Servant Leadership
Today’s Passage – John 12 – 13
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
When I was in Bible College, I worked for Super One Foods, a supermarket chain that operated in the Ark-La-Tex area. They had a philosophy for management that was not common for many companies that I had been associated with before. They believed that the managers should work alongside of the employees, instead of just directing them. I was eventually promoted to a grocery department manager, which basically meant that I was the overseer of the night stockers. In order to get that position I had to demonstrate that I could stock as well or better than the other men on the night crew. Once I received the promotion, I still had to stock along with the crew as much as I could. There was nothing that I expected them to do that I was not willing to do myself.
Jesus taught and lived servant leadership. He did not separate Himself from His disciples, except when He was praying privately with His Father. He lived with them, ate with them, ministered with them; and most importantly, He served them. Here in this passage, He is washing their feet. It is interesting that none of the disciples thought about washing each other’s feet. The water was there, the towel was there, and the need was there; yet only the Lord had enough humility to get down on His knees and clean off the filth from the world that had accumulated on them.
I wonder, how many of God’s servants today are truly servants. Both words, “minister” and “deacon”, have as their primary meaning the idea of serving others. There are too many preachers out there that want to be ministered to, instead of ministering to others. Every once in a while I hear about preachers that have a list of demands that must be met in order for him to come and minister to a church. The list might include first class flights, a certain brand of hotel, minimum amount of love offering, etc. Now I am certainly not opposed to giving “double honor” to the men that come to preach for us; but I can’t in my wildest imagination think that Jesus or Paul would have such a list of demands. We need to get back to serving people. All kinds of people: rich ones and poor ones; educated ones and ignorant ones; all cultures; all races; even the ones with very dirty feet.
Posted in Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Truth – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Psalm 46 says, “To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Psalm 46).
Good morning. With all the lies in the world, isn’t it great to have TRUTH you can stand on? The Word of God is true, and will never change. If you could change the truth, it would no longer be truth, but lies. Evolution is taught in schools as the truth. Does that make it true? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and everything else. No, a little dust-ball suddenly appeared and started spinning around the universe. Faster and faster the dust-ball spun, collecting more dust on it’s travels. The spinning dust-ball compacted itself tighter and tighter. Then BANG! It exploded and the planets were formed. Which is true? I heard somebody say this week, “What is truth for one person, may not be truth for another.”
Is that true? It may be a politically correct statement, but it is not the truth. Truth will always be true no matter what. Anything that is not truth is a lie. Malachi 3:6 tells us, “…I am the LORD, I change not…”
Because God doesn’t change, His Words will not change. They are true Words which will endure for all time. That’s what I like about Psalm 46. God is in control, and we have His truth that we can stand on.
God is our Refuge. I doesn’t matter if evil men try to push their Socialism, and take away our freedom, there is freedom in God. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:6). Run to God. God is our refuge.
God is our Strength. Can we survive the lose of a job? …$8.00 a gallon for gas? …the rising cost of living? Yes we can! Because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phillippians 4:13). God is our strength.
God is our Help. What will happen when the powers-that-be come after you for speaking the truth, and not being politically correct? “And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” (Psalm 37:40). God is our help.
We can stand firmly on His truth, and He will keep us from falling.
Peace. (Psalm 37:37)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Where Am I Going To Go?
Today’s Passages – John 6 – 7; (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 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)
Memory passage for the month of November – Psalm 95
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” – (John 6:68)
I remember recently having a discussion with a close friend of mine about whether he ever thought about quitting on God. His answer kind of reminded me of Peter’s answer in John 6:68 above. He said, “where am I going to go?”. What he was actually saying was that there is only one hope for salvation, and that is in the Person of Jesus Christ. Who else could we possibly turn to? There is no-one else.
I have been saved now for nearly twenty-two years; and in that time I have experienced many mountaintops. It is easy to praise God and exalt His name when I am on the mountaintop. However, I have also been in the valley, many times due to some bad decisions that I have made. In the valley it is not always so easy to praise the Lord. In fact it is not always easy to even see the Lord. There have been times that I have actually contemplated throwing in the towel, and turning my back on the Lord and His church. By the grace of God, He has kept me in, but I think what has always helped me was the fact that God would remind me that I really have no alternative. Who would I go to? What would I do? If I thought the valley I was in at the time was bad, I wondered how much worse life would be without the Lord. My faith in God, and the promises of His Word, would always keep me from quitting.
Praise the Lord for His grace! Let me encourage you: don’t run from the Lord – run to Him. He has the Words of eternal life!
Posted in Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Living Water
Today’s Passages – John 4 – 5; (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 31 – 35;Proverbs 7)
Memory passage for the month of November – Psalm 95
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read a previous post from this passage – “Are You Thirsty”
“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” – (John 4:13-14)
Several years ago I was preaching and teaching through the Gospel of John, and as I was preparing for the message from chapter four I came across a commentary written by a man named Arthur Pink. I was fascinated by what Pink wrote about this passage regarding how water is a type of salvation. Here is an excerpt from his book:
1. Water is a gift from God. It is something which man, despite all his boasted wisdom, is quite unable to create. For water we are absolutely dependent upon God. It is equally so with His salvation, of which water is here a figure. 2. Water is something which is indispensable to man. It is not a luxury, but a vital necessity. It is that without which man cannot live. It is equally so with God’s salvation—apart from it men are eternally lost. 3. Water is that which meets a universal need; it is not merely a local requirement, but a general one. All are in need of water. It is so with God’s salvation. It is not merely some particular class of people, who are more wicked than their fellows, for all who are outside of Christ are lost. 4. Water is that which first descends from the heavens. It is not a product of the earth, but comes down from above. So is it with salvation: it is “of the Lord.” 5. Water is a blessed boon: it cools the fevered brow, slakes the thirst, refreshes and satisfies. And so does the salvation which is to be found in Christ. 6. Water is something of which we never tire. Other things satiate us, but not so with water. It is equally true of God’s salvation to the heart of every one who has really received it. 7. Water is strangely and unevenly distributed by God. In some places there is an abundance; in others very little; in others none at all. It is so with God’s salvation. In some nations there are many who have been visited by the Dayspring from on high; in others there are few who have passed from death unto life; while in others there seem to be none at all. (Pink, Arthur –The Gospel of John, chapter 12)
I do not know if all of these thoughts were original to Mr. Pink, but I was fascinated by his observation. Let me be quick to point out, however, that we would certainly not agree with everything that Mr. Pink believed and taught, especially his hyper-calvinistic leanings; but I have been blessed countless times by some of the thoughts that he received from the Lord. We need to be good Bereans, and search the Scriptures ourselves in order to see whether the things that men are teaching us are true. But I am glad that I can glean some wisdom from men who have pondered these truths before me.
PS – I would like to ask you to consider another observation from chapters 3 and 4 of John’s Gospel. Notice the contrast between Nicodemus and this un-named woman:
1 Nicodemus is a ruler of the Jews. She is a despised, Samaritan woman.
2 Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night, perhaps because he feared being seen by his peers. Jesus comes to this Samaritan woman in the middle of the day.
3 Jesus is very pointed to the Pharisee, but He is very patient with the woman.
4 There is no indication that this proud Pharisee trusts Christ after this first encounter, though he did get saved later. The humble woman, however, saw her need and opened her heart to the Savior.
I love studying the Bible, don’t you? There are so many thoughts that we can pull from these passages. Perhaps you saw some things from the passage today that you would like to share with us. Leave a comment here so that others might be blessed with what God has given you.
Posted in Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies – by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passages – John 1 – 3; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)
Memory passage for the month of November – Psalm 95
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Study of Women in the Bible
ANNA – A WOMAN WHO WASN’T DESTROYED BY A BROKEN HEART
“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:36-38)
This is all we know of Anna. It’s not much but enough to show her character and devotion to God. The prophetess Anna’s life should have been one without hope after her husband died, but instead turned her life completely over to God. She not only served in the temple, she must of lived there as the Bible says she departed not from the temple. There are many, who when they lose a love one, stop living, have self-pity or flee to isolation. She didn’t become a burden or lonely woman who everyone pitied who no one knew how to help. She didn’t flee to past memories for happiness, but served the true living God who gave her peace in her heart. I am not talking about mourning, but the peace that God gives us through the valleys.
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”(Psalms 23:4)
She and others were waiting for the Messiah to come. Is it any wonder that Anna walked in when Mary, Joesph and Jesus were there? God surely blessed her for her faithfulness by the sight of the One she had long hoped for. Immediately she thanked her heavenly Father and spread the news to others.
There is nothing more heart breaking then to lose someone dear to your heart, but we have a choose. Spiritually live or die. Continue to serve or quit. It’s not easy. We ask WHY?
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Let’s ask ourselves: “do we share the single-hearted devotion to God as Anna did? Are our spirits tuned to His voice that we hear and obey His call in our lives? When the Holy Spirit calls in that still small voice, is it drowned out by the cares of our broken hearts?” Let us turn to the only one who can heal our wounds and turn our sorrows into joy.
Thank You
1 John 5:13 – 14
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
This Is Just The Beginning
Today’s Passages – Luke 21 – 22;
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)
“And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” – (Luke 21:7)”
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” – (Luke 21:11)”
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” – (Luke 21:25)
“All these are the beginning of sorrows.” – (Matthew 24:8)
The picture above is of the Mantoloking Road Bridge, which connects the mainland in Brick Township with Lavallette, one of the barrier islands that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The house I grew up in is about 5 miles west of this location. While hurricane Sandy was pounding on the east coat, there was also a large earthquake on the west coast, just offshore of Brittish Columbia.
Is it just me, or does it seem that these natural disasters seem to be coming more and more frequently these days. Al Gore will tell you that it is due to global warming. I am not sure whether the earth is warming up or not, but I do know that the Bible says that as we approach the time of Christ’s return there will be an increase in these catastrophic, natural events. And the Bible says that these are just the beginning of sorrows. I believe that we are very close to the time when Christ will come and take away His Bride from the earth via what we Christians refer to as the “rapture of the Church”; and when He does that things will get even scarier here on the earth than they are now. As bad as things may seem now with all of the earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, famines; not to mention the political and economic unrest; this is nothing compared to what will come during the Tribulation Period, after the rapture.
As I reflect on all of these scary events, I am very relieved to know that God is with me, and He will never leave me nor forsake me. No matter how hard the wind may blow outside, I know that God’s everlasting arms are wrapped securely around me; and someday, maybe very soon, He will take me home to Heaven. I hope you have that same assurance too.
Click here for more imformation on how you too can have “the peace, which passeth all understanding”, even when the storms of this life surround you.
Posted in Thoughts from Luke by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
We’ve Created A Monster – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning? Remember: “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
I’ve determined to rejoice and be glad no matter what this Tuesday may bring. It’s hard though, to watch your country – a country founded on God’s Word – be flushed down the tubes by those who embrace godless socialism and hate America.
God gave these words to Solomon to record for us. The first four verses of Proverbs 3 read: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
And we became a great nation, one blessed by God and loved by man. What happened? In 1962, the Supreme Court removed public prayer from our schools. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Just a short twelve years ago, copies of the Ten Commandments were ordered removed from courthouses and other government buildings. The godless socialists want you to forget about God. They want you to rely on Big Brother to supply your every need, not God. As individuals we need to do what we need to do: if you’re not registered to vote, get registered. Follow verses 5 through 10 of Proverbs 3: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)
Is it raining?
Peace. (Proverbs 3:6)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Soul Winning
Today’s Passages – Luke 14 – 16; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
Second Milers also read – Psalm 1 – 5; Proverbs 1
Memory passage for the month of November – Psalm 95
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
All three of the chapters that we have read this morning contain a soul winning illustration. I understand that the proper interpretations of theses passages does not primarily involve the church and winning people to Christ, but I think you will be able to see the practical application.
1 In chapter 14 I see the Compelling of the soul winner.
“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23)
I have noticed that we have gotten to the point in our soul winning presentations that we are almost apologizing for bothering people. If you got word that there was an explosive device about to detonate in your neighbors house, would you apologize for bothering them? No, you would compel them to leave the house immediately. We need to take our soul winning presentations up another notch: we need to go beyond mere bidding (inviting) and start compelling people to trust Christ. I think our problem is that we deep down inside really don’t believe it all, or we really don’t believe time is running out.
2 In Chapter 15, I see the Compassion of the soul winner.
“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)
The father had the right attitude. He was longing for the return of the son. He was ready to receive him whenever he “came to himself”. The older brother, on the other hand, had the wrong attitude. He was not too excited about the reconciling of the younger brother to the father. He was perfectly content keeping the situation as it was. After all, the younger brother didn’t deserve another chance. He made his bed, and now he should have to sleep in it. Is that your attitude toward the lost soul that desperately needs Christ, or the wandering saint that needs to come back. We need to have compassion on people. We need to love them as Jesus loves them.
3 In chapter 16, I see the Consequences of not soul winning.
“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” – (Luke 16:27-28)
Now I cannot to be sure that the rich man had no man in his lifetime that attempted to reach him, but let’s assume that he did not. What a shame that not only this man, but also his five brothers will spend eternity in Hell because of a lack of soul winning. Let me remind you, they are without excuse. God’s law was written in their hearts; they could see God in creation; and there were synagogues on every corner just as there are churches on every corner today. But how much better were his chances for salvation had somebody had compassion on him and attempted to compel him to be saved.
Posted in Thoughts from Luke by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Soulwinning
Today’s Passages – Luke 14 – 16;
Second Milers also read – Psalm 1 – 5; Proverbs 1
Memory passage for the month of November –
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
All three of the chapters that we have read this morning, there is a soul winning illustration. I understand that the proper interpretations of theses passages does not primarily involve the church and winning people to Christ, but I think you will be able to see the practical application.
1 In chapter 14 I see the Compelling of the soul winner.
“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23)
I have noticed that we have gotten to the point in our soul winning presentations that we are almost apologizing for bothering people. If you got word that there was an explosive device about to detonate in your neighbors house, would you apologize for bothering them? No, you would compel them to leave the house immediately. We need to take our soul winning presentations up another notch: we need to go beyond mere bidding (inviting) and start compelling people to trust Christ. I think our problem is that we deep down inside really don’t believe it all, or we really don’t believe time is running out.
2 In Chapter 15, I see the Compassion of the soul winner.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
The father had the right attitude. He was longing for the return of the son. He was ready to receive him whenever he “came to himself”. The older brother, on the other hand, had the wrong attitude. He was not too excited about the reconciling of the younger brother to the father. He was perfectly content keeping the situation as it was. After all, the younger brother didn’t deserve another chance. He made his bed, and now he should have to sleep in it. Is that your attitude toward the lost soul that desperately needs Christ, or the wandering saint that needs to come back. We need to have compassion on people. We need to love them as Jesus loves them.
3 In chapter 16, I see the Consequences of not soul winning.
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house–for I have five brothers–so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27 & 28)
Now I cannot to be sure that the rich man had no man in his lifetime that attempted to reach him, but let’s assume that he did not. What a shame that not only this man, but also his five brothers will spend eternity in Hell because of a lack of soul winning. Let me remind you, they are without excuse. God’s law was written in their hearts; they could see God in creation; and there were synagogues on every corner just as there are churches on every corner today. But how much better were his chances for salvation had somebody had compassion on him and attempted to compel him to be saved.
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Your Heart Will Follow Your Treasure
Today’s Passages – Luke 12 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 31)
Scripture Memory for October – Matthew 5:1 – 16
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
Read previous posts from this passage: “Thou Fool”; and “Put Away Your Ax”
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” – (Luke 12:34)
This is one of those passages that is often misunderstood. When we read the phrase, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”, we often think the exact opposite of what it is actually saying. For years, I thought this verse was saying that we will invest in the things that we love. However, the opposite is actually the truth. This verse is plainly teaching that we will love what we invest in. There is a difference. Our hearts will actually follow what we spend our time, toil, talents, and treasure on; but the investment precedes the heart.
I love my wife, children, and my grandson, Jaxon. I must be honest: I love them more than I do other people’s children and grandchildren. I want to be around them, and I want to do things for them. I not only love them, I like them alot. But why is that? It is because I have invested my life into them, and my heart has followed my investment. I love my church. I have given the last 11 years of my life laboring to make it a church that is effective in fulfilling the Great Commission. Again, my heart has followed my investment.
This principle will revolutionize our relationship with God if we will allow it to. Many times, we fail to obey and fulfill the will of God for our lives, because we do not desire to. Our hearts are simply not in it. However, if we understand this principle, we know that if we invest our time and obedience to the will of God today, our hearts (our desire) will be wrapped up in it tomorrow. I remember when I was in Bible College down in Texas. I was given a bus route in Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas. My job was to visit the route on Saturdays, trying to minister to and encourage the riders we already had, and then to invite new riders on to the bus so we could bring them to church the following day. On Sunday, we would leave early in the morning, pick the kids up, bring them to church, and then feed them at our own expense on the way home. We would also bring many of the kids back to church for the Sunday Night service. To be honest, I was not too thrilled with giving up my entire weekend for this ministry. It was a tremendous investment in time, energy, and resources. To be perfectly honest with you, at first, I didn’t even like the kids, let alone love them. But as time went on, I developed a bond with these children, and a love for them. In fact, even when I was offered an easier, more lucrative ministry in my senior year, I turned it down. My heart had followed my investment. I developed a love for the ministry that God had given me. What began as pure obedience developed into real enjoyment.
Maybe God is asking you to do something that your flesh simply does not want to do. May I encourage you to give your life to the will of God, and in time your heart will be right there with you.
Posted in Thoughts from Luke by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.