Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 26th Watch Your Step

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 49 & 50

Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. (Jeremiah 50:31)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

In the two chapters that we are reading today we see God’s judgment upon some more of the nations that surround Israel. The judgment upon these nations came through the hand of the mighty nation of Babylon, the same nation that God raised up to judge the nation of Judah. However, something very interesting happens in chapter 50: God judges the nation that He raised up to judge His people. Babylon was the tool that God used to punish His own people, but now God will judge and punish Babylon. Why? Because of their pride. It is clear from the Scripture that God actually raised up the nation of Babylon and equipped them to bring His people, Judah, into captivity. But as often happens, this nation began to believe that they were mighty because of their own wisdom and strength. Babylon was raised up by God, yet did not recognize God as the source of her success. America had better watch her step. Perhaps a fall is headed our way. Why? We have forgotten that it is God that has blessed us, and given us what we have today. Do we recognize that? I think it is safe to say that as a nation we have forgotten and forsaken God.

I also got to thinking about how often we as individuals get prideful about the gifts that God has given us. God has given us life and has uniquely gifted and equipped each one of His children; but sometimes we begin to get haughty about these gifts, as if we produced them ourselves. I had little to do with who I am. I am today a combination of  what God made me, and what others have invested in me. Why then should I think myself to be better (or worse) that somebody else. I have found that pride often manifests itself in three different areas: arrogance; over-confidence; and independence. If you really think about it, pride is the elevation of self to the extreme that self is placed above God. God is actually removed fro the throne, and self is placed upon it. We had better watch our step. Pride is inside of each one of us, more so than we realize; and we had better recognize that without God, we are less than nothing. God is patient; but eventually a fall will come our way if we continue to elevate ourselves above each other; or worse, above God.

Aug 25th Forgiveness

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 46 – 48

Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. (Jeremiah 46 – 48)

The Book of Jeremiah is book of judgment: most of it dealing with the coming captivity for the people of Judah in the land of Babylon. However, these three chapters that we have read to day deal with the judgment that God had prepared for three nations: Egypt, the land of the Philistines, and Moab. All three of these nations have had a bad history with God’s people Israel. For most of history these nations have been bitter enemies of the people of God. God would not spare these nations when he judged them: they would not receive the mercy that Judah would receive. Notice in the above verse that God says regarding His people that He would correct them “in measure”, but he would not make a full end.

I thank God that He loves me unconditionally and that, even though there are times when He needs to correct me and chasten me, He never stops loving me. We know that there is a principle throughout the Bible of reaping and sowing; but I know that God has not caused me to reap in judgment to the same degree what I sowed in disobedience. On the other hand, I have reaped far more blessing than I deserve. God has been very good to me: He loves me, and I am not very lovable most of the time. I am His child: I came in through the door, Jesus Christ; and God will never kick me out of the house. It’s mind boggling; but I am not complaining. People who do not know God misunderstand this unconditional love: they claim that it sounds like a license to sin. However, his unconditional love for me has constrained me, and His grace has taught me to deny ungodliness. When I think about His love, I want to sin less and serve more.

I thank God for His correction; but even more, I thank God that no matter how bad I get, He never stops loving me!

Aug 24th The Will of God – The Safest Place on Earth

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 42 – 45

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. (Jeremiah 42: 13 – 16)

I remember years ago, when I was serving God as a youth director for Lighthouse Baptist Church in Gloucester City, NJ, we used to go soul winning in the city of Camden. Now Camden was a rough town in those days, ranking at the top of the list in many crime categories. At first, we were scared to death to go in there; but God taught me a valuable lesson in those days: if it was His will to serve in Camden, then I was safer there than if I was in Beverly Hills or Palm Springs. Why, because with the will of God comes protection as well as provision. We never did have one problem while we were soul winning there; and we spent  lot of time in that city visiting our bus routes, etc.

The passages that we read today in Jeremiah remind me of those days in Camden. At this time Jerusalem was a rough place. Most of the inhabitants were already taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon. No doubt there must have been a great fear of further oppression from the Babylonians. However, God promised the remnant in Judah and Jerusalem that if they would stay there and serve Him, He would protect them and prosper them. Unfortunately, the remnant did not listen. Instead, they decided to move to a place that was without war and famine: a place of wealth, culture, and prosperity. The only problem was that it went against the will of God. Guess what happened? All of the things that they feared about Jerusalem, happened to them in Egypt. They should have stayed in the place of God’s will.

Where is the will of God for you? It may not seem like the best place on earth to other men, but it is the place where you will thrive. Sometimes parents are reluctant to allow their children to become missionaries, because they fear for their safety on the foreign field; but they are safer there in the will of God than in the best place in America out of the will of God.  Are you where God wants you, doing what God wants you to do? Surrender your will to His; lean not unto your own understanding; and He will prosper you and protect you.

Aug 23rd Not Interested in the Truth

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 38 – 41

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. (Jeremiah 38 – 41)

How would you like the job that God gave Jeremiah? He was sent to warn them of the imminent invasion from the King of Babylon. He told them that they needed to submit themselves to Nebuchadnezzar because this judgment was of God. He pleaded with Zedekiah, the King of Judah, and told him that if he would submit to Babylon that it would go well with him and his family and Jerusalem would not have to be destroyed; but he would not listen. So what did Zedekiah and the princes of Judah do? Did they say, “Thank you Jeremiah for loving us enough to tell us the Truth from God?” No they threw him in prison: a place so filthy that he sunk in the mire.

The day that we live in is not much different. For the most part, people are not interested in the truth. They want preachers who will tell them what they want to hear. The televisions and radios are filled with these messengers who itch the ears. They are hirelings, not true preachers of the Truth. Now, to be honest, there aren’t too many preachers in America being thrown in a miry prison today for their preaching; but I believe that there are many that would like to put us there. It can get very discouraging sometimes, but we must remember that our reward comes not from those that we speak to, but from Whom we speak for. Remember, history bares witness that Jeremiah was right. Men wouldn’t acknowledge it right away, but God rewarded Jeremiah with his freedom and his home, not to mention the crowns in eternity. What happened to the guys that threw him in prison? They were all slain, except for King Zedekiah; but he had his eyes plucked out just after he saw his sons slain.

Preachers, keep preaching to us the Truth. As painful as it may be at times, we need you to tell us what we are not willing to admit to ourselves. People, cheer on the man of God as he delivers the Word of God. He loves you and is trying to help you and your family to have the very best from God.

Aug 22nd Who Are The Rechabites?

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 35 – 37

But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. (Jeremiah 35:6 & 7)

Just some simple thoughts from the Scriptures this morning. For those of you that are part of our church in Galloway, I will be incorporating these thoughts into this morning’s message. I was drawn to chapter 35 of this morning’s reading which is a chapter devoted wholly to a family in Israel known as the Rechabites. We remember from 2 Kings the first mention of Jonadab, the son of Rechab which records the zeal of Jonadab as he helped Jehu remove all of the prophets of Baal from the land.

Here in chapter 35 of Jeremiah we learn more about this family who was blessed of God for following the precepts delivered them by their father Jonadab. We learn in this passage that the Rechabites were:

1 A Separated People – The Bible says that they drank no wine. They kept themselves from the sinful pleasures that this world has to offer. So many Christians today want to live with the best of both worlds. They want the power and blessing of God, but they also want to fulfill the lusts of their flesh. Unfortunately, you cannot walk in the Spirit and walk in the flesh at the same time. (Galatians 5)

2  A Simple People – They did not need luxury. They were content to dwell in tents, living a modest lifestyle. Why do we have to have so much junk; so many toys? Why can’t we just invest our treasure into that which is eternal?

3  A Strange People – (They were strangers in the land) Hebrews 11 says the same thing about Abraham. He was a stranger and a pilgrim. As Christians, we too are strangers on this earth. “Our conversation (citizenship) is in Heaven. This world is not our home. Let’s not get too tied down here on the earth, because we won’t be here long.

Aug 21st Guest Post by Pastor Ted Stahl “OUCH!”

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 32 – 34

God said in Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

How are you feeling today? Are you in good spirits? Are you in good health? Are you bothered by evil thoughts? Do your eyes wonder towards things that they shouldn’t?

Judah and Israel were sick. Their sickness was sin: they had turned from the One True Living God to worship little ‘g’ gods made by the hands of man. But God had the cure: they would go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years; then God would bring them back home. It seems that sometimes chastisement is the cure. God chastises those He loves. Some did not want to go thru this: they fought against the captivity, against the Chaldeans, and the results are in verse 5. Even for the Christian, the wages of sin is still death. Hebrews 12: 5-7 say…

Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: (v 6) For whom the Lord loveth he chastenith, and scourage every son whom He receiveth. (v 7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

So, how are you feeling today? Are you enduring? Are you drawing closer to God. Are you sinking in despair due to ecconomic woes? Are you trusting God? Romans 14:23 reminds us: “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Have faith. The chastening of the Lord is only for a season. Keep serving the Lord. Keep giving Him your tithe, and what you promised to give Him. As with Israel and Judah, our going home is imminent.

Aug 20th No More Soulwinning?

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 30 – 31

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33 & 34)

The context of today’s reading in the Book of Jeremiah is the Millennial Reign of Christ on the earth which is yet future. The Millennium will begin with an event that we call the Rapture, where Christ will come down in the clouds and shall gather His Bride, the Church, and take us to Heaven. Immediately following the Rapture there will be a seven year period known as Jacob’s Trouble (or The Tribulation Period). This will be a horrible time of judgment on the earth, but God will get the attention of the nation of Israel and they will turn their hearts back to Him. They will realize that they were wrong about the Lord Jesus Christ, and they will receive Him as their Messiah. At the end of this Tribulation Period Christ will return to set up His Kingdom upon the earth. Everybody that lives on the earth at this time and is old enough to understand will be saved: they will all know the Lord. God says in the verses above that during this time we won’t have to convince our neighbors to know the Lord, because they will all know Him.

I can’t imagine living in a place where everyone is saved. I can’t fathom not having a burden to reach the people around me with the Gospel of Christ. There will be no lost people on the earth. However, we are not there yet. Today there are still myriads of people who do not know the Lord, and it is our responsibility to reach them. We are to take the message of Christ to all of our neighbors, near and far. Sometimes it gets frustrating living in a world where the vast majority of people are lost in their sin, but that will all soon end. For now, we need to be busy, very busy, winning the lost around us; and giving to missionaries who will take the message of Christ to those that are out of our reach.

When was the last time you talked to your neighbor about “knowing the Lord”? Someday soon, you will no longer have that opportunity. Get busy!

Aug 19th Keep Looking

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 26 – 29

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Jeremiah 29 is written to the captives that had been taken away from Jerusalem in the first wave to Babylon. Jeremiah is writing to them from Jerusalem, and is encouraging them to not lose heart; and to not quit following the Lord. No doubt, they were a discouraged people: they had been uprooted from the place that God had given their fathers; and they had been carried away into a strange land with strange gods and peculiar customs. They probably thought that God was finished with them; and that it was all over for them. Jeremiah reminds them that God is not done with them, and that their time spent in Babylon is only for a season. He exhorts them to make the best of it in the land of captivity: to marry, build houses, and plant orchards and vineyards so that they would not decrease during their stay there.

I have gone through seasons where it seems that God has abandoned me: times when it feels like I am miles away from God. I am encouraged by passages like this that remind me that God will never leave me nor forsake me; and even though it seems like He doesn’t care at times, I know He does. I will try to follow the exhortation of God through Jeremiah: keep searching for me with your whole heart, and eventually, I will find Him. I know that God hasn’t moved away. It is my heart that has positioned itself elsewhere; but when I search for God with all my heart, bringing my heart back to Him, He will once again reveal Himself to me and place me in that spiritual land of Canaan known as the will of God.

Aug 18th Who Can You Trust?

Today’s Reading – Jeremiah 23 – 25

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:16)

Jeremiah delivers a scathing rebuke to the leadership of Judah in chapter 23; speaking out against the pastors, the prophets, and the priests. Apparently the religious leaders of that day had completely corrupt. Not only were they living contrary to the will of God, but they were also telling the people things that were completely untrue. The people were certainly in a predicament. How could they know what to do? They trusted that what these leaders were telling them was the truth. Remember, in this time period God used prophets to speak for Him. They would deliver messages to the people that God had given them. The only way that the people could know them to be true prophets is to see that what they predicted came to pass. Here in this passage the false prophets are preaching “peace and safety”, but Jeremiah was preaching impending judgment. The people did not know who they could trust.

Today it is much different. We live in a period of time where God has given us His complete Word of God. We have the Bible, and the Bible is complete, containing everything that God wants us to know for today. We do not have to trust men to deliver the Word to us: we have it. Now, don’t misunderstand: there are still plenty of false prophets out there; and there are still plenty of pastors who are corrupt and immoral. But God has not left us without a way to judge whether these men are truly His. He gave us His Word; and His Word is written in such a way that even the simplest of men and women can understand it (with the help of the Holy Spirit).

I guess the answer to my title question, “Who can you trust?” is this: Trust God. Put your trust in His Word. Men will always let you down. Even good men are human: they make mistakes; they are in the flesh at times; they have weaknesses. Don’t be guilty of putting the pastors and teachers of God on a pedestal: even the best of men are men at best. We can know that the men that are preaching and the men and women that teach the Word today are true only if their words (and their lives) are in agreement with the principles found in the Word of God.

Now a word to those of us who teach and preach the Word of God. God will hold us accountable for what we teach. We had better be sure that we understand that the position that God has given us is an awesome responsibility and privilege; and we had better be very careful that what we are teaching and the lives that we live are consistent with the Word of God.

Aug 17th A Burning Fire

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 18 – 22

For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (Jeremiah 20:8 & 9)

In chapter 20 of today’s passage we read about Jeremiah being put in jail for preaching exactly what God had told him to preach. Jeremiah was not a popular guy. He was the voice of God at a time when the entire nation of Judah had slipped back into idolatry and immorality, and was content to stay there. As he continued to preach the message of imminent judgment due to the people’s lack of repentance, he became the enemy of all the people. They all thought he was crazy, perhaps a little “over the top”; too zealous, a radical. One thing is for sure, they were certainly not receiving the message. Jeremiah got sick and tired of preaching this message to deaf ears. After all, he was just as human as I am. I’m sure, every once in a while, he wanted to hear, “that was a good message, preacher”; or “that truth you preached from the Word of God really turned my life around”. He never heard those things. He was mocked and persecuted throughout his ministry, yet he was doing exactly what God had wanted him to do. So, what does he do? He quits. Wouldn’t you? I would not have lasted nearly as long as Jeremiah did. I like to have my ego stroked now and again.

However, Jeremiah could not stay. He could not refrain from preaching. Why? Because God’s Word was in his heart like a burning fire. Eventually the fire inside of him became too hot to keep inside of him and he had to let it out.

As a preacher, there are many times that I want to quit. Trials and tests come along; and, at times, it seems as if nothing is going the way it should go. There are also the critics, who feel it is their purpose in life to point out every flaw in my ministry, every mistake that I make. I begin to remember what life was like as a layman, and sometimes I desire to go back to those days. However, though I often struggle with the idea of quitting, I know that God’s Word is inside of me; and it must come out. As miserable as it may be at times inside the will of God, I know that trying to refrain from preaching and teaching the Word of God would make me more miserable.

I remember when God first called me into the ministry. He made it crystal clear to me that he wanted me to go away to school for training. I didn’t go right away. I decided that I would just stay there in South Toms River with Pastor Rick, work for my dad’s candy company, and serve there as a “lay” youth director for the rest of my life. All that would have been easier. I wouldn’t have to leave a very lucrative income; I wouldn’t have to sell my house;  I wouldn’t have to leave my church; and I would not have to move my family, find a new job and go back to college. However, that was not God’s will for my life. I kind of drifted along out of the will of God for a while; but the more I drifted, the more miserable I became. God’s Word, and His will was in me; and it needed to come out. I finally surrendered to obey God’s will; and relief came.

What has God put inside of you to do for Him? You will never have peace until you surrender your will to His. By the way, the picture up top is of Bob Hamblen. He just underwent major heart surgery. The doctors don’t really want him to preach anymore; but he can’t stop. The Word is burning inside of him, and it must come out.