Where Is Their God
Today’s Passage – Psalms 78 – 79
Second Milers also read – 45 Proverbs 1; Psalm 1 – 5; Mathew 1 – 2
Scripture Memory for July – Hebrews 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
“Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servantswhich is shed.” (Psalm 79:10)
Have you ever asked the question, “Where is God?” I have often heard the people of this world ask this question when bad things happen on the earth. They will say that if there was a loving God, He would not allow all of this evil in the world. I have also hear some of the people of God pose the same thought when they or somebody they care about are experiencing hardship in life. However, the context of the verse written above is a little bit different. It seems that the psalmist here has penned these words at a time in Israel’s history when they have suffered a horrible defeat to the Babylonians (around 586 BC) which included the complete destruction of Jerusalem along with the people of Israel being taken into captivity. Here the psalmist is pleading with God to avenge them of their adversaries. He tells God that their enemies are mocking them, saying that their God must either not care or must be absent altogether. The irony of the whole situation is that God actually “raised up” these Babylonian attackers for the express purpose of getting the attention of His people who had seriously departed from following Him.
My thought for this morning, however, is that I wonder how many of of the people around us: our neighbors, our co-workers, our family members, etc. can see God in our lives. Can they see the reality of our faith working throughout our day to day living. Maybe they are tolerant and even polite to us regarding what we say about our faith; but I wonder sometimes if they aren’t secretly thinking, “where is their God?” Can they see the reality of God in our lives? No wonder we are having a difficult time reaching the people around us. If God isn’t real to us, how can he reveal Himself to others through us. I believe we have a tremendous responsibility and an awesome opportunity to show people our God through our lives.
1 Show them God by living out your faith. If you really believe God, then live according to the principles found in His Word. Walk with Him daily. Yield to His Spirit and His will. Separate from the things that are not apart of His perfect plan for your life.
2 Show them God by loving the people around you. God loves people, unlovable people just like you. Demonstrate the reality of God by demonstrating God’s love to people. Look for ways to express the love of God to the lost world around you. Don’t take separation beyond where God intended it to be. He wants us to impact their world; not only with the truth, but also with compassion.
The greatest compliment a person could give me would be for them to say that they saw the reality of God in my life.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Praise Ye The Lord
Psalms 150 says,
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
I have breath, so I must praise the Lord. As I sit here in my camper, at Country Acres Campground, in the heart of Lancaster, PA, I can’t get over what God has done in getting us here. For those of you who are not familiar with driving in Philadelphia, it’s an un-natural disaster. Tune into any morning show and watch the traffic reports. It’s insane! God set this up, and I praise Him for that. We were going camping for the week of July fourth. My sister Ruthie wanted to give us a vacation after all that had transpired in the first half of the year. We chose Lancaster. Here is what God did. We wanted to leave when I got home from work Friday morning. God was there and arranged me to be scheduled to work overnight at the Sicklerville store. We started our camping trip a day early. I brought Camille and the camper to Sicklerville that night. Now remember the traffic? God supplied me and my boss Joe with another worker. We were able to finish the resets, and get out of there around 4:00 am. Do you know how the traffic is at four in the morning? There isn’t any. We drove through Philly with no problem, right into a nasty thunder storm. God’s timing, of course, is perfect. We only had to drive through a few down-pours. The lightning lit up the early morning sky. It was beautiful. Streaks of high voltage travelling horizontaly across the sky, and vertically as it struck the ground. Then we saw the results, but God protected us from them. There were many branches from trees blocking the outside lane. There was no traffic arround when I swerved to avoid hitting a pile. Praise God that the trailer did not flip, and that we were not damaged by the fallen debree. The Lord got us safely to the campgrounds at 6:30 am. I still have breath, so I praise Him for that. Also the campground is very well kept, and peaceful. Normally, about this time, we would still be hearing the music blaring, the people partying, and loud, foul voices would fill the air. This is a nice, peaceful place. I was going to say a piece of Heaven on earth, but since when is Heaven peaceful? We’ll be shouting praises to our Lord and Saviour. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Peace (Psalm 150:2).
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Time is Running Out
Click on the Scripture references below to listen to the audio of the Scripture reading or song; or to view the Scripture Memory page.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 69 – 72
Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29 (Note – we will start back again reading the New Testament on Sunday, July 1)
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read a previous post from this passage – “Who Are You Magnifying?”
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” – (Psalm 71:18)
A few years ago, the verse referenced above would have meant little to me. I would have probably glance right over it, quickly, without giving it much thought. However, the older I get, the more I realize that there is still a great deal more that I would like to see accomplished through the ministry the Lord has entrusted me with; yet I am quickly running out of both the time and energy that I need to do it. You may think based upon what you’ve just read that I am in my 70’s. Though I feel that old at times, I am only 47; but I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that my time on this earth is very limited.
