Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 21st Who Can You Trust?

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 26 – 29 (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 19 – 21; Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33

Read the “0821 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Make the Best of It,” and “Keep Looking.”

“The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.” – (Jeremiah 28:9)

“Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.” – (Jeremiah 28:15)

“Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:” – (Jeremiah 29:3)

In chapters 28 and 29, we see two false prophets that were preaching to Israel, refuting what the true prophet, Jeremiah, had been telling them. In chapter 28, we see Hananiah who was telling the people of Israel that God had told him that their problems with Babylon were only temporary and that God was going to rescue them in two years from the captivity that they were enduring. When Jeremiah first heard what this man had to say, he was skepticle yet optimistic. He hoped that what this man was saying was true (vs. 5 – 6), but he was careful to warn the people standing by that this man could be a false prophet (vs. 7 – 9). His suspicions were confirmed when later God revealed to him the truth about Hananiah. He was a false prophet. He was lying to the people and the peace that he was promising would not come to pass.

In chapter 29, there is another man, Shemiah the Nehelamite, that was also lying to the people. Jeremiah also exposed this man for the fraud that he was. It must have been difficult for the people, however,  to discern who was telling them the truth.  Jeremiah told them in verse nine of chapter 28 how they could know. They could determine whether a person was a false prophet or not simply by examining the proof of his claims. If what he predicted became true, he was a true prophet, but if what he said did not come to pass exactly as he said he would, he should never be trusted again.

Today, it is a lot easier for us to tell whether a preacher is telling us the truth. We have the Word of God and we know that the Bible is truth. If a preacher is telling us something that is contrary to the teaching of the Bible, we know that that person is a false prophet. Several years back there was a man on the radio that was forecasting a date for the return of the Lord. He had already done this back in the 90’s and was wrong then also. A lot of people were deceived by what this man told them. Some had even sold all their possessions and had given the money to this man so that he could spread his lies further. However, if they had just read their Bibles they would have known that “of that day and hour knoweth no man.” We can only know the truth through the Word of God. Don’t take any man’s word for it. Search the Scriptures to make sure that what the preacher is preaching lines up with the Bible and is in fact the truth. You cannot completely trust any man, but you can trust the Word of God. There are a lot of false prophets out there, some within the church and some outside of the church; but you can know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free.

Both of these false prophets that Jeremiah warned about were telling people what they wanted to hear; they were preaching good news. The only problem was, it was not the truth. Paul warned us that one of the characteristics of the last days will be a bunch of preachers who do not tell us what God said, but will rather tell us what we want to hear:

“3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Aug 20th Woe Be Unto the Pastors

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 23 – 25 (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 16 – 18; Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8

Read the “0820 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.” – (Jeremiah 23:28-32)

Jeremiah 23 is a strong rebuke against the unfaithful pastors and false prophets of Jeremiah’s day who claimed to be speaking on behalf of God, but were really just telling the people what they want they wanted to hear. I do not believe that we are doing injustice to the Scripture by making application to the many spiritual leaders in our world today who claim to be representing God by preaching and teaching the Word of God but are really just advancing their own agenda and taking advantage of God’s people. This passage delivers a scathing warning for those who mishandle the Bible. In this text I have noticed three common errors that were made in Jeremiah’s day and are also made today by people who claim to be ministers for the Lord.

1 Lying – We lie to the people when we don’t tell them exactly what God said or when we insert our philosophies and opinions. God’s Word is very clear. He has very specific instructions regarding how we are to conduct ourselves on this earth. Yet preachers will often misrepresent God by not declaring plainly and interpreting literally what God said. I wish every Christian knew the Bible intimately themselves, but unfortunately that is not the case. Many of the people that come to us for help are trusting us to tell them them what God would tell them. We have no right to just tell them what we think. Who cares what we think? What really matters is what God said!

2 Leaving Out – By this I mean that we neglect so many of the important truths of the Word. We do not declare the whole counsel of God. We conveniently select passages that promote our agenda, and we take verses out of their context. God expects us to preach and teach the whole Bible, not just the parts that will make us look good in front of the people. We are “itching” people’s ears today by ignoring the passages that deal with their sin.

3 Lightness – Notice verse 31. God mentions the prophets’ lightness. The preachers did not take their jobs seriously. It is an awesome responsibility to be God’s representative. We are to faithfully deliver and explain the Truth of the Word of God. The people need Truth, not entertainment. We have become comedians and story tellers and entertainers, but our “lightness” has caused an entire generation to fall away from God. We need to get back to the sober business of declaring the Truth. When I think back to the prophets of the Old Testament, I see men that were grave, serious, bold, determined, and fearful of the God they represented. We need to get back to that in our teaching and preaching today.

God wants His Word handled very carefully. God magnifies His word even above His name, and His name is above all other names. God’s Word is important. We need to be very careful that we are delivering it clearly, and entirely to the people of God.

This truth is taught in the New Testament as well:

“1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Oh, and by the way, according to vs. 1 & 2, God’s flock needs to be handled with care as well. Woe to the pastor that takes advantage of one of God’s children.

“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.” – (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

Preaching the Word of God and leading the people of God is a wonderful privilege and an awesome responsibility. God’s shepherds must take their jobs very seriously and put every effort into making sure that they are representing the Lord well and are being faithful to praying for God’s people and preaching the Truth of God’s Word accurately and compassionately. 

Aug 19th Write This Man Childless: The Curse of Jechonias

Today’s Passage –  Jeremiah 18 – 22 (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 13 – 15; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

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

Read the “0819 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading – “The Potter’s House,” and “Men at Best”

“24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. 27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return. 28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? 29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” (Jeremiah 22:24-30)

If you study the genealogical record of the Lord Jesus from Matthew 1 and Luke 3, you will find that this man Coniah (also known as Jeconiah, Jechonias or Jehoiachin) is listed in Matthew’s list but not Luke’s. The reason for this is simple. Matthew traces the legal lineage of Christ through his adopted father Joseph. Luke’s gospel traces the biological lineage through His mother Mary. Jesus was the “seed” of Mary, but not the seed of Joseph. Jeremiah prophesied long ago in this passage that anybody that descended biologically from Jechoniah would be “disqualified” from being the King of Israel. Any of Joseph’s biological children was disqualified, but Jesus was not Joseph’s biological child. Mary was Jesus’s biological mother, but Mary did not descend from Jechonias. Study it out. It is amazing how accurate our Scripture is.

By the way, we do not know much about this man Jechonias, but we do know that “he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 24:9; 2 Chronicles 36:9). We also know that the next (and final) king of Judah was not Jechonias’s son. He was his uncle (2 Kings 24:17). 

Here is the genealogical record from Matthew’s Gospel, which traces the lineage of Jesus from David through Solomon and Jechoniah:

“6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Matthew 1:6-16)

This is the legal line of Christ. Mary’s husband, Joseph, was the legal father of Jesus, but not his biological father. Joseph was in the lineage of the kings that descended from David. He was a descendant of both Solomon and Jechoniah. However, Jeremiah tells us that none of the “seed” of Jechoniah would sit on the throne of David. If Jesus was biologically the son of Joseph, He would have been disqualified to sit on the throne of David.

Here is the genealogical record from Luke’s Gospel, which traces the lineage of Jesus from David through Nathan”

“23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,“ (Luke 3:23-31)

This is the biological line. Jesus was biologically the child of Mary. Mary descends from David through Nathan, not Solomon. Jesus was both the biological son of David through Mary as well as the legal son of David through Joseph. But Jesus was not the biological seed of Jechoniah.

Note – there was also a false prophet in Jeremiah’s day, Hananiah, who prophesied that Jeconiah would return again to Jerusalem and that he would prosper. However, his prophecy never came true (see Jeremiah 28). Jeremiah was right. A lot of people say a lot of things, some of which may be true, but also much of it is false. Jeremiah was a true prophet in that everything that he said as a prophet of God came to pass exactly as he said it would. It is the same with all the Scripture. It is completely accurate and trustworthy. What God says He will do, He will do.

Aug 19th Men At Best

Today’s Passage –  Jeremiah 18 – 22 (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 13 – 15; Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)

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

Read the “0819 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “The Potter’s House”

“Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.” (Jeremiah 18:19-23)

Have you ever heard the expression: “They may have been the best of men, but they were men at best?” Basically, it states that even good men are merely human and even though they are good most of the time, they also have their faults. In our reading this morning, in chapter eighteen, we see the humanity of Jeremiah coming through. He prays for God to destroy the people in Judah who had forsaken God and had turned against him. He even asks for their children to be punished. This is not the heart of someone who truly loves the people that he is ministering to.

Jeremiah was human, and he had an extremely difficult ministry. He had the job of preaching to the people of Judah at a time when God’s patience for their behavior had already run out. The people did not like or listen to what Jeremiah had to say and they often punished him for speaking the truth to them. But I don’t think that Jeremiah was always speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), sometimes he was angry at the people he was trying to reach, and in his flesh, he wanted God to judge them. I am reminded of Jonah who despised the Ninevites that he was sent to preach to.

Also, notice in chapter twenty that Jeremiah attempted to quit preaching:

“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:7-9)

God did not let Jeremiah give up, however. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). God wouldn’t let him sit on the sidelines, His word was burning in Jeremiah’s heart and had to get out. But, Jeremiah was discouraged and at one point wanted to quit. He was human.

This is not a “let’s pile up on Jeremiah” devotion. I am merely pointing out that the best of men in the Bible got discouraged, angry, disgruntled, bitter, and even at times sinned against God. I am not rejoicing in their failures, but I am encouraged because I often feel as they do. I get discouraged, bitter, and angry. I sin against God often, I get mad at God’s people sometimes, and I want to quit about every other week. I am human and so are you.

What are we to do? We need to keep getting back up, dusting ourselves off, confess our failures to God, ask for His help, and keep doing what He has called us to do. We may someday see the great results of our work, or like Jeremiah, we may not. Judah was in worse shape after his ministry than before. But, we can have the satisfaction of knowing that we did what God had called us to do and we will hear God say, “well done.”

Aug 18th The Dearth

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 14 – 17 (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 10 – 12; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

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

Read the “0818 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.” (Jeremiah 14:1)

“Dearth” – now that’s a word that has almost gone completely out of use. When is the last time that you heard somebody talking about a “dearth.” What does it mean? In a physical sense, it refers to a drought, similar to the one pictured above from the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s that decimated much of the Great Plains. The same Hebrew word for “dearth” (בַּצֹּרֶת – baṣṣōreṯ) is translated “drought” in Jeremiah 17:8. That is certainly the case here in Jeremiah 14:

“And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass. And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.” (Jeremiah 14:3-6)

Symbolically, it can refer to a time of great economic depression where jobs and resources are very scarce. Spiritually, it speaks of a time when God’s people forsake the Lord, resulting in God’s judgment, which in the case of the nation of Judah during the time of Jeremiah meant that they would be oppressed and eventually conquered by the Babylonians. God’s judgment in this case included all three, however, physical consequences and economic consequences were included in addition to the invading army.

God had warned His people many times in the past and had even sent smaller judgments to try to get their attention and get them to repent and turn back to Him. However, they had ignored all of God’s warnings, and now it was too late. God even tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the people’s “good.” In other words, God is telling Jeremiah that “good” will not get the people to return to Him. If they were going to repent, it would require God’s judgment:

“Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.” (Jeremiah 14:11-12)

Notice also that God uses “pestilence,” or disease to get His people’s attention.

Jeremiah stated that God was a stranger (v. 8) in His own land. Complicating matters was the fact that there were “prophets” among the people who were telling them that everything was good, there would be no judgment from God. These were false prophets, the kind that tell people what they want to hear instead of what God said. They are like the ones that Paul warns us against in 2 Timothy 4:3:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” (2 Timothy 4:3)

Though the story we have here is about Jerusalem and Judah way back to almost 600 BC, I think we can make the leap and see how this could apply to America today. As a nation, we have almost altogether forsaken the Lord, and we are completely ignoring God’s warnings. It may in fact be too late for us as a nation, but it is never too late for you (or I) to confess our sins to the Lord and turn back to Him in repentance, faith, and obedience to His word. Though there may be dearth all around you, you can still have the tremendous blessing of the Lord on your life.

Aug 16th The Saturday Morning Post – Going Down

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 7 – 9 (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 4 – 6; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “0816 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5)

Good morning. Here are some statistics for you to read while having your breakfast. These are approximate, and for the United States, in 2022…

There were 630,000 deaths from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (5,000 in 2012).

There were 22,820 deaths from Homicides (16,238 in 2012).

There were 49,300 deaths from Suicides (30,000 in 2012).

There were 1,048,710 deaths of Aborted Babies (1,210,000 in 2012).

There were 13,000 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, which represents over one-third of all driving fatalities (10,322 in 2012).

There were 107,000 deaths from drug overdoses (41,502 in 2012).

And there were 1,200,000 deaths by Natural Causes (1,480,000 in 2012).

Well, praise the LORD there was a decrease in abortions. And there is a decrease in death by natural causes, but that is only because STD deaths, Homicides, and Suicides have increased. America is on a downward spiral. It is going down, getting further away from God and closer to Hell. Why? For the same reason Jerusalem did: because of their perpetual backsliding: they hold fast to deceit, and refuse to return to God and His ways. But…

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

But we hold fast to deceit, and refuse to return to God. There are 630,000 deaths from Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Did you know that the virus that causes AIDS is so small that it can easily slip through the pores of your “protection?” It also is possible for the AIDS virus to live outside the body for several weeks. Although no AIDS cases have been linked to outside body contact, it would be better to be safe than sorry. The Bible says…

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God…” (1Thesselonians 4:3-5)

There are 22,830 deaths from Homicides. And we can see by what the Bible says about the first Homicide, the murder of Able by his brother Cain. Cain wanted to worship God with the works of his hands, Able worshiped God with a blood sacrifice…

“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” (Genesis 4:3-8)

Cain refused to return to the ways of God, and in his anger, murdered his brother. Maybe if we as parents, here in the USA, discipline our children the way we should, and train them up in the way they should go, they would understand that there is a penalty to pay for their rebellious actions.

There are 49,300 deaths from Suicides. All over America, millions were saddened by the death of Robin Williams in 2014. Maybe if someone had told him about Jesus he would not have been in such despair as to take his own life. Jesus said…

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 1633)

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

There are 1,048,710 deaths of Aborted Babies in the U.S. per year. One is too many. Babies are not just a blob of flesh turning into a baby inside of you. They are living human beings,

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

“And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:39-44)

And then there are 1.2 million deaths by Natural Causes in 2022. This is the only one that should exist: all the others are brought on because of the the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Death by natural causes is because we are all sinners; and the wages of sin is death…

“Wherefore, as by one man [ADAM] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…” (Romans 5:12)

If you do not fall victim to any of the crimes mentioned above, you will die of natural causes: sin. There is only one cure for sin: the Lord Jesus Christ. What you do with Him will determine where you will spend eternity.

“And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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.” (1John 5:8-13)

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

America does not have to go down, but it chooses to do so by holding fast to deceit, and refusing to return to God and His ways. But there is always hope. As Yogi Bearer said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

God says…

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

Peace.

Aug 9th The Saturday Morning Post – There Is No God But Our God

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)

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

“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.” (Isaiah 44:6)

There is no God, but our God. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End.

“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 44:8)

Our Great God who chooses to use His people to be witnesses of His great power.

“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.” (Isaiah 45:5-6)

The Loving God who supplies our every need. There is nothing that can compare to the One True God.

“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.” (Isaiah 45:18)

The Almighty God who created everything, and has the power to sustain His creation. 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 45:21-22)

The Only God who left His home in Heaven, and put on flesh, was born of a virgin, and shed His blood to pay the price for the sins of the world. He is Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. He is Jesus Christ.

“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)

Peace.

Aug 7th He is the One and Only!

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 37 – 40 (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 7 – 8; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

Read the “0807 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Forsaking Future Generations.“

“12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? 13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? … 18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? … 25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.” (Isaiah 40:12-14, 18, 25)

Did you notice in chapter 40 the number of times that God asks us to search our minds and consider if there are any that could possibly compare to Him? You can search all you want, but you will not find His equal. He is the One and Only! I love what it says in Isaiah 44:

“8 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 44:8)

Apparently, God made a search Himself and could not find another God.

Notice some of the verses in this passage and what they teach about God:

1. All knowledge, wisdom, and counsel is contained in God. Notice vs. 13 & 14 (above). God does not have a teacher or a counselor because He is omniscient. There is nothing that God does not know. That is why we need to be in tune with Him. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Our knowledge and understanding is very limited, but God can give us the wisdom that we need to navigate through life successfully. Of course, that wisdom is found in the Word of God. Do you need wisdom? I know I do. Ask God to direct you through His Word, and through His Spirit, help you connect all the dots to figure out how to apply the knowledge He gives you.
2. All power is contained in God. He not only created all things but he also sustained all things, and he will never run out of energy. “28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31). He is also the Source of our strength. Are you weary? Ask God for strength.

If God is the only God, then why is it that we finite humans are constantly trying to elevate ourselves to take His place? We need to submit to His infinite power and knowledge, and then exalt Him as the only One worthy of honor and glory. And then, why do we value the opinions and positions of other finite men, instead of looking to God?

Aug 4th Milk or Meat

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 24 – 28 (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 1 – 2; Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4

Read the “0804 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? [them that are] weaned from the milk, [and] drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little: … 13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” (Isaiah 28:9-10, 13)

“2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.”(1 Corinthians 3:2)

“12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:12-13)

Here in Isaiah 28, the illustration of milk is used to describe someone who is immature in his spiritual understanding. Isaiah explains that spiritual growth can only come to those who have been “weaned from the milk.” Notice also the references in 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 5 above. Both passages affirm that spiritual growth must take place if we are to be able to discern the deeper spiritual truths. The bottom line is that just as a child needs to move past milk and baby food if he is going to mature physically, the new believer must also continue developing his spiritual tastes and diet so that he will be able to comprehend and put into practice the more spiritually demanding passages and principles from the Bible. As our spiritual diet grows, so also will our discernment and usefulness for the Lord’s work. Spiritual growth is dependent upon our understanding of Bible doctrine.

Now it important for us to remember that milk is very important for those who are new believers in Christ. Just as it is silly to feed a baby a steak, it is also unwise to expect a new believer to grasp biblical principles that are difficult even for those of us who have been saved and growing for decades. Spiritual babes need milk. They need to know the basics. A good discipleship program would be very helpful at this stage of their spiritual growth. 

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2)

Newborn believers must be taught the basic, foundational principles of Christianity; but if spiritual growth and maturity are going to come, there will need to be a moving past those foundational truths to a more “meaty” doctrinal diet. 

“1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit.” (Hebrews 6:1-3)

“18 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) Devour someone.

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

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

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

2) Steal God’s Word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace!