The Apple of His Eye
Today’s Passage –Zechariah 1 – 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 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Scripture Memory for July – Matthew 5:1 – 16
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read “You Can’t Touch Him” from Zechariah 3
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” – (Zechariah 2:8)
In Zechariah 2, God is reminding us that He will someday make Jerusalem, and all of Israel the very center of His eartly Kingdom. When Christ returns, He will reign on earth for 1000 years, and “will dwell in the midst of [Jerusalem]” (v 11). In the middle of this passage God refers to the nations that have attacked Israel through the years, and describes His anger toward them. He says that they have “touched the apple of his eye”. We still use this phrase today to describe people who we love dearly. God was making it clear that he loved Israel, and His people that live there.
As a New Testament Christian, I know that God also loves me dearly. There is nothing about me that is loveable, yet because of the relationship that I have with Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, He loves me anyway. I am His child, and He is my Father. I am not always an obedient child, and I don’t always love Him as I should, but I am still the apple of His eye. Amazing. I understand a little how He feels, because I have children of my own. They are not always obedient either, but I cannot stop loving them.
Another application that we can take away from this passage is that since God loves Israel, we ought also to love Israel; and since God loves other Christians, so should we. I may be the apple of His eye, but I am not the only apple He has His eye on.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
A Bag With Holes
Today’s Passage –Haggai 1 – 2 (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 – Revelation 21 – 22; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
“Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. …Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that iswaste, and ye run every man unto his own house.” (Haggai 1:6 & 9)
Haggai is writing to the children of Israel that have returned to the land after their time spent in captivity in the land of Babylon, and later Persia. Upon returning, they had done well in the beginning: they immediately began to re-build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. However, after some opposition came along (and it always does), they put aside the building of God’s house and began working on their own houses and farms, etc. The problem was that God was not blessing them in their work. In many respects they were spinning their wheels. They were working hard, but God wasn’t helping them, simply because they were no longer putting the Lord first in their lives.
I see a lot of parallels of this passage with Christians today. There has never been a time in the history of America when we are as busy as we are now. Many families have both husband and wife working with some folks working two and three jobs. It is very common to hear people say that they would like to attend all of the church services, but they always have to work. After all, they have to take care of their families, don’t they? Now, I understand that people need to work. Work is good. The Bible says that men need to work in order to eat; but when our work replaces God, or seriously interferes with our worship of Him, something is wrong. And I wonder if God isn’t doing to us what he did to those Israelites of old who had misplaced priorities. Do you miss church regularly due to work? I’m not saying it always wrong, but you have to ask yourself and the Lord if your missing services is OK with Him.
The same could be said about our giving. We would like to give, but money is tight. We justify our lack of giving due to the fact that we need to care for our families. But did you ever think that by taking matters into your own hands, you are forsaking God and removing His blessing upon your life. God said that their wages were going through a bag filled with holes. I have often felt that my money was going into a bag like that as well. Have you stopped giving your tithes and offerings because money is tight? You can expect it to get even tighter.
The problem is that we are often blind to this condition. We don’t see where we have put something above God in our lives. Ask yourself honestly. Have you put something in front of God: your job; your children; your pleasure? What is causing you to miss the full blessing of God in your life. We need to put God back where He belongs in our lives. He deserves and demands first place. After the Israelites repented and starting working again on the temple, God said, “I am with you”. I want God to be with me in my life, and He will be as long as put Him in His rightful place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that God is with you, that His hand of approval and blessing is on every aspect of your life?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – (Matthew 6:33)
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – (Colossians 1:18)
“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” – (2 Corinthians 8:8)
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.” – (Malachi 3:10-11)
Posted in Thoughts from Haggai by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Perilous Times – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
The headline was buried on the Internet, but I found it. I had watched in horror, the events happening on the news the night before. The headline read: “Teens Laugh While Recording Violent Beating Of Woman In Chester.”
This bothered me to no end because the woman was reported as being ‘mentally challenged’. All five years of my college experience was working with the mentally challenged. And believe me, looking back, I would not have wanted it any other way.
America is reaping what it sowed, in taking the Bible out of schools. They teach children that they evolved from a blob of goo that slithered out of the ocean instead of being created in the image of God. Well, there’s your proof of evolution, except the scientists have it reversed: mankind starts out in the image of God, and then evolves into a godless animal. “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 1:28-32)
The Apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy tells him the same thing about the end times. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2Timothy 3)
Paul instructs Timothy with one simple instruction: continue in what you have learned from the Word of God, all of God’s Word: from “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” to “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Peace. (Revelation 22:20)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Revive Thy Work
Today’s Passage –Habakkuk 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 – Revelation 16 – 18; Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.” – (Habakkuk 3:2)
I recently read an article posted by a pastor’s wife in Colorado – “Revival, Do We Really Want It?” I posted it on this blog a couple of days ago, but If you have not yet read it, it would certainly be worth your time.
In our passage, Habakkuk is writing to a nation that had also forsaken the Lord. They had turned their back on God’s law, and had become an pleasure seeking, idolatrous, and gluttonous culture filled with drunkenness and all kinds of immorality. Sounds like America doesn’t it? We know from the vantage point of history that God did bring revival to this nation, but only after the nation experienced God’s judgment. It was the judgment of God that caused Judah (Israel) to turn back to Him.
I fear that it will also take the judgment of God to cause America to wake up. I know that in my own life it often takes the chastisement of God to get me to see that I am drifting from Him. I have been asking God to do whatever it takes in my life to get me to where I need to be. I want to “know Him”; I want to serve Him; and I want my life to be fully yielded to Him. I want God to revive me. I am His workmanship. I want Him to break up the fallow ground in my life, and mold me into something that He can use for His glory. I want that for my family as well, and for the people in our church. I hope that we don’t have to experience too much chastisement and trial in order to get there; but if that’s what it takes, so be it.
Posted in Thoughts from Habakkuk by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Whose Side Are You On?
Today’s Passage –Nahum 1 – 3
“God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.” – (Nahum 1:2)
“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” – (Nahum 1:7)
The Book of Nahum is all about God’s judgment against Ninevah. I have not studied this paticular minor prophet at length, so I can’t be sure about all that the book deals with; but there are some things that I do know. First off, Ninevah was the capitol city of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians were the world power back around 700 BC. They were the enemies of Israel, and eventually conquored all of the northern Kingdom of Israel. They also attacked the southern Kingdom of Judah, and threatened Jerusalem back in the days of King Hezekiah, but God intervened, sparing Judah. Ninevah is also the city that Jonah cried against, and God spared them at that time because they repented of their evil, and turned to Him. In Nahum, however, there does not seem to be any plea for Ninevah to repent, just a pronouncement of judgment for their rejection of God.
Notice the contrast in the two verses above that I have taken from Nahum, chapter 1. The first one demonstrates the wrath and fury of God upon those who refuse His mercy and grace; and the second one speaks of God’s protection for those that belong to Him. The interesting thing is that neither of these groups of people are any better than the other. They are both just people: sinners; and they are both deserving of the judgment that God speaks of in verse 2. However, the group in verse 7, will receive mercy because they have placed their trust in the Lord.
Whose side are you on? Which group do you belong to? Have you placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you belong to Him? Does He know you? Jesus gives a pretty strong rebuke in the New Testament to some people that were religious, but they were not His. He didn’t know them:
“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 7:22-23)
In order for Him to know you, you will have to first receive Him as your Saviour:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” – (John 1:12)
Will you be the sinner that receives the wrath of God, like the folks in Nahum 1:2; or will you be the sinner that receives God’s mercy and grace like those in Nahum 1:7? The choice is yours. Pick a side.
For information regarding salvation read “Why Jesus?”
Posted in Thoughts from Nahum by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
A Simple Recipe – Do Right, Love People, Walk with God
Today’s Passage –Micah 5 – 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 – Revelation 10 – 12; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read an outstanding article posted at independentbaptist.com – “Revival, Do We Really Want It”
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8) (Click on the verse to hear it sung by the Clark Family)
A simple but very profound verse of Scripture from the Book of Micah. Do you want to know how you can be right with your God? There is a simple three point outline here in verse eight of chapter six that explains just how to do that. Notice, however, that this verse is written to a people that already know God, so in order to make the application to yourself today you would have to have already begun a relationship with Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. If you have already trusted Him as your Savior, then this verse is for you:
1 Do justly – this has as much to do with our relationship with others as well as our obedience to God. We need to strive to be in a right relationship with others; and do the right thing by them. If we have wronged somebody, let’s try to get it right. “Do the right thing”.
2 Love mercy – this has to do with forgiving others who have wronged you. Are you bitter against somebody today? Why not release him from the debtor’s prison in your heart; and forgive him. Look at how God (and others) have forgiven you. Loving mercy could also apply to your love for the souls of men.
3 Walk humbly with God – We need to see ourselves for who we really are – nothing; and see God for who He is – everything. Do you have a walk with Him? Are you spending time daily in prayer, and in the Word? Are you living your life in submission to His will.
Living in a right relationship with God is not all that mysterious or difficult. Jesus said that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. But if we refuse to submit ourselves to His Lordship, holding on to our own will and desire; walking with Him will be impossible. I’m not talking about perfection here: we all blow it at times; but when that happens, we must confess it to God, get back up, and move forward again in our walk with Him.
Posted in Thoughts from Micah by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage –Micah 1 – 4 (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 – Revelation 7 – 9; Psalms 121 – 125; Proverbs 25)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
The Study of Women in the Bible
JOBS WIFE
Then something remarkable took place in heaven. Job was the subject of a conversation between God and satan. God was pleased that Job, a man on earth, loved Him voluntarily. Job was fulfilling the purpose for a which God had created him, fellowship. Then satan, the accuser approaches God. Satan felt that the reason Job was devout was that he was prosperous and suggested that if prosperity was withheld he would turn from God.
One blow after another. Job lost all his wealth. But the greatest catastrophe of all satan destroyed all of Job’s children. Everything Job had built over many years was gone in one blow. The richest man in the entire East was suddenly poor and without children. All that was left to him, besides his home, were four servants and his wife. Satan had done his work thoroughly, but he still hadn’t achieved his purpose.
Satan and God talked again about Job. Let me touch his body to see if his faith will still hold. Satan cursed him with boils. Then came the worse blow of all. His wife turned against him. Job’s help meet turned for the worse. Job needed her more now than ever before. Job’s wife’s reply was “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”
We criticize Job’s wife for turning on her husband and wanting to die, but can you feel her pain? Everything she had plus all her children were taken form her. Losing one child is hard enough, but ten all at once. Now don’t misunderstand, she was wrong in what she said, but can you feel for her? She failed to go to the only one who could ease her pain.
Like many, she had been blinded by satan. She failed to understand that trials and troubles come to all. From these trials and troubles comes greater faith if we don’t give in to satan.
When satan throws his fiery arrows of temptation, use your faith like a shield, stopping them. Job proved that no one is tempted more then they can handle and that God does give a way to escape in the midst of every temptation.
In the times we are living in today, it can be very trying. With the prices of everything, and families losing their children to the world, troubles are inescapable.
Will you keep the faith and cry out to God for help or will you curse Him and die? God loves you and and wants to grow your faith. He want to doubly bless you as He did for Job and his wife.
In the critical hour of her life, Job’s wife said no to God. How about you?
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Doest Thou Well To Be Angry?
Today’s Passage – Jonah 1 – 4 (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 – Revelation 4 – 6; Psalms 116 – 120; Proverbs 24)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
“…and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.” (Jonah 3:10b – 4:1)
I thoroughly enjoy reading the little book of Jonah. This was one of the first Bible passages that I ever read or learned about as a child; but it still helps me today. I got to thinking about how Jonah is not much different than me a lot of times. I get rather apathetic toward the things of God; and sometimes even get hardened toward His people, losing my compassion for them. As I read today, I thought about three ways that you can tell that you are a backslidden preacher. By the way, this does not just apply to preachers in the pulpit, any Christian can make these applications.
You know you are a backslidden preacher when:
1 You avoid and even run away from opportunities to serve God.
Jonah was given a unique opportunity to serve God by preaching to the Ninevites: a people that God loved, but Jonah despised. Millions of others were bypassed, and God chose Jonah; but he refused; he rebelled; he ran away from the will of God. Preachers and Christians today often do the same thing. It may be something as big as running from a ministry; or it may be something as small as not volunteering to serve in the nursery. Either way, an opportunity was there to serve the God of Heaven, to make a difference in His Kingdom; but it was refused.
2 Your life ceases to be a blessing to those around you; but rather, you become a burden.
If Jonah was on board the ship on his way to fulfilling the will of God, the sailors would have been helped along the way by the blessings of God. Notice also, that it took the storm to get Jonah to even mention God to the sailors.
3 You fail to rejoice when God saves a soul. You even get angry in the midst of revival.
I remember when I was in college. We used to see literally hundreds of people saved and baptized every week. At first, I was excited as I saw the the people lining up for baptism, but after I had been there for a while it got old and I wondered to myself “when will the service be over. I want to go home.” The thought of people getting saved didn’t thrill me like it used to. Now I am here in New Jersey, and I don’t see nearly as many saved as I used to; but I got my excitement back. God gets excited over one sinner that repents. We have become hardened to the true spiritual victories that God gives us. We would be thrilled if somebody gave us something tangible, but we have lost our zeal over the spiritual blessings.
Have you found yourself becoming like Jonah? Do you get angry about the trivial, when God is doing great things in the eternal realm? Ask God to re-kindle the flame of revival in your heart; and re-ignite a passion for people.
Posted in Thoughts from Jonah by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Spiritual Famine
Today’s Passage – Amos 6 – 9; Obadiah 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 – Revelation 1 – 3; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Scripture Memory for July – Philippians 2:1 – 18
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: (Amos 8:11)
Amos is writing concerning Israel about a time where there will be an absence of the Word of God among the people. But that famine of Bible instruction and principle comes as a result of the lack of desire among the people of Israel for hearing the Words of God. The people of Judah and Israel had their fill of God. They no longer desired to hear what He had to say; they no longer desired to live in by His precepts. They simply felt that they no longer needed God or His instruction.
I feel that America today is in the same boat. There is no famine here. There may be preachers out there who water down the Word of God; and there may be a lot of compromise out there; but there is certainly available to nearly every person in America a copy of the Word of God, and a church where the Bible is being preached and taught on a regular basis. The problem is not the availability of the Word of God. Rather, the problem is a lack of desire of most America for instruction from God. We have loosed from the moorings of our Biblical heritage and are floating in the sea of secular humanism. We are shouting to God from our culture, “Get Out!”. We don’t need you and we certainly don’t want you. I don’t think it is too far fetched to think about a day in the near future when our authorities try to stop the distribution of the Word of God altogether.
God will not stay where he is not wanted. In fact, the only thing holding back the judgment of God is a remnant of people in America who love the Word and the God who wrote it. So what is the solution? Can this tide of apathy and antagonism toward God be stopped, or even slowed? I am not sure. But my instructions are still to “preach the Word”, even when it is out of season. Christian, it matters not what the world thinks about our God and our Bible. We need to keep obeying God by sowing the seed of His word to the world around us. Some day soon, our job will be done; but for now it is still our responsibility to reach who we can with the glorious gospel of Christ. There are still people out there that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Posted in Thoughts from Amos by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Politically Correct? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning. Let me give you a quote: “I’d rather be correct than politically correct.”
That’s my quote. It’s possible that someone else may have made the same quote, but as far as I know, it’s original. Let me give you another quote, God said through His servant Jude, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude vs 23).
Let me give you one more quote. Jesus said, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6).
Let me make this as clear as possible. If you are trusting any other way to get to heaven than the Lord Jesus Christ, you will die in your sins and find yourself in the torments of Hell and eventually be cast into the lake of fire. Only God can save you from eternal damnation. Hosea 13:4 tells us…
“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”
There is only one Saviour, and He is not satan’s brother. There is only one Saviour, and He is not Buddah or that Harry Krishner guy. There is only one Saviour, and He is not Michael the archangel. There is only one God and Saviour, and His name is not Allah.
There is only one Saviour. There is only one God. He is the Creator of the universe. He is the one who loved us so much. He put on flesh and was born of a human virgin – who would later bear other children to her husband Joseph. Mary was born with an earthly mother and an earthly father: she was just like us: human. Her child was Almighty God wrapped up in human flesh. Many times during His ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ had told those he was healing, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”
Only God can forgive sins. Here is logic: if Jesus was not God, He could not forgive sin. Not only that, He would have been telling a lie that would disqualify His perfection as our Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. But He is God, and as God, is the only One who can forgive sin. Just realize you’re a sinner (Roman 3:10 & 23). Because you’re a sinner, you can’t save yourself, God had to provide a way to save you (Romans 5:8). And to receive His free gift of salvation, all you need do is call on the precious name of Jesus to save you (Romans 10:13), and He will.
Telling the truth is not politically correct; telling the truth is just correct. And you can quote me.
Peace. (John 3:16)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.