Tuesday, December 16, 2014

“For Thou Art With Me”


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There’s nothing, my friend, that will bring you more face-to-face with God than going through the dark valleys of life. When you are there, you are going to cling to His garments and hold onto His hand. You won’t stray far from the fold in the dark.
Do you believe that He is with you? The ultimate Sovereign is your loving Savior. You will not have to cross Jordan alone. You will not appear before the judgment of the Holy God alone. You are not going to die alone.

ACTION POINT:
What a joyful promise! You are not alone! Write these words on a card and post it in a place where you can see it all the time:
“I am not alone. God is with me.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Monday, December 15, 2014

Live Out Your Life Wisely



Highlights from a sermon that Dr. Charles Stanley preached. 

Prov.4:10-14
Matt 7:13-14, 20
To believe is an action. You will obey God's law if you are His.
Christ is the only substituted sacrifice  for the forgiveness of sin which God will except.
Repent from sin, you are a new creation in Christ. 
The cross is a symbol of God's love and mercy toward the sinner. 
Christ alone is your only hope for forgiveness. 
Judgement us coming.
You will stand before Jesus speechless unless you stand covered in the power of His Son's blood.
His blood is the only cleanser that will wipe away the stain of sin that brings eternal hell as your reward.
Heb.9:27
John 8:12
Gal. 5:16-17

Great White Throne Judgment




Taken from a sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah

Rev.20
Does not take place in heaven and not on earth
For the spiritually dead, no believers in Christ will be there
John 5:22
John 5:27
Romans 2:16
Acts 10:42

Who will be there
Rev.20:12-13
Small and great, all classes, all religions, 

Matt 7:22-23
You must believe and obey Christ
Rev.20:12
Your record of sin and your rejection of Christ

Book of law
Romans 3:20,23
Your only hope is faith in Christ, period!!

Book of works
Rev.20:13
11 Cor. 11:15
Matt. 16:27
Book of secrets
Luke 8:17
Romans 2:16
Ecc.12:14

Book of words
Matt 12:36-37

Book of conscience
Romans 2:15

Book of life
Rev.21:27
Rev.3:5
Will you accept Christ?
God's truth is our salvation or our judgement!

Matt.25:41,46
2 Thess 1:9
Rev. 21:8
John 3:18
John 5:24

Is Grace Enough?


Definition of Grace-unmerited favor of God

Grace by God's mercy: Yes, praise God, grace is enough!!!

2 Corinthians 12:
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


Ephesians 2:
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

You can't earn Grace!

1 Peter 1:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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.

Mercy
Definition of mercy- forgiveness you do not deserve

Romans 9:
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

God, having given us the ultimate mercy through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, as a gift, freely given to those who seek salvation. 
Given by His mercy to sinners willing to turn from sin and follow Christ's commands, the greatest command being to love the lost by sharing that Christ alone paid our debt for eternal salvation.
Standing, by faith, on the power of God's Word to save to the uttermost!

James 5:
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Peter 1:
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 

The Lord Ever-Present


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The One who created the valley is there with you! He has prepared the way through the valley. It is not a place of permanence, but a place of passage. He knows every twist and turn, every changing shadow, every den where danger lurks—that One is with you!
Focus on the light and not the darkness. God has made you to walk through shadows. When the shadow approaches, you must walk through. The One greater than death is in you! He is your Jehovah-Shammah—the Lord ever-present. His grace is greater. His peace is purer. His devotion is dearer. Where Satan casts a shadow, our Sovereign Lord reigns supreme.

ACTION POINT:
This is a day of hope. Meditate on 1 John 4:4 throughout the day and ask God to give you a divine appointment to share this beloved truth with someone today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Light of Hope in a Dark World


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” - Isaiah 9:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Imagine being in a cave without a flashlight. Can you see any shadows? You cannot even see your hand! Shadows are only visible in the presence of light.
Regardless of how dark, how large, how absolutely ominous a shadow appears, it is only there because there is light. David says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why? Because “Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Jesus has taken the sting out of sin and the fear out of the grave. He has empowered us with the Holy Spirit to give us confidence that He will always be with us and watch over us.

ACTION POINT:
There are many today who are grieving because of a loss—the loss of a loved one, a job, a wayward child.  Pray for them. Send them a note of hope and include 1 Thess.4:16-17

LWF Dr.Adrian Rogers

Burdens and Trials a Necessity?


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Knowing this,that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” - James 1:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A man had a grandfather clock. One day he felt sorry for the grandfather clock because it had a weight on it. And that weight was always pulling on the clock. The man said, “Oh, Mr. Clock, you’ve held this weight so long, I’m going to remove it and let you rest.”
The clock protested, saying, “Don’t take that weight from me. That’s what keeps me going.”
In the same way, the trials and tests of life are there for your endurance. They’re to keep you going, keep you trusting, keep you praying, and keep you depending upon God.

ACTION POINT:
When was the last time you shared with someone that they needed to be thankful for their trials? When was the last time you told yourself?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers