Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Dec 8th Wish You Were Here – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

I dreamed I got a greeting card,

From a loved one on vacation.

It read: Lots of rest and relaxation.

Having a wonderful time.

Wish you were here.

The music is playing, the people are singing.

I just love the gift of joy they are bringing.

Having a wonderful time.

Wish you were here.

The temperature’s perfect.

The sky is blue.

I really miss the both of you.

Having a wonderful time.

Wish you were here.

I’m sorry now, but I have to go.

Our Saviour comes on the street of gold.

The trumpets sound!

The people cheer!

But all I can say is,

Wish you were here.

For Melissa

December 6, 1975 through eternity (John 10:28).

Peace. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Dec 1st The Harbinger – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning. Isaiah 9:8-10 says, “The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel. And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.”

Rabbi Johnathan Cohn has seen a parallel, in these verses, between Israel and the United States. On September 11, 2001, the bricks fell with the destruction of the World Trade Center. A 20-ton hewn stone was placed at Ground Zero. During the collapse of the tower, a beam fell and knocked down a Sycamore tree that was in the yard of a church. The roots were later removed and the tree replaced with an evergreen. Just as Israel was attacked by Syria, the United States was attacked by terrorists. Seven years later, we had our worst stock market crash. The market dropped 777 points. Seven is God’s number. And just like Israel, with a defiant spirit we said we will rebuild, we will make stronger. There were 3 different witnesses to this: Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Senator John Edwards, and President Barack Obama. They all said, basically, what Isaiah 9:10 says: we will rebuild, we will make stronger.

Revelations 16:1-21 says, “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

I often wondered how people could shake their fists at God who loved them so much that He gave His Only-Begotten Son to die on a cross, and shed His precious blood to pay for their sins.

Is Obama the anti-Christ? I don’t know (and I don’t think so). Is Mystery Babylon the United States? I don’t know. When they see the smoke rising, and the merchants weeping, because of all the buisiness deallings they had there; does that spell the end of New York? I don’t know. If there is another judgment, it will happen in 7 years: in 2015. But this I do know: God put another sign in this mess: the fallen Sycamore. Newspapers called it a miracle. The fallen tree protected the church from destruction when the buildings collapsed. No matter what happens the Lord will protect His church. Are you part of His church? Will you, or have you received Jesus as your Saviour? Or, will you shake your fist at God, and blame Him for all your problems? All you have to do is call on the precious name of Jesus to save you, and He will.

Peace. (Revelation 22:20-21).

Nov 24th Reflections – The Saturday Morning Post By Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! Do you know why your eyes are still filled with sleep when you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and then stumble into the bathroom? If you could focus and see yourself in the bathroom mirror, you would probably scream and give up the ghost for fright. Then you take a shower, steaming up the mirror, looking at yourself through a fog. So you get dressed, brush your teeth, and put on your Right-Guard (don’t forget the left side – remember, you haven’t had your coffee yet!). By this time, the fog on the mirror, and the sleep in your eyes has cleared. You can see your face. Not too bad. Then you go on your merry way. James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:22-24) Sometimes we need to be reminded what manner of men we were. When we see a brother or sister fall, does pride lift us up to the point of kicking the fallen when they’re down? Or do we extend a hand to the fallen to help them back to their feet? I think about the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees threw her down at the foot of Jesus. They boldly, and un-compassionately told Jesus that the Law and Moses said she should be stoned. Then they asked for His opinion. Jesus agreed, but added a stipulation to their bloodthirsty plan: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

One by one, they dropped their stones and left. Jesus turned to the woman and asked, “…Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

Seeing the eyes of the condemning mob, and then looking into the forgiving eyes of the Saviour must have been unforgettable. What do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see the face of Jesus, or the face of a Pharisee? As the days draw closer to his demise, the devil is working harder to cause people to stumble and fall. The devil uses others too. He makes sure there is someone near to do the kicking. Remember Jesus’ story of the Pharisee, and the publican? Luke 18: 10-14 says: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The Bible is the greatest mirror that you can look in . The Bible will show you exactly how you look. There is one passage in the Bible that would make me cringe as I read it. It lists seven abominations which the Lord hates: 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. These are listed in Proverbs 6, verses 17 through 19. You see, I’m guilty of all these abominations. When I got saved, I did not cringe at the reading of these anymore. I look at them now as a reminder of mire that the Lord lifted me up from. “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”, Jesus says. Shouldn’t we show the same compassion towards others?

If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we are no better than the guy standing next to us. As God put on flesh, let us put on Jesus, and show His compassion to others.

Peace! (Ephesians 4:21-32).

Nov 18th They’re All Precious In His Sight

Today’s Passages –Acts 9 – 10;

Nov 17th Don’t Lose Your Head – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good Morning! It would be even better if we woke up in Heaven this morning. But it is a day that the Lord made: rejoice and be glad in it. Revelation 20:4 tells us, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

During the Great Tribulation, if you take a stand for Jesus, you will be beheaded. Which makes sense when you consider the violence in the world today. Governments will look for a more ‘humane’ form of execution. The guillotine is a good choice. Think about it. The executioner pulls the rope, the blade falls, and your spinal cord is severed almost instantly. No time to feel the pain as you are thrust into the presence of the Lord. A great way for Antichrist to get rid of those pesky Christians. But you don’t have to lose your head.

How did we get here? Let me show you a verse from Ezekiel…

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13).

When Gog and Magog invade Israel, the young lions are going to protest. Many Bible scholars believe that the young lions refer to the United States, Australia, and any other country that came out of England, whose symbol is the lion. The Socialist President-elect wants to cut military spending. This is what we may be reduced to: protesting with no show of might. Again, how did we get here, a nation built on the Word of God? Congress would pray and ask God for guidance at the beginning of every session. All these prayers have been recorded in the minutes of the meetings. There were great revivals across our great land. Then we got full of ourselves and turned our backs on God. We started going to Uncle Sam for help instead of God. The government will supply our every need – who needs God? We do! Today everyone is turning to the government for a free handout. But you don’t have to lose your head.

Identity theft is on the rise. But if you have a RFID chip implanted under the skin of your right hand or in your forehead, you won’t have to worry about being robbed of your identity, your cash, your credit cards, anything. Big government can fix it, and make it all better. All you need do is receive the mark. Just a small chip, the size of a grain of rice. It won’t hurt a bit.

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brim‐stone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)

But you don’t have to lose your head. There is only one real choice that leads to life: Jesus. You can take the mark and not lose your head, but death and the lake of fire is where you will end up. If you refuse the mark, then you will lose your head. But you don’t have to lose your head. Before all this happens the Lord will return in the air and receive His church. 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 says, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

I feel sorry for those who do not believe in the rapture of the church. How can we comfort someone with these words if they don’t believe them. But you don’t have to lose your head. All you need do is know that you are a sinner (Romans 5:12, 3:10 & 23). Know that you cannot save yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9). Know Jesus paid the price to get you into Heaven (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Then call on Him and ask Him to forgive you and save you. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

You don’t have to lose your head.

Peace! (Philippians 2:5-11)

Nov 10th Truth – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Psalm 46 says, “To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” (Psalm 46).

Good morning. With all the lies in the world, isn’t it great to have TRUTH you can stand on? The Word of God is true, and will never change. If you could change the truth, it would no longer be truth, but lies. Evolution is taught in schools as the truth. Does that make it true? In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, and everything else. No, a little dust-ball suddenly appeared and started spinning around the universe. Faster and faster the dust-ball spun, collecting more dust on it’s travels. The spinning dust-ball compacted itself tighter and tighter. Then BANG! It exploded and the planets were formed. Which is true? I heard somebody say this week, “What is truth for one person, may not be truth for another.”

Is that true? It may be a politically correct statement, but it is not the truth. Truth will always be true no matter what. Anything that is not truth is a lie. Malachi 3:6 tells us, “…I am the LORD, I change not…”

Because God doesn’t change, His Words will not change. They are true Words which will endure for all time. That’s what I like about Psalm 46. God is in control, and we have His truth that we can stand on.

God is our Refuge. I doesn’t matter if evil men try to push their Socialism, and take away our freedom, there is freedom in God. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:6). Run to God. God is our refuge.

God is our Strength. Can we survive the lose of a job? …$8.00 a gallon for gas? …the rising cost of living? Yes we can! Because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phillippians 4:13). God is our strength.

God is our Help. What will happen when the powers-that-be come after you for speaking the truth, and not being politically correct? “And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” (Psalm 37:40). God is our help.

We can stand firmly on His truth, and He will keep us from falling.

Peace. (Psalm 37:37)

Nov 3rd We’ve Created A Monster – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning? Remember: “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

I’ve determined to rejoice and be glad no matter what this Tuesday may bring. It’s hard though, to watch your country – a country founded on God’s Word – be flushed down the tubes by those who embrace godless socialism and hate America.

God gave these words to Solomon to record for us. The first four verses of Proverbs 3 read: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”

And we became a great nation, one blessed by God and loved by man. What happened? In 1962, the Supreme Court removed public prayer from our schools. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion. Just a short twelve years ago, copies of the Ten Commandments were ordered removed from courthouses and other government buildings. The godless socialists want you to forget about God. They want you to rely on Big Brother to supply your every need, not God. As individuals we need to do what we need to do: if you’re not registered to vote, get registered. Follow verses 5 through 10 of Proverbs 3: “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. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45)

Is it raining?

Peace. (Proverbs 3:6)

Oct 30th THE STUDY OF WOMEN IN THE BIBLE – BY CAMILLE STAHL

The Woman Who Left Her Water Pot

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?     (John 4:28-29)

Back in John 4:7 we are introduced to a unnamed woman who is going about her daily chores serving her family. She was a Samaritan. She was part of a people who had been resettled in the land, moved by the King of Assyria. They had been taught and partially accepted the faith of Israel, but held onto their old pagan religions also. (see II Kings 17:24-41). Traveling from Judea to Galilee, Jesus and His followers pass through Samaria. While there Jesus sat by a well while His disciples went to buy food. When the woman came to the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. She was shocked that a Jewish man talked to her as the Jews wanted no part of the Samaritans. Jesus began to talk to her about eternal life and her state of condition (John 4:13-18). We see in verse 27, that the disciples came back from shopping and in verse 28 the woman left her waterpot to tell the men.

I would like to focus on verse 28 “then left her waterpot”. Lets look at some reasons why she left her water pot.

Maybe because she felt uncomfortable about the discourse between Jesus and the disciples. Maybe because Jesus’ food was there and she wanted Him to enjoy His dinner. Maybe because she was so excited about what just happened that the water pot would hinder her from getting back to the city to tell others.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

To be saved we must realize we are sinners, Jesus pointed out the woman’s sins. But as we grow in our Christian life, we learn of the weights that hold us from serving to our full potential. A weight is all inordinate affection and concern for the body, and the present life and world. Inordinate care for the present life, or fondness for it, is a dead weight upon the soul, that pulls it down when it should ascend upwards, and pulls it back when it should press forward; it makes duty and difficulties harder and heavier than they would be. A stumbling block to us, so to speak.

What is your weight? What is holding you back or pulling you down from serving the Lord fully? Finances? Family? Jobs…….? These are not bad things in themselves, but they become weights if they keep up from serving Him. The woman realized the water pot would slow her down from getting back to the city to tell others about Jesus. Her excitement about Jesus was more then the needs of herself and her family. She knew she could come back to get the water, but did not want to waist time to tell others about Jesus. Oh that we all had that zeal. I ask again, what is your weight? Lets band together and pray to ask God to show us our weights. Lets beg God to lead us to a lost “Samaritan”.

Thank You

I John 5:13

Oct 27th Fire – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Good morning! We had a great time last night. Most went on the hayride, a few went through the corn maze, but I was content to sit on a bale of hay with Camille. It was very relaxing. We were just sitting there talking, and watching the fire. It’s really beautiful to look at, the warm glow, and the sparks flying upward into the night. And the fire was nice too. Fire gives us light to see. Fire gives us heat to keep us warm in the cold night air. Do you know what else fire is good for? COOKING! I keep looking in the flea markets for an inexpensive cast-iron pot. I want to try making a batch of chili, cooked in an open fire. Chili cooked in an open fire is supposed to taste very good. Anything cooked by an open fire is good. Toasted marshmallows, hot dogs, and S’mores. There are many good uses for fire. And as with any good uses there are also many bad uses.

Smokers who smoke while they drive. They take their finished cigarette, and flip it out the window. The sparks fly as it bounces to the edge of the road still burning. The next thing you know, millions of acres are destroyed across America.

A cow had knocking over a lantern was blamed for the Great Chicago Fire.

300 people died, and 100,000 were left homeless.

Christians, who would not deny Jesus as their Saviour, were chained to a stake and burned alive by unbelievers.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, tried to burn three Hebrew men in a firey furnace because they would not bow down to the golden idol he had set up. He even made the fire as hot as he could get it. The flames of that furnace were so hot, that it killed the men who were going to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the flames. But Jesus was looking out for His 3 children here. Daniel chapter 3 says: “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.” (Daniel 3:23-27)

Whenever you are around fire, your clothes are going to smell like smoke. The clothes that the 3 Hebrew men were wearing did not smell like smoke. Jesus protected them 100%.

I mentioned earlier, the Great Chicago Fire in which 300 people died. How many of those 300 are still burning today, because they did not have the protection of Jesus? The fire started around 9 PM on Sunday, October 8th, 1871. D. L. Moody had finished preaching for the day. There was one thing he forgot to do at the end of his service. It was something he would always regret, and he would never neglect to do it in any of his future services. What did he not do?

He did not give the people an invitation to receive Jesus as Saviour.

How many of those 300 were at his church service that night and did not hear the Gospel? How many of those 300 died in the flames, only to open their eyes in the flames of hell? We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Our end here on earth could come tonight. Our only hope for protection from the fire is the Lord Jesus Christ.

2000 years ago, He left His home in heaven and came to earth.

2000 years ago, He shed His blood to pay for our sins: the sins of the world.

2000 years ago, He was buried then 3 days later He rose from the dead, proving that He was who He said He was: God the Son.

John the Baptist had introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. It doesn’t matter what you have done, the shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from from all sin. Ever tell a lie? It doesn’t matter if it was a big lie, or a little white lie. If it isn’t the truth, then it’s a lie. 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)

Twice in Ezekiel chapter 18, God warns: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The Bible also tells us that there is none righteous, no not one, and for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners: we have all done wrong. And the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Just be honest with God. He already knows what sins you have committed yesterday, and today. He also already knows what sins you will commit tomorrow. Be honest with Him, and tell Him you have done wrong. Ask Him to forgive you and He will. The Bible also says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You can survive the fire and come out smelling smoke-free as Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.

Peace! (John 6:37-40)