I want my life to count for something. I want to be used of God to help “shew” my generation the strength and power of God. I need to get busy, and I need to become more proficient at what I am doing so as to make the best use of the time that I have left. I am not all that pleased with what has been accomplished so far in the twenty-two years that I have been saved; or even in the ten years that I have been a pastor. I know that God could have helped a lot more people through a more yielded vessel. But, He is not through with me yet. This morning, I have made a choice to not dwell in the failures (or even the successes) of the past, but instead look to the future. God has given me life today; and today I can give that life back to Him, for His use, and for His glory. So can you. What are you living your life for? What are you accomplishing today that will be used of God to make a difference in eternity. The Psalmist prayer was to remain here on the earth until he was able to fulfil his ministry of telling everybody about God. That’s a great request, and it should be the prayer and goal of each of us who are saved today. Time is running out; your appointment with death is approaching.
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – (Ephesians 5:16)
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – (Hebrews 9:27)
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Make His Praise Glorious
Click on the references below to hear the Scripture passages and song, and to view the memory passage.
Today’s Passage – Psalms 65 – 68
Second Milers also read – Revelation 20 – 22; Psalm 136 – 140; Proverbs 28
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Read an earlier post from this passage – “What Are You Thinking About?”
“Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.” – (Psalm 66:1-2)
Our God is an awesome, and wonderful, and great, and powerful God. The English language really does not contain enough adjectives to describe how glorious our God is. Yet, we who have been saved through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are encouraged to learn about the greatness of God from His Word, and then communicate our appreciation and admiration to Him first, and then to the people around us. In order to do this, we must first study God. One of the reasons why many Christians hava a tough time praising Him is because they don’t know Him; and there are others who are praising Him, but not according to knowledge. We are commanded to study God through the Scriptures. If the God you serve seems vague or small to you, it is because you do not know Him very well. Open the Bible and read about His awesome power, as well as His infinite wisdom, and loving compassion. He is wonderful. Get to know Him.
Once we know some things about God, we are to sing about Him. These Psalms were all originally songs, and many of them are songs of praise. I sometimes get a kick out of watching the song service at our church. I often see people going through the motions, thoughtlessly and half-heartedly mouthing the words of the hymns. Every once in a while I have to shake myself, and remember what I am singing, and to whom I am doing it. Singing is a form of praise and worship. When we sing the songs of God, we are worshipping Him, and praising Him. If there is one part of our church service that I have really been trying to work on, it is the song service.
Notice also Psalm 66:3:
“Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.” – (Psalm 66:3)
We are to speak our praise to God, and for God continuously. The Scripture says that the redeemed of the Lord are supposed to “say so” (Psam 107:2). We have an awful lot to be thankful for; and an awful lot to praise Him for. My preacher in Texas used to say, “if you’re not going to Hell, you ain’t got no problems; and you ought to be shouting.” He is right. I once heard Pastor Charlie Clark say, “Open your big, fat mouth, and praise God.” Perhaps if we started praising the Lord as we ought to, more people would be attracted to our God. Jus a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Lead Me To To The Rock
Today’s Passage – Psalms 58 – 64
Second Milers also read – Revelation 16 – 19; Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 121
Read another post from this passage – “Can’t Sleep”
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” – (Psalm 61:2)
I love this verse from Psalm 61. David was a man who had many enemies and spent much of his life fighting them. He valiantly strove against the enemies of God’s people throughout his life, and he also spent a good portion of his life defending himself from some of his own people that had turned against him. He lived much of his life at war. I can certainly understand why there were many times that his heart was overwhelmed. Imagine how he must have felt for David when King Saul pursued him for all of those years; or when his own son Absolam led a rebellion against him, forcing him out of his own city temporarily. David’s life was not easy. He experienced much heartache along the way.
Though I have never experienced the horrors of military battle, I have experienced my share of trials and difficulties in life. There have been many times when life got a bit overwhelming. There have been many times when I just did not know what to do. These are the times in life when we should go to God, who is the Rock that is high above all of the circumstances of life.
I have given some thought to David’s use of the illustration of a mountaintop to express his going to the Lord during the difficult days (and nights) of his life. In a battle, there are many advantages to having the higher ground. The mountaintop was a place of safety. It is much harder to attack someone when you have to climb up to fight them. It is easier to defend a higher position than it is a lower one. God is our place of safety. Nothing can happen to the child of God, who is living in His will, unless God wants it to happen. It is very comforting to know that God has got my back.
The mountaintop is also a place where our sight increased. Have you ever gone up to the top of a mountain? The views are sometimes absolutely breathtaking. Last year my wife and I were blessed with a once in a lifetime trip to to Hawaii for our 25th anniversary. We took a drive on the Big Island up the side of an old volcano on the Kohala Mountain Road. I don’t know how high up we drove, but when we got to the top, we could see everything. It was an absolutely gorgeous view. It was a rather strange experience being on top of a mountain, and looking down at miles and miles of shoreline, as well as the vast Pacific Ocean. We could even see one of the other islands from where we were. God wants us to understand that when we are overwhelmed with life, He can see much better than we can; and through the eyes of faith, we can see a little better too. We may not be able to fully understand what we are going through, but we know that God does; and we can trust that He has a purpose for it all.
It is wonderful to know that though life gets a little overwhelming for us, it never is that way for God.
Posted in Thoughts from the Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Just for Ladies by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Psalms 51 – 57
Second Milers also read – Revelation 12 – 15; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 119:105
The Study of Women in the Bible
This week: Sarah
Good morning and welcome once again to Women in the Bible. This week we will be looking at Sarah and how she walked ahead of God.
“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1 – 3)
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” (Genesis 15:1 – 5)
“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:” (Genesis 16:1 – 4)
Abraham and Sarah lived a secure life in Ur, with friends and family . One day God appeared to Abraham and told him to leave his land and go to a place, which He would point out to him. Most women would find it hard to leave their home to face an unknown future, but Sarah got on board and stood behind her husband, obeyed God and went willingly. After moving over 600 miles away, God told Abraham to move again. All the while Sarah was waiting for the promise of God to bear a child.
Abraham and Sarah continued moving around, and because of a famine, they decided to move to Egypt. For the first time Sarah saw Abraham not take counsel from God. She must have really questioned her husband when he asked her to tell the people that she was his sister. Here was a man who walked beside God now running ahead. Sarah honored her husband, and God honored Sarah by protecting her in Egypt. Sarah knew from experience that to live a life of faith she would need to be patient. Faith and patience go together. You can’t buy them, you have to experience them. But Sarah was growing older and now past her days of child bearing. She suggested to Abraham that he take a Hagar as his concubine. Although these things happened frequently back then, it was still wrong because of her lack of faith.
A year after God appeared to them again, Sarah conceived and bore a child. Finally, receiving the promise from God.
Today we have two nations from the loins of Abraham: the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael; and the Jews, the descendants of Isaac. They are still at war with each other, all because Sarah ran ahead of God.
We too must follow by God’s side; never running ahead or dragging behind. Moving when God moves us, and waiting when He is working. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” If you ever walked in the woods at night with a flashlight, you know you must walk next to the one holding the light. Too far behind or ahead, and you are in darkness. You might go down the wrong path, stumble, or fall. So let’s take the Saviour’s hand and walk together by His side.
In conclusion, I do not want to leave Sarah on a sour note. Sarah’s life had experienced many sacrifices. Her faith grew after the birth of her son, Isaac. She experienced hardships and disappointments, all without complaint. She was flexible with the changes that were made in her life. By her obedience to Abraham, she allowed him to obey God. In Hebrews 11, she was honored for the faith she had, not without having her failures pointed out.
Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy Blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come…
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Guest Posts, Just for Ladies by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
You Can’t Take It With You
Today’s Passage – Psalms 46 – 50
Second Milers also read – Revelation 8 – 11; Psalms 121 – 125; Proverbs 25
Scripture memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read a previous guest post from this passage by Sarah Becker – “A Very Present Help”
“For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.” – (Psalm 49:17)
You have heard it said that you will never see a U-haul behind a hearse, except, of course, in comical pictures like the one above. The bottom line from Psalm 49 is, however, that your accumulated wealth and status in this life will do you no good in eternity, unless your life and wealth have been invested in the cause of Christ, and in the lives of others. This Psalm admonishes us to not envy the lifestyles of the rich and famous among us. First of all, we don’t see the whole picture. While they may seem to be enjoying life on the surface, we know that lives that are lived outside of the will of God are not really happy on the inside. There is a lack of inner peace, and a void that cannot be filled with the things that this world offers.
I want to be clear to point out, however, that wealth or possessions are not evil in themselves. God blesses His children with some of the non-sinful pleasures in this life. The key, however, is found in v. 20:
“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” – (Psalm 49:20)
Notice that only the man that understandeth not is like the beasts that perish. Honor and wealth, and possessions, etc. are wonderful gifts given by the Lord to the person that “understands” Him, and His will. So, go ahead and enjoy the possessions that this life contains, but do not let them possess you; and remember to thank the Lord who gave them to you.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Thirsty?
Today’s Passage – Psalms 40 – 45
Second Milers also read – Revelation 4 – 7; Psalms 116 – 120; Proverbs 24
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” – (Psalm 42:1-2)
I remember when I was a boy, the neighborhood that I grew up in was involved in an unorganized baseball league and we would challenge other neighborhoods in our town to play us. I remember one very hot, summer afternoon we were playing Lake Riviera, our arch rivals. The temperature was in the 90’s with high humidity. It was a real scorcher. I don’t remember who won or lost that game, but I do remember that out of all of the dozen or so guys on our team only one had enough sense to bring water. I recall he had one of those Coleman jugs that contained about a half gallon or so of water. At first he did not want to share; but under the threat of death from his teammates, he finally yielded and shared his treasure. It was as close as I ever came to identifying with the rich man in Luke 16, who desired just a drop of cool water.
In the passage referenced above the Psalmist tells us that he had that kind of a thirst, not for water, but for the things of God. Jesus said, “…if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37), and “blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Amos referred to a thirst for the “hearing of the words of the Lord”. (Amos 8:11)
We tend to get thirsty when we have been without hydration for a while. America is dehydrated spiritually, and I bet there are a lot of folks out there who are thirsting for God; and they may not even realize what they are thirsting for. They have been drinking from the wells of this world for a long time, but have not found satisfaction. The people of God are not helping the situation because they too have abandoned the well of the Word of God and have been sipping at the fountains of the devil.
Are you thirsty? As God’s people, our desire should be for God’s will and God’s Word. We should thirst after it. How long has it been since you took a good, long, satisfying drink from God’s well? How long has it been since you offered a cup of God’s Spirit to the thirsty people of the world around you?
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Guilty – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning. Guilty in 45 of the 48 counts against him. That’s what the news said. Psalm 37, verses 1 and 2 cry out a warning: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”
Jesus warned, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” (Matthew 18:6-7).
I have a hard time even imagining what it was like to stand before a judge and hear the gavel slam down on the bench saying, “Guilty! Period! No if, ands, or buts!”
A good deterrent for crime is knowing the consequences. The wages of sin is death. Do you believe the truths of the Bible: God’s Holy, Infallible Word? Just like Adam and Eve, when we sin, we die inside: spiritually. Physical death will come later. Do we believe that the wages of sin is death?
Read all of Psalm 37: this is a great Psalm. Within this Psalm, there are five directions given. Give heed to them. Understand them. Do them.
Verse 3 tells us to TRUST in the LORD.
Verse 4 tells us to DELIGHT in the LORD.
Verse 5 tells us to COMMIT OUR WAY unto the LORD.
Verse 7 tells us to REST in the LORD.
Verse 34 tells us to WAIT on the LORD.
It is better, when the gavel comes down, to hear: “Not guilty! Case dismissed!”
Peace. (Psalm 37:37-40)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Forgiven
Today’s Passage – Psalms 32 – 35
Second Milers also read – 1 John 4 – 3 John; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22
Scripture Memory for June – Psalm 139
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32:1
The Book of Hebrews admonishes us to grow up in our faith and move beyond the foundational truths of the Christian life. That’s good advice: we cannot stay babies forever. However, it is wonderful to be reminded often about the simple truths of the forgiveness that God offers to all those who are willing to put their faith in Him. In this passage, there is a reminder to all of us who are saved. The verse above simply reminds us of the fact those who have their sins forgiven are a blessed people. To think that an omniscient God, who knows every sinful act of my past as well as every evil thought, would be willing to forgive me, and even look at me and treat as if I had never done or thought any of those horrible things.
It gets even better. Notice verse 2:
“Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”(Psalm 32:2)
It is one thing to choose to forgive the acts of the past; but to also forgive ahead of time all of our future transgressions is beyond comprehension. God loves us unconditionally. He says he will not “impute” our sin. The word impute means to assign to or credit to. God says that he will not assign or credit our debts or sins to our account. Why? Because 2000 years ago he laid all of the debt of my sin upon the His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus paid my sin debt for me. What a wonderful thought. Notice how that happened to David:
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
He acknowledged his sin. He did not deny them or hide them. He then confessed them to God and asked the Lord for forgiveness. God could only forgive him because the debt would be paid by Christ. Have you confessed your sin to God, and asked Him for forgiveness? Have you come to the foot of the cross and called upon the name of the Lord for salvation. If you haven’t done so yet, please call upon Him today.
To those of us who have received the forgiveness of God through the remission of our sins, how are we at forgiving each other? God has forgiven everything that I have ever done or will do. What right do I have to withhold forgiveness from others? Just a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Psalms by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.