Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jul 23rd My Best Friend – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 25 – 27 (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 – Luke 1 – 2; Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

Read the “0723 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:6)

Good morning. I went into my calendar book and found that Camille had written me a message…

“There have been 3 greatest things that have happened to me…

Jesus, Melissa, and you.”

Camille is my best friend. I love my best friend. I married my best friend. Her kisses are true, they are not deceitful. Her wounds are faithful: she always tells me the way it is, and let’s me know when I screw up. Camille is my best friend. But she is not my greatest Friend.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

Jesus is my Greatest Friend: He laid down His life for me. He saved me from Hell, and built me a mansion in Heaven. He gets me through life here on earth. I love Jesus. Jesus is my Greatest Friend. Jesus, My Greatest Friend, even introduced me to my best friend, Camille, my wife. He told me, along with every other husband…

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

When we see the love that the Lord Jesus Christ had for His church, and what the church did to Him, we begin to understand that there may be problems. The church beat Him, spit on Him, mocked Him, pulled His beard out, and crucified Him. But He still loved us. This is our example to love our wives as Christ also loved the church. Be forgiving.

Peace.

Jul 16th Tell Melissa I Said Hi – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Passage – Proverbs 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 – Mark 3 – 4 ; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

Read the “0716 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.” (Proverbs 4:1-2)

“I want to share something with you that has revolutionized my relationship with my Heavenly Father. My God is an awesome, powerful, all-knowing, mighty and righteous God. He spoke the world into existence and holds creation in the palm of His hand. He raised others and even Himself from the dead and healed scores of people from all manner of diseases. He caused the earth to swallow legions of people, and the waters to destroy others. He is magnificent, all-seeing, and unfathomable.”

“But He is also my Heavenly Daddy. Sometimes when I hurt, all I can manage to pray is “Dear Heavenly Father,“ and then I cry for a time. Jesus told the disciples that they must become like children (completely trusting), and to suffer the children to come (don’t hinder that complete trust). The Bible tells us that if our earthly daddies can take care of us, how much better can our Heavenly Daddy take care of us. Let me challenge you, when you have the “fear of evil”, go to God. Ask Him to put you on His lap, pet you, kiss your forehead, rock you, and tell you everything is going to be ok. I believe that is the key to ‘the peace that passes all understanding’.” (Melissa Dilley 12/6/1975 – 2/16/2012)

Good morning. There is nothing like the salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ. I was 58 years old when our daughter, Melissa, went to see Jesus in person. We miss her very much still, even though it’s been 10 years. But I tell you Heaven is going to be great: a reunion of loved ones. Plus we get to see the One who died for us too! Not only our loved ones who have gone on before, but also those we have only read about in the Bible. Not only those, but believers just like us, whom Jesus saved. And we’ll have all eternity to meet everyone. Our Heavenly Father’s Word is the key that unlocks everything…

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” 1John 5:11-13)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. You know Him personally, and He knows you…

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Hear your Heavenly Father’s instructions, and have understanding. God gives us good Doctrine, let’s not forget His Law.

Dear Heavenly Father, because of your Word, I know that Melissa is safely with You. Thank You for such a great salvation, and tell Melissa I said hi.

Peace.

Jul 9th The Truth – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 115 – 118 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)

Read the “0709 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 117:1-2)

Good morning! What is truth? Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) said that..

“Pure truth, like pure gold, has been found unfit for circulation, because men have discovered that it is far more convenient to adulterate the truth than to refine themselves.”

Some people say that truth is relative: what may be truth to me, may not be truth to you. To that, I say,

“Truth is truth. If you try to bend it, or shape it into something else then it becomes a lie.”

Can you imagine if the government started telling the truth? Just a simple truth. They come out and admit they were wrong about our nation: we are a Christian nation, and the operation of our government can be found in the Bible. But then they would have to admit that there is a true and living God. They would have to allow the Ten Commandments back into it’s buildings. After all – they would have to admit – we’re trying to keep the government from interfering with God, but allow God to work His will inside government. (Can I let you in on a little secret? God is working His will inside our government whether they believe it or not!)

So truth is solid: it cannot be moved or changed. If anything is not the truth, or if the truth is flexed and stretched, then it is no longer truth, but a lie. Malachi says…

“For I am the LORD, I CHANGE NOT; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” and in John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Malachi 3:6)

Jesus also said…

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)

And what is the truth?

The truth is that we are all sinners.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [AND] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:10, 23)

It’s in our blood to sin, and to lie, and to not do the truth: because Adam sinned, we all sin. In Romans chapter 5 the Bible says…

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)

So the truth is that we are all sinners. And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). But…

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

And the truth is that it is so easy to get this love for your self. And He made it so easy for us. Jesus took on Himself the hard part: dying for our sins on the cross. All we need do is receive Him into our hearts. That’s the truth.

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-10 & 13)

And that’s the truth.

Peace.

Jul 2nd Happy Anniversary! Revisited – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 80 – 85 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)

Read the “0702 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” (Psalm 82:1-8)

Good morning. I had gone back to my last post: ‘Happy Anniversary!’ And as I stared at the picture, I realized something: unless the three pictured had received Jesus when they were children before their involvement in atheism, they are burning in Hell right now: since 1995. When Jesus died on the cross, He bought back, paid the price, for every soul of every nation that ever was, is, or will ever be. They all were His creation…

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 1:31-2:3)

And our God even claims ownership of every soul…

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)

God is a perfect God, and He created a perfect world, and all that is within it, until sin entered in. God had to create the perfect way to fix His creation.

“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.” (John 3:16-17)

Jesus said…

“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)

Perfect God: perfect salvation. And all you need do is to ask Jesus to save you, and He will…

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

So as I look at these three smiling faces, I think of those ‘missed opportunities’: people I had the chance to witness to, but didn’t. This is our purpose: this is what we should be doing. Did they hear, and refuse the gospel? Did they have time to call on the name of the LORD before the kidnappers ended their lives? I don’t know. But I do know I need to be much bolder in my witnessing before it’s too late. How about you?

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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)

Peace!

Jun 25th Happy Anniversary! – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 46 – 50 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 1 – 3; Psalms 121 – 125; Proverbs 25)

Read the “0625 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

Good morning, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Anniversary? That’s right. On June 25, 1962, congress removed prayer from the public schools. Sixty years later, you can see the mess that became. Kids don’t know what they are: boy, girl, or animal species. If you live without God, bad things can happen. One of those people pushing for the removal of prayer was a woman named: Madalyn Murry O’Hair. So what happens to someone who goes against God? In 1995 O’Hair, her son, and her granddaughter were kidnapped, murdered, their bodies dismembered, thrown into a grave on a Texas ranch, burned, and buried. A sad ending indeed. What does God say in our reading today?

“But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:16-23)

There are two ironies that come out of O’Hair’s life. Her son Bill became a Christian. And the second one is that one day, she will bow the knee and proclaim that Jesus Christ is LORD.

“Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?” (Psalm 49:5)

Should we fear these days of evil?

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1John 4:4)

Our God is still in control. We win in the end. Happy Anniversary.

Peace!

Jun 18th A Nation Of Fools? – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Psalms 9 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Hebrews 5 – 8; Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)

Read the “0618 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:1-3)

Good morning. Next week the heathen will probably celebrate the 60^th anniversary of congress removing prayer from public schools. It was on June 25^th, 1962 when this happened. Sixty years later, look around, this is what we have today. Kids who identify as other genders, they even can say they are an animal: a cat or a dog. It’s too bad that they haven’t learned to balance a checkbook, or any type of skills to survive in this messed up world. Because of the anti-God, liberal teachings they had shoved down their throats, they are all together become filthy. Isn’t the accuracy of the Bible, God’s Word, amazing?

“The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9:15-17)

Don’t they realize they are messing with the minds of innocent children? They are hurting them mentally…

“Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” (Luke 17:1-2)

The fool has said in his heart that there is no God, but one day He will be coming back.

“And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:6-21)

Peace!

Jun 11th He Would Put Strength In Me – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Job 22 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)

Read the “0611 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Then Job answered and said, Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.” (Job 23:1-6)

Good morning. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were arguing with God? Are you waiting for the finger He placed on your head to come down and squash you like a bug? Job was going through rough times and told his friends…

“Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.” (Job 23:6)

Job knew that God would not squish him like a bug, but would give him the strength to get through everything. Don’t have a pity party and cry, “Why me?”

Allow the problem to draw you closer to God. And ask Him for the strength to get through it.

Peace.

Jun 4th Don’t Mess With GOD’s People – The Saturday Morning Post

Today’s Reading – Esther 6 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13, Psalms 16 – 20; Proverbs 4)

Read the “0604 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.” (Esther 7:8-10)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Good morning. In our passage today we see that Haman has come to the end of his rope. (As Dr. Gray would say, “You don’t pay much, you don’t get much.”). But seriously, Haman was a man who hated the Jews, and one Jew in particular. His name was Mordecai. Mordecai would not bow down to Haman, and Haman hated that. Things got so bad, that Haman had a 75 foot tall gallows to hang Mordecai on. And Haman also devised a plan to murder all the Jews in the kingdom. Queen Esther exposed his evil plan, and Haman was hung on the gallows he built for Mordecai. But that’s not all. Just like a third of the angels followed satan, there were those who followed the hatred of the Jews along with Haman.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

And He did. The Jews killed 800 of their enemies in Shushan the palace. The ten sons of Haman were hung on the same gallows as their dad. Across the kingdom, 75 thousand were killed for a total of 75,810. All of these were set on killing God’s people. What will God do to those who try to harm His children today? There is a group out there who would like to rid the world of Jews and Christians. They kill innocent, unborn babies. They support homosexuality, which God calls an abomination. Why, even as a child, you can choose to be a gender other than the one God made you.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

They even tried to force God out of government. But still today there are those in government that meet together and pray for our nation. They stopped the oil flow from the Alaskan pipeline, so we have to rely on foreign oil, and watch the gas prices rise to $5 per gallon. God will do something…

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:7-15)

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

If they sow righteousness, they will reap a righteous nation. They will reap what they sow. If they sow iniquity, they will reap…

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Peace!