My Biggest Problem
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 7 – 8; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 18)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)
“In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.” (Proverbs 14:3)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Proverbs 29:23)
“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.” (Proverbs 28:25)
There are six more verses in Proverbs using the word proud. It is used a total of 47 times in the Bible. The word “pride” is used a total of 46 times in the Bible. The word “haughty” is used 10 times. That makes a total of 103 verses in the Bible (at least) that deal with one of man’s biggest problems – pride. As I was reading this morning, the Holy Spirit of God drew my attention to three of the verses. I thought at first that they caught my attention because of the frequency of their use, but after reflecting a little bit, I realized that God was trying to show me that pride is not just an issue for everyone else, but for me as well. How does pride affect me? Let me be a little transparent and publicly reveal some of the things that the Spirit of God brought to my attention:
1 I want to be successful. Now don’t misunderstand, success in the ministry is a good thing. It is wonderful when people are reached with the gospel, and trained to serve God. It is great when lots of people come to hear the Word of God being preached. But it’s my motivation that is the concern. In my heart I want to think that it is all for God’s glory; but I know that sometimes I want to steal a little bit of that glory for me. Now, I am going to keep trying to be successful, but I am also going to ask God to throughly examine my heart and my motives; and when I sense the root of pride growing within, I will try to bring it to Him for removal.
2 I want to be right all of the time. I have noticed that some of the folks around me have this problem as well. I like to win arguments. I even get angry easily, when someone is in disagreement with me.
3 I don’t like to be criticized. This goes along with the point 2. I find myself desiring to defend myself, justify myself and I really don’t need to.
4 I find that I am concerned more with the opinion and approval of men, more that the approval of God.
These are just a few of my sins. I feel better: confession is very therapeutic. I probably could have gone on and made the list larger; but I think you get the idea. Now, how about you? How is pride affecting your life? Maybe you ought to come up with your own list. Ask God to point out some ways that pride is affecting your relationship with Him and with others. You might have too much pride to even consider the thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just For Ladies by Camille Stahl
Listen to Sunday Evening’s Message from Psalm 6
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 17)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Study of Women in the Bible
Miriam, A Strong Leader Who Over-stepped Her Boundaries.
“For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:19-21)
Miriam’s work for the Lord started at an early age. Her mother depended and trusted her to watch over the basket prepared for baby Moses that was put on the water. It took courage to approach the Princess and ask if she could find someone to nurse the baby. It was because of her wisdom from Almighty God, that she brought the Princess together with the baby’s mother. Miriam was brought up as a slave who served the Living God.
As an adult, Miriam continued with her godly responsibilities. She was in leadership, under Moses, with her brother Aaron. She was unmarried, the first spokeswoman for God, and very dedicated to her work. Her responsibilities must have been unbelievable when the children of Israel left Egypt. It’s hard enough when your moving your own family, but what a task trying to assist in the moving of millions! Miriam must of encouraged the people as they walked between the walls of water. She lead the women in song and dance when they reached the other side. She was a born leader, BUT…
“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” (Numbers 12:1-2)
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” (Numbers 12:9-10)
“And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.” (Numbers 12:15)
…Miriam over-stepped her boundaries. She put herself on the same level as Moses. Aaron and Miriam tried to usurp Moses’ authority. She was given great authority by God, but pride and jealousy stepped in. Through God’s anger, Miriam became a leper. God took her from a leader of women singing and praising God, to crying out “Unclean, unclean. The entire nation stopped their journey as Miriam was put out of the camp for 7 days. The Bible does not say if Miriam repented or if she was returned to her leadership position, however the Bible does say in Numbers 20:1 that she died before the children of Israel entered into the promise land.
Miriam stepped out of her God given boundaries, and it’s very easy to step out of ours. God has given us all positions. It would do us well to remember to stay within our positions. A good leader is a better follower. In the work of God, there will always be someone in authority over you, just as there will always be some under you. If we all stay within our God given positions, we can accomplish God’s work more efficiently. Remember, the most important job God has given all of us is to win souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
“Do you see all the people sinking down. Don’t you care are you going to let them drown? How can you be so num, not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. Bless me Lord, you know it’s all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear, but He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs, and you just lay back and keep soaking it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? Cause He brings people to your door, and you turn them away as you smile and say, God bless you, be in peace, and all Heaven just weeps….. Cause Jesus came to your door…. you’ve left Him out in the streets………….. Open up and give yourself away. You see the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay? God’s calling, and your the one… but like Jonah you run. He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in. Can’t you see it’s such sin? The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight ’cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so DEAD, when you’ve been so well fed? Jesus rose from the dead, and you can’t even get out of bed…”
Song: Asleep in the Light
by Keith Green
Thank You
1 John 5:13 – 14
Posted in Guest Posts, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Have You Consider the Ant?
Listen to Sunday Morning’s message – “Where is the Lord God of _______?”
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 16)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read – “Massacred for the Faith” by Pastor Chappell
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 6:6-11)
I remember a few years back, our assistant pastor, Ted Stahl, was sitting on the curb in back of our church and he was staring down at the ground. I was curious as to what he was doing, so I asked him. He answer was even more curious: he said that he was obeying the Bible. By this point, he had my full attention, so I probed even deeper, and asked him what he meant by that. He told me that the Bible commanded him to consider the ants, and as I looked closer I could see that Pastor Stahl was actually observing some ants as they were going about their business. I will have to agree that the ants are fascinating creatures. They seem to be always busy, working together to accomplish their goal.
Christians ought to have some of the qualities of ants. Our society is filled with lazy people who seem to have little purpose in life, but that shouldn’t be said of us. we should be busy, diligent people who are able to work well with other people to accomplish God’s will for our lives.
As I have read through the Book of Proverbs, I have noticed that there are certain themes that reappear again and again. One of these is the subject of laziness (the Bible uses the terms slothful; and will also call a lazy person a sluggard).
“I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.” – (Proverbs 24:30-34 )
The above passage speaks of a man who, because of his laziness, has neglected his field to the point where it was overgrown with with weeds. I feel that way in my life sometimes. I notice that there are times when I lose focus, and allow things to fall into neglect. It happens in all areas of my life as well. Sometimes, I may neglect the spiritual priorities, and at other times I may become lazy in one of my responsibilities as a father or husband. I get lazy. Laziness seems to be a bigger problem for me in the summertime.
God expects us to be fruitful. God expects us to be busy and productive. Here are some things that will help me stay on track to fulfill the things that God expects from my life:
1 Have a schedule – determine what time you need to get up, and how much time is needed to do what you have to do. Go to bed early, and get up early. Avoid the time wasters like the internet and television.
2 Set Goals – what do you want to accomplish this year; this summer; this week; tomorrow? Attempt to get a lot of things done. You may not get to them all; but you will accomplish a lot more than if you don’t set goals. “he who aims at nothing hits it every time”. Set spiritual goals; goals for tasks around the house; etc.
3 Be accountable to someone. This is the problem that many preachers have. They have no earthly boss standing over them with expectations. If I am not careful, I will let this lack of accountability cause me to get lazy; get up later; leave earlier, etc.
4 Stay motivated. I listen to preaching and leadership lessons from Godly pastors around the country to stay challenged. What motivates you?
We will have to give an account of our lives to God someday. What did we do with our time? Were we productive? Did we fulfill God’s will for our lives? Or did we sleep in? Don’t be lazy. Get up and do what God has called you to do. Be like the ant.
Posted in Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
“Daddy” by Melissa Dilley
Today’s Passage – Proverbs 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalms 19
“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33)
I want to share something with you that has revolutionized my relationship with my Heavenly Father. My God is an awesome, powerful, all-knowing, mighty and righteous God. He spoke the world into existence and holds creation in the palm of His hand. He raised others and even Himself from the dead and healed scores of people from all manner of diseases. He caused the earth to swallow legions of people, and the waters to destroy others. He is magnificent, all-seeing, and unfathomable.
But He is also my Heavenly Daddy. Sometimes when I hurt, all I can manage to pray is “Dear Heavenly Father,“ and then I cry for a time. Jesus told the disciples that they must become like children (completely trusting), and to suffer the children to come (don’t hinder that complete trust). The Bible tells us that if our earthly daddies can take care of us, how much better can our Heavenly Daddy take care of us. Let me challenge you, when you have the “fear of evil”, go to God. Ask Him to put you on His lap, pet you, kiss your forehead, rock you, and tell you everything is going to be ok. I believe that is the key to ‘the peace that passes all understanding’.
Melissa Dilley went home to be with the Lord earlier this year. She wrote many guest posts for this blog, and from time to time we will reproduce them.
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Psalms 146 – 150 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 27 – 28; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Did you ever have one of those days where _______? Fill in the blank with whatever you like, because all of us have had “one of those days.” These are days where all the things happening to us are almost to much for us to bear. Like Peter, when the wind becomes boisterous, we begin to sink. David may have been sinking lower and lower, nut God was right there controlling everything. And David poured out his heart to the Lord in Psalm 69, saying. “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (Psalm 69:1-2).
Are you drowning in the circumstances you find yourself in? Here is what to do.
First, cry out to God for help (verse 1). He knows every circumstance we will go through. He is the only one who can help.
Second, if you think that you caused your own problem here, then you probably did: confess it to God (verse 5).
Third, pray that you are not a stumbling block for others. Verse 6 says: “Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.”
If you find yourself in the mire, in deep water, call upon the Lord to save you. And He will.
Peace. (Psalm 34:14).
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Draw Me Nearer
Today’s Passage – Psalms 140 – 145 (Click on the references to listen to the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” – (Psalm 145:18)
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – (John 8:31-32)
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” – (James 4:8)
Recently, we had a man visit our church who did not come from any type of a Christian background. He currently knows very little about the Lord, but he does has a desire to learn. He is searching for the truth. I spoke to him after the service, and I concluded that this man was not going to be convinced about the truths of Christianity, and particularly salvation, in just a few minutes. I gave him some things to think about, and I gave him some literature to take with him, and I promised to pray for him. We later visited the man in his home, and talked to him a little more, and gave him some more material to read. He is coming closer to salvation. His heart is open to the truth, but he is just not sure yet what the truth is. He reminds me a little of myself as I was searching for the truth many years ago. I shared with this man, that if he genuinely wanted to know the truth about Jesus Christ, God would reveal it to him. I am convinced that this man will come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ shortly. Pray for him.
God is as close to us as we want Him to be. That statement is true for the lost man searching for Christ, but it also applies to the Christian as well. I find that many Christians aren’t too comfotable with God, and His will getting to close to some areas of their lives. They want to have God as a part of their life, but their are also many parts of their life that they don’t want God to interfere in; some rooms in their home that they don’t want God to go in. As a result, their relationship with God is not as close as it could be. As we grow in our faith, we should constantly be drawing nearer to the Lord, and as we draw near to Him, He will come close to us.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Unity
Today’s Passage – Psalms 133 – 139
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” – (Psalm 133:1-3)
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; … And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,” – (Acts 2:44, 46)
“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” – (Philippians 1:27)
The local church cannot function as it should without unity. We have been studying the Book of Acts on Wednesday evenings, and once again, last night, we saw the phrase “one accord”, which is repeated over and over again throughout the book. One of the great characteristics of the Church at Jerusalem was the fact that they were of one heart, one mind, and one purpose. They all had a burning desire to see the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ communicated throughout the world. They wanted to tell everybody about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to have that kind of unity of purpose today in our local churches. It seems that Christians today are divided as to what the church is supposed to be all about; but our purpose today is the same as in the early churches: the communication of the gospel, and the fulfilling of the Great Commission. It’s all about getting people saved. That was Jesus’ purpose – seeking and saving the lost; and it should be ours as well.
I believe the lack of unity in many of our churches is due to the fact that the preachers are not clearly communicating to the congregation the purpose of the church. We are sending mixed messages, and we have failed to “keep the main thing, the main thing”. If preachers were to clearly instruct about what the church is supposed to be doing, and then keep that purpose before the people regularly, the individuals within the congregation would be forced to make a decision to either get on board, or leave. I don’t want to see anyone leave our church, but it is better for them to leave than to be working against the direction of the church. I praise God for the unity that we have at Jersey Shore, but I want to see us even more vehement in our desire to strive together for the faith of the gospel.
By the way, unity does not mean that we will all be cookie cutter copies of each other. We are all uniquely gifted by God, and we have different personalities, backgrounds, etc.; but we should all have the same goal. Find out what you can do individually within the body of your local church that will help complement what the other members are doing to advance the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is pleased with unity, and He can accomplish much with a church that is unified in the purpose of winning people to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Happy To Be At Church!
Today’s Passage – Psalms 120 – 132 (Click on the references to listen to the audio reading.)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 21 – 22; Psalms51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Scripture Memorization for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Bearing Precious Seed”
Watch “Being God’s Instrument in Someone’s Life” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” – (Psalm 122:1)
“Except the LORD build the house they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” – (Psalm 127:1)
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – (Psalm 133:1)
For my devotion this morning I have listed a couple of verses from our reading today (and one from tomorrow’s reading) that I believe can certainly be considered together. Though, I may be taking a little bit of liberty regarding the proper interpretations of these Scriptures in their original contexts, I do not believe my thoughts violate basic Biblical truth. The first verse (Psalm 122:1) talks about the joy of being in the house of God. I also love to be in the house of God with God’s people, but there have been times in my life when I did not appreciate going to church. Before I was saved, the last thing I wanted to do was to go to church; and even after my salvation there have been times when I dreaded church. Thinking back at these times I now realize that the reason for my apprehension was either because my own heart was not right, or that there was something not right going on in the church.
I remember years ago my wife and I were at a church business meeting. The pastor of the church had fired the youth pastor. The problem was that a good portion of the church really liked the youth pastor and did not want to see him go. The result was a church split, with a lot of arguing, gossipping, and bitterness that certainly was not pleasing to the Lord. The lack of unity (Psalm 133:1) among the brethren caused the church to become an unpleasant place to go.
The bottom line is, however, that a church where the pastor and the people are striving together, submissive to the will of God, is a place that is a downright joyful place to go for the Christian who also loves the Lord and is living for Him. If the church is healthy, and the Christian is healthy spiritually, there ought to be a joyful anticipation of going to the House of God. I am very thankful for the church where I serve. Though we are not a large church, we enjoy serving and worshipping together. It is my prayer that our church will grow together, both spiritually and numerically. However, the house must be built by the Lord. It must be done His way, otherwise, we are just wasting our time.
Do you look forward to going to church, or to you you dread it. If the thought of going is unpleasant to you, you need to ask yourself, why? It may be that there is a major problem within the congregation; but more often than not, the problem lies within your own spiritual condition. If you are out of the will of God, being in God’s house, and around God’s people will certainly be a difficult experience. If that is your situation, please don’t blame the church for your misery, and don’t run from the church either. If you do, you may experience a temporary relief from your feelings, but it will ultimately lead to more sorrow. The best thing that you can do is get back inside the will of God. Inside of God’s will, the local church is a place of happiness.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies by Camille Stahl
Listen to Sunday Morning’s Message at Jersey Shore Baptist Church.
Today’s Passage – Psalm 119 (Click on the references to hear the audio)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 19 – 20; Psalms 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
A Study of Women in the Bible
This Week – Lot’s Wife
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:24-26)
Lot’s wife is not mentioned in the Bible account of Abraham’s family as they journeyed from Ur of the Chaldees, or as they left Canaan to go down into Egypt. The first mention of her is at Sodom. This could mean that she was from Canaan or perhaps she was from Sodom. Regardless of where she was born, Lot and his wife had two daughters who left Sodom with them, and at least two other daughters who, along with their husbands and possibly children, refused to leave. We do know that in Genesis 18:32, God’s promise to Abraham was not to destroy the city for the sake of 10 righteous. This could have included all of the family of Lot if they were, in fact, all saved. Apparently Lot’s family were not.
Lot’s wife was a privileged woman. She was married to a “righteous man”. Genesis 13:12 says, “Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Just a side note, in the very next chapter of Genesis the Bible says, “And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.” Notice it say in Sodom. Anyway, there was very little chance that Lot’s wife would be able to withstand the evil of Sodom unless she was very strong in the Lord. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 15:33, which states: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
Lot’s wife was warned of the coming danger from God himself. Whether she really believed it or not, she did follow her husband and left. When leaving, she must have heard the cries of the people when fire and brimstone fell from Heaven. Her heart must have broken as she thought of her daughters and possible grandchildren being destroyed. But then she committed the sin. She looked back.
In our day, we have a tendency to minimize and downplay sin and its consequences. The consequence of sin without Christ is death. Lot’s wife suffered the consequence of unbelief.
A Few Lessons That Can Be Applied:
To the Christian Woman: Once you’ve come out of darkness (saved), never look back. Stay far away from the world’s influences. 1 John 2:15 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Study and obey the word of God. Teach your children to study the Bible, and obey His word. Start as early in their life as you can. When God speaks, listen. I am sure there are many other lessons that we can learn from Lot’s wife.
To the non-Christian Woman: Christ also warns us of the danger before us. He spoke more about Hell than the apostles. Jesus tells us of the judgment day, when the wicked “will go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”. (Matthew 25:46) I urge you to call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved.
Our church website www.jerseyshorebaptist.com has a link “The Bible Way to Heaven” where you can read and understand the way to Heaven.
“In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:31-33)
Rushing wind blow through this temple. Blowing out the dust within. Come and breathe your breath upon me, I’ve been born again. Holy Spirit, I surrender, take me where you want to go. Plunge me by your living your living water, plant me deep, so I can grow. Jesus, your the One, who set my spirit free. Use me Lord glorify, your Holy name through me. Separate me from this world Lord, sanctify my life for you. Daily change me to your image, help me bear good fruit. Everyday your drawing closer, trials come to test my faith. But when all is said and done Lord, you know, it’s been worth the wait.” (Keith Green)
Thank You and God Bless 1 John 5:13
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Not Short on Truth
Listen to Sunday Night’s message from the Fifth Psalm.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 115 – 118
Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” – (Psalm 117:1-2)
Did you ever notice that some of the most powerful messages in the Bible come out of passages of few words. For instance, Peter’s message at Pentecost, which was used of God to lead 3000 people to Christ, was only 25 verses long. The people at our church are hoping that I would learn to preach some of those short sermons. Anyway, Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in all the Bible, but it is certainly not short on truth. This Psalm speaks about two very important doctrines in the Bible: God’s mercy, and God’s truth. It really says it all if you think about it. Through God’s mercy a way was made possible for us to receive the forgiveness of our sins; and it is because of His truth that we could find out about His mercy. What an awesome little passage of Scripture!
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.