Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 25th The Saturday Morning Post – Not For Ladies Only

Today’s Passage – Luke 1 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalm 119; Proverbs 25)

Read the “1025 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” (Luke 1:26-30)

Good morning. Back in 2014, my wife had a Blog here on Tuesdays: For Ladies Only. I just borrowed, and modified the title a bit. So this is not for ladies only, it’s for men too. The Bible is clear, that a woman should not usurp authority over a man. But we men can learn from women (you understand this principle, especially if you are married to one!). Corrie Ten Boom, Elizabeth Elliot, and other ladies who have been through the mill have a story we can all learn a lesson from. This woman who we read about in chapter was chosen by God to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. If she found favour with God, I would want to know how, wouldn’t you? Here are three characteristics that we can gleen from Luke chapter 1 about Mary.

1) Mary Was A Woman Of Faith

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” (Luke 1:30)

“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.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Is this one of your characteristics? Do you believe that God is? Do you believe that God really does answer prayers? Do you diligently seek Him? Mary did. Mary was a woman of faith.

2) Mary Kept Herself Pure

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (luke 1:30-35)

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” (Matthew 1:24-25)

Mary kept herself pure: she was true to her espouced husband, Joseph.

“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15)

I want to borrow something else here. If you have ever been to a Reformers Unanimous meeting, you know that ‘Principle #3’ would fit in good with this…

“It is easier to keep the heart clean than to clean it after it has been defiled.” (Steven Curington RUI Founder)

Mary was a woman of faith.

Mary kept herself pure.

And…

3) Mary Gave Praise To God

“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

Mary praised God for all the He had done for her. She also praised God for everything He had done for Israel. Have you praised God lately…for anything? Have you defiled your heart? Remember what the Word of God says…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Now there’s something we can all praise God for, and He’ll take care of the ‘clean-up’.

”For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

Peace!

Oct 24th Have You Ever Been There?

Today’s Passage – Mark 15 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)

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

Read the “1024 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “Ready, Set, Go“, and “The Just for the Unjust“

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

The above verse references the time when Jesus was on the cross with the sins of the whole world placed upon his shoulders. In His humanity, He cries to the Father, and for the first time Jesus calls His Father, “God” instead of “Father”. Here at this moment it seemed that everything was against Him, including God.

Does it ever seem to you like God has forsaken you? I have been through some dark valleys in my time, and there have been many times where I have wondered, “Where is God?” At those times, it seemed like God was nowhere to be found. However, in hindsight, I can see that God was there all along; and though I could not see Him or feel Him, He was there. He is always there. If you are going through some kind of a trial today, don’t trust your feelings: they will often betray you. Trust the Word of God. The Bible tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. Keep trusting; keep praying, even though it seems like you are just talking to yourself. Remember faith is the evidence of things not seen. Though His presence may seem to be elsewhere, He is right there with you. He hasn’t stopped loving you, and He hasn’t stopped working for your good and His glory.

Oct 23rd Is It I?

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

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “1023 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? … And they all forsook him, and fled.” (Mark 14:18-19, 50)

Judas betrayed the Lord (Mark 14:43 – 44); Peter denied the Lord (Mark 14:71 – 72); three of the disciples could not stay awake with Jesus in his time of need in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:37); and all the disciples forsook Him and fled (Mark 14:50). No wonder the disciples each asked Jesus: “Is it I?” They all knew that they were capable of forsaking the Lord. The possible exception is the Apostle John who according to his own account asked: “who is it?”

When the disciples asked, “Is it I?”, I believe they were being completely transparent and open about the limitations of their own humanity as well as the weakness of their faith. None of the events that were taking place that night were going as they had thought. They all envisioned a King who be enthroned in Jerusalem, putting down the corrupt religious leaders and crushing the Roman oppressors in the process. But that’s not what was happening. Jesus seemed to be losing. He was talking about being delivered to crucifixion. This was not what they had signed up for. So, when Jesus announces that He was about to be betrayed, it was easy for each of them to admit the possibility that it might be him.

How about you? When life doesn’t go exactly as you had hoped that it should go, do you have some doubts about your faith? Have you ever thought (or even said), “if God were real, why is this happening to me?” I know I have. Even though I have experienced cataclysmic changes in my life since being born-again; even though I have seen God’s blessing on myself and others time and time again; and even though He has miraculously protected me and provided for me so many times in the past; every once in a while, I still have my moments where my faith is weak.

One thing I suppose that we can all learn from the experience of Judas is that even though we may have our moments of weakness, we should not make any major decisions during them. Judas acted upon his lack of faith, and turned the Lord over to the religious leaders and Roman authorities. He was complicit with a plan that he knew was conceived in envy and deceit. He know that the Lord Jesus was innocent; yet, he conspired with evil men for money.

When you have your moments of doubt the best thing that you can do is to wait before speaking or acting. Get alone with the Lord in your prayer closet with an open Bible and allow the Lord to help you with your questions and give you the assurance that you need. Maybe you should find somebody that you know has strong faith and ask for their help. It is normal to have doubts. We are all in good company. The men closest to the Lord struggled at times also, but don’t throw in the towel on God (if that’s even possible for a true believer). Just wait and pray; strengthen your faith through the Word of God; get around a brother or sister that has walked with God a little longer and further than you have and soon your doubts will be gone.

Oct 20th Do We Really See As Clearly As We Think We Do?

Today’s Passage – Mark 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here  to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)

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

Read the “1020 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Hear Ye Him”

“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? … And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:17-18, 23-25)

In today’s reading from Mark 8, we first read about the “Feeding of the Four Thousand,” which takes place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is a similar, but different, event from the more famous story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” After feeding the four thousand, Jesus and his disciples leave for Dalmanutha, which is also on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, where he has an encounter with the Pharisees who demand for Jesus to give them some sort of sign to prove that He was the Messiah, which Jesus refuses to do. After leaving the Pharisees and when He and His disciples are back in the boat, Jesus warns the disciples about “the Leven of the Pharisees.” The word, “leaven,” in the Scriptures is often used symbolically as representation of sin. Jesus was really warning them about the sin of the Pharisees, but because He used the word, “leaven,” which is the ingredient used to make bread rise, his disciples thought somehow that Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing any bread with them. They misunderstood what Jesus was saying. They did not “see” or perceive what He was trying to tell them.

Fast forward now to the next story in Mark 8 regarding a man that really could not see; he was blind (vs. 22 – 26). When Jesus healed him, he at first could not see clearly; he stated that he saw “men as trees, walking.” However, when Jesus touched his eyes the second time, he could see clearly. I often wondered why it was that his sight was not wholly restored at the first touch. Did Jesus not use enough power the first time? No, I think through this healing story, Jesus is giving us an illustration regarding spiritual sight or understanding.

Here are some thoughts:

1. When a person trusts Christ, he is given the ability to understand spiritual truth. Lost people cannot comprehend the teaching of the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. However, even saved people do not understand everything that God wants to show them, at least not at first. This blind man did not see clearly at first, and the disciples did not at first understand what Jesus was trying to show them. They needed the help of Jesus to see clearly as well.
3. To some degree, our spiritual understanding is progressive and increases with growth, experience, and obedience to God’s will. As the song says, “we will understand it better by and by.”
4. We will never completely understand all spiritual truth, even when we get to Heaven. Omniscience is an attribute of God. However, in Heaven we will understand a great deal more.
5. We must remember that we are all still blind to some things, especially some of our own problems. There are many things that we do not understand. Yet, our lack of comprehension is even something we have a tough time seeing. We think we see clearly. I am sure the man that was healed of his blindness at first thought he was seeing pretty good, but it was until after Jesus really cleared up his lack of focus on the second touch that he understood that previously his sight, though better, was still somehow limited.
6. There are others who can see things that we cannot see yet because they have been granted clearer sight by God than us. Thus, we need to rely on other people who are a little further down the road spiritually to help us understand things.
7. We need to pray and ask God to open up our understanding.

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)

You and I must realize that we may not be seeing things as clearly as we think we are. We think sometimes that we know it all, but there may be something in our lives that is a little out of focus. We need to be humble enough to admit that we do not have all the answers, and we need God’s help to understand better.

Oct 18th The Saturday Morning Post – Be Not Afraid, Only Believe

Today’s Passage – Mark 4 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

Read the “1018 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.” (Mark 5:21-24)

“While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” (Mark 5:35-42)

Good morning. A ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came to ask the Lord to help his daughter who was near death. And as they went to the house. certain people came from Jairus’s house, and told him, “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”

I know how I felt when our daughter Melissa died. And Jairus was about to learn more about the God he served in the synagogue.

1) Notice that when Jairus was in need, he went straight to the Lord. Jesus said…

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

2) Notice that Jesus and Jairus walked together, and that Jesus was with Jairus when he received the news of his daughter’s death…

“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

Jesus was there to give Jairus words of comfort, hope, and faith: Be not afraid, only believe. And Jairus continued on walking with Jesus in faith: believing.

3) Notice that when you walk in the truth, people will criticize.

“And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn…” (Mark 5:38-40)

People criticize because they don’t understand. They don’t know what the only True, Living God can do. They need to know…

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

They need to hear…

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

They need to be born again…

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John3:3-7)

And…

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

Then they will understand. And that brings us to the last thing Jairus learned from being with Jesus…

Jesus took…

“…the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” (Mark 5:40-42)

4) Notice that where Jesus is, there is Life!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John10:10)

“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)

So, when problems arise, go to Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. People will criticize you for your stand on the Lord. But in the end, He gives you life. Be not afraid, only believe.

Peace!

Oct 16th The Great Commission

Today’s Passage – Matthew 27 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “1016 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Great Commission Involves Three Primary Duties

• Preaching the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1 – 8)

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations …”

It is through faith in the gospel that people are saved from going to Hell. We are all lost sinners and without Christ we were doomed to an eternity of separation from God in a horrible place the Bible refers to as Hell. But the Gospel (or good news) teaches us that Jesus Christ died on the Cross 2000 years ago and was buried and rose again on the third day, and by doing so satisfied the payment that God demanded for our sin. God says that if we will repent and place our faith (our dependence) on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross, we could not only escape the penalty of Hell, but also enjoy the pleasures of Heaven for all eternity.

But in order for people to hear the Gospel, the Gospel must be preached:

“14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

• Baptizing the Saved

“… baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

What is Biblical Baptism?

Baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water. Baptism is not sprinkling. The Bible is clear in every case that the people being baptized went down into the water and came up out of the water. John the Baptist baptized in Aenon (John 3:23) because there was “much water” there. You do not need a lot of water to sprinkle someone.

Baptism is not for babies, for the Scripture tells us in Acts 8:37 that the requirement for baptism is first a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Baptism is a public profession of your faith in Christ. It publically identifies you with Christ’s message, and it paints a picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Baptism also pictures the cleansing from sin.

Baptism also is a requirement for membership in the local church. You cannot be a member of the church unless you have been Scripturally baptized.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

Jesus commanded baptism.

Jesus identified with His own message through baptism. He was baptized Himself. That is why we sometimes say that we are following the Lord in baptism.

• Training Disciples

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:”

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

After a person has a been saved, and after they have been baptized, they should begin what is really a lifelong process of Christian growth, which we commonly call discipleship.

Once we are saved, we become ambassadors for the Lord, and we must be trained to represent the Lord well:

“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

We have an organized program of discipleship which we recommend to all new believers. It is a one-on-one program where one of our disciples sits down with a new convert and teaches him (or her) the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. We also recommend this program to all who are new to the church, even if they have been saved for a long time.

We are also discipled through the instruction that we receive in our church services. The best counselling and instruction that you can receive will come through what you learn in the church services and Adult Bible classes. We use a lot of Scripture here in our preaching, and you will learn the Bible, and, more importantly, learn how to better glorify and represent the Lord through faithful attendance to the church services.

You can also go even further in your discipleship by attending a Bible Institute level class, or Bible College.

The point is that after we are saved God wants us to grow in the Lord.

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

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Discipleship and Christian growth will better equip you to fulfill the Great Commission yourself.

More Great Commission Verses:

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

“46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46-48)

“21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23)

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

“1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)