Saturday, September 26, 2015

The Law and the Gospel of God's Grace




“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.” - Romans 4:16

There are more than six billion people on the face of this earth. If you extracted from each one the very best character traits and put those things into one man, that one man would still have to bow before God and cry out for mercy to be saved.

We’ve got to quit trying to be saved by doing good things or being a moral person or even by keeping the Ten Commandments.
The law says “if.” The gospel says “therefore.”
The law says you must earn salvation.  The gospel says salvation is a gift.
The law demands holiness. The gospel provides holiness.
The law says run, but it doesn’t give us legs.
The gospel says fly, and it gives us wings of grace.

Read Romans 10. What application can you gain for your life from this chapter?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Friday, September 25, 2015

What If I Told You....

What if I told you that every evil thing you ever did was just washed away, forever forgotton by God's all seeing mind?
What if I told you of a merciful God who meets you where you are, sin filled and all?
What if I told you that you have been forgiven because God's Son (Christ) took the wrath due?
What if I told you God demands that all men repent or else face an eternity in Hell?
What if I told you God sent His sinless Son to give you salvation through your repentance and by the power of the Cross?


11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 
13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.  - Psalm 103:11-14


When I think of the words "as far as the east is from the west", I picture Christ on the cross, taking the wrath of our sin and it just burning away, like it never even existed! The distance being immeasurable!! Wow! Forgiven is a mighty powerful word with eternal meaning!!!


"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.  - Isaiah 43:25



God knows man is but a breath!!!
His mercy toward man is great!!!


15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.  - Psalm 103:15-19

They Died Waiting


Have you ever thought about how blessed we are to know the truth about Christ?
In the bible, we have many, after the fact, true accounts of Christ and His life, death and resurrection. 
The more reliable accounts of an historical event will give the soul that searches a clearer picture of the truth!
While different accounts will vary in minor facts, the meat of the accounts has to be the same.
As you well know when someone relates an account, each person will tell it in their own unique way! 
There is a large amount of faith involved in putting your faith in someone you have never seen, especially if your eternity is dependent on it.
God has made an allowance for this by our mere observance of everything He created on Earth and by what we see in the sky.

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,
18 of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-
33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated-
38 of whom the world was not worthy-wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. - Hebrews 11

Murmuring or Grateful?



BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:14-15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you know the problem with many of us when we obey God? We murmur about it while we are doing it! And God is taking notes, because halfhearted obedience isn’t obedience at all. Remember, God is looking at the heart, not the deed (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Do you know why we murmur? Because we’ve taken our eyes off Calvary. Jesus didn’t murmur on the way to the cross. Oh no. Do you thank God for the pains in life? Or only the gains?

ACTION POINT:
Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Is It Time to Refresh and Renew?


BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” Ps.51:10-12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
So many people have the idea that being a Christian is like taking foul-tasting medicine—it tastes awful, but you know you’ll feel better one day.

They’re like the young man who prayed at a prayer meeting with few in attendance: “Oh God, be with us now, and help us while the rest of the people are out there having a good time.”

ACTION POINT:
Do you ever feel that going to church or having a quiet time is like going to the dentist? Then you’re getting your satisfaction in life outside of a relationship with God. It’s time to spend some time in prayer and ask God to renew your spirit. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Don't Try to Hurry the Harvest



“. . . the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” - James 5:7

Sometimes the things that count the most seem to take the longest to get here.
Some giant sequoias in California are 300 feet tall. That’s the height of a 30 story building! Yet each one began with the smallest of seeds that began growing and maturing since before the time of Christ! That’s a long time.
You may say that you’re going to serve God. Then you start to do something for Him, but when you don’t reap a harvest immediately, you get discouraged. Don’t try to hurry the harvest. In due season, you will reap.

Have you shared Christ with people and yet they haven’t been saved? Read Isaiah 55:11 and Romans 10:13 and receive His encouragement.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Sharing Jesus with Your Children



BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 6:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever tried to take a tasty bone away from a dog? It’s a good way to get bitten! But what if you put a steak down on the ground? The dog will drop the bone to get that steak.

This is the mistake so many parents are making today. They spend their time telling their children “Don’t do this. Don’t do that. That’s wrong.” By such behavior, these parents are failing an entire generation. Many times, children are never shown the riches of Jesus Christ. In every 24-hour cycle, there are a multitude of teachable moments for sharing and modeling life in Christ.

ACTION POINT:
Children must be shown that what they have in the Lord Jesus Christ is so much better than what this world has to offer. But are they seeing that in your life?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers