Sinners Are Equal At The Foot Of The Cross

What would be the best New Years resolution you could make?

Wouldn't you think it would be the one thing that would effect your present life and your eternity?

Bow before Christ and receive mercy!

Your rebellion towards God will get you judgement!


John 12:32
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a sinner. 

When I look at you, I see a sinner. 

Not judging, just stating fact according to God's holy word!!! 

Everyone is equal at the foot of the cross! 

We all have sinned! 

If you say you have no sin, then the truth is not in you!!

But there is a difference in sinners according to their response to the power of Christ on the cross! 

God sent His power filled Son to make that difference among sinners who trust Him for salvation.

The world will mislead you by lying through books, movies, false religions and by capturing your attention so that you will not pursue God. 

The feel good mentality will lead you to hell.

The world puts you in the lead role based upon your works or deeds. 

No one is good, not one of us!!

If we were good, why would God send His Son to die on the cross? 

What would be the point? 

Sinners need a Savior!! 

This is the true gift of love given to repentant sinners as God's richest gift of mercy!!!! 

Mercy from God to you is your only hope!!!! 

Your works can't buy forgiveness. 

All Sin:

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-

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. - Romans 3:21-26

Judgment:

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. - Malachi 3:5

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,

26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, - Hebrews 9:24-27

3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

4 They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."

5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. - 2 Peter 3:3-7

Believe:

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. - John 20:30-31

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:3-5

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:8-9

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood  - Revelation 1:5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:3-5

What will you do this New Year? 

Will you seek the only true God or deny Him?

Hope For The Approaching Year

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:8.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Yes, believers can experience loneliness. I believe the Holidays are the loneliest time of the year. People are told everywhere they're supposed to be happy and they realize they're not. They see everybody else acting happy, and they feel so lonely. 

Death, divorce, desertion—even travel can make you lonely. Success can make you lonely. You often hear “it's lonely at the top.” You can be lonely in a big crowd. You can be lonely in a mall. Old age makes you lonely. Loneliness is one of the chief maladies of our age, but Jesus promised, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." 

What I am saying, my dear friend, is that when I am discouraged, His presence sees me through. When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up. And when I am worried, His presence calms me down. 

ACTION POINT:

When you are tempted—and oh, you will be tempted this coming year—His presence will help you out. Begin now to practice the presence of the Lord as you enter this new year.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Who Was This Child?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Who was this Child born that day? Who is this One we call Jesus? There’s one right answer; there are many wrong answers. Some say He was a great man. Beyond any doubt, He was a great man, but if you just tip the hat to Jesus Christ, you’ve missed it all. There was Peter the Great. There was Alexander the Great. But Jesus is more than Jesus the Great. He’s Jesus the One and Only. 

The late Dr. W. A. Criswell said: “To compare the greatest men on earth like Alexander, Caesar or Shakespeare with Jesus is like comparing a grain of dust to the whole universe, a mole hill to Mount Everest.” 

Others speak of Him as a moral teacher, but as C.S. Lewis said, “We don’t have the option of just simply calling Him a moral teacher and moving on. I’m trying to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus Christ as a great teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher; he would be either a lunatic, on the level of a man who says he’s a poached egg, or else he would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God or else a mad man or something worse.” 

ACTION POINT:

Be prepared to share that concept with someone today. C. S. Lewis went on to say, “You can show Him up for a fool. You can spit at Him. You can kill Him as a demon. Or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let none of us come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He’s not left that open to us.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Who Is Jesus, the God-Man?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

John Blanchard estimated that of all the people who’ve ever lived, from the beginning of creation to now, there have been about 30 billion here on earth. Of those, few have had any major effect on human history. One person stands out unique above all the rest. That one person, Jesus Christ, has attracted a greater combination of attention, devotion, criticism, adoration, and opposition than any other of those 30 billion. 

Every recorded word He spoke has been studied, sifted and analyzed from generation to generation by theologians, philosophers, and historians. At this moment multiplied millions around the globe in every time zone are studying what this one individual had to say. 

He is Jesus of Nazareth. He preached and taught in a tiny little land called Israel some 2,000 years ago. Yet the birth of this baby has divided the centuries into “B.C.” (before Christ) and “A.D.” (Anno Domini, or “the Year of our Lord.”) He divides world history. 

ACTION POINT:

Whether you are on death row or Wall Street, you need Jesus. He’s the saving Son of God. There’s no one that He cannot save. There’s no one that He will not save. Jesus is what the world needs today. Thank God for Christmas. If there had been no Christmas, think what that would mean.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Christ of Christmas Is Coming Again

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto He called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

You need not be disturbed and you will not be disappointed. Paul tells us in Second Thessalonians that when He comes, our Lord shall reign. 

The first Christmas, there was no room for Him in the inn. When He comes for the final time, He’s coming as King of kings and Lord and lords. Jesus came the first Christmas to die in the sinner’s place. When He comes again, Jesus is coming to receive the sinner to Himself. 

There are two aspects of His Second Coming. First, He’s coming secretly for His bride. Then He’s coming with His bride. First, He’s coming sweetly like a bridegroom; then He’s coming sovereignly like a King. The unfinished story of Christmas is this: Jesus is coming again. 

ACTION POINT:

In faith, look backward to a crucified Savior. In love, look upward to a crowned Savior. And in hope, look forward to a coming Savior.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

You Who Are Troubled—Rest!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels…” 2 Thessalonians 1:7.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Are you troubled today? Listen: “And you who are troubled rest with us.” That is, be at ease. Quit your worry. It is not over yet. There is an unfinished story. If you are troubled, rest with us. 

You say, “Pastor, it’s so dark.” Yes, it’s gloriously dark, because the darkest hour of the night is just before the sunrise. Our hope is not in politics, our hope is not in sociology, our hope is not in science. The only sure hope for our world is the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Think about who is coming again. Underscore this: “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed.” The Lord Jesus is who is coming again. We’re not looking for some event in history. We’re looking for Jesus Christ to be revealed. And when He’s revealed, He’s going to be revealed as the Lord Jesus. Today He is despised. He is rejected. He is mocked. But He is coming as the Lord Jesus to be glorified and admired. 

ACTION POINT:

If you are unsaved, if you’re not one of His saints, His coming will strike stark terror in your heart. But if you’re saved, you’re going to say, “Oh glory to the Lamb. Isn’t He beautiful?” Say this aloud if you can say it and mean it: “Lord Jesus.” The Lord Jesus is coming.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Unfinished Story of Christmas

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels… When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe…” 2 Thessalonians 1:7,10.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The Jesus who came the first time is coming again, and Christmas is not complete without the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The incarnation without the coronation would be like east without west. It would be like an engagement without a marriage. The story is not complete until Jesus comes again. 

You may have thought that this was a good Christmas for you—but, friend, I want to tell you…the best is yet to come! The Heavenly Father has so much more in store for us when Jesus comes again. 

You see, we get all wrapped up in the little baby, the baby that was born, and we then go beyond the birth of the baby, saying, “Yes, He came to die for our sins” (thank God He did that), but I want to remind you that the First Coming of Jesus and the Second Coming are linked together. 

The Christmas Story in Luke 1 and 2 speaks not only of the Jesus who redeemed, but the Jesus who reigned. Not only Jesus who came the first time, but Jesus who is coming the second time to sit upon the throne of His father David, to rule over the house of Jacob forever and ever. 

ACTION POINT:

Imagine for a moment what your life would be like without the Resurrection, the Rapture, and the Second Coming of Jesus. The most glorious fact of the past is that Jesus came the first time. The most glorious fact of the future is that this Jesus is coming again. The one sure hope of this jittery old world is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Prince of Peace

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke 2:14 .

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

One of the many wonderful names of our wonderful Lord is “The Prince of Peace.” Jesus holds the key to peace, whether it’s personal peace in your heart, domestic peace in your home, or eternal peace in heaven.

Isaiah prophesied that He would be called The Prince of Peace. The angels told the shepherds that His coming was “good tidings of great joy,” for His incarnation meant “peace, goodwill toward men.”

Certainly there is a need for peace. But look around. What has happened to the promised peace? It was purposefully postponed when God sent the Prince of Peace, but the world rejected and then crucified the Prince of Peace. There will be no peace on earth until the world that rejected our Savior receives Him again in power and glory. The only true hope for peace for the church, the nation and the individual is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

This Christmas, do you have peace with God or is the war still going on? The only way you can have the peace that Jesus made is to surrender to Jesus in absolute, total, unconditional surrender. He has fought the battle and the battle is won. But it will do you no good until you bow to Him. Have you laid down your sword of rebellion at His feet? He has made peace with the blood of His cross, but that peace does you no good until you bow to Him in total surrender. There is peace with God. Once you have that peace with God, then you can have the peace of God.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

We - The Condemned

Sin no more:

10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]] - John 8:10-11

All sin:

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." - John 8:7

Those who deny God because He brought death, think again, we, through our rebellion(sin) brought death!

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned- - Romans 5:12

God's mercy to sinful man:

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:4-7

Forgiveness and repentance:

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. - Romans 8:1-4

Intercessor:

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:34-39

Do You Need a Friend This Christmas Eve?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“…He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Some people over this holiday season feel so alone. One Christmas Eve I went to talk to a person who was hurting. I said, “Why don't you call a friend?” She said, "I don't have a friend." I said, "Oh yes, you do." And I told her His name. It is the One who said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." 

Greek scholars tell us this sentence, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," actually has five negatives in it. Now we say a double-negative is bad English, but evidently it wasn't bad Greek. Here's what it literally says: "I will never, no, not ever, no, never leave nor forsake you." 

Famed research analyst Dr. Abraham Maslow said, "The truth is that the average American does not have a real friend in the world." And psychiatrist Alfred Adler said, "All human failures spring from a lack of love.” People need someone to love, and they need to be loved. Without it, their lives are filled with fear and frustration. Hebrews 13:5 tells us we can face a new year with the certainty of His provision and with His companionship in our hearts and in our lives. 

ACTION POINT:

Who do you know that might need a call from a friend today? A new widow? An empty-nester? A stay-at-home mom? Make that call today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

You Will Die In Your Sin

So he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." - John 8:21

You must repent!

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. - Romans 2:4-5

18 If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.

21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul." - Ezekiel 3:18-21

1 I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name. 

2 I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;  - Isaiah 65:1-2

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-

6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:1-9

God's Gift:

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. - Ephesians 2:13-22

Why Frankincense and Myrrh?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, ‘Take unto thee sweet spices…with pure frankincense…And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony [Ark of the Covenant] in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.’” Exodus 30:34-37.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In Bible times they worshipped the Lord by burning incense, a sweet perfume rising up to the nostrils of God. It was a symbol of worship—to be used in the worship of God alone. Frankincense tells of His sinless deity, the beauties, the fragrance, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Frankincense represents Jesus, our Intercessor, and His intercessory prayers for us. Its fragrance speaks of the love and mercy of God. 

Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. When the Lord Jesus Christ was being buried, they poured spices and myrrh into His grave clothes. “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight” (John 19:39). Myrrh to embalm the body of Jesus. The gift of myrrh speaks of his sacrificial death. He was born to die. 

ACTION POINT:

Give—worship—witness—serve. These are what a wise man will do. I wonder, are you really wise? Do you understand that He was born to die?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Symbol of Gold ~ His Sovereign Dominion

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart's desire…with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.” Psalm 21:1-3.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Gold was a gift fit for a king. The wise men asked, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” Our verse today speaks of kings. They wear a crown, and it is a crown of gold. 

When the wise men brought gold, they were saying, “We recognize this child is the king of the Jews. He’s destined to reign. He has sovereign dominion.” 

“Well, how am I going to crown Him?” you may ask. You can crown Him the way they did—with gold. If all of your wealth is not under His control, you’ve not recognized Him as your sovereign king. He has a right to all you own. You say, “It’s mine.” If He is not Lord of everything you have, He’s not your Savior. His throne is not a duplex. 

ACTION POINT:

How will you serve Him? One way is to serve Him with your wealth. As the saying goes, “He has no hands but our hands.” Serve Him is by showing His love to those in need. He requires your absolute surrender to His lordship. He is the king.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Three Symbolic Gifts

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Many people think these three gifts were just incidental. No, they’re fundamental. These were not trinkets; these were treasures that didn’t occur by happenstance. This was something the wise men had planned. These gifts are highly symbolic. They carry deep significance. 

In the gifts the wise men brought to the young boy Jesus, gold speaks of His sovereign dominion—He was born a King. Frankincense speaks of His sinless deity—He is God in human flesh. Myrrh speaks of His sacrificial death—He was born to die that we might live. 

• He is King and they brought gold.

• He is God and they brought Him frankincense. 

• He is our Savior and they brought myrrh. 

Sovereign dominion, sinless deity, sacrificial death. 

ACTION POINT:

Because He is a King, He has my wealth. Because He is God, He has my worship. And because He died, He has my witness. All that I am, all that I have, all that I do, belongs to this One. That is wisdom. That’s what a wise man will do. Do some soul-searching today. Are you really wise?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Thank God for the Miracle of the Star

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” Judges 5:20.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

You know, the stars have to obey our Lord. In the Old Testament, the Bible says the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. Sisera was a general whose army had 900 chariots going to war against God’s people. Imagine—900 chariots! God sent such a tremendous rainstorm that his chariots bogged down and he was defeated. 

Later when they wrote a song to celebrate the victory, one of the stanzas says “the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” His kingdom came tumbling down. And ultimately Herod’s kingdom came tumbling down, for Herod stumbled over the stars—the Star of Bethlehem. 

Listen to me, the whole universe is against the person who is against God. But the whole universe lines up behind the one who seeks God. Whatever is necessary, God will do it to get the hungry heart who seeks after Him to Jesus. If you want Him, God is a God of might and miracle. 

ACTION POINT:

Some of you may be reading this by divine appointment because you’ve been seeking the Lord. Thank God for the miracle of the stars. The star was there to guide those wise men seeking Jesus. It tells me that whatever is necessary, God will guide your hungry heart if you want to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God Made the First Move

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13-14.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Three things brought the wise men to Jesus: The ministry of the Spirit, the message of the Scripture, and the miracle of the star. 

Who put the desire in their hearts to find the Christ child and to worship Him? The Holy Spirit. Do you know why we seek Him? Because He first sought us. Isn’t that true? “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Do you know why I love the Lord Jesus? Because God in grace and mercy put a desire in my heart to seek after Him. The Bible says that by our nature, our flesh, none of us would seek after God—no, not one—and that would have included these wise men. 

They didn’t come to Him because they were so intellectual. Don’t get the idea that because they were smarter than other men they came. No. They were wise, and that wisdom made them yielded to God; thus God the Holy Spirit could work in their hearts and draw them to Jesus. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you have a desire to know Him? To love Him? To serve Him? Do you find something drawing you to God? Remember His promise: You will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Are You A Wise Man?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, ‘Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.’” Matthew 2:1-2.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Not all “wise men” are wise men. You may be a great entrepreneur, a great businessman, engineer, or nuclear physicist. You may be a physician, lawyer, a gifted artist. But if you don’t know Jesus, you’re not truly wise. There’s a kind of wisdom that’s not wisdom at all; it’s the wisdom of this world. “PhD” may stand for “phenomenal dud” if you don’t know Jesus. 

Omar Bradley, a great American five-star general, once said, “We’re living in a time when our achievement, our knowledge of science, has gone far beyond our power to control it. We have too many men of science and too few men of God. We’ve brought about brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. We’re living in a time of nuclear giants and spiritual pigmies.” 

That’s well said. What is real wisdom? Wise men and women will seek Jesus. Do you know the mark of wisdom, how to determine wisdom? Just tell me what motivates you, tell me the consummate ambition of your life, and I can tell you clearly whether you’re wise or not just by what you seek. The apostle Paul summed up his life in one sentence: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). What he meant was the source, the substance, the subject, the satisfaction of his life was Christ. 

ACTION POINT:

Could you put your life in a sentence like that? “For me to live is Christ.” Pause and think about that.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Time for Restoring All the Things

17 "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. - Acts 3:17-21

25 And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" - Luke 24:25-26

He has risen!

See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." - Luke 24:39

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." - Luke 24:45-49

15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. - 1 Corinthians 15:15-28

Praise God for His mercy towards sinners!!! 

His grace is marvelous!!!

He is coming to restore all things!!!

The Conversion of the Nations

"For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.  - Zephaniah 3:9

What does God want?

He wants the Nations!!

He wants repentance, worship, praise and His Son glorified!!!

He has given us a job to do.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, - Romans 1:5-6

This is what we are here for, obedience to His call!!!

Wise Men Will See Him

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Wise men seek the Lord. Do you seek the Lord? Is that the burning ambition of your heart and life? You say, “Well, I come to church.” I’m not talking about that. Think about these men from the east. Do you know where “the east” was? They’re talking about Babylon. Three hundred miles across Syrian desert, distance and difficulty.

Now, Christmas cards picture them coming on camels. I don’t know how they came, but I know how they didn’t come…by airplane, bus, automobile, or motorcycle. I know where they didn’t stay. They didn’t stay at the Holiday Inn.

And they came in spite of danger. It was the time of King Herod, insane with jealousy and rage, who had had his own wife and three sons murdered. In the face of that danger, these men said, “We have come to seek Jesus Christ.” Wise men will seek Him in spite of distance, danger and difficulty.

The wise who seek Him will see Him. When they came into the house, they fell down and worshipped Him. It’s worth seeking Him because, friend, when you seek Him, you will see Him. “Ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). They searched, found Him and saw Him.

ACTION POINT:

Do you have a desire to know Him? To love Him? To serve Him? Do you find something drawing you to God? That, my friend, is the Holy Spirit. Thank God for the ministry of the Spirit. Hallelujah!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Stars and Scars of Christmas

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But Thomas, one of the twelve…was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, ‘We have seen the LORD.’ But he said unto them, ‘Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.’” John 20:24-25.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

At Bethlehem there was a bright star pointing the way to Jesus. But there is a darker side to Christmas. Consider the scars of the Lord Jesus. They’re not incidental. They are so fundamental that Jesus carried those scars with Him to Heaven.

Did you know that the only man-made thing in Heaven are the scars of Jesus Christ? When He went back to Heaven, He took some souvenirs of His visit with him…the scars in His hands and side. He has kept those scars as a lasting memorial through all eternity. When Jesus comes again, one of the ways we will know Him is His scars. Zechariah 13:6 says, “And one shall say unto Him, ‘What are these wounds in Thine hands?’ And He shall answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.’”

ACTION POINT:

I want you to imagine our risen Savior. See Him on the throne of His glory. See in His hands the print of the nails, because He bears them for all eternity. I want you to see those nail-scarred hands reaching to you right now. Would you not like to put your hand in that hand and say, “Save me, Lord Jesus. Thank You that You are the God-man. Thank You that, as a man, You suffered in order to save me.” Pray it and mean it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Do You Have Peace in Your Heart?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I was trying to witness to a man one time. I knew him well. He was what you would call a self-made man, pretty comfortable in his status in life. He was standing in front of his house. We had a friendly conversation, but when I broached the subject of Jesus he said, “Oh, I’m fine. I’m fine like I am. You see that house? It’s paid for. There’s my wife on the inside. She loves me and I love her. I have my retirement income. I’m doing quite well, thank you.” 

I said, “Sir, may I ask you a question?” “Well, sure,” he answered. I said, “Oh no, don’t say that lightly. I want to ask you a question, and I want you to think about it and answer me honestly. Will you?” He said, “Of course.” I said, “Sir, do you have peace in your heart?” He said, “I told you, I’m fine.” I said, “No, you said you would answer the question. Now answer it. Do you have peace in your heart?” 

His chin began to quiver and his eyes brimmed with tears. He said, “No! I don’t have peace. How did you know?” I said, “Because the Bible says ‘There is no peace, said my God, to the wicked.’” 

The only real peace you will ever know is found in the wonderful name of Jesus. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you have peace with God? If you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ, I want to invite you to pray a prayer like this: “Dear Jesus, I need You. I’m a sinner. I’m lost I don’t want to die in my sin and go to hell. I need You, Jesus. I trust You, Jesus. I believe You’re the Son of God. You paid for my sin debt with Your shed blood on the cross. Thank You, Lord, for doing that. Thank You for saving me. Now give me the courage to make it public. In Your name I pray, amen.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Why Christmas? Because of Calvary

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Why did Jesus come? Luke 19:10 tells us. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” 

Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). He is the solitary Savior, the only Savior. 

I’ve often said Jesus is not a good way to Heaven. Jesus is not the best way to Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven. When you say that, a lot of people get their hackles up, but I still want to tell you, apart from Jesus, there is no salvation. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” 

He’s not just one more Savior. If He’s not the only Savior, He’s no Savior because He said He was the only one. And if He said He’s the only one, and He’s not the only one, then He’s a liar, and a liar is nobody’s Savior. I’ve got some wonderful news for you, friend. He can save anyone. 

Because of the birthday of Jesus, each year you are one year closer to Heaven, one year closer, if you know Him, to seeing His dear face. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God who left Heaven, came to this earth, suffered, bled, died, and walked out of that grave a living, risen Savior. He’s the one who sent me to tell you that He loves you.

ACTION POINT:

He wants to save you and He will save you today if you’ll give Him your heart. If you have not already done so, do it today. Pray, “Jesus, I give You my heart. I believe You died to save me. You will save me if I trust in You. I do trust You, Jesus. I'm trusting You today.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Achieving Pure Satisfaction

Satan's defeated plan and God's victorious answer:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. - John 10:10

7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. - John 10:7-9

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." - John 10:14-18

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8:1-8

13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. - James 4:13-17

Real people!

Real lives!

Real death!
Real eternity!

Where do you put your faith? Things? Yourself? 

Christ is pure satisfaction!!!

6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." - John 14:6-7

My Chosen Portion

41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,

42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:41-42

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  - Psalm 16:5

So why do you and I need Christ?

We came from sin by way of the first man Adam!

When He sinned, we all sinned and have continued to do so!

God sent Christ to be be the propitiation for man's sin!

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-

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. - Romans 3:21-26

What does that mean?

Christ alone was the atoning sacrifice that redeemed man from Hell!

It was necessary for Christ to take the wrath from God that was meant for man.

So that is why "you must be born again".

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1 Peter 1:3-5

Turn from being sin filled man to one covered by the atoning blood that Christ alone gives!!!

You must turn and follow Christ commands!!

My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.  - Psalm 119:81

Jesus, the Savior

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

One day I drove my car off the hot pavement out into a grassy area because I knew where there was a persimmon tree. I love persimmons and I thought, “Well, this is about the time those persimmons would be ripe.” But I got impossibly stuck in the mud. I got a board and tried to dig myself out. I found a piece of carpet there in the woods and put that under the tires. My tires only sunk deeper. 

I prayed, “Lord, I’m in the mud. I need your help. I’m helpless here. Lord, get me out.” And almost at the same time, a man came by in a four-wheel vehicle. With that mighty truck, he pulled me slowly out of the mud. I was back on solid ground. 

I was so grateful. I hadn’t known what to do, but God sent someone in a four-wheel truck with a cable. That’s so much like salvation. We’re looking for the things of this world and sinking in the mud. We say, “Well, I can get myself out of this.” And the more we try to handle it, the deeper and deeper we sink. We need somebody who will see us, care for us, come to us, and get us out. Jesus is a Savior. He has what it takes to extricate us from the mud we’ve gotten in. 

When I got home, my car was covered with mud. I got out the hose and began to get the mud off. That man got me out of the mud, but it was up to me to deal with the mud that was still on there. When I got saved, I was covered with mud. But since then, I’ve been letting Jesus, the Water of Life, clean me up. 

ACTION POINT:

You can struggle all you want, but all you’re going to do is sink deeper. Stop the struggle. Surrender to Christ. You don’t have what it takes to get out unless someone takes you out. And that one is Jesus. His name is wonderful. He is the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Welfare in His Name

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The thing your heart is yearning for is peace. Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace.” The Bible says, “Let the peace of God rule your heart” (Philippians 4:7). You see, God, through Jesus, came to give you peace. 

Has anyone ever left you anything in a will? Jesus did. Just before He went to the cross He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). 

This is the legacy Jesus left for you. Jesus willed His body to Joseph of Arimathea for burial. Jesus gave the care of His mother to the apostle John. Jesus yielded up His spirit to God the Father. But Jesus gave His peace to you. And there’s no lawyer on earth that can break that will. It is yours. It is your throne gift. 

ACTION POINT:

If you don’t have peace, it’s because you don’t understand what you have in the name of Jesus. There is welfare in His name. Call upon Him today. Ask Him to help you receive the peace He has provided.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Wisdom in His Name

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:24.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you needed a counselor at times? People come to pastors and counselors for wisdom. We can counsel from Scripture, but we can’t solve their problems. 

We can try to lead them to the One who can solve their problems, the Lord Jesus Christ. I don’t want them dependent upon me. I want them to know Jesus. He is the Counselor. There is wisdom in His name. Paul says in 1 Corinthians1:30, He “is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 

ACTION POINT:

Are you going through a problem right now? You don’t know the way out. You don’t know what to do. Every answer seems wrong. I want to recommend my counselor to you. Call upon the true Counselor. His name is Jesus. Not only is there wonder in His name. Friend, there is wisdom in His name.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Whose Son Is The Christ?

41 But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son?

42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, 

43 until I make your enemies your footstool."' 

44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?" - Luke 20:41-44

3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh

4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, - Romans 1:3-6

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." - Acts 2:36

13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? 

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? - Hebrews 1:13-14

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. - Hebrews 10:12-14

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.

28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. - 1 Corinthians 15:25-28

God, we praise You for You alone are worthy!!!

Look around, what do you see? Nature some call it, others God's handiwork, others still mother nature, but in all truth, it is what God "spoke into existence".
He did not physically build it but by His voice commanded it!
This Deity is God!
He is all things!
All things exist because of Who He is!
By His authority, Jesus Christ came to suffer for the sin of man!!
It was deemed exceptabe that Christ alone would pay this price so man could be reconciled to God!
So, in His obedience, He suffered seperation from His Father and death because of You and me.
But praise God, He is risen!!
A King, so rich in things we can't comprehend became a living sacrifice!
This is a debt we can not reimburse!!
It was a gift, freely given to You if You follow His commands!
Yes, He is the Son of The Most High God!
Fully man, fully God, and fully Holy Spirit!!

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:1-5

Will He Find Faith On Earth?

We cry out for justice!

God will give us Justice!

Man, where is your faith in the midst of trials? 

Do you curse God?

Or do you fall on your knees for mercy?

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" - Luke 18:8

12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. - Matthew 24:12-14

You say what is faith!

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. - Hebrews 11:1-3

Father, we cry for Your mercy!!!

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 18:13-14

Come to Him with the faith of a child!!

15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." - Luke 18:15-17

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. - James 1:21

Awaken Sinner!!!!

The Joy Of The Lord

Joy!

It can't be stolen by the adversary!!

Satan will lie to you to fool you into thinking you have no joy but praise God you do!!!

We grieve, we are meant to!

Jesus wept. - John 11:35

We share each other's burdens!

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2

God is for us, giving us His great mercy!!

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. - Romans 9:16

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? - Romans 8:31

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:37-39

God's Greatest Mercy!!

 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

God is there!!

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6

When you hear you brother shout hallelujah as he takes his last breath, God is there!!

He is reminding you, he's there!!

Trust in Christ alone!!

He alone satisfies your searching soul!!

Jesus is our only hope!!!

This world offers things!!

Christ offers eternity!!!

Revealed to Shepherds, Hidden from Herod

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Luke 2:15.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What is the great need in the world today? Is it information? We’re drowning in a sea of information. If information is what we need, God would have sent an educator. Is it technology? If technology had been the need, God would have sent a scientist. Is it money? Do you think your problems would be solved if you had more money? If money were the need, God would have sent an economist. Is the need more leisure? Maybe God should have sent an entertainer. 

No. Our great need is salvation. And so God sent a Savior. 

I’m amazed (and blessed) that He sent the message to humble shepherds. Old Herod, the King, never did quite get it. He never did understand. But humble shepherds understood the message. Why? Because “God has hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and has revealed them unto babes” (Luke 10:21). 

ACTION POINT:

Do you want to understand who Jesus Christ is today? Then lay your intellectual pride in the dust, come to Him and say, “Lord, reveal this truth to me.” Sing it and follow it: “O come let us adore Him, Christ the LORD.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Wonder in His Name

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…and his name shall be called Wonderful…” Isaiah 9:6.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What is in the name of the Lord Jesus? There is wonder in His name. Do you stand in awe of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or have you become complacent? Do you not get excited when you think of Jesus? If you don’t, you’ve lost the wonder. You have calluses on your soul. 

Oh friend, Jesus is wonderful. Wonderful in His birth. Wonderful in His life. Wonderful in His teaching. Wonderful in His miracles. Wonderful in His death. Wonderful in His resurrection. And yes, wonderful in His second coming. His name is wonderful. 

I heard of a man riding on a train one time, looking out the window. He was saying, “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful”. And the man sitting next to him asked, “Why do you think everything is wonderful?” He answered, “I’ve been blind and just had surgery. I’m seeing things I had long since forgotten how beautiful they are. And they are wonderful to me.” 

ACTION POINT:

Friend, if Jesus is not wonderful to you, open your spiritual eyes. See just how wonderful Jesus is. There is wonder in His name.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Lord of All? Or Not at All?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power…” Romans 1:3-4.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

May I ask you a personal question? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? 

You do? Then may I ask you another question? Is He your Lord? 

Let’s be more specific. 

• Is He Lord of your tongue? 

• Is He Lord of your time? 

• Is He Lord of your treasure? 

• Is He Lord of your talents? 

• Is He Lord of your testimony? 

• Is He Lord in deed as well as word? 

Is He truly Lord? Now, don’t answer too quickly. 

ACTION POINT:

Think about it: It’s one thing to sing “Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.” It’s another thing to mean it. Crown Him “Lord of all” in your life today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

His Unquestioned Lordship

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Can you imagine what it meant to Mary to hear the angel say to her, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus”? Or for those Jewish shepherds the night of his birth to hear the angels say, “…born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”?

What does that word “Lord” mean? What did it mean to these shepherds? It meant “Jehovah” to them. Jehovah, God Almighty. When the angel said, “a Savior which is Christ the Lord,” the angel was saying He is co-equal, co-eternal with the Almighty.

Jesus Christ is called “Lord” far more than He is called “Savior.” He’s called “Lord” 747 times in the New Testament. He is Lord. Every so often someone says, “Well, I decided to make Him Lord.” Too late for that. He is Lord.

ACTION POINT:

You cannot “make” Him Lord; He already is. Can you receive Him as Lord? Yes. You can bow your knee to Him and say, “O Lord, You are the King. Therefore, I yield my heart to You.” Receive Him today as your Lord. Will you submit to His Lordship?”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Faces Of Evil

Evil hides behind many faces.

It can be crime!

It can be religion!

It can be race!

It can be illegal drugs.

It can be mental illness.

But make no mistake, it is driven by Satan!

His ultimate goal is to bring down all who follow Christ and His commands!

Satan will destroy your family!

Satan will convince you to do evil!

He knows your every weakness and he will dig in that wound until it festers and becomes an open sore full of poison!

Evil takes on human form but is driven by a spirit of evil, Satan is his name, he's bent on destruction!!

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:11-12

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. - Ephesians 2:1-3

They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon. - Revelation 9:11

Satan's mission!!

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." - Job 1:6-7

I Am A Sinful Man, O Lord

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." - Luke 5:8

God's Mighty Forgiveness:

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 

13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 

15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 

16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 

17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 

18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 

19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.  - Psalm 103:11-19

Have you fallen on your knees and begged for mercy from Jesus?

You must repent from sin!

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the man who was paralyzed-"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." - Luke 5:24

Jesus has been given the authority from God the Father to forgive you!!

31 And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:31-32

We all have sin and are in need of a Savior!

The only way is through Christ the Lord!!!

His Sovereign Nobility

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…And the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6b.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Jesus was born a king. Scripture says “…the government shall be upon His shoulder.” In verse 7 of this chapter, this is fleshed out. “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”

How is this going to happen? “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” This little baby was born a king and He is a King. We didn’t elect Him and, friend, we’ll not impeach Him. He is King. He is Lord.

ACTION POINT:

Some people say, “Have you made Him the Lord of your life?” Too late for that. God has already declared Him Lord. This is His sovereign nobility. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. If you miss that, you miss the meaning of Christmas. You have to take the cradle, the cross, and the crown together, or you don’t have the true story of Christmas.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Jesus’ Supernatural Nature

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The apostle John, who wrote these words, had lived and walked with Jesus for three years. He had seen Jesus in all manner of situations. Years have passed. Now Jesus has gone back to Heaven, and John is an aged man. As a Jew, John would have an ingrained resistance to any kind of idolatry. Yet he said of the Lord Jesus Christ that He is fully God and calls Him “the Word.” 

What is a word? A word is an expression of an invisible thought. You can’t hear my thoughts, but you hear my words; therefore you know my thoughts. You can’t see my thoughts. My thoughts are invisible. But my words make the invisible known to you. 

Everything that God is, Jesus is. Everything that God has, Jesus has. Everything that God does, Jesus does. Jesus is God. He is fully God. He is not part-God and part-man. He’s not all God and no man. He’s not all man and no God. He is the God-man. Jesus makes the invisible God known to man. He is the very Word of God. He is God’s Word to this human race. He is God in human flesh. 

ACTION POINT:

There has never ever been another like the Lord Jesus Christ with a supernatural nature. Read John 1:1-18 today. Have you acknowledged Him, Jesus, as the One and Only?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Only Grace and Faith

In the end, it comes down to these two fascinating things sent from God to you, Grace and faith!!!

God is the giver and you are the receiver.

Grace is a gift bestowed on man by God.

Faith also is a gift, cultivated by the word of God!

Man studies God's word and God reveals the truth.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. - Deuteronomy 29:29

There will be a price to pay if you deny this gift!

And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.  - Micah 5:15

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering-

6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,

7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

Word of the Father, Now in Flesh Appearing

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The educated man is ignorant, the strong man is weak, and the wealthy man is poor who doesn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas. 

What good does it do us to put a man on the moon if we can’t get God in our hearts? What good is it to know astronomy, how the heavens go, and not know Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star, and how to go to Heaven? What good is it to know botany and the study of flowers and not know Jesus, Heaven’s sweetest rose, the Rose of Sharon, who can perfume any life? What good is it to know the events of history, yet not know that history is His story? What good is it to know geology and the ages of rocks and not know Jesus, the Rock of Ages? “For it is in Him we live and move and have our being.” 

Jesus was not just another child. He was not just the Galilean peasant, the great teacher. He was supernatural. 

ACTION POINT:

You won’t understand Christmas until you understand that this child was born of a virgin. This child is the very Son of God. Never forget this. Read the words of Isaiah 9:6-7. Let his prophecy about this child speak to you today. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers