Monday, June 15, 2015

Deny Yourself

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt.16:24
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you want to be filled with the Spirit of God? Do you really? Are you willing to forsake self? God is not going to superimpose His mighty, dynamic power on your old self-life.

Some people think denying themselves is doing without certain kinds of food, going without sleep, or doing without certain pleasures. They think maybe if they go live in a monastery they'll be denying themselves.

But Jesus didn't say deny yourself things. It‘s not denying yourself things; it’s denying yourself. Simon Peter forsook his nets, but it was a long time before Simon Peter forsook Simon Peter.

ACTION POINT:
Self doesn’t want to die. Are you willing to say, “None of me and all of Thee”?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Sin is the Cause; Christ is the Cure!

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Some would say that man is but the sum total of his environment and his body chemistry. If he does wrong, it's because he's like a computer that has been programmed wrongly. If he was raised in a bad neighborhood, he shouldn’t be blamed for breaking into stores or smoking dope. Or if he has a vile temper, perhaps he had an overbearing mother.

According to behavioral psychologists, these people may be pitied but not blamed. They may be sick, but they’re not sinful. They may be weak but not wicked. They need some sort of a psychological adjustment rather than salvation. 

ACTION POINT:
If we don't make a proper diagnosis, we'll never come up with the right cure. The thing wrong with our society today is we're spending too much time sweeping down cobwebs when we need to be killing spiders. The spider is sin; the cobwebs are the result that we see in society around about us.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Saturday, June 13, 2015

What Them Dry Bones Mean for Your Eternity

"Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save.  - Isaiah 45:20

21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 
22 "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 
23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'  - Isaiah 45:21-23

God gave you life:
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. - Ezekiel 37:5

then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. - Genesis 2:7


God is sovereign and there is no other:
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."
4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. - Ezekiel 37:1-4

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.'
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." - Ezekiel 37:7-14

22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.
23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. But I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. - Ezekiel 37:22-23


God is merciful:
11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.
19 Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. - Romans 11:11-24

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.
32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. - Romans 11:29-32

You do matter:
My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. - Ezekiel 37:27


God orchestrates:
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, - Acts 1:9-10

and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11


The God of the universe judges sin:
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. - Revelation 11:11-12

He is coming again!!! Are you trusting in Christ alone? For there is no other way by which salvation comes! 

6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 
8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."  - Isaiah 44:6-8
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 
6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. 
7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.  - Isaiah 45:5-7 

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."  - Revelation 15:4

Waging War On Sin/Being Sure Of Your Salvation


Romans 8:
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

Heirs of God- His children 

Through suffering with Him
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 
2 Tim.3:12
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 

Through discipline 
Heb.12:6
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."  

We have the Holy Spirit
How? By hearing the word
Romans 10:
17: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 

Spirit bears witness
1 John 3:
24: Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 


Flesh living- you will die
Romans 8:13
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Spirit living-make war on flesh-you will live
War on sin-Fight the flesh
Hate sin-its a ongoing fight

We cry out to God, Abba Father Aramaic translation(daddy)
Shown by the spirit to be Sons of God when we cry out in anguish to God about our sin and repent

Your inheritance 
Inherit the world-heir to the world
Gal.3:29
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Romans 5:2
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Glory to God
Ps.73
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.  

You will have a glorified body 
Phil.3:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 

Suffer with Him
1 Pet.4:13
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Luke 9:23
And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 

All things are yours
1 Cor.3:21
So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 

Spirit led
1 Cor.12:3
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. 

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. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Thanks John!!!

New Labels on Old Bottles

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us … If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8, 10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Today we’ve almost done away with the idea of sin. Our culture rejects sin as old-fashioned, so we’ve taken away the word sin and replaced it with new words in our vocabulary. 

Some of these high sounding phrases are: error, mistake, misjudgment, weakness, psychological maladjustment, glandular malfunction, and a stumble upward—anything but sin. 

We've gone through the medicine cabinet and put new labels on old bottles of poison. So we have new terminology. We’ve tried to change things by changing the words, but they've not really been changed at all. We have some egg-headed people who have—with all of their learnedness and intelligence—somehow made “sin” to be out of date. 

ACTION POINT:
We must come back to a place of accountability. People have a nature that is a sinful nature, and they do wrong because they are wrong. Friend, I want to tell you, sin is a reality. Public Enemy Number One is sin. Your great enemy is sin.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Friday, June 12, 2015

Is the Choice You’re Making Questionable?


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

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Now, what does that mean? It means any action that is not motivated and done by complete faith in God is sin. Anytime you do anything you’re not absolutely confident is God’s will for you to do, if you have a doubt about doing that thing, whether the thing in and of itself is right or wrong, you’ve sinned. 

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.” 

Now, that's what God is saying here: whatsoever is not of faith (that you don't have confidence in) is dirty. If it's doubtful, it’s dirty. Leave it alone.

ACTION POINT:
Friend, we ought to give God the benefit of the doubt, and if we think it may be wrong, we should leave it alone until we’re sure that it is right. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Never Been More Alive!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
If you are a child of God and this moment were to have a stroke or a heart attack or something fall on your head, and some doctor were to say, “I have an announcement to make: he/she is dead,” he'd be “dead” wrong! You'd never be more alive!

Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body; spiritual death is the separation of the spirit from God. I can never die in that sense because I can never be separated from God. Neither can you. Paul said there is nothing that can “separate us (the child of God, the Christian) from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

ACTION POINT:
There are a lot of dead people who will go to work tomorrow. They have existence, but they don't have life. But if you know Christ, you have life and will never die!


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers