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

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 do not 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 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:

Do you need a counselor sometimes? 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.  “He is made unto us,” Paul says in 1 Corinthians1:30, “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 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

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’s welfare in His name. Call upon Him today. Ask Him to help you receive the peace He has provided.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

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) 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Promise of His Life

Isaiah 11:1-10
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

The Hope of the People (11:1)
This hope contradicts human intuition.
This hope exposes every false hope.
This hope points to a King and kingdom.
“I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
(Revelation 22:16)
The Heart of the King (11:2-5)
This King is endowed with the Spirit.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
(Luke 2:52)
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to
them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his
understanding and his answers. (Luke 2:46-47)
This King sees the heart and contends for the weak.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24)
“Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on
his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one
to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23b-24)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
This King loves righteousness.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will
be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Jesus: The True and Better Prophet, Priest, and King
A word about Advent prophecies: The Kingdom has come in part and
will come in fullness.
The Hallmarks of the Kingdom (11:6-10)
This Kingdom signals the end of evil and the establishment of
everlasting peace.
“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill
with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of
his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)
Thanks Matt!

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