The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl – Special Sunday Edition
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oday’s Reading: 1Chronicles 23-25; John 21; and Proverbs 14
Today’s Passage: Proverbs 14:26-27
Good morning. Did you ever see a decal on a car driving by that said No Fear? I never understood that term, so I decided to look it up on the internet. No Fear turns out to be a clothing line and an energy drink. To others it’s a cry of being overly optomistic. To a Christian, he may think:, “No God, Know Fear; Know God, No Fear.” There are many in this world who do not fear anything, including God. If anyone should have No Fear of anything, it should be a Christian. Our only fear should be the LORD and pleasing Him. We get that from the Lord. In Proverbs chapter 14, and verses 26 and 27, the Bible tells us that the fear of the LORD is strong confidence and also a fountain of life. The Bible also tells us that the fear of the LORD is also the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Proverbs also tells us what the fear of the LORD is and does…
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (1:7).
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil (8:13).
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom (15:33).
The fear of the LORD prolongeth days (10:27).
The fear of the LORD tendeth to life (19:23).
Life. What would life be like without the fear of the LORD? Wisdom cries out, “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” (Proverbs 1:22-32)
Can you see how much of a mess the world around you is in? Public schools teach evolution: that you evolved from some goo that was floating around in the oceans. They are not taught that we are created in God’s image. Their mindset is that you are closer to goo than me: I have evolved more, and therefore superior. If I kill you I will probably be doing the world a favor. That’s what evolution teaches. Evolution does not make you better, it degrades you: turns you into an animal. The blood of Abel cried out to God from the ground. How many voices cry out to the Lord from the ground today?Victims of those who did not choose the fear of the Lord. But the fear of the LORD tendeth to life. I think Solomon summed it all up perfectly in Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Peace. (1Peter 3:8-11)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Proverbs by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl – Predestined For Heaven or Hell?
Today’s Reading: 1Chronicals 6, Proverbs 7, John 5-6
Today’s Passage: John 6:35-40
Good morning! Isn’t it great to be saved, to know your saved, and to know that you will spend all eternity in Heaven when you die or the rapture comes? My friend Gary Geiger, in his comment on my blog, asked me to pray for several men they talked with in the jail ministry. The one that caught my attention was a man named Luis. Gary wrote, “Pray for Luis who believes that his salvation is based on predestination and not by his choice.” Let’s take a closer look at the verse used for predestination: Romans 8:29-30: “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.” God knows everything: past, present, and future. He knows who will receive Christ and who will reject Christ for salvation. The ones God knew would receive Jesus as their Saviour, those He predestined to be like Jesus. Here is where the problem lies. Let me ask you, Luis, if you believe that God chose all who would be saved and all who would die and burn in Hell, why would He allow verses in His Holy Word like 2Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Or John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Even John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus said, “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).
Somewhere in your life, you need to have made a choice to receive Jesus as your Saviour. When God saw this, He predestined you to be conformed to the image of His Son, but you still had a choice. Look what Jesus said in John chapter 6…
Joh 6:35-40 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. [Some did not believe.] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. [This is predestination. The Father will not give any to Jesus who God knew would reject His Son’s sacrifice on the cross for their salvation.] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
God offers salvation to everyone. It is not anything we can pay for, or work to achieve (Eph. 2:8-9). We are all in the same boat: we are all sinners (Romans 3:10 & 23). And the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). And God made it so simple: “For whosoever [That’s anyone.] shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Peace. (2Peter 3:9)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: Joshua 22-24, Hebrews 5-8, and Proverbs 19
Today’s Passage: Joshua 24:14-18: Service With A Smile
While reading today’s passage, a question popped into my head: why serve the Lord? Israel knew God, and gave four reasons why they should serve Him, and not the false gods of the land. Joshua is giving his fair-well talk with the nation of Israel. They are ready to go to their homes and enjoy the promised land which God has given them. And Joshua is charging them: “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” (Joshua 24:14-18)
The Lord brought them out of Egypt: freed them from bondage: freed them from being slaves to the Egyptians. The Lord did miracles in their sight. The Lord preserved them as they journeyed to the promised land. And the Lord drove out the people He knew would cause Israel to chase after strange gods. Those were the four reasons that Israel had for serving the Lord. As Christians, we have the same four reasons to serve the Lord.
He freed you from the bondage: the bondage of sin.
From the day you understand the difference between wrong and right, sin has had you in it’s grip. One day you would die because of sin. Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die…” We are all sinners and in bondage to sin: we have a death penalty placed on our heads. God saved us out of bondage through God the Son: the Lord Jesus Christ. “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. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36)
Paul reinforces this with Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” So just as God frees Israel from the bondage of Egypt, He frees us from the bondage of sin.
Not only that, can you imagine chasing after the Amorites with Israel? Then seeing the Lord cast down great hailstones at the enemy which killed more than Israel did with the sword. Can you imagine seeing this? And right after that, “Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” (Joshua 10:12-13)
Can you imagine seeing that? Israel saw it happen, miracles from God. Have you seen any miracles? No? When you see someone bow their head and ask Jesus to come into their heart, you see a miracle. You see a dead spirit coming back to life. That’s a miracle. When you see someone you’ve been praying for healed of cancer, or some other disease, that’s a miracle. That’s the work of God the Holy Ghost. The Spirit quickens: gives life (see 1Peter 3:18). When we receive Christ, the Holy Ghost gives life to our spirit which has never lived. But this is not the only job of the Holy Ghost. Israel was preserved on their journey to the promised land, even their clothing, Moses reminded them of this in Deuteronomy 8:4: “Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.” God preserved Israel as they journeyed to the promised land, and He preserves us as we journey through life to our home in heaven. Ephesians 4:30 says: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The Holy Ghost preserves us. The Holy Ghost preserved the apostle Paul. He suffered more than anyone reading this today for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Read the account he gives in 2Corinthians 11:20 thru 28. Paul went through a lot, yet God was there and took him through it all. God preserved him.
The forth reason the people gave for following the Lord, is that He drove the people out. God knew that if the people of the land remained, that the would turn Israel away from following God. Israel would follow after their little ‘g’ gods. In looking back, I find that many of my old friends are not around anymore: the ones I knew before I got saved. It wasn’t anything I did. They didn’t run away because of giant hailstones. God got them out of my life because He knew they would turn me away from following Him. The Bible says in 2Corinthians chapter 6, verses 14 thru 18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” He brought us out, and we may not notice it until we take a look back to whence we came.
So the Lord sets us free from the bondage of sin. He does miracles in our lives. He preserves us on our journey to heaven. He separates us from the things that may turn our hearts away from Him. Can you think of any of the many other reasons we have to serve the Lord? Yes? Then why aren’t you? God has given you a gift to edify others in the church. Using your gift to lift up the spirit of a brother or sister who is hurting is a gift that edifies. Being a “pew warmer” is not. If you are not sure how you can serve the Lord, ask your preacher. Did you know that on the average, 10% of church members do 90% of the work? Maybe the gift that God has given you will influence others to serve also. When you exercise the gift that God has given you, that 10% will grow. How much? I can not tell you, but it is a lot easier for 11% to do 90% of the work than it is for 10%. No matter what the reason, start serving the Lord.
Peace. (Romans 14:19)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Joshua by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: Joshua 1-4, Colossians 1-4, and Proverbs 12
Today’s Passage: Colossians 3:12-15: Be Ye Thankful
Good morning. “Did you thank God this morning for giving you another day?” This was a question that was asked by another Christian at the Home Depot I was working in Friday. And for some reason I did thank Him for another day that morning. Usually I don’t. I thank Him for the day, as you would thank Him for your food when saying grace, but I never really thought about thanking Him for giving me another day. Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” And just one verse away, verse 17, tells us: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Saying thank you to God, and to others, seems to be something we neglect to do sometimes. And as Christians, we should be a thankful people. Two simple words can go a long way. Saying thank you shows our appreciation. Saying thank you shows we are grateful. Saying thank you can build another person up, edify him. For instance, say God lays on someone’s heart to give you $20 to help you out. He’s not 100% sure, but gives you the money anyway. You say thank you to God, and to the person, for this gift. By you saying thank you and the Holy Spirit in his heart, he now walks away rejoicing and thanking God for using him to help you. And you walk away thanking God for that person, and using him to supply your needs.
I just took a minute to thank God for our Preacher in letting me do this blog. And thank you for reading it, I hope it will be a help to you.
Peace. (Colossians 3:15)
Posted in Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: Genesis 1-3
New And Improved
Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2Corinthias 5:17 – Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…
“Let us renew our trust in God and go forward without fear and with manly hearts.” – Abraham Lincoln.
Good morning. Happy New Year! As I look out over the melting snow, Genesis 1:1 came to mind. How many snow flakes make up all the snow that fell? One drop of water yields six snow flakes. Not only are the crystal patterns in those six snow flakes different from each other, they are also different from all the other snow flakes that fell. God created that. The billions of people in the world do not have the same finger prints: God created each and every one of them that way.
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
And if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. We are His creation. Each one of us have good works to walk in. God has ordained it. God created it that way.
Now, let me ask you, if the God of Creation: the God who created you and everything else: the God who loved you enough to leave heaven and be humbled as a man, dieing on a cross, and shedding His precious blood to pay for our sins; do you think He wants the very best for you?
Yes He does.
Will you trust Him more in 2011? Will you seek Him more this year. Do you know that as we draw close to God, the devil flees. The best place you can be is in the center of God’s will. Will you allow God to direct your path? Will you put your life in His hands this year? If you do, do you realize that God is responsible for the results? And do you understand that those results will bring gory to Him? You can be the new creature that God intended this new year. So, as Abraham Lincoln said, “Let us renew our trust in God and go forward without fear and with manly hearts.”
Peace. (John 14:27)
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts, Thoughts from Genesis by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
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oday’s Reading: Philemon 1 – Hebrews 4
The Prisoner – Philemon 1:1
Good morning? Hope so. I would assume it all depends on what prison you are in. Maybe money is your warden. Will you have to work 80 hour weeks in the new year to pay for Christmas gifts because you are spending money like the government? Is time your warden? Are you a prisoner of time? I’ll be 57 in February (the 11th – mark your calendar). That means I may have only 13 years left on earth. Any time after that is borrowed. What about friends and family? Does family keep you confined from doing what you could, or should, be doing? I now about a person who would like to attend church service, but the spouse wants them home. That person only attends Sunday school. Maybe you are a prisoner of the church you attend. Are you there to see friends or worship God? Are you there to learn the latest gossip, or learn more about Jesus? Who’s prisoner are you?
Philemon 1:1 says, “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ…”
Being Christ’s prisoner is so much better than being a prisoner of the world. Think about it. Think about a real prison. You get your 3 meals a day, a bed, a roof over your head, and 4 walls to hold everything in, including you. As a prisoner of Christ, we have LIBERTY! We are FREE! The only walls that contain us is God’s will. Even then when we try to escape over that wall, the Lord knows exactly what to do to get us back in. To be a prisoner of Christ, He supplies our every need. And, just like a prisoner who is waiting for his release date, we are also looking forward to that day, when we get to meet the Lord face to face. Because of God’s grace, we have a life-time sentence that we are serving. Even though we are confined sometimes by the cares of this world, we will be totally, absolutely, 100% free, one day. So when the cares of this world, the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, and anything else get’s you down, run to the Warden, there is freedom and liberty in Christ Jesus. Become a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Peace (John 14:27)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Philemon by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage: 1Corinthians 15 & 16.
The Victory Is No Mystery – 1Cor. 15:51-58
Good morning. Another week has passed. Black Friday, Small Store Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all behind us. Did you get all your Christmas shopping done? Good! You had a victory. That’s what today’s blog is about: VICTORY! We already have the victory, but we don’t realize it. When we don’t realize it, we lose.
I was reminded of an Abbott and Costello skit. They go into an illegal gambling establishment to bet on the horses. This was where they got the idea for off-track betting. Just remember that legal gambling is just as bad as illegal gambling – only someone else gets to keep your money! Costello places the bet, and a voice comes over the radio…
“And they’re off…”
“The race is over…”
“You lose!”
That was a comedy, so you already knew that Costello was going to lose. Do you know you already have the victory: you are not a loser? 1Corinthians 15 tells us…
“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of deathis sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs 54-57)
We have the victory! It was given to us by God through our Lord Jesus Christ! Death has no more sting: death cannot hurt us. Death is swallowed up in victory!
How can we know this victory now?
Well, you could… die. And at the rapture of the church, when your corruptible has put on incorruption, and your mortal has put on immortality, you will be with Jesus. That’s victory!
Or (and I prefer this way better) by faith. 1John 5:4 says, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
Verse 58 of 1Corinthians 15 tells us the result of this victory through faith: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
We will be stedfast. Immovable, standing firm in our faith. God said it; that settles it.
We will be unmoveable. Nothing, and nobody in this world, or any situation for that matter should shake and shatter our faith. We have the victory and greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
And we will be always abounding in the work of the Lord. Soul winning, tithing (supporting our pastor, the church, and it’s ministries), and what ever the Lord has asked us as individuals to do (teach, edify, be a friend), are some of the works we should be abounding in.
And at the end of verse 58 there is victory: “…forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
That’s victory. Keep on going for the Lord.
Peace (John 14:47).
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts, Thoughts from 1 Corinthians by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: Romans 8-10.
Romans 8:37 – Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Good morning. I know it’s early, but the question I want to pose today is this: are you a conqueror, or more than a conqueror? What or who do you think about when you here the word conqueror? Do you think of Communist leaders like Lenin, or chairman Mao, who murdered people to gain power? Chairman Mao’s policies are credited to the deaths of 77 million people. Do you think of the Faciests like Hitler, who took a massive army and conquered most of Europe. Do you think about the Catholic church which sent out an army of Crusaders to force people to convert over to their form of religion? Do you think about the Muslims who butchered 50,000 Christians in the city of Fez, in Moroco? What about Nero, who dipped Christians in wax, mounted them on a pole, and then set them on fire to light his palace? But we are more than conquerors! We are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ!
We are more than conquerors MENTALLY
Philippians 2: 5-11 says: “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 himself 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.
And God is conforming us to the image of His Son. We can have the mind of Christ. We are more than conquerors!
We are more than conquerors PHYSICALLY.
We can do all things – Philippians 4:13; We can endure all things – 2Timothy 2:1-10: because we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ! Think about Stephen who saw heaven opened revealing the Lord standing, and waiting for his arrival in heaven. Think about the multitude of Christians who went to their deaths and onto eternal life because of their love for the Lord Jesus Christ. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!
And we are more than conquerors SPIRITUALLY.
Romans 8:2 tells us: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Read the rest of chapter 8 about the working of the Holy Spirit. You will come to the same conclusion that in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Peace (John 14:27)
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts, Thoughts from Romans by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: John 17-19
That The Scripture Might Be Fulfilled
Good morning. What a great way to start the morning with my favorite chapter from the Bible: John chapter 17. Jesus is praying to His Father before going to the cross. Jesus prayed for His disciples, and us: those who would believe through their testimony: their word. And there was only one who was lost: the son of perdition: Judas. And the explanation is given as to why: that the Scripture might be fulfilled (vs12). The Scripture, God’s Word, should be one of the most cherished possessions in our lives. Chapter 17 is all God’s Word (yes, even the 13 words printed black in verse 1). Because God’s will is being done no matter what, we can trust the promises from the Scripture will come to pass: that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
1) The Father would be glorified through Jesus, that the Lord’s glory would be restored as it was before creation, and that we would glorify Jesus (vs 1-10).
Revelation 19:11-16 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
That the Scripture might be fulfilled.
2) Safety for believers (vs 11-16).
John 10:27-30 tells us this also, “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.”
We are protected so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
3) Jesus also prayed that we would be sanctified (made holy) through the Scriptures (verses 17-19). And in Hebrews 10:10 the Scriptures tell us that, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Because of His sacrifice the Scriptures say we are sanctified.
I’m getting excited about this. Isn’t it great to know you’re saved and on your way to Heaven!
4) In verses 20 through 23, Jesus prays for the unity of those who believe, and that the world would believe. Revelation 7:9-12 gives us a glimpse into the future. John said, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
And that’s only the tribulation saints, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
5) And I especially like verse 24 which tells us that one day we will see Jesus. Stephen saw Jesus just before he was stoned to death, Acts chapter 7:55-56 tell us, “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Face to face we shall behold Him that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.
6) And that brings us to verses 25 and 26. Jesus prayed that we would have the same love of the Father that He had. This is the sacrificial love, the agape’ love. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This was Jesus going to the cross, paying the price for our sins, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. We are supposed to have the same love in us. We need to die too: die to self. If we can be a little bit humble, maybe bury our pride, we can easily forgive our brothers and sisters when they sin against us, or hurt us. We should be demonstrating the love of God to others so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Peace (John 14:27).
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts, Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Reading: John 1-3
The Good Wine
Good morning. I hope this week has been a blessing and not a curse. This is a day that the Lord made: rejoice and be glad in it! I guess it depends on our attitude. Even the worst of times has no hold on us when we realize that in the end we get to see Jesus face to face in all His glory. The Good Wine is coming. John chapter 2, verses 1 through 11, give the account of Jesus’ first recorded miracle: turning the water into wine. What I want to focus on is what the governor of the feast said to the bridegroom: “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”
“…and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse…”
Every man sets forth good wine, and later the bad. Are we really like that? Do we take a good, long, hard look in the mirror and notice the things we are doing? Or are we like the man in James chapter 1 who beheld his natural face in a glass, and then went on his way forgetting what manner of man he was. When someone tells me I’m getting old, I tell them I’m aging like fine wine: I’m kept in the dark, I get dusty, and eventually I’ll turn sour. And that is how we get if we forget what manner of men (and ladies) we were. Have you cracked an off-color joke lately, talked bad about someone, or did something that you did before you got saved? Have you hurt anybody lately with harsh words? Proverbs 25: 11 tells us that, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Are you angry at everybody because they will not be your friend? Proverbs 18:24 says that you must show yourself friendly. Have we become “that which is worse?” Who is your Bridegroom? He is the one that the governor of the feast went to. What do you want the governor to say: this is sour, or this is the best? Think of the governor being other believers. What are they telling the Bridegroom about you? Maybe it’s time to edify the brethren. Treat others with the kind of respect you would like (even if they do not return that respect). Also, in that vein, when somebody hurts you, be forgiving. Pray for that person. Do you really want to see God’s wrath come down on them. God hates what they did even more than you do. The good wine is coming; the question is, how worse will “that which is worse” get before the good wine is put forth? That choice is up to you.
Peace (John 14;27)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from John by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.