You Cannot Lose in the End

“You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” (Matthew 27:65)

When Jesus was dead and buried, with a big stone rolled against the tomb, the Pharisees came to Pilate and asked for permission to seal the stone and guard the tomb.

They gave it their best shot — in vain.

It was hopeless then, it is hopeless today, and it will always be hopeless. Try as they may, people can’t keep Jesus down. They can’t keep him buried.

It’s not hard to figure out: He can break out because he wasn’t forced in. He let himself be libeled and harassed and blackballed and scorned and shoved around and killed.

I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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. (John 10:17–18)

No one can keep him down because no one ever knocked him down. He lay down when he was ready.

When it looks like he is buried for good, Jesus is doing something awesome in the dark. “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” (Mark 4:26–27).

The world thinks Jesus is done for — out of the way — but Jesus is at work in the dark places. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). He let himself be buried — “no one takes [my life] from me” — and he will come out in power when and where he pleases — “I have authority to take it up again.”

“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). Jesus has his priesthood today “by the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16).

For twenty centuries, the world has given it their best shot — in vain. They can’t bury him. They can’t hold him in. They can’t silence him or limit him. Jesus is alive and utterly free to go and come wherever he pleases.

Trust him and go with him, no matter what. You cannot lose in the end.

John Piper 

Two Ways to Remember Jesus

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. (2 Timothy 2:8)

Paul mentions two specific ways to remember Jesus: Remember him as risen from the dead. And remember him as the offspring of David. Why these two things about Jesus?

Because if he is risen from the dead he is alive and triumphant over death — including our death! “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

Which means that no matter how serious the suffering becomes, the worst that it can do on this earth is kill you. And Jesus has taken the sting out of that enemy. He is alive. And you will be alive. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

But more than that, the resurrection of Jesus was not a random resurrection. It was the resurrection of the son of David. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David.” Why does Paul say that?

Because every Jewish person knew what that meant. That meant that Jesus is the Messiah (John 7:42). And that meant that this resurrection was the resurrection of an everlasting King. Listen to the words of the angel to Mary, Jesus’s mother:

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31–33)

So, remember Jesus, the one you serve, and the one for whom you suffer. He is not just alive from the dead, but he is alive as a King who will reign forever — of his kingdom there will be no end. No matter what they do to you, you do not need to be afraid. You will live again. And you will reign with him.

John Piper 

You Cannot Lose in the End

“You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” (Matthew 27:65)

When Jesus was dead and buried, with a big stone rolled against the tomb, the Pharisees came to Pilate and asked for permission to seal the stone and guard the tomb.

They gave it their best shot — in vain.

It was hopeless then, it is hopeless today, and it will always be hopeless. Try as they may, people can’t keep Jesus down. They can’t keep him buried.

It’s not hard to figure out: He can break out because he wasn’t forced in. He let himself be libeled and harassed and blackballed and scorned and shoved around and killed.

I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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. (John 10:17–18)

No one can keep him down because no one ever knocked him down. He lay down when he was ready.

When it looks like he is buried for good, Jesus is doing something awesome in the dark. “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” (Mark 4:26–27).

The world thinks Jesus is done for — out of the way — but Jesus is at work in the dark places. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). He let himself be buried — “no one takes [my life] from me” — and he will come out in power when and where he pleases — “I have authority to take it up again.”

“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). Jesus has his priesthood today “by the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16).

For twenty centuries, the world has given it their best shot — in vain. They can’t bury him. They can’t hold him in. They can’t silence him or limit him. Jesus is alive and utterly free to go and come wherever he pleases.

Trust him and go with him, no matter what. You cannot lose in the end.

John Piper 

When Jesus Comes, Darkness Leaves?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life”... 

(John 8:12)

 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If you wanted to get rid of darkness in a room, how would you do it? Would you curse the darkness? Take a broomstick and try to beat the darkness out? Grab a shovel and shovel it out? Or a vacuum cleaner and suck it out? How are you going to get the darkness out of a room?

There’s no way except one: turn on the light. Just turn on the light. The darkness cannot stand the light. When Jesus comes, darkness is going to go. It has to go! And when it goes, everything that loves it will go with it. What a day it will be when Jesus comes and all the wicked, vile, filthy things in the spiritual world flee His light!

When we're faithful, when we live as a Christian ought to, everywhere we go, we’re making evident the deeds of darkness as we let our light shine.

ACTION POINT:

Don't have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness! We're to walk in the light. There is to be godly fruit, godly fellowship, and godly faithfulness as we “walk in the light as He is in the light.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do You Want Jesus to Be Real to You?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him”... 

(John 14:21)

 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In frustration many say, “Well, there’s so much in the Bible I don’t understand.” Do you feel that way? But Mark Twain was once reported to have said, “It’s not that part of the Bible I don’t understand that gives me so much trouble; it’s the part I do understand.” I'm afraid that's true of many of us. We must learn to practice the Word of God.

There may be mysteries you don’t understand, but you can understand when the Bible says “love one another,” can’t you? If you want to learn more about the Word of God, first you must obey the part you do know. You see, when it comes to obedience, the rich will get richer. It’s not enough to recite the promises without obeying the commandments. The more you obey, the more you will learn and understand.

ACTION POINT:

Keep the Word of God. That's a simple principle, but how important it is. Jesus said, “He that keeps my commandments, he it is that loves Me, and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father and I will manifest Myself to him.” You want Him to be real to you? Then begin to obey His Word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You’re on Jesus’ Prayer List

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”... 

(Hebrews 7:25)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

You want a blessed thought? You’re on Jesus’ prayer list. There’s nothing more comforting to me than for someone to tell me they pray for me. I once met a man who said, “Adrian, I prayed for you this morning. I pray for you every day.” That moved me greatly. There are seven billion people on this earth. Some have never been prayed for one time. If you’re on anybody’s prayer list, you’re blessed.

But I can tell you, you’re on Jesus’ prayer list. The Lord Jesus knows you by name. You came to God by Jesus? Then you’re on His prayer list. The finished work of Jesus is Calvary. The unfinished work of Jesus is His prayer ministry.

ACTION POINT:

Thank Him today for the truth that “He ever lives to make intercession” for you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Can you slip through His hands?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God… 1 John 3:1a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

All this month we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God. We are saved because of the grace of Christmas. That’s not rhetoric—that’s reality!

You are eternally secure in Christ.

A little boy was talking about what it felt like to be saved. He said, “I am held in His hand.”

A cynic responded, “What if you slip through His hands?”

“Oh, that won’t happen,” the boy replied, “I’m one of His fingers.”

ACTION POINT:

Amidst all the materialism that sometimes chokes out the true meaning of Christmas, take time to reflect on what His coming meant for all eternity. God became man. He took on a body of human flesh. Our Creator, our “Immanuel” (“God with us”) came and lived among us. Now, through faith in Christ, His Spirit lives within every believer. His Spirit is within you. Share this Good News with someone today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

And The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

Do you understand the magnitude of these words? 

God came down to Earth, in human form, in the form that He created.

The Creator became the created, but why?

Because of His great mercy.

Sweet cleansing grace, unmerited gift, to unworthy sinners, like you and me.

So when you have doubt about your worth.

Know that Christ loved you enough to take your sin, nail it to the cross and cover it with His blood so that you might be reconciled to a holy Almighty God.

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:11-13

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 2:4-9

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

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.

8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,

11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. - Titus 3:4-11

You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. - 1 John 3:5

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. - 1 John 2:2

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. - 1 John 4:14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. - Hebrews 10:3-18

I will leave you with these verses, meditate on them, savor them and ask Creator Almighty God, sustainer of your life and mine, to give you wisdom.

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?  - Job 38:36

But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.  - Job 32:8

then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. - Genesis 2:7

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.  - Job 4:9

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.  - Job 33:4

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 

9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 

10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," 

12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.  - Psalm 139:8-18

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. - 1 John 3:8

Jesus Is Who You’re Looking For

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, 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)

The last chapter of Matthew is a window that opens onto the sunrise glory of the risen Christ. Through it you can see at least three massive peaks in the mountain range of Christ’s character: the peak of his power; the peak of his kindness; and the peak of his purposefulness.

All authority is his — the right and the power to do his will. And he uses this power to pursue his unwavering purpose to make disciples from all the nations. And in the process he is personally kind to us, promising to be with us to the end.

We all know in our hearts that if the risen Christ is going to satisfy our desire to admire greatness, that is the way he has to be. Great in power. Great in kindness. Great in purposefulness.

People who are too weak to accomplish their purposes can’t satisfy our desire to admire greatness. We admire people even less who have no purpose in life. And still less those whose purposes are merely selfish and unkind.

What we long to see and know is a Person whose power is unlimited, whose kindness is tender, and whose purpose is single and unflinching.

Novelists and poets and movie-makers and TV writers now and then create a shadow of this Person. But they can no more fill our longing to worship than this month’s National Geographic can satisfy my longing for the Grand Canyon.

We must have the real thing. We must see the Original of all power and kindness and purposefulness. We must see and worship the risen Christ.

John Piper 

My Soul Thirsts for God

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1–2)

What makes this so beautiful and so crucial for us is that he is not thirsting mainly for relief from his threatening circumstances. He is not thirsting mainly for escape from his enemies or for their destruction.

It’s not wrong to want relief, and to pray for it. It is sometimes right to pray for the defeat of enemies. But more important than any of that is God himself.

When we think and feel with God in the Psalms, this is the main result: We come to love God, and we want to see God and be with God and be satisfied in admiring and exulting in God.

A likely translation of the end of verse 2 is: “When will I come and see the face of God?” The final answer to that question was given in John 14:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And Paul said that when we are converted to Christ we see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

When we see the face of Christ, we see the face of God. And we see the glory of the face of Christ, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 6, when we hear the story of the gospel of his death and resurrection. He calls it “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Or (verse 6): “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

May the Lord increase your hunger and your thirst to see the face of God. And may he grant your desire, even today, through the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John Piper 

The Point of Creation

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 made humans in his image so that the world would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of God. Seven billion statues of God. So that nobody would miss the point of creation.

Nobody (unless they are stone blind) could miss the point of humanity, namely, God — knowing, loving, showing God. The angels cry in Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” It is full of billions of human image-bearers. Glorious ruins.

But not only humans. Also nature! Why such a breathtaking world for us to live in? Why such a vast universe?

I once read that there are more stars in the universe than there are words and sounds that all humans of all time have ever spoken. Why are there so many? So large? So bright? At such unimaginable distances? The Bible is crystal clear about this: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

If someone asks, “If earth is the only inhabited planet and man the only rational inhabitant among the stars, why such a large and empty universe?” The answer is: It’s not about us. It’s about God. And it’s an understatement. He is more glorious. Greater in power. Greater in scope. Greater brightness. Than all the galaxies combined. One wise man said, the universe is like a peanut that God carries around in his pocket.

God created us to know him and love him and show him. And then he gave us a hint of what he is like: the universe.

John Piper 

Can you prove what you have is real?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

“Don't worry, be happy.” Everyone thinks that's good advice because we live in a generation seeking happiness. That's terrible advice. You can’t be happy all the time because happiness depends upon what “happens”—that’s why it’s called “happiness.” If your “hap” is good, you're happy. If your “hap” is bad, you're unhappy. But if you put your trust in happiness, you'll be a victim of circumstances, because your happenstance will change.

The Bible doesn't tell us to rejoice in circumstances but “Rejoice in the Lord.” Circumstances change; God never changes. Since He never changes, we can “Rejoice evermore” (1Thess. 5:16).

What's the difference between happiness and joy? Happiness is like a cosmetic whereas joy is like character. Happiness comes from outside circumstances. Joy comes from within. Happiness meets surface needs. Joy meets your deepest needs. Happiness is a thermometer—it registers conditions. Joy is a thermostat—it regulates conditions. Happiness evaporates in times of suffering. Joy frequently intensifies in times of suffering. In fact, it’s often intertwined with suffering.

It’s cruel to tell sorrowing people, “Smile and be happy.” We’re not expected to paste a smile on our face and be happy all the time. Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). Yet the Bible spoke of the joy of the Lord, and that He was “anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows” (Heb. 1:9).

Dear friend, this is a life of tragedy, sorrow, heartache and pain. Yet in that sorrow, you can have joy when you base it upon who God is in your life. Happiness is an outside job. Joy is an inside job.

ACTION POINT:

Joy is the proof that what we have is real and that it satisfies. Joy is necessary in bringing unsaved people to Jesus Christ. We have nothing more winsome and attractive than the joy of the Lord. We’re told to serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2), for “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Neh. 8:1). It is joy that lubricates life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Know anyone with these"nevers"?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There has never been a man like the Lord Jesus. I was deeply stirred by these words, written by John Phillips about Jesus:

“He never uttered a hasty, unkind, untrue, or frivolous word. He never entertained an impure thought. His talents never debased for selfish ends. His influence, never bad. His judgment, never wrong. He never had to apologize for anything that He did or retract a single word He said. He was never too late or too soon, never upset, never insipid, never shallow or afraid. . . He had absolute victory from the moment He drew his first breath in that Bethlehem barn until the moment He closed His eyes in death on the cross of Calvary.”

ACTION POINT:

If you’re looking for a hero, let me suggest mine. His name is Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Do you follow a "was"or an "IS"?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Revelation 1:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I went to see Lenin’s tomb when I was in Moscow. He is sealed in a crystal case. You can see his waxen face and his trimmed beard, and on that tomb these words are written: “He was the greatest leader of all peoples of all countries of all times. He was the lord of the new humanity. He was the savior of the world.”

Do you notice it’s all past tense? He was. Jesus is alive. He is the great I AM. It is an encounter with the living Christ that makes the difference in our lives. We serve a Savior who is alive and listening to our every prayer. He is bottling every tear and rejoicing with every victory.

ACTION POINT:

Thank God for His plan of love that sent His Son to die for you. Praise Him that Jesus lives forevermore!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers