Sunday, January 18, 2015

So Teach Us How to Number Our Days. . .”


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The difference between people is not that one has more time than the other. The difference is whether they use their time wisely.

You say, “Well, I’m just killing time.” To kill time is to commit suicide by degrees. You are just killing yourself because you + time = life.

Now that doesn’t mean you are going to be busy every moment.There needs to be balance in your life – checking in with God first before you make plans and add things to your agenda.  
ACTION POINT:
Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do. Jesus came to the end of His life and do you know what He said?

“I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work that Thou gavest Me to do” (John 17:4).

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Resting Tomorrow or Borrowing Trouble?


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.”Psalm 116:7
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard of a woman who woke up her husband because she thought she heard a burglar downstairs. He went down with a flashlight and was shining it around. Sure enough, there was a burglar in their home. He said, “Hold it right there. I’ve got a gun on you.”

He picked up the phone and dialed the police. “And another thing,” he said, “Before you go, I want my wife to come down here and meet you. She’s been looking for you for 24 years.”

A lot of people are that way. They borrow trouble by anticipating or worrying about what may happen. What you need to do is stop looking to yesterday in guilt or anticipating tomorrow with anxiety. 

ACTION POINT:
Simply rest in the day the Lord has given you today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Love Draws the Curtain of Mercy

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Proverbs 10:12
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are people in every fellowship who take joy in finding something bad about somebody else. When they hear something ugly, they take great delight in exposing it.

Love does not rejoice in iniquity. Love wishes that it never happened. Love tries to cover it up. That doesn’t mean we condone sin, we cover it. Not “cover-up,” but cover. Let me illustrate.

Noah had three sons, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Ham came and saw his father’s nakedness and was quick to tell others. Shem and Japheth walked backward into the tent and covered their father to help him cover his shame – not to condone what he had done, but to cover it. 

ACTION POINT:
Wouldn’t the world be a lot better place if we had that spirit? When the enemy tempts you to “stir the pot,” remember that love rejoices not in iniquity.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The First Step to Setting Things Right

“With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

The Lord Jesus said, “Moreover if thy brother trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault” (Matthew 18:15). You say, “He’s the one that did wrong. If he wants forgiveness let him come and ask for it.” But Jesus said, “No, you go to him.” Whether you are in the right or whether you are in the wrong, as a child of God, you are to go to that individual. Isn’t that what God did in the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve sinned against God and the Bible tells us that God came looking for them: “Adam, where art thou?” That was not the voice of a detective. That was the voice of a God Who pursues us to forgive us.

Stop right now and ask God to show you if you have an unforgiving spirit toward someone. Then, in His power and strength, call that person and ask his/her forgiveness. It’s going to be impossible in your strength, but remember, God does the impossible.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Living Each Day Like It’s THAT DAY


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Years ago, G. Campbell Morgan was a great expositor of the Word of God. He said, “I never lay my head on the pillow without thinking that perhaps before I awake the final morning may have dawned. I never begin work without thinking that He may interrupt it to begin His own.”

Every night before we go to sleep, we ought to say, “Jesus may come tonight."And every day when we get our tools and go to work, this may be the last day of work that we do. We are to be looking for His return. We are also to be longing for His return.

ACTION POINT:
Are you praying for Jesus to return? If you love Him, you ought to be longing for His return. I have Him in my heart, but I long to lay my eyes upon Him and walk with Him and talk with Him. “Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Submission Must Come Before Victory


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever taught someone to drive? What was the first thing you showed him? If you’re like me, even before I showed my children the ignition switch, the accelerator, or the blinker, I showed them the brakes.

Now suppose your learner said, “I don’t want to know anything about the brakes. I just want to know how to make this thing go!” You would probably reply, “You aren’t ready yet to learn to drive! Forget the accelerator. Before you can go, you’ve got to learn to stop.”

ACTION POINT:
Put this in a spiritual realm. What if I asked you to submit to God and you said, “I’m not interested in submission. I want the victory!” God is not going to pour out His power upon you until He sees in you a spirit of submission.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Facing the Giants


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you ever play “king of the mountain” as a child? 

When you were on high ground, you could shove the others down, even though they were entrenched and determined to overtake you. In Joshua 14, we read that Caleb faced a city of giants, and yet because he had wholly followed the Lord, he had the strength of the Lord and said, “Give me this mountain” (Joshua 14:11-12).

All of us face giants every day – giants of doubt, fear, discouragement, financial ruin, sickness, broken relationships. Do you think the giants in the Promised Land took God by surprise? God knew they were there all the time – they were part of His purpose to strengthen His children’s faith.

ACTION POINT:
It’s time you got a bulldog grip on the Word of God and believe what He says to be true.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers