No More Soulwinning?
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 30 – 32
(Second Milers also read – Acts 22 – 24; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)
“But thisshall bethe covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33 & 34)
The context of today’s reading in the Book of Jeremiah is the Millennial Reign of Christ on the earth which is yet future. The Millennium will begin with an event that we call the Rapture, where Christ will come down in the clouds and shall gather His Bride, the Church, and take us to Heaven. Immediately following the Rapture there will be a seven year period known as Jacob’s Trouble (or The Tribulation Period). This will be a horrible time of judgment on the earth, but God will get the attention of the nation of Israel and they will turn their hearts back to Him. They will realize that they were wrong about the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will receive Him as their Messiah. At the end of this Tribulation Period Christ will return to set up His Kingdom upon the earth. Everybody that lives on the earth at this time and is old enough to understand will be saved: they will all know the Lord. God says in the verses above that during this time we won’t have to convince our neighbors to know the Lord, because they will all know Him.
I can’t imagine living in a place where everyone is saved. I can’t fathom not having a burden to reach the people around me with the Gospel of Christ. There will be no lost people on the earth. However, we are not there yet. Today there are still myriads of people who do not know the Lord, and it is our responsibility to reach them. We are to take the message of Christ to all of our neighbors, near and far. Sometimes it gets frustrating living in a world where the vast majority of people are lost in their sin, but that will all soon end. For now, we need to be busy, very busy, winning the lost around us; and giving to missionaries who will take the message of Christ to those that are out of our reach.
When was the last time you talked to your neighbor about “knowing the Lord”? Someday soon, you will no longer have that opportunity. Get busy!
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Make The Best of It
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 26 – 29 (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 19 – 21; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)
“Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” (Jeremiah 29:5-7)
Throughout much of the Book of Jeremiah the prophet is passionately warning the people of Jerusalem to repent so that God could turn from judgment that was surely coming. God had been promising for many years that the people of God would be taken out of their land and delivered into captivity if they refused to turn back to Him. But they didn’t listen, and the promised calamity came as promised. Now, the majority people from Jerusalem are in Babylon, living under the dominion of a Gentile king. Their homes have been taken away, the temple was destroyed, many have died, and the surviving families and friends have been separated from each other. Things were not good. Complicating matters was the fact that there were many false prophets running around, telling them that God was going to give them back everything that was lost in a short time. Jeremiah told them to submit themselves to the rulers of Babylon, and make the best of a very bad situation. He also encouraged them with news that the captivity would not last forever. In seventy years God would again “visit” His people, and bring them back into the land, which they had lost.
I believe that this passage from Jeremiah accurately illustrates the lives of many Christians today. We, like these Israelites of old, have previously made many mistakes that have caused us to fall out of the perfect will of God. We did things our way instead of God’s way. We simply didn’t listen. As a result, our situations are not what they could have been, and though God forgives He does not always restore what was lost from our sin. However, God would say the same thing today to us. Make the best of it. We are living in a sin cursed world today that is reaping the consequences of its sin. All of the prayer in the world is not going to bring us back to Eden, but we can make the best of the world that we have been given. Our nation is not what it was when it was founded. We have lost many of our liberties, and the scars of sin are evident all over our land, but it can still be a wonderful place to live, and we can still worship and serve our Lord here. Make the best of it. Some of our homes have experienced tragedies: some of which were not our fault, but some were the direct result of our own bad choices. We can still make the best of a less than ideal situation. Ultimately, we must remember that this world is not our home. Someday, God will bring His children away from this imperfect, sin-ravaged place into a beautiful new Heaven and Earth, which will be far better than the original; but for now, let’s make the best of the situation we are in.
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 23 – 25 (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 16 – 18; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Skills for Healthy Communication“
Read the “0820 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this morning’s Bible reading passage – “Handle with Care“, and “Who Can You Trust?“
The Study of Women in the Bible
Hannah, A Woman Who Gave Her Son To God
Before we get started with the study of Hannah, I would like to ask you how you did with your challenge from last weeks blog (Aug. 13th – “The Contentious Woman”)?
“So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” (I Samuel 1:9-11)
Hannah was in a polygamous marriage. Like Sarah, Abraham’s wife, she was not able to conceive. Peninnah, the other wife, mocked Hannah. Sometimes a person is tested to their very roots of being. Hannah must have felt this way, but Hannah had definite access to God. She shed many tears. She felt forsaken by God because she had no children and her husband’s other wife kept reminding her of it. She was mocked so much that she did not even eat. She had nowhere else to go but to God, so she cried out to Him. Hannah presented God with a great petition. She did not insult Him by asking for a small favor. Hannah didn’t pray vaguely. She prayed with a specific request. God I want a son and I will give him back to you for all his life. No razor will touch his head. Soon Hannah received the answer to her prayer, a son named Samuel. After Samuel was weaned, she kept her promise to God. Hannah brought her son to the temple where Eli was, and presented Samuel to God. Eli then raised and trained him in the priesthood. Hannah must have had a great impact on Samuel as he became one of Israel’s greatest prophets. She must have felt sorrow at leaving her child, yet she praised and glorified the Lord. Later we learn that Hannah and her husband had five other children.
Truths About Hannah’s Life:
- Hannah was a prayer warrior. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing and in Psalms 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy”. Hannah did both. Our part, as a mother and wife, should be to pray for our family. We can get so busy in life that we may not take the time to pray. Remember the devil is seeking to devour us. We need to cover our family with prayers.
- She kept her promise to God. We pray for something, God answers, then we forget our part of the commitment. How often do people pray for a job but then don’t tithe. Or pray for transportation, and then not attend church.
- She gave her son wholly to the Lord. What a great example of giving to the Lord, something that is so greatly cherished. We all ought to dedicate our children to the Lord. Remember the devil is seeking us out. He wants to destroy us.
In today’s world, our government allows women to kill unborn children. They want to tell us how to raise them. If we don’t abide, they threaten to take them away. The family structure is being torn down. As Christian ladies, we need to band together and be prayer warriors for our family.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16b)
One of the most precious gifts God has given to us, is a child. We must do all we can, through Christ, to protect them from the evil one. We must always be teaching them the ways of the Lord. Pray with them, read the Bible with them. Don’t drop them off at church, but attend with them. Be a good example. Make fun times with them. Give lots of hugs and kisses because you never know when the last one will be.
This weeks challenge is to tell your children that you love them. Also, write them a note and praise them for something they said or did. If you have no children or grandchildren, like myself, find a young person at your church you can reach out to. It will not only change them, it will be a great blessing to you.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
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)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Skills for Healthy Communication“
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 the picture on the left, the man is jumping from one rock formation to the next. You will notice that the position of his body would make it impossible for him to change his mind at the last minute. He had reached “the point of no return”.
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, 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 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 1 comment.
Strange Gods – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 10 – 13 (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 7 – 9; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “5 Skills for Healthy Communication“
Read the “0817 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
If you had asked me a few years back if I thought America was under God’s judgment, I probably would have said I didn’t think so. Everything appeared to be going okay. After 9/11 things drastically changed in the United States.
An illustration that many preachers have used is about how to cook a frog. If you toss a frog in a pot of boiling water, he will hop right out. But if you place a frog in a pot of water, and slowly bring up the heat, he will stay there in the pot till he gets cooked. That’s what happened to us. The devil has been working on this country for quite some time. The religion of Evolution is preached in our schools as truth instead of just a theory. Children are taught that the baby formed in the womb is just an unfeeling blob of goo, so abortion is okay. People are numbed by propaganda telling them that homosexuality is an alternate life style and not sin. The Word of God has been removed from schools, government buildings, and books of “higher learning” (Romans 1:22).
Coexist is written on many of our bumper stickers. You can be whatever religion you want, just don’t attack anyone else’s. It doesn’t matter if they are on their way to Hell: they’ve been taught that there is no Hell. Why, you can even be a god yourself. Just jump around like Shirley McLane and John Denver shouting I am god, I am god. Is it any wonder that many Americans have tried to push God out of their lives, and unfortunately the lives of others too?
Even if the godless succeed in removing from the Pledge of Allegiance the phrase: one nation under God; we are still, and always will be one nation under God. And God chastens those He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11). Look what God said about Israel in Psalm 81:8-16:
“Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”
Maybe one of the problems is that as Christians today, we don’t see God work in our lives. Why should we see God work? Look at what God says in Isaiah 43:12:
“I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”
God has spoken to us through His Word. God has saved us, not only salvation from sin, but also problems attacking our lives. And God has showed us His great love to us. And we are supposed to be His witnesses of these things. And God did these things in our lives. He did them “when there was no strange god among” us.
Logic with me for a minute. If anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Then anything that we deem more important than God, is a strange god. What is more important than God to you? Is it sports? Is it your job? Is it a favorite TV show that’s in the same time-slot as church? What is your strange god? When we get rid of them, maybe God will start working in our lives again. We will be witnesses for Him. He will heal our nation (2Chronicles 7:14). Psalm 85 is a good model prayer:
“LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.”
Tired of not seeing God work in your life? Get rid of the strange gods.
Peace! (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Catching Men
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 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 – Acts 1 – 3; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Unplugged“
Read the “0815 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “The Old Paths“, and “Fallow Ground“
“For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.” (Jeremiah 5:26)
“And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (Luke 5:10)
As I was reading through this passage my attention was drawn to the little phrase, “catch men”. I knew that I had heard it before, so I did a little search and found that it was only used one other time in the Bible by the Lord in a conversation with Peter. The Lord told Peter that his life would no longer be about catching fish; but about catching men. The context of the passage in Jeremiah that we are currently reading has to do with the imminent judgement that is facing the southern kingdom of Judah, particularly the city of Jerusalem. There were many reasons for the coming judgement, but, in a nutshell you could say that as a nation they had forsaken God and had become like the heathen nations around them. One of the reasons that this had happened was because the devil was busy, using wicked men and women to lure the people away from a right relationship with God. These wicked people were also catching men.
Let’s fast forward now to present day America. The devil is still very busy: perhaps even busier than back in Jeremiah’s day. He may have changed some of his lures; but he is still using his servants to “catch men”. Now God has given us a commission to “catch men” as well. We are supposed to be very busy going out into the highways and hedges, the streets and the lanes of the city: with the power of the Spirit of God, and with the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be busy and bold in communicating the Truth of salvation. The question is: Are you and I more concerned about catching men than the devil’s crowd is? If we would be honest, we would have to admit that the New Testament churches have put soul winning on the back burner; but has Satan let up on his program? I don’t think so. As a result, Satan’s kingdom is advancing while the number of blood washed Christians seems to be shrinking. All because we who have the Truth have abandoned catching men.
Why don’t we get back out there in our community with some gospel tracts in one hand, a New Testament in the other; and start winning people to the Lord. Let’s stop letting Satan catch more men than the people of God. There are plenty of people out there that need to be saved and will be saved if we would simply obey God’s Great Commission.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Turn Around
Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 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 – John 21; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Unplugged“
Read the “0814 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Before I share the my main thought from the Scripture this morning, I just wanted to point out from the passage that the writer, Jeremiah, was a hand made child of God that was uniquely designed by Him to be a prophet to Israel and Judah. (see Jeremiah 1:4 – 6) God has also made you and and I, and wants to use us in a special way to fellowship with Him, glorify Him, and fulfill His plan for the ages. We are not here by accident. We were specially created the way we are on purpose, and for a purpose.
Now for today’s main thought:
“They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:1)
Throughout the history of Israel, the people of God have gone through periods where they would fall away from God. Here in this passage the word “backsliding” is used seven times. Here in this passage Jeremiah is pleading with the backsliding people of Israel to come back to the Lord. Our God is awesome! Who else but God would love these people and keep taking them back, even though they would turn against Him over and over. He never gives up on His children. I must confess that I have a tough time forgiving people in the same way that God has forgiven me. I want to write people off; but God is not like me. He continues to reach out to those who have forsaken Him. Notice what God required of the people in order for them to come back into a right relationship with Him:
“Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:13)
“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:” (Jeremiah 3:14)
God says that if the people would acknowledge their sin, and then turn, He would take them back. Turning means that they would put away all of the things that they were doing that God was displeased with. This is a pretty good definition of repentance, which involves more than just acknowledging.
The people of God today could follow this same simple formula in order to come back to their God. We must acknowledge where we have gone wrong. It may not be some deep sin or rebellion. It may be just apathy, coldness, or laziness. Then we have to confess it to God and turn away from it. God loves us deeply and wants more than anything for us to be in love with Him. If you have “slidden” away from God, return again to the Lord.
Posted in Thoughts from Jeremiah by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 63 – 66 (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 19 – 20; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “9 Marks of Excellence in Church Leadership“
Read the “0813 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
A Study Of Women In The Bible
The Contentious Woman
“A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.” (Proverbs 27:15-16)
Imagine, you come home from a busy day at work and dinner must be made. You help your children with their homework and start a load of laundry. After dinner you gather your family, get in the car and go to church. Before you go home, you drop off the kids you brought, then stop at the store for bread and milk. When you arrive home, you get your children off to bed, prepare lunches and fold that load of laundry. After a long hard day, you climb into bed, throw the covers on, lay your head on your pillow and sigh “AAAWWW Finally”. You close your eyes and your body is relaxed. Just as you fall asleep you hear drip – drIP – DRIP – DRIP! Your sink is leaking. You get up and try to fix it and it just keeps dripping. You put a towel under the drip, but as soon as it get wet that sound DRIP – DRIP is back. How annoying. Will it ever stop? It just seems to get louder and louder. No matter what you do, it’s not stopping!
The word contentious means not nice, disrespectful, cruel, harsh words. Also, to cause and argument, quarrelsome and controversial.
The Bible compares a contentious woman to hard rain dropping. If outside, you can’t get away from the fact that your going to get wet. The contentions of a neighbour may be like a quick rain shower, troublesome for a little time, but you can take shelter. But the contentions of a wife is like a constant soaking rain. A wise man will try to hide his contentious wife, for his own sake and for his wife’s repution, but he can’t. Just like he can’t conceal the noise of the wind blowing or contain the smell of a strong perfume. The froward and brawling will proclaim their own shame.
In Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24 it says:
“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.”
When God repeats Himself, we should listen carefully.
Ladies, just like the water dripping annoys us, we can be annoying to our husbands. There is no other shelter for him to get out of the rain but home.
“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” (Romans 14:19).
“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.” (Philippians 4:8)
No matter how good or bad our relationship is with our husband, we should always try to inprove it. So this week I am giving you all, and myself, an assignment.
1. Write your husband 2 love letters. You can slip it in his lunch box or put it on his pillow or clothing draw. Be creative.
2. Make him 2 of his favorite meals. Maybe make it romantic by lighting some candles, but cook his 2 favorite meals.
3. Tell him you love him at least once a day. You never know when you’ll no longer be able to say it, so say in now.
So are you up to the challenge? It will not only be a blessing to your husband, but it will change your life.
Thank You
John 3:16
Posted in Devotions, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Preach the Word
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 58 – 62 (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 17 – 18; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “9 Marks of Excellence in Church Leadership“
Read the “0812 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Open Your Big Fat Mouth and Praise God“
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1)
“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,” (Isaiah 62:6)
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
All of my previous posts from this reading passage have had to do with Isaiah 62:2. This morning, I would like to consider a similar verse: Isaiah 58:1. I believe this verse, though originally given to Isaiah, is directly applicable to preachers today. I believe that there are three ingredients for sound Bible preaching found in this verse, and, unfortunately, these are also sadly lacking in our preaching today.
1 Notice the Passion of Preaching – “Cry Aloud …lift up my voice like a trumpet”
Preaching should be passionate. Perhaps not ever message, or every part of a message will be done with a loud voice, but Bible preaching should be very often be done with a loud, passionate voice. The volume of the preachers voice should reveal his passion regarding the truth of God and it should also demonstrate his compassion for the needs of the people. Many Christians shy away from passionate preaching, preferring devotional teaching. However, the preaching of the word should be packed with Bible truth, and delivered in a manner that reveals the seriousness of God.
2 Notice the Perfection of Preaching – “spare not”
Not only should the preacher not hold back any volume and passion when he preaches, he should also not hold back any truth. Al too often today preachers are afraid to preach all the counsel of God because they are too concerned with offending and possibly losing church members. We must remember that are duty is to please the Lord, and to deliver His message, uncut, and uncensored.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” (2 Timothy 4:3)
3 Notice the Pointedness of Preaching – “…shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”
Preachers must not be afraid to point out the sins of the people, even the ones that are very unpopular to preach against. In the culture that we are living in it is getting increasingly difficult to not be offensive. The world is rapidly moving away from God, which should cause the preacher to be more passionate, and more pointed. The world, however, and even many Christians, will be offended.
Posted in Thoughts from Isaiah by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Asleep at the Switch
Today’s Passage – Isaiah 53 – 57 (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 15 – 16; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “9 Marks of Excellence in Church Leadership“
Read the “0811 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Look Beyond the Cross“
“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.” (Isaiah 56:10)
“Asleep at the switch” is an old expression that I have used since a child which, I believe, originated with the men who had the responsibility of switching the track that a train was traveling on. If the man was asleep at the switch the train would go down the wrong track and would crash head on with another train. God speaks hear of the prophets of Israel who were spiritually asleep at the switch. Though all of the warning signs were there, these “men of God” ignored them, and failed to warn the people of the judgment that was coming. Oh there were a few godly prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, but for the most part the watchmen were asleep, and numb to the fact that the people of God were on the track heading for destruction.
As a dad and as a pastor, I am a watchman. God expects me to be looking out for the enemies that are always trying to slip through the fences in order to destroy the people that God has given me to protect. I must be alert for things that will cause the people I love to go down the wrong track. It may be a person; or it may be a false doctrine; it may be a worldly influence. The list is really endless; but my job is to watch, and then warn. How about your family, or your ministry. Is Satan having a field day sending in through your watch things or people that are going to harm. We need to be sober and vigilant, don’t we. Let’s wake up, and stop ignoring all of the dangers that are creeping into our families and our churches.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.