Conviction
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 20 – 21 (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 – Galatians 4 – 6; Psalm 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)
Scripture Memorization for August – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Watch Growth Points Video – “Ministry with Discernment“, by Pastor Chappell
Read the “0905 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.” – (Ezekiel 20:43)
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” – (Romans 7:24)
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” – (John 16:7-8)
Just a quick thought from the Scripture this morning. Here in chapter 20 & 21, God is delivering a stern rebuke upon the people of Israel for their rebellion against Him. However, there is one place in these two chapters where I see hope for the children of Israel, and it comes here in v 43. This is the place where the people finally recognize their sin against God, and actually feel what would be to us the convicting power of the Holy Spirit of God. I cannot say that I enjoy the feeling of being pronounced guilty from within my own spirit; but I am very glad that God loves me enough to let me know when I am guilty. Incidentally, one of the best assurances that you are a child of God is the presence of the Holy Spirit of God within you.
Notice an important truth about this loathing that people of Israel would feel about themselves. It comes after God gathers them back into the land of Israel, and after He begins to bless them again. He says in verse 44 that the people would realize that God did not deal with them according to their wickedness; He blessed them inspite of the fact that they had turned against Him. They deserved judgment, yet God dealt with them in mercy and grace. The New Testament tells us that it is the love of Christ that constrains us. That verse is referring to His love for us, not our love for Him. When we realize the unmerited and unconditional love that God has for us, it causes us to realize how undeserving of that love we really are, and it brings about the conviction, the self-loathing that Ezekiel speaks about in this passage.
Paul felt the same way about himself in the Book of Romans. He called himself a wretched man. He recognized the sin that was within him. The Holy Spirit of God pointed it out to him, and he didn’t attempt to cover it, hide it, or defend it. He came clean with God. We need to do the same thing. When our Heavenly Father points out to us the things in our lives that displease Him, the best thing that we can do is agree with Him, confess them, and then forsake them. The whole process starts, however, with conviction.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezekiel by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Turn and Live
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 17 – 19 (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 – Galatians 1 – 3; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)
Scripture Memorization for August – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Watch Growth Points Video – “Ministry with Discernment“, by Pastor Chappell
Read the “0904 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” – (Ezekiel 18:4)
“For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” – (Ezekiel 18:32)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – (Romans 10:13)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – (2 Peter 3:9)
I have enjoyed reading these chapters in the Book of Ezekiel, though I must confess that this book of the Bible, more than any other, I have trouble understanding completely. In chapter 18, God is telling the people of Israel that the son will not die for the sins of the father. In other words, every man will stand before God by himself. I will not have to answer to God for the sins of anyone else. The confusing thing about this passage is that there are particular sins listed here that have been committed by each and every person that has ever inhabited the earth, save, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, while we will not have to answer for our father’s sins, we will have to answer for our own; and we are all guilty. Of course, the New Testament reveals that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and by so doing, He took all of our sins upon Him. If we will turn from our sin, and trust Him, He will forgive our sins, and save us.
I think, however, the principle taught in this passage is very important to develop. I am not bound by anything that my father has done before me. No matter what my parents may have done, I can still live before God on my own. I can reverse the trend that may have been started, or continued, by my parents. The same applies to my children. They can choose to live for God, or they can choose to do their own thing; but they will one day answer to God for their choices. I hope they choose to yield to the Lord more than I have. I hope they take the good things that I have done, and build upon them. I also hope that they not follow any bad example that they have seen in me; and they have seen many.
Another important principle that we can see in chapter 18 is the fact that God does not want to punish people. He wants to bless them. God takes no pleasure in sending anyone to Hell. God wants all men to be saved, and has provided a way for all men to come to Him. Unfortunately, most will choose not to turn to Him. If you have not yet turned to God for forgiveness of your sin, please do not wait any longer. It matters not what your family has chosen in the past. It doesn’t even matter what you have done in the past. It only matters that you are willing to repent – to turn from your sin and rejection of the Word of God, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. He desires to save you, and make you one of His children.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezekiel by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 14 – 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 – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13;Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Scripture Memorization for August – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
Watch Growth Points Video – “Ministry with Discernment“, by Pastor Chappell
Read the “0903 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A Bible Study For Women
“Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. Thou art thy mother’s daughter, that lotheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.” (Ezekiel 16:44-48)
In the beginning of chapter 16 of Ezekiel, God wants Ezekiel to tell Israel about their sin through conviction and humiliation. God starts by reminding Israel of all the blessings He has done and continues to do. He tells them of how He has protected them starting with Egypt. He saw the condition they were in and had pity on them. God did, and still does, all that a loving Father could do for his child Israel. But then we see in verse 48, God tells them that they have done worse then Sodom.
They took all the good and blessings and used it for wrong.
As a child of God, we too have received God’s love and protection. He has spread his skirt over us and washed away our sin with his blood. God has given us riches and freedom in our country, He has given us bountiful food to eat. He gave us His life.
Then in verses 15 – 36, we read that Israel took all the blessings of God and used them for evil.
What caused them to sin?
1. They became proud
“But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.” (16:15)
God has given us an inner beauty, but we are not satisfied. We try to keep up with everyone, and are more concerned with the outer beauty then the inner beauty.
2. They forgot their beginning.
“And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.” (16:22)
Sometimes I forget what it’s was like before Christ was my Saviour. I can get ‘High Minded’ if I’m not careful. Sometimes God places someone in my life to remind me of where I came from and I am thankful for that. Can you remember the way your life was before salvation? Never forget it. Israel did.
3. They were weak in understanding.
“How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious (Vixen = woman regarded as quarrelsome, shrewish or malicious) whorish woman;” (16:30)
Those that are most foolish are commonly most imperious, and think themselves fit to manage others when they are far from being able to manage themselves. Need I say more.
We see that they yielded to peer pressure.
”… and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.” (16:15)
We are influenced by what we see and hear. Sometimes we follow the wrong path.
They used the blessing God gave them to worship idols.
Verse 16 – They adorned their idol-temples, and groves, and high places, with the fine rich clothing that God had given them.
Verse 18 – They served their idols with the good things which God gave them for their own use and to serve him with.
I must remember that God gets the tithe off the top (first-fruits). Vacations, going out to dinner, new TV’s or games…. you name it, are not bad. But God gives me funds so I can give to his work.
They had sacrificed their children to their idols.
“Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?” (16:20 – 21)
How many times have I been in a store and saw a mom screaming at her child? How often do we hear of children being abused in some way? God has given us a precious gift of a child, and we fail to teach them about the Lord. Looking back on my parenting days, I wish I could go back and know what I know now. Praise the Lord my daughter knew Jesus Christ as her Saviour and now is in His presence.
So it seems to me that Israel walked away from God because they caved in, instead of fighting.
I always need to be aware of the devil’s attacks. I need to daily be in HIS word and learn from the mistakes of the examples in the Bible. I must be strong! Will you join me in this battle?
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
What Do You Do In The Dark?
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 5 – 9 (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 – 2 Corinthians 1 – 4; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Scripture Memorization for August – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “The Devil’s Plan for Your Life“
Read the “0901 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previos post from this passage – “Conviction, Contrition, and Correction“
“Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.” (Ezekiel 8:12)
“Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.” – (Ezekiel 9:9)
In our passage today Ezekiel is sitting in his house in Babylon along with the elders of Israel, when suddenly God appears to Him and reveals to him the extent of the idolatry among the people of God. God shows Ezekiel what the people were doing when they thought that no one else was looking. The people didn’t think that even God could see them when they were in their own little wicked world.
There were two phrases from today’s reading that caught my attention. The first one is found in Ezekiel 8:12, “hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark“. The second is also found in that verse, and is found again in Ezekiel 9:9, “the Lord seeth not“. Man sometimes convinces himself that if his sin is done in private (“in the dark”), that God somehow is unable to see it. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is nothing that can be hidden from the eyes of God: He sees all that we do, and hears all that we say; and He even knows our thoughts. Scary.
Did you ever think about how much of our sin is done “in the dark”. To be sure there is also a lot of sin that is done in the open, especially among those who are not in the family of God. The lost world does not seem to care as much if their sin is exposed; and they would certainly not even consider much of what they do as sin in the first place. However, my thought this morning does not concern unbelievers. I am thinking today about Christians. People who go to church every week. People who look sparkly clean on the outside. People who appear to have their spiritual house in order. People like you and me. We wouldn’t dare take our sins into the public arena, out there for everybody to see; but how much sin is going on “in the dark”? What do we talk about privately? What are we participating in with one other person, or perhaps even a discreet few other people? What do we look at, listen to, or think about when nobody is watching? Oh, but there is Someone watching, isn’t there? God sees it all. Christians somehow think that because their sin is hidden from most people, that it doesn’t really matter; but it does matter to God.
I think it is time for us within the church to be honest with ourselves. There is an awful lot of junk going on “in the dark”. You can’t see it at our services. You won’t spot too much of it when we all get together for fellowship, but it’s there. Most people can’t see it; but God does. The public doesn’t get wind of it until the sin finally blows up our lives. When will we learn?
Posted in Thoughts from Ezekiel by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
It’s A Gift – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Ezekiel 1 – 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 – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 31)
Scripture Memorization for August – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Practical Ways To Invest In Your Team“
Read the “0831 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” (1Corinthians 14:1-12)
Good morning. I know it’s still early, but have you edified anyone today? Paul said in verse 12: “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”
One thing that I took with me to Texas Baptist College was the understanding that someone was watching me. Would I cause them to quit because I quit? Would our pastor have still gone there if I dropped out in my first year? Would I cause someone to stumble because I stumbled. For the sake of others I had to keep going, and still do. If I quit, what will happen to others? The same principle of caring about others extends throughout the Bible. We are to build people up, edify them, edify the church.
If I gossip, or say something bad about someone, will the person I’m talking to think it’s okay to gossip? By the way, if someone tells you something bad about another, what are they saying about you when you’re not around? If I don’t tithe, will others risk the devourer from Malachi 3:11 by not tithing also? What affect will my sin have on others? If I then tell others not to do it either, I become a hypocrite. Lets start going in the direction we should be going; let’s start edifying those around us. Let’s start being the kind of Christian that God wants us to be.
Peace. (Romans 14:13-19)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Today’s Passage – Lamentations 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 5 – 8; Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Practical Ways To Invest In Your Team“
Read the “0829 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” – (Lamentations 3:21-24)
I love the Biblical significance of the rainbow. God showed Noah the rainbow and told him that it would be there in the sky at the end of the rainstorm to remind God’s people that the rain is coming to an end. For Noah it was a precious reminder, as he had just experienced the destruction of every living creature on the earth through a deluge of water. To us, the rainbow is still a symbol of hope. In our passage in Jeremiah today, we do not see an actual rainbow but we do see the hope that all of God’s children can see even when it feels like it’s all over. In these chapters we read about Israel after the destruction that came through the hands of the Babylonians. It was a horrible time for God’s people – possibly the lowest point in their history. Jeremiah had warned the people for many years that judgment was imminent because the people of God had forsaken the Lord. Well, here in Lamentations, there are no more warnings, just the account of the total humiliation and destruction of Jerusalem, Israel, and the people of God.
The first two chapters of this book are very sad indeed; and chapter three starts out as bleakly as the first two; but when we get to verse 21, we can finally get a glimpse of hope. Jeremiah recalls that God is merciful and compassionate, and as he wrote in The Book Of Jeremiah, “he will not make a full end” of them. You see, Jeremiah remembers here that God loves His people, even though He had to correct them. God’s correction would not last forever. In fact, Jeremiah reminds the people that God’s compassion is new every morning. I love that statement. Aren’t you glad that God never runs out of compassion?
Christian, you may be experiencing in your life right now the correcting hand of God. I know that I have had my share of correction through the years. It is certainly not pleasant. However, there are two things that we need to remember about God’s correction. First, we must remember that God does not correct us to get even. He disciplines us for our own good, purely out of love for us. He is trying to bring us back to where we need to be – for our own good. Secondly, we need to keep in mind that God’s correction will not last forever. I remember as a child, I sometimes thought the punishments that I had received at the hands of my parents would never end; but they always did. The sun always came up, and the rainbow eventually appeared to signify the end of the storm. If you are experiencing the loving correction of our Heavenly Father today, take heart: there is hope, His compassions are new every morning.
Posted in Thoughts from Lamentations by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Are You Still In Prison?
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 51 – 52 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4;Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 28)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Practical Ways To Invest In Your Team“
Read the “0828 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the firstyear of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,” (Jeremiah 52:31)
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king of Judah and he reigned for only eight years when he was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. The Bible records that he was an evil king while he reigned. God caused the captivity to happen because of the evil kings of Judah which led the nation into a downward spiral of immorality and idolatry. Jehoiachin remained in prison in Babylon for 37 years, thus making his age 63 at the time of his release. He had spent most of his life in prison. In our passage today we see that he was released out of prison and given a place of great honor in the kingdom.
I am not sure that my assessment is accurate here, but bear with me as I share my thoughts. Jehoiachin was an evil guy; the Scripture is clear about that. Jehoiachin spent a lot of time in prison thinking about his life. Jehoiachin was finally released from his prison. Could it be, though the Scriptures do not clearly reveal this, that Jehoiachin repented in prison and turned back to God? God judged him with his nation during the captivity; and now God was releasing him with the nation. Is this not a picture of forgiveness? Isn’t living in sin a prison? Does the Bible not say that we were in bondage to sin? The Bible even records that his prison garments were put off of him. Doesn’t God give us a robe of righteousness when we become His child? I think that this passage is a marvelous picture of salvation. When the sinner trusts Christ as his Savior he is released from the bondage (prison) of sin; he is given a robe of righteousness; and is positioned in a place of blessing and honor in the King’s House. Note also that this all takes place when he is in his sixties which tells me it is never too late to be forgiven.
Have you been released from the prison of sin and unbelief? God wants to take you out; give you some new clothes, and set a place for you at his table. Why don’t you take him up on his offer? Trust Christ, get changed, and come to the table.
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 49 – 50 (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 – Romans 13 – 16; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Practical Ways To Invest In Your Team“
Read the “0827 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A Bible Study Of Women In The Bible
A Soul Winner – The Woman At The Well
“The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” (John 4:28-30)
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” (John 4:39-42)
Back in John 4:7 we are introduced to a unnamed woman who is going about her daily chores serving her family. She was a Samaritan. She was part of a people who had been resettled in the land, moved by the King of Assyria. They had been taught and partially accepted the faith of Israel, but held onto their old pagan religions also. (see II Kings 17:24-41). Traveling from Judea to Galilee, Jesus and His followers pass through Samaria. While there Jesus sat by a well while His disciples went to buy food. When the woman came to the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked that a Jewish man talked to her as the Jews wanted no part of the Samaritans. Jesus began to talk to her about eternal life and her state of condition. The woman confessed her sin, and in John 4:15, the woman asked for that water.
I would like to focus on verse 28. The first thing she did was to tell others about Jesus Christ. She was concerned about eternal life for others, more than her own needs. Remember, she was at the well getting water. Water was a needful thing. They didn’t have the comfort of turning on a faucet with hot and cold water. She went soul winning and God blessed her efforts.
We must be about the Lord’s business of winning souls. Time is short and people who die without Christ will burn forever and ever. So often we are afraid to start a conversation about the Lord. But think how you would feel at the White Throne Judgment, when Christ says to that person “Depart from me….”. Then they point at you and say “You never told me”! Start by grabbing a bunch of salvation tracks and leave them where ever you go. John R. Rice wrote a book called Personal Soul Winning packed good information. Ask someone at your church who goes soul winning, if you can go with them.
Within the last few weeks, I personally know of several people going off into eternity. I would like to share a story about my experience with a woman whom I’ve never met. For privacy reasons we’ll call her Paula.
Before moving out of state, a very dear friend of mine accepted Christ as her personal Saviour. Through the years, she became close friends with Paula. Not long ago, my friend called and told me Paula was dying of brain cancer. My friend was clearly upset. The first question I asked was “Does she know the Lord as her Saviour”. My friend didn’t know. She never talked to anyone about salvation before. I told her that I would send her all the information she needed. All she would have to do is read it. I challenge you to use this letter, either for you to use to witness or to send to someone. No one is promised tomorrow.
Note: Change the greeting to fit your needs.
Hi _____________, my name is ____________. I’m an old friend of ___________. I am so sorry about your health and I want you to know that our church is praying for you and your family. _____________ has shared with me that you were both thinking about going to church. If you can, I encourage you to go. But if I may, I would like to explain something from the Bible to you. _______________ was not sure if you heard this before or not, but I beg you to read this until the end.
1 John 5:13 – “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
The Bible tells us that we can ‘know’ for sure that someday we can go to heaven. Let me explain how:
In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve sinned. The spirit they had within them died. That sin nature, (dead spirit) was passed on to everyone ever born of man.
Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Sin requires a payment. Just as if you killed someone and got caught, you would have to pay the penalty, jail or death.
Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death; …”
The only payment for sin is death in hell forever and ever. But God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. He only made hell for the devil and his angels. So God provided a way to get to Heaven. He sent His Son Jesus. Jesus knew no sin, so He was the only one who could pay the price. He is the Lamb of God.
Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
There is no sin in Heaven. We can’t get in on our own. God sent His son to pay the price for our sin (dead spirit). Going back to the example of if you killed someone and having to pay the price by the death sentence. Someone comes along and says to the Judge, “Let ____________ go free. I will pay the price for her killing the person”. You go free. Jesus pay your sin debt. You don’t have to do a thing. It was paid in full when Jesus died on the cross. It’s a free gift from God.
Romans 6:23b – “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I pray you’re asking yourself, ‘How do I get this free gift’? You get it just like any other free gift, accept it. How?
Romans 10:13 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Saved from what? From hell forever and ever. Your dead spirit that you were born with is revived by the Holy Spirit who enters in.
1. You must believe your a sinner. Can you think of a time you’ve sinned? That makes you a sinner.
2. You must believe that Jesus took your sins upon Him and paid your sin debt.
3. You must trust in Jesus and Jesus alone, for his death is the only payment for your sins and that He, and only He, will take you to Heaven. (some people trust in things that they have to do, or in a church, or even some other god.) We don’t have to do a thing but believe and ask. There were to men on either side of Jesus when He was dying on the cross.
(Luke 23:39-43) – “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
The one man just believed.
The Bible says:
(John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
(John 3:16-18) – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Believe and ask in prayer. It’s the MOST IMPORTANT decision you’ll ever make.
___________, my question is, do you believe your a sinner? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? Will you trust Him and only Him in taking you to Heaven someday?
If you’ve answered yes to all the above questions, then bow your head in prayer now and ask Jesus to be your Saviour. You can say something like this:
Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins. Thank you for paying my sin debt. I am trusting in you and you alone to take me to Heaven someday when I die. Come into my life and save me. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
If you prayed, and truly believed and prayed it from your heart, the Holy Spirit now dwells within you. You are promised Heaven. When you close your eyes here, you will be with the Lord. Please consider these things seriously. I am praying for your health but mostly for your salvation (excepting Jesus as your Saviour). Please tell ____________ what you decided. I asked her to let me know. I am adding some other Bible verses for comfort.
(Hebrews 13:5) – “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
(John 10:27-30) – “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”
(2Corinthians 5:8) – “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
(John 6:36-40) – “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(Revelation 21:4) – “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
(John 14:2) – “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.”
(Revelation 20:10) – “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” AMEN!
Thank You
(Proverbs 11:30) – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
The Safest Place On Earth
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 41 – 45 (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 – Romans 5 – 8; Psalm 119; Proverbs 25)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Practical Ways To Invest In Your Team“
Read the “0825 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.” (Jeremiah 42: 13 – 16)
I remember years ago, when I was serving God as a youth director for Lighthouse Baptist Church in Gloucester City, NJ, we used to go soul winning in the city of Camden. Now Camden was a rough town in those days, ranking at the top of the list in many crime categories. At first, we were scared to death to go in there; but God taught me a valuable lesson in those days: if it was His will to serve in Camden, then I was safer there than if I was in Beverly Hills or Palm Springs. Why, because with the will of God comes protection as well as provision. We never did have one problem while we were soul winning there; and we spent lot of time in that city visiting our bus routes, etc.
The passages that we read today in Jeremiah remind me of those days in Camden. At this time Jerusalem was a rough place. Most of the inhabitants were already taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon. No doubt there must have been a great fear of further oppression from the Babylonians. However, God promised the remnant in Judah and Jerusalem that if they would stay there and serve Him, He would protect them and prosper them. Unfortunately, the remnant did not listen. Instead, they decided to move to a place that was without war and famine: a place of wealth, culture, and prosperity. The only problem was that it went against the will of God. Guess what happened? All of the things that they feared about Jerusalem, happened to them in Egypt. They should have stayed in the place of God’s will.
Where is the will of God for you? It may not seem like the best place on earth to other men, but it is the place where you will thrive. Sometimes parents are reluctant to allow their children to become missionaries, because they fear for their safety on the foreign field; but they are safer there in the will of God than in the best place in America out of the will of God. Are you where God wants you, doing what God wants you to do? Surrender your will to His; lean not unto your own understanding; and He will prosper you and protect you.
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
What’s Wrong With The Old Black Book? – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 37 – 40 (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 – Romans 1 – 4; Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Skills for Healthy Communication“
Read the “0824 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 117)
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Good morning! Aren’t you glad today that you have truth that you can stand on? God’s truth? And His truth endures forever.
You can trust your King James Bible. If you look at the cover page, you will see: The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised. Translating is stressful work. The translators knew they were answerable to King James, but also the King of Kings. Not to mention all the English speaking people who would be saved from reading God’s Word and seeing with their own eyes God’s perfect plan of salvation. That was a heavy responsibility to carry on their shoulders. They knew what God said in the Scriptures…
“Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-4)
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6)
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:18-20)
And you think your job has you stressed out? I have a translating example. It’s not the greatest example, plus it’s Spanish, not Greek or Hebrew. I typed an English phrase into a website that would translate the phrase into Spanish. It came out…
tengo que ir al bano
tengo means “I have.”
que means “what”, although the website said que has multiple meanings.
ir means “I have to do something.”
And al bano means “to the bathroom.”
You have “I have / what / I have to do something / to the bathroom.”
So the translation would probably look like this…
I have [to go] to the bathroom.
Maybe, one day, I’ll learn Spanish. The translators of the King James Bible reverenced God’s Word. They feared the Lord. The words that help us understand the English structure of the verses, if needed, were put in italics.
I hope I didn’t lose you with that last statement. There has been a question being kicked around about the inspiration of the Bible: was it just the originals that were inspired, or the King James Bible too? We can see how God feels about His Word from the verses above. God wants His Word perfect. Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
God’s hand was all over the King James Bible. He gave the translators every word that He wanted in the Bible, both italicized and non-italicized. Without Jesus, the translators could never have given us the correct translation in the King James Bible. And we know from testimonies, history, and revivals, that the King James Bible brought forth much fruit, as it still does today.
Let me show you something I copied from somewhere while I was in college…
1382 The Wyclif Bible
The first purification.
1525 The Tyndale Bible
The second purification.
1535 The Coverdale Bible
The third purification.
1537 The Rogers Bible
The fourth purification.
1539 The Great Bible
The fifth purification.
1560 The Geneva Bible
The sixth purification.
1568 The Biship’s Bible
The seventh purification.
1611 The King James Bible.
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)
So, what’s wrong with the old black book?
Absolutely NOTHING!
Peace. (Psalm 119:97-104)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.