Friday, December 30, 2016

Speak A Blessing-Change A Life

22 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 
25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 
26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 
27 "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them." - Numbers 6:22-27

You are blessed, so bless others!

This is a wonderful time of the year for most but for some it's the loneliest time of the year.
The season evokes pangs of agony for those who have lost loved ones.
For those who deal with loneliness, this time of year seems to increase that feeling to such a level they just can't cope.
Pray for God to open our eyes to really see those who suffer.
The greatest blessing is to love one another!!

Thursday, December 29, 2016

The Lake of Fire


And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:15

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8

31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. - Matthew 12:31-32

28 "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"- - Mark 3:28-29

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. - Acts 7:51

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? - Hebrews 10:29

Definition of blasphemy:
Defiant irreverence 

There are those who believe Christ alone saves man's soul from an eternity in Hell!
There are those who do not believe!
Salvation is open to all but the one whom commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the One who prompts you to fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness.
He is the One who is gently convicting you that you are in sin.
It's not your heart or mind that leads to repentance but that sweet small voice.
It might come from the depths of despair.
It might come from your searching for what's right and wrong in your life.
When Christ died, He told of the coming Helper, the Holy Spirit. 
We know of the term the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We know that these refer to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. 
God is merciful, He sent Christ who brings grace and forgiveness!
Christ is obedient to His Father, even unto death which brought salvation for all who believe in the power of His Resurrection!
Christ died, He sent the Holy Spirit as our helper and our hope!!

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:4-10

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:5-11

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. - John 14:16-17

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. - John 14:26

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. - John 15:26

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. - John 16:7-15

Be an Encourager



BIBLE MEDITATION:
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Someone has well said that discouragement is a darkroom where the negatives of fear and failure are developed.
Some people are encouragers and others are discouragers. Have you ever met a discourager? They’re like a drink of water to a drowning man. They can brighten up a room by leaving it. They leave you drained and depressed.
But an encourager leaves you full and refreshed. God has cornered the market on encouragement. All encouragement comes from God. You’re never more like God than when you’re encouraging people and never more like the devil than when you are discouraging people.
ACTION POINT:
Find a needy person and enrich him; a lonely person and include him; a misunderstood person and affirm him; an undiscovered person and develop him; a failing person and restore him.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Random Acts of Christian Kindness


BIBLE MEDITATION:
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great.” Luke 6:35

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
I’ve seen bumper stickers that exhort us to “show random acts of kindness.”  I think that’s a good thing. And what is kindness?  It’s love in the little things.

A woman came down the aisle of a church to give her heart to Christ, and the preacher wanted to know what had impacted her life for Christ.
She said, “You did.”
The pastor said, “Well, I’d be interested to know what it was that I said that brought you to Christ.”
She said, “It was nothing you said. It was something you did. I was standing nearby when somebody criticized you very unfairly. I saw the kindness with which you responded, and I knew that your faith was real.”

ACTION POINT:
What random act of kindness can you do today that will demonstrate that your faith is real?


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Investing in Others for God’s Glory


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord.” Isaiah 63:7

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
One time a man came into a village and asked an old man living there, “Any great men born here?” The old man said, “No, just babies.”

Great men are not born; great men are made, investing in the lives of others, sharing God’s love, and showing His mercies.

There is not a magic formula that instantly makes us sanctified. Sanctification is a process. Our calling is to be poured out into the lives of others for His glory.

ACTION POINT:
How can you show His mercies to a lost co-worker or neighbor today? Pray about it and then watch for how God provides!


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Monday, December 26, 2016

A Child Is Born



This is the mercy of God!
To send His Son, as a tiny babe, born through a miracle, to save sinful man!
Giving Christ all power to defeat Satan, death and Hell!
Jesus is the only way, there is no other!!
He took the wrath due you!
When Christ died on the cross, He called all to repentance!
Are you answering that call?


6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.  - Isaiah 9:6-7


11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"  - Luke 2:11-14


76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 
78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. - Luke 1:76-80


"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16


And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. - Matthew 28:18


25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. - 1 Corinthians 15:25-27


For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. - Deuteronomy 10:17


"Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. - Nehemiah 9:32


'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. - Jeremiah 32:17


17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed! 
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.  - Psalm 72:17-18


16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. - John 14:16-19


But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. - Ephesians 2:13

Anticipation of an Even Greater Day


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
It’s the day after Christmas. The glow on the tree is just a little dimmer because the anticipation of the day is now past. Ever feel that way about your walk with the Lord? Well, let me give you some good news, my friend. The best is yet to be!

That’s right. Christmas Day is past, but Resurrection Day is coming soon, and I don’t mean Easter. I mean the Second Coming of Our Lord is imminently on the horizon.

He is coming again. And that’s not just “a nice thing;” that’s a rock-ribbed truth! Jesus is coming again!

ACTION POINT:
Write down John 14:3 on a little note, and as you say goodbye to family and friends, give them this note of encouragement.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers