Grudges Forgiveness Judgement

Are you holding a grudge?

Do you have anger toward a friend or family member?

We all have had hurts that lead us to hold a grudge!

Even in our churches, we have splits due to hurt feelings.

All these things are evil and against God's teaching!

People being sinners are due God's wrath.

But God being rich in mercy gave us forgiveness through Jesus!

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. - Leviticus 19:18

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:19-21

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. - James 1:19-20

So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." - Matthew 18:35

You, Your Problems and How God Will Use Them and You To Minister ToOthers

Problems, problems everywhere!!!

Small problems which are just nuisances!

Deep, soul jerking problems that make you weak in the knees!

If you are breathing, you will have problems!

God alone will deliver you!!

Will you live out your faith by trusting God?

Will you minister in the face of trouble?

Or will you crumble?

The big question is" will you yield to sovereign God to use you to minister to the suffering and the lost?

Afflictions will come!

Embrace them knowing that God will never forsake you!

Fall on your knees for strength, peace, joy, eternal security and eternal hope!!!

2 "Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it-the LORD is his name:

3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. - Jeremiah 33:2-3

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."  - Psalm 91:15-16

A servants petition:

6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.

7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"

9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. - 1 Samuel 1:6-10

Merciful God gives a blessing:

12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.

13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.

14 And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you."

15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.

16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation."

17 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him."

18 And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the LORD." - 1 Samuel 1:12-20

17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  - Psalm 34:17-19

The Lesson of Prayer

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Some time ago I was invited to preach in another state, but my schedule was such that I couldn’t arrange it. When they offered to send a private plane, I could do it.

As we flew over Arkansas, the pilot asked me if I wanted to try my hand at flying the plane, and I said, “Yes!”

Of course, he was sitting right next to me. He could fly the plane without me, but I couldn’t fly it without him. He had his hands on his controls all the while, and he allowed me to participate with him.

That’s the way prayer is. God can do it without you, but God enables you to have fellowship with Him and teaches you a dependency upon Him through prayer.

ACTION POINT:

Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16:23-36. Glory in His presence:

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Why Doesn't God Obliterate Evil?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t obliterate the devil and eradicate all sin? If God destroyed evil, God would destroy every opportunity for choice. And if God were to destroy every opportunity for choice, then God would destroy every opportunity for love. Therefore, God would destroy the highest good. For God to destroy evil would be evil.

God doesn’t destroy evil, instead God defeats evil. How? Calvary and the resurrection! God turns every hurt into a hallelujah. Every defeat into victory!

ACTION POINT:

Spend some time today thinking about heaven and the glorious reunion you’re going to have with Him one day.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Praying from the Heart—Not on Auto-Pilot

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Matthew 6:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

It was a very long, tiring day. I had preached three sermons and dictated a stack of letters. And at the close of each letter I ended it, “In Jesus’ name, Adrian Rogers.”

A man came to me at the end of a service and said, “I must see you. I have a severe problem.” I was bone weary but I said, “Very well, come on back and let’s talk.”

We talked and I listened. My heart was moved with compassion. I said, “Let me pray for you.” And when I finished I said, “In Jesus’ name, Adrian Rogers.” And then I thought, “Oh my! Did I say that? Did he hear me say that?” How easy we slip and rattle off our prayers.

ACTION POINT:

Do you find yourself using repetitive phrases in your prayer life? Today, just talk with God. Don’t think too much about your words. Follow your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

With The Finger of God

Who is this God we serve?

Can we even begin to know?

He spoke the world into existence!

He writes on stone with His finger!

He is a great mystery wrapped in godliness!

He is being revealed to us by His inspired word given to men to share with the whole world!

He performs miracles, they are contrary to everything man thinks he knows!

He has the power to make holy!

Our hope is in Him alone!

We are commanded to teach the truth of God's word!

He is our truth!

14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,

15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.  - 1 Timothy 3:14-16

And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. - Deuteronomy 9:10

And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. - Exodus 31:18

4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. - 1 Timothy 4:4-5

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. - 1 Timothy 4:10

Command and teach these things. - 1 Timothy 4:11

Character—It’s An Inside Job

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

This world says if we could just arrange conditions where we never have any sorrow, pain, or hurts, then we could change men. If we can change conditions we can change character. But the Bible teaches just the opposite.

The world puts the emphasis on condition—God puts the emphasis on character. Someone has well said you can’t purify the water by painting the pump. And yet that’s what we try to do. We think that if we can change the exterior or make conditions such that we never have any hurts, then we’re going to be okay. But, Jesus put the emphasis upon character. Upon what you are, not what you have.

ACTION POINT:

Is there someone in your life you admire? Someone who is a person of integrity? Praise God for His work in that person’s life and give him or her a word of encouragement.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers