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. 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

Your Second Chance

Non-believers, every time you are permitted to draw a breath, God is giving you a second chance to repent!
Christ will return for His church!
I will humbly and faithfully see His return or I will die waiting for His return!
We all will face judgment!

Acts 3:
13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.
14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
16 And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
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 again, 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.
22 Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.

Daniel 7:
13 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Ps. 90:
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!"

4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

John 14:
1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
4 And you know the way to where I am going."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

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

2 Thessalonians 1:
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.

Lord, You delay Your second coming because of Your great mercy toward the lost!  We ask for Your great wisdom to be spread and hearts to receive the good news of salvation through Christ! Amen

The Promise of His Return

2 Peter 3:1-18
1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,
2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
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.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Final Words
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

What? – The world trashes what we treasure.

Scripture declares Christ’s return repeatedly. (1-2)
Scoffers dismiss Christ’s return rationally. (3-4)
So What? – We can stumble at the world’s scoffing.
Remember that God is sovereign. (5-7)
Remember that God is timeless. (8)
Remember that God is merciful. (9)
Remember that God is just. (10)

Now What? – Our response to this temporary venue is eternal
values.
Practice righteousness for now. (11-14)
Prepare for righteousness forever. (14)
Share God’s salvation for now. (15-16)
Strengthen your salvation forever. (17)
Grow in Christ for now. (18)
Glorify Christ forever. (18)

Thanks Pastor Jim!

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

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. “Rest with us.” 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. 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 are 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

This Light Momentary Affliction

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

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.

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Peter 1:6-9

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith-more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire-may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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.

1Peter 5:10-11

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 8:24

24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

Hebrews 11:1

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

Isaiah 54:7-8

7 For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. 

8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. 

This is the season of joy when we celebrate the birth of Christ. But even in the midst of such joy there is still suffering. We live in a fallen creation which has been perverted by Satan. God created the heavens and the earth for us just as He created us in His image. Will you put your faith in the grace that was bought through pain and suffering by an innocent? Christ paid the debt that belonged to each and everyone of us through obedience to God the father! Are you one of the souls which Christ is calling to repentance today?

Father God, we fall at Your feet for mercy. We know we deserve nothing, but You give us grace through Jesus. Forgive us we ask in the precious name of Christ our Lord! Amen