The Weeds

37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,

42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. - Matthew 13:37-43

Which will you be?

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.

48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.

49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous

50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. - Matthew 13:47-50

Evil or righteous?

Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:13

Sinner, how can you ignore such great compassion?

Sinner, how can you deny Christ and His gift of salvation?

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:35-36

Repent!

She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God.  - Zephaniah 3:2

America in Crisis

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Jesus answered and said...if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Matthew 21:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.”

America is in a crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations—it’s time to wake up. Time is passing—it’s time to look up. Jesus is coming—it’s time to sober up. Satan is working—it’s time to pray up. Mountains need moving.

ACTION POINT:

Ask the Lord to heal our land, forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Remembering Our Spiritual and Political Heritage

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” Psalm 78:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

On June 8, 1845, Andrew Jackson said, “The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rests.” Just a few years prior, in 1820, another of our forefathers, Daniel Webster, said, “Let us not forget the religious character of our origin.” In the days of our founding fathers, people didn’t quibble about the Bible’s importance. Our forefathers brought hither their high veneration for the Christian religion, being journeyed in its light and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate, listen to, and infuse its influence through all their institutions: civil, political, and literary.

ACTION POINT:

American heritage is important, but so is your personal spiritual heritage as a believer and as a family. Why not take some time this week to write down the spiritual heritage of your family?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

This World Is Not My Home

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

First Peter 2:11 says that we are aliens and strangers in this world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. We are twice-born in a world of once-born people, and we’re going to find ourselves going against the tide most of the time.

It’s like a deep sea diver who is underwater and outside his natural environment. He could not live if he weren’t linked to his life supply above. That’s the way we need to live. If we are to survive, we must stay linked to Jesus who is our life.

The Bible says we’re not to set our affections on things beneath, but on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. (Colossians 3:1)

ACTION POINT:

It’s time to check your lifeline...are you trusting in anything in this world? Are you making friends with the things of this world?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A man named Solomon Peas died. His tombstone in London reads:

“Beneath these clouds and beneath these trees

Lies the body of Solomon Peas.

But this ain’t Peas - it’s just the pod.

Peas shelled out and went to God."

I like that. That’s what your body is. It’s just a pod. What happens to a child of God who has trusted Christ as his personal Savior? When he closes his eyes in this life, he opens them in the next. Jesus did not say, “After two or three thousand years, you’ll be with Me in paradise.” Jesus said, “Today, truly, you’ll be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

ACTION POINT:

Are you confident that if you died today you’d be with Jesus in paradise? If not, then confess your sins and believe upon His name to save you. Now, go and tell someone!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

One Way to Salvation

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Materialism says, “Buy your way out.” The politician says, “Legislate.” The army says, “Fight.” Industry says, “Work.” The philosopher says, “Think.” But Jesus says, “There’s no way out but through Me.”

Jesus will save you by His grace, and He’ll save you all by Himself or you won’t be saved at all.

When you are saved by the grace of God, you are saved instantly, and you are saved eternally. Your goodness is not enough to save you, and your badness is not enough to keep you away. Jesus loves you so much that He died to save you.

ACTION POINT:

Have you taken Jesus at His Word and followed His way of salvation? Maybe you have a friend who needs this truth today. Share it; don’t suppress it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Authority in a Generation Gone Astray

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Our generation doesn’t like the word authority. We don’t like to be under anybody. We stick out our chests and talk about being free-born Americans.

If you’re a baby boomer, you’re of a generation of anti-authority figures. In your lifetime you’ve gone through the hula hoop, the Barbie doll, pop psychology, Dr. Spock, Donahue, and the Beatles. It was all anti-authority! Fathers were Archie Bunker. Preachers were Flip Wilson. The anthem was, “Do your thing. If it feels good, do it.” Many of us dare not realize the vestiges of rebellion that still lurk down in our hearts.

ACTION POINT:

Give some serious thought to the question: Who is on the throne of my life today?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers