More Than Preaching
Today’s Passages – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 1 Timothy 3 (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 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 119:105
Read the “1215 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” (1 Timothy 1:12)
I have always been very fond of this verse. Paul knew that he had been given an awesome privilege when God called Him into the ministry, and I am very conscious of the fact that my calling is just as special and important as Paul’s. I notice also from this verse that Paul didn’t say that God called him because of his qualifications except for the one thing that God found in him, which was faithfulness. God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called and He will call those who are faithful.
What does it mean to be in the ministry? What does a minister do? Is it just getting up in front of people and yelling for 45 minutes on Sunday morning? My friend, it is so much more than that. Let me share with you some thoughts regarding what the ministry entails:
1 The Ministry Is About People – People have all kinds of problems and needs. A true minister of God does not see people as a means to fulfill his desires or goals; rather a minister recognizes that he is called of God to serve the people and to give them what they need in order to have the very best of God’s blessings upon their life. A minister does not try to be God to the people, but rather tries to bring the people closer to God.
2 The Ministry is About Prayer – I must confess right now that this area is the weakest part of my ministry for the Lord, and it is number one on the list of things that I would like to improve in the new year. Actually, as of now, it is the only thing on the list. According to Acts 6, the apostles felt that their primary duties were “to give [themselves] continually unto prayer, and the ministry of the word.” That would be a pretty good starting point for preachers today. We need to pray for our people, our churches, our communities, and our country.
3 The Ministry Is About Perspiration – There is work to be done. The Bible says that the office of a Bishop is a good “work.” Many full-time servants of God are lazy. They get up late, eat too much, and go home early. It will take a lot of work to be effective as a minister. There is soulwinning, visitation, hospital visits, administrative work, counseling, cleaning, planning, building, etc. Preachers ought to be up early and on the job before the world get’s up. Satan never stops working to advance his agenda.
4 The Ministry Is About Preparation – The pastor should spend hours in the study, preparing to feed the flock that God has entrusted them with. His people deserve fresh bread from Heaven that came directly out of time spent with God in study and in prayer. Sometimes, it is easy to get lazy in preparation. We can quickly throw some “fast food” together to serve our people but God expects more out of His ministers. Work, pray, and study so that God’s people will be fed gourmet meals from the pulpit each week.
I hope that you can see now that the ministry consists of so much more than is visible on the surface. What a privilege it is to serve such an awesome, wonderful, omnipotent, and merciful God. What has God called you to do? If you have been called to a ministry, it is because He found you to be faithful; but are you still faithfully fulfilling what God has called you to do?
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Timothy by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
The Saturday Morning Post – Deliverance
Today’s Passage – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 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 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)
“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Rembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1Thessalonians 1:1-10)
Good morning. I really like how chapter 1 ends:, “…even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”; and there is a wrath coming. Seven years of the wrath of God are going to be poured out upon the earth. Maybe you’re worried about this if you don’t believe what God’s Word says at the end of chapter 4. Look at this verse from chapter 5…
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1Thesselonians 5:9)
Before God pours out His wrath on the earth, He will call His people home in the twinkling of an eye. The end of chapter 4 tells us…
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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.” (1Thesselonians 4:13-18)
If these words were not true, how could we comfort one another with them?
And also…
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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 death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.” (1Corinthians 15:51-58)
Yes, I would also be worried about the wrath of God, if it were not for the fact that He poured out His the wrath that He had for me on the Lord Jesus Christ: as He hung on a cross, and shed His precious blood for me. If you can’t believe the rapture verses, how can you believe the rest of the Bible. All of the Bible is God’s Holy Word, and if He says He is coming back in the air to receive His bride, then you better believe He is. Can you believe the following verse?
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)
God made salvation as simple as 1John 5:12…
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1Jn 5:12)
I like what Jesus said about my salvation…
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 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.” (John 6:37-40)
If we all took God at His Word – He says what He means, and means what He says – there would be more obedience to God’s Word and less arguing over it.
Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolations share,
Till from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home, and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout while passing throu’ the air,
Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer.
Peace!.
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
Keep Looking Up
Today’s Passage – Colossians 1 – 4; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click hereto view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the 1213 Evening and Morning devotion from the late Charles Spurgeon.
“1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
The background information for Colossians and Philemon both involve the church at Colosse. Philemon was a member of the church there and even opened up his home as a meeting place for the church. The two letters are very different in their purpose. Colossians is written to a church and is both doctrinal as well as practical. Philemon is very personal, written primarily to encourage reconciliation between Onesimus, who was a runaway servant from Colosse who was gloriously saved in Rome, and Philemon. Both of these letters deal with the same geographical area and the same people.
It is apparent from the text (Colossians 1:4; 1:9; 2:1) that Paul had never been to the city of Colosse, which is strange because it is not too far from Ephesus (about 100 or so miles) where Paul spent 3 years. (Acts 20:31) Interestingly the name Colosse appears only once in the entire Bible. (Colossians 1:2) Even more interesting is that the nearby city of Laodicea is named five times in this letter.
Colosse was located in Asia Minor in an area known as Phrygia. It is about 100 or so miles east of Ephesus, and about 100 or so miles north of the Mediterranean Sea. It was 10 miles from Laodicea, and 13 miles from Hierapolis, which are both mentioned in the letter. Both of these cities were to receive this letter to the church at Colosse and also share a letter back to Colosse that was written to Laodicea. (Colossians 4:16)
At one time Colosse was an important city with a large population. It was located in an area that connected the markets of the Far East with the markets of Europe. It was known for a particular kind of purple wool called colossinus that was in demand around the world. As time went on, however, Laodicea became the prominent city and Colosse eventually faded off the scene. Only ruins are left today of both cities. It is probable that both cities were eventually destroyed by a series of earthquakes.
Thoughts from the Passage
- The Letter is Focused on Believers
First of all, we see that this is written to believers: “if ye then be risen with Christ.” Positionally, Christians are seen as crucified with Christ (“for ye are dead” – v. 3) and have also identified with Him in His resurrection:
- Believers Need to Be Focused on Heaven
- A Heavenly Focused Believer Conforms to the Will of God
Notice in the remaining verses that believers are to “mortify” (Νεκρώσατε from νεκρόω – nekroō, meaning to make dead or deprive of power) some things (vs. 5 – 7).
1 fornication
2 uncleanness – mortal impurity
3 inordinate affection – translated vile affection in Romans 1:26, homosexuality
4 evil concupiscence – lust
5 covetousness, which is idolatry:
They are also to “put off” (ἀπόθεσθε from ἀποτίθημι – apotithēmi, meaning to lay aside or cast off) some things (vs. 8 – 11). The things that we are to remove are things that are inconsistent with who we are in Christ and what we will be in Heaven. Paul is merely stating that if you will not see these characteristics and sinful actions in Heaven, you should strive to get rid of them now. You can do these things because when you were saved, “9b … you have put off the old man with his deeds. “10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:9b – 10)
1 anger
2 wrath
3 malice – depravity, maliciousness, wickedness
4 blasphemy
5 filthy communication – vile conversation
6 lying
We are not only supposed to get rid of some things, we are also to replace them with some heavenly things. Vs. 12 – 17 tell us that we are to “put on” (Ἐνδύσασθε from ἐνδύω – endyō, which has the idea of putting on clothing or wearing something) some things.
1 bowels of mercies – mercy, compassion
2 kindness
3 humbleness of mind
4 meekness
5. longsuffering
6. forbearing one another
7 forgiving one another
8 charity
9 let peace rule (v. 15)
10 let the Word dwell in you (v. 16)
11 sing the songs of God (v. 16)
12 do all in the name of Christ (v. 17)
Supporting Verses:
“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Mind of Christ
Today’s Passage – Philippians 1 – 4 (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 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “1212 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Follow You?” & “Striving Together“
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5)
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
I just want to jot down a quick thought from the Scriptures this morning that I hope will be a blessing to you. Jesus is God. As God, He is equal with the Father in everything. Jesus is omniscient, meaning that there is nothing that He does not know. There is nothing that escapes His mind, unless He chooses to not remember it. Here in our text, the Bible is not referring to omniscience, but rather it is referring to Christ’s attitude. He had the mind of a servant; not the knowledge of a servant, but the humility of a servant. As God, He could have demanded that all of humanity bow the knee to Him. He also could have demanded that every creature in the universe should serve His every desire. But that is not what He did, is it?
It is funny how little, sinful man who is by nature a lowly servant, and has no right to boast at all, is always trying to magnify himself; trying to make himself look better in the eyes of other men. Yet Jesus, who deserves all of the glory, humbled Himself, even unto death. Why, because He loves us. If He demonstrated His love through a form of humility, ought not we do the same thing. We are so full of ourselves. God tells us here that we should have the same mind, the same humble attitude that Christ demonstrated when He came to this earth to be born of a woman, to live a selfless life of service to men, and finally to die a horrible death on the cross in order to atone for your sins and mine.
“And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45)
“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:13-17)
Posted in Thoughts from Philippians by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Grow Up
Today’s Passages – Ephesians 4 – 6 (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 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “1211 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:13-15)
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1)
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” (Hebrews 5:12)
One of the many problems with the modern concept of Christianity in our world today, is that it is producing very immature Christians. At one time the churches of America understood that they had a responsibility to teach and preach sound Bible doctrine. Unfortunately, in most of our churches the Bible has been replaced with entertainment and in some cases the Word of God has been almost removed altogether. If you were to travel back in time to the first half of the 20th century you would see that mostly all Bible believing churches had multiple opportunities for the people to come to the House of God in order to learn Truth. Gradually, as the years passed, sermon lengths became shorter and whole services were eliminated. It is rare to find an evangelical church with Sunday School for adults or evening services on Sunday, or Bible studies / Prayer Meetings during the week. It is no wonder that our country is rapidly deteriorating when God’s people are feeding sparsely on Jello and Tapioca, instead of meat. It is also not surprising that Christians are dropping like flies into all kinds of immorality when they are not taking in enough spiritual nourishment to strengthen them against the wiles of the Devil.
This lack of Bible can also be seen in our homes. There used to be such a thing as “a family altar” and family devotions. There was a time when it would not be uncommon for Christian fathers and mothers to read the Bible with their children. It was not at all unusual for a mom to insist that her children get up out of bed a little earlier so that they could spend some time in the Word of God before they faced the day. Now, we are too busy finding out what all our friends are doing on Facebook, or perhaps we are engrossed in the latest immoral sitcom on television. Shame on us. We are producing a bunch of weak, baby Christians who could not possibly be strong enough to carry the torch to the next generation.
In our passage today we see that God gave us all that we need in order to grow and mature in the faith. Notice vs. 11 – 12:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
God gave us pastors and teachers but unfortunately they are too busy trying to please a carnal group of people instead preaching the Word of God. I heard recently of a pastor of a church (that was once a fundamental Baptist church) who went to a football game on a Sunday morning instead of going to his pulpit. He got his wife to fill in for him. Shame on that pastor, and shame on that church for not firing him.
We need to get back to the basics, back to the Bible. We need to get rid of all of the technology that is supposed to be helping us so much, get rid of the social media, the filth on television, the mindless video games and internet surfing, and get back to “study[ing] to show [ourselves] approved unto God, [workmen] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” And our churches need to get back to filling their services with sound doctrine, and lots of it. We are losing the battle. Few are getting saved today because our lights are too dim and our salt has lost its savor. We need to wake up and go back to what worked before we completely lose this generation.
Posted in Thoughts from Ephesians by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Saved to Good Works – Not By Good Works
Today’s Passages – Ephesians 1 – 3; (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 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “1210 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – (Ephesians 2:8-10)
These verses in Ephesians are perhaps among the most familiar in the Bible. We often use vs. 8 – 9 to convince people that salvation is not through our good works but solely though the grace of God, which is available only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace has been defined as unmerited favor, or more simply put, it is receiving something that we do not deserve. What a wonderful truth it is to know that our salvation is not dependent upon our good works, which are totally insufficient and fall miserably short of the mark. As the verse teaches, salvation comes solely through the free gift of God’s grace. Jesus paid the total price for our sins when He died on the cross and now makes salvation available to anyone who will simply receive Him by faith.
However, just because works are not acceptable as payment for our sins, it doesn’t mean that we should not “work” for the Lord after we are saved. Verse 10, which is not quoted nearly as often as vs. 8 & 9, teaches very plainly that God has ordained that we should work for Him after salvation. God has a specific plan for each one of His children. He has something for all of us to do. Our job is to determine what God’s will is for our lives and then do it. There are lots of opportunities for service within a local church.
Are you working for the Lord doing His ordained tasks? If not, you need to get busy:)
Posted in Thoughts from Ephesians by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
Today’s Passages – Galatians 4 – 6; (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 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “1209 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” – (Galatians 4:16)
As I read verse 15, I thought of the phrase, “Don’t Shoot The Messenger”. I looked back in the blog archives and discovered that I have used that phrase as the title to two other posts derived from two different passages. It seems that men of God throughout the Bible have had trouble being negatively received by the people they are ministering to.
In this morning’s passage, Paul is trying to straighten out the problem of legalism in the churches of Galatia. They apparently were trying to mix New Testament Christianity with the Old Testament Law. By doing so, they were adding to salvation by grace through faith, making it a salvation of works. Paul explained to them that if they were going to try to keep the Law, they had better do it perfectly, which, of course, is an impossibility. We are not saved by keeping the Law, and we are certainly not kept by keeping the Law. Salvation comes through faith in Christ, and our Christian life is to be a walk of faith.
The point I am trying to make here in this post, however, is that the Christians in Galatia were very fond of Paul until he started preaching something that went contrary with what they were doing. They had been influenced by some people who were corrupting their thinking. Paul was merely trying to get them back on the right path, but the people didn’t want to hear it. Instead of searching the Scriptures as the Bereans did, and listening to the truth, the people were stubbornly holding on to their false doctrine; and Paul became the bad guy.
I have had this type of thing happen to me in the ministry. I have had people who at one time loved me, later turn on me and become an enemy. Usually it was because there was something in their lives that was inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible and the will of God. Instead of fixing the problem, they decided to get mad at the messenger. I understand that doctors sometimes experience this same scenario. They are just reporting the truth revealed through their examination. They didn’t cause the problem, but somehow they end up with the blame.
Let’s stop blaming the messengers that God sends into our lives. If the messenger is telling us the truth, then we must face it. We really ought to thank those who are being honest enough with us to help us by telling us what we really don’t want to hear. But how can we get help if we don’t know the truth. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Read the other two “Dont’ Shoot The Messenger” posts from 2 Chronicles 16 and 1 Kings 18
Posted in Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
We Are Free
Today’s Passages – Galatians 1 – 3 (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 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “1208 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Schoolmaster“
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)
The letter to the Galatians was one of the earliest of the epistles written by the Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the God. In the very early church, there was evidently a problem with legalism. Legalism is the attempt to put people who are saved by faith back under the law. I need to explain here exactly what I mean by “under the law”. In Old Testament days the people of God (the Jews) lived according to the law of Moses which contained three different types of laws: civil law (government), which helped them live in a peaceful society; moral law, which taught them what was right and wrong, morally speaking; and ceremonial law, which were the particular laws that had to do with their system of worship. These ceremonial laws legislated their holy days, their assemblies, and their feasts, etc. The Jews created a system of rules that was impossible for anybody to keep perfectly. That’s why Paul says later in this letter to the Galatians that the law was our “schoolmaster”, in that it taught us that we were sinners in need of mercy. Christ is the only man who perfectly fulfilled all of the law, meaning He never was guilty of violating any command of God in any of the three categories.
Now when God says in the New Testament that we are no longer “under the law,” and that we have been freed from the bondage of sin and the law, He is not saying that we are free to commit moral sin, or that we are free to break the laws that government creates in order to keep the peace, unless, of course, those man-made rules disagree with God’s rules. We are, however, free from all of the ceremonial laws that the Jews lived by, and there were a whole lot of them. By the way, not being “under the law” also means that we have been freed (saved) from the penalty of not keeping the law. The people of Galatia were “bewitched” into attempting to combine the doctrine of salvation through faith alone with the keeping of the Jewish law. By doing so, they just frustrated the concept of grace. Christ fulfilled the law, and He died for us who could not keep the law. We are free! Free from the penalty of sin; free from the bondage of a myriad of rules and regulations that are impossible to live by anyway; and free to love and serve God according to the dictates of our own consciences and understanding of God.
I feel compelled to make one final comment here. The term “legalism” has often been used in reference to standards and convictions. I am not a “legalist” if I have a personal standard in my life that I believe God is pleased with. Having some Biblically based guidelines in my life to live by does not make me a legalist, unless I believe that adhering to these rules somehow saves me. I am not saved by how I live my life, but I do try to live a life that glorifies God because I am saved.
Posted in Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
The Saturday Morning Post – The To-Do List
Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 11 – 133; (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 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
(2Corinthians 13:11-14) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (12) Greet one another with an holy kiss. (13) All the saints salute you. (14) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.
Good morning. Paul is concluding his letter to the Corinthians. Under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, he writes us a To-Do list…
Be perfect (complete).
Be of good comfort.
Be of one mind.
Live in peace.
Matthew Henry gives a good explanation of these in his commentary…
“(1.) To be perfect, or to be knit together in love, which would tend greatly to their advantage as a church, or Christian society. (2.) To be of good comfort under all the sufferings and persecutions they might endure for the cause of Christ or any calamities and disappointments they might meet with in the world. (3.) To be of one mind, which would greatly tend to their comfort; for the more easy we are with our brethren the more ease we shall have in our own souls. The apostle would have them, as far as was possible, to be of the same opinion and judgment; however, if this could not be attained, yet, (4.) He exhorts them to live in peace, that difference in opinion should not cause an alienation of affections – that they should be at peace among themselves. He would have all the schisms that were among them healed, that there should be no more contention and wrath found among them, to prevent which they should avoid debates, envyings, backbitings, whisperings, and such like enemies to peace.”
Paul wrote in…
(2Corinthians 13:10) “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.”
If the Apostle Paul came to your church, would he have to use sharpness to get you to do what was right? Or, could he be uplifting, building you up: edifying you. In 1Corinthians 14:12…
(1Corinthians 14:12) “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”
And in verse 26, “…Let all things be done unto edifying.”
When you edify someone, you build them up in the Lord: train them as a child in the way they should go, and they will help someone else; and so on. What did I do to edify someone today? If we answer that question on a daily basis, we will be focused on what Jesus was focused on: others. If we get our eyes off ourselves, and look to the needs of others, edifying them, God’s work will get done.
Let me leave you with an example that my wife and I are very thankful for. Two actually: one from God, and one from someone unknown…
December 6, 2024, was my daughter’s 49th birthday. A few years ago, Camille and I celebrated by going over to the grave, adding new flowers, and a few other Christmas items. It had been raining and drizzling all day. When we got to the cemetery, God held back the rain. We were edified: God reinforced the fact to us that He is in control. He cares for us in the little things, as well as the big. Just think about it: the Creator, who spoke everything we have into existence cared enough about us to hold back the rain while we went to the grave. Just a note: as we drove away, the rain came down in buckets! God is good!
Part two of this is also a part of what inspired this blog today. Somebody had come and visited Melissa’s grave earlier, and left a message written in the ground behind the gravestone. Maybe the message was from God too. I know we received much joy from reading it, and knowing that someone else cared. The message simply said, “I LOVE YOU.”
Peace! (JOY: Jesus, Others, You)
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 2 comments.
Without Wax
Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 6 – 10 (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 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “1206 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “And Be Ye Separate” and “Casting Down Imaginations“
“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” (2 Corinthians 8:8)
“Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.” (2 Corinthians 8:24)
Tradition states that back in the days of the Roman Empire there were unscrupulous stoneworkers who crafted sculptures, but would sometimes cover the flaws and cracks in their work with wax. However, when the hot sun would beat upon their products, it would melt the wax and ruin the appearance of the sculpture. Potters also were guilty of sealing cracked and even broken wares with wax in order to sell them at the market, but when the unsuspecting buyer returned home and put something hot in the the pot, plate, or cup, it would also melt the wax. Eventually, men of character who traded these goods would stamp their wares “sine cera” meaning without wax. These two words eventually evolved into meaning “genuine” or “honest”.
In our text Paul states very candidly that we prove the sincerity or the genuineness of our love through the grace of giving. If you love someone you will give to them. If you love God, you will give back to Him. You may have heard this old saying that bears repeating here: “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” Do you genuinely and honestly love the Lord, then give to Him. You may say, how do I do that? Well for starters, I would strongly recommend that you give to the work of His local church. God has chosen the local church as the vehicle for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. But then beyond that, you may want to give to some things that you believe in. At our church, we are always taking up special offerings for various causes and people that have a need. Learn to give. God is a giver, not a taker. People who are yielded to God will be like Him and will also have a giving spirit about them.
Giving not only proves the genuineness of your love, but it also demonstrates the sincerity of your faith. If you say that you believe God, than believe what He says about giving:
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shallnot be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10)
God promises to bless those who give back to Him. Notice that I said “give back”, because everything we have was given to us by Him in the first place. You can trust God with your money. Don’t get greedy. God loves to bless His children, but He cannot bless a child that doesn’t listen to Him.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Corinthians by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.