Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

Escaping the Dark Room of Discouragement

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.”  2 CORINTHIANS 1:3

 

PONDER THIS

Do you know why discouragement is so bad? Discouragement opens the door for all kinds of sins and failures. Someone once said, “Discouragement is a dark room where the negatives of failure are developed.” Did you know the Bible calls God the God of all encouragement? Second Corinthians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort.” The word comfort actually means encouragement. God is the God of all encouragement. That means God has cornered the market on encouragement. He’s the God of all of it. Do you need encouragement? Do you feel trapped in discouragement? Take heart that the God of all comfort and encouragement is ready to hear your cry and give you encouragement today.

Where do you currently feel most discouraged?

What encouragement can you find in God?

PRACTICE THIS

Make a list of ways you can be encouraged because of who God is and what He has done for you. Dwell on this list today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Resting in the Comfort of God

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” JOHN 14:16-17

 

PONDER THIS

What does it mean to be comforted? It's not a sympathetic pat on the back. The word comfort is not a word filled with sympathy. It's a word filled with strength. Our English word is very much like the Bible word. Com means, “with,” and fort means “strength.” Think of the words fortress and fortification. God says, “I will put my strength in you. I will be your strength. I will give you comfort. You will be comforted.”

God does this through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “And I will pray to the Father and He will give you another comforter.” He was talking about the One who lives in my heart today, the One who lives in every follower of Jesus. He gives you more than quick fixes and temporary solutions. He gives you true comfort, His ever-present help through the ups and downs of life. He speaks to your soul. His comfort lasts longer than the moment and hits deeper than the greatest encouragement. His comfort is what you really need and can readily have through Jesus.

How have you experienced comfort from God? How has that made a difference in your life?

Who is someone that needs comfort from God today? What can you do to remind that person of the comfort found in Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Encourage someone today who is struggling by extending love and kindness that points to the true Comforter.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Bring Your Wounds to Jesus

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.” 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5

 

PONDER THIS

A scar is a wound that has healed. The great testimony of our faith is not that we have faith to be healed, but that we have faith not to be healed and still serve God. We still have scars. We aren’t made perfect. But we love the Lord, and still serve Him. Joyce and I have a little baby in Heaven. His name is Philip. The very first verse that I read after Philip died was 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. We were wounded, and we still bear the scars.

But I’ve seen my precious wife, Joyce, use those scars so many times to say to another who’s lost a baby, “I know. I understand.” There’s something comforting about a person who bears the scars and has a testimony nobody else has. Bring your wounds to Jesus. Use your scars to point others to Him.

What are some of the scars of your life? How could you use those scars to point others to Jesus?

Who has shared their scars with you? How did their testimony impact you?

PRACTICE THIS

Share the testimony of how your scars point to Jesus. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

You Need Pain to Experience Comfort

PRAY OVER THIS

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

 

PONDER THIS

Did you know that trouble in your life may give you a greater testimony? It may be through deep sorrow and pain that God gives you the greatest testimony. The Apostle Paul, who knew much sorrow, said this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” This verse tells us God is the source of comfort, and it is God who comforts us in tribulation. If you didn’t have tribulation, you wouldn’t need comfort. It also says God takes that comfort He gives us and allows us to comfort others with that same comfort we have received from Him.

Joyce and I experienced the loss of a child, and I’ve seen mothers—not just once, but many times—come to Joyce and receive comfort when they themselves lost children. And I have seen Joyce—not in a theoretical way, but in a very real way—share the comfort that she has received from the Lord with others. We’re able to comfort others with the same comfort we ourselves receive from God. Don’t get the idea that if we just sail through life with no difficulties, it’s going make us better witnesses. That’s not so.

What is a trial or difficulty through which you’ve received the Lord’s comfort?

When have you been comforted by someone else’s testimony of going through a difficult time?

PRACTICE THIS

Share your testimony about how God was with you through a difficult time with another person this week.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Has Jesus Drawn Near to You?

PRAY OVER THIS

“So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” Luke 24:15

 

PONDER THIS

Jesus met the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and He challenged them with the Word of God. It’s important to note that Jesus sought them. “So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near.” And He’s done that so many times for you and me. Jesus did not seek them to condemn them or even to condone them but to claim them and to comfort them. And just as the Lord Jesus sought us when we were lost—we didn’t seek Him; He sought us, and we love Him because He first loved us—so He sought these men. Now these men, evidently, were already believers, although they were backslidden and discouraged. If Jesus would seek us when we were outright sinners, surely, He will seek us when we’re saved and away from Him. At some point, every backslidden and confused Christian is met by Jesus in this way—not to be condemned or condoned, but to be comforted and claimed.

How has Jesus sought after you before you knew Him and after you came to know Him?

How has He called us to likewise seek after others who are far from Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Intentionally seek after someone who doesn’t know Jesus this week for the sake of having a Gospel conversation.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

Do You Fear This New Year?

 “So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6).

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If you are going to face this year with steadfast resolve, you must find your contentment, your companionship, and your confidence in Christ. And then you'll find your comfort in Christ. Then you may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

I'm not trying to tell you life’s going to be all honey and no bees. No, the Christians in the book of Hebrews faced heartaches and trials. They had opposition from family, friends and foes alike. They faced mockery and brutality. Yet they could boldly say, “The Lord is my helper."

Friend, this coming year may be difficult for you. But I am telling you that you can stand upon the promises of the Word of God.

ACTION POINT:

We don't know what the coming year will bring—sickness, heartache, or trouble. But I do know you can boldly say, “The Lord will be my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   

Find your contentment, your companionship, and your confidence in Jesus. In Him, you will find your comfort and your courage

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

What is your greatest hope?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God has not promised you smooth sailing, but He has promised you a safe landing. He has a purpose in allowing every circumstance into your life. You can bank on this: He’ll see you to the shore in every storm of life.

Andrew Murray said, “God is willing to assume the full responsibility for the life totally yielded to Him.” One of these days your destiny will be fulfilled. And soon and very soon, He is going to step down from the mountain of His glory, and the trumpet will sound. Our little ship will leave the sea of time, and immediately we’ll be on the shores of eternity.

When He comes, He’s coming for you! He’s coming for me!

First Thessalonians 4:16-18 tells us to comfort one another with these words of Christ’s return:

16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

ACTION POINT:

Do you have a Christian friend who is troubled today? Comfort him or her with this hope.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Overwhelmed by loneliness?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The late Dr. Paul Tournier, great Christian psychiatrist from Switzerland, wrote that loneliness is the most devastating malady of this age. What is loneliness? Many confuse it with being alone. But you can be in a crowd, yet be lonely.

Loneliness doesn’t have to overwhelm you. After all is said and done, truly your only solace from loneliness is found in Jesus. Why? John 1:10-11 tells us that the world neither received Jesus nor knew Him. He understands what we feel.

When I’m discouraged, His presence sees me through. When I’m lonely, His presence cheers me up. You know, I go for a drive with Jesus. I take a walk with Jesus. I read a book with Jesus. Do you know what I’m talking about? “But I need somebody real,” you say. Jesus is real. He is closer to you than anyone else can be. He is as real to me as my closest friend. And He has time for me as though there were no one else.

When I’m worried, His presence calms me. David wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8). God is at my right hand. That’s what David meant when he said, “I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4).

We will never be separated from Him! “…for He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee’” (Hebrews 13:5b).

ACTION POINT:

Are you lonely? Chances are someone you know is, too. Why don’t you give someone a call right now and invite them to do something.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Can God forget about you?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Comforter.”

Whenever peace enters your heart in the midst of grief...

Whenever joy enters your heart in the midst of a trial...

Whenever you see evidence of His life in yours…

…..you can be sure the Holy Spirit is flowing through your life.

Can He forget you? Never. The seal of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is on your life if you are His child. Whenever you pass through a room or walk through a crowd, His oil of gladness sends a sweet aroma of Christ through the air!

ACTION POINT:

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. How can you show the comfort of Christ to someone who is hurting?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Where Our Comfort Comes From

He [Pilate] entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:9–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus. Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather, this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So, how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power.

This is the point of Romans 8:35–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Pilate (and all Jesus’s adversaries — and ours) meant it for evil. But God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). All Jesus’s enemies gathered together with their God-given authority “to do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). They sinned. But through their sinning God saved.

Therefore, do not be intimidated by your adversaries who can only kill the body (Matthew 10:28). Not only because this is all they can do (Luke 12:4), but also because it is done under the watchful hand of your Father.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Pilate has authority. Herod has authority. Soldiers have authority. Satan has authority. But none is independent. All their authority is derivative. All of it is subordinate to God’s will. Fear not. You are precious to your sovereign Father. Far more precious than the unforgotten birds.

John Piper 

For Thou Art With Me

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There’s nothing, my friend, that will bring you more face-to-face with God than going through the dark valleys of life. When you are there, you are going to cling to His garments and hold onto His hand. You won’t stray far from the fold in the dark.

Do you believe that He is with you? The ultimate Sovereign is your loving Savior. You will not have to cross Jordan alone. You will not appear before the judgment of the Holy God alone. You are not going to die alone.

           

ACTION POINT:

What a joyful promise! You are not alone! Write these words on a card and post it in a place where you can see it all the time:

“I am not alone. God is with me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Pain and Struggle Of Mourning

God's Plan

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  - Genesis 1:27

God's Power

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. - 1 Corinthians 15:40

Spirit and body connection

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. - Ecclesiastes 12:7

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.

43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.

44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

45 Thus it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.

47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.

49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. - 1 Corinthians 15:42-49

God's order of death and life

53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 

55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 15:53-57

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak,

14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Praise be to God for He alone is worthy!!

He made you in His image.

When sin perverted His marvelous creation, He made a way, through Christ, to redeem your soul!!!

Yes we mourn the loss of precious loved ones!

Yes we suffer as we die.

Sin is the cause of death and suffering.

If you believe Christ died and has risen and that He alone is your only hope for redemption, thank God, shout Amen and praise Him!! 

Christ is coming soon to receive His church, be ready!!

Are You Mourning Your Sin?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Jesus purposefully sequenced the Beatitudes in this order because this is the way we grow in sanctification. First, we see our bankrupt condition (Matthew 5:3) then it breaks our heart (Matthew 5:4). 

This word “mourn” speaks of the strongest kind of lamentation, not just a sentimental tear. What we need today are men and women who are broken over their sin.

Proverbs 14:9 says, “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.” Jesus speaks of this favor when He says that we will be comforted. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter who will strengthen us when we are broken over our sin.

ACTION POINT:

Do you know where we ought to be? On our face before God in bitter tears over the barrenness of our lives, the coldness of our hearts, and the wickedness of our attitudes. And what will be the outcome? We will be comforted.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers