Casting Our Burdens at His Feet

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I read about a man who had a very fine dog who loved the water. One day the dog was playing in the lake and the man decided to leave. He called the dog, but the dog wouldn’t come. He called him several times; he wouldn’t come. It was a well-trained dog, but he just would not come. The man finally threw a stick out in the water. When the dog saw it, he swam over, got the stick, and came back and laid it at his master’s feet. 

It just may be that God has given you a burden because He can’t get your attention. He wants you to come and lay it at your Master’s feet.

ACTION POINT:

Is your heart aching today? Cast your burden at His feet and allow His peace to fill your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

What Are They Afraid Of?

Every since Jesus died on the cross, wicked men have continued to persecute believers! 

What are they afraid of? 

Why are they so against the teachings of Christ? 

Christ blood bought our forgiveness! 

Christ blood bought our eternal life in paradise! 

Christ blood bought our freedom! 

The price paid was His life's blood, freely given to sinful man! 

Are these things to be feared? 

No, these are the things that make us sing praise songs of thanksgiving to God for His Son!

These are the things that drive us, even during persecution to proclaim His name with love!

These are the things that set the captives free!

We know why the Pharisees hated the Christ. 

They did not want to loose their standing as religious leaders and were filled with hate and jealousy!

They did not listen and hear the word of God being delivered!

Christ did not force God's word, nor a religion on anyone!

What He did was to confront us with our sin! 

Is that what people are afraid of?

Yes!

Confront the child abuser, the homosexual, the murder, the adulterer, the thief, the liar, the drug addict, the alcoholic, the swindler, the extortionist, or any other sinner and he will be in rebellion to you because you exposing his enjoyment as sin.

Never mind it's sending him to hell, he wants it regardless of the cost.

There are those who will keep you in the bondage of sin because it's lucrative for them.

The prostitutes are in bondage to pimps.

The addicts are in bondage to their suppliers.

Sin is bondage!

Listen to these verses:

Acts 16:

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.

17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."

18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.

21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."

22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely.

24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Our job is to preach the gospel. 

The word changes hearts!

God has set a time for forgiveness, a time for judgment, a time for repentance but God will leave you in your sin if you don't turn from it!

Sin forever separates you from Him!

Choose life and repent!

Choose death and love your sin!

Choose eternal life by trusting Christ for your salvation!

Choose eternal destruction by living in your sin!

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

2 Cor.4:

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

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 1:

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,

30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

1 Peter 4:

16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

18 And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Be Merciful to Me, A Sinner

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation.” Psalm 85:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There’s a story about a lady who went to a photographer to have her picture made. When she saw it, she didn’t like it. She took it back and told the photographer, “You’ll have to take this over.” 

He asked, “What’s wrong with it?” 

She said, “It doesn’t do me justice.” 

He looked at it and looked at her and said, “Lady, you don’t need justice, what you need is mercy.” 

God is just, but we need mercy. If you have never come to a place where you have seen yourself as a sinner lost before Almighty God and cried out to Him for mercy, you’ve never been saved.

ACTION POINT:

You may have joined a church, but have you thrown yourself on the mercy of the court? Have you said, “Lord God be merciful to me, a sinner?”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Faithful in Little and Much

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What would you do if you had a million dollars? Well, let me tell you a good test of what you would do—it’s what you’re doing with that hundred dollars you have right now. Are you saving it? Spending it? Sharing it? 

The test of what you would do in the spiritual realm is seen by what you do in the physical realm. Many of us do not have spiritual blessings because we simply haven’t been faithful with the small things in our lives.

ACTION POINT:

Are you hoping for something in your life? How could you be faithful in something little so that you’ll be faithful when the other comes along?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Law of Life in Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I’ve always found airplane flight amazing. They are so heavy, yet they fly! The pilot gets behind the controls, moves the throttle, and those great engines begin to roar. And the first thing you know, you’re flying. 

Has the law of gravity been canceled? No, but there’s another law that comes into effect called the law of aerodynamics, which is a greater law than the law of gravity. When you get right with God, the law of sin and death is still there. But there’s a new law. It’s the law of life in Christ Jesus that sets you free from the law of sin and death. As long as you abide in Jesus Christ, then you are free from the law of sin and death.

ACTION POINT:

Have you been set free? Then, it’s your turn to set another captive free with the Good News. Go out and share this free gift with someone today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Love That Turns The World Upside Down

Acts 17:1-9

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

1 Thess. 2:1-20

1 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain.

2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.

3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,

4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed-God is witness.

6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.

11 For you know how, like a father with his children,

12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind

16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved-so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face,

18 because we wanted to come to you-I, Paul, again and again-but Satan hindered us.

19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?

20 For you are our glory and joy.

Four expressions of our Love for God...

Love for God’s Word

In our conversation (Acts 17:2) 

In its completeness (Acts 17:2) 

In our confidence (Acts 17:3)

Love for God’s Gospel

The simplicity of the message (Acts 17:3) 

The supremacy of the measure (Acts 17:4)

Love for God’s Purpose

Focused on the praise of Christ (Acts 17:6)

Filled by the power of Christ (1 Thess. 2:2)

Fueled by the pleasure of Christ (1 Thess. 2:4, 6)

Love for God’s People

Gentle in our conduct (1 Thess. 2:7)

Genuine in our connection (1 Thess. 2:8)

Generous in our care (1 Thess. 2:7-8)

Gracious in our confrontation (1 Thess. 2:11-12) 

Grateful for our community (1 Thess. 2:17-20)

Three exhortations as We Love...

Love with Abandon (Mark 12:30)

Love with Assurance (1 John 4:7-12) 

Love with Action (1 John 3:18)

Thanks Tate!

Knowing Jesus

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Years ago my wife gave me a little card to carry in my billfold. On it she had written her dress size, shoe size, glove size and more. That was nice to have so I could know all about her when I went to do some shopping. But it didn’t provide much companionship or encouragement when I was away from her.

It’s one thing to have the facts about Jesus, it’s another thing to have a relationship with Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Do you know Jesus...really know Him? Or are you just gathering facts about Him?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers