The Point of No Return

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 14 – 17 (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 10 – 12; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “0818 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!’” (Jeremiah 15:1)
In our passage we see that the people of God had passed the point of no return. God said that it did not matter if Moses or Samuel came to intercede on their behalf because they had gotten too far away from Him, and judgement was unavoidable. God had warned them and corrected them previously, but to no avail. They would not receive the correction and they did not heed the warnings. They continued to travel down the road eventually leading them to the point of no return. God was about to bring in the Babylonians as a judgment for the backslidings of Judah.
I wonder how far God will allow America to get away from Him until she gets to the point of no return, where nothing can be done to escape judgment. I wonder how far the Christian can travel down the road of sin before God says, enough is enough. Don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that God will remove a Christian’s salvation if they are genuinely born again; but I am saying that He will eventually get fed up with their rebellion, and will be forced to impose severe chastisement in order to rectify the situation. He may even take the offending Christian home to Heaven prematurely.
Let’s not allow our lives to get so out of control that God says we have passed the point of no return. Let’s keep an open heart, listen daily to His admonitions and exhortations from the Word of God; and heed what He says. Let’s yield to the working of the Spirit of God within us and yield to His will for our lives. I want to be used of Him all of my earthly life. I don’t want to be put on a shelf, or worse, face some sort of terrible judgment. I want to bear fruit that remains in my Christian life. I guess I had better stay close to my Saviour and far away from the point of no return.
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
He’s The One and Only
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“
“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 44:8)
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:” – (Isaiah 45:5)
“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.” – (Isaiah 45:6)
“Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.” – (Isaiah 45:14)
“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.” – (Isaiah 45:18)
“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.” – (Isaiah 45:21)
“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” – (Isaiah 45:22)
“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)
Did you notice all of the times in Isaiah 44 – 46 that God declares that He is the only God. I really like what God said in Isaiah 44:8 – “I know not any”. If God who is omniscient doesn’t know of any other God, then there isn’t any. If God is the only God, then why are so many people worshipping other “gods”, and even other things. Most people worship themselves, but some worship their children; some their careers; some even worship other people. Their are a myriad of things out there that people bow to, but God is the only One that is worthy of worship, because He is the only true God.
And if He is the only true God, then:
1 His Word is the only truth.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” – (John 17:17)
2 His Way for man’s salvation is the only way to Heaven (see Why Jesus?)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – (John 14:6)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – (Acts 4:12)
3 His Work can only be organized through His Church
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – (Matthew 16:18)
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” – (1 Timothy 3:15)
Posted in Thoughts from Isaiah by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Peace

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 24 – 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 – John 1 – 2; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “0804 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
Peace is truly a wonderful thing. It is something that everybody desires but very few ever find. The world pays billions of dollars to find it through secular counseling, and even through entertainment, drugs, and alcohol; but those things cannot bring peace. If you were to look up the word “peace” in a dictionary or thesaurus you would find synonyms such as tranquility, contentment, safety, completeness, quietness, health, prosperity. I think that all of these words do well to describe what God was talking about in Isaiah 26:3, and they can only come to the person whose mind (thoughts, focus, and affection) is stayed on the Lord.
Too many Christians today, including myself at times, lack the peace that God wants all of His children to possess, and it is simply because they transfer their focus from God to something else. I tend to dwell on problems and circumstances when I should be focussed on and communicating with the Problem Solver. Life is full of things, people, and situations that draw our minds away from the Lord, but when we lose our focus we also lose our peace. We need to remember that when problems come (and they always do) to bring them to the One who already has the answer. When people hurt us we need to remember that there is One who will never do us wrong, and will always be there for us no matter what happens. God is the answer to every problem and distraction. It isn’t that we shouldn’t think at all about solving problems and restoring relationships, but we should filter all of these situations through Him, and He will give us the wisdom that we need as well as the comfort and strength that we need to endure. Keep your eyes on the Lord.
Posted in Thoughts from Isaiah by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Prayer Is First … by Jaxon Erickson

Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 9 – 12 (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 – Luke 9 – 10; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)
Read the “0727 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22)
Matthew 21:22 talks about how if you believe God, He will answer your prayers. If it’s God’s will, He will give you an answer. It may not be what you are hoping for, but you can trust in God that He will always do what is right.
So keep praying for your family, your friends, your games (in the future), and school tests.
Love you guys. Be safe.

Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 10 comments.
O Be Careful Little Eyes

Today’s Reading – Psalms 96 – 102 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read the “0705 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read previous posts from this passage – “Enduring to All Generations“, and “Before His Presence“
“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Psalms 101:2-3)
Before I get into my main thought for this morning’s devotion, let me point out that in Psalm 101, David uses the phrase “I will”, or “will I” 9 times. These were very bold, and almost cocky assertions on his part, and I am pretty sure that he failed to keep every one of these promises during the course of his life. He was, as we are, human. I am very careful not to make too many promises about what I will or will not do, because I have been known to break a promise or two in my lifetime as well. However, I do believe that it is good to set up some standards and boundaries in our lives based upon the principles that we are taught in the Word; and we should ask the Lord to help us to maintain them.
In vs. 2 & 3 of this psalm, David determines that he will behave himself wisely, and that he will set no wicked thing before his eyes. In the culture that we live in today, we almost have to put blindfolds on in order to fulfill this promise. There are so many “wicked things” for us to look at. Let’s be honest, you absolutely cannot turn on the television without setting some kind of wicked thing before your eyes. Wickedness is blatantly visible in our culture. To be perfectly frank, I am ashamed to say that I have seen some things in our church that should have never entered into my eyes. Things that were condemned just a few years ago are condoned and even promoted today, and it is getting worse every day. It is impossible for us to interact with this culture without allowing wicked images to enter into our eyes, and then ultimately into our hearts. Yet, we must strive to put some blinders on our physical and spiritual eyes that will keep us from beholding sin and thinking about things that could destroy us spiritually.
In Sunday School we sing a song that says:
“O be careful little eyes what you see,
O be careful little eyes what you see,
For the Father up above is looking down in love,
O be careful little eyes what you see.”
Christian, please be careful. If you have a television, you will need to block much of the programming, and you will have to turn off many of the commercials. The ads are often worse than the shows themselves. Don’t let your children watch the TV unsupervised. There is just way too much poison coming through that box. The Internet is obviously a huge problem also. And, there are many places, like the movies or the beach, that we will need to avoid if we want to keep our eyes from beholding sin.
Let me say a word to you ladies. Please be careful about what you wear, especially in the summer months. Immodest dress can be a big stumblingblock to many men. Job had to make a “covenant” with his eyes not to look upon a maid. I think if he were living today he would have a tough time keeping that promise.
Obviously, I cannot address every application that could be made from these verses in Psalm 101, but I think you get the idea. I understand that we are living in some desperately wicked times, but don’t get swept away by the culture. Don’t just be content to be a little more conservative than the culture, either. Determine to please God with what you allow yourself to see, and also how you behave.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
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.