Friday, February 10, 2017

Those Who Went Before You Have Set Your Pace



BIBLE MEDITATION:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