”…to Live is Christ…to Die is Gain”

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” - Luke 23:43

I read about a man who was on an airplane in a bad storm. Even the flight attendant was nervous. But there was a little lady humming “Blessed Assurance.” She seemed to be at ease. This man said to her, “Lady, aren’t you afraid?” She replied, “Not at all. I’ve given my heart to Jesus Christ. Not so long ago, I had a daughter who died. She was a radiantly beautiful Christian and is now in heaven. I have another daughter who’s in Denver, where this airplane is going. But, I tell you the truth. It really doesn’t make much difference to me which daughter I visit.”

Jesus told a man on a bloody cross, “Today you’ll be with Me in paradise.”

If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity? And what about your family?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” - Psalm 23:6

Goodness and mercy will pursue you all the days of your life. That’s what the word “follow” literally means in Psalm 23:6—to pursue.

Jesus pursued you with His call of salvation, and He will continue to pursue you. His goodness and mercy are like two sheep dogs that follow the flock to assure there is safe journey to the Shepherd’s final destination.

How many times have you questioned God’s provision in your life and wondered if He really cared for you? Well, there's no question here. It says surely, not hopefully. Yes, you and I will stumble, but He will pick us up.

How would you live differently today if you knew that grace and mercy were going to follow your every step? How would you treat others?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Come This Morning to the Cleansing Basin

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Before a priest could enter the Holy of Holies, he had to stop by the basin and wash his hands and feet. He had already been washed from head to toe, but there is no floor in the tabernacle, only dirt. This final preparation before he entered God’s presence was to symbolize the washing away of the defilement of this world.

As you and I come into contact with the world, we are going to become defiled. We don’t need a bath all over. We are already saved. But each day we must ask God to search our hearts and cleanse us from our sins.

ACTION POINT:

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each of us came into the presence of God as seriously as the Old Testament priests? We should. Have you been to the cleansing basin this morning?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Are You Sitting on the Lukewarm Fence?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." Philippians 1:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

May God help us today in the midst of our lukewarm apathy toward the things that matter most to Him! If it’s worth anything, it’s worth everything. May God forgive those who will not go the second mile.

Now, in some things moderation is good, like eating, rest, recreation, exercise, and finances. But when it comes to spiritual warfare, moderation is a sin. When it comes to believing the Bible, moderation is a sin. When it comes to loving the Lord, moderation is a sin!

Suppose a wife asked her husband, "Honey, do you love me?" And he said, "Well, moderately." She’d fix his wagon, don’t you think? 

ACTION POINT:

Friend, if the world considers you a "moderate" when it comes to your Christianity, you are riding the fence of lukewarmness.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Truth From Beyond the Grave

There is life!
There is death!
There is truth!
There are lies!
There is hope found only in Christ!
There is forgiveness for your sinfulness!
There was a penalty due you for your rebellion!
That penalty was death!
Because of God's great mercy, Jesus took the wrath of God which you should have received!
That man, Jesus Christ, took your punishment so that you might be reconciled to a Holy God.
There was and is no other way!
You except or deny this truth!
That according to God, Jesus was the only acceptable payment!
Repentance is necessary!
You must ask for mercy!
Mercy only Jesus can give!
Knowing that Christ died, was raised from death and sits with God to intercede for you changes your life, your heart, and your eternity!
He is our Savior, our deliverer, our hope, our Redeemer, our friend, our help, and our all in all!
Right this moment, you have a chance to ask forgiveness, while you have breath and life.
Are you sure you will have a tomorrow?

Lord, Your words cut deep! Open the eyes of the lost so that they may see Your truth. Open their rebellious hearts so they will plead for mercy. Our time is truly a vapor, teach us to use our resources to seek Your truth and to teach it so others may have eternal life thorough Christ. Amen

19 "There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
24 And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'
25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'
27 And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house--
28 for I have five brothers--so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'
29 But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'
30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'" Luke 16

Let Your New Life Push Out the Old!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Our eyes delight to see those trees in autumn which turn glorious colors, then drop their leaves one by one. But there are certain trees that hold their leaves until spring. They wither and turn brown, but they don’t drop. Not until spring do these trees lose their leaves—when the new leaves push out the old leaves.

That’s exactly what happens to our old habits and our old lives when we find the Lord Jesus. The new life pushes that old life off.

ACTION POINT:

It’s not a matter of plucking off this leaf and knocking off that leaf. The Christian life is not forged in that manner. Our new life replaces our old life when we are born again.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

If You Keep Your Eyes on Jesus…

BIBLE MEDITATION:

"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." John 16:22

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When I was a boy and living on the Florida coastline, my brother and I were a little disappointed when a hurricane passed us by because of the exhilaration we experienced leaning into the wind and tasting the salty air! I can remember waves sometimes reaching fifty feet in the air. What a sight! But did you know there has never been a storm to move the ocean floor?

There will be storms that will course across the surface of our lives with raging torment, but the child of God can know a deep-down joy that nothing can take away. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, He will bring a joy that no man can take from you.

ACTION POINT:

Oh, thank God for the steadfastness of His power, love, and mercy. Is your joy full in Christ today despite the winds of adversity? 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers