Happiness vs. Joy

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” - Philippians 4:4

Happiness comes from outside circumstances. Joy comes from within. So it’s cruel to say to people who are in sorrow, “Smile and be happy.” Better to come alongside and mourn with them than to try to force the square peg of happiness into a round hole of sorrow.

The human life is a life of tragedy, sorrow, heartache, and pain. Yet in every difficulty, you can find joy. Happiness is an outside job. Joy is an inside job.

There is someone in a nursing home that longs for that joy. Find some time this week to bring the joy of the Lord to them.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Prayer Lets the Arrow Fly!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” Psalm 37:40

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In Old Testament days, when a tribe commenced war, they would sometimes hurl a spear into enemy territory. It made no difference whether the enemy was there or not. It really wasn’t for the enemy to see. It was an attitude of faith that was a declaration of war. Some would call it a throwing down of the gauntlet.

You may be reading this, wanting the victory in something today, and yet you haven’t let your arrow of faith fly into the enemy’s territory. Faith that acts will bring the enemy to his knees.

ACTION POINT:

We don’t fight our enemy with actual bows and arrows, instead we fight him with the weapons of prayer and the Word. When we pray, we face the foe. By letting the arrow of prayer fly, God moves in, and our prayer becomes the Lord’s deliverance. God does business with those who mean business. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Blessed and Eternal Covenant Ransom

The Call

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. - Revelation 22:17

"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  - Isaiah 55:1

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" - John 7:37-38

New Blood Covenant

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."

23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

24 And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." - Mark 14:22-25

The Ransom

26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. - Matthew 20:26-29

The Only Worthy Mediator

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. - 1 Timothy 2:3-6

God's Provision

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,  - Revelation 5:9

It’s Time to Get Serious

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor.3:18
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
We are changed from glory to glory by the power of the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t mean it happens overnight. But one step at a time.

Today you ought to have a little more glory than yesterday. Today you ought to be a little bit more like Jesus than you were yesterday. And tomorrow, you ought to be even more like Jesus. Are you becoming like Jesus? Not if you’re not in the Word. Don’t you think it’s time for this generation to get serious about the Word of God?

ACTION POINT:
Set aside a time and a place to get alone with Him every day and pray, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18). 
LWF Adrian Rogers

The Gnat vs. the Bee

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
James 1:23-24 paints a picture of a man in a hurry. He has a lot on his mind. He takes a casual glance at himself and rushes on. If the Bible is like a mirror, then this man is simply getting a glimpse into the Word and not really applying it to his life.

Most Christians I know today are this kind of Bible student. They are like a gnat bouncing here and there instead of being like a bee and diving in and staying long enough to extract the sweetness.

Contrastingly, the man in verse 25 gazes into the Word. This is someone who delights in God’s Word, who applies God’s Word, who cherishes God’s Word. Are you like that? Or do you take a passing glance at God’s Word and move on to the next thing on your TO DO list?

ACTION POINT:
Which sounds more like you…the passing glance or the careful gaze?

LWf Dr. Adrian Rogers

Are You One of the Elect?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev.22:17
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
“...And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely...” You don’t have to pay one blessed cent for it. It’s there. Take it and drink it. You will never have your heart’s deepest thirst satisfied until you’re satisfied with Jesus. And if you are thirsty, come and drink. He will save you, I promise on the authority of the Word of God.

You say, “But Pastor Rogers, what if I’m not one of the elect?” Well, would it help? Could I be more sure if He said, “If Adrian Rogers will come and drink.” I could say, “Now wait a minute. There’s more than one Adrian Rogers in the world today.” What if Revelation 22:17 said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers”? There might be another Adrian Pierce Rogers. It might not refer to me.

What if it said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers, born in West Palm Beach, Florida”? Well, there could be another Adrian Pierce Rogers born in West Palm Beach, Florida. What if it said, “Adrian Pierce Rogers, born in West Palm Beach, Florida, who now lives in Shelby County, Tennessee? There might be another one born in West Palm Beach, Adrian. By now you’re saying, “You’re getting ridiculous.”

Let me just solve this thing. Let’s forget all that and just put one word in there: “whosoever.” Whosoever! That’s better than anybody’s name spelled out. Who are the elect? I can settle that in 30 seconds. The elect are the “whosoever wills.”

ACTION POINT:
If you want to be saved, come. Come to Jesus. He’s reaching out His nail-pierced hands to you and saying, “Come, come, come.” Jesus says come. The Spirit says come. The bride says come. The individual says come. You can come and drink.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Ultimate Betrayal

What is the most detrimental thing that threatens man? 

It is sin! 

Sin is Satan's plan but man is all to willing!!

Sin effects your eternal destination.

Non-repentance of sin by a rebellious heart leads to Hell.

However, a contrite willing heart will receive mercy from God through the blood of Jesus which is the only way to Heaven. 

Definition of contrite:

Feeling of remorse 

Willing to repent

Knowing you are guilty

So you see, salvation is not dependent on you being good but on you knowing that there is nothing you can do for salvation. It has already been done by Christ! God sent Christ to set us free!! Man was born in sin, it came form the beginning through the sin of Adam and Eve. That is where we were cursed by our disobedience to God. But you say, I wasn't even there. Why am I cursed? Man's nature is rebellious toward God, that means you and me. The first step to salvation is to acknowledge you are a sinner! The second step is to know that God alone has made a way for us through Christ. Your good deeds will not save you. Your false religion will not save you! You must repent and trust Christ! What does trusting Christ mean? It means you believe Christ alone is responsible for saving you! It means you believe Christ lived a life free from sin, died for you on the cross, did arise from the grave after 3 days, and is now seated at the right hand of God to intercede on your behalf when you sin and repent. But most of all, you believe and await His return to take us to be with Him for eternity!! There is freedom in Christ!!! But you say this is too simple! That is right! You must come as a child! Trusting in someone you can't see, someone you don't know! But there is a way to know Christ, we have God's inspired word, handed down from long ago. You will be convicted by His heart piercing word!

Outcome of your faith:

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. - 1 Peter 1:8-9

Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." - Mark 10:15

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-

13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. - Romans 5:12-13

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. - Romans 5:19

We are justified through Christ:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. - Romans 5:18

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 5:20-21

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. - 1 Peter 2:21-25

The new covenant:

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. - Hebrews 9:15

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. - Hebrews 9:22

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,

26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:24-28