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
Posted in Guest Posts, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
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.
Be Ye … Unmoveable
Listen to “The Difference That One Man Makes”, which was preached at Jersey Shore Baptist Church on the Fourth of July.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 108 – 114
Second Milers also read – Matthew 15 – 16; Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read “5 Ways To Be God’s Friend” by Pastor Kurt Skelley
“Surely he shall not be moved forever…” (Psalm 112:6)
“…his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7)
“His heart is established…” (Psalm 112:8)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor 15:58)
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed….A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:6,8)
There is far too much instability among God’s people today; they just can’t seem to make up there minds as to where they stand. The Bible says about Jesus that His face was set like a flint, meaning He wasn’t budging from the will of God. Why is it that His children, however, are always moving in their doctrinal positions, and in their personal convictions. We need to learn the lesson that the Psalmist teaches here in the 112th Psalm.
Notice the characteristics of this unbending, righteous man spoken of here in the Psalm:
1 He is unmoveable about His Bible.
“He delighteth greatly in his commandments” (v 1)
He is not the type of guy that changes the Bible he uses, or what he believes about the Bible. He is bull-dogmatic about Bible principles. He believes and applies what God says; and doesn’t deviate off of the course that the Word charts.
2 He is gracious and full of compassion. (v 4)
Even though you are not going to move him about what he believes, he will be gracious and compassionate with those who have not yet grown to where he is. He gives people who are heading in the right direction time to get there. He is willing to give somebody a second and third chance when they demonstrate true contrition and repentance.
3 He is generous in his giving. (v 5, 9)
He knows that the source of all of his wealth is God. He knows also that God expects him to distribute the wealth that he has given him in order to be a blessing and a help to others.
How often do we change our minds and our actions regarding our Christian walk. We need to be a little more like this man mentioned in the Psalm. We need to dig in, find out what we believe from the Bible, and stick with it until the Lord takes us home.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
O Taste And See That The LORD Is Good – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Listen to Pastor Charlie Horton’s message to the men at our Men’s Breakfast – “God’s Will In Your Life”
Good morning! Vacations are nice, but it’s always better to get home. God’s hands were all over our vacation in Lancaster, PA. Thursday was our last day there, and we went to Sight and Sound’s production of Jonah. I think this is my favorite so far. I walked out of the theater wanting to study the book of Jonah in depth (no pun intended).
But the best thing to happen to us on our vacation, happened at Red Lobster. We had Melissa’s gift card with us, which we thought was still loaded with $50. A bad assumption. Our waiter came back and told us there was only $10. So I dug the VISA (sorry Dave) out of my wallet, and handed it to him. A few more minutes passed, and our waiter returned with my card. That’s when he told us the two ladies, who were seated across from us, picked up the rest of our tab! He said, “They told me to tell you that Jesus loves you.”
Yes He does. And I told you all that to tell you Psalm 34:8a, “O taste and see that the LORD is good…”
Like I said, God’s hand was all over this vacation. Then we came home and saw what happened in our little trailer park. Many trees were down from the storm that came through early last Saturday morning. The transformer on a telephone pole was struck by lightning, and was now the same color as the pole. God protected our house, and many others.
Even though our daughter lies buried, and her soul is in heaven, taste and see that the LORD is good.
Even though my wife had a heart attack, and needed three stints put in, taste and see that the LORD is good.
When the LORD gets you through the storms of life, O taste and see that the LORD is good.
When blessings fall like the leaves from a tree, O taste and see that the LORD is good.
When times look bright, and when times look dark, O taste and see that the LORD is good.
If you don’t know the LORD, I invite you to taste and see that the LORD is good. He loves you so much. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13). He laid down His life to save you from hell because He knew you could not save yourself: (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Just agree with God that you are a sinner: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one… For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God… (Romans 3:10 and 23). Then call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, and He will. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13).
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)
Peace. (1Chronicals 16:34).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
So Great Is His Mercy
Click on the Scripture references below to listen to the audio reading of the passage.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 103 – 105
Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” – (Psalm 103:10-12)
I have a good friend who is an evangelist, and every time I ask him how he is doing, he always says, “Better than I deserve”. He’s right. He doesn’t deserve to be doing as good as he is doing, but God has been very good to him; and good to me as well. Today’s passage teaches this truth, which is perhaps the most wonderful truth in the entire Bible: that God is merciful to sinners. Of course, I must be clear to point out that this truth only applies to sinners who have received the gift of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a principle in the Bible called sowing and reaping, which basically teaches that we will reap in judgment what we sow in sin. But for the Christian, this principle does not completely apply. Those of us who are the children of God will never reap in judgment what we sowed in sin. The judgment of our sin was reaped by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. He suffered for what I sowed. Now, to be sure, there will always be corrective consequences for sin in this life, and perhaps loss of reward in eternity for the disobedient Christian; but we will never get what we truly deserve for our rebellion against God. God is merciful. He has removed our sins. He truly has made them white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) All of our past sins are gone completely, and He will not “impute” any new sins to our account. (Romans 4:8) What a wonderful God we serve! Have you taken time today to thank the Lord for His mercy? Have you told the Lord how much that you appreciate what He did for you on the Cross? Think about it: if you and I received what we deserved we would be burning in the Lake of Fire right now, but our God is merciful to those that come to Him in repentance and faith. Praise His Name!!
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Enduring To All Generations
Today’s Passage – Psalms 96 – 102
Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” – (Psalm 100:5)
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – (John 8:32)
What a glorious privilege it is to know that we have the Truth of the Word of God. Many people are out there searching for the truth that is already freely available to them, if they just knew where to look for it. Others believe, like Pilate, that there is no absolute truth available. But we who are saved know the truth, because the truth has indeed made us free.
Over 22 years ago, I was saved through the ministry of Christian radio. I knew that I would need a Bible if I were to grow spiritually, so I went to a local Christian book store and asked the owner which Bible I should purchase. She first showed me a variety of the modern versions, but finally she handed me a leather-bound King James Bible. She tried to talk me out of it at first because she felt the “archaic” language would be hard for me to understand; but then she told me that this was the version that most preachers and churches used. That sealed it for me. There was just something about that Bible that drew me to it. Somehow I knew that I had found the Truth. I have since learned that I had indeed chosen the inspired Word of God for English speaking people. I have owned many other Bibles since that time, but each of them were King James Bibles; and I have passed down this truth to my children and now grandchildren. Praise God for a Truth that endures through every generation.
For many of us the “which Bible” question has been settled for a long time. We know we have the Truth, and cannot be convinced otherwise. Our problem is not where to find the truth as much as it is what to do with the truth we already possess. Do we examine the truth regularly, and then obey what it tells us? The truth will only free us if we apply it to our lives. If you are reading this blog you most likely have already spent some time today in the Word of God, and that is great. Make sure, however, that you apply what you learn to your life. Let God take that “quick and powerful” truth and use it to purge out some of the dross from your life; and then let him light your path so that you will be able to clearly see His will.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
A Penny For Your Thoughts
Today’s Passage -Psalms 90 – 95
Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.” – (Psalm 94:19)
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” – (Proverbs 23:7)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – (Philippians 4:8)
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” – (2 Corinthians 10:5)
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about thinking lately. I am discovering that our thought processes have a great deal of impact on our overall happiness. In our reading passage today, in Psalm 94, David is confronted with all of the negatives that life could dish out. He had many enemies that were trying to destroy him, and he had his critics that seem to always know how the job could be done better. Yet, David chose not to dwell on all of these discouraging factors. Instead, his thoughts turned to God. David was pretty good at this. Remember when the Amelekites took David’s family captive, and the families of all his men? His men were so upset with David that they spake of stoning him. What did David do? Well, he eventually went out and got his friends and family back, but first he got encouragement from God. How did he do that? He remembered God’s promises. He thought about his relationship with God, and chose to think about what God had done for him in the past, as well as what God said he would do for him in his future; and this thought process caused David to take action. But it all started with a thought process. David’s circumstances did not change at all before his encouragement came. His encouragement came simply from looking at his circumstances from a higher perspective; and then the actions that resulted from the encouragement changed his circumstances, which, of course, encouraged him more.
Many people I know, are constantly living in a state of discouragement. Their minds are a playground of negativity, which results in a defeated attitude. This further causes them to live in defeat, blaming everything and everybody for their problems and failures. The Bible says that we need to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. These negative thoughts attack what we believe to be true about God and our relationship with Him, which makes God’s image and power appear smaller in our mind. We are supposed to magnify the Lord, not make him smaller.
As I have observed people through the years, I have noticed two root causes for negativity and discouragement in God’s people:
The first reason for their discouragement is that they are not busy enough. They have too much time on their hands to think, and the direction of their thoughts is often about their circumstances. Instead of taking the appropriate actions necessary to improve their situation, they wallow in self-pity, waiting for somebody to come along and fix the problem for them; and when he never comes, they go into an even deeper discouragement with blame and criticism added to it directed toward the people that should have cared enough to help. Busy people, however, tend to not have time to dwell on anything. They are too busy. Their minds are active, and are constantly being used to solve problems, rather than dwell on them. Did you ever notice in the Psalms written by David, that he never looks to anybody but God to solve his problems.
The second cause for discouragement is that when people do have time to think, they let their thoughts control them, rather than choosing and controlling the thought pattern. The Bible commands us to “cast down”, and to “think on these things”. These two imperatives make it clear that what we think about is, at least to some degree, a matter of our own choosing. I ask again – what are you thinking about? Is your mind filled with criticism and complaint about other people? Is it polluted with corruption and filth from sin? God wants you to think about good things. God wants you to control what you think about. Think about Him; read His Word; memorize passages of Scripture; sing the songs of God; spend some time remembering God’s promises, and praising Him for what He has done in the past.
If you and I could stay busy, and then when we do have time to think, control the direction of our thoughts, we could then encourage ourselves like David did, and then we could get up and do something, which will make our lives, and the lives of others better, which then makes us feel even better.
Just a thought.
By the way – Happy Birthday America!
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Just For Ladies, by Camille Stahl
Here is the message from Sunday Morning. Many could not get out to church due to the storm damage and power outages.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 86 – 89
Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8
THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
Hagar, The Heathen Woman Whom God Loved
Good morning and welcome back. In this weeks lesson, I would like for you to think of Romans 10:13 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.” (Genesis 16:1-4)
“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.” (Genesis 22:9-10)
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.” (Genesis 21:14-20)
Hagar was an Egyptian woman. Growing up she learned to serve many gods, a heathen. Abraham and Sarah bought Hagar as their slave. How sad for Hagar. She was taken from her family, moved to a far country and was commanded to bare a child with another woman’s husband. According to the law, at that time, this practice was allowed. If a baby was born out of this kind of arrangement, the baby was legally considered to be the child of the true wife. What a sad existence for Hagar. No one to love her, not even her child. Hagar did not even have control of her own life as she was a slave. When Hagar conceived, Sarah got angry and beat Hagar. Remember, Sarah was the one who told Abraham to go into Hagar so she could give birth to Abraham’s seed. Fearing for her life and the life of her child, Hagar ran away. Where is the justice. No one loved her and she was all alone, or was she? While in the wilderness, by a spring of water, God called to her and asked her why she was there. After she explained what happened, God did not rebuke her, although He could have. He simply told her to go back and subject herself to Sarah’s authority. A young heathen woman who did not belong to the people of God, the mother of an unborn child, came before God in extreme need, and God was there. Then Hagar obeyed God and turned back . Instead of speaking out for her own rights, she humbled herself before Sarah.
Thirteen years after Sarah’s son Isaac, was born, Hagar found herself, and her son Ishmael, back in the wilderness. When near death, crying out to God, God came again and provided for them both, just as He did for us at the cross.
As Ishmael grew they traveled to Egypt and Hagar brought him back a wife. Her time with Abraham and Sarah, and her two encounters with the Lord, did not completely change her life. Hagar was still a heathen. God knew that Hagar and Ishmael would choose to serve idol gods, God permitted her to be forced to live in a desert place. This changed history, and the sons of Ismael and the sons of Isaac are still fighting today. Yet, in spite of everything, Hagar is proof that Jesus Christ loves everyone. His help to Hagar proves that anyone who cries out to Him, He will answer. Jesus Christ, who was willing to reveal Himself to a heathen woman who reached the end of her rope, even now is available to everyone who seeks Him.
Is there something going on in your life today that is keeping you at the end of your rope? Is your heart heavy with sorrow and to the point of breaking? Do you feel abandoned, unloved? We have a great King who is waiting with a reached out hand. Will you take it? Just cry out to Him.
Psalm 86:7 says, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”
Romans 10:13 say, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.”
Just as I am, without one plea, And that thy Blood was shed for me. And as Thou bids me, come to thee, oh Lamb of God I come.
Thank You
1 John 5:13 – 14
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Visit This Vine
Today’s Passage – Psalms 80 – 85
Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read – “What Your Children Will Never Forget” by Pastor R. B. Ouellette
“Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.” (Psalm 80:14 & 15)
The context of this passage of Scripture involves a time period in the history of Israel (the vine) when the people of God were under judgment due to their falling away from Him. Most people believe that it specifically involves the time of the Babylonian captivity. You will remember that God raised up the nation of Babylon to come and judge the northern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC because God’s people had turned away from Him and had fallen deeply into idolatry and immorality. The psalmist was pleading with God to return His favor to the vine (Israel), and to allow her to be restored to a place of God’s blessing; a place of provision and protection.
As a child of God today, I desire the same thing for my home, my church, and my nation. I so desperately want to see God move in my family and in my church. I want to see the evidence of God’s hand in the place where He has called me to live and to minister. I want God to visit the vine called Jersey Shore Baptist Church. I want God to use this place as a bright light in a dark world. I want to see multitudes of souls saved here; and I want to see the wayward saints return to the vineyard.
I believe this can happen. I believe we can see a great revival, even in these last days. But how is it going to happen. The answer to that question is found in vv 3, 7, & 19. Three times the psalmist pleads with God to:
“Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”
Notice that it begins with a movement of God. The Psalmist asks God to move in the hearts of the people and cause them to desire to be turned toward the things of God. I guess that’s kind of what God has called me to do as a preacher. My job, in part, is to plead with the people and exhort them to turn away from the world and their sin; and turn back toward God. There can not be a salvation without a turning. Don’t misunderstand, I do not believe that this Psalm is specifically dealing with the salvation of a soul from Hell, but the principle can be applied. In order for a person to be saved they obviously have to turn to God; and in order to be moving in the direction of God, one must be moving away from their sin.
The same is true for the revival of our worldly, cold and indifferent hearts in the local church. We need to turn away from our sin and all of the trifles that this world has to offer; and turn back to God with all of our hearts. We are living here for a purpose; but merely living here is not that purpose. We are here to glorify our Lord in this dark world by shining the light of His glorious gospel.
God, please visit the vine of my life, my family, and my church; and cause me to turn away from all of those things that are hindering me from fulfilling your perfect will for my life. Help me to glorify you in everything that I do and say; and help me to wet the appetite of the people around me for the things of God.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.