Excuses
Today’s Passage – Exodus 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 13 – 14; Proverbs 21; Psalms 101 – 105
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a previous post from this passage – “Expect Opposition“
Read the “0121 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.” (Exodus 4:1)
“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but Iam slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)
“And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” (Exodus 4:13)
It has always amazed me how our human nature kicks in when we are asked to do something, even when we are asked by God. There is something inside of us that immediately begins to reason that it cannot be done, or should not be done. We begin to figure out ways to get out of doing it. We don’t come right out and say that we don’t want to do it, at least not initially. We just say that it can’t be done, or shouldn’t be done, or that it will be way too difficult. Most projects get shut done by negativity before they even get off the ground.
Moses did the same thing here in Exodus 4. The first excuse that he gives is that the people will not listen. Basically he is telling God that it can’t be done. This is really nothing more than unbelief when it comes to things that God calls us to do. If it is truly of God, He will bring it to pass. All we need to do is obey Him. The results are up to Him. God does not need advisers, He needs obeyers.
The second excuse that Moses offers is really the root of the problem. I know that it is the same thing that often keeps me from fulfilling God’s will. Moses says that he is not the man for the job, that he is not able to do it. Now he is no longer doubting God’s ability or anybody else, he is merely doubting his ability to do what God asks him to do. This is not necesarily bad. We need to realize that we can’t do the work of God in our own power or ability. It can only be done through the power of God. What Moses needed to do (and what we need to do) is believe that if God asks us to do something, He will also equip us to do it. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) We truly can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us.
Finally, Moses is exasperated. He just doesn’t want to do it. He tells the Lord to send somebody else. God finally convinces him to do it, but he certainly was not a willing servant initially. If we refuse to be obedient to the calling of God He may just choose somebody else, but we will miss out on the blessing of being used of God. Know this, though, that if God asks you, you are the man (or woman) for the job. Don’t refuse Him. Stretch your faith. Allow Him to show you what you can do in His strength when you are yielded to His will.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
The Joseph Principle
Today’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0117 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “Bereaved Again,” “Passed the Test,” and “People Can Change.”
“And the famine was sore in the land.” (Genesis 43:1)
Back when I was in Bible college in Texas, our pastor would teach a principle and refer to it often when he was counseling people regarding finances and stewardship. He called it the “Joseph Principle,” which basically teaches that money needs to be saved in the plentiful years so that there will be enough to last during the lean years. In these chapters that we have been reading here in Genesis, God miraculously revealed to Joseph through the dream of Pharaoh that there would be seven very plenteous years where there would be an abundance of food produced in Egypt and the surrounding area, which included the land of Canaan where Joseph’s family lived. Unfortunately, those seven very good years would be followed by seven very bad years when the crops would fail and food would be scarce. Note – the story of Pharaoh’s dream and the plan of Joseph is found in chapter 41. The implementation of the plan and the results of the famine are in the following chapters including the portion for today.
Joseph came up with a plan that would dramatically increase the strength and prosperity of Egypt through those lean years. He advised Pharaoh to purchase as much food as he could during the plenteous years, when it was cheap, and then store it up for the lean years. When the abundance ran out in the land, people were then forced to go to Joseph and purchase food from him at a much higher price, and then when their money ran out, they were forced to turn over their land to Pharaoh in return for food. The wealth of Egypt increased while all others who were unprepared suffered tremendous losses.
The very obvious stewardship principle that we should learn from this story is that we also need to store up wealth and other resources when it is abundant so that we will have enough when the lean years come. Right now, in America, we are still experiencing incredible prosperity. God has blessed this nation abundantly. I know that we are in a period of inflation and that interest rates have increased somewhat recently, but there are still plenty of jobs out there and much income to be earned for people who are willing to work hard. As a matter of fact, in this lazy culture that we are living in, if you are willing to be diligent and work hard you will be an absolute hero at your workplace and will likely advance very quickly. There is really no excuse today for people to be struggling, unless they have health issues, etc., that are hindering them from being able to work.
But during these prosperous times, you must prepare for the lean years that will surely come our way in the future. You cannot squander all that God supplies you with today. You need to save some of it for tomorrow. My recommendation to you who are able to work and earn income for your family is to earn as much as you can today while still maintaining your family and spiritual priorities. In other words, don’t spend so much time working that you are neglecting your time with your family and your service to the Lord.
Once you have a good source of income, you need to budget your money carefully, making sure that you are giving back to the Lord. I am a believer in giving at least a tithe to the Lord’s work as well as offerings to special projects. You also need to be saving for the future and for the rainy days that surely will come. There are a lot of great Christian resources out there that can help you in the area of stewardship, but one in particular that we have used to help the folks in our church is Ramsey Solutions, a ministry headed up by Dave Ramsey that has helped many people get out of debt and prepare for their future. There are other good resources available as well.
Don’t put off preparing for the future. If you start now, you will be in a strong position when the times get hard and you may even be able to help others who are not as prepared as you are. The Joseph Principle is a great nugget of wisdom that all of us should put into practice before it is too late.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Give God the Glory
Today’s Passage – Genesis 41 – 42 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read a previous post from this passage – “In His Time“
Read the “0116 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:16)
In chapter 41 of Genesis, we hear about Pharaoh’s dreams of the corn and the kine. He knows that these dreams mean something, but he has no clue what the significance of them is. He learns that there is a man named Joseph down in the dungeon that has been known to interpret dreams for other people. Joseph is hastily summoned to appear before Pharaoh, and Pharaoh questions him about his supposed ability to explain the meaning of these of these dreams. Joseph is very quick to deflect the focus from himself to the Lord. He doesn’t take any credit for his gift but immediately gives the glory to God. In fact, five times in Joseph’s discussion with Pharaoh Joseph mentions God to Pharaoh. (vs. 16, 25, 28, and 32) Pharaoh gets the message also, because in vs. 38 and 39, he acknowledges that the interpretation of the dream can from God also:
“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:” (Genesis 41:38-39)
This heathen king was introduced to the God of the Universe all because Joseph took an opportunity to use a gift that was given to him by God and acknowledge the fact that it was God who enabled him to do it.
How many opportunities do we get each day to display our God-given abilities to the lost world around us? But, when we do a good job and we are recognized, do we give God the glory by letting everybody know that it is God who is working through us? Let’s not steal God’s glory, and let’s not waste opportunities to be witnesses for the Lord. Our sole purpose in life is to make God look good and to glorify Him in front of a lost and dying world. If we meet Pharaoh in Heaven someday, it will likely be because Joseph made God look good. How many people do we point to God?
By the way, the opposite of this story is also true. When we do wrong things in front of the lost people around us, we are making God look bad. What an awesome responsibility and privilege we have to represent the Lord in this world. Let’s be sure to give Him the glory when we get things right and take the blame when we do things wrong. Let’s make God look good to the world around us.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
The Earth Was Divided
Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read the 0104 Evening and Morning devotion for today by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Finding, Obeying, and Staying in the Place of God’s Will;” “Don’t Move Unless God Moves You;“ “The Beginning of Globalism; ” and “The Land Belongs to Israel.”
“16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: 17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: 19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.” (Genesis 11:16-19)
If you were paying attention to the lifespans of the descendants of Noah’s son Shem given in chapter eleven, you noticed that they dropped dramatically in the generation of Peleg. In the four generations preceding Peleg, the average lifespan was 491.5 years. In the four generations after Peleg, the average lifespan dropped rather dramatically to 205.5. What happened? Though I cannot prove it, I think the answer may be found back in chapter ten where God give the genealogical information of the descendants of Shem:
“And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.” (Genesis 10:25)
The Bible says something similar while giving the genealogical information for Japheth:
“By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” (Genesis 10:5)
What does it mean that the earth was divided? There are two theories. The first is that the continents shifted during this time. According to this theory there was at one time a large super continent, called Pangea, which was broken up and drifted apart in what has been referred to as “continental drift,” but later was called “plate tectonics,” which involves a very gradual shifting and separation of the continents. Though I am not a scientist, it seems to me that a dramatic division within one generation as seems to be indicated here in Genesis does not fit within the description of a gradual drift. If something like this were to have happened in one generation, it would have had to have been caused by some sort of cataclysmic event, which is not revealed here. The only biblical event that would have made sense to have caused a rapid division of land masses was the flood, but that occurred three centuries prior to Peleg’s day.
The second theory, which I believe to be the correct one, is that God scattered the nations during the time of Peleg. This was after Nimrod who was a descendent of Noah’s son Ham built the Tower of Babel (see Genesis 10: 8 – 10 & 11:1 – 9). This theory makes the most sense when considered with Genesis 10:5 where the Bible specifically connects the division with the word, “tongue.” For some reason when God scattered the people throughout the earth and confounded their languages, their life expectancies suddenly and dramatically decreased.
An even more interesting fact about this passage is that Noah was still alive and was 940 years old when Peleg dies. He would live an additional ten years after Peleg’s death.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Seen as Righteous
Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalms 11 – 15
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?;“ “A Token;“ “Too Old To Do Something for the Lord?;” “The Law of First Mention Regarding Wine;“ and “The Dove Flew Away.”
“1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1)
Noah lived in a time when people were extremely wicked, so much so that God stated that he was grieved that he created man in the first place. Consider these verses from the previous chapter:
“5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. … 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:5-6, 11-13)
Noah was not a perfect man and neither were his wife and sons, but God saw Noah as righteous. Chapter six stated: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8). Why was Noah, an imperfect man, seen as righteous when others were not? Was it because Noah was less imperfect than they were? No, it was because Noah had faith in God. God said something similar about Abraham:
“6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
Noah had faith before God commanded him to build the ark and his obedience to God’s command was evidence of the faith that he already possessed. The New Testament sheds some light on this fact:
“7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)
The New Testament also tells us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, meaning that he tried to get others to have faith in God:
“5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” (2 Peter 2:5)
It is very comforting to know that those who have faith in God, and more specifically, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, are also seen by God as completely righteous or sinless. Consider the following verses:
“21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” (Romans 3:21-22)
“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
“18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
Now let me caution all of us. Just because God sees us positionally as sinless and completely righteous does not mean that we are to give up on trying to live a life for the Lord that represents the righteousness that God has given us. The faith that we have should be driving us toward a practical righteousness. We will never be sinless while living in these fleshly bodies, but hopefully as we grow in grace and get closer to the Lord, we should be sinning less.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Respect
Today’s Passage – Genesis 4 – 6 (Click on the reference to listen to the audio. Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Proverbs 2; Psalms 6 – 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0102 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Walking with God,” “Sin Lieth at the Door,” “Shining Brightly in a Dark World,” and “Grieving God.”
“1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4:1-5)
The story of Cain and Abel is very sad indeed. Unfortunately, the friction between these first brothers that led to the tragic murder of Abel is something that is all too common still today. Many families are torn apart by petty jealousies and squabbles over things that matter very little. Even among Christians sibling rivalries abound and it just should not be. Christ has forgiven us every offense that we have committed against Him and yet we find it so difficult to forgive others, even within our own families.
When we examine the difficulty between Cain and Abel, we can easily see that the root problem was not necessarily a problem within their relationship with each other, it was a problem with Cain’s relationship with God. This reminds me of an important point: usually relationship difficulties are two-sided, but it can be that one person is completely innocent of any wrong doing. This seems to be the case with Cain and Abel. There is nothing recorded here about Abel doing anything amiss toward his brother. Cain’s problem was with God, and it overflowed into his relationship with his brother.
Notice here that God had “respect” unto Abel and to Abel’s offering, but did not have respect unto Cain and his offering. It was not just the offering that was the problem; it was the one doing the offering that God also had an issue with. The word, “respect,” is an interesting word. It means to regard with favor, or to behold. In the following verse, the phrase “had not respect” means that God turned His gaze away from Cain and Cain’s offering. Many have stated that God had respect unto Abel’s offering because it was a blood sacrifice, which pictured the shed blood of Christ. That may be true but it does not fully explain why God had respect unto Abel as a person and not Cain. However, when we examine the New Testament we learn that Abel’s sacrifice reflected his faith in God, and resulted in his receiving God’s righteousness:
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” (Hebrews 11:4)
The New Testament also reveals more about Cain:
“Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:12)
“Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” (Jude 1:11)
The passage in 1 John 3 tells us that Cain’s works were evil and that he was “of that wicked one,” clearly indicating that he was not saved. The passage in Jude speaks of the ungodly men who had crept into the church, denying the Lord and turning His grace into lasciviousness. Jude tells us that these ungodly men had gone in the way of Cain. Cain’s offering was a reflection of his lack of faith in God and His provision of salvation. Cain rejected God’s way and was determined to work his way through his own merit into God’s favor. Cain’s murder of his brother further revealed that Cain was completed controlled by the flesh and was not living by faith.
God can only have “respect” unto those who are living by faith. Saved people have, by faith, received the blood sacrifice that the Lord paid on their behalf when He died for their sins on the Cross of Calvary. They are no longer trying to justify themselves with God. Christians are not only saved by God’s grace through faith but they also should live by faith. The Bible repeats often that “the just shall live by faith.” If we have been saved by faith, we should also live by faith, meaning that we no longer do things our way but rather we yield our lives to the will of God. In this new year, let us yield our lives to what God wants.
One more thought: if God respects faith, then we should also respect acts of faith and people of faith. Unfortunately, many believers today are “gazing upon” or “looking upon with favor” many things that are not consistent with our faith in God.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Compassion Makes a Difference
Today’s Passage – Jude – Revelation 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 – Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “1226 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock“
“And of some have compassion, making a difference:” (Jude 1:22)
The Epistle General of Jude is a very interesting letter. Throughout almost the entire letter God is calling for us to stand up and fight against those who are promoting doctrinal error as well as those that are encouraging immoral lifestyles. These are not the ones who are merely walking in the counsel of the ungodly, they have gone all of the way to sitting in the seat of the scornful. They are not just allowing sin, they are spreading it. The letter demands that we draw a line in the sand and that we hold that line, defending it with all of the passion that we can muster. However, at the very end of the letter, Jude says something very interesting:
“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23)
While we are earnestly contending for the faith, we are also to be looking for people who we can show compassion to. The phrase, “making a difference” (διακρινομένοι from διακρίνω – diakrinō), has the idea of differentiating or distinguishing them from the people who are the troublemakers. These may be people who have fallen prey to those who are promoting error. These could be people whose lives have been absolutely torn asunder because they have believed the lies of the ungodly. These are people whose lives may have been destroyed but whose hearts have been softened enough to be salvaged for the glory of God.
There are a lot of people out there in the world today who desperately need to experience the compassion of God. They certainly may not look or act like the people in our churches, but God sees something in them that He loves, and He sees hope. We don’t know who they are, either, so we had better be prepared to be compassionate with a lot of people until we find the one upon whom it will make a difference.
Compassion will make a difference. Don’t give up loving people for the Lord Jesus. People don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care.
How can we demonstrate the compassion of God to those around us?
1 Share Christ with Them – Though the context of this passage would certainly include people who are saved but have strayed from the faith, I think it would be safe to assume that many of the people that God wants to make a difference in are still lost in their sins. We need to compassionately convince these people of the love that Jesus has for them.
2 Spend Time with Them – We certainly need to maintain separation from people with ungodly lifestyles, but how are we supposed to reach these folks without interacting with them. We can be separated without being isolated. I do not have to participate in or condone the sins of those we are called to reach, but I can still come int their world. Verse 23 states that we have to pluck some of them out of the fire, and we cannot do that without getting close to the fire. Jesus said that we were to be in the world, but not of the world.
3 Supply Needs for Them – People whose lives have been torn apart by sin are often brought to their knees through very drastic circumstances, and many times they will need the support of God’s people in order for the love and compassion of Christ to penetrate them. Hungry people need food as well as the gospel. Homeless people need shelter and clothing as well as Bible principle. We might argue that the gospel and Bible principle are more important than the physical needs of the body, but these people will likely never give us their ears to hear, unless some of the distractions of the physical need are removed.
Jesus went about showing compassion on hurting people. He fed them, healed them, comforted them, and forgave them. We who are saved need to be ambassadors of God’s compassion today.
A man is walking along the shoreline of an ocean when he comes up on a little boy standing in the midst of thousands of starfish that had washed up along the shore. The man watches the little boy as he picks up a starfish and one by one throws them back in the sea. The man watches for several minutes then walks up to the boy and asks, “What are you doing?” The little boy answers, “I’m saving these starfish so they won’t die.” The man says to the boy…”There are too many too save, it wont make any difference.” The little boy reached down and picked up another starfish and said, “it will make a difference to this one” as he threw it into the ocean.
Posted in Thoughts from Jude by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Paul – A Peacemaker, Problem Solver, and Picture of Christ
Today’s Passage – Philemon – Hebrews 4 (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 – Proverbs 27:15
Read the “1218 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:” (Philemon 1:8-10)
Paul’s Letter to Philemon is one of the epistles that Paul wrote while he was imprisoned at Rome. Philemon was a member of the church at Colosse, which was located in Asia Minor in an area known as Phrygia. It is not too far away from Ephesus where Paul had labored for 3 years as a missionary. It is even nearer (about 13 miles) to the City of Laodicea, which is mentioned in the Book of Revelation. At one time Colosse was an important city with a large population. It was located in an area that connected the markets of the far east with the markets of Europe. It was known for a particular kind of purple wool called colossinus that was in demand around the world. As time went on, however, Laodicea became the prominent city and Colosse eventually faded off the scene. Only ruins are left today of both cities. It is probable that both cities were eventually destroyed by a series of earthquakes.
At the time of this writing, Paul had never personally visited this church or the city, but had apparently become acquainted with Philemon somewhere else, and was influential in leading him to Christ. Philemon had apparently opened up his home as a meeting place for the church at Colosse. He was very likely the husband of Apphia and the father of Archippus. Although Philemon was saved, he apparently had been a slaveholder, which was unfortunately an accepted part of the Asian culture in that day. Interestingly, neither Paul nor Peter condemns slavery in their writings, though they were obviously opposed to it, and did not participate in it. Instead they chose to teach principles to both the servants and the masters regarding how they should treat each other:
“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” (Ephesians 6:5-9; see also Colossians 3:22 – 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1 – 2; Titus 2:9 -10; 1 Peter 2:18 – 19)
This Letter to Philemon was delivered by Onesimus, along with the Letter to the Colossians. However, the Epistle to Philemon is very different from the Letter to the Colossians. Colossians is written to a church and is both doctrinal as well as practical. Philemon, on the other hand, is very personal; written primarily to encourage reconciliation between Onesimus, who was a runaway servant from Colosse that was gloriously saved in Rome, and Philemon.
Notice that the heart of this letter is about reconciliation and Paul is very bold to interfere in the matter to help bring it about. Paul does not pull any punches either. He makes it crystal clear what each party should do.
In this little letter we see four steps that Paul took to be a peacemaker and a problem solver in bringing about reconciliation between Philemon and Onesimus. In these four things we will also recognize that Paul is a picture or type of Christ. He is truly acting on behalf of the Lord Jesus as His ambassador.
I. He prayed for him and praised him (Philemon 4 – 7)
Paul prayed for Philemon. He also prayed for Onesimus. Jesus prayed for us also:
“But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:32)
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.” (John 17:9)
Notice also that even though Paul is writing to Philemon to correct him about something, he also was careful to praise him for what he was doing right.
Parents can learn a lesson from this. Teachers can learn a lesson from this. Employers can learn a lesson from this. A little bit of genuine praise will go a long way. Paul also expressed confidence that Philemon would do what was right. Notice v. 6:
“That the communication of thy faith may become effectual (ἐνεργής – energēs – meaning active or powerful) by the acknowledging of every good thing that is within you in Christ Jesus.”
Paul was telling Philemon that he had the opportunity to put his faith into practice, that his faith would become a powerful testimony for Christ if he did the right thing here.
II. He gave him a choice to do right (Philemon 8 & 9)
Paul had the power to force his will, but he gave Philemon a chance to choose to do the right thing. Jesus does the same thing. He could sovereignly force His will upon us, but He allows us to choose to do right.
III. He interceded on behalf of Onesimus. He was willing to give him a second chance. (Philemon 10 – 16)
Paul sticks his neck out here and begins to beg (beseech) Philemon to forget about the wrong that was done in the past, and, for the cause of Christ, release him from his debt. Jesus does the same thing for us. We are guilty sinners deserving of punishment, and the accuser is always there to point out what we have done wrong; but Jesus is always there to intercede on our behalf.
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
IV. He was willing to pay Onesimus’ debt himself. (Philemon 17 – 21)
Christ paid our debt of sin.
Conclusion
When Paul found out that his new convert Onesimus had a problem with Philemon, another friend of his, he did not avoid the problem; he tackled it head on. He didn’t allow Onesimus to run from the problem, either. He sent him back to Philemon to face him, but with a letter from Paul that would hopefully encourage Philemon to make the right decision.
Paul’s intercession on behalf of Onesimus enabled him to get right with his boss, and also provided Philemon with an opportunity to demonstrate Christ to the people who were watching. The result of this was that God was glorified, the devil suffered a defeat, and the cause of Christ – the Gospel – was advanced.
Three lessons we can take away from this:
- Be a peacemaker and a problem solver. When we have an opportunity to help bring about reconciliation between people, we ought to do it.
- Don’t run away from your problems – face them head on.
- When someone who has wronged you comes to you to get things right – let him. In fact, don’t wait for them to come to you – take the initiative to get things right with them.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
In this little Letter to Philemon we see that Paul truly was a peacemaker, a problem solver, and a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Perilous Times
Today’s Passage – 2 Timothy 3 – Titus 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 – Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read a previous post from this passage – “Sometimes You Have To Stand Alone“
Read the “1217 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” – (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” – (Matthew 24:6-8)
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” – (2 Timothy 3:13)
Consider what our world has endured since the new millennium began: the terrorist attack on 9/11; several cataclysmic earthquakes; tsunamis that have wiped out hundreds of thousands of people; out of control wildfires caused by record drought conditions; economic disasters bringing record unemployment; the Middle East in complete turmoil; several hurricanes and cyclones, and even a new classification of storm called a “super storm”; the senseless slaughter of children and adults in mass shootings; politically motivated riots culminating in portions of major cities being completely overrun; a global pandemic; and just recently, the torture and slaughter of 1,200 Israelis by a murderous terrorist group. I do not think that I am overstating the condition of our world when I say that we are living in perilous times.
These man-made and natural disasters have all been prophesied long ago by God in the Bible, so we should not be too surprised by what is taking place, though we are certainly grieved and impacted by these things. But we were warned, and we should have been prepared. We have also been given the principles that we need in order to live for the Lord in these perilous days while continuing to reach people with the gospel.
The upside of all of this is that some people are thinking about God. Unfortunately, many are blaming God even for the man-made tragedies, but at least they are thinking. While some people are hiding away from church today, there are others – new people – who are showing up. Some are confused and frightened and I don’t blame them, because no matter how much we know from the Bible about the time that we are living in, there are still a lot of details that are left out. We do know, however, that God knows and that none of these events has taken Him by surprise, and they are all somehow part of His plan that will ultimately bring about the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which will be preceded by the rapture of the Church when all believers will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
But this time that we are living in now is scary, and even though God’s people are not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), we will still likely experience some troubling days before the Lord comes back for us. The Bible gives the illustration of birth pains, which (I’m told) are very painful, but also temporary; and these perilous days, though extremely trying, are also temporary and will eventually yield to a time of greater peace, prosperity, and security. No pain, no gain.
We have established that the times are certainly perilous, and will only get worse; but what can we do? Just keep going. Keep going to church; keep going to the prayer closet; keep going soulwinning; keep loving people; keep standing for the Lord:
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Timothy by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Most Miserable
Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 15 – 16 (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 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 25
Read the “1204 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “A Family Addicted to the Ministry“
“For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19)
When I was working for my dad’s candy company, I would occasionally run into miserable people who seemed to take pleasure in ruining the day of everybody they came in contact with. There was one person in particular that I especially dreaded having to deal with. She worked for a supermarket that I delivered to in Philadelphia and her job was to check the order that I was bringing into the store to make sure the invoice was correct. Her job title was “security receiver”. She hated her job, she hated life, and she particularly hated the vendors, like me, who were delivering products to her store. She would sometimes make us wait outside in the rain or snow for long periods of time until she finished doing some “important” other task, like sweeping the floor, or filing away some paperwork. The worst day of my week was the day that I had to deliver to this store.
One day, however, I noticed something on her car, which was always parked right outside the back door of the store. There was an “OBX” sticker on her back bumper. “OBX” represents the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. I didn’t think this lady enjoyed anything about life, but apparently she enjoyed spending time in North Carolina. One day I decided to take a chance and talk to her about the bumper sticker. Her countenance changed immediately, and I think she even smiled. She began to tell me all about her past trips, and how she was looking forward to an upcoming vacation. Her attitude changed as she began to think and talk about something she enjoyed, and, more importantly, something she looked forward to. She transformed (at least temporarily) from a miserable person to a happy one.
In our text above the Apostle Paul states that people who do not believe that Christ is risen and who also won’t acknowledge a resurrection of all believers, are miserable people. Why? Because they have no hope, nothing to look forward to after this life. Paul says that if all we have is this life then we will be a most miserable people. Later on, in verse 58, Paul states that because of the hope that we have, we can be steadfast, unmoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? because we know that all of our labor down here will pay off with a wonderful reward in eternity.
The lady at the supermarket got happy temporarily thinking about a vacation. How much more should God’s people get happy thinking about the fact that because Christ is risen, we know He has the power to raise us up as well, and pull us out of this earth, which can oftentimes be a miserable place, and take us to a place that is anything but miserable, a place of exceeding, eternal joy.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Corinthians by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.