It Is All According to God’s Plan
Today’s Reading – Ezra 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Romans 9 – 12; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “0527 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this morning’s passage – “A Fresh Start“
“(1) Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,” (Ezra 1:1)
You may have noticed that Ezra 1:1 & 2 are almost identical to 2 Chronicles 36:22 & 23. Chronicles discusses the history of Israel prior to the captivity, and Ezra continues that history after the Babylonian captivity. We are picking up in Ezra where we left off in 2 Chronicles, but keep in mind that the entire time of the Babylonian captivity is nestled in-between 2 Chronicles and Ezra.
My thought for this morning regards the statement made in Ezra 1:1 – “that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled.” Jeremiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah prior to and into the beginning years of the Babylonian captivity. He was long gone, however, when Cyrus was the king of Persia and issued the decree to send the Jewish captives back to Jerusalem and to begin work on the Temple.
Jeremiah prophesied that Babylon would be punished and the seventy year captivity would come to an end and the people of God would be permitted to go back to their land:
“(12) And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:12)
“(10) For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (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 29:10-14)
Isaiah the prophet who also lived prior to the Babylonian captivity and approximately 120 years prior to the time of Cyrus, actually mentions him by name:
“(1) Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;” (Isaiah 45:1)
The point is that God is in full control of the events in our world, and He sometimes lets us know what is going to happen ahead of time. There are no surprises with God. There is nothing that happens that God did not allow as part of His overall sovereign plan.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Obededom – A Doorkeeper for the Lord
Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – John 13 – 14; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “0511 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this passage – “God’s Will – God’s Way”
“So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.” – (1 Chronicles 13:13-14)
“And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.” – (1 Chronicles 15:24)
“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” – (Psalm 84:10)
My thought this morning comes from chapters 13 and 15 from 1 Chronicles. If you have read those chapter you may have noticed the name Obededom, who was a Levite that housed the ark of the Lord for three months. The background to the story is complicated, but basically what had happened was that the ark of God had been taken in previous years by the Philistines in a battle they fought with Israel. The Philistines received the judgment of God because of it, so they returned it to Israel. For years the ark remained in Kirjath-jearim, but when David became king he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem. His first attempt to bring the ark back resulted in tragedy. David put the ark on a cart, which was not according to the commandment of God, as the ark was to be transported solely by the Levites, and was to be carried with staves (poles) on their shoulders. On this first attempt trip to bring the ark back on the cart, one of the drivers touched the ark in order to steady it, and the man (Uzza) was immediately struck down by God. Nobody was to touch the ark of God. This is where Obededom comes in. Apparently his home was nearby, and since he was a Levite David brought the ark to his house for storage until he could figure out what went wrong. The ark stayed with Obededom for several months, and God blessed the house of Obededom. When the ark was later moved the right way to Jerusalem, Obededom went with it and became a doorkeeper in the house of God.
Odededom was a faithful servant of the Lord who was willing to do whatever was necessary in order to serve his Lord. His job as a doorkeeper was certainly not a high visibility position. He wasn’t asked to speak to large crowds of people, and he was not in the spotlight; yet, he faithfully served his Lord. We need more men like Obededom; more doorkeepers. We need men and women who will be willing to serve the Lord, and be content with not receiving the accolades of men, but knowing also that their labor was not in vain as far as God was concerned. I appreciate the men and women at our church that do the things that people tend not to notice, but are very important and necessary for the cause of Christ to move forward.
Note – for more information on the ark of the covenant see Exodus 25 and Numbers 3. For more information on the taking of the ark by the Philistines see 1 Samuel 4 and 5.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Driving Out the Inhabitants … by Dawn E. Foster
Today’s Passage – Joshua 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Titus 1 – 3; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0317 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post on this passage – “Get to Work“
Borders are set to define an area. To keep things in, and to keep things out. They define a starting and ending point. Borders define countries, our yards, our way of life. These boundaries not only define physical space, but also sin.
