I’m Getting Too Old For This!
Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalm 11 – 15)
“And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” – (Genesis 7:6)
“And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” – (Genesis 9:28-29)
The thought I have this morning may seem a little strange, but bear with me. Notice that Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, and he lived beyond the flood another 350 years. The lifespan of man back in these early days after creation was obviously a lot longer than it is today. Men and women would have lived forever had sin not entered into their world, but the wages of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was death; but even still, that death didn’t come for 100’s of years. The flood would cataclysmically change the earth, which would reduce lifespans; and then a strange event is mentioned but not explained in the Bible, which would further reduce the average age that men and women would live on the earth. (See Genesis 10:25; 11:10 – 19) By the time you get to Abraham, man’s years are reduced even further to 175; and eventually God limited man’s years on earth to “three score and ten (70), with possibly another ten years added for good behavior. (Psalm 90:10)
I didn’t mean for this to be an exhaustive study on the Biblical history of lifespans, but I merely wanted to point out that Noah’s life was better than half over when God called him to build the ark and deliver his family through the flood. In today’s years, Noah would have been in his fifties when called upon to do this monumental task for the Lord. Moses was two-thirds of the way done with his life (80 years old) when God called him to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. It seems that God does not have a problem giving older folks the strength and energy to do great things for Him.
I am 48 years old, and I am way past the half way point in my life; but I can still be used of the Lord to accomplish His will. Sometimes, I start to get a little discouraged about how much I have done for the Lord thus far. I would like to have completed some more tasks, done a little more than I have; but then, when I read passages like this, I get encouraged, because it may just be that I will be used of God in greater ways in my remaining years. I bet the same is true for you as well. You are not as young as you used to be, but God still wants to use you to accomplish great things for Him.
Noah Webster completed his monumental American Dictionary of the English Language at age 66.
Benjamin Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence at age 70.
Nola Ochs became the oldest person to receive a college diploma, a degree in general studies with an emphasis on history at age 95.
Grandma Moses (yes it’s a real person) started painting at age 76, and completed over 1000 paintings by the time she died at 101.
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Walking with God
Today’s Passage –Genesis 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Proverbs 2; Psalm 6 – 10
Scripture Memorization for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read – “Fresh” by Pastor Chappell
“And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” – (Genesis 4:26)
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” – (Genesis 5:24)
“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” – (Genesis 6:9)
When I was in Bible college, I was required to daily record the Bible passages that I had read in a “Walking with God” notebook. I also had to jot down a key verse from the passage along with an explanation of the meaning of the text, and what God wanted me to do with it. What does it really mean to “walk with God”? Is it merely spending a few minutes each day in the Bible, and recording some thoughts, or is there more to it than that? In our passage today, we read about two men who walked with God: Enoch and Noah.
We know quite a bit about Noah. We know that he was seen as righteous by God, which means that he was justified in the sight of God because of his faith in God. We know that he obeyed God by building the ark, and we also know that he was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). There is not much recorded about Enoch in the Bible. The Scripture says that “God took him”, which is very mysterious, but is explained further in the Book of Hebrews:
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” – (Hebrews 11:5)
Enoch is one of only two men in the Bible who has not seen death. God took him (and later, Elijah) up to Heaven with him while he was still alive. That’s pretty cool! He is a type (or a picture) of the church, which will be translated up to God before the coming judgment of the Tribulation Period. By the way, Noah and his family are a type of the nation Israel, which will be spared through the judgment. Unlike Enoch, Noah endured the flood, but was saved.
Both of these men, however, walked with God, meaning that they enjoyed an intimate relationship with God through faith. Walking with God begins with a relationship. Notice in Genesis 4:26, the Scripture says that men began “to call upon the name of the Lord”. Your relationship with God begins when you call upon his name for forgiveness:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – (Romans 10:13)
However, walking with God means more than just being born into God’s family, it also involves continued communion with Him. Every relationship in life needs communication in order for it to grow. It is apparent that Enoch and Noah both spent time with God on a daily basis, communing with Him. You cannot walk with God without spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, and in His House.
Walking with God will also involve obedience. Enoch and Noah lived their lives in obedience to the will of God. If we are ever going to get to the place where we are walking in intimate fellowship with the Lord, we must learn to obey Him. We must surrender our stubborn will to His, and let Him direct our path.
Walking with God is a wonderful privilege, not a chore; it is a joy, not a drudgery. To think that the Creator of the universe wants to spend some one on one time with me, and also wants to use me in His Kingdom. What an awesome God we serve!
Posted in Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Genesis 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 – Mathew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)
Scripture Memoriztion for January – Philippians 3
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Sapphira – A Woman Who Did Not Keep Her Promise To God!
“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:1-11)
At the time of Sapphira, and her husband Ananias, the church was being persecuted. Many believers gave generously to support the church. But Sapphira and her husband had greedy hearts and desire money as they tried to look good in the churches eyes. So they vowed to sell their home and give the money to the church, as other did, but kept back some of the money for themselves. As a result of the couples disobedience, they both died and the church feared.
Today many of us are making “New Years Resolutions.” Some may be to stop smoking, lose weight, find a new job, stop drinking, to be more mindful of your money…. The list can go on and on. For others it maybe to be a better Christian. To start or increase your Bible reading, to pray everyday, to attend church regularly, to tithe, to serve more, to win souls….. All of these “Resolution” are good, but we must remember the example of Ananias and Sapphira. Keep our promise to God. Everyone will wake up today and read their Bible and pray. But will we still be doing it next week or next month? We may forget but God doesn’t. I’m not saying God will kill us, but we could suffer the consequences.
Let not just start the New Year off right, lets finish strong and keep our promises to God, to ourselves, and to each other.
HAVE A JOYFUL AND BLESSED NEW YEAR
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
(No Title)
Read your favorite Bible passage today
(Second Milers also read – Proverbs 31)
Memory passage for the month of December – Luke 1:26 – 38
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Behold, I Make All Things New
Today’s Passage – Revelation 20 – 22; (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 –Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30)
Memory passage for the month of November – Luke 1:26 – 38
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” – (Revelation 21:5)
The context of Revelation 21 is the unveiling of the city, New Jerusalem. This is the beautiful place that God has prepared for his bride to live out eternity in. We won’t actually get to move in until after the end of the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Christ on the earth, but, I assure you, it will be worth the wait. As we read about the description given of this city in the chapter, we see that it is unlike any earthly city. It is a place of exquisite beauty. It also is unique in its dimensions: it apparently is a perfect cube, which means that law of gravity will no longer be the same there. There will be no night there, and the light for the entire city will be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. What a place! I can’t wait to get there.
As we are approaching the New Year, I have been thinking a lot lately about the phrase in verse 5: “behold, I make all things new”. God is a master at putting away the old, and creating the new. The chapter above speaks of the passing away of the old heaven and earth, and the revealing of the new. People who have trusted Christ as Saviour are said to be “new creatures” in Christ. God purges out the old, unprofitable us, and recreates us into His image; and someday, we will have a glorified, new body to spend eternity in.
New Years is a time when we reflect on the old year, and determine to make the necessary changes in our life that God would want us to make. For the Christian, I believe the greatest resolution that we can make is to surrender our stubborn wills to the will of God; to quit resisting His Holy Spirit as He conforms us to the image of Christ. The great goal of all Christians for the New Year should be to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. However, there may be some other sub-categories of goals, or resolutions, that all help us achieve the greater goal. It may be that we will resolve to spend more time in the Bible, or in prayer. It may be that we will determine to witness to all of our friends and family. It may be that we will want stop doing some things that are inconsistent with what God would want for our lives. These are all good resolutions because they all point to the greater goal of Christ-likeness.
As you consider the approaching New Year, make your relationship with Christ your number one priority. As Paul the Apostle said:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” – (Philippians 3:10)
Posted in Thoughts from Revelation by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Press Towards “The Mark” – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:16-18).
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:19-21)
Good morning! Great news! Jesus is coming back soon! Each new day brings us closer to His coming! New technology is released daily that will help the antichrist to pretend he is a god. This new one comes from Google. If you want to see something interesting, do a Google Search on Google Wallet. This is a new app for your phone. All my credit card accounts are kept in the secure Google Cloud somewhere in cyberspace. To make a purchase in a store, all I need do is tap the back of my Android phone to the sensing device, and all the information is transfered for the credit card I wish to use. No more carrying around cash for thieves to steal. No more physical credit cards to lose or forget. Everything is right there in you smart-phone. Isn’t that great! If your phone gets lost or stolen you can lock your account remotely, and secure it.
Soon you will not even need a phone. You will not have to carry cash, or credit cards. All you need do is put your right hand, or your forehead, near the sensor and your account information will be transfered. That technology is here now, and has been. The implants that the vets put in our pets can be used on people too.
These are just signs of the times. Jesus said behold I come quickly. His is coming back soon. Are you ready? Do you know, that you know, that you know? Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Does Jesus know you? He is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life: your only way to Heaven is by and through Him. Call on Him. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins, and welcome Him into your heart, and He will save you. (Romans 3:10,23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:13). Jesus said, “…It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:6-8).
Peace! (Revelation 22:20-21).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
God’s Perfect Plan – The Saturday Morning Post On Friday by Pastor Ted Stahl
A few days ago, Camille and I were reading our Bibles together. We went through the Book of Ruth. It was only four chapters, but I got a comforting thought from this Book. Just a few days before this was Christmas Eve. This would be our first Christmas without Melissa. Standing over the grave, Camille was weeping because she missed her daughter. I was weeping, because my wife hurt, and there was nothing I could do to comfort her except to pray that the Holy Spirit would give her the comfort she needed. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, was going through it too. She had lost her husband. She had lost both of her sons. Her one daughter-in-law had gone back to her own people. Naomi had lost almost everything, but she still had Ruth. “And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:15-22).
Naomi asked to be called Mara, which means bitter. She had come back home empty. But God had a bigger and better plan. His plan was to bring Boaz and Ruth together. His plan was to bring comfort to a hurting Naomi. His plan started before time began, and this is only a small part of it.
“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. ” (Ruth 4:13-17).
Ruth became the mother of Obed, King David’s grandfather. Obed was given to Naomi to replace the two sons, and husband, she had lost. Obed would be a comfort to her: a restorer of life, ans nourisher of her old age.
These are the thoughts I got out of the Book of Ruth…
1) God’s plan is perfect, and has been running perfectly since it’s start. God doesn’t make mistakes. We do. So don’t be too hard on yourself when you mess up. God already knew about it and placed it in His perfect plan. You cannot through a ‘monkey wrench into the works’, and derail God’s perfect plan. He already knows what we will do, and He took care of that. And God’s perfect plan will continue to run flawlessly forever.
2) God’s perfect plan is filled with happiness and sorrow for us. Naomi had to lose what she had in order to return to Bethlehem. God wanted to bless Naomi in her old age. God needed Ruth to meet Boaz. God’s perfect plan called for taking her husband, and sons, home to heaven.
3) God’s perfect plan can also bring happiness and sorrow to God. To understand this better, we need to step out of Ruth, and go to the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). Why would Jesus weep? Why would God cry? He already knew that He would call Lazarus back from the dead. He knew that Mary and Martha would see their brother live again that very day. Why did Jesus weep? Our perfect God with the perfect plan has perfect compassion on His creation. That’s why He gave us verses like Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Or John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. “
And my verse, John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
4) God’s perfect plan called for man’s salvation. I don’t know what part Melissa’s death played in God’s plan, but I do know that because of His love, we will see her again. John 3:16 tells us so: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
And one of my favorite passages: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.“
Isn’t it great to stand on God’s Word, and know that He has a perfect plan that includes you? To know that you are saved, and will someday be in heaven and see those who have gone on before us? But maybe you’re not saved. Maybe you’re not 100% sure you’re going to heaven. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They told him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:30-31). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Heaven or Hell, the choice is yours. Your part in God’s perfect plan doesn’t have to end in sorrow, it could end in happiness.
Peace. (John 14:27).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Come Up Hither
Today’s Passage – Revelation 4 – 10; (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 –Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)
Memory passage for the month of November – Luke 1:26 – 38
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” – (Revelation 4:1)
Let’s compare the Scripture above with two others:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” – (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” – (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
I do not think that there can be any doubt that Revelation 4:1 is a wonderful picture of what is known as the rapture, which is actually the “catching away” or raising and resurrecting of all believers on the earth. In Revelation chapters two and three we have the seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor. Once we get to chapter four, there is no longer references to churches, because all of the believers of the Church Age have been removed from the earth and are now in Heaven. The focus in the Book of Revelation from chapter four on is the Nation of Israel. At this point in the prophecy, God is now turning His attention back on the nation of Israel and will remove their blindness, because “the fullness of the Gentiles” has come in. (Romans 11:25)
I look forward to the day when the Lord will come and take me home to Heaven, and I believe that day will be very soon. However, I am not just waiting for the rapture, I am “occupying” till He comes for me. God wants us to stay busy for Him right up until He returns for us. I want live my life today with the sense of urgency that His return is imminent, yet I must be working and planning and building as if the day of His appearing is yet many years away. Peter tells us that the reason He hasn’t come for us already is because that He is long-suffering, “not willing that any should perish”. There are still a lot of folks who need to be saved, and it is our job to reach them before it is too late. Paul said that he desired to be in Heaven with the Lord because it was “far better”; but he also said that it was needful to remain on the earth until he had finished the work that the Lord had for him to do.
I can’t wait to get to Heaven, but there is still a lot of work to do here on the earth. Let’s get busy. Maybe if we will finally get serious about the commission the Lord gave us, He will take us home sooner.
Posted in Thoughts from Revelation by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Behold, I Stand at the Door, and Knock
Today’s Passage – Jude – Revelation 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 –Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)
Memory passage for the month of November – Luke 1:26 – 38
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” – (Revelation 3:20)
The context of Revelation 3:20 is regarding the Church of the Laodiceans, which was a literal, local church that existed in Asia Minor at the end of the first century when God gave His Revelation to John on the Isle of Patmos. Jesus did not have any positive things to say about this church. The name “Laodicea” means “the peoples rights”. This was a church that belonged to the people, not the Lord, which is perhaps why Jesus was positioned outside the door of the church. This church was an historical church, but it seems to also picture the condition of so many of the Christian churches of our day. Many churches today are no longer concerned whether or not the Lord is pleased with them, as they have directed their attention on pleasing the people. Modern churches are predominantly “seeker sensitive” rather than “Saviour sensitive”. We are certainly living in that “perilous” time that Paul spoke of in 2 Timothy:
“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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” – (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Nevertheless, even though the churches by and large have turned their back on the Lord, He is still inviting the individuals in those churches to repent and turn to Him. Revelation 3:20 may have been written to a church, but the invitation to “open the door” is written to the individual – “if any man”. I thank the Lord that He invited me to receive His free gift of salvation. If you haven’t yet trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, please turn to Him today. Click here for more information from the Bible regarding salvation.
PS – I do not think that all churches today are “Laodicean churches”. We work hard at Jersey Shore Baptist Church to please the Lord, and though we love people, and desire to see them saved, we will not compromise Truth in order to reach people. We are not a perfect church, and I would be less than honest if I said that this carnal world had no affect on us, but we are trying to hold the line. I believe that a church can stand firmly today on biblical principle, and still reach people. I believe that we can still be a separated (not isolated), and holy people while still making an impact on the world around us.
Posted in Thoughts from Revelation by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – 1 John 3 – 3 John 1; (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 –Psalms 120 – 125; Proverbs 25)
Memory passage for the month of November – Luke 1:26 – 38
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
A Study Of The Women Of The Bible
Mary
“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:26-37)
There could be no better person to study about, on Christmas Day, then Mary. She is a well known woman of the Bible because she was the only one to bear and raise God’s only Son, Jesus.
A lowly servant girl, overwhelmed when visited by an angel and the message he brought, said she would do whatever He desires. She would become the mother of the Messiah. With her wondering how this could be, the angel asured her not to be afraid and explained that the Holy Spirit would work the miracle in her. Her child would be called the Son of God. Mary was the willing servant. This was complete surrender on her part. She learned that having a great privilege often goes along with sacrifice. Moses had experienced this before her. She sacrificed her reputation in order to be available to God. How could Joseph, Mary’s fiance, marry a girl who was expecting a baby by someone else? The law stated she would be stoned to death. But God protected them both.
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” (Mat 1:20)
God gave encouragement through Mary’s cousin, Elisabeth. God blessed every aspect of Mary’s life, from the explanation to Joseph through the birth and all the troubles that followed. Mary hung on the truths given, which ould guide her faith.
The next time Mary is mentioned is when she and Joseph lost Jesus when he was twelve years old.
“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.” (Luke 2:41-42)
In later years, Mary became apart of Jesus’ ministry at the wedding in Cana. But from that point on Mary is rarely mentioned. We can only imagine the anguish she must have felt as she heard the religious leaders’ disapproval of Jesus. She tried to serve and comfort Him while He did His Father’s will.
“Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” (Luke 8:19-21)
At the foot of the cross, Mary appears again. Watching Jesus’ death wounded her like nothing else could. She must have desired to wrap her arms around Him, as His arms were streched out onto the cross. Her heart pounded each time the hammer strucked the nails. In her heart she must have screamed when her Son bowed His head and gave up the Ghost. She was the one who bore Him. But even at the cross Jesus watched over Mary and placed her in the care in His disciple John.
Last we see Mary is in the upper room with the disciples (Acts 1:14).
Mary had no easy life. She was not wealthy, her reputation was destroyed by the pregnancy of her first born child and she watched her inocent Son die a curl death. But through it all she stayed faithful and trusted God and He never forsook her.
What a wonderful example Mary is to us. Do we give ourselves completely to God? Or do we hold back when He asks us something that seems “unreasonable”? Mary didn’t. Though she had her doubts, she remained true to God’s calling for her life. Mary stood firm during pain, doubt and fear. Let’s follow Mary’s example by being faithful and to trust Him!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.