Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Sep 27th A Stronghold in Times of Trouble

Today’s Passage – Nahum 1 – 3 (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 – Revelation 10 – 12; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read the “0927 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading in Nahum – “What Are You Thinking?” and “Whose Side Are You On?“

“The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. … The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” (Nahum 1:3, 7)

Some facts about Nahum:

This book is the prophecy of the judgment of God upon Nineveh, which was fulfilled in 612 BC. You will remember that Jonah had previously been called upon to preach to the people of Nineveh. His message, though very short, was basically the same thing that Nahum preached in much greater detail:

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” – (Jonah 3:4)

Jonah didn’t cry out to the people of Nineveh to repent, he just told them that judgment was on its way. However, the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah; but apparently, they did not repent at the preaching of Nahum, though Nahum’s actual message regarding the judgment of Nineveh was much longer. Though the pronouncement of judgment was against Ninevah, the actual message was given to Judah.

We do not know a great deal about Nahum, whose name means “comfort” or “compassion”, except that he was an Elkoshite. We really are not sure where Elkosh is located. Some have stated that there was a town called Elkosh (Al Qosh) in Assyria, just to the north of Nineveh, which could mean that Nahum was one of the exiles from the northern kingdom. Others have claimed that Elkosh was located in what was left of the northern kingdom of Israel, near Capernaum, though by this time, Israel was no more. Most are convinced that whether or not Nahum was originally from the Elkosh of Galilee in the northern kingdom, he lived in Judah during the time of his prophecy. Some even claim that there was also a village called Elkosh in the southern kingdom.

The time of the writing is a little easier to figure out. Nahum refers in the past tense to the destruction and captivity of the city of No (Hebrew – No Amon, Egyptian name – Thebes), which the historians tell us took place in 663 BC. The actual fall of Nineveh is recorded to have taken place in 612 BC; so, it is safe to assume that Nahum wrote in-between these two events (663 – 612 BC), during the reigns of wicked kings Manasseh and Amon, and good King Josiah. More than likely, it was written earlier in that period when Assyria was still strong and Judah was very weak. During King Josiah’s reign Assyria was weakening and Judah was strong (at least spiritually) If the earlier date is right, Nahum may have personally witnessed the fall of Samaria and Sennacherib’s attempted siege on Jerusalem, which would make him contemporary with Isaiah and Micah. If Nahum lived closer to the time of Josiah he would have been contemporary with the prophets Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.

Nineveh had repented at the preaching Jonah, but had quickly reverted back to their cruelty toward the people of God, along with the committing of immorality and idolatry.  The religious idolatry in Nineveh and Assyria had negatively influenced both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom.

Nineveh was a very proud nation that was about to be brought low by God. The downfall of Assyria would bring great comfort to the people of Judah as Assyria had been harassing them for quite some time. Judah never felt safe as long as the threat of Assyria was looming over them. Some would wish that this Book of judgment was not part of the Canon because it seems to go against the message of love, but this Book paints a wonderful picture of God’s final removal of evil in a sin-cursed world. The city of Ninevah was destroyed by King Nabopolassar and his son, Nubuchadnezzar, of Babylon in 612 BC. Nineveh was thought to be impenetrable with walls 100 feet high, and a surrounding moat that was 150 feet wide and 60 feet deep.

Thoughts from the Passage:

Notice two very important facts about our God from Nahum 1:3 & 7:

1. God is very patient with people. This applies to both the Lost world as well as those that belong to Him. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). God was patient with Nineveh. He sent Jonah to warn them and He postponed the destruction of the city because they heeded Jonah’s warning. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), and He certainly does not want to punish His own children; but He will correct us for His glory and our good.
2. The Lord is good. Whenever things get crazy in your world, just remind yourself of that fact. Whenever your feelings tell you that God does not care about your situation, remember that He is always good, and He knows those who trust in Him. Not only does He know you, He loves you and cares deeply for you.

We are living in a time where craziness and chaos is increasing, and it appears as if the Lord is pulling back His hand of protection and provision from our nation. But if you belong to Him: if you are His child through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have absolutely nothing to fear. He knows you, and He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Stuff may get worse in our world, but the Christian can be comforted in knowing that God will shield him (Proverbs 30:5, Psalm 84:11) from the brunt of what the world is facing. Why? Because He is a stronghold in the day of trouble.

Aug 30th Rock Bottom

Today’s Passage – Lamentations 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 – 1 Corinthians 9 – 12; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 30)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read the “0830 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Who’s Laughing Now?”

“They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.” – (Lamentations 4:5)

“The hands of the pitiful women have sodden {means – boiled} their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.” – (Lamentations 4:10)

“20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? 21 Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old. 22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.” (Lamentations 5:20-22)

My dad once told me that people need to hit “rock bottom” before they can start climbing back up. Such was the case for the nation of Judah (Israel) in the passage that we read today. The Book of Lamentations is a very sad passage of Scripture. In these last two chapters of the book we see the end result of a nation that turns its back on the Lord. Israel was once the crowned jewel of all of the earth. At one point in their history they had experienced the marvelous blessing of God, with all of the provision and protection that came along with it. What happened? Slowly, they began to think that their prosperity was not a result of the favor that God had bestowed upon them. Instead, in their pride, they believed that all of the good things that had come their way were the result of their own works and wisdom. God was gradually pushed out of their minds and as God was slowly losing His preeminence in their eyes, sin began to move in. At first it was very small and subtle, but eventually the nation became engulfed in full-scale immorality and idolatry.

Surprisingly, God did not bring about judgment immediately. He lovingly and patiently pleaded with the people, warning them about the eventual consequences of their actions. At some points in their history, the people even heeded the warnings, and turned back to the Lord, at least temporarily, and managed to postpone the judgment. Eventually, however, God’s patience ran out and the judgment that they long deserved came. These chapters in Lamentation portray a vivid picture of the payment that will eventually come upon any people that turn their back on God. What a shame!

I wonder how long it will be before God’s patience runs out on America. We have certainly been turning our back on the Lord for the past several decades. We’ve removed God from our schools and government. We murder innocent babies by the millions. We have thrown the towel in on decency and morality. We have become consumed with material things, and have forsaken the things that really matter. God cannot be pleased with this once godly nation. In recent years we have seen a number of natural and un-natural disasters that have hit our nation and our world. Were these events just natural occurrences or isolated coincidences, or is God trying to get our attention? I can’t answer that question definitively, but I do know that God allowed all of these events and may have even caused the natural ones, and He could have prevented them. I think that it is very likely that we will see more of the same in the future. I don’t think our economy will get much better, either. Things are getting rough out there. The prosperity and protection that we experienced for years is vanishing away. The only hope that we have is in turning back to God.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Sometimes when we think about passages like these we think only of the lost world around us. In our mind we blame the situation that our country is in on the unbelievers out there, but according to the verse above, both the blame and the solution rest in the hands of God’s people. If “my people” didn’t get away from God in the first place then we wouldn’t have to get back to God today. Our churches and our families are gradually, slowly, subtly, and almost unconsciously moving away from the Lord. We need to repent, and revive, and radically move back to where we once were. How about you? Are you as close to the Lord now as you used to be at some point in your past? Do you allow things into your life and home now that you once wouldn’t even think of? How is your devotional life: your Bible reading and prayer time. Have you quietly slipped away in your personal relationship with God? These are hard questions, but we must give them some serious thought. Our flesh will rebel against the effort. It never wants to admit failure, but we must carefully and prayerfully take inventory of our spiritual lives. I want the blessings of God on my life, my ministry, my family, my church, and my nation. I’d be willing to bet that you do too. God hasn’t moved – we have. We need get back to where He is.

Aug 23rd Call Unto Me

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 33 – 36 (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 – Acts 25 – 28; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

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

Read the “0823 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Bible Burning,” and “The Rechabites“

“1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:1-3)

“11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Jeremiah 33:3 contains a wonderful promise given by God to Jeremiah regarding prayer during the time that he was prophesying a very unpopular message to the people of Judah.

Five Prayer Principles

• You Must Pray

“…ye have not, because ye ask not.” – (James 4:2)

“23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:23-24)

“7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

• You Must Believe That God Can Answer Prayer

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” – (Matthew 21:22)

Believing does not mean that God necessarily will do what you’re asking, but that He has the power to do what you are asking. 

• You Must Pray According to God’s Will

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” – (1 John 5:14)

• Your prayers should be Kingdom-centered or others-centered

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” – (James 4:3)

• Sin must be confessed and forsaken

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” – (Psalm 66:18)

In David’s great Psalm of confession, it states:

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. … Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. … Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” – (Psalm 51:7, 9-10, 13)

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)

Of course, the greatest prayer, and one that will assuredly be answered is the prayer for salvation:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Aug 9th The True God or a god of Your Own Creation?

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 44 – 47 (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 – John 11 – 12; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17

Read the “0809 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this reading passage – “Custom Design“ and “He’s the One and Only”

I noticed two recurring themes in the reading today. God states several times through the prophet Isaiah, that He is the only God, there is none beside Him. In fact, I thought it funny when He said “I know not any” (Isaiah 44:8). Consider again these verses from today’s reading:

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. … Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6, 8)

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. … For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. … Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 21-22)

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,” (Isaiah 46:9)

The other thought that is repeated throughout the passage today is that men are determined to keep making idols, little statues of metal and wood, and they pray to them and worship them, but these hunks of junk can’t do anything for them. Again, let’s look at the verses from today’s passage that demonstrate this:

“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?” (Isaiah 44:9-10 – also vs. 12 – 20)

In Isaiah 44:12 – 20, God speaks about the folly of a man who plants a tree, then cuts it down to warm his home and bake his bread, and then takes the residue of it to fashion it into a god, an idol.

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.” (Isaiah 45:20)

“They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.” (Isaiah 46:6-7)

Israel had the real God, the only God, yet they continuously chose to forsake Him and create gods of their own, little hunks of wood and metal. Now to be sure, there was real spiritual power behind all of these idols. Satan and his devils were the powers behind these false gods. However, when a man was bowing down and worshipping an idol, the devil was not physically present receiving the worship. He is not omnipresent as our God is. We sometimes make the mistake of assigning Satan and his demons the same attributes that rightly belong to God. Satan is powerful, certainly more powerful than a man, but he is minuscule compared to an omnipotent God. Most of the time, these idol worshippers of old were just speaking into the air, and the only One that really heard them as they were praising and praying to their idols was the true God whom they had forsaken, and He was not at all pleased that they had rejected Him and replaced Him with a hunk of wood.

Israel kept forsaking the Great God, the all powerful God, and replacing Him with these idols. Crazy! But don’t we do the same thing today? Oh, to be sure there are probably not many of us that have little statues around our homes that we bow before and worship, but we sure have a lot of idols. We replace God with all kinds of things that we worship: our money, toys, hobbies, careers, and even sometimes, our families – these are all good things given by God sometimes but they can eventually become more important to us than the God who gave them. We also sometimes dabble in sinful pleasures like immoral sexual activity, alcohol, drugs, etc. Like the idols of old, we thought we could manipulate and control them for our pleasure but eventually they enslave us and ruin our lives. When are we going to learn?

Let’s keep God – the Lord Jesus Christ – at the very center of our worship; not just on Sundays, but every day and in every aspect of our lives. Worshipping Him means that our lives are centered in Him. He is in control of everything we do. Let’s stop chasing the vanity of the idols of this world and pursue after God.