Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Apr 14th But Some Doubted – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

What! Excuse me, I mean good morning. ‘What’ is in reference to what I just read. Matthew 28:17 says, “And when they saw him, they worshipped him: BUT SOME DOUBTED.”

What! This was the eleven! But some doubted? Was this a reference to Thomas? This was on a mountain in Galilee, not the upper room in Jerusalem where Jesus met them a second time, and told Thomas to touch the nail prints in His hands, and put his fist into the wound in His side, “and be not faithless, but believing.”

But some doubted. If the apostles who were with Him through all the years of His ministry could doubt, I guess we could doubt also. This is just another tool that the devil has in his little bag of tricks. If the devil can make us doubt, he can ruin our lives. God does not want us to doubt. Where is our faith if we doubt? Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” And also Matthew 13:58, what I always refer to as one of the saddest verses in the Bible: “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” From these two verses we can already see that when we doubt it is not pleasing to God, and we hinder His work in our lives.

Sometimes discouraging things happen in our lives. These things can cause us to get depressed, discouraged, and doubtful. If we harden our hearts, it’s just as if we blame God for our troubles. Our real problem is the devil. Satan is the one to blame. He is the destroyer of anything and everything that is good. He is after you and me because we are made in the image of his enemy: God. The devil hates us whether we are saved or not. But God loves us more than we could ever imagine, and sent His Son to die on a cross to pay for our sins, the sins of the world. James 1:17 tells us that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Do you know what that means? It means that whatever God allows the devil to do, is a good gift, and He will use it for His glory. If you are having money problems, it could be God is teaching you to be a good steward of what He has given you. The death of a loved one. God can use that to show how He can meet your special needs: He can love and comfort you when you are hurting. And God can do these things if we do not doubt.

There are two things we can do for our faith. They come from Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

You need to hear the word of God. Read the Bible. Make sure you go to church and Sunday School for the preaching and the teaching. Do the Bible. If you hear the Word of God then you will be doing the Word of God. If you hear and don’t do, the Word of God flows in one ear and out the other.

And here are some verses from the Bible you should know…

Know the truth – John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Know the Holy Spirit – John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Know about the troubles in life – Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Know that you are saved – 1Jn 5:13 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.

Peace. (John 13:17)

Apr 7th I Don’t Know – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Mar 31st Restored – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

On a museum tour, the guide told us, “That chair goes back to Louis the 16^th.” That’s nothing, I have a couch that goes back to Sears on the 15^th.

In driving all over south Jersey, going to work, I see a lot of furniture sitting near the street, waiting to picked up by the garbage trucks. When a piece of furniture is worn out or damaged, it appears that the majority of people will throw it away and buy a new one to replace it. I wonder how many people considered restoration? Maybe they think the old, worn item is not worth the trouble. It is just not worth the effort. We should be glad that God isn’t like that. He is in the restoration business. But God does not make things ‘like new’, He makes them new!

John saw it in Revelation 21:1-7: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

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

In this morning’s schedule, we also read about this happening to Saul. Samuel had told Saul in 1Samuel 10:5-6, “After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.”

In verse 22 we catch a glimpse of the old Saul. When Samuel was going to introduce Saul as Israel’s new king, they could not find him. They had to ask the Lord to show them where Saul was. “And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.”

But in chapter 11, Saul went from fear to freedom. God gave Saul boldness as he went up against the Ammonites. “Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee. Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept. And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. [God took away the fear.] And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.” (1Samuel 11:1-11).

God is not finished with us yet. It takes time for us to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Samuel told Saul that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would become a new man. As we yield more to the Holy Spirit, and less to ourselves, the new man that God wants us to be is going to shine through.

Peace. (Galatians 6:15-16)

Mar 29th Eli Didn’t Correct His Children

Today’s Passage – 1 Samuel 1 – 3

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 11 – 14; Proverbs 29; Psalms 136 – 140)

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

“Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.” – (1 Samuel 2:17)

“For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” – (1 Samuel 3:13)

In these beginning chapters of 1st Samuel, we see the miraculous birth of Samuel; and the downfall of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Often, when I reflect on this portion of Scripture, I am drawn to the subject of Samuel and how God answered the prayer of Hannah (his mother) by giving her a child. However, this morning I am thinking about the two evil sons of Eli – Hophni and Phinehas. The first reference above tells us that the sin of these men was “very great before the Lord”, because it actually caused the people of God to hate coming to the Temple to give their offerings. These priests were not only corrupt in their handling of the offerings of the people, but they were also immoral with women who came to the Temple. These men had to go. God’s patience with them was running out. God was further angered by this situation because their father, Eli, the high priest, knew about what was going on, and he didn’t do anything to stop it.

This passage of Scripture admonishes me in two areas. First, I must remember that as a leader in God’s service, I bear a tremendous responsibility to deport myself well. My actions will affect others. If I become corrupt or immoral I will not just be impacting my own relationship with God, but I will become a big stumbling block for others. This idea is especially important for people who are leaders in the church, but it applies to all Christians. People are watching us. We must be careful that we are not leading them astray. We have an obligation to “adorn the gospel”, which basically means we are to make God look good.

My second thought from this passage regards parenting. We are to restrain our children, which must begin when they are very young. If we can instill in them the fear of God at a young age it will not depart from them when they are old. It is obvious from this passage that Eli did not discipline his boys when they were young. Again, this applies to every parent, but it is especially important for preachers, deacons, and other leaders who are commanded to have their houses in order. Parents need to stop trying to be their children’s “buddy”, and they need to start being parents; and parenting involves love, instruction, and correction.

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” – (Proverbs 13:24)

“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” – (Proverbs 19:18)

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – (Proverbs 22:6)

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” – (Proverbs 23:13-14)

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” – (Proverbs 29:15)

“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.” – (Proverbs 29:17)

Mar 17th Heal Our Land – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning. I just read a little news blurb on the internet. It said that England was ready to pass a bill okaying gay marriages. And guess who one (or rather two) of the supporters are. Ben and Jerry, of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. If they are supporting gay marriage over there, they are probably supporting it over here. Marriage is between a man and a woman.

God did not make them that way. Homosexuality is not a disease, it’s a decision just like any other sin. Romans chapter one calls it vile affection. They decided that they did not want to retain God in their knowledge. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, and 1Kings 14:24 call it abomination. How could the sodomite make the right decision if he doesn’t know the truth. If he does not know the truth, how can he be expected to make the correct choice? Proverbs 6 gives us seven other abominations. Ever tell a lie?

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

When you look down your nose at someone who does not know any better, or a person lost in sin, remember what Jesus said, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).

You see there is only one sin not covered by the blood of Calvary. Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation…” (Mark 3:28-29)

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1John 1:10).

All I’m saying is that when you start to judge somebody, remember where you came from. Homosexuality and telling a “little white lie” are both abominations to God. We are all sinners (Romans 3:10 & 23). But Jesus loved us enough to take the punishment that was made for us on Himself (John 3:16 & Romans 5:8).

Our government is in trouble. Everyone one is trying to be politically correct, and not God correct – truthful. We need God’s help. A good prayer for our nation is brought forth from Psalm 85…

“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. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. 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. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.”

Yes, truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. But, best of all, He will set us in the way of His steps.

Peace. (2Chronicles 7:14).

Mar 10th CHOOSE LIFE – THE SATURDAY MORNING POST BY PASTOR TED STAHL

Good morning. If you choose wisely, you will choose life. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Deuteronomy 30:20 tells us that the Lord is our life and the length of our days. By choosing life there are three actions we display in our lives…

We will love the Lord. A lawyer asked Jesus what the great commandment in the law was. Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40). And “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1John 4:19). Many times our love for the Lord will manifest itself in the love we have for others. This love will also lead us to the second action we show in our lives. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)…

We will obey the Lord. We learned through Saul, the first king of Israel that obedience is better than sacrifice. (1Samuel 15:13-24). And the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us in the way we should go. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16). When our lusts, or the whiles of the devils try to get us to stumble, our lives will show the third action…

We will cleave to the Lord. The word cleave is an action word in itself. Cleave means to catch by pursuit. In pursuit, and catching, we draw close to the Lord.

HOW TO CHOOSE LIFE.

Realize you are a sinner. Romans 3:10, and 3:23 tell us that, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” and “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”

And because you are a sinner, you cannot save yourself: you need a Saviour. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” You see, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:27-30). Choose life.

Peace. (John 14:27)

Mar 3rd More Than Conquerors – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning. Did you get to read Romans chapter 8 today with the Second Milers? Romans 8:28 through 39 is one of my favorite passages. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:28 – 39)

We are more than conquerors. If God be for us, who can be against us? Nobody can stand against God. We can go forward for the cause of Christ and nothing can stop us. Why don’t we? We trust the Lord for our salvation, why not His cause? I think it’s fear. Remember when twelve, one from each tribe of Israel went to check out the promised land. All but two, Caleb and Joshua, gave a bad report that discouraged Israel from going over Jordan. They feared the giants in the land. And then what happened? God had Moses lead the children of Israel through the wilderness, for 40 years, until all that rebelled were dead. Only then was Israel allowed to cross over into the promised land. They didn’t believe that God would go over before them to fight, that the battle was His.

We all reach a point in our lives when we either trust Christ with our lives, or don’t trust Him. Our Lord only wants the best for His children. Are you going to be like Joshua and Caleb, or like the other ten; an encourager, or a discourager? If you want to be an encourager, the Lord has laid on our preachers heart to knock on a multitude of doors today. We’re meeting at the church, and leaving at 11:00 am. Be an encourager: be there – early.

Peace. (Romans 8:15)

Feb 26th Go Ye Into All The World

Today’s Passage – Numbers 30 – 31

(Second Milers also read – Romans 3 – 5; Proverbs 26; Psalms 126 – 130)

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

Scripture Memory for February – Psalm 100

Read “How to Grow the Church by Keeping it Small” by Pastor Chappell

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” – (Mark 16:15)

Yesterday afternoon we kicked off our annual mission’s conference with a banquet followed with a message by Evangelist K. R. Senn. It was a great beginning to this series of meetings, and I am very excited about what God will do to help our church increase its vision and outreach in the area of missions. Each message of the conference will be available for you to listen to through the “Sermon Audio Player” on this page.

Laste night, I began reading “The Autobiography of a Missionary” by Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China. I was amazed at some of the sacrifices that Hudson Taylor made as he prepared to go to the field. He had a singular focus – reaching China with the gospel, and he removed every distraction from his life that kept him from his purpose.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the book:

…It seemed to me highly probable that the work to which I was thus called might cost my life; for China was not then open as it is now. But few missionary societies had at that time workers in China, and but few books on the subject of China missions were accessible to me. I learned, however, that the Congregational minister of my native town possessed a copy of Medhurst’s China, and I called upon him to ask a loan of the book. This he kindly granted, asking me why I wished to read it. I told him that GOD had called me to spend my life in missionary service in that land. “And how do you propose to go there?” he inquired. I answered that I did not at all know; that it seemed to me probable that I should need to do as the Twelve and the Seventy had done in Judæa–go without purse or scrip, relying on Him who had called me to supply all my need. Kindly placing his hand upon my shoulder, the minister replied, “Ah, my boy, as you grow older you will get wiser than that. Such an idea would do very well in the days when CHRIST Himself was on earth, but not now.”

I have grown older since then, but not wiser. I am more than ever convinced that if we were to take the directions of our MASTER and the assurances He gave to His first disciples more fully as our guide, we should find them to be just as suited to our times as to those in which they were originally given. [Taylor, J. Hudson (2009-04-18). The Autobiography of A Missionary (Kindle Locations 151-157). Douglas Editions. Kindle Edition.]

…I began to take more exercise in the open air to strengthen my physique. My feather bed I had taken away, and sought to dispense with as many other home comforts as I could, in order to prepare myself for rougher lines of life. I began also to do what Christian work was in my power, in the way of tract distribution, Sunday-school teaching, and visiting the poor and sick, as opportunity afforded. [Taylor, J. Hudson (2009-04-18). The Autobiography of A Missionary (Kindle Locations 163-166). Douglas Editions. Kindle Edition.]

…After much thought and prayer I was led to leave the comfortable quarters and happy circle in which I was now residing, and to engage a little lodging in the suburbs–a sitting-room and bedroom in one–undertaking to board myself. In this way I was able without difficulty to tithe the whole of my income; and while I felt the change a good deal, it was attended with no small blessing.

More time was given in my solitude to the study of the Word of GOD, to visiting the poor, and to evangelistic work on summer evenings than would otherwise have been the case. Brought into contact in this way with many who were in distress, I soon saw the privilege of still further economising, and found it not difficult to give away much more than the proportion of my income I had at first intended. [Taylor, J. Hudson (2009-04-18). The Autobiography of A Missionary (Kindle Locations 180-187). Douglas Editions. Kindle Edition.]

I read about a third of the way through the book, and am just beginning to learn about Taylor’s actual ministry in China. What a great servant of the Lord! We need to pray that God would raise up some more men and women of the caliber of Hudson Taylor, and we need to pray that God would change our hearts to realize the importance of praying for, and financially supporting the work of missions. There is a big world out there that needs to be reached with the gospel.

I hope to see many of you at the conference.

Feb 25th The Rocking Horse – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Passage – Numbers 27 – 29

(Second Milers also read – Acts 28 – Romans 2; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125)

Good morning. It’s been a long week. Monday was the funeral for my daughter, Melissa. The first two verses of Psalm 121 say

“ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

And all I can say is thank you. I have never seen an out-pouring of Christian love like that, ever. From the one who may have prayed once or twice, to those who helped with the cooking, to those who helped my family out financially, all I can say is thank you. My help cometh from the LORD, and He sent you. Thank you. The Wimberg Funeral Home. We went there the week before Melissa went home. We went there nervous, confused, not knowing where to turn. We left there happy, having our burdens lifted, having a set direction in which way to go, and having new Christian friends. My help cometh from the LORD, and He sent us to the Wimberg Funeral Home. Thank you Loyd, Brian, and all the others there, and God bless them for allowing themselves to be used for His glory. And what can I say about all Melissa’s friends and relatives; the funeral home was packed. My help cometh from the LORD, and He sent you all. Thank you. Jimmy Dilley ( Melissa’s father), and Diane his fiance made it there from Arkansas. The weirdest thing to happen was Jake. Jake was married to one of Camille’s friends, and she hadn’t seen him since Melissa was one. He came down from Lakewood. Only God could arrange something like that. Everything went great. Even Ed’s chili was great! My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

There were 104 families who signed the book at the funeral home. That’s probably around 200 people who filed past the coffin to say goodbye (not forever, but only for a season). I wonder if anybody noticed the little wooden rocking horse in the casket? Well, I put it there for a reason. I had dated another woman who had a 2 year old daughter. Me and my dad built her a rocking horse for Christmas. I had taken a picture of it and put it in a photo album. Melissa came across it one day, and since that day she would always bust on me saying, “How come you never built me a rocking horse?” The Saturday before the funeral, I knew what I had to do. I went to several stores to find a rocking horse the size of a Christmas tree ornament. Nothing. I know what happened: Melissa and the Lord were looking down at my situation. She was telling the Lord, “Don’t let him find one – he’s got to build me one!” So I picked up some Balsa wood, glue, and paint, and I built her one. Why? To say thank you for being my daughter for 30 years.

Life is short. Nobody knows how long or how short their lives will be. Maybe we should treat everyone we meet today as if they were not going to have a tomorrow.

Peace. (Mark 9:50)

Feb 19th Memories of Melissa

Today’s Passage – Numbers 11 – 13

(Second Milers also read – Acts 10 – 12; Proverbs 19; Psalms 91 – 95)

Scripture Memory for February – Psalm 100

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

Read last year’s post from this passage – “What Are You Lusting After” by Pastor Ted Stahl

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” – (John 17:4)

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” – (2 Timothy 4:7)

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” – (Revelation 14:13)

For the past several weeks, we have been including devotional articles written by Melissa Dilley on the back of our church bulletins. Unfortunately, Melissa went home to be with the Lord, before she could finish her last article. I have decided to instead include here some of my memories of Melissa, which I hope will be a blessing to you, as much as Melissa has been a blessing to this church and to this preacher.

My first memory of Melissa was when both of our families were attending Ocean County Baptist Church in Toms River, NJ over 22 years ago. She was at the time a young teenager, and was sitting on a bench with her mom out in front of the building. I remember that she was crying. I was curious then, and later discovered that Melissa battled with arthritis even as a child. She was in tears that day, as she would be for countless future days, because of the pain that accompanied her every day of her life.

As time went by, my family became very close with Melissa and her parents. In fact, I believe that the Stahl’s and Melissa have been members of all of the same churches that we have through the years. We worked with them at the Christian Bible Baptist Church in the youth ministry. At that time, Melissa was one of the teenagers. We later attended Longview Baptist Temple and Texas Baptist College together. Melissa was a fellow student then, along with her dad and me. While at college, our friendship continued to grow as we studied, served, and won souls together. By this time we were no longer just friends; we were family.

For the last ten years, Melissa and the Stahl’s have been co-laboring together with Cindy and me here at Jersey Shore Baptist Church. Melissa has served faithfully through the years in just about every capacity. Of course, she has often been limited by her health. Even before the cancer attacked her body, she had been through countless replacement surgeries due to her arthritis.  Through it all, Melissa maintained a positive outlook on life. She lived live to the fullest, and did not let her failing health keep her from doing the things that she wanted to do. She accomplished more for the Lord in her short life than most Christians could accomplish in ten lives.

I am grieving today because a good friend, and faithful servant of the Lord has left; but I am rejoicing also, knowing that the pain that she has felt almost every waking moment of her life is gone. I am thrilled to know that she is with the Lord, and with all of the saints that have gone on before her, including her grandparents, and Bruce Thompson, and many others. I am filled with joy in the knowledge that every little thing that she did for the Lord will be remembered and rewarded for all of eternity.  I will miss her greatly, but I will see her again, hopefully soon.