Faithful in Your Words

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." James 5:12 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In June we take time to focus on fathers, and I've discovered in talking with teenagers that many of them harbor bitterness and resentment. Much of that resentment is directed toward their fathers over the serious matter of broken promises.

If you're a dad who wants to restore your relationship with your teenager, one of the best things you can do is to remember those broken promises. Then go and say to them with a remorseful spirit, "I've asked God to forgive me, and I want you to forgive me." Then ask this question, "Have I ever made a promise to you that I've failed to keep? If so, I want you to tell me because I want to repent. I want you to believe that your dad is a faithful man."

ACTION POINT:

Are you a man of your word? If not, start fresh today and make a commitment that you will stand behind your word.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Our Abba Father

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you know what “Abba” means?  It means “Daddy Father.” Have you ever thought about God as your Daddy? When Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father” in Matthew 6:9, the same word in Greek is the word “Pater” – “Abba Father.” 

American children say, “Da-da.”  But in the Middle East they say, “Abba - Abba.” Jesus says that we can call the great God of the universe “Daddy.” 

I’m so glad that our Heavenly Father never gets too busy running this universe and commanding the angels that He forgets us. He wants to be with you like there is no one else on earth and nothing else for Him to do. 

ACTION POINT:

Do you wish you had a hug right now? You can crawl up into the lap of your Daddy Father, and He has nothing better to do than to give you a hug.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Should We Bring Children Into Such a Chaotic World?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:4-5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I would be afraid to bring children into this world if I did not know God. But because I know God, I am free to encourage you to have children.

Don’t ever let the devil intimidate you. I’ve had couples ask me, “Pastor Rogers, the world is so dangerous today, do you think we ought to have children?”

I respond with a hearty “Yes!”

God’s people are the ones who ought to be bringing a godly seed into this world. What does the world need? Jesus. How are they going to hear if the light goes out?

ACTION POINT:

Are you contemplating having children? Do you know someone who is? Encourage them with this devotional today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Is the Choice You’re Making Questionable?

“… for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” - Romans 14:23

A man was in the back bedroom getting dressed. His wife was out in the living room talking with a friend. He yelled out, “Is this shirt clean enough for me to wear?” Without hesitation, she said “no” and went on talking.

After a while, he came out, buttoning up another shirt. He asked, “How did you know that shirt wasn’t clean without looking at it?” She said, “If you had to ask, it wasn't.”

So many times we wonder whether a course of action is right or wrong. We're not quite sure, so since we don't know absolutely that it’s wrong, we do it anyway. But if we think it may be wrong, we should leave it alone until we're sure that it's right.

The old adage “When in doubt, don’t” is often a good course to follow. When faced with a choice, ask: “Will this gladden the heart of God or grieve Him? Pray today: “Lord, I want my heart to be grieved by those things that grieve Your heart and be gladdened with the things that give You joy.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Train Up A Child

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A little boy was riding around and around the block. A man asked him, “What are you doing?”

“I’m running away from home,” he said.

“But you’re just going around and around the block,” said the man.

The little boy responded, “That’s because my mom won’t let me cross the street!”

Even in the earliest ages, there can be restraint in the heart of a child because of godly training by his or her parents. The only way I ever learned to play football was on the training field. The classroom wasn’t enough. Parents must provide training and education for the lessons of life to be ingrained in their children.

ACTION POINT:

Has God given you the divine responsibility of parenthood? Then spend some time this week training your child in one area of godly living.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Discovering His Will for Your Life

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Nehemiah was a man who knew how to get alone with God. He fasted, prayed, and wept; then God told him what to do.

Have you done that? Have you sacrificed and surrendered to the Lord to discover His will for your life? Or are you just putting yourself into neutral and letting life happen to you? Do you have a focus?

God has something that He wants you to do. You are special to God. Nehemiah said, “God had laid something on my heart.” If you’ll listen, God will lay something on your heart.

ACTION POINT:

Get alone with God. Discover what He wants from your life to do His will.

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Believing In the Living God

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.” 1 John 5:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I’ve been asked, “Pastor Rogers, do you expect me to believe in Jesus Christ just because your book says that He lived? That’s not enough for me.”

I agree. You need something else. If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit.

God says, “If you want to believe, I will help you to understand and to know that these things are true.”

Don’t tell me that you cannot believe. You may refuse to believe, but I will tell you this. If you want to believe in Jesus Christ and if you seek Truth, God the Holy Spirit will speak to you and confirm to you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Read Deuteronomy 4:29 — “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

ACTION POINT:

Do you want to know the living God? He is there if you seek Him with all your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers