Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 17th The Saturday Morning Post – Strange gods

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 10 – 13 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 – Acts 7 – 9; Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)

Read the “0817 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

(Jeremiah 10:1-5) “Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: (2) Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. (3) For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. (4) They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. (5) They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.“

Good morning. If you had asked me a few years back if I thought America was under God’s judgment, I probably would have said I didn’t think so. Everything appeared to be going okay. After 9/11 things drastically changed in the United States.

An illustration that many preachers have used is about how to cook a frog. If you toss a frog in a pot of boiling water, he will hop right out. But if you place a frog in a pot of water, and slowly bring up the heat, he will stay there in the pot till he gets cooked. That’s what happened to us. The devil has been working on this country for quite some time. The religion of Evolution is preached in our schools as truth instead of just a theory. Children are taught that the baby formed in the womb is just an unfeeling blob of goo, so abortion is okay. People are numbed by propaganda telling them that homosexuality is an alternate life style and not sin. The Word of God has been removed from schools, government buildings, and books of “higher learning” (Romans 1:22).

Coexist is written on many of our bumper stickers. You can be whatever religion you want, just don’t attack anyone else’s. It doesn’t matter if they are on their way to Hell: they’ve been taught that there is no Hell. Why, you can even be a god yourself. Just jump around like Shirley McLane shouting I am god, I am god. Is it any wonder that many Americans have tried to push God out of their lives, and unfortunately the lives of others too?

Even if the godless succeed in removing from the Pledge of Allegiance the phrase: one nation under God; we are still, and always will be one nation under God. And God chastens those He loves (Hebrews 12:5-11). Look what God said about Israel in Psalm 81…

(Psalm 81:8-16) “Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; (9) There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. (10) I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. (11) But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. (12) So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. (13) Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! (14) I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. (15) The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. (16) He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Maybe one of the problems is that as Christians today, we don’t see God work in our lives. Why should we see God work? God says in Isaiah 43…

(Isaiah 43:12) “I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”

God has spoken to us through His Word. God has saved us, not only salvation from sin, but also problems attacking our lives. And God has showed us His great love to us. And we are supposed to be His witnesses of these things. And God did these things in our lives. He did them “when there was no strange god among” us.

Logic with me for a minute. If anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Then anything that we deem more important than God, is a strange god. What is more important than God to you? Is it sports? Is it your job? Is it a favorite TV show that’s in the same time-slot as church? What is your strange god? When we get rid of them, maybe God will start working in our lives again. We will be witnesses for Him. He will heal our nation (2Chronicles 7:14). Psalm 85 is a good model prayer…

(Psalm 85:1-13) “To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. (2) Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. (3) Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. (4) Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. (5) Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? (6) Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? (7) Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. (8) I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. (9) Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. (10) Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (11) Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. (12) Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. (13) Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Tired of not seeing God work in your life? Get rid of the strange gods.

Peace!

Aug 9th The True God or a god of Your Own Creation?

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 44 – 47 (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 – John 11 – 12; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17

Read the “0809 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this reading passage – “Custom Design“ and “He’s the One and Only”

I noticed two recurring themes in the reading today. God states several times through the prophet Isaiah, that He is the only God, there is none beside Him. In fact, I thought it funny when He said “I know not any” (Isaiah 44:8). Consider again these verses from today’s reading:

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. … Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6, 8)

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. … For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. … Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 21-22)

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,” (Isaiah 46:9)

The other thought that is repeated throughout the passage today is that men are determined to keep making idols, little statues of metal and wood, and they pray to them and worship them, but these hunks of junk can’t do anything for them. Again, let’s look at the verses from today’s passage that demonstrate this:

“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?” (Isaiah 44:9-10 – also vs. 12 – 20)

In Isaiah 44:12 – 20, God speaks about the folly of a man who plants a tree, then cuts it down to warm his home and bake his bread, and then takes the residue of it to fashion it into a god, an idol.

“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.” (Isaiah 45:20)

“They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.” (Isaiah 46:6-7)

Israel had the real God, the only God, yet they continuously chose to forsake Him and create gods of their own, little hunks of wood and metal. Now to be sure, there was real spiritual power behind all of these idols. Satan and his devils were the powers behind these false gods. However, when a man was bowing down and worshipping an idol, the devil was not physically present receiving the worship. He is not omnipresent as our God is. We sometimes make the mistake of assigning Satan and his demons the same attributes that rightly belong to God. Satan is powerful, certainly more powerful than a man, but he is minuscule compared to an omnipotent God. Most of the time, these idol worshippers of old were just speaking into the air, and the only One that really heard them as they were praising and praying to their idols was the true God whom they had forsaken, and He was not at all pleased that they had rejected Him and replaced Him with a hunk of wood.

Israel kept forsaking the Great God, the all powerful God, and replacing Him with these idols. Crazy! But don’t we do the same thing today? Oh, to be sure there are probably not many of us that have little statues around our homes that we bow before and worship, but we sure have a lot of idols. We replace God with all kinds of things that we worship: our money, toys, hobbies, careers, and even sometimes, our families – these are all good things given by God sometimes but they can eventually become more important to us than the God who gave them. We also sometimes dabble in sinful pleasures like immoral sexual activity, alcohol, drugs, etc. Like the idols of old, we thought we could manipulate and control them for our pleasure but eventually they enslave us and ruin our lives. When are we going to learn?

Let’s keep God – the Lord Jesus Christ – at the very center of our worship; not just on Sundays, but every day and in every aspect of our lives. Worshipping Him means that our lives are centered in Him. He is in control of everything we do. Let’s stop chasing the vanity of the idols of this world and pursue after God.

Aug 3rd The Saturday Morning Post – Hope For America

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 19 – 23 (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 23 – 24; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)

Read the “0803 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

(Isaiah 19:16-25) “In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. (17) And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it. (18) In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. (19) In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. (20) And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. (21) And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. (22) And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. (23) In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. (24) In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: (25) Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

Good morning. I’d like to call your attention to verses 24 and 25. It appears that there are three types of peoples, or will be. God refers to the Egyptians as His people.

1) Blessed Be Egypt MY People

(Exodus 7:4-5) “But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

The Egyptians come to know the LORD through all the plagues, and when all Israel walks out of Egypt and bondage. I was reminded of what Yul Brynner said to his wife in the movie: The Ten Commandments: “His God is God.”

And according to our passage, the Egyptians would be God’s people. And that brings us to the Assyrians.

2) Blessed Be Assyria, The Work Of MY Hands

Assyria was created by God for His purpose.

(2Kings 17:6 & 23) “(6) In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”

”(23) Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.”

And thirdly is Israel.

3) Blessed Be Israel MINE Inheritance

(Genesis 12:1-3) “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: (2) 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: (3) 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 35:9-12) “And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. (10) And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. (11) And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; (12) And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.”

(Exodus 4:22-23) “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: (23) And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”

And as the firstborn, Israel was entitled to a double portion. He was the heir. Israel was God’s inheritance. And we who have received Jesus as our personal Saviour are also part of His inheritance.

(Romans 8:15-17) “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

(1John 5:11-13) “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

So what about America? Is America like Assyria, raised up to protect Israel? Is America like Egypt, and has to go through the plagues before they turn back to God? Or are we part of Israel? We who are believers are grafted in with Christ: we have become part of Israel.

Peace.

Jul 27th I Want To Die – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Ecclesiastes 9 – 12 (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 9 – 10; Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 27)

Read the “0727 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

(Ecclesiastes 9:1-6) “For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. (2) All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. (3) This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. (4) For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. (5) For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (6) Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

Good morning. I want to die. Don’t you? I’ll miss you all. No I won’t, because the dead know not anything. There are not anymore chances for any rewards, and I will soon be forgotten. All my love, hatred, and envy will be gone, and I have no more portion in anything that is done under the sun. Pretty grim isn’t it. But I am still living, and I know one day I will die: we all have an appointed time. But I want to die now…

(Ephesians 4:17-32) “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (19) Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (20) But ye have not so learned Christ; (21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. (26) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: (27) Neither give place to the devil. (28) Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

We need to have the same mind as Christ: He obeyed His Father even unto death on the cross.

(Philippians 2:5-8) “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

So I’m afraid you are stuck with me for a while. How long that while is, I don’t know, but it will not be until the Lord is done with me, and calls me home.

Peace.

Jul 20th The Tongue – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 16 – 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 – Mark 11 – 12; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

Read the “0720 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

(Proverbs 18:21) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Good morning. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Death and life: evil and good: hate and love: and those who love the tongue will receive the consequences whether good or bad.

(James 3:3-12) “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. (4) Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. (5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! (6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. (7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: (8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (9) Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. (10) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? (12) Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”

You need to keep your tongue: what comes out of your mouth can heal as well as destroy. Sometimes we speak without thinking, and that causes problems.

(Proverbs 21:23) “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.”

(Proverbs 10:20) “The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.”

And it is the wicked who cannot keep his tongue…

(Psalm 10:4-7) “ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. (5) His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. (6) He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. (7) His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”

A good example of this is what King David wrote in the beginning of Psalm 52…

(Psalm 52:1-4) “To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. (2) Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. (3) Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. (4) Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.”

We can make an effort to control and keep our tongues, but what did Jesus say?

(John 15:5) “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

We need the LORD, without Him, we can do nothing. Look at the following verses…

(Proverbs 16:1) “The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.”

(Psalm 34:13) “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”

(Psalm 35:27-28) “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. (28) And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”

Let us all make an effort to keep our tongues from saying things we shouldn’t.

Peace.

Jul 13th David’s Psalm Of Praise – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 140 – 145 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 25 – 26; Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)

Read the “0713 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

(Psalm 145:1-4) “David’s Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. (2) Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. (3) Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. (4) One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

Good morning. Psalm 145 is King David’s Psalm of Praise. David was known as a man after God’s own heart; shouldn’t he be filled with praise for the LORD? He tells God, in verse 2, that he will praise God’s name for ever and ever. Why? Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. How do we praise the Him? By telling others, and by sharing your praises with them. Verse 4 tells us…

(Psalm 145:4) “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”

Can God get a witness? I’m sure He can. Having trouble praising God for all the wondrous things He has done? Continue reading in verse 5…

(Psalm 145:5-21) “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. (6) And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. (7) They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. (8) The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. (9) The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (10) All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. (11) They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; (12) To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. (13) Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. (14) The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. (15) The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. (16) Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (17) The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. (18) The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. (19) He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. (20) The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. (21) My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

Can you praise the LORD as well as David? I’m sure you can, if Jesus is in your heart. Start by counting your many blessings: name them one by one, and you’ll see what God has done. You will praise Him too!

Peace!

Jul 6th Bless The LORD – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 103 – 105 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)

Read the “0706 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Psalm) 103:1 “A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

Good morning. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. What comes out of your mouth when you talk about the Lord? Does it bless His holy name? Are you using all your power: all that is within you? Bless His holy name.

(Psalm 103:2) “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

(1) Think about all His benefits.

He forgives, heals, and keeps you out of Hell. He shows you His loving kindness, and His tender mercies. He supplies you with good and healthy food He shows the oppressed His righteousness and judgment. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

(Psalm 103:22) “Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.”

(2) All His works should bless the Lord.

Are you His creation? Were you made in the image of God? Yes? Then you need to bless the Lord!

(Psalm 104:1) “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.”

(3) Bless the Lord because of who He is.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, because of His honour, His majesty, and His greatness.

(Psalm 134:1-3) “A Song of degrees. Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. (2) Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. (3) The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

Peace.

Jul 5th Sing

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)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19

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

Read previous posts from this passage – “Enduring to All Generations“, and “Before His Presence“

“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.” (Psalm 96:1-2)

“O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. … Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.” (Psalm 98:1, 4-5)

“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:2)

“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.” (Psalm 101:1)

You couldn’t help but notice all of the references to singing in today’s reading in the Psalms. singing is a beautiful expression of the joy that is in our hearts because of all of the blessings that the Lord has given us as His children. Reflecting on the goodness of God should be enough to put anyone in a singing mood. Notice in Psalm 96:2 (above) that a singing Christian shows his salvation to the world around him. People can know we are christians by our words, action, and love; but here we see they can hear our salvation through our joyful spirit expressed in our singing. Why is it then that so many church services are dead when it comes to the congregational singing?

It is a shame that many congregations today are limiting the amount of congregational singing in their worship services. Some churches are replacing the singing from the people in the pews with professional performances from the platform. What a shame. While I thoroughly enjoy hearing Holy Spirit-filled and gifted musicians and singers perform, there is still nothing like an uninhibited congregation singing their hearts out in worship to the Lord.

One more thought regarding singing. Sometimes we don’t feel like singing, perhaps due to negative or painful circumstances going on in and around our lives. We should sing anyway because singing has a way of cheering us up and reminding us that we serve an awesome God. Christian, God wants to hear you sing, and so do I. It matters not if you can hold a note. All you have to do is make that joyful noise, and the Spirit of God will do the rest.

“Every good gift that we have had from the cradle up has come from God. If a man just stops to think what he has to praise God for, he will find there is enough to keep him singing praises for a week.” D. L. Moody

Jun 29th Hurry LORD! – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 69 – 72 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 13 – 16; Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1

Read the “0629 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Psalm 70:1-5) “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD. (2) Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. (3) Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. (4) Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. (5) But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.”

Good morning. How long do you think the insanity in our country will go on before it blows up in our faces? In our text, three times David asks the Lord to make haste. There were people that desired David’s hurt. Dacid asked the Lord to deliver him, that those who were after him would be confused, ashamed, confounded, and turned back. Make haste, LORD. Our own country has turned away from God. Homosexuality runs rampant. Drugs, illegal aliens, and criminals overflow our boarders. What can we do? We can apply what David said in verse 5…

(Psalm 70:5) “But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.”

And also apply what his son Solomon heard from the LORD…

(2Chronicles 7:14) “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.”

Make haste!

Peace.

Jun 22nd Try It, You’ll Like It! – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 32 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 2 Peter 1 – 3; Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)

Read the “0622 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(Psalm 34:8) “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”

Good morning. There was an old TV commercial, that had a man sitting on his bed. He was recounting what had happened to him. Another guy said, “Try it, you’ll like it. Try it, you’ll like it.”

The man on the bed said, “So I tried it… thought I was gonna die!”

Then they went into the product information. But in our verse, the Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good: and you will be blessed. Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!

Try Jesus, you’ll like Him, and all your sins will be forgiven.

Try Jesus, and you will live forever.

Try Jesus, and you will have a mansion in Heaven that He built especially for you.

Try Jesus, and He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Try Jesus, and one day you’ll walk on streets of gold.

Try Jesus, and you will be blessed.

(Joh 3:16-18) “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. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Try Jesus, you’ll like Him!

Peace!