad as Manasseh – even someone as bad as me
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Soulwinning in 2 Chronicles
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 29 – 31
Second Milers also read – Acts 26 – 28; Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24
“So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.” – (2 Chronicles 30:6)
As I read the passage for today, there were a lot of thoughts that I wanted to develop. The first one came from chapter 29, where Hezekiah told the Levites:
“My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.” – (2 Chronicles 29:11)
I was challenged by this verse to be diligent in the Lord’s work because God has also chosen me to serve Him and minister unto Him, and His people.
However, when I got to chapter 30, I realized that there was another truth that I just had to write about. In this passage Hezekiah sends letters to the remnant of the northern kingdom of Israel, and invites them to return to the Lord. Most of the people of the northern kingdom had already been taken into captivity into the land of Assyria; but there were yet many people remaining in the land. Hezekiah gave them all an open invitation to return to Jerusalem and participate in the worship of the Lord in His house.
The sad truth, however, is that most of the people rejected the invitation. Many had even mocked and laughed at the messengers. This is a perfect picture of our soul winning today. We go out with a message from the king, yet most people reject that message; and many will even mock us for our beliefs. Yet, as it was in the days of Hezekiah, some will accept the invitation. We must not get distracted by the multitudes that reject, but instead realize that there are some, maybe only a few, that will receive the precious message of the grace of God.
So don’t get discouraged if it seems that most of this world is not receptive to the message of Christ. Keep looking for those few precious trophies of grace that will listen. Remember though, you have to weed through the scorners until you eventually find the ones with the soft and penitent hearts that will embrace the glorious gospel of Christ.
Note – the picture at the top is of Pastor Bob Gray II of Longview Baptist Temple, and a young man that was apparently soft-hearted and receptive to the message of God’s grace. They are out there. We just have to keep looking until we find them.
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The Key To Prosperity
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 25 – 28
Second Milers also read – Acts 23 – 25; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read “Plenty More Where That Came From” from 2 Chronicles 25
“And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.” – (2 Chronicles 26:5)
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – (Psalm 1:2-3)
There is not much that I can add to what was written in 2 Chronicles 26:5 – “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper”. Inside that statement lies the only key to real success in life – seeking God. As long as you and I are truly seeking God and His will for our lives, God will also make our lives to prosper.
In this chapter we see this principle in action in the life of King Uzziah. He was a great king that was mightily used of the Lord as long as he was seeking God. He experienced many military victories, and also caused Judah to prosper economically and scientifically. As long as Uzziah was in submission to the will of God, he and the kingdom prospered greatly. Unfortunately, he got himself into trouble:
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” – (2 Chronicles 26:16)
Uzziah overstepped his bounds when he went into the temple to offer incense. He felt like he could do whatever he wanted, but God wasn’t pleased. The Lord gave King Uzziah leprosy, and he lived the rest of his life separated from the people in a “several (separated) house”.
So the bottom line is that when we are in submission to the Lord, He will bless what we do; but when we get to the place where we no longer need the Lord, God’s hand of prosperity will cease.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 6 comments.
How Will You Be Remembered?
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 21 – 24
Second Milers also read – Acts 20 – 22; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.(2Chronicles 21:20)
This verse is perhaps one of the saddest verses in all of the Bible. Here we see the life of Jehoram, a king of Judah: the son of Jehoshaphat, a great king. The verse tells us that when he died he was not desired: nobody wanted him. How sad it is that a person with so much opportunity for good; so much opportunity to impact his nation, would die without being desired. Why did this happen? What would cause this man to be so evil; so different from his father, who was loved and desired by all? Believe it or not, I think the blame belongs to his father. His father, though a great man himself, was not a separated man. Though he loved God, he was very close and friendly to others who hated God. He got so close that he actually allowed his son, Jehoram to marry one of wicked King Ahab’s daughters. The Bible tells us that after the death of Jehoshaphat, Ahab’s family became the counsellors of Jehoram. His father followed God; but the son chose to follow evil.
Parents, please be very careful about what and who you allow to get close to your children. Though you as parents may be strong enough to stand in a wicked environment, your children may not be; and may succumb to the wickedness around them. Live a separated life. Don’t allow the things of this world; or ungodly people to be an influence to your family.
My life will not be judged merely by my own conduct. People will also judge me by whether or not my children walk with God, and serve their generation. I want my kids to be better than I am. I want them to have more love and compassion for their fellow man than I ever could. I want them to be desired.
When you die, will you leave here without being desired? Or will people miss you? Will they grieve for the void that will be there because of your parting? This life is not about you; it’s not about me. It is about glorifying God; and serving our generation; and then training and teaching our children to serve their generation.
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Keep Your Eyes on the Lord
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 18 – 20
Second Milers also read – Acts 17 – 19; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21
Scripture Memory for May – Psalm 51
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1
Read “Who’s Your Friend?” by Pastor Ted Stahl from 2 Chronicles 18
“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” (2Chronicles 20:12)
My focus this morning is on chapter 20 where we see the nation of Judah threatened by a federation of three nations. Together, these nations were far superior in both numbers and power to the nation of Judah. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, did not seek out help from other nations did (as Asa did in chapter 16); but instead turns the problem completely over to the Lord. Jehoshaphat was a great man of faith, though he was not a separated man. He often would yoke up with the ungodly northern kingdom. However, here he does everything right. Notice in this passage how he demonstrates great faith in God:
1 When first confronted with the problem he sought God. Don’t wait until all else fails. Go to God first.
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,” (2Chronicles 20:3-5)
2 He searched the Scriptures. Notice in his prayer, in vv 5 – 13, he knows the principles and promises contained in the Scripture. He was able to ask “in the will of God” because he knew what God had promised in His Word.
3 He submitted to the man of God. In v 14, Jehaziel prophesies, and tells Jehoshaphat what to do; and Jehoshaphat obeys the prophecy of the man of God. When you are faced with a battle, go to the man of God for counsel; and listen to what he has to say.
4 He sang praises to God before the battle was actually won. This demonstrated both that he had great faith, and that he was content with whatever God was going to do. Do you trust God enough with the outcome of your battle to praise him before you see the final conclusion.
“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endurethfor ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” (2Chronicles 20:21-22)
The Christian life is full of battles; but if God is with us, the victory is already ours. Don’t fight the battle in your own strength. Keep your eyes upon the Lord , and allow Him to win the battle for you.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Asa – He Started Well, But Finished Poorly
Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 13 – 17
Second Milers also read – Acts 14 – 16; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20
“And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.” – (2 Chronicles 15:8)
“Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. … And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” – (2 Chronicles 16:10, 12)
In chapters 15 – 17 of today’s passage we see the account of King Asa. He started out as a very good king, even going as far as removing his mother from being queen because of her idolatry. In fact in chapter 15, everything that is recorded about his reign as king is good. However, when we get to chapter 16, we see Asa faced with an imminent attack from his neighbor, the northern kingdom of Israel. Now in times past, when Asa faced strong opposition, he trusted in God to deliver him; but here he does something completely out of character for him: he relies, not upon God, but upon another nation to deliver him. God was not too pleased with this, so he sent his prophet to rebuke Asa for his lack of faith. Instead of getting right with God, Asa gets angry and throws the prophet in jail. Not a very wise move. A few years later we find that Asa is “diseased in his feet”; but once again he goes to men (the physicians) instead of going to God. I think that the first mistake that Asa made could have been corrected with a little contrition and repentance; but instead it caused him to get angry and “dig in”; and it literally altered the rest of his life. His pride caused him to stay his course, instead of yielding to God’s will.
I wonder how many Christians today start out well, living their lives for the Lord; but something happens: maybe they make an error in judgment; or maybe just have a moment of weakness, and they sin against God. When they are confronted about it, instead of humbling themselves and getting it right, they “dig in”, refusing to admit that they did wrong. As a result they continue on a path of destruction, refusing to consider the possibility that they could be wrong. This then leads to more problems; not only for the person, but for their families as well.
As God’s people, why can’t we just preprogram ourselves to understand that we are going to blow it at times. We will never (in this life) lose our humanity; we will never arrive at sinless perfection. I think God understands our humanity more that we do. We are going to blow it eventually. It’s OK. We are human. But don’t get mad at your humanity; don’t get mad at the preacher, the church, or God. Get right! Run to God, not away from Him! Admit you blew it; pick yourself up; pay the consequences; and move on with your life. Why lose all of the blessings that God has in store for you simply because of your pride.
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Amos – The Last Call To Personal Holiness – Part 3: Obedience – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning. In our quest for personal holiness from the Book of Amos, we learned in part one that we should treat everyone the same: we are all sinners. You may look down your nose at those who have not reached your level of holiness, but look up: there are others looking down at you: you haven’t reached their level yet. And if you look past them, you will see a level that you will never reach until you’re transported those pearly gates. God is looking down at you, but with love. That is the way we should be looking at others.
In part two, we learned to be truthful. And since Jesus is The Truth, and also told us that, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, we should be truthful.
In part three we will look at being obedient to God. In Amos chapter 7, the priest Amaziah trying to get Amos to leave Israel…
“Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court. Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD…” (Amos 7:12-16).
Amos was obeying God’s appointment, by warning Israel of the coming judgment. When we do our own thing, rather than the things which the Lord has commanded us to do, it is sin. That’s what happened with king Saul in 1Samuel 15…
“And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” (1Samuel 15:13-23).
Two contrasts: Saul being disobedient to the Word of God, and Samuel obeying the Word of God by telling Saul where he stood. And what about our model, our example, the Lord Jesus Christ? Philippians tells us that He was obedient unto death…
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11).
God wants only the best for us. We can trust Him with our lives. Our lives may not go in the direction that we wish them to go, but God will use our lives for His glory. Are you obeying God? Be ye holy? Are you allowing Him to make you more like Jesus, or are you rebelling? The choice is up to you.
Peace. (1Peter 1:15-16)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.