God commanded the people to drive out the inhabitance of the lot that was given to them for their inheritance. Drive out meaning completely ridding them out of their borders. Yet in Joshua 17:12 we see that “the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities;”. In the next verse, verse 13 we read that they “did not utterly drive them out.” All the bells and whistles in our heads are going off at this point. Get them out! Hello!!!!! This is going to be a huge problem! God said get them out plain and simple so do it!
It is funny how we can easily identify this, yet in our own lives we let sin fester. Just like the children of Manasseh let the inhabitants stay in the land, we do the same with sin. It’s ok if I do (fill in the blank) because it’s a gray area. We make a justification. Well…. the Bible doesn’t clearly define if it’s right or wrong. It’s ok if I drink because the Bible says don’t get drunk… so as long as I don’t lose my mind I’m fine to do it. It’s ok if…. little by little we slowly make another justification… we let one sin stay, then another. We let the sliver stay in our finger because we don’t want to deal with the immediate pain that would be caused if we would just pull it out. So, it festers… and gets infected. Suddenly the one “it’s ok if I do” thing because a major separation from the Lord. We become consumed with living with the sin because maybe it’s easier. Maybe because everyone is doing it. We keep it because the world does it so it can’t be so bad… right? Wrong.
Sin will dim our eyes so we will not notice that we are not seeing clearly. We will not understand why we start to struggle. We won’t see that our walk with the Lord is drifting farther and farther off the straight and narrow. We become part of the world because everyone is doing it.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15 – 17)
Until we drive out the inhabitants we cannot be right with God. We won’t see how dark it is in our lives until we turn the lights on. God gives another warning in Numbers 33:55: “But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”
Child of God, if you are justifying sin get on your knees. Cry out to the Lord. Get in your Bible. Talk to your Pastor or Pastor’s wife. Get right, and drive out those inhabitances in your life.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
A Simple Faith? … by Caitlin Tarr
Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read the “0312 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Where are the Strong and Courageous Men?”
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:5-9)
Moses is dead and God has chosen Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Joshua has big shoes to fill after Moses. He had to wonder if he was a worthy successor to Moses. God laid it out the way in Joshua 1:1-9. Simple right? It would be if faith was simple. But faith isn’t simple. It takes strength and courage. The same strength and courage that God promised Joshua. The strength and courage needed to lead the people into the promise land that is offered to us if we show the simple faith needed to obey God’s commandments no matter how hard the challenge before us is.
There are going to be times in our life when the challenges set before us seem too great for us to overcome. Times when our faith fails us because faith isn’t simple. Times when we need to remember that the promises that God gave Joshua are there for us. One of those promises is at Joshua 1:5, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” With God on our side, despite the challenges, no enemy will be able to stand against us, no challenge is too great … if we have a simple faith.
Joshua 1:9 carries a challenge and a promise, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” It’s just a question of simple faith … right? No, because there will be times when our faith falters, when the strength and courage God give us seems out of reach, when faith doesn’t seem a simple thing. There will be times when we find ourselves afraid, discouraged and facing defeat. All of this, even though we know that the God of the Universe is going to be with us wherever we go … if we simply have faith.
As the book of Joshua continues, the story of his faith, continues as he faces the challenges that God sets before him. Imagine what would be possible if we had his simple faith and depended on the strength and courage that God provides us as he did to Joshua!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Take a Stand … by Brian Schnepp
Today’s Passage – Numbers 25 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Romans 5 – 8; Proverbs 24; Psalms 121 – 125)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Proverbs Twenty-Seven and Verse Fifteen
Read the “0224 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
The word zealous means fervent, fiery, passionate, devout, committed or dedicated. Do you think the Lord could describe us as zealous for Him? Are we committed and dedicated to Him the way Phinehas was? Phinehas didn’t hesitate, but immediately stood up to execute judgment.
Are we willing to take a stand for Jesus in this sin plagued world we are living in today? If we are, then we should do all we can at every opportunity to share the Gospel (Scripture Assembly Project – March 6th).
Are we fervently praying for our country and revival? (Special Prayer Meeting – February 26th)
Are we passionate about seeing souls saved? (Soul Winning Blitz – March 13th)
I’m thankful for all of these opportunities to be zealous in the work of the Lord while our family is here visiting Jersey Shore. If ever there was a \me to take a stand, now is the day! As Pastor Clark says, “Only one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Let’s pass on our zeal for the Lord to the generations to come.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high his royal banner, It must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall he lead, Till every foe is vanquished, And Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Stand in his strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you, Ye dare not trust your own. Put on the gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, Be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, The next the victor’s song. To those who vanquish evil A crown of life shall be; They with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Subdue and Replenish
Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read the “0101 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading – “In the Beginning;” “He Is Still Creating Me;” “Let There Be Light;” and “Just Don’t Do It”
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
This morning, on this first day of 2021, I want to start with a little Bible study from Genesis 1, and then move into a practical devotional thought from the passage.
The word “replenish” in its exact form is only found twice in the Bible: here and in Genesis 9:1 where God commands Noah to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” The word “replenish” is interesting. According to Websters American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 Edition), it means “to recover former fullness,” which is pretty much how we use the word today. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2003) gives as its first definition: “to fill with persons or animals.” The Strongs Concordance also defines the Hebrew word (מָלָא – male’) as “to fill, or be full.”
Perhaps you are wondering as to why I am offering this word study on “replenish.” The reason is that there are some Bible teachers that would tell us that the word “replenish” only means “to replace or recover from a former fullness,” and based on that narrow view of the word they have come up with some extraordinary theories regarding a previous pre-Genesis world that somehow was destroyed and needed to be recreated by God. C. I. Scofield, in his famous Scofield Reference Bible espoused his Gap Theory partially based upon his understanding of “replenish.” He believed that a previous creation existed on the earth prior to Genesis 1:2, and went through “a cataclysmic change as the result of a divine judgment,” due to the fall of Satan and his fallen angels. His view and others like it offered an explanation for the billions of years that scientists have demanded for the existence of the earth. Personally, I think this is a weak argument. I am an advocate for a young earth, created by God as little as six thousand years ago, and not millions or billions. While I am certainly not a scientist, I would say that there is valid scientific evidence that supports a young earth. See Institute for Creation Research and Answers in Genesis for more information from a scientific perspective.
Now for the practical application. Adam and Eve were given stewardship of a brand new world. They were given dominion and were commanded to subdue it, meaning to take responsibility for it and conquer it. They were to be fruitful and multiply in order to fill the earth with people, and they were to be good stewards of God’s Creation so that the earth would be filled with other good things as well.
Starting today, you and I have a brand new year. Last year is gone. It really matters not whether last year was filled with victories or defeats, we need to move forward in the perfect will of God in the future without dwelling in (or on) the past. Replenish (fill up) this new year that God has given you with all of the things that He would want you to include for a successful and prosperous year for His glory.
Fill the year with the Scripture. Spend some time in the Word of God every day. Follow a Bible reading schedule that will help you to stay on track. We cannot fulfill God’s will apart from His Word.
Fill the year (and yourself) with the Holy Spirit by yielding to His will and not your own. God commands us to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Let Him have control of your life.
Fill the year with Soul winning. Tell everyone you know about our wonderful Saviour. Let’s subdue 2020 for the Lord. Let’s let God work through us to give us dominion to “occupy” for Him this year.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Stay the Course!
Today’s Passage – Hebrews 10 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “1220 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this morning’s reading passage – “Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy,“ and “Living by Faith.”
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. … For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:26-27, 36-39)
The Book of Hebrews has a lot of scary, and often misinterpreted passages. Many people understand these verses to teach that a genuine, born-again believer can somehow lose his or her salvation; but, that is not the case at all. The writer to the Hebrews (possibly Paul) clarifies this with the statement in verse 39 where he states confidently that “we (believers) are not of them draw back unto perdition.” What these verses do teach, however, is that once a person is confronted with the truth, he is responsible to believe it. But if he chooses to reject the truth of Christ, he will face horrifying eternal consequences.
In these concluding verses of Hebrews 10, we see:
I. Punishment for those who turn back. (vs. 26 – 31)
The great question here that has been debated for Millennia is whether this warning is written to believers who were tempted to turn back to the traditions and sacrificial system of Judaism, or was it written to those who were exposed to the truth of the gospel and indeed, understood it, but still rejected it. Perhaps the people that fell into the latter category were even professors of Christ but not true believers.
This passage and the warning attached is very similar to the warning given by Peter in 2 Peter 2:
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:20-22)
Verse 28 alludes to an Old Testament principle found in Deuteronomy 7:2 – 7. Verse 29 then makes a present day comparison of this principle. Paul was stating that if people were put to death in the Old Testament for committing idolatry, how much worse will the punishment be for rejecting the one and only genuine sacrifice for man’s sin. And, because in the immediate context of the Letter to the Hebrews, those that rejected the blood of Christ’s covenant were turning back to the earthly sacrifices of “the blood of bulls and goats”, which could never take away sin, they were also in fact guilty of a worse kind of idolatry.
Personally, I believe that these verses could be applied to both “seekers” and true believers. The seekers needed to be persuaded to come all of the way into genuine faith in Christ, and the truly born-again Jewish believers in Christ needed to be warned to not turn back; to not be ashamed of the Lord. The punishment for unbelievers ultimately will be the Lake of Fire, but there will also be temporal and eternal consequences to genuine believers who turn away from their faith in Christ. However, the eternal consequences will be a loss of reward, not a loss of salvation.
II. Reward for those who stand fast (vs. 32 – 39)
Paul is confident that these genuine believers in Christ, though discouraged at times, will in the end, remain faithful, and will be rewarded for it. Notice verse 39:
“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:39)
This passage is really an encouragement to these Hebrew believers (and us) to keep going, to endure patiently the trials of the Christian life, and to resist the temptation to turn back. Peter may have been referring to this passage when he gave a similar warning:
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:14-18)
The bottom line is that we need to “stay the course.” Life may become a little rough in these perilous last days, but God will get us through it. Don’t quit! His grace is always sufficient for whatever we may have to face today. Heaven is just around the corner!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
All Things For Good?!?
Today’s Passages – Romans 8 – 10 (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 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 John 3:1
Read the “1127 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Paul’s Motivation“
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
How can God work all things, even very bad things, together for good? Many people, including a lot of Christians, have a hard time absorbing this truth, especially when they are going through a trial.
It is important to note that this verse does not say that all things are good in and of themselves. It would be ludicrous to attempt to make the argument that everything in this life is good. No, there is an awful lot of evil in the world, and that evil is allowed by God to enter into our lives at times. The effects of sin are everywhere around us. Immorality, cancer, relationship heartaches, natural disasters, financial setbacks; the list goes on and on. These are all part of the sin-cursed world that we live in, and Christians are not immune to experiencing the pain of these bad consequences in our lives. They are anything but good.
But, we also know that God is good. The things that He allows in our lives are not always good, but we know that He is good! And, we know that He loves His children very dearly. A little further in Romans 8, Paul reminds us of God’s love for us:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39)
If God loves us then why would He allow evil to come into our lives? Why would He let a young woman die of cancer? Why would He allow people to hurt each other? Why would He allow thousands of people to be killed in a natural disaster; or dozens of His people slaughtered in a church shooting? Why? Why? Why?
The answer is – I don’t know. But, I know God loves me, and I know that God is good; and, though I cannot see what God is doing through these evil circumstances of life, I trust Him that He knows what He is doing. I may not always like it, but I know that God knows what is best. He may be using a trial to teach me something, to make me more like Christ. Or, He may be using my reaction to a trial to point someone else to Christ and/or to glorify Himself. Again, I don’t know, but He does. We simply have to learn to trust Him.
