Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

May 23rd He Relied Upon God – Do you?

Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 9 – 14

Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.  (2Chronicles 13:18)

I get excited when I read about these good kings of Judah.  Here we have the chronicles of Abijah, the son of wicked king, Reheboam.  Abijah was faced in battle against the superior army of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Yet, he did not rely on anything but his God to deliver the people of God from the enemy.  Consider the following thoughts from the passage:

1  He did not follow the example of his father, or of the kings of the nations around him.  What is your excuse?  It does not matter what influences you have had or have still today; you can serve God.

2  He did not forsake the service of God’s Temple.

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: (2 Chronicles 13:10)

3  He did not forget that his military strength came from God.  He was outnumbered four to one; and was facing an army in the front as well as an ambush from the rear; but God fought for him and destroyed the enemy.

I don’t know what you are facing today; but I know that you can have the victory if God is with you.  But I guess the bigger question is, are you with God?  Are you following the right examples?  Are you not forsaking his House?  Are you not forgetting that He is your strength?  Just a thought.

May 22nd Hear Thou From Heaven

Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 6 – 8

While reading chapter six of today’s passage, I noticed in Solomon’s prayer a phrase that appears over and over again: “Hear thou from Heaven”.  If you look carefully at the context of each of the times that this phrase was used you will notice that it always involves confession and forgiveness.  Basically Solomon was asking the Lord to forgive the people whenever they had come to Him in contrition and confession involving a wrong that the people had committed.  Chapter seven tells us that when Solomon had finished praying the fire fell from Heaven and consumed the sacrifices; and also that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.  So, it appears that God was pleased with what Solomon had prayed regarding forgiveness.  Why will God continue to forgive and not forsake His people?  The answer lies in the Temple itself.  Remember the Temple was the place that sacrifices for sin were offered unto God.  Now we know that these sacrifices could not atone for sin; but they reminded God of a coming sacrifice: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary.  When God thinks of His Son, He can forgive the people:  their debt has been paid in full.

Why do we as God’s people have such a hard time forgiving and reconciling with each other.  Like God, we should view the atonement of the shed blood of Christ as payment for the sins that have been committed against us.  We fully expect God, and people to forgive us, yet we are so reluctant to forgive others.  Or, we say we forgive them with our mouths; but harbor bitterness in our hearts toward them. 

One thing that has helped me in this area a long time ago was to actually sit down and consider all of the times that I had blown it; all of the times I had sinned against God.  Though, I could only recall a fraction of the actual list, I still had a ponderous number of transgressions listed.  I began to think, why would God forgive me?  How could He love someone as wicked as myself.  The answer – Christ.  How can you forgive those who have wronged you?   The answer – Christ.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.  (Ephesians 4:32)

May 21st A Full House

Today’s Reading – 2 Chronicles 3 – 5

 …for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God. (2 Chronicles 5:14)

In today’s passage we read about the completion of the Temple on Mount Moriah.  Everything was done according to the instructions that were given from David by God.  It was much more elaborate and luxurious than the Tabernacle of the Wilderness.  What made this an awesome place was not the tons of gold, silver, and brass that was throughout the place; but rather the fullness of the glory of God within.  God was present with the people of Israel in His temple.

I want the church here in Galloway to be filled with the glory of God.  Our church will not be known for its elaborate architecture, or its beautiful landscaping; but it can be known as a place where God’s glory lives.  It can be a place where people can come and know that they have heard from God.  How can that happen?  How can we continue to have the presence of God with us here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church? 

1  We must keep the  Commandments of God in the place of preeminence.  In other words, nothing must take the place of the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

2  We must keep the Commision of God in the place of priority.  We must be primarily about the business of reaching people with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

3  We must work to keep the Children of God in the place of peace.  David said, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity  (psalm 133:1).  God is pleased when His peple are of one mind in one accord, striving together for Him.

Are these three ingredients present in our church?  God will be with us, only if we surrender our agenda; and yield completely to His perfect will.  As a preacher, I am always very concerned that the house is full of people; but I should be far more concerned that the house is filled with the glory and presence of God.

May 20th Willing Servants

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 29 – 2 Chronicles 2

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly, (1Chronicles 29:6)

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. (1Chronicles 29:14)

This passage of Scripture reminds me of the original offering taken for the Tabernacle of the Congregation in the Wilderness.  Remember, God had to tell them to stop giving because they gave way to much.  Why is it so hard today for people to let go of their treasure and their time and use it for the service of God?  I have a couple of thoughts on the matter:

 1  The people preparing for the Temple here, as with the the people building the first Tabernacle are very excited about what God is doing in their lives.  They are completely convinced that God is everything, and they trust Him implicitly with their lives, and their substance.  Perhaps the people in our churches today lack that kind of trust.  I guess it is easy for the leaders to blame them; but maybe it’s really because they don’t see that the money and time that they are sacrificing are really making a difference. 

2  The people here also had complete trust in the devotion, dedication, and stewardship of their leaders.  I hate to say it; but perhaps the reason why people are reluctant to give of themselves sacrificially at our church is because they don’t fully trust my leadership; or perhaps they lack faith in my motives.

It is easy for the preachers of today to blast the people in the pew for the lack of zeal in these areas; but just maybe, we are to blame.   This is a sobering thought, but if I could develop (through the power of the Holy Spirit) into the type of leader that David was, then maybe I (we) could see God do great things like He did here in this passage.  I know that this is true because I see God doing amazing things in other ministries.  Pray for me as a pastor, that I do not hold back the blessings of God on this church due to my lack of leadership.

May 19th Just Do It

Today’s Reading 1 Chronicles 24 – 28

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. (1Chronicles 28:20)

Chapter 28 of 1 Chronicles is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible.  In it we see the passing of the baton from David to his son Solomon.  David is giving the charge to his son regarding both the ruling of the kingdom and the building of the temple.  David encourages Solomon by assuring him that he has everything he needs to fulfill the will of God for his life: he has the blueprints; he has all of the materials; he has all of the craftsmen and labourers; he has all of the ministers needed; he has divine wisdom and protection; he has it all.  The only person that could stop Solomon from doing what God had called him to do was Solomon.  He was literally invincible until God was finished with him.

I get excited whenever I read this passage because I too know what God has called me to do; and as long as I stay in the will of God, and keep moving forward, I cannot lose.  God has promised to give me everything I need; he has promised me protection; and he has given me the greatest source of wisdom, His Word.  The only person that can defeat me is me!  I must keep moving forward, even though the path may seem very dark and dangerous at times.  He will safely guide me through if I simply keep going.

How about you?  What has God called you to do?  Have you fulfilled the will of God for your life, or have you quit?  Have you been convinced to leave the game because of the attacks of the wicked one.  Get up; dust yourself off; and finish what God has called you to do.  God has never promised an easy journey; but He does promise to carry you safely home if you will simply keep trusting Him and keep moving forward.

May 18th Preparing for the Next Generation

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 22 – 23

In today’s passage we read about David making the preparations for the building of the temple of God in Jerusalem.   If you will recall, David was forbidden of God to actually build the temple himself because God said that he was a man of war; and that he had shed much blood while delivering Israel from the hands of her enemies.  God said that Solomon, David’s son, would be the man that would build the temple as he would be a man of peace.  However, this did not prevent David from doing all that he could to help gather the materials, and to make the necessary preparations, so that Solomon would have all that he needed to fulfill God’s will for his life. 

I have been saved now for twenty years.  I have learned that God will not allow me to do all of the things that I have dreamed of doing for Him; but that does not stop me from doing all that I can do to help pave the way for those that he will call later to fulfil His will(and some of my dreams).  I have a lot of dreams: I dream of seeing multitudes of people saved and serving God here in south Jersey.  I dream of seeing hundreds of young men and women being trained here to go forth throughout the world serving God.  I dream of planting dozens of churches here in our area.  I dream of running dozens of buses all over Atlantic County, picking up boys and girls and bringing them to the house of God.  It is in my heart to do all of these things; but God will very likely not allow me to do all that I dream of.  But maybe I can help train and prepare the next generation so that they can take what we have started and build upon it.  I have to be content with being just a part of the process.  I can maybe help give the next generation a strong foundation so that they can continue to do what I could not do.   

How about you?  What are you doing today to help prepare for the next generation.  Sometimes people don’t want to be involved in the process at all if they personally can’t be there for the final product; or if they won’t receive the praise of men for the final product.  We need to forget about who gets the credit;  do all that God will allow us to do ourselves today; and then give and train and prepare so that the next generation will be able to finish what we have started and even do “greater works than these”.

May 17th Decisions, Decisions

Today’s reading – 1 Chronicles 19 – 21

In chapter 21 of 1 Kings we see David making the worst decision of his reign as king.  He wanted the people of Israel to be numbered so that he could determine their strength in battle.  David was warned by Joab that this was a mistake, but David decided to go against the counsel of Joab and have it done anyway.  I often wondered why God was so upset about this.  It appears from the judgment He inflicted upon the nation that God was far more upset about this than He was about David’s adultery with Bathsheeba and murder of her husband Urriah.   God did not want David basing his military decisions upon the strength of his army, but rather upon the power of his God.

David’s decision caused much heartache and suffering for the people of Israel.  The pestilence that God sent caused seventy-five thousand men to die.  Can you imagine how David must have felt after having caused the death of all of those people.  The decisions of leadership have a far reaching affect don’t they?  Maybe the lesson we can learn from all of this is that we need to be very careful about our own decisions and choices.  I am positive that if David had asked God about this before doing it, God would have stopped him.  Perhaps if we would inquire of God through His Word; through prayer; and through godly counselors before making our decisions, we too could avoid much hardship; not only for ourselves, but also on those that we love and serve. 

David did get it right in the end.  He did what God told him to do to make it right.  He sacrificed an offering to God upon what would become the temple mount; the very same place that Abraham offered his son, Isaac; and the very same place that God would offer His Son, Jesus.  God was reminded of the death of His Son, and the pestilence was stayed.  When we blow it like David did; let us Go to God and ask His forgiveness; and let’s remind Him about the death of His Son Jesus for our sins.  God just may stay His hand of temporal punishment in our lives as well, just as He has promised to stay His hand of eternal judgment when we die.

May 16th Learning From Your Mistakes

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 16 – 18    (Yesterday 1 Chronicles 14 & 15)

In chapter 15 and 16 of today’s passage, we see the transport of the ark of the covenant back to where it belonged in the Tabernacle in Jerusalem.  You may remember we read earlier in Chronicles and also in 2 Samuel 6 that this was the second attempt to bring the ark back.  The first time they attempted to carry the ark back on a cart instead of the way that was clearly prescribed by God in the Law.  This mistake resulted in the death of Uzza because he put his hand on the ark to steady it.  He wasn’t supposed to touch it!

Why did Uzza die?  because he touched something he wasn’t supposed to touch.  But was it really his fault?  I guess partially it was; but I believe most of the blame fell on David for not doing things the right way the first time.  David was trying to do a great thing, but ended up causing the death of a good man.   David, however, did not let this error in judgment keep him from moving on in the will of God.  He learned from his mistakes.

As I reflect on my years of ministry for the Lord, I am reminded of the many times that I have done things (or not done things) that have resulted in people being hurt.  I have clearly blown it in many situations.  Other times, in trying to correct a problem, I have made matters worse.  I have even neglected to act on occassion hoping perhaps that the problem might go away on its own (which never happens).  It’s rather depressing to meditate upon my failures.  But I have learned this through the years:  people who make many attempts to help other people; and people who make many decisions in life, are bound to make a bad call now and then. 

So what should we do.  Keep moving forward!  Apologize for your failures, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving on.  Don’t let the Devil convince you that your service for God and for people is over.  David made a terrible mistake; but he also made it right.  He didn’t quit, and he went on to greater works than these. 

May 14th Blessings Come From The Presence Of God

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 12 & 13

And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had. (1Chronicles 13:14)

The context of today’s passage reveals that David had just been recognized by the entire nation of Israel as the king of the land.  David wanted to unify the nation even further; and he desperately wanted the blessings of God for the nation: so he sought to bring the ark back into its proper place.  While bringing the ark back to Jerusalem, the oxen stumble which caused Uzza to reach back and steady the ark.  You know the story, God kills Uzza instantly:  he was not supposed to touch the ark.  

My purpose for this writing is not to discuss what David did wrong in how he transported the ark; but rather to notice how God blessed the house of Obededom simply because the ark of God was temporarily placed in his house, under his care, for safe keeping.  The ark represented the presence of God; and God will always bless the house that has God present in it.

Is God’s presence clearly apparent in your life and family.  Perhaps there are things in your house (and mine) that quench and grieve the fullness of God’s presence.  Maybe it’s time to clean out our houses and make a home for God to dwell in; a place that God can bless abundantly; a place where God is in control.

By the way, the ark of God only physically rested in the house of Obededom for three months; but apparently Obededom wanted more of God’s presence because we read later in chapter 16 that Obededom became a porter in the house of God.  He wanted to be as close to the presence of God as he could.  How about you?  Do you desire the presence of God in your life and in your home?

May 12th Who Are The Nethinim?

Today’s Reading – 1 Chronicles 8 – 9

As I was reeading today’s passage, I was caught by the name used in verse 2 of chapter 9, Nethinims:

Now the first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities were, the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinims. (1Chronicles 9:2)

I decided to do a little study on these people and I discovered that the Nethinims were a group of people that were actually slaves or servants to the Israelites. The Gibeonites were such a people (see Joshua 9). Apparently these folks were assigned to serve the Levites in the temple. These folks are mentioned by name several times, but only in two other books of the Bible: Ezra, and Nehemiah. It is apparent that the Books of the Chronicles were actually written after the captivity years, and may have actually been written by Ezra. Nevertheless, it appears that these Nethinims existed as bondservants  before the captivity, early in Israel’s history, and then chose to retain their position as servants in the temple when the Israelites returned to the land from Persia.

These Nethinims must have been a dedicated people to willingly be slaves to the God of Israel and servants to the Levites in His temple. I would like to be that kind of a servant; not the guy with the robe on who is always in front of the people but the guy who just loves and humbly serves the Lord, the Lord’s House, and the Lord’s people. Would to God we had more Nethinims today in our churches who are willing to work behind the scenes; people who are willing to quietly serve the Lord without the applause and honor of men.