Daddy – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading – Nehemiah 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16; Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Scripture Memorization for June – Verses Supporting an Unlimited Atonement
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt – “The Power of Biblical Affirmation“
Read the “0601 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “We Will Not Forsake the House of Our God“
Good morning, and happy first day anniversary to Roni and Mike. They tied the knot last night in a beautiful ceremony. It was good to hear Roni sing again, as she sang a love song to Mike. Cheyenne (Roni’s daughter) looked very pretty in her gown. There was one thing I noticed about Cheyenne, as she walked into the sanctuary, she was nervously chewing her bottom lip. A thought came into my mind: I wonder if she understands that this is a new life for her too: that she is getting a new daddy?
Memories started flooding my brain. I remembered when I got back together with Camille. Then I remembered Melissa asking her, “Can I call him daddy yet?”
I had to grab onto the sound booth to steady myself, as I felt the tears swell up in my eyes. I thought about our wedding in the office of the mayor of Brick Township. I believe it was Mayor Kinievy (I’m not sure of the spelling). Camille was crying. She held my hand tightly, as we swung them nervously back and forth, while listening to the Mayor speak. We said our “I do’s”, and it was done. When I married Camille, I was agreeing to take Melissa too, as my own daughter. …To love and to cherish, till… I remembered before Melissa got the arthritis. I raced her from the parking lot, to the entrance of Monmouth Mall. She fell and skinned her knee. We were looking in a few stores, when we realized that Melissa wasn’t with us. PANIC! We ran back to the last store we were in, and there she was, sitting on the floor, with a security guard putting a bandage on her scraped knee.
I remembered the arthritis, which would eventually cause her to have both hips, both knees replaced, five or six cervical vertebrae fused, and her head attached with wires and screws. Her wrist was humped like a camel’s back. Two rods were inserted in her wrist to make it straight again.
I remembered the one-month stay Melissa had at the Children’s Seashore Hospital in Atlantic City. It was there we met Debbie, a little girl with Spinal Bifida. She would later become part of the youth group at The Christian Bible Church. Thinking of Debbie made me think about the two ladies, with child, in our church. What if their child is born with arthritis or Spinal Bifida? The Bible says in the end times that people will be without natural affection. Will they still care for, and love their defective children? I’m sure that these two ladies would. God would not trust them with such a precious cargo if they would not.
She went home to Heaven on Thursday morning, February 16, 2012, 1:15am. This is something I would have a hard time forgetting. God blessed us with Melissa for 36 years. Parents: love your kids. You don’t know how long they will be with you. Make some memories with your children. You may have to thank God one day for those memories.
I hope that this blog will help someone. Things happen in our lives, but God gives us gifts to help others. I hope this will edify. 1Corinthians 14:26 says, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”
Peace. (Revelation 21:5)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Here We Go Again!
Today’s Reading – Ezra 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt– “Seven Big Parenting Mistakes“ from Ministry 127
Read the “0529 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this passage – “I Am Ashamed and Blush“
“And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.” – (Ezra 9:13-15)
In our Scripture passage in the Book of Ezra today, we see the people of God returning to Jerusalem from the bondage of captivity. The reason that they were taken into captivity in the first place is because they had forsaken the Lord by serving other gods, and by ignoring the principles contained in the Law. However, God in His mercy, did not forsake them, and gave them a new opportunity to re-establish themselves in the land of Israel. One of the leaders of the returning remnant was Ezra, the man who penned this book. He was a priest, and a very good man, and he was very concerned that the people would repeat their errors of the past. Notice what Ezra did before making the trip back to Jerusalem:
“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.” – (Ezra 8:21)
This man, and many others of the people of Israel, wanted to please God, and they desperately desired God’s bleesing on this renewed nation.
However, when we get to chapter nine we discover that some of the people had begun to make some serious errors in judgment again, as their fathers did before they went captivity. Notice the first two verses of chapter nine:
“Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.” – (Ezra 9:1-2)
Some of the leaders of the people had taken the first step toward the idolatry that their ancestors were guilty of by marrying some of the non-Jewish women that dwelt in the land. God knew that if these men married these women, soon they would be worshipping the gods of the women, and tolerating some of the ungodly practices of the culture that the women came from. God demanded that His people live separately from the people of the land. God demands the same from us today. Consider the following New Testament verses:
“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)
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” – (2 Corinthians 6:17)
“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.” – (1 John 2:15)
There are so many more verses that we can look at, yet the principle of separation is pretty much an ignored doctrine to many of our New Testament churches. There has never been a more worldly group of believers since the time of Christ. Someone once said that the church follows the world by about ten years, or so. I am not sure if that is true or not, but I do know that there is not a whole lot of difference between the lifestyles of the unbelievers today and the lifestyles of Christians. This passage of Scripture from Ezra is a great picture of what is happening today. The people of Israel were placed in captivity and bondage because of their sin, but were then given a second chance; yet they chose to do the same things that got them into trouble in the first place. We who are saved have also been delivered from the bondage of sin, yet we keep choosing to go back to the sinful things and worldly lifestyles that we were delivered from. Shame on us!
Well, what should we do? It would probably be a good idea to do what Ezra did. A careful reading of chapter nine will reveal that Ezra first repented on behalf of the people when he realized the problem. He then went to God, and poured out his heart to Him; and then he went to the people, and poured out his heart to them. The good news is that the people repented too, and got right with the Lord before He would have to send judgment again. I hope that we will do the same thing.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezra by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Reading – Ezra 3 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Romans 13 – 16; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 28)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt– “Encouragement for Spiritual Leaders“
Read the “0528 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
A Study Of Women In The Bible
Miriam, A Strong Leader Who Over-stepped Her Boundaries.
“For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:19-21)
Miriam’s work for the Lord started at an early age. Her mother depended and trusted her to watch over the basket prepared for baby Moses that was put on the water. It took courage to approach the Princess and ask if she could find someone to nurse the baby. It was because of her wisdom from Almighty God, that she brought the Princess together with the baby’s mother. Miriam was brought up as a slave who served the Living God.
As an adult, Miriam continued with her godly responsibilities. She was in leadership, under Moses, with her brother Aaron. She was unmarried, the first spokeswoman for God, and very dedicated to her work. Her responsibilities must have been unbelievable when the children of Israel left Egypt. It’s hard enough when your moving your own family, but what a task trying to assist in the moving of millions! Miriam must have encouraged the people as they walked between the walls of water. She led the women in song and dance when they reached the other side. She was a born leader, BUT…
“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” (Numbers 12:1-2)
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:9-10)
“And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.” (Numbers 12:15)
…Miriam over-stepped her boundaries. She put herself on the same level as Moses. Aaron and Miriam tried to usurp Moses’ authority. She was given great authority by God, but pride and jealousy stepped in. Through God’s anger, Miriam became a leper. God took her from a leader of women singing and praising God, to crying out, “Unclean, unclean”. The entire nation stopped their journey as Miriam was put out of the camp for 7 days. The Bible does not say if Miriam repented or if she was returned to her leadership position, however the Bible does say in Numbers 20:1 that she died before the children of Israel entered into the promise land.
Miriam stepped out of her God-given boundaries, and it’s very easy to step out of ours. God has given us all positions. It would do us well to remember to stay within our positions. A good leader is a better follower. In the work of God, there will always be someone in authority over you, just as there will always be some under you. If we all stay within our God-given positions, we can accomplish God’s work more efficiently. Remember, the most important job God has given all of us is to win souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
“Do you see all the people sinking down. Don’t you care are you going to let them drown? How can you be so num, not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. Bless me Lord, you know it’s all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear, but He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs, and you just lay back and keep soaking it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? Cause He brings people to your door, and you turn them away as you smile and say, God bless you, be in peace, and all Heaven just weeps….. Cause Jesus came to your door…. you’ve left Him out in the streets………….. Open up and give yourself away. You see the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay? God’s calling, and your the one… but like Jonah you run. He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight ’cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so DEAD, when you’ve been so well fed? Jesus rose from the dead, and you can’t even get out of bed…” (Song: Asleep in the Light by Keith Green)
Thank You
1 John 5:13 – 14
Posted in Devotions, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
A Fresh Start
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)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt– “Encouragement for Spiritual Leaders“
Read the “0527 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.” – (Ezra 1:2-3)
The children of Israel had spent 70 long years in captivity at the hands of the Babylonians. We cannot really blame Babylon for Israel’s troubles however, as the Scripture makes it very clear that Israel was taken into captivity as a direct judgment of God because they had forsaken Him. However, now at the end of the seventy years, we see a new king, Cyrus of Persia, who is releasing the nation of Israel and giving them the charge to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Again, we cannot fully give the credit to Cyrus for being such a gracious king, as God foretold this event in the Book of Isaiah almost 200 years prior to its happening, even mentioning King Cyrus by name:
“That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” – (Isaiah 44:28)
At any rate, Israel is given a wonderful opportunity to get things right; they are given a fresh start. What a wonderful thing it is to be given the opportunity to start all over again. Salvation does this to a person’s life. God gives them a clean slate; a new beginning. While we can never go back and undo our past mistakes, it is great to know that those mistakes are in the past, and under the blood. Israel was granted the chance to go back into the land and live for God, and worship Him as had been originally intended. Sadly, however, history wil reveal that they quickly went back to some of their old ways. We do the same thing, don’t we? God gives us a new beginning, but we soon find ourselves making the same mistakes as we did prior to our salvation. It’s really a shame, but it just reveals that the old sin nature is still alive and well. We won’t be rid of this sinful flesh until we are with the Lord; but we can make the most out our fresh start and do our best to live our lives yielded to the will of God.
If you are saved, God has given you a fresh start. Make the most of it. Experience the fullness of a life filled with the Spirit of God in the very center of God’s will. Every day, we have a fresh opportunity to get it right. Let’s ask God to help us live our lives to the fullest today, representing Him well to the world around us.
Posted in Thoughts from Ezra by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Enough is Enough!
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 34 – 36 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Romans 5 – 8;Psalms 120 – 125; Proverbs 26)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read a great article by Pastor Cary Schmidt– “Encouragement for Spiritual Leaders“
Read the “0526 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” – (2 Chronicles 36:15-16)
God, in His mercy, will send us messengers to warn us of the judgment that is coming if we fail to humble ourselves before Him, and submit to His will. Oftentimes the people of God would turn back to him and would escape the judgment, or at least postpone the judgment. But here we see the people of God, not only rejecting the Word of God; but are also mocking and attacking His messengers.
Today in America, the Spirit-filled preacher of the Word of God is also mocked, and sometimes even attacked by the world around them; and even sometimes by the people of God. God will not put up with this too much longer. There will come a time when God will say, “enough is enough”. And when that happens we are finished as a nation.
But let’s think of this a little more personally. Do you as a faithful member of a Bible preaching church consider the preaching and teaching by the pastor as a message from God; or perhaps do you just think of it as just good information that may or may not be helpful. Are we not guilty of almost the same thing as these people from Judah, when we don’t heed the warnings and exhortation given to us by God through His word in our churches. When you listen to the preaching this week, look past the preacher and focus on the message that God has supernaturally ordained to be given to you through His messenger. Support your preacher: cheer him on as he labors to deliver the message from God to your family.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
A Prayer From Psalm 119 – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 32 – 33 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Romans 1 – 4; Psalm 119; Proverbs 25)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0525 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Good morning. Did you ever have trouble praying? I mean in not knowing just what to pray for. David wrote in Psalm 119:1-8, (ALEPH.), “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.”
King David was a man of prayer who loved God’s Word. Here are some gleanings from Psalm 119 that you may want to ask for before reading God’s Word…
1] BETH. Verse 11. Ask for help in memorizing Scripture.
2] GIMEL. Verse 18. Ask for an understanding of the Scripture.
3] DALETH. Verses 25,28, and 32. Ask to be strengthened from the Scriptures.
4] HE. Verses 33 and 34. Ask for help in keeping God’s Word.
5] VAU. Verses 41-48. Praise God for what He has already shown you from His Word.
6] ZAIN. Verses 49 and 50. Ask for hope and comfort from the Scripture.
7] CHETH. Verses 58 and 59. Ask for His mercy and forgiveness when you are convicted from the Scripture.
8] TETH. Verses 66, 68, and 71. Ask God to teach you from His Word.
9]JOD. Verse 80. Ask God to help you stand on His Word.
10] CAPH. Verse 82. Ask for comfort in affliction.
11] LAMED. Verses 89-91. Thank God for His Word.
12] MEM. Verses 97 and 98. Ask God to give you wisdom from His Word.
13] NUN. Verse 105. Ask for guidance from the Scriptures.
14] SAMECH. Verses 113-120. Ask God to keep you from worldly influences.
15] AIN. Verses 121 and 122. Ask the LORD to give you something to protect you from your enemies.
16] PE. Verses 133-135. Ask God to teach you from His Word.
17] TZADDI. Verses 138-140. Thank God for His Word.
18] KOPH. Verses 145-149. Plead with God to hear your prayer according to His Word.
19] RESH. Verses 153 and 154. Ask for deliverance from your afflictions according His Word.
20] SCHIN. Verse 164. Thank God again, and praise Him, for what He has done, and will do according to the Scripture.
21] TAU. Praise GOD with your body (verses 171-172), mind (verses 173-174), and soul (verse 175) because of what God has done through His Holy Word.
Peace. (Proverbs 15:8)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
When He Was Strong His Heart Was Lifted Up
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 25 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 22 – 24; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0523 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read previous posts from today’s reading passage – “The Key to Prosperity“; and “Plenty More Where That Came From“
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16)
There is a lot of practical truth that we can glean from these Bible passages about the kings of Judah and Israel. In today’s reading, we learned about several kings: some of them good; and some not so good. In chapter 26, we read about a very good king, Uzziah, that was tremendously used of the Lord to strengthen the southern Kingdom of Judah. Early in his reign as king, he sought the Lord, and the Scripture tells us that God made him to prosper. He did a lot of wonderful things, and because he was submissive to the will of God, God blessed him and the nation mightily. I wish that was the end of the story; but unfortunately, the Bible goes on to tell us that Uzziah’s heart became lifted up with pride. He one day decided that he was going to go into the temple himself to offer incense upon the altar of incense. Now that was a job that was exclusively reserved for the priests. Sadly, Uzziah felt that he was so great that he could do whatever he wanted to do, even bypass God’s clear instructions regarding the worship in the temple. The priests immediately withstood him and rebuked him for usurping their God given role. He became furious with the priests. “Who are you to tell me what to do?” “Don’t you know who I am?” “I am the king, and I will do whatever I please” This was Uzziah’s attitude. God’s judgment immediately fell on Uzziah, and he became leprous in his forehead. He realized then that he had crossed the line, but it was too late.
We see this type of thing all too often in the Scripture, and we also see in the lives of Christians today. Many times, when a person first trusts the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, he is very humble. He is moldable, teachable, and can easily be corrected. However, as he grows in the Lord and is obedient to the principles found in the Word, God will prosper him. This prosperity will often bring about pride. Sometimes, it is so subtle that he does not even realize it. He takes the credit for the blessings that were given to him by the Lord. He begins to know more than his teachers, and he begins to pick and choose what he will obey, and what he will not. He begins to gradually seize control of his life away from God’s control. He slowly becomes his own God again, calling his own shots. When he gets to this place God will have to bring judgment in order to bring him back down to earth.
This does not have to happen. We can stay humble. We can continue to lean on the Lord, and not our own understanding. We can stay teachable, and moldable. We can continue to obey the Word of God, and the authorities that God has placed in our lives. We don’t have to head down this road that leads to self-destruction. Watch out for pride. It was Satan’s downfall; it was Eve’s also. Remember, she wanted to be as God, knowing good and evil. Pride is a big part of our flesh that must be put to death on a daily basis.
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Proverbs 29:23)
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
How Will You Be Remembered?
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 21 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 19 – 21; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)
Read a previous post from this passage – “Too Dependent on the Preacher“
“Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without being desired. Howbeit they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.” (2Chronicles 21:20)
This verse is perhaps one of the saddest verses in all of the Bible. Here we see the life of Jehoram, a king of Judah: the son of Jehoshaphat, a great king. The verse tells us that when he died he was not desired: nobody wanted him. How sad it is that a person with so much opportunity for good; so much opportunity to impact his nation, would die without being desired. Why did this happen? What would cause this man to be so evil; so different from his father, who was loved and desired by all? Believe it or not, I think the blame belongs to his father. His father, though a great man himself, was not a separated man. Though he loved God, he was very close and friendly to others who hated God. He got so close that he actually allowed his son, Jehoram to marry one of wicked King Ahab’s daughters. The Bible tells us that after the death of Jehoshaphat, Ahab’s family became the counsellors of Jehoram. His father followed God; but the son chose to follow evil.
Parents, please be very careful about what and who you allow to get close to your children. Though you as parents may be strong enough to stand in a wicked environment, your children may not be; and may succumb to the wickedness around them. Live a separated life. Don’t allow the things of this world; or ungodly people to be an influence to your family.
My life will not be judged merely by my own conduct. People will also judge me by whether or not my children walk with God, and serve their generation. I want my kids to be better than I am. I want them to have more love and compassion for their fellow man than I ever could. I want them to be desired.
When you die, will you leave here without being desired? Or will people miss you? Will they grieve for the void that will be there because of your parting? This life is not about you; it’s not about me. It is about glorifying God; and serving our generation; and then training and teaching our children to serve their generation.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
JUST FOR LADIES – BY CAMILLE STAHL
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 18 – 20 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 16 – 18; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0521 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Read a previous post from this passage – “Keep Your Eyes on the Lord“
A Bible Study Of Women In The Bible
Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover
“As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.” (Proverbs 11:22)
Gold. It is a valuable metal that we treasure. It will still buy things when the dollar fails. We melt it into many shapes and use it to adorn our bodies. Much gold was used in the Tabernacle, and the entire Ark of God was overlaid with it. It seems unlikely that someone would take such a precious metal and put it on a pig’s nose. Pigs are dirty. They roll in the mud all day. Their noses are in the slop the farmers feed them. At times there is even pig snot running out. I know, not a pretty sight. But under all that mess is a fine jewel waiting to be cleaned up and treasured.
What is discretion? The ability or power to decide responsibly; the freedom or authority to make judgments and to act as one sees fit; the quality of being discreet; prudence; tactfulness; the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight.
It sounds like a good quality to have, but remember this woman doesn’t have this quality. Her beauty makes her seem as if she’s full of grace. But she is a foolish woman and is compared to a swine wallowing in the mire of filthy lusts. In other words, you can’t judge a person on how they look.
We look in the mirror every morning to make sure our outside appearance is just right. We check our hair. We brush our teeth and make sure there is no leftover spinach on them. We spend much money on make-up so our faces look just right. We make sure our clothing matches and fits right. If we walk by a mirror during the day or visit the ladies room we check ourselves to make sure all is still well. Well, how much more do we need to check the inside of us so we don’t find ourselves in the nose of a pig. The Bible is a perfect mirror to check how we’re doing on the inside. There is an answer to any situation or problem we face each day in the Word of God. There are many lessons to learn about our attitudes, and regarding how we should conduct ourselves.
Read and study your Bible everyday. Ask God to show you something from His Word. Take a hard look at yourself and change those things that God is impressing on you. Use your good common sense. Get out of the pig’s nose and let God shine you up.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Who Do You Listen To?
Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 9 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers Read – Acts 10 – 12; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Scripture Memorization for May – Romans 10
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell– “Launch Out“
Read the “0519 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.” – (2 Chronicles 10:6-8)
In our reading passage today, in chapter 10, we see the the beginning of the reign of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. It seems that shortly after Rehoboam became king his leadership was tested when a delegation from the northern tribes of Israel came to him asking him to lighten the burden that had been placed upon them by King Solomon. I am assuming that the burden that was placed upon them was a tax burden. Government has always been good at taxing its people, hasn’t it? Anyway, it appears that Rehoboam’s father, Solomon, had gradually increased the tax burden placed upon the people of Israel, and they were tired of it. By the way, it is very interesting to note that in the beginning of Solomon’s reign his people were very happy (9:7); but somewhere along the line his spending became out of control, and the source of most of the revenue came from the people.
Reheboam decides to ask the people to give him some time to consider the request, and he seeks counsel from two groups of people. First, he talks to the old men. Their counsel to Reheboam was to “be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words unto them”. Their belief was that if Solomon worked with the people, the people would love him; but if he continued to tax them as his father had, the people would rebel.
The second group that Reheboam sought counsel from was the young men. They told him to whip the people into shape; to show them who was boss. Basically they told Reheboam to make it harder upon the people. They wanted him to rule with an iron fist. Unfortunately, Reheboam listened to the counsel of the young men. The result was disastrous for him, and for the kingdom. The northern tribes rebelled against Reheboam and formed their own kingdom, resulting in a civil war that would last for many years. Reheboam’s decision ended up costing him a whole lot more than the little bit of tax money that the old men had suggested he let the people keep for themselves.
Reheboam should have listened to the old men. Who do you have in your cabinet of counselors? I believe the principle that we can glean from this passage is that we need to be very careful whom we allow to influence us. I would recommend that you would put many godly people in your cabinet of counselors. The Bible says that in the multitude of counselors there is safety, but I am sure that it means only godly counselors. We need to have people in our lives who will be willing to tell us what perhaps we do not want to hear. That cabinet ought to include older men and women who have experienced a little bit of life, and are a little further down the road than we are. It also ought to include some people who are knowledgeable in the Scriptures, like a pastor, or youth leader. It also ought to include godly people who are knowledgeable in particular areas of expertise, such as finances. Choose your counselors wisely, and heed their advice.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Chronicles by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.