One Way to Salvation

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Materialism says, “Buy your way out.” The politician says, “Legislate.” The army says, “Fight.” Industry says, “Work.” The philosopher says, “Think.” But Jesus says, “There’s no way out but through Me.”

Jesus will save you by His grace, and He’ll save you all by Himself or you won’t be saved at all.

When you are saved by the grace of God, you are saved instantly, and you are saved eternally. Your goodness is not enough to save you, and your badness is not enough to keep you away. Jesus loves you so much that He died to save you.

ACTION POINT:

Have you taken Jesus at His Word and followed His way of salvation? Maybe you have a friend who needs this truth today. Share it; don’t suppress it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Meditating on God's Presence

Joshua 1:1-9

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,

2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Meditate on the word, murmur the word.

Meditate on the word, repeat the word.

Meditate on the word, absorb the word.

Read the word.

Apply the word.

Pray!

Goal, rightly apply the word in our lives and share it!

The spiritual impact: experience God!

When God is With You...

You have confidence amidst uncertainty. 

God is the leader.

You are the servant.

You have strength amidst weakness.

God's strength.

You have courage in the face of fear.

God guarantees your victory.

You have success according to Scripture. 

When we walk in obedience.

When we know God is in charge.

You have hope in the face of despair.

When you were saved, The Spirit of Christ began to live in you.

Christ is in God.

Our hope is Christ.

His grace is sufficient!

Thanks Pastor David!

Authority in a Generation Gone Astray

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Our generation doesn’t like the word authority. We don’t like to be under anybody. We stick out our chests and talk about being free-born Americans.

If you’re a baby boomer, you’re of a generation of anti-authority figures. In your lifetime you’ve gone through the hula hoop, the Barbie doll, pop psychology, Dr. Spock, Donahue, and the Beatles. It was all anti-authority! Fathers were Archie Bunker. Preachers were Flip Wilson. The anthem was, “Do your thing. If it feels good, do it.” Many of us dare not realize the vestiges of rebellion that still lurk down in our hearts.

ACTION POINT:

Give some serious thought to the question: Who is on the throne of my life today?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Being Spirit-Filled

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“...Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Acts 9:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

So many Christians want to be Spirit-filled, but have they ever asked why God should fill them with His Spirit?

I want you to imagine a man pushing a car into a service station. It has no battery in it. The car has four flat tires, a hole in the gas tank, and half the wires are disconnected. The attendant comes out, looks at this rattle trap, and says, “May I help you?”

The man says, “Yeah, fill ‘er up.”

What do you think that attendant would say? “What for?” would be appropriate.

I think God sometimes says, “What for?” to us. Instead, we need to just sign the contract at the bottom and say, “Lord, You fill it in.”

ACTION POINT:

Bow before the Lord, open your hands, and say, “Lord, It’s all You. I am nothing but a vessel for You to use. Use me as You will.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God’s Provision in the Midst of Suffering

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Over and over again, people will ask me this question, “If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?” There’s never an easy answer to that question when someone is grieving or suffering, but God has taught me that the universe has a disease. And God cannot remove the pain until the last vestige of sin is gone. The worst thing that could happen to human beings would be if we were to live in a world cursed by sin, and yet the world seem to be a paradise. We would never come to God.

ACTION POINT:

God has showered this world with immeasurable mercies. Focus today, not on the suffering, but on the provision of God’s grace.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Ultimate Act of Forgiveness

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Suppose someone were to punch you in the nose? And suppose in an act of compassion you were to say to that person who punched you, “I forgive you.” And suppose they responded, “There’s no need for you to forgive me. I’ve already forgiven myself.” You’d feel a little cheated. Only the one who was punched can forgive the hitter.

Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God, and only God can forgive sin. There’s enough Gospel dynamite in 1 Peter 3:18 to blow the sin, the hatred, the sorrow, and the sickness out of anybody’s life, but that dynamite must be ignited by the spark of faith.

ACTION POINT:

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Maybe someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness? Go do it now. Tomorrow may never come.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

I Just Died! Am I Going To Heaven?

Ps.91:

14 "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." 

I just died, now what? 

Am I going to heaven? 

I had a physical body but now I have a spirit body. 

Who made my spirit body? 

2 Cor.5:

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

1 Thess.4:

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Ecc.12:

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Every person born has a physical body and spirit body. 

God the Creator made both.

The physical body dies but the spirit body, by God's design, lives on.

Heaven and Hell are the eternal homes of spirit bodies.

Heaven is where God and Christ are and it is the place reserved for Christ followers. 

Hell is reserved for Satan and his followers, the sons of rebellion.

Ps.104.

29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 

30 When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

Job 33:4

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 

Christ died so you can live!

Christ is the only acceptable payment to God for sin.

Christ blood washes your sin away!

There are many false religions teaching false doctrines!

You may choose but do so with care!

God, in His mercy seeks you!

If you seek God, He will be found!

John 17:

2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

1John 2:

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 3:

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 10:

1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 

7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" 

8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),

9 then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," 

17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." 

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

You must repent, turn from sin!

Hebrews 10:

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Lord, how we long for the lost to know You. Open their hearts to Your saving grace. Amen

Complete Confidence in the Lord

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There must be complete confidence in the Lord to take care of us because this complete confidence will lead to constant compliance. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we are to trust with all our heart (not just part of it), and we’re to acknowledge Him in all our ways (not just some of our ways).

God won’t take part of it. You can’t say, “Lord, I want Your will in my social life, but I don’t want Your will in my business life.” Or, “I want Your will in my church life, but I don’t want Your will in my relationships.” You just can’t do that. If He’s worth part of it He’s worth all of it.

ACTION POINT:

What are you holding onto today? Give it all to Jesus. Instant obedience will bring incredible blessing.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Where Is Your Treasure?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“. . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are many people who think they are wealthy who are not. We’ve seen the television series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” and many times it should be called “Lifestyles of the Rich and Foolish.”

When is a rich man poor? When he tries to find satisfaction in his money. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A man of modest income said to a man who was very rich, “I have more than you have.” The rich man said, “How is that so?” He answered, “Because I have all I want, and you don’t.”

ACTION POINT:

When you set your goal to be wealthy, then money becomes your master rather than your servant. What is your goal with your finances?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

CHOOSE TO LIVE

Deuteronomy

The Commands in Deuteronomy...

Hear the law.

It is not a burden to bear. 

It is not a means of merit. 

It is a gift of grace.

Love the Lord.

He is all-sovereign.

He is sovereign over all history.

He is sovereign over our salvation. 

He is sovereign over every nation.

He is worthy of all surrender.

Worship Him with holy fear.

Serve Him with wholehearted obedience.

Take the land.

An earthly inheritance. 

An eternal home.

Choose life.

The prophet Moses was unable to pay for Israel’s sin.

The greater prophet Jesus is uniquely able to pay for our sin. 

He gives us a new law.

He enables us to love the Lord.

He leads us into new land.

He offers us eternal life.

The Key Difference...

The prophet Moses was unable to pay for Israel’s sin.

The greater prophet Jesus is uniquely able to pay for our sin. 

He gives us a new law.

He enables us to love the Lord.

He leads us into new land.

He offers us eternal life.

Thanks Pastor David!

God’s Holiness, Love and Mercy

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“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 5:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God will never overlook sin. He cannot. God is holy, and by His holiness He has sworn that sin will be punished. If God were to let one half of one sin go unpunished, God would no longer be holy.

The chief attribute of God is not love — it is holiness.

The cross is God’s way to punish sin and forgive the sinner at the same time. “He who knew no sin,” God has made to be sin for us. The price that Jesus paid, only the damned in hell can begin to know, but even they’ll never know because they’re only paying their sin debt. Jesus paid for all the sin of all of the people for all time.

ACTION POINT:

Read Revelation 4:8. Let your anthem throughout the day be, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Nothing Less Than God’s Optimum for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you love Christ? Do you long to please Him with all your heart? Then remember this: God’s delays are not God’s denials.

Many a Christian feels he is out in the wilderness — that all he is doing is being led about in circles. Maybe God is grooming you. He is not ready to thrust you into heavy responsibilities as yet. He has you in a holding pattern for His holy purpose. Life is a journey that does not end. God is preparing something wonderful for you. He doesn’t want you to settle for less than His optimum for your life and your work.

ACTION POINT:

Commit Jeremiah 29:11-13 to memory this week, then share this truth with a friend!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Never Another Like the Lord Jesus Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands.” Hebrews 1:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Nobody knows the exact date of Jesus’ birth, and yet His birth has divided all of history to A.D. and B.C. He never, so far as we know, wrote a book, and yet more books have been written about Him than any other person. He never painted a picture or composed any poetry or music that we know of, and yet He has been the inspiration of the greatest music, art, and poetry that the world has ever known. He never had any formal education, yet more schools, colleges, universities, and seminaries have been founded in His name than any other person who ever lived.

That’s who the Lord Jesus is, and never has there been another like the Lord Jesus Christ!

ACTION POINT:

Read Hebrews 1:1-14. Marvel at His majesty! Praise His omnipotence!

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

“A FAITH THAT REMEMBERS, REJOICES, AND REMAINS”

Psalm 92

1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 

2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 

3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 

4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 

5 How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! 

6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: 

7 that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; 

8 but you, O LORD, are on high forever. 

9 For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. 

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. 

11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

13 They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. 

14 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, 

15 to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

We look to the past and worship in the present (V1-5)

The Sabbath reminds the people that redemption was an act of sovereign grace and power by which God with his own hand called the people out from darkness and slavery into freedom and joy.

God doesn’t say, “Obey, and I’ll rescue you.” He says, “I’ve rescued  

you, now obey.”

Biblical faith doesn’t feature my sacrifice so much as it features God’s  

bounteous grace! It’s not devotion/discipline-driven. It’s beauty-driven.  

Glory-driven. Gospel-driven.

Worship in the present is fueled by God’s work in the past or else it  

may not be the worship of God at all. It may simply be a veiled form of  

self-worship.

They live for the present but perish in the future (V6-9)

Wisdom language in the Old Testament often distinguishes between the 

way things appear now and the way they will finally end up.

There are major problems that come when we frontload Christian faith  

with all the commands—where grace is in small print and LAW in all  

caps. The other danger is to leave warning out completely.

Wisdom literature in the Bible is constantly saying, “Things aren’t  

always what they seem.” 

Sometimes God-haters look like they’re flourishing. But it doesn’t  

end well. 

Sometimes the righteous look like they’re withering. But they flourish  

in the end.

We age in the future but flourish there as well. (10-15)

There are no imperatives in this passage. It’s possible to read too much  

 into that. But it’s also possible to neglect to acknowledge that sometimes God’s Word accents the fact that He is both the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

This song for the Sabbath points back to Genesis 2 when God finished his work of creation and rested, and to Exodus 12 when God worked and finished his work of redemption and brought the faithful into his rest. But it points forward to Matthew 27 where Jesus finished his greater work of redemption and then “sat down.” (Hebrews 1:3; 10:12)

Thanks Matt!

“THE CALLING AND MAKING OF JOYFUL WORSHIPERS”

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 

2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 

3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 

5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 

What is this call to serve the Lord with gladness? (V1-2, 4)

We come together in gathered worship to “serve the Lord.”

At the same time, we “serve the Lord” as we live every moment of our lives for his glory.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing 

that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the 

 Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

There is no sacred/secular divide for the Christ-follower. All of life is sacred.

 “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of  

rivers of oil? Shall I give myfirstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my 

body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and 

what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8)

Worship is more than participation in worship gatherings, but it’s not less than that.

How does God make us glad? (V3, 5)

The goal of gathered worship is that every person would be able to fix their eyes on the glory of God and the gospel.

This text urges us to think of God as Creator: He made us. We are his.

This text urges us to think of God as Redeemer: We are his people, his sheep.

Gathered worship is, first and foremost, for God. Gathered worship is because of God.

We’re here because we have known Him, and we’re here to know Him more through his Word.

V5 explains everything we read not only in the OT, but the NT, and not only the NT, but it’s the story of God’s dealings with his people down to the present. God wants this life of rejoicing to impact the whole world. (V1)

Thanks Matt!

“RESPONDING TO THE OTHERNESS OF GOD”

Psalm 99

1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 

2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 

3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! 

4 The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 

5 Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. 

7 In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. 

8 O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 

9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! 

What sets God apart?

He is sovereign! (Psalm 99:1-2)

He is just! (Psalm 99:4)

He is accessible! (Psalm 99:6-8)

How should we respond?

Trust Jesus as sovereign. (Psalm 99:3)

Trust Jesus for salvation. (Psalm 99:5)

Trust Jesus for sanctification. (Psalm 99:9)

Thanks Jim!

Overcoming Fear and Worry

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When we ought to be enjoying victorious, abundant lives…what happens? Fear creeps in and grips us cold. Many of us lose priceless opportunities because of this boa constrictor of fear.

When fear dominates, there is no room for Christ, Who can comfort us.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

Worry is the noxious first cousin to fear. Fear and worry will do to you what grit does to machinery — shut you down. But God gives us the victory with His power, His love, and the gift of a sound mind. The Holy Spirit is your Bodyguard. He walks with you. The man who can kneel before God can stand before any man.

ACTION POINT:

Jesus has you in His sight. You are in God’s right hand. Write that down and post it in a place where you can meditate on it throughout the day. Now ask yourself, “Knowing this, can anything this week change those truths?”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Without Even Saying A Word

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go.” Psalm 32:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I was talking to my son one day, and he reminded me of something that happened when he was a little boy. He said, “Dad, I was sitting in church, and you looked at me, and I knew I was going to get a whipping when I got home.”

If you’re married, you know how your spouse can give you that look that says, “Whatever you’re talking about — stop!” That’s the intimate relationship that people who know one another well establish. You’re to have such an intimate relationship with God that He can just look at you and your heart is touched.

ACTION POINT:

Throughout the day today, think of the eye of the Lord upon you...allow this to direct your steps and give you courage.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God’s Plan of Restoration for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.” Job 33:28

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied Jesus — three times! In spite of Peter’s lack of loyalty, Jesus extended an invitation of mercy to him and said, “Come and dine.”

There on the shores of the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection, Jesus came to Peter and prepared a table of restoration. Can you imagine what was going through Peter’s mind? Guilt and gladness, fear and fascination, wonder and worship — a kaleidoscope of emotions! He could not believe that he was being invited to the table of the One he had deserted just days before. And not only was he being invited but restored!

The depth of Jesus’ covenant love is not exhausted when we sin. There is forgiveness and restoration.

ACTION POINT:

Read this account of restoration in John 21:4-19. Rejoice over God’s plan of restoration for your life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Working Together In Unity

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." 1 Corinthians 3:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

How powerful it is when we work together in unity! 

I was reading about how Canadian geese always fly in a "V" formation. Have you ever wondered why? Because the lead goose is moving the wind resistance for the rest of them. So while he is flapping real hard, the rest of them are cruising. After awhile, the lead goose gets tired and he falls back and the next goose moves up.

Do you know what scientists have discovered in the wind tunnel experiments? That geese flying in a "V" formation can fly 72% farther than one goose could fly by himself. Now who taught them to do that? God did.

ACTION POINT:

What are you trying to do by yourself that could be more efficiently accomplished when the task is shared?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

A Challenge for Fathers

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders." Proverbs 31:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Once a year we celebrate fathers. Maybe you are one. Let me give you a challenge. 

One father said, "If I had it to do all over again, I'd love my wife more in front of my children. I'd laugh with my children more. I'd listen more, even to the youngest child. I'd be more honest about my own weaknesses and stop pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my children. I would be more encouraging and bestow more praise. And finally, if I had it to do all over again, I would use every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day to point them to God."

Praise God for the impact of godly fathers in our lives!

ACTION POINT:

If there's going to be music in marriage, the dad has to be the leader of the band. Celebrate the dad in your life today!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Faithful in Your Words

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." James 5:12 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In June we take time to focus on fathers, and I've discovered in talking with teenagers that many of them harbor bitterness and resentment. Much of that resentment is directed toward their fathers over the serious matter of broken promises.

If you're a dad who wants to restore your relationship with your teenager, one of the best things you can do is to remember those broken promises. Then go and say to them with a remorseful spirit, "I've asked God to forgive me, and I want you to forgive me." Then ask this question, "Have I ever made a promise to you that I've failed to keep? If so, I want you to tell me because I want to repent. I want you to believe that your dad is a faithful man."

ACTION POINT:

Are you a man of your word? If not, start fresh today and make a commitment that you will stand behind your word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Our Abba Father

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you know what “Abba” means?  It means “Daddy Father.” Have you ever thought about God as your Daddy? When Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father” in Matthew 6:9, the same word in Greek is the word “Pater” – “Abba Father.” 

American children say, “Da-da.”  But in the Middle East they say, “Abba - Abba.” Jesus says that we can call the great God of the universe “Daddy.” 

I’m so glad that our Heavenly Father never gets too busy running this universe and commanding the angels that He forgets us. He wants to be with you like there is no one else on earth and nothing else for Him to do. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you wish you had a hug right now? You can crawl up into the lap of your Daddy Father, and He has nothing better to do than to give you a hug.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Should We Bring Children Into Such a Chaotic World?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:4-5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I would be afraid to bring children into this world if I did not know God. But because I know God, I am free to encourage you to have children.

Don’t ever let the devil intimidate you. I’ve had couples ask me, “Pastor Rogers, the world is so dangerous today, do you think we ought to have children?”

I respond with a hearty “Yes!”

God’s people are the ones who ought to be bringing a godly seed into this world. What does the world need? Jesus. How are they going to hear if the light goes out?

ACTION POINT:

Are you contemplating having children? Do you know someone who is? Encourage them with this devotional today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Is the Choice You’re Making Questionable?

“… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” - Romans 14:23

A man was in the back bedroom getting dressed. His wife was out in the living room talking with a friend. He yelled out, “Is this shirt clean enough for me to wear?” Without hesitation, she said “no” and went on talking.

After a while, he came out, buttoning up another shirt. He asked, “How did you know that shirt wasn’t clean without looking at it?” She said, “If you had to ask, it wasn't.”

So many times we wonder whether a course of action is right or wrong. We're not quite sure, so since we don't know absolutely that it’s wrong, we do it anyway. But if we think it may be wrong, we should leave it alone until we're sure that it's right.

The old adage “When in doubt, don’t” is often a good course to follow. When faced with a choice, ask: “Will this gladden the heart of God or grieve Him? Pray today: “Lord, I want my heart to be grieved by those things that grieve Your heart and be gladdened with the things that give You joy.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Train Up A Child

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A little boy was riding around and around the block. A man asked him, “What are you doing?”

“I’m running away from home,” he said.

“But you’re just going around and around the block,” said the man.

The little boy responded, “That’s because my mom won’t let me cross the street!”

Even in the earliest ages, there can be restraint in the heart of a child because of godly training by his or her parents. The only way I ever learned to play football was on the training field. The classroom wasn’t enough. Parents must provide training and education for the lessons of life to be ingrained in their children.

ACTION POINT:

Has God given you the divine responsibility of parenthood? Then spend some time this week training your child in one area of godly living.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Discovering His Will for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Nehemiah was a man who knew how to get alone with God. He fasted, prayed, and wept; then God told him what to do.

Have you done that? Have you sacrificed and surrendered to the Lord to discover His will for your life? Or are you just putting yourself into neutral and letting life happen to you? Do you have a focus?

God has something that He wants you to do. You are special to God. Nehemiah said, “God had laid something on my heart.” If you’ll listen, God will lay something on your heart.

ACTION POINT:

Get alone with God. Discover what He wants from your life to do His will.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Believing In the Living God

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.” 1 John 5:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I’ve been asked, “Pastor Rogers, do you expect me to believe in Jesus Christ just because your book says that He lived? That’s not enough for me.”

I agree. You need something else. If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit.

God says, “If you want to believe, I will help you to understand and to know that these things are true.”

Don’t tell me that you cannot believe. You may refuse to believe, but I will tell you this. If you want to believe in Jesus Christ and if you seek Truth, God the Holy Spirit will speak to you and confirm to you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Read Deuteronomy 4:29 — “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

ACTION POINT:

Do you want to know the living God? He is there if you seek Him with all your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Rest of God's Story

Psalm 95

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 

5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 

7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, 

8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 

9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 

10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." 

11 Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest." 

The Invitation — Give God Glory (Psalm 95:1-7a)

The object of worship

The expressions of worship 

The reasons for worship

The Exhortation — Reach God’s Rest (Psalm 95:7b-11)

The context

The commission 

The connection

The Application — Complete God’s Commission (Hebrews 3-4)

Receive God’s call to live out his mission. (Heb. 3:7-11) 

Exhort one another to participate in it. (Heb. 3:12-19) 

Seize your opportunity for rest right now. (Heb. 4:1-10) 

Trust God both to enable and to discipline. (Heb. 4:11-13)

Thanks Jim!

The Reign of God and The Hope of The Believer

Psalm 93

1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 

2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 

4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! 

5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore. 

The Lord Reigns (v1-2)

The Bible’s message might be summarized like this: The God who is, reigns. 

The one who has ultimate sovereignty gets to be called God.

The floods Roar (v3)

The sovereignty of God is not a challenge for Christians to affirm when all is well. 

One of the primary reasons we sing the sovereignty of God and preach the sovereignty of God is because the truth that settles a heart in turmoil is the truth that our God reigns.

The Lord is Mightier (v4-5)

God is unfolding a story for His people – a story that moves from the wreckage of the Fall to the restoration of creation.

But how will He deliver us?

The answer has everything to do w/these “trustworthy decrees/testimonies” (V5) In the resurrection of Jesus, God vindicates the truthfulness of his promise (Ps. 89:19-37; 93:5) about a forever King!

So why the effusive outpouring of praise at the end? Psalms 146-150, it seems to me, are psalms that look to the end of history. The final cluster of psalms opens out onto a promise that transcends the boundaries of Israel’s history. Israel’s journey was a pilgrimage that awaited another chapter: the day when God would, as Psalm 2 promised, raise up Messiah. God’s people drafted the Psalter to sustain themselves in that hope. They knew that one day God and they would have the last laugh. Centuries later, the early believers of Acts 4 recognized that when God raised his Son from the dead, the time for laughter had come.

-Reggie Kidd, With One Voice, 44

Jesus Christ, the Son of David, has come and has mounted his throne!

All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to him! The Lord Jesus reigns!

The sovereignty of God is good news. Believe it. Take hope and encouragement from it.

Thanks Matt! 

The God Who Delivers From Fear

The Strength of the Deliverer

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 

2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 

4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 

5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 

8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 

9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place- the Most High, who is my refuge- 

10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 

12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 

14 "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." 

God confronts our greatest fears by letting us see how big He is.

This passage envisions comprehensive protection in a world full of fears, full of danger.

The People he delivers

The blessings of God’s covenant—including the protection promised in Psalm 91—come only to those who trust in God.

God has provided a Shelter for sinners: Jesus Christ. 

Sinners hide in Christ and are shielded from our greatest

fear—namely the just wrath of God.

Descriptions of God’s People in Verses 14-16 

They hold fast to God in love. (V14)

They know God’s name. (V14)

They call to God. (V15)

God is with them in trouble. (V15) 

They are rescued by God. (V15)

They are honored by God. (V15)

They are satisfied by God. (V16)

They are shown God’s salvation. (V16)

The Nature of deliverance

This protection doesn’t mean a trouble-free life.

“Abraham ... was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God... These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:10, 13-16)

Your best life comes later, but it lasts forever.

This is your security amid the perils of this world. You are loved by God!

“You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” (Luke 21:16-19)

Sometimes, in his mercy, God rescues us from suffering. l Sometimes, in his mercy, God rescues us in suffering.

In a little while, God will rescue us from all suffering.

[here are] two ways of saying, “Don’t be afraid.” One is as an edict to be obeyed, in which case it is a peculiar edict. It sounds like the king actually cares about us. He isn’t ordering us to make bricks without straw. Instead, it sound as if he wants his people to know peace. So, even when seen as an authoritative command, this reveals something lovely about God.... This is the most severe way to understand ‘Do not be afraid.’ Here is the other way: ‘[Jesus said], ]Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32).... No one inserts “little flock” into an inviolable command. No king talks about being “pleased” to give anything, let alone the kingdom itself, to his subjects. Jesus is invoking kingly imagery, indeed. But the One who sits on the throne is a Father, and that changes everything.” Ed Welch, Running Scared, 65

Jesus is the Shelter of the Most High, Jesus has conquered death, and Jesus will never leave us.

Thanks Matt!

What’s at the Heart

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever gone to a sawmill and watched them process timber? They take a big log out of the woods that may have bumps and knots on it, and they lay it on a cradle, running it through a saw, cutting off one side. Then they bring it back, turn it, and run it through again to cut off another side. When they’re finished, if you stand and look down it, it’s perfectly straight. But if you look at the end of it, the heart is still crooked. That’s the way it is with some individuals who are outwardly living the Christian life. But Jeremiah 17:9 warns the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. We need regeneration. We must be born again.

ACTION POINT:

Read Psalm 19:14— “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Pray it from your heart—that today you would desire with everything within you to be pure in thought, word, and deed.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Treasure We Have in Jesus Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Many years ago, the Spanish Armada was sailing off the coast of Florida. A hurricane struck, and the ships laden with gold and silver ingots sunk to the bottom. People knew the treasure had been lost and believed one ship went down near Vero Beach in Fort Pierce, Florida. Fishermen fished over that spot, sometimes doubtless hanging a hook on a lump of gold.

One day some explorers went diving, and there it was in the shallow water. In fact, the water was so shallow that any of us could have swum to the bottom and brought up millions of dollars. In the same way, I believe there are many of us yet to discover the full treasure we have in Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Have you plunged your heart deep into the treasure of the Lord? Or are you living life in the shallow end, wondering if the treasure will ever come to you?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Master Designer

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

How did it happen? How did the Bible get written apart from divine inspiration?

Suppose we decided to build a monument to all 50 states in Washington, D.C., and use native stone from each state. We would hammer out the stones from individual quarries in each state.

Then ship them.

Uncrate them.

Then fit the stones together.

As the stones were assembled, we discovered that there was not one stone too many. Not one stone too few. When completed, we had a magnificently symmetrical monument.

The only explanation for this perfection is that there was a master architect who designed everything. In the same way, you cannot explain the unity of the Bible apart from divine inspiration.

ACTION POINT:

Praise God for His Master Design of the universe—of the stars, the planets, the skies, the seas...and you!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Put on the Righteousness of Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Colossians 3:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Sometimes people will ask if I’m a preacher.

How do they know I’m a preacher before I’ve said anything “spiritual”? 

I don’t want them to know that I am a preacher by the way I look. Now, I’m not ashamed that I’m a preacher, but I think a preacher ought to dress and act so that nobody will suspect he’s a preacher. We ought to be transparent vessels of the Lord’s anointing.

We’re not posturing, posing, or somehow going through life trying to look holy or trying to act holy. We just simply are what we are by the grace of God.

ACTION POINT:

What does your outer appearance say about who you are in Christ? Dress in His robes of righteousness and His countenance of glory today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Lesson of Prayer

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Some time ago I was invited to preach in another state, but my schedule was such that I couldn’t arrange it. When they offered to send a private plane, I could do it.

As we flew over Arkansas, the pilot asked me if I wanted to try my hand at flying the plane, and I said, “Yes!” 

Of course, he was sitting right next to me. He could fly the plane without me, but I couldn’t fly it without him. He had his hands on his controls all the while, and he allowed me to participate with him.

That’s the way prayer is. God can do it without you, but God enables you to have fellowship with Him and teaches you a dependency upon Him through prayer.

ACTION POINT:

Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16:23-36. Glory in His presence: 

23Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 24Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 25For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

“Why Doesn't God Obliterate Evil?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t obliterate the devil and eradicate all sin? If God destroyed evil, God would destroy every opportunity for choice. And if God were to destroy every opportunity for choice, then God would destroy every opportunity for love. Therefore, God would destroy the highest good. For God to destroy evil would be evil.

God doesn’t destroy evil, instead God defeats evil. How? Calvary and the resurrection! God turns every hurt into a hallelujah. Every defeat into victory!

ACTION POINT:

Spend some time today thinking about heaven and the glorious reunion you’re going to have with Him one day.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Blessed before God

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 

2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 

3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. 

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah 

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 

6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 

7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 

8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 

9 Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! 

10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 

12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! 

for the Psalmist Then...

It was a blessing to work in the temple. 

He longed to be in God’s presence.

Where the humble find a home.

Where the restless find a refuge. 

He loved to sing God’s praise.

God is the covenant keeping Lord.

God is the commander of heavenly hosts.

God is the living God.

God is my King.

God is my God.

God is the only God.

God is the faithful God.

God is a source of life and light to His people.

God is a shield of protection and provision for His people. 

God showers His grace upon His people.

God shares His glory with His people.

God shows His goodness to His people.

It was a blessing to journey to the temple.

Hope in God brought strength amidst weakness. 

Hope in God brought joy amidst weeping.

It was a blessing to trust in God.

for The Christian Now...

It is a blessing to be the temple.

It is a blessing to journey to heaven. 

It is a blessing to trust in Christ.

Then, the psalmist prayed for God’s favor on an earthly king.

Now, the Christian enjoys God’s favor through our eternal King.

Thanks Pastor David!

The Longing For The New Normal

Psalm 85

1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 

2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah 

3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger. 

4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! 

5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 

6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 

7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. 

9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. 

12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 

13 Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way. 

There are places in Scripture that give us a sense of comfort and contentment with normality.

But then there are also places in Scripture (Psalm 85) that exhort us to a kind of holy discontent with the way things are, with the normal rhythms of life in a fallen world.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was just one or the other? Wouldn’t that simplify our expectations?

This Psalm is meant to cultivate in us a longing for a new normal—a longing for the inbreaking of God’s mercy and power

in our lives, in the church, and in the world.

Recall (1-3)

When Israel falls into unbelief and idolatry, often that is linked with forgetting the displays of the saving power of God in

their midst.

We often pray like Deists, as though God had a policy of non-interference with the world as it is.

The Old Testament is theology in action. God works, speaks, feeds, subdues, lifts up, brings down, leads, loves, saves!

Pray (4-7)

In one sense the ultimate judgment is for a sovereign God to refuse

to overcome that which is most normal about life here – namely global idolatry and personal idolatry.

The Psalmist doesn’t merely say, “Help us to turn.” It pleads with

God to do something more: “Turn us, bring us back, restore us!”

God revives his Church by revealing himself afresh. He “shows us”

his steadfast love.

This passage and its faith-filled prayer for a new normal, is a kind

of rebuke: If you don’t believe personal, societal, national, even global revival is possible, you have forgotten the power of God.

Trust and Obey (8-13)

Whatever this reviving work of God is – it’s not something that

renders the believer passive.

If we don’t pray for things that might set us up for disappointment

we’re not doing it right.

We are not called to merely pray safe, self-protecting, face-saving

(“realistic”) prayers.

We are to pray and hope as though God has options!

Thanks Matt!

A Plea For Justice

Psalm 82

1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 

2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 

3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. 

4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 

5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 

6 I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 

7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." 

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! 

Who God is...

He is the sovereign King over all. 

He is the good Judge of all.

He is the merciful Savior for all.

What We Do...

We plead for God’s justice to reign.

We anticipate God’s kingdom to come. 

We spread God’s salvation to the needy.

How We pray...

for the poor...

Pray for provision of food for the hungry and clean, safe drinking water for the thirsty. 

Pray for medical provision for children and adults suffering and dying of

preventable diseases.

Pray for refugees who have been separated from their homes due to natural

and moral disasters.

Pray for the church to give generously, sacrificially, and cheerfully to the poor.

for the orphan...

Pray for children and their parents in the foster care system.

Pray for children and their caregivers in orphanages.

Pray for foster care and adoptive families.

Pray for the church to show the love of the Father in heaven to the fatherless on earth.

for the enslaved...

Pray for victims...

For their strength and salvation

For their protection, freedom, and justice 

For their hope and healing

Pray for traffickers and customers...

For conviction, repentance, and salvation 

For criminal networks to be dismantled

For oppressors to be arrested and punished

l Pray for governments...

For corruption to cease

For implementation of just legislation 

For discernment in forming alliances

Pray for the church...

To awaken to this issue and to unite against injustice 

For advocates and laborers to emerge

To flee sexual immorality

for the persecuted...

Pray for persecuted believers...

That they would hold fast to the hope God gives

That they would know the depth of God’s love for them

That the Holy Spirit will strengthen them and their families 

For their boldness in sharing the gospel amidst persecution

Pray for persecutors...

That they would see Christ in the saints they are persecuting and be saved 

That they would be brought to justice

for the unreached...

For more laborers to go to them.

For open doors to share with them. 

For receptive hearts among them. 

For eternal salvation to come to them.

Thanks Pastor David!

The Choice

Did God the Father commanded Christ to the cross or did He go of His own free will? Well let's look at what the bible says!

Matt.26:

38 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."

39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."

Matt.26:

53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"

John 12:

27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.

28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine.

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

Heb.5:

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

John 5:

30 "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.

32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.

34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,

38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

41 I do not receive glory from people.

42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.

43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Phil.2:

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Just as Christ had a choice and chose obedience to the Father, so do you! You can bow to your Lord God or you can live in rebellion and receive the eternal consequence! 

Heb.9:

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Romans 3:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Praying from the Heart—Not on Auto-Pilot

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Matthew 6:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

It was a very long, tiring day. I had preached three sermons and dictated a stack of letters. And at the close of each letter I ended it, “In Jesus’ name, Adrian Rogers.” 

A man came to me at the end of a service and said, “I must see you. I have a severe problem.” I was bone weary but I said, “Very well, come on back and let’s talk.” 

We talked and I listened. My heart was moved with compassion. I said, “Let me pray for you.” And when I finished I said, “In Jesus’ name, Adrian Rogers.” And then I thought, “Oh my! Did I say that? Did he hear me say that?” How easy we slip and rattle off our prayers.

ACTION POINT:

Do you find yourself using repetitive phrases in your prayer life? Today, just talk with God. Don’t think too much about your words. Follow your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Character—It’s An Inside Job

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

This world says if we could just arrange conditions where we never have any sorrow, pain, or hurts, then we could change men. If we can change conditions we can change character. But the Bible teaches just the opposite. 

The world puts the emphasis on condition—God puts the emphasis on character. Someone has well said you can’t purify the water by painting the pump. And yet that’s what we try to do. We think that if we can change the exterior or make conditions such that we never have any hurts, then we’re going to be okay. But, Jesus put the emphasis upon character. Upon what you are, not what you have.

ACTION POINT:

Is there someone in your life you admire? Someone who is a person of integrity? Praise God for His work in that person’s life and give him or her a word of encouragement.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers