Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Mar 17th Driving Out the Inhabitants … by Dawn E. Foster

Today’s Passage – Joshua 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Titus 1 – 3; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read the “0317 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post on this passage – “Get to Work“

Borders are set to define an area. To keep things in, and to keep things out. They define a starting and ending point. Borders define countries, our yards, our way of life. These boundaries not only define physical space, but also sin.  

God commanded the people to drive out the inhabitance of the lot that was given to them for their inheritance.  Drive out meaning completely ridding them out of their borders.  Yet in Joshua 17:12 we see that “the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities;”.  In the next verse, verse 13 we read that they “did not utterly drive them out.”  All the bells and whistles in our heads are going off at this point.  Get them out! Hello!!!!! This is going to be a huge problem! God said get them out plain and simple so do it! 

It is funny how we can easily identify this, yet in our own lives we let sin fester. Just like the children of Manasseh let the inhabitants stay in the land, we do the same with sin. It’s ok if I do (fill in the blank) because it’s a gray area.  We make a justification. Well…. the Bible doesn’t clearly define if it’s right or wrong. It’s ok if I drink because the Bible says don’t get drunk… so as long as I don’t lose my mind I’m fine to do it. It’s ok if…. little by little we slowly make another justification… we let one sin stay, then another. We let the sliver stay in our finger because we don’t want to deal with the immediate pain that would be caused if we would just pull it out. So, it festers… and gets infected.  Suddenly the one “it’s ok if I do” thing because a major separation from the Lord. We become consumed with living with the sin because maybe it’s easier. Maybe because everyone is doing it.  We keep it because the world does it so it can’t be so bad… right? Wrong.  

Sin will dim our eyes so we will not notice that we are not seeing clearly.  We will not understand why we start to struggle. We won’t see that our walk with the Lord is drifting farther and farther off the straight and narrow. We become part of the world because everyone is doing it. 

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15 – 17)

Until we drive out the inhabitants we cannot be right with God. We won’t see how dark it is in our lives until we turn the lights on. God gives another warning in Numbers 33:55: “But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”

Child of God, if you are justifying sin get on your knees. Cry out to the Lord. Get in your Bible. Talk to your Pastor or Pastor’s wife. Get right, and drive out those inhabitances in your life.

Mar 15th Five Peace Killers … by Pastor Wayne Z. Foster

Today’s Passage – Joshua 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Timothy 1 – 6; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Deuteronomy 32:4

Read a previous post from this passage – “The Day the Sun Stood Still“

Read the “0315 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

In the Book of Joshua, we see the record of the Children of Israel as they go through and claim the Land of Canaan.  We know this as the Promise Land. These passages are historical recordings of Israel’s exploits.  Time and time again we see how God delivered Israel’s enemies into their hands.  What we read can be directly and spiritually applied to our lives today.

In Joshua 10, the five kings Adonizedek, Hoham, Piram, Japhia, Debir, were angry that Gibeon had tricked Joshua into making peace with them. This is a prime example from the Bible of why we should pray or we will pay.  These kings want to destroy Gibeon. This is because Gibeon made peace. In our lives when we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts we receive something we never had before.  It is the peace of God.  Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” 

Peace is something that the world desires but never achieves. This is because we live in a world run by chaos and confusion.  This world is run by the Devil. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4,  “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: “Ephesians 2:2. When we get peace our flesh automatically starts to attack and tries to destroy it.  

There are 5 things that will erode peace in your life: 

1. Worry: Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Worry is like a rocking chair it gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere. Peace is based on trust.  If you are trusting God you will have peace.  It is when you don’t trust God to handle your problems or situations that worry creeps in and steals your peace.  Trust God!
2. Doubt: Matthew 14:31 “And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”  When you get saved you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  There is nothing that you cannot accomplish for God.  With God all things are Possible! The Devil knows this and takes full advantage.  He gets you to doubt. Doubt your self-worth in Christ.  Doubt that God can use you.  Doubt that you are good enough.  The ceiling that blocks your prayers is doubt.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the opposite of doubt.  Do not doubt God, have faith in Him!
3. Sin: James 1:15 – Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”  Sin is like an unlimited credit but with 100% interest.  You think it will give you everything you want but in the end its takes everything you needed and wanted. Sin is like the monster you used to think hid in your closet when you were a child.  The problem is this monster is real.  Even if you close your eyes it’s still there watching you, haunting you, and draining you of your peace.  Sin makes you paranoid just ask King Saul.  Sin makes you crazy just ask Samson.  Sin will steal your peace just ask David.
4. People: Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Setting yours eyes on people instead of God will steal your peace.  Often times we are so concerned with others opinions, we lose track of the one we really should be concerned about, Jesus. In our lives we live to please God not people.  Pride pushes us to please people.  The Bible pushes us to please God. You should not worry about how people view you.  Be aware of how God views you. If you are living for God, the right people will have the correct view of you.
5. Fear: Psalm 37:1 “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” Fear is paralyzing.  It inhibits you from accomplishing what God has for you.  Fear causes us to stay put instead of doing great things for God.  In the wild a lion roars to stun its prey.  Often that roar instills a fear so great it paralyzes the prey.  That’s what Satan does to Christians.  1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” There are many fears that will hinder your peace.  Fear of failure.  Fear of change.  Far of loss. God does not want us to live in fear.  We are meant to live victorious in Christ. Fear will hinder your walk with God.  It will steal your confidence in Christ, and bring you many sleepless nights. Don’t let fear rob you of peace, we are more than Conquers!

Mar 13th The Place Whereon Thou Standest Is Holy – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Joshua 5 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)

Read the “0313 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15)

Joshua was getting ready to bring Israel against the city of Jericho, when he saw a man with His sword in His hand, ready to fight. Joshua asked Him a simple question: are you for us or our our adversaries? This was not a yes/no question, but the man said nay: no. No? Wait, are you for us or them? Nay; but as Captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua found himself in the same place as Moses…

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:1-6)

And Joshua fell down with his face to the earth. And Joshua received the same command as Moses: take your shoes off, the place you stand on is holy. And Joshua did so. And in chapter 6, we see the Lord giving Joshua His plan for the destruction of Jericho.

Have you come up against a wall in trying to serve God? A problem with your Sunday School class? Trouble with local government? Maybe it’s time to look for the Guy with the sword…

1) Seek Jesus First.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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.” (John 15:4-5)

2) Do As He Instructed.

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:2-5)

3) When The Wall Falls, Move Forward.

“So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20)

Is the work you are doing for the Lord? It is not your work, but His. He is standing right in front of you with His sword drawn, ready to get you through the wall. But, how can He if you are not relying on Him? Remember what Jesus said: without Me ye can do nothing.

Peace.

Mar 12th A Simple Faith? … by Caitlin Tarr

Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10

Read the “0312 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Where are the Strong and Courageous Men?”

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:5-9)

Moses is dead and God has chosen Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Joshua has big shoes to fill after Moses. He had to wonder if he was a worthy successor to Moses. God laid it out the way in Joshua 1:1-9. Simple right? It would be if faith was simple. But faith isn’t simple. It takes strength and courage. The same strength and courage that God promised Joshua. The strength and courage needed to lead the people into the promise land that is offered to us if we show the simple faith needed to obey God’s commandments no matter how hard the challenge before us is. 

There are going to be times in our life when the challenges set before us seem too great for us to overcome. Times when our faith fails us because faith isn’t simple. Times when we need to remember that the promises that God gave Joshua are there for us. One of those promises is at Joshua 1:5, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”  With God on our side, despite the challenges, no enemy will be able to stand against us, no challenge is too great … if we have a simple faith. 

Joshua 1:9 carries a challenge and a promise, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” It’s just a question of simple faith … right? No, because there will be times when our faith falters, when the strength and courage God give us seems out of reach, when faith doesn’t seem a simple thing. There will be times when we find ourselves afraid, discouraged and facing defeat. All of this, even though we know that the God of the Universe is going to be with us wherever we go … if we simply have faith.

As the book of Joshua continues, the story of his faith, continues as he faces the challenges that God sets before him. Imagine what would be possible if we had his simple faith and depended on the strength and courage that God provides us as he did to Joshua! 

Mar 6th Remember – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 15 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 3; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)

Read the “0306 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.” (Deuteronomy 15:12-15)

Good morning. We’re having a wonderful time down here in Texas. We have made new friends, and renewed old friendships. But we still think about our other friends back home in New Jersey. We will be leaving in two weeks to start our journey back. We will always remember Florida, Texas, and our home: New Jersey. In our passage today, God is telling the Hebrews, when after six years, to release their Hebrew servants in the seventh year. They need to remember that they were bondmen in the land of Egypt, and the LORD freed them and they left Egypt with everything they needed. The Hebrew masters should not send their Hebrew servants away empty, but should furnish them liberally from what God had blessed them with. Did they disagree with that? They needed to remember that they were in bondage at one time in Egypt, till the LORD redeemed them. We, as Christians, were once in bondage: in bondage to sin before the LORD redeemed us. God showed us mercy and grace as He paid the price of our redemption.

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

Should we not also show grace and mercy to other Christians? Remember where you came from.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John13:34-35)

1) Remember those in bondage to sin.

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

2) Remember those we follow.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” (Hebrews 13:7)

3) Remember to help the lost and fallen.

“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:17-23)

One more item to remember: it’s hard to look down your nose unless you are looking in a mirror. Remember.

Peace.

Mar 5th My Shepherd … by Michael Garner

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read –  2 Corinthians 9 – 13; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSIsaiah 40:31

Read the “0305 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

To break down this first verse of Psalm 23, we look at the Lord being OUR shepherd! As Christians, we must be ecstatic that the Lord is our shepherd and that He made a way for Him to be our shepherd. He came here as a baby just like you and I. Lived a sinless life. Helping others on this planet. But He came for one reason and one reason only: to die for us. It was nothing we could do to pay for our sins, but by His blood being shed. When we think about this, we think about our own sins. We think about how we fail Him everyday. No matter how hard we try, we are never going to be perfect. It is our sinful nature. This flesh only wants wicked and carnal things in life. The sins we commit everyday is the reason He came and died on the cross. We were on His mind when He was up on the cross. He loved us so much that He would die for us! But it doesn’t end there. He has risen! He rose of the third day and is alive in heaven! the shepherd was slain and rose up again! How powerful! He left here to go prepare a place for us in Heaven, wait for the day we unite with Him. The great thing about it all is the the gift of salvation is that He made it free! He made it so simple and easy! What a God! We don’t deserve it! We don’t deserve to have a shepherd like we do. A shepherd that would do anything for his sheep, knowing that they would fail his countless times. All we must do to inherit eternal life it to ask Him. He will then give it to us. He’s just such a great God! The second part of this verse reads …I shall not want. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will need nothing else in this life! This world is full of broken heart and emptiness, saying they have the answer to all your problems when in reality they don’t. They themselves have problems and can’t even get them fixed. They will never get fixed unless they have Jesus Christ as their shepherd in their life. They have no guidance. The try to go day by day living life with no direction, leader, or purpose. This a sad reality we live in, but it is what we see in the world on a daily basis. When we have Jesus Christ as the shepherd leading us through life, what more would we need? He blesses us everyday! He gave us His Word, telling us how to go about life. He gave us prayer and the opportunity to come into His presence. He allows us to walk with Him daily. He hears us when we cry. He is the answer to everything. What more could you need? Anytime we need Him, He is there!

Maybe today you need to remember what the shepherd provides. Maybe someone you know needs to know the shepherd. Maybe you need to realize all you need in life is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the greatest thing to ever happen to us! We need to remember this when going through life and its struggles. We must also show others who don’t know Christ as the shepherd the greatness of God and His blessings that come with it.

Mar 3rd The Easy Things … by Alexia Morales

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 6 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read –  2 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 3; Psalms 11 – 15)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSPsalm 119:105

Read the “0303 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Remember Who Butters Your Bread,” and “Let’s Get Back to the Bible.”

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

“Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 6:12)

“And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:” (Deuteronomy 6:20 – 21)

I once heard one of my teachers say “The Christian life isn’t hard, life is hard.” She then explained what she meant. She was saying, here on Earth we have problems. They’re hard, they hurt, and they’re not pleasant to go through. But at the end of the day, the struggles don’t affect how good God is, and how good He is to us. Oftentimes, we lose sight of his sweet and tender mercies, and the new blessings he has in each day. We forget who He is to us. I don’t know about you, but when I get my eyes off of my problems, being a Chrsitain is easy. It’s easy to fellowship with the Lord, because He’s my best friend, He always wants to listen, and He always cares. It’s easy to look back and testify that He’s a great God, because I’ve seen him work in the most hopeless situations.

In this passage, Moses is telling the children of Israel to do some pretty easy things, in comparison to what God has already done for them, and is going to do. They were slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh, and God heard their cry. He led them out of Egypt, and promised a land “that flowed with milk and honey”, which was Canaan. God wanted to bless his children, and Moses reminded them of some things they should do upon enjoying this Promised Land. In application to our life today, these same instructions seem pretty easy, but it’s the simple things that we often completely overlook. Don’t get overwhelmed each morning with all of life, remember there are some sweet and simple purposes in each day. Stay faithful to them, and God will do the rest.

1. The Great Commandment is to love the Lord with all you’ve got, (verses 4 and 5) if we don’t have that down, everything is wrong. But, if this area is where it should be, we will be seeking to do things that please the Lord, because we are constantly in communion and communication with Him. This is one of our purposes each day, to have fellowship with the Lord. He’s our best friend, and he wants to hear from us, and not just once a day. Be sure to show up.
2. “Beware lest thou forget”.. The children of Israel are cautioned not to forget where they came from when they enter that blessed Promised Land. I know where I’ve come from. I didn’t grow up in church. I got saved when I was 17, and past mistakes and hurt have brought quite some baggage. But, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. God has worked miracles in my life, He’s pulled me from some dark and low places, and I’ve seen his hand in it all. Don’t forget. Don’t grow discontent. That is the main tool the devil uses. Bring every thought into captivity, and line it up with God’s word. If it’s not pure or Holy, TRASH IT. Fix your mind on the things of God, and don’t forget His goodness.
3. Lastly, Moses challenges them to tell their children. To tell the younger generation of all the Lord has done. Where they’ve come from, and why they do what they do. Tell everyone where you’ve come from, and how the Lord changed your life. Be a witness, to the younger generation, and to all people.

Don’t forget these “easy” things, for they are some of the most important things.

“And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:25)

Mar 1st Bearing Fruit When Your Spirit is Broken … by Dawson Parker

Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 9 – 12; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4

Read the “0301 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. … When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.” (Matthew 14:9-10, 13)

Read all of Matthew 14:1-21

We are going to be looking into the life of Jesus and how even in a time of brokenness in his life, he was still able to greatly be used of God. Before we look at how God used Jesus, we are going to look at what made Jesus broken. We see that John the Baptist said something Herod didn’t like, and Herod put him in prison and some things eventually led to Herod beheading John the Baptist. The disciples found about the death of him and went and told Jesus. The Bible says in verse 13, “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by a ship into a desert place apart:”. In my opinion, I think Jesus was very upset and went to be alone to pray to God.

1. John the Baptist was Family of Jesus – (Luke 1-2)

• mothers were cousins
• similar age
• both births prophesied by angels

2. John the Baptist was a Friend of Jesus –

• they respected each other – Matthew 11:11 – “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”
• they shared spiritual moments together (baptism) – Matthew 3:13-17

3. John the Baptist was the Forerunner of Jesus –

• Mark 1:2-4 – “As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the remission of sins.”

I say all of that so we can realize the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus. When Jesus found out this this man who meant much to him was put to death, he was upset! What he did next is what is so important. He got alone with God and that is what we need to do when we get bad news. Often times, running to God is the last resort but we should run to the one who has all of the answers and we should do it immediately. What is interesting is the fact that even though Jesus was broken and wanted time with God, there was still people who had a need. Verse 14 says, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and he healed their sick.” Next, we see the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand but let’s not forget that this event is taking place while Jesus was still broken. No doubt, this is a picture for us that God can greatly use us when we are broken but only if we run to God and get power from him. II Corinthians 12:9-10 – “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasures in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

So, in conclusion, let’s look at the 3 key points of this lesson so we can apply them in our lives –

1. When we get bad news, we need to run to God!
2. There are still people with needs even when we are broken.
3. God can greatly use us when we are broken.

Feb 27th Marching Orders – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage –Numbers 32 – 33 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 27; Psalms 136 – 140)

Read the “0227 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance:98 every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.” (Numbers 33:50-56)

Good morning. The Lord gave marching orders to Israel for when they entered the land of Canaan. They were to drive out the inhabitants, destroy their pictures, their molten images, and pull down their high places. If Israel did not drive out the inhabitants, then those people would be pricks in their eyes, thorns in their sides, and would vex them. And, to top it all off, God would do to Israel as He planned to do to them. And we know what happened. Israel started worshiping false gods of the land, and did wicked things in the site of the Lord; things much worse than the inhabitants. God kept His promise and scattered Israel. Israel would not become a nation again till 1948.

When will someone come into the United States and be pricks in our eyes, thorns in our sides, and vex us? Many Christians today are being side-tracked into focusing on everything in the world except for Jesus and His Word…

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

The old man shows it’s ugly face regularly in today’s society. What happened to the new creature? We should not be walking after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We’ve turned into zombies, the walking dead: the old man has come back to life. And those zombies are dragging around the old baggage that should have been cast by the wayside a long time ago. We have our marching orders…

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:11-14)

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Peace!

Feb 26th God Always Keeps His Promises … by Dawn Schnepp

Today’s Passage – Numbers 30 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Romans 13 – 16; Proverbs 26; Psalms 131 – 135)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Isaiah 51:11

Read the “0226 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. (Numbers 30:2)

Reading Numbers 30 and 31 reminded me of two things to be grateful for – God’s promises and His grace.  A vow is defined as a solemn promise, oath or pledge.  How many times have I made a promise to the Lord or my loved ones and friends, only to break that promise?  I’m grateful that the Lord always keeps His vows to us and that He never changes.  He gives us a fresh start every day and no matter how many times we fail Him, we have His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He promises us peace when we keep our minds on Him and that He will always supply our needs.  I’m thankful that my behavior and actions do not determine my eternal standing, because of His promise of salvation by faith alone.  He promises blessings for walking according to His Word – there is freedom in obedience. 

The world isn’t looking for you or me – they are looking for Jesus.  With His help, may we be the light for them and give them a glimpse of the best life there is – the abundant Christian life.  With His help, may we keep our promises, show mercy when we want to show anger, and exude the joy of a personal relationship with Him.

  It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22 – 23)