Expressing Our Praise to the Lord

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” Psalm 100:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There’s nothing wrong with getting excited in church. I heard about a man who came to a cold church. The preacher said something he agreed with and he said, “Amen.” 

Everybody turned around and looked at him. After awhile he said, “Praise the Lord.” 

Then people arched their eyebrows. Next time he said “Amen” an usher tapped him on the shoulder to quiet him down. 

The usher said, “What is wrong with you?” 

He said, “Well, nothing. I’ve just got religion.” 

To which the usher curtly replied, “Well, mister, you didn’t get it here.”    

It’s easier to cool down a zealot than it is to warm up a corpse.

ACTION POINT:

What does it mean to make a joyful noise unto the Lord? How do you make a joyful noise to Him . . . not just on Sundays in church, but all week long? Sing one of your favorite hymns throughout the day today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Hunger for the Word of God

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “I rejoice at Thy Word.” Psalm 119:162

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). When God’s Word is as important to you as your physical food, then you’re going to start to grow in your Christian life. 

I wonder if one day the dust on our Bibles is not going to testify against us. The following verse sobers my heart, “These hath God married and no man shall part, dust on the Bible and drought on the heart.” Oh, that we would hunger for the Word of God!

ACTION POINT:

Fast one meal today. Sense just a touch of the hunger our hearts are to have for the Word of God. And remember to pray for those who need the pure milk of His Word!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

True Hope for a World in Turmoil

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

For the first time in history, man is afraid of what he knows. His head and his hands have outrun his heart and we are being faced with things for which we have no answers—the plague of AIDS, the tinderbox in the Middle East, the outbreaks of famine, the irregular weather disturbances, and much more. But we don’t have to wring our hands and say, “What is the world coming to?” 

We can look up and say, “Who is the world coming to? It’s coming to Jesus! Praise God!”

ACTION POINT:

Call your church today and ask if there is a place where you can volunteer in the area of community outreach. Perhaps there is a soup kitchen, a nursing home, a homeless shelter, or a children’s center where you can serve.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Staying Focused on God’s Plan for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The devil would love to get you distracted and get you off the course on which God has placed you. God has something He wants you to do and you had better not substitute the good for the best. Find out what God wants you to do and refuse to be distracted by the devil. You need to say as the apostle Paul said, “This one thing I do!” Know what it is that God wants you to do and do it with all your strength for His glory!

ACTION POINT:

Take a few minutes to write out a mission statement focusing on “that one thing” (TOT) that you think God has called you to do. Then, post the letters TOT everywhere to remind yourself to stay focused on the calling of God in your life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Yielding Yourself to Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “…yield yourselves unto God…” Romans 6:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I heard about a man who entered an interstate out of a side road and did not even slow down. A big eighteen-wheeler pulled over, almost wrecking him. 

The truck driver leaned out of the window and yelled, “Hey, didn’t you see that sign?” 

The man said, “What sign?” 

The trucker said, “That sign that said, Y–I–E–L–D.” 

“Oh,” he said, “I opened the window and yield as loud as I could.” 

In the matter of victory, it is not your ability or your responsibility that counts. It is not even your response to His ability. You must choose to yield to Christ. You are to yield with all of your heart to the power, the presence, and the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Look up the definition of “yield.” What does it say about the right of way? Who has the “right of way” in your life? Bow before the Lord and surrender all of you to all of Him today.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

CHRIST AND CHILDREN IN A CULTURE OF DEATH

Matthew 19:13-15

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people,

14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Christ cherishes children.

Our culture (and our country) murders children.

The Simple Reality...

The Devastating Realization...

God and a Culture of Death... (Ps. 139:13-16)

Abortion is an affront to God’s sovereign authority as Creator (Is. 40:28). 

He is the Giver of life (Job 12:9-10; 33:4).

He is the Taker of life (Deut. 32:39; Job 1:21).

Abortion is an assault on God’s glorious work in creation (Ps. 104:24). 

The way God creates people compels praise (Ps. 104:27-34).

The womb contains a person formed in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28). 

If the unborn is not human, no justification for abortion is necessary. 

If the unborn is human, no justification for abortion is adequate.

Though the unborn is visibly hidden from man, he/she is never hidden from God (Job 10:8-13). All of God’s works are wonderful.

Even (or especially) in the case of disability (Job 9:1-3).

Even (or especially) in the midst of difficulty (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28). 

Abortion is an attack on God’s intimate relationship with the unborn.

He fashions them (Job 31:15) and values them (Exodus 21:22-25). 

He knows them (Jeremiah 1:5) and relates to them (Psalm 22:9-10). 

He calls them (Galatians 1:15), names them (Isaiah 49:1), and

anoints them (Luke 1:15, 44).

The Gospel in a Culture of Death... (Titus 3:3-7)

God is the Judge of sinners (Gen. 18:25; Ps. 139:17-24; Rom. 2:6-8).

Mothers who have aborted babies, fathers who have encouraged abortion, grandparents

who have supported abortion, and friends who have recommended abortion.

Doctors who have performed abortion.

Leaders who have permitted abortion (Rom. 13:1-4).

Government is given by God for the good of people.

Government is given by God for the legislation of morality. 

Christians who have done nothing about abortion.

God is the Savior of sinners.

He was born to save us from ourselves. 

He died so that we might have life.

He forgives entirely (Ps. 103:11-12; Is. 43:25; 1 Jn. 1:9) and heals deeply (Lk. 7:47-50).

He restores completely (Rom. 8:1) and redeems fully (Rom. 8:28).

Our Lives in a Culture of Death... (Eph. 5:7-11; Jms. 1:22-25)

Look around...

Learn the facts about abortion.

See the pictures of abortion.

Listen to the victims of abortion.

Step forward...

Share your burdens from the past with brothers and/or sisters. 

Share your struggles in the present with brothers and/or sisters.

Speak up...

Before God.

Before the government. l Reach out...

Through giving to pro-life causes and ministries. 

Through serving unwed and under-age mothers. 

Through volunteering at pregnancy centers.

Through supporting abortion alternatives.

Through adopting unwanted children.

Thanks Pastor David!

Truly Living the Christian Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” Colossians 3:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The sign over the church door where I attended as a boy read, “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silent.” I mistakenly took that to mean that I had just entered the holy temple and had better start acting religious. 

We are the temple of God, not a building made of brick and mortar. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are to be doing all in the name of Jesus. The secular is to be sanctified so that Jesus will be glorified in everything. 

Because He lives in you, every day is a holy day, not just Sundays. The spiritual life is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all eternity.

ACTION POINT:

Have you ever had a home appraised? Get a trusted friend or loved one to give you an appraisal of the home where the Holy Spirit dwells—you! Are there areas that need repair, restoration, or removal?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers