The Call of God
Today’s Passage – Exodus 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read – “Make Your Priorities a Priority – Be a Clutter Buster, part 3“, by Pastor Chappell
Read a previous post from this passage – “Growing Through Affliction”
“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.”(Exodus 3:4)
Forgive me for reminiscing a little this morning, but when I read this passage of Scripture dealing with the call of God to Moses, I can’t help but remember the times that I heard clearly the voice of God as He was directing my life. The times that I will share with you happened after I had already trusted Christ as my Saviour, and after I was also already serving Him and growing in Him the best I knew how through my local church. Notice in the passage that Moses also had to get close to God in order for him to hear God’s call.
The first time in my life that I felt God call me was when I was attending a evening service back at Ocean County Baptist Church nearly 20 years ago. I was probably 25 years old at the time and had only been a Christian at that point for a short while. Anyway, we had a guest missionary speaker that night. I must confess that I do not remember the preacher’s name, or the place where he was a missionary. I don’t even remember his message title or text. What I do remember, however, was his invitation. It went something like this: “If God were to call you to do something, and He were to make it clear to you that it was His will, would you surrender?” To me, that was a no brainer. The man was not asking me to surrender to some specific place or ministry at that moment; he was merely posing the possibility of a call, and asking what my response would be. I went forward, and frankly I thought the entire congregation would have walked the aisle with me; but when I got up after praying, I was shocked to see that there was only two of us up at the front. At that time in my life, I had no idea what God might do with me; but I told Him that night that I was willing to go “if” He were to call me. I often think back on that moment as the beginning point of God directing me to where I am today.
The second time, I heard God’s call clearly was when He called me to go to Bible College. I had already been to college once, and I was perfectly content with just serving with my pastor at my home church while I learned what I needed to know there. I remember my pastor and I agreeing that I should take some correspondance classes so that I would not have to uproot my family and go off to school. God, however, had other plans. While I was attending a conference down in Longview, Texas, God revealed clearly to me that He wanted me to be trained at Texas Baptist College. I do not regret that move for one minute. God taught me much there; but the main thing that He taught me was how to trust Him.
The third time I heard the voice of God in my life was when God called me to be the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church. I never candidated at any other church. I really didn’t even candidate here. God, through a very miraculous set of circumstances, placed me here. That was almost ten years ago now and one thing is for sure, knowing that I was genuinely “called of God” has been the thing that has kept me going for this past decade. There have been many blessings along the way; and there have also been some difficult days; but I know that I am exactly where God wants me. The certainty of God’s call is what helps keep me going.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Which Way Are You Going? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning. Do you already have it fixed in your mind what you are doing today? Which way are you going? Are you following someone else? Are you going your own way? If you’re a Trekkie, are you boldly going where no man has gone before? Where are you going? Blind Bartimaeus wasn’t going anywhere: he was just sitting and begging on the side of the road. From the spot where he sat, blind Bartimaeus had to decide which way he should go. In Mark chapter 10, the Bible says: “And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” (Mark 10:46-52).
Bartimaeus was blind. He had a need: the need to see. Which way would he go? Would he just stay on the side of the road begging, or would he take action to resolve his need? Which way would he go? He decided to be proactive and cried out to Jesus for mercy. Many people who were there told him to shut-up and sit down. Would he go with the flow and give up?
Which way would he go? He cried out even more, Jesus stopped and called for blind Bartimaeus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. Which way would he go now that he could see? He followed Jesus.
We have had our eyes opened. Which way are we going to go? You can follow people who think they can spend their way out of debt. You can follow people who take away you defense rifles, your hard-earned money, and your freedom. Which way will you go? Blind Bartimaeus had to make that decision. His eyes were opened and he followed Jesus. Which way will you go? There is still hope for America. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14).
Peace. (2Chronicles 7:14).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Passed the Test
Today’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85
“Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” – (Genesis 44:33-34)
Joseph’s brothers, especially Judah, demonstrated to Joseph in this passage of Scripture that they had truly repented of the sin that they had committed in selling Joseph into slavery. Joseph put them to the test, and they passed. Joseph had to be sure that his brother Benjamin would be safe from his other brothers. After all, they did sell Joseph; how did he know that Benjamin wasn’t their next target. By putting his cup in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph had made sure that Benjamin would be staying with him in Egypt. Now all he had to do was wait and see what the other brothers would do. If they did the right thing, he would know that they had truly changed, but if they did not do the right thing, then at least Joseph would still have his brother Benjamin.
Judah, the third son, takes the lead in this dilemma. He is the one that speaks on behalf of the family, and he offers to take the place of Benjamin as Joseph’s servant. He explains to Joseph that if they did not return to their father with Benjamin, that the father would be overcome with grief. Joseph could not bear the thought of hurting his father, and since the brothers have come clean regarding their sin, and have demonstrated that they are not the same men that were, he will come clean with them, and reveal himself to them; and best of all, he forgives them.
I can’t wait until we get to the next chapter where Joseph will tell his brothers who he really is. And then will come the reunion with Dad! Great Stuff!
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Lead on Softly
Today’s Passage –Genesis 33 – 35
(Second Milers also read –Matthew 25 – 26; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)
“And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.” – (Genesis 33:13-14)
In our passage today, Jacob and his large family are travelling back to the land of Canaan, and when they are almost to their destination they meet up with Jacob’s brother, Esau. Jacob was initially afraid to meet up with his brother because when he had last seen Esau 20 years prior, they were not on good terms. However, it seems that all is well between them, and now they will both travel along the same route to the land that God gave their grandfather, Abraham. The problem is that Esau is travelling with 400 men, and Jacob is travelling with his family, including women and small children; and he also has his livestock with him. Jacob knew that he could not keep the same pace as Esau, so he sent Esau on ahead. Jacob told his brother that he will “lead on softly”, at a slower pace, so that he would not put too much strain upon his family.
There is a wonderful lesson that can be learned from this story. Jacob knew that the people that he was leading weren’t capable of doing what Esau’s men could do, so he didn’t try to force them to perform at a level that was beyond their ability at that point. As a preacher, I have had to learn (sometimes the hard way), that all of the people at our church are not the same. They all have different gifts and abilities, and they are all at different stages of growth. It would be wrong for me to expect a babe in Christ to act as spiritually mature as someone that has been saved and growing for many years. Similarly, I should not expect someone to perform in some capacity that is beyond their God-given ability. Everyone is unique. However, I do want to offer opportunities to our people that will challenge, and stretch them, but I must be careful not to put too much upon them. I thank God that He has been very patient with me, and has developed me on a timetable that was uniquely designed for me.
Parents need to learn this lesson as well. We shouldn’t compare our children because they are all different. Some will develop faster than others. They will all have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. We need to pray daily for wisdom from God as to what each of our children need at the level they are at today. Someday, they may be travelling with a band of 400 men, but for now we may have to “lead on softly”.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Proverbs 12:19 – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning. The Bible says, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19). Compromise, political correctness, bumper stickers telling us to co-exist: they are all lies. It almost seems that who ever has the most believable lie wins: his lie becomes truth. There can be only one truth. Compromise or political correctness, anything that varies from the truth is a lie. Where does this tendency to lie come from? Jesus told the Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” (John 8:44-45).
Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
Here is a statement: “All politicians are liars.”
Add some political correctness, and you get: “Politicians sometimes may stretch the truth.”
It may be stretched, but it’s still truth. No. It’s a lie. And do you know why politicians lie? Is it to get more money? Maybe. Is it to keep their jobs? Could be. Is it for more power? Ahh! You may be on to something. Let me give you a quote from a famous SOCIALIST about truth and lies…
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” – Joseph Goebbels. He was the Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.
I am so glad we don’t have to rely on politicians for truth. We have God’s Word, the King James Bible as our source of truth. And we have the Holy Spirit living inside us who will show us what truth is.
Peace! (John 4:24).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The House of God
Today’s Passage – Genesis 27 – 28
“And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” – (Genesis 28:18-22 )
In our passage today, in chapter 27, we read about the messy family problems that took place in the home of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. Jacob is force to flee from his home in order to escape the wrath of his brother Esau; but something wonderful happens to Jacob when he gets away from home: he meets God for himself. Chapter 28 records the wonderful experience that Jacob had in a place that he called Bethel, which means “the house of God”. At Bethel, God would introduce Himself personally to Jacob: no longer would God be the God of Abraham or Isaac; now God was Jacob’s God as well. During their visit together, God reaffirmed the covenant that He had previously made with Jacob’s father and grandfather; and Jacob also commits himself to worship and serve the Lord.
Every Christian has that special place in their life where they first met with God. For me, believe it or not, it was in my 1986 Isuzu box-body truck. It was there in that truck while travelling across New Jersey, listening to Christian radio, that God first revealed Himself to me. That truck was my Bethel: it was the place that I first met with God. There have also been other Bethel’s in my life: places where God spoke to my heart in a special way. I have a place that is my Bethel today: a place where I daily meet with the Lord. Bethel is a wonderful place; not because of any natural attribute it may have, but simply because it is the place where God meets with us.
Do you have a Bethel? Is there a place that you can remember: a place where God first revealed Himself to you? Is there a place where God regularly meets with you today? Those are your Bethels, and they are wonderful places to be.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
From a Father to a Son
Today’s Passage – Genesis 25 – 26
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” – (Genesis 26:3-5)
Notice in the above verses that God told Isaac that He would be with him, and bless him; not because of anything that Isaac had done to deserve the blessing, but because that God had made a promise to Isaac’s father, Abraham. The son was being blessed because of the faithfulness of the father.
I have two thoughts regarding this passage:
1 As Christians, we are receiving an awful lot of benefit and blessing because of the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. We didn’t do anything to deserve salvation, and we didn’t do anything to deserve the joint inheritance that we have received, and will receive, all because of our relationship to Jesus. What a gift we have been given!
2 My second thought is a bit more practical than spiritual. The faithfulness and obedience of a father, will yield benefits that will pass down through many generations of children and grandchildren. It is a sobering thought, that my life today will have a great impact on future generations. I want my children and grandchildren to be blessed; I want the families in my church to be blessed. To some degree, the blessing that they will receive in the future is dependent upon my faithfulness today. For example: if I am a good steward of the money God gives me, I will leave behind a financial reward for my heirs. If I work hard to today to build character and faithfulness into my children, they will also benefit from that effort in the future. Again, it is my desire to leave behind an heritage of blessing for future generations; but in order for that to happen, I must work hard today.
Isaac had to learn to walk with God on his own, but Isaac had a great start that was handed to him by his father, Abraham. I want to be able to hand down some things to my children as well.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Bride of Christ”
Watch “Growth Points Video – Leading With An Attitude” by Pastor Chappell
Elisheba, The Wife Of The High Priest Aaron
“And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” (Exodus 6:23)
Elisheba’s name is only mention this one time in the Bible and very little is known about her. We know she was married to Aaron the High Priest and they had four sons. Being in a leadership roll, all eyes were on them. Her life was focused on the Lord God, and her family. As a mother she took part in the rearing of her sons to set their feet on the right path, which pointed them towards God. But something happened.
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire form the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2)
Instead of following God’s directions, they willingly disobeyed God, by their “strange fire” incense offering. God punished them by consuming them in fire. Some say Nadab and Abihu may have been drunk because God later warned Aaron and his sons not to drink before worship.
“And the LORD spake unto Aaron saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a stature for ever throughout your generations:” (Leviticus 10:8 – 9)
As Christian moms, we all strive to raise our children to do right and fear the LORD. We love our children very much. But not every mother has children who make her proud. Every child is different. One may go in the direction that they were taught, the other, completely opposite. There may even be a child who starts off well, but as they become adults they go in the wrong direction. This is why it’s so important to start very early in teaching them the way of the LORD. Praying with them, even before they know what prayer is. Going with them to church. Letting them see you follow the Lord and not just telling them what to do. Be the example they need. It’s also important to never stop praying for them, and never stop loving them even when they are going in the wrong direction. Don’t misunderstand, we should never agree to the sin, but love them as Jesus loves us.
As with Elisheba, God may also provide a Christian mother a blessing. Eleazar, Elisheba’s third son, kept the faith of his parents, and followed in the footsteps of his father. He became the head of the Levites and then he became the High Priest in Aaron’s place.
Don’t give up on your children. Remember, no one is perfect. Love your children no matter what. Teach them by example. When they fall, be there to pick them up. Never write them off. God always has a plan B.
“Train up a child in the way he (she)should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE – By Keith Green
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain to try at all
Building anything not according to His call
Unless the Lord wants it done, You Better not work another day
Building anything that will stand in His way
You love the Lord and it seems like He’s been leading, You’ve asked Him to bless all your plans
But are you so sure you’re NOT just doing what you want to, Building your house on the sand
Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain to try at all
Building anything not according to His call
Unless the Lord wants it done, You Better not work another day
Building anything that will stand in His way
Working so hard at the things that you believe in, No one can tear you away
But don’t you lose sight of the very ONE who calls you, You may be sorry some day
For wood, hay and stubble, will all burn in the fire
But to love the Lord with all your heart, should be your one DESIRE
Love the Lord!
Psalms 127:1 “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…”
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Prayer of a Friend
Today’s Passage – Genesis 17 – 19
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30
“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:” (Genesis 18:3)
Genesis 18 is a wonderful account which tells of the communion that Abraham had with his God. In the passage, three “men” appear at the farm of Abraham. We are not sure who all of these “men” are. Some have concluded that one of them was the Lord, and the other two were angels, which is certainly a good possibility because the very next chapter begins with two angels going to rescue Lot from the destruction of Sodom. I tend to believe, however, that these three were physical manifestations of the the three members of the Trinity. I could be wrong, but it is interesting that though there were three men, Abraham always only addresses them in the singular form as one. Nevertheless, the Lord and Abraham enjoy a sweet time of fellowship during this time. You get the feeling from the passage that they were not rushing to conclude their time together. A meal was prepared while the Lord waited.
During this time, God, no doubt, spoke to Abraham about many things; but one thing in particular that he told Abraham was that he would, in fact, have a son that would be born to Sarah. The miraculous thing about all of this is that Sarah and Abraham both are well beyond the child bearing years. Abraham and Sarah actually waited 20 years from the time that God first promised them a child to the time when their son, Isaac, was finally born. God is faithful to do all that He says that He will do in His time. During this afternoon of fellowship with Abraham, God reassures him again of the promise.
God reveals something else to Abraham during their time together. As Abraham was walking with the Lord as He was leaving, God shares with Abraham his planned destruction of the city of Sodom. God didn’t have to tell him, but He did. Of course, this got Abraham’s attention because he had a nephew in Sodom that he cared for. Abraham begins to intercede for the city of Sodom. He is begging God to spare the city, but his concern is really about Lot. The Bible tells us that Abraham was the friend of God, but here we see that he was also a good friend to Lot. God never promises to spare the city, and interestingly, He never promises to spare Lot; but He did say that He would spare the city if He had found ten righteous people there, which, by the way, He does not find. However, God does spare Lot and the family members that are willing to listen to Lot’s warning of the coming destruction. I want you to notice something very important, however, from chapter 19 and verse 29:
“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.”
Did you catch it? It does not say that God spared Lot because he was righteous, though we know that the New Testament speaks of him as being “just” (justified). It also does not say that God remembered Lot. It does say that God remembered Abraham. What did God remember about Abraham? He remembered Abraham’s intercession on behalf of his nephew, Lot. God spared Lot and his family because of the prayer of Abraham.
What a wonderful picture we have here of prayer. God communing in sweet fellowship with his child. God revealing something to that child that would be of concern to him. God giving that child an opportunity to intercede, to pray for that very concern. And then the best part: God answering the request of the child: not exactly the way he wanted it; but a wonderful answer none the less. Kind of causes you to want to spend a little time in prayer yourself, doesn’t it?
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
He Pitched His Tent Towards Sodom – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 13 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
Read a previos post from this passage – “Relationships Are More Important Than Riches”
Read “Be A Clutter Buster” by Pastor Paul Chappell
Good morning. This passage from Genesis chapter 13 marks the downfall of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. He would move into a city of exceeding wickedness.
He would lose his wife. He would father a child by each of his two daughters. He would lose everything he had.
“And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” (Genesis 13:7-13).
The beautiful picture of Christ’s love for His church has been trampled upon by three states: Maryland, Maine, and Washington. Illinois could be falling soon too. Lawmakers in several other states may consider the issue later this year: Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The issue: the perverted, lustful union between a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. The truth about Homosexuality is found in Romans chapter 1…
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:18-32).
God calls it an abomination in Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
But there is hope. You see all sins can be forgiven except one. The sin of sodomy is just as bad as the sin of over eating, murder, or telling a lie. All sin condemns a person to death. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
Jesus loves the Homosexual. He shed His precious blood to forgive the sin of Homosexuality as well as any other sin you can think of. If you are trapped in this ‘lifestyle’, you can be set free. That’s why Jesus came: to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). And, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (1Corithians 5:17)
Peace! (John 3:16)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.