Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 2nd The Saturday Morning Post – The Devil’s To-Do List

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 14 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

Read the “0802 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Good morning. Have you checked your To-Do list today? I’m sure the devil checked his. He knows his time is running out. In as few as seven years from now, he will be cast into a bottomless pit: held captive there for one-thousand years. Then the devil will be released (but not for good behavior) and deceive the nations once again, and then he is cast into the Lake of Fire that was prepared for him. So he knows his time is short. If we know what is on the devil’s To-Do list, maybe we could help him not to get anything on the list done. So here it is…

1) Devour someone.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1Peter 5:8-9)

It is not just you that the devil wants to devour, but your brothers and sisters in Christ from across the street and around the world. We must resist him: stand on our faith in Christ…

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

2) Steal God’s Word.

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” (Matthew 13:18-19)

And no wonder they do not understand with all the perversions of the Bible available today. Many verses have been changed or left out; words have been changed or left out. God said he would preserve His Word…

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7)

But the devil is smart, he even steals parts of verses. If you have an NIV (non-inspired version) bible (small ‘b’ on purpose) God’s Bible should only be capitalized), and you were trying to cast out a demon and found you could not do it. You would look for an example in your NIV bible. You would be led to find Matthew 17 and the account of the disciples failing to cast out a demon. You would read verse 20, and then find the passage jumps to verse 22. But where verse 21 should be, the NIV tells you to see Mark 9:29. You turn to Mark 9 and it says…

“He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

You sadly walk away, saying, “But I did pray. What went wrong?”

What went wrong? The devil stole a verse and some words…

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21)

“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

We can’t afford to be led astray by perverted translations of God’s True and Holy Word. Stand on the King James Bible – it’s the only Authorized Version.

3) (NOTE to self: Save this one for last!) Bow the knee, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

So submit yourself to God, and stand on His preserved Word for the English speaking people: the King James Bible. Then you can sit back in Heaven and watch #3 happen. You should also bring others with you to see this great event: the devil hates soul winning too!

Peace!

Jul 26th The Saturday Morning Post – Don’t Lose Your Head

Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 5 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 7 – 8; Psalms 120 – 125; Proverbs 26)

Read the “0726 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?” (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

“For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ecclesiastes 12:25)

Good morning. Did you wake up this morning? Good. It’s all part of God’s perfect plan. Everything goes according to God’s plan. If He wants something to be crooked, it is crooked; and remains crooked until He makes it straight again: but we ourselves cannot make the crooked straight (see Ecclesiastes 7:13). God is sovereign: He does everything according to His will (see Daniel 4:34-35). And whatever He says He will do, He will do (see Ecclesiastes 12:25). This is why we can trust in God’s Word: He will perform it.

There are may prophecies given in the Word of God. One in particular, I got from NBC news. Back in 2014 there were two executions that took place within two weeks of each other. The first was a convict in Ohio. The doctors shot the two deadly chemicals into the man’s arm. Halfway through the procedure, he woke up screaming in agony. It took that convicted murderer a half-hour to die. A few days later, another execution was about to take place in Arizona. The convict was injected with the same two drugs used in the Ohio execution. after a few minutes, his body started to convulse. This time it took over two hours for that man to die. People protested the use of lethal drugs for executions, other’s were glad he suffered and suggested that Drano be used. As I read through the article, I clicked on a link. There in big bold letters was the headline I knew we would see one day…

Appeals Judge Says Guillotine ‘Probably Best’ for Executions By Tracy Connor

When you think of all the ways we have to execute people, the Guillotine seems to be the most humane. It would also fit in with God’s plan for those saved during the tribulation period…

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4)

God’s plan, and purpose: He will preform it.

Peace.

Jul 19th The Saturday Morning Post – Perilous Times

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 13 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 9 – 10; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

Read the “0719 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Timothy 3:1-5)

Good morning. Here is what God says about some of the issues going on in these perilous times.

Child Abuse…

“…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 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 18:3-7)

Sodomites and Lesbians…

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” (Romans 1:24-27)

Murder…

“And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:5-6)

And the list goes on, but…

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

The wages of sin is still death, whether saved or unsaved: Christian or non-Christian. If you sin, God may choose to take you home to Heaven if you are a Christian: a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; or if you never received Jesus as your personal Saviour this is what is waiting for you…

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

America is in deep, deep trouble. But righteousness will exalt a nation. There is no righteousness in a government that lies. There is no righteousness in those who abuse children, use them in pornography, or leave them in hot cars to bake. There is no righteousness where you could be sitting on your porch and someone drives by with a gun and puts a bullet in your head. Where there is no righteousness, there is sin. And sin is a reproach to any people. We are all affected by sin. America is in trouble, and Jesus is the only solution. I’m going to end with this last verse…

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Peace.

Jul 12th The Saturday Morning Post – The Gap Theory

Today’s Reading – July 12 – Psalms 133 – 139 (Second Milers also read – Matthew 23 – 24; Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)

“To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:13-15)

Good morning. Just a quick question about something here: when you read your Bible, does God ever give you a thought about something? It could be something to make you more like Jesus. It could be something that corrects the direction you are going. Or it could be just a thought. But do you get anything out of God’s Word when you read your Bible? What I want to show you was just a thought, but it was a thought that God gave me. Maybe I really shouldn’t say it was JUST a thought, to me it’s more than that. But anyway, one thought lead to another, which is in the Book of Exodus…

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (Exodus 14:15-20)

That’s the gap: the space of time: all night the Egyptians and the Israelites were not able to come near each other because of the cloud. Genesis 3:6-7 show us a gap between the first sin, and judgment…

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:6-7)

The gap is the time they used to sew together the fig leaves. And then there was the so-called prophetess at Thyatira: Jezebel…

“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 2:20-22)

God made a gap for Jezebel; He gave her space of time to repent but she would not.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Peter 3:9).

God made a gap for Adam and Eve. The ran from God, hid themselves, and tried to cover up their nakedness with fig leaves when they should have run to God…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

And then there is the gap that God made for the Egyptians that lasted all night. God may have made this gap for those Egyptians who would forsake their duty to Egypt and Pharaoh’s army. We still have these today, and they’re called deserters. Think about it. They had just seen their nation destroyed by plagues and the death of all the firstborns. They saw the cloud that blocked them from getting to the Israelites. And then when the cloud finally lifted, they saw the Red Sea parted, and Israel walking across on dry land. After all of that, there may have been a few who did not care to fight against the Only True Living God. God made a gap for them. Did any of them take this gift of life from God?

“And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.” (Exodus 14:23-28)

Not so much as one of them.

Why would God give an army who hated God’s people, the couple who enabled God’s people to sin, and a prophetess that caused God’s people to sin, a gap of time to repent: to change their minds about what they had done or were doing? The answer is found at the end of all 26 verses of Psalm 136: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Do you find yourself in a gap today: a space of time given to you by God? Use your time wisely.

Peace.

Jul 5th The Saturday Morning Post – Five Ways To Praise The Lord

Today’s Reading – Psalms 96 – 102 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)

Read the “0705 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100)

Good morning! Today, I want to give you five ways to praise the LORD.

1) Make a joyful noise (vs 1). This means to give a shout of joy! At a Seahawks Football game last December, fans broke the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd noise in history. At 137.6 decibels, the sound is almost equivalent to the sound jet engines make during takeoff. This is the kind of praise, the joyful noise that Christians should be giving to God.

2) Serve the LORD with gladness (vs 2).

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:22-24)

3) Know the LORD (vs 3) that…

…He is God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

…He created us.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)

…He purchased us, and we belong to Him.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1Corinthians 6:19-20)

4) Be thankful (vs 4a & 4c). Think about all the blessings the LORD has blessed you with, and thank Him.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

5) Testify on what the LORD has done for you (vs 4b). He loved you so much, that He shed His precious blood so you could be with Him in heaven…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1John 5:20)

The LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. So…

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 150:6)

Peace.

Jun 28th The Saturday Morning Post – One Nation Under God

Today’s Reading – Psalms 65 – 68 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 10 – 12; Psalms 136 – 140;  Proverbs 28)

Read the “0628 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.” (Psalm 67)

Good morning. July 4th is almost upon us. We will be 249 years old. Will we make it to 250 years? The only way is by relying on the Lord Jesus Christ. When we become self-sufficient, we have no need for God. That’s the attitude of some in America today. God even warned Israel about this…

“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

They’ve taken the Bible out of the schools. They’ve taken God’s commandments out of our courtrooms. They’ve tried to remove God from everything that is America. They’ve even tried to remove “In God we trust.” from our money. God continues the warning…

“Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 6:14-15)

George Washington, our first president of the United States, had a dream. This is the last part of the dream…

“Then once more I beheld the villages, towns, and cities springing up where I had seen them before, while the bright angel, planting the azure standard he had brought in the midst of them, cried with a loud voice, ‘While the stars remain, and the heavens send down dew upon the earth, so long shall the Union last.’ And taking from his brow the crown on which was blazoned the word “Union,” he placed it upon the Standard, while the people, kneeling down, said, ‘Amen.'”The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve, and I at last saw nothing but the rising, curling vapor I at first beheld. This also disappearing, I found myself once more gazing upon the mysterious visitor, who, in the same voice I had heard before, said, ‘Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted: Three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, passing which the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land, and the Union.’ With these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat, and felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown me the birth, progress, and destiny of the United States.”

“Such, my friends,” Anthony Sherman concluded, “were the words I heard from General Washington’s own lips, and America will do well to profit by them.”

I found this interesting: from 1861 through 1865; 625,000 were killed on American soil in the Civil War.

From 1918 through 1919; 675,000 were killed on American soil by the Flu Pandemic; an estimated 30 to 50 million were killed world wide.

Were these the first two perils our nation would face? I don’t know: I’m not a prophet nor an interpreter of dreams. If it is a true vision by George Washington, then there is a third peril on the horizon that is coming. Will another 600,000 + Americans die on American soil? I’m not one for visions of angels or dreams, but this I know…

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14)

America is in trouble, and only turning back to God can heal our once great nation.

Peace.

Jun 21st The Saturday Morning Post – A Eulogy For Uncle Frankie

Today’s Reading – Psalm 26 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Peter 1 – 5; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)

Read the “0621 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” (Psalm 31:1-5)

We buried my Uncle, Franklyn Lyons, 12 years ago, yesterday. I think that these five verses from Psalm 31 will give you a glimpse of how Uncle Frankie was. In my eyes, He was a man of God. And there are three facts that Uncle Frankie would want you to know about his life and death.

The first is that Uncle Frankie is not laying in the coffin.

His soul (who Uncle Frankie is) is safely in the hands of Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote in his second epistle to the Corinthian church…

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2Corinthians 5:8)

And Jesus had told one of the two thieves who was hanging on the cross next to Him, “…To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

What you see in the coffin is the aches and pains of old age. What you see in the coffin is the gangrene and cancer. What you see in the coffin is the diabetes. But Uncle Frankie wants you to know that is not him. On . Sunday, 12 years ago, around 5:00 pm, He entered Paradise: he is in Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second fact that Uncle Frankie would like you to know is that he is in Heaven because of God’s grace, and nothing else.

Uncle Frankie dropped out of school after 8th Grade to help support his family. He served his country during World War 2, in the Army Air Corp, stationed in England. He took care of his mother till she died. Uncle Frankie would take me, Grandma, and my mother to church at the Assembly of God, in Toms River every week. He would build balsa wood planes and give them to his nieces and nephews. When he retired, Uncle Frankie would read his Bible through, cover to cover, several times a year. And Uncle Frankie knew that all those things would not get him into heaven, only God’s grace…

“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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

He needed Jesus. As a child, or young man, someone told him about Jesus, and he asked Jesus to save him. And Uncle Frankie wants you to know that he is in Heaven by God’s grace.

The third fact that Uncle Frankie wants you to know is that life on earth is not forever.

Heaven and Hell are forever, and he would like to see you again one day in Heaven. Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

And the Bible tells us how. Realize you are a sinner.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)

AND

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

And because we are sinners, we need a Saviour: we cannot save ourselves.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Jesus shed is precious blood to pay the price for our sins…

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

He took the hard part and gave us the easy part…

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

If you are saved, if you have received Jesus as your personal Saviour, then one day you will see Uncle Frankie again, or meet him for the first time. Jesus said…

“…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…” (John 11:25)

Peace!

Jun 14th The Saturday Morning Post – Really, I Desire To Justify You

Reading for June 14 – Job 33 – 35 (Second Milers Read – 1 Timothy 4 – 6; Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)

(Job 33:31-33) Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak. (32) If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee. (33) If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

Good morning. As the old saying goes: it is better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you’re stupid, then to open it and remove all doubt! Elihu not only wanted to justify Job, but wanted Job to listen, and Elihu would teach him wisdom.

(Mat 7:1-5) Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

There is little bit of Elihu’s understanding mentioned in chapter 34…

(Job 34:35-37) Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. (36) My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men. (37) For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

I thought Elihu wanted to justify Job? There are two verses that come to mind…

(James 1:8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

And also…

(2Timothy 3:16-17) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

If someone asks you about what they should do in any given situation, give them the Word of God. If yoy don’t know: PRAY FIRST! And if you need to: SEEK GODLY COUNSIL

Peace.

Jun 7th The Saturday Morning Post – With Friends Like These…

Today’s Reading – Job 8 – 11 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Ephesians 1 – 3; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)

Read the “0607 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?” (Job 8:1-3)

“Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said, Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?” (Job 11:1-3)

Loosely translated, Bildad the Shuhite said, “Job, you’re full of hot air.”; and Zophar the Naamathite said, “Job, you’re a liar.” With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Good morning. They were just trying to help their friend Job, weren’t they? Of course the truth will make you free, Job, so admit you messed up and sinned. For the Lord to take away everything you had, you must have really screwed up. You can trust us: we’re your friends. Come clean Job! Give us the dirt!

King David found himself in a similar situation…

“False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.” (Psalm 35:11-14)

Sometimes it’s best not to know what the situation is. God knows exactly what the situation is. We should all take David’s example and go to God in prayer. What are friends for?

Peace.

May 31st The Saturday Morning Post – How To Be A Success

Today’s Reading –  Nehemiah 6 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 9 – 12; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 31)

Read the “0531 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.” (Nehemiah 6:10-15)

Good morning. Under orders of King Artaxerxes in Babylon, Nehemiah had come back to Jerusalem to rebuild it…

“Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.” (Nehemiah 2:9-10)

Does it seem strange to you, that when your church does something to help someone in need there is a force that doesn’t like it? Nehemiah had Sanballat and Tobiah; we have the devil. In today’s passage, Sanballat and Tobiah tried to get Nehemiah to stop the work on the wall of Jerusalem by trying to scare Nehemiah into the temple to save his life: without Nehemiah, the others doing the work would have been easy prey for the enemies of God. But God opened Nehemiah’s eyes to the plot. Nehemiah prayed that God would remember Sanballat and Tobiah’s evil deeds, and also that of the prophetess and prophets hired to cause Nehemiah and his workers to fear. The wall was completed in 52 days.

When the devil attacks the work being done for God, we have four weapons that will keep us going…

The first is KNOWLEDGE.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…” (1Peter 5:8)

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1John 4:4)

We have knowledge of our enemy’s tactics, and also that our God is greater than anything the devil tries to throw at us. Knowledge is our first weapon against the devil.

The second is UNDERSTANDING,

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1John 3:8)

Understand this, that the devil is already a defeated foe. Jesus said…

“…Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:17-18)

Our third weapon is WISDOM.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:7-8)

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

Whatever the devil throws at you, God has the wisdom you need to deal with it; all you have to do is ask Him for it. He gives us knowledge, understanding and wisdom. The fourth weapon He gives us binds all of these together.

The fourth weapon is FAITH.

Faith is the most important weapon, without faith, none of the other weapons will work.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

“…for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20)

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)

KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, WISDOM, and FAITH: God did not leave us to fend for ourselves. He defeated the devil on the cross, when He died, and when He walked out of the tomb.

Peace!