It’s Confession That Leads to Cleansing

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Behavioral psychologists and Freudian psychiatrists are always talking about getting rid of your guilt complexes. They say man has all of these desires within him, and he's been held in by blocked memories, and they squeeze him in. They say if he represses himself, he will come up with a neurosis and a psychosis. And so they say, “Express yourself. Live it up! Do your thing, and whatever feels good to you, whatever is meaningful to you, express yourself.” 

They claim the opposite of repression is expression. No friend. Let me tell you, it is not repression, and it is not expression—it is confession. 

ACTION POINT:

The Bible says in 1 John 1:7, “… the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” And Romans 5:20 says, “… but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

You’re Going to Live

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die…” John 11:26

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I heard a story about a boy who was dying on a battlefield. The chaplain was there, cradling this boy's head tenderly in his hands. The boy looked up and said, “Chaplain, am I going to live?” The chaplain looked down at that grievous wound and saw the life’s blood ebbing out, and he knew that in just a matter of minutes the boy would be dead. He said to the boy, “Son, are you a Christian?” The boy gave a weak smile and said, “Sir, the happiest day in my life was when I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. Yes, I'm a Christian.” The chaplain said, “Then, son, you'll live!” And indeed he will! 

ACTION POINT:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Life is short, death is sure, sin is the cause, and Christ is the cure.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

All Have Sinned

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

You may be a “righteous” sinner, a “moral” sinner, a “church member” sinner, a “fine up-standing” sinner, or an “educated” sinner; but you are a sinner. 

And the Bible says that Jesus and Jesus alone is God's answer to man's sin. Without Jesus Christ, nothing can be done for your sin. With Jesus Christ, nothing else need be done. We must confess our sins and be willing to admit we are a sinner. We must believe that Jesus is the Savior. 

ACTION POINT:

Acts 16:31 says, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” And once you are saved, the Bible says, “…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Get Some Sleep

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:4
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I heard about a man who was in a crisis and couldn’t sleep. He thought about this verse of Scripture, “He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." He said, “Well, Lord, there’s no need for both of us to stay up all night. Good night, Lord. I’m going to sleep while you stay awake.”

The Bible says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee." Isaiah 26:3
It may sound like a paradox: on one hand, pray earnestly. On the other, get some sleep. But Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Be careful for nothing” (that means don’t worry about anything) “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God” (listen to it) “the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 
ACTION POINT:
Friend, turn your problem over to Him. Roll it on the Lord. I don’t care how big it is. Read Philippians 4:6-7 and know the mastery of God’s peace.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

To the Church

2 Timothy 3:10-4:8

3:

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,

11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra-which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

4:

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 

REMINDER #1: THE WORD DOES THE WORK.

• The Word saves.

• The Word teaches.

• The Word convicts.

• The Word corrects.

• The Word trains.

• The Word equips.

• The Word transforms.

Charge #1: Get a pastor who preaches it.

Charge #2: Be a people who prioritize it.

REMINDER #2: THE WORLD NEEDS THE WORD.

• His judgment is real.

• The time is urgent.

• His return is imminent.

Charge #3: Do all that Christ calls you to do.

• Knowing that it will be costly.

• Believing that it will be worth it.

Thanks Pastor David!!!

GOD’S GUIDELINES FOR GROWING YOUR KIDS

Ephesians 6:1-4 

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise),

3 "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 

We grow our children by educating them. 6:1-3 

a. It is proper. 6:1 

b.There is a promise. 6:2-3

A better life 6:3 

A longer life 6:3 

We grow our children by encouraging them. 6:4 

a. We should avoid making them angry. 

b.We should be active in giving them advice.

“How to Love Your Children and Let Them Know It”

We love our children by:

1) Incarnational parenting. (note the example of Christ–Phil. 2:5-11)

2) Loving our mate. (Eph. 5:25-33; Titus 2:4)

3) Disciplining them. (Prov. 13:24; 17:10; 29:15)

4) Looking at them. (Prov. 20:12)

5) Touching them. (Eccl. 3:5)

6) Spending time with them. (Deut. 6:7-9)

7) Listening to them. (James 1:19)

8) Blessing them rather than cursing them. (Matt. 7:12)

9) Having fun with them. (Prov. 15:13; 17:22; Eccl. 3:4)

10) Nudging them out of the nest. (Eccl. 3:6)

11) Admitting when you are wrong. (James 5:16)

12) Introducing them to the perfect parent. (John 1:12)

Thanks Daniel!

Frequency, Fervency, or Flippancy?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And Jesus spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not faint.” Luke 18:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I think the reason we don’t pray with frequency and fervency today is because we think we can do things on our own without prayer. You know, perhaps the worst thing about us is not our prayerlessness but our pride. 

We have our machinery, our plans, and our methods. We have our pastors, choirs, Bible fellowships, and buildings. So we come to church thinking, “Well, we’ll do it; we know how to do it.”

And you know what the devil does? He stands in the corner and smirks. He says, “You can have your buildings, you can have your choirs, you can have your fellowships, you can have your preacher, you can have everything you want. You can even have your Bible studies, as long as you leave out the power of God that comes with fervent prayer that will not take no for an answer.”

ACTION POINT:

Spend some time in prayer. The devil mocks at our schemes, laughs at our organizations, ridicules our talents, but he fears our prayers. Pray—not only frequently but fervently.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers