Ya Got it? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Good morning! Next year, corporately, we are going to start memorizing passages from God’s Word. Maybe 1Corinthians 13 is a good place to start, or at least be on the list. Jesus said, in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” And in chapter 13, once again we see that the King James Bible is the perfect translation. Jesus loved us with the agape love: the giving love: charity. Let me ask you, “Ya got it?” Do you have charity, the giving love, the agape love?
Charity suffereth long and is kind. We know what kind of sinners we are, (Romans 5:8) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Do you look at others with envy? Charity does not.
Charity does not lift itself up. Charity will cause you to do what’s right, it will not cause you to seek out others who will listen to your gossip: charity thinketh no evil. Has somebody made a comment that has made you angry? Charity is not easily provoked: they called Jesus: Beelzebub.
Do you rejoice in gossip (either giving or receiving, or any other iniquity for that matter). Charity rejoiceth in truth.
Charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Ya got it?
Charity never fails. Do you have it?
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Ya got it? If you have it, then give it.
Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.
