Not to Decide Is to Decide

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Years ago I was witnessing to a young lady in Florida. I asked her if she had received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She became teary-eyed and said, “I just don’t seem…no…I can’t do it today.” I asked her, “Don’t you realize that if you don’t receive Him, that you’re going to deny Him?” She said, “Oh, I wouldn’t deny Him for anything.” I said, “But there’s no middle ground.” And yet she refused.

I said, “Before you go, would you shake hands with me?” And she said, “Well, certainly.” And so I said, “If you’ll take Christ as your Savior, take my right hand. If you’ll take hell and refuse Christ, take my left hand.” She refused to take either of my hands. 

ACTION POINT:

Every person has a choice. There is no neutral ground. You are either crowning Jesus as Lord of your life or you are not. Which is it my friend?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Shaking Hands or Saving Lives?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There was a preacher who kept a painting in his study of a shipwreck. There were sailors in lifeboats reaching out their hands to people floating on debris from the ship. A little boy looked at the painting and asked his daddy, “Are those in the lifeboats trying to save those people or are they just shaking hands?”

I wonder about us. It is all right to have friends; in fact, I encourage you to do that. But are you doing more than just socializing? Wouldn’t it be a shame if all you did was shake the hands of those around you, when you could be serving and showing them the way to God through Jesus Christ?

ACTION POINT:

We don’t pray, live, and witness as if people are dying and going to hell or heaven every day around us. May God have mercy on us. The need of the hour is for men and women to have a servant’s heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Hidden from the Wise, Revealed to the Humble

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What wisdom is there in dying on a cross? The Greeks couldn’t understand it, and yet that is the wisdom of God.

God is so wise that the person with the highest IQ cannot figure Him out. If you could come to God with your intellect, then God is not fair because all of the smart people would have a head start and the rest of us would be left standing in the shadows. Your spirituality would be based upon your intellect.

I’m so glad that God has “hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). 

ACTION POINT:

It’s not that God is so high that few can figure Him out; it is that God has placed Himself at such a level that few of us will get down low enough to see God revealing Himself to us. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Perfect in His Sight

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Romans 4:8
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God has imputed His righteousness to every believer. That means that instead of your sin being on your account, it is His righteousness instead. Not only has He forgiven us. Not only has He covered our sins. But He gives us His righteousness.

I fail, but God will not impute that to me. If God were to impute sin to me, then when I fail I would be lost again. How much sin would it take to make me lost? Just one-half of one sin.

You see, I’m not going to heaven because I’m perfect. I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect. No one is perfect. But we have received Christ as our righteousness. And in His eyes, we are perfect.

ACTION POINT:
Stop now and thank God for imputing to you His own righteousness. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Absolution

Definition of absolution:

Release from guilt, pardon, mercy 

No preacher, no priest, and no other person can offer this to a sinner only Christ alone!

Is it possible to get absolution from a sinful past? Yes!

How? 

By the shedding of His blood to satisfy God's wrath due sinful man!

Who is this blessed Trinity?

God the Father

15 "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 

16 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 

17 Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. 

18 They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.  - Jeremiah 51:15-18

Jesus the Son

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. - Matthew 28:18

35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. - John 3:35-36

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, - Philippians 2:5-12

Holy Spirit-our helper sent from God after the death of Christ

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. - John 14:26-28

Absolution-forgiveness

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.  - Psalm 130:4

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him - Daniel 9:9

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? - Romans 2:4

for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - Matthew 26:28

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' - Acts 26:18

God Sees Both the End and the Beginning

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God’s wisdom is supreme. Now, we know after the fact, but God knows before the fact. The word “foreknow” is from the Greek word proginosko. God’s foreknowledge can best be illustrated like the viewing of a parade.

If you watch a parade from the ground level, you will see the floats as they come past one at a time. But suppose you could go up in a 30-story building and look down upon the parade? Then, you would not only see the float directly in front, but quite possibly the first and last float. You now have a different vantage point.

ACTION POINT:

We live in history. We see events as they come by one at a time. But God dwells in eternity. And He sees the beginning, the end, and everything in between. And God knows everything.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Be Vigilant—You Have an Enemy

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Your adversary the devil is prowling about like a roaring lion. Don’t underestimate his power.

Satan is an enemy you need to respect like an electrician who has respect for the wires that carry deadly voltage. He knows where the insulation is and he knows how to handle electricity. If an electrician loses his respect for this power, he is going to be in serious trouble.

ACTION POINT:

Everything may be going great for you right now. You’ve got money in the bank, a good job, good health. You’re dancing through the forest and picking wildflowers. But behind a bush is a lion so deadly, he can pounce on you and swallow you whole. You’ve got to be vigilant.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers