Ask for Help from the Teacher

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Psalm 119:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever thought you could just go to the Bible and pull some truth out of it for your life? Let me tell you friend: you cannot do that. Your mind will never comprehend the things of God apart from the Holy Spirit illuminating you.

First, we must lay our intellectual pride in the dust, and with open arms and a heart of faith, approach God’s Word for wisdom, discernment, and knowledge. Then He will teach us.

ACTION POINT:

It took a supernatural miracle to write the Word of God. It takes a supernatural miracle for you to understand it. When God begins to write His Word upon your heart, you are going to lead a supernatural life! Ask Him for that!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

When Your Feet Are Slipping…

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” Psalm 73:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, started his psalm by talking about the purity of a person’s heart and the goodness of God. Then he says, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped” (Psalm 73:2).

He had the idea that when he got right with God, that he wouldn’t have any more troubles. Are you sure about that? Yes! Psalms 73:13-14 says, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.”

He said, “I got right with God and I still have problems!” He had a false expectation that the Bible doesn’t necessarily give. Christians are not due preferential treatment. 

ACTION POINT:

Seek the Lord through His Word and in prayer. You will find the presence of God is enough, even in the midst of our trials.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

MADE SONS AND DAUGHTERS: THE GOSPEL & ADOPTION

Adoption, in Scripture, is both theological and missional. (Rom. 8:15; Jas. 1:27)

The World is Fallen (Gen. 3:16-19; Tit. 3:3; Eph. 2:1-3)

• The Fall has changed our experience of family in this world.

• There is no aspect of the institution of family where Satan is not actively working to steal, kill, and destroy.

• The road to adoption led Jesus to a cross.

God is a Father (Matt. 3:17; Gal. 4:4-5; Heb. 2:10; Hos. 1:1-3)

• Jesus came so that God could adopt us as sons and daughters. 

• Christian, God loves being your Father.

• God wants His children to come to Him in prayer, remembering that we aren’t simply subjects in His kingdom, we are sons and daughters in His family.

The Faith is a Family (1 Jn. 3:1-2; Gal. 2:11-16; 3:27-29; Gen. 12:1-3; Eph. 1:3-5; Rom. 8:15-19, 

21, 23)

• To come into “the faith,” is actually to be connected to a family.

What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.... If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.... Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption. (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 225-226)

• The gospel creates a family that transcends the boundaries of biology, culture, economics, race.

• “Adopted” is a verb, not an adjective. We were adopted, and now we’re God’s children.

Thanks Matt!!! 

Understanding the Spirit of Adoption

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:15

It is tragic, but many will never accept their sainthood. A while back, it was in vogue for believers to make comments like “I’m saved, but I’m not a Christian.” Then the person would explain, “Well, I’m not worthy to call myself a Christian because I’m not living like one.” Let me nail this down for you. Have you believed upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and repented of your sins? Have you called upon Him to save you from the judgment of hell? If so, then you are the next of kin to the Trinity. You are a child of the King! Since you are part of God’s family, Jesus is not only your Lord and Savior, but He is your Friend and Brother.

Have you felt like you couldn’t call yourself a Christian because of your sin? Then get on your knees and repent of the sin of unbelief that keeps you from knowing you are a child of the King!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Showing Genuine Love for Others

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Can a person donate to the poor and not have love? Can a person work in a soup kitchen for the homeless and not have love? Yes. You say, “A person wouldn’t do that!” Oh yes, they would…if they had a guilty conscience. Sometimes it is neater to write a check or donate some used things than to give of our time.

Do you know what the world needs? Not more money, though I’m sure they’d be glad to take it. First Corinthians 13:3 says, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving of yourself to others.

ACTION POINT:

Ask God to show you the ways you can show His genuine love to others. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Accusation vs. Conviction: Learn to Tell the Difference!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:7-8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The devil accuses you of sin. The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin. Do you know the difference? The devil accuses you to drive you from Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts to draw you to Christ.

The devil wants you to get under a load of guilt so you’ll say, “I’m no good. I can’t live the Christian life. There’s something wrong with me. God doesn’t hear my prayers. It doesn’t do me any good to go to church.”

When you believe those lies, you let the devil drive you away from God! He accuses you to destroy you.

The Holy Spirit convicts you to reclaim you. He is trying to correct you and bring you back, that you may know the fullness of joy. The Holy Spirit draws you to Christ that you may confess your sins and be cleansed!

ACTION POINT:

Confess, be cleansed, and go your way rejoicing!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Shake Off Fear—Embrace Blessing!

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Did you know that fear can cause you to forget things? Now, I’m not talking about forgetting a phone number or someone’s name, though it may cause you to forget things like that. Instead, I’m referring to fear that causes you to forget the blessings, the anointing, the power of God—all these possessions you have because you are saved!

It happened to Timothy, who was mightily gifted and graced by God for the ministry that God had given him.  Yet he forgot this in the midst of fear, and Paul had to remind him (see 2 Timothy 1:6). He had taken his eyes off of God and focused on fear so much that he couldn’t see anything else.

Let me tell you something friend: You are tremendously blessed! If you get your mind distracted by fear, then you will fail to see your blessings in Christ. Fear will blow out every light in your soul, take the blue out of your sky, and the joy out of your life.

ACTION POINT:

Friend, wake up and count your blessings. Rejoice, for you are in Christ!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers