Sometimes You Have To Stand Alone
Today’s Passage – 2 Timothy 3 – 4; Titus 1 – 3
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” (2 Timothy 4:10)
“Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:” (2 Timothy 4:14)
“At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me:I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.” (2 Timothy 4:16)
“Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2 Timothy 4:17)
There are not many people out there that enjoy being by themselves. I’m not talking about having some quiet time away from people for a short time: we all enjoy that, I suppose; but what I am referring to is living in the midst of people, but having none of them be in agreement with you when it comes to what you believe; what you stand for. The world, though filled with billions of people, can be a very lonely place.
Have you ever been the only Christian at a job; or perhaps in a school. I am not talking about someone who merely calls themselves a Christian, but someone who truly believes and lives what he believes. If you have been the only one, you know what it means to stand alone. Everyone else seems to be participating in the entertainments and morality that the world says is acceptable, but you live on a higher plane. They tell their jokes, go out to their bars for lunch, talk about the parties on the weekends, etc. Oh, they would love for you to go with them, they invite you all of the time; but you can’t or won’t. It is funny that when you talk to them individually, they never seem to oppose you or disagree with you. They may even talk about a church service that they attended once, or ask you to pray for a sick family member; but when they get together, either in your presence or not, you become the butt of all of their jokes. Have you ever been there? It isn’t fun, is it? But, remember you are not really alone. Christ is with you.
Sometimes, you may even have to stand alone in your church. I remember years ago my wife had a certain conviction that she was ostracized for by some of the other ladies in the church. How do you think she felt? Sometimes preachers have to stand alone in their fellowship with other churches, preachers, friends from college, etc. The bottom line is that there are going to be times when you are going to have choose between your peers and your Lord. It is not easy to stand alone. The easiest thing to do is to acquiesce and conform to the whims of the people around you. It is much easier to fit in than to stand out. But be assured, when you are standing for the Lord, the Lord stands with you. Remember the three young men in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. They weren’t alone, the Lord was with them, and He will be with you too.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Timothy by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Where Would Our Church Be Without the Young People
Today’s Passage – 1 Timothy. 4-6; 2 Timothy. 1, 2
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
I thank the Lord for our young people. If it were not for the young people at Jersey Shore Baptist Church, we would not be able to do a tenth of what we are able to do today. We would have to shut down our bus ministry, our Kid’s Club, all of our children’s Sunday School classes, our Saturday prayer meeting, and most of our soul winning efforts, if it were not for the young people. By young people, I am referring to teenagers, and college-age. They bring a zeal and excitement to the work of the Lord. They are willing to tackle any project, and they have the energy to make it happen. And they are very generous: they have not learned yet how to be disobedient in giving. They have a simple trust in the Lord that enables God to use them in great ways.
However, they also have some problems that tend to be associated with their age. Paul admonishes young Timothy in our passage to “be an example… in word (what you say), in conversation (behavior – what you do), in spirit (that’s excitement, passion, zeal – no problem there), in faith (that’s what you believe which will affect what you do and say), and finally purity. This last area is a problem for all of us, but it seems to be a particular area of difficulty for young people. I would like to take this time to admonish you young folks that are reading this to be very careful in the area of purity. Be careful about what you allow to be put into your mind; be careful about who you hang around. Try to surround yourselves with other young people who also want to stay pure, and are committed to doing whatever it takes to maintain their purity. Put some fences and boundaries up in your life that will help you stay inside of God’s perfect will. Paul later admonished young Timothy to “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” It is certainly tragic when young people lose their purity. They lose that sparkle of innocence that they had when they were children; and though they can certainly recover, they never seem to recover completely from their fall into impurity. Watch out! The devil wants to sift you young folks like he did Peter. Wake up! Stay pure!
I am very excited about the future of our church, and it is mostly because of what I see that God is doing in the lives of our youth. I thank God also for our servants that are no longer in their youth, which includes me by the way. I know that this ministry needs the wisdom that only can come from spiritual maturity; but we need to get behind the young people, and cheer them on. Don’t try to quench their zeal. Pray for them; they are at a critical point in their lives. They will either continue down the straight and narrow path that leads to God’s blessing and fruitfulness; or they will get sidetracked down a wider path that will cause them many sorrows.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Timothy by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Ministry – An Awesome Priveledge
Today’s Passage – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3; 1 Timothy 1 – 3
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” (1 Timothy 1:12)
So Much More Than Just Preaching
I have always been very fond of this verse. Paul knew that he had been given an awesome privilege when God called Him into the ministry; and I am very conscious of the fact that my calling is just as special and important as Paul’s. I notice also from this verse that Paul didn’t say that God called him because of his qualifications, except for the one thing that God found in him, which was faithfulness. God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called, and He will call those who are faithful.
What does it mean to be in the ministry? What does a minister do? Is it just getting up in front of people and yelling for 45 minutes on Sunday morning? My friend, it is so much more that that. Let me share with you some thoughts regarding what the ministry entails:
1 The Ministry Is About People – People have all kinds of problems and needs. A true minister of God does not see people as a means to fulfill his desires or goals; rather a minister recognizes that he is called of God to serve the people; to give the people what they need in order to have the very best of God’s blessings upon their life. A minister does not try to be God to the people, but rather tries to bring the people closer to God.
2 The Ministry is About Prayer – I must confess right now that this area is the weakest part of my ministry for the Lord; and it is number one on the list of things that I would like to improve in the new year. Actually, as of now, it is the only thing on the list. According to Acts 6, the apostles felt that their primary duties were “to give [themselves] continually unto prayer. and the ministry of the word.” That would be a pretty good starting point for preachers today. We need to pray for our people, our churches, our communities, and our country.
3 The Ministry Is About Perspiration – There is work to be done. The Bible says that the office of a Bishop is a good “work”. Many full-time servants of God are lazy. They get up late, eat too much, and go home early. It will take a lot of work to be effective as a minister. There is soulwinning, visitation, hospital visits, administrative work, counseling, cleaning, planning, building, etc. Preachers ought to be up early and on the job before the world get’s up. Satan never stops working to advance his agenda.
4 The Ministry Is About Preparation – The pastor should spend hours in the study, preparing to feed the flock that God has entrusted them with. His people deserve fresh bread from Heaven that came directly out of time spent with God in study and in prayer. Sometimes, it is easy to get lazy in preparation. We can quickly throw some “fast food” together to serve our people; but God expects more out of His ministers. Work, pray, and study so that God’s people will be fed gourmet meals from the pulpit each week.
I hope that you can see now that the ministry consists of so much more than is visible on the surface. What a privilege it is to serve such an awesome, wonderful, omnipotent, and merciful God. What has God called you to do? If you have been called to a ministry, it is because He found you to be faithful; but are you still faithfully fulfilling what God has called you to do?
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
What’s “Right” With It?
Today’s Passage – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
It seems like it is getting harder and harder in these perilous times that we are living in to promote Biblical separation. Christians, especially in America, have become very worldly. It is very difficult to spot a Christian in the crowd today as we just do not stand out like we used to. Christians today ask the questions, “what’s wrong with this or what’s wrong with that?”, but maybe we really should be asking “what’s right with this? or what’s right with that?”. The verse above reminds us that we are not supposed to be just inside the fence when it comes to abstaining from sin, but we are really supposed to be way inside, as far away from the fence as possible. We are not supposed to be anywhere near things that may even appear to be evil. It is often not a decision between right and wrong; but between good and best. Christians ought to be willing to take the higher path; go the second mile.
Now, before you start attacking me, I am well aware that we are not under any law, but are under grace. I also know that we are saved by faith in Christ alone, and not because we live a separated life. I also know that God loves carnal Christians just as much as He loves separated Christians. But, make no mistake about it, it is God’s will for us to be a people, not only separated from things that are clearly sinful, but also things that even appear to be wrong. Why do you think that is? I have given this subject a lot of thought through the years; but I believe it has to do with our purpose for living here on the earth. We are here to glorify God. We are His ambassadors. If we would be completely honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that when we partake in things that are wicked, or even close to the line, we are doing so to gratify our own fleshly desires. We are certainly not doing these things because we feel that they will help us lead more people to the Lord.
Christian, be careful. God wants to live through you. God wants to reveal Himself to the people around you through your life. Be careful about how you represent Him. The things you do; the things you say; the clothes you wear (or don’t wear); the entertainments that you partake in; your faithfulness to church services; etc. All of these things should be considered. Remember, it is not about you; it is all about the Lord, and the people the Lord wants to reach through you. I think we would all do better with this if we would all spend a little more time asking the Lord, “what’s right with it?” should I wear this? should I go here? should I participate in this? If God gives you the green light, than go ahead; but if you don’t have peace about it, refrain. Remember, the peace and blessing that God will give you will far exceed any temporary pleasure that comes from a wrong decision.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from 1 Thessalonians by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Importance of Discipleship
Today’s Passage Colossians 1 – 4
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6 & 7)
Perhaps the biggest problem in our churches today is the lack of grounded Christians in them. We have many people who will receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, but precious few who will get plugged in all the way, enough to where they mature in the faith. That is why so many today are being beguiled with enticing words (v 4); and spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit (v 7). We need to somehow get our converts to be “stablished in the faith”.
Discipleship is the key. Of course, I believe the best discipleship program is Sunday School, Sunday Morning, Sunday Night, Wednesday Night, and Soulwinning. If a young Christian was to participate in all of these services and activities, they would certainly grow in the Lord. However, I also believe that a good discipleship curriculum is also helpful. We have used a variety of discipleship material through the years, but now we use a program called “Daily in the Word” which is produced by Missionary John Honeycutt, and is published by Striving Together Publications. It is very thorough, and is designed to be done “one on one”; although, at times, we have done it in small group settings. However, I must confess that we have had a difficult time keeping people in the program. We have had many start it through the years, but few have finished it. It really depends upon the dedication to the Lord by the disciple; as well as the love and commitment of the discipler. The discipler must care a great deal about the disciple, and must be willing to sacrifice much in order to help the disciple “finish his course”.
I know that there are many people in our church that read this blog regularly, who have never completed the discipleship program. I want to make a promise to you: if you will make it a resolution in this year to make every effort on your part to learn and grow in the Lord; then I will make every effort to see to it that you get a discipleship coach that will love you, and set aside time every week to teach you the foundational principles of Christianity, and will help you in your walk with Christ. I promise you this also: if you will do it and complete the course, your life will never be the same. God will take you and your family to new heights.
Let me know if you’re interested. If you attend another church, and you are interested in discipleship, talk to your pastor. I am sure that your church would be glad to provide you with the tools that you need in order to grow in the Lord.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Mind of Christ
Today’s Passage – Philippians 1 – 4
I apologize for not posting on Friday. I was “down for the count” with a bad tooth from Thursday until last night. Praise the Lord, I am much better today.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5)
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
I just want to jot down a quick thought from the Scriptures this morning that, I hope, will be a blessing to you. Jesu is God. As God, He is equal with the Father in everything. Jesus is omniscient, meaning that there is nothing that He does not know. There is nothing that escapes His mind, unless He chooses to not remember it. But here in our text, the Bible is not referring to omniscience, but rather it is referring to Christ’s attitude. He had the mind of a servant; not the knowledge of a servant, but the humility of a servant. As God, He could have demanded that all of humanity bow the knee to Him. He also could have demanded that every creature in the universe should serve His every desire. But that is not what He did, is it?
It is funny how little, sinful man who is a servant, and has no right to boast at all, is always trying to magnify himself; trying to make himself look better in the eyes of other men. Yet Jesus, who deserves all of the glory, humbled Himself, even unto death. Why, because He loves us. If He demonstrated His love through a form of humility, ought not we do the same thing. We are so full of ourselves. God tells us here that we should have the same mind; the same humble attitude that Christ demonstrated when He came to this earth to be born of a woman; to live a selfless life of service to men; and finally to die a horrible death on the cross in order to atone for your sins and mine.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 4-6.
Ephesians 6:10-20: Pray For Me
Good morning. Are you ready to take on the world today? It’s a battle we face every day. Our war starts with the flesh. Our flesh is either too tired, or it’s too cold and wants to stay warm under the covers. Eventually your body does drag itself out of bed, takes a shower, gets dressed, and has breakfast. Now it’s ready to face the world, right?
Wrong!
Take a look at the passage in Ephesians 6 about putting on the whole armour of God. If I had a favorite punctuation mark it would the colon found at the end of verse 17. This little colon is going add explanation to putting on God’s armour. What was missing from the scenario above? Prayer. Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…”
We should always start the day with prayer. Would you go to work naked? Could you drive to the store without a car? How do you think you can face the world without prayer? You can’t, and neither can I. You need your prayer, all the saints need your prayer, and I need your prayer. Start your battle with the world today (and every day) in prayer.
Then pray for me. Pray for me what Paul requested: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19-20)
This is how we all ought to speak. Will you join me? Please pray for me this morning while you are putting on the whole armor of God.
Peace. (Ephesians 6:23)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
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Today’s Passage – Ephesians 1 – 3
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
We’re Almost There
Today’s Passage Galatians 4 – 6
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)
As a child I was very impatient. I would tire of things very easily. Sometimes my family would pack up the car and travel up to Cornwall, New York to visit my Aunt Francis. The ride was really only a little over two hours, but for me it seemed like it took forever to get there. My mom and dad would always try to encourage me by saying, “we’re almost there”. As I grew, some of that impatience stayed with me. I get bored easily. I am always looking for something new to do, and often have a difficult time simply finishing some of the projects that I have started. Paul encourages this church in Galatia to keep going also. When the church was new, they were doing great; but somewhere along the line they became influenced by those who attempted to put them back under the law again. Paul reminds them in this letter that they were no longer to live according to the traditions and ceremonies of the law; but instead were to live by faith, following the leadership of the indwelling Holy Ghost of God. He encourages them to not be weary in well doing, meaning that they were not to get tired of doing right. They were on the right path, and they needed to stay on it.
Sometimes it is not easy to live a life of faith, especially in this world that we live in. The world around us does not understand that we who belong to Christ have a Person in us and with us Who desires to guide us and teach us to walk in a way that glorifies God, and points others to Christ. This life of faith is an abundant, fruitful, and fulfilling life; but it oftentimes goes against what our flesh wants to do. I must confess there have been many times when I have yielded to the desires of my “old man” rather than choosing to “walk in the Spirit”. God has always managed to get me back on track, but I have always had the feeling of regret when I have yielded to my will instead of God’s.
So my advice to you is to keep going, we’re almost there. Don’t be weary in well doing. Don’t give up trusting the direction of your life to the will of God. Don’t be weary in loving people. Don’t be weary in shining the light of the Lord to the world around you. Don’t be weary in serving in your local church. Stay with it! Don’t quit! Keep going! Keep running the race until you have reached the finish line. We will all (Christians) be out of here soon, and I do not think that we will be weary when we get to Heaven.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
We Are Free
Today’s Passage – Galatians 1 – 3
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16
The letter to the Galatians was one of the earliest of the epistles written by the Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the God. In the very early church, there was evidently a problem with legalism. Legalism is the attempt to put people who are saved by faith back under the law. I need to explain here exactly what I mean by “under the law”. In Old Testament days the people of God (the Jews) lived according to the law of Moses which contained three different types of laws: civil law (government), which helped them live in a peaceful society; moral law, which taught them what was right and wrong morally speaking; and ceremonial law, which were the particular laws that had to do with their system of worship. These ceremonial laws legislated their holy days, their assemblies, and their feasts, etc. The Jews created a system of rules that was impossible for anybody to keep perfectly. That’s why Paul says later in this letter to the Galatians that the law was our “schoolmaster”, in that it taught us that we were sinners in need of mercy. Christ is the only man who fulfilled all of the law, meaning He never was guilty of violating any command of God in any of the three categories.
Now when God says in the New Testament that we are no longer “under the law”, and that we have been freed from the bondage of the law, He is not saying that we are free to commit moral sin; or that we are free to break the laws that government creates in order to keep the peace, unless, of course, those man-made rules disagree with God’s rules. We are, however, free from all of the ceremonial laws that the Jews lived by, and there were a whole lot of them. By the way, not being “under the law” also means that we have been freed (saved) from the penalty of not keeping the law. The people of Galatia were “bewitched” into attempting to combine the doctrine of salvation through faith alone with the keeping of the Jewish law. By doing so, they just frustrated the concept of grace. Christ fulfilled the law, and He died for us who could not keep the law. We are free! Free from the penalty of sin; free from the bondage of a myriad of rules and regulations that are impossible to live by anyway; and free to love and serve God according to the dictates of our own consciences and understanding of God.
I feel compelled to make one final comment here. The term “legalism” has often been used in reference to standards and convictions. I am not a “legalist” if I have a personal standard in my life that I believe God is pleased with. Having some Biblically based guidelines in my life to live by does not make me a legalist, unless I believe that adhering to these rules somehow saves me. I am not saved by how I live my life, but I do try to live a life that glorifies God because I am saved.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.