I once heard a preacher illustrate this verse by mixing ingredients and baking an apple pie. He pointed out that none of the individual ingredients were all that appealing in themselves, and certainly the process of going into an oven must not be very enjoyable; but the end result is something we all can enjoy. God is doing the same thing in your life and mine. He is mixing the ingredients, some good and some not so much; but, mixed together they will make something awesome. Trust Him to mix the right ingredients together in your life.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
God Forbid!
Today’s Passages – Romans 4 – 6; (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 – Psalm 47:1
Read the “1126 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Check out a previous post from this passage – “Imputed Righteousness“
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)
Romans, chapter six, answers the question that would naturally be on the minds of many who are studying this wonderful Letter and who are trying to get their heads wrapped around the doctrine of justification. If we are saved by grace, and secure by grace, can we then do whatever we want to do, including willfully sinning in order to satisfy our lusts. Paul answers the question very clearly here in this chapter – God forbid! He clarifies this instruction further in vs 12 – 14:
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14)
We are to yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit within us, instead of obeying the lusts that are still within our sinful flesh. Our flesh is not redeemed, but our spirit, which was dead in trespasses and sins, has been brought back to life by God and is the home of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit wants to direct my life in obedience to the will and Word of God. The flesh still cries out to get its way, but I now have a choice not to listen. I can yield to God.
Since the time of Christ, there have periodically been movements within Christianity that have taught that God is now OK with sin, because of His grace. They have got as far as to say that the more we sin, the more grace will be manifested. While it is true that there is no sin that the Christian can commit that could undo the work of grace in his heart, God still expects us to live our lives as Spirit-filled and Bible-obedient Christians. Grace not only saves us from the penalty of past and future sins, it also helps us to live separated and surrendered lives.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” (Titus 2:11-12)
We will never be sinless as long as we live in these fleshly, mortal bodies; but, we can live our lives yielded to the Holy Spirit of God within us, and, if we do, our conduct will be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. The secret to winning the battle against the flesh is not to try to fight it head on in a battle of the wills. The key is to yield to (walk in) the Spirit.
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. … If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16, 25)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
True Love by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Matthew 27 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “1016 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
True Love
As the people cried out, “His blood be on us, and our children!”; the soldiers took Jesus to scourge Him. The pieces of bone, broken pottery, and metal attached to the nine strands of the whip dug deeply into his skin. And the blood flowed. True love. In the true spirit of hatred, the soldiers stripped Jesus and dressed Him in a scarlet robe: they did this to the Creator of the universe. With cruel mockeries they bowed down saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” With every ounce of hate, our Lord was crowned with a crown of thorns that pierced His scalp. And the blood flowed. True love. Then came the crucifixion. Our Lord Jesus Christ was beaten so badly that Simon of Cyrene was ordered to carry the cross. Long spikes were driven through the hands and the feet of our Lord as He was nailed to the cross. They sat down at the cross to watch Him die. And the blood flowed. True love. The mockings continued as chief priests, scribes, and elders breathed out their hatred. And the blood flowed. True Love. And then He was dead. The Lord had given up the Ghost. The payment for sin had been paid because the blood flowed. True love.
Joseph of Arimathaea, and Nicodemus lovingly wrapped the body of Jesus and placed it in a cold, dark tomb. There lay the body for three days, and three nights.
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him” (Matthew 28:1-9)
True love.
To God, love has always been an action word. Him loving us caused Him to shed His blood paying the price for our sins. We love Him because He first loved us. When they saw the risen Lord, they held Him by His feet and worshipped Him. True love. 1Peter 1: 22 says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently…”
That’s true love. Having that love in us, calling ourselves Christians, how can we kick our brothers and sisters when they are down. How can we destroy families, and cause fellow believers to leave the churches. How can we discourage and not edify Is that true love? Even when we are to rebuke someone who wronged us, it’s to be done in love and only between you and that person. Proverbs is full of wisdom about the tongue. “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out” (Proverbs 10:31). “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21).
Remember the scourging. Remember the thorns. Remember the spitting, and pulling out the beard. Remember the cruel mocking. Remember true love. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another ” (John 13:34-35).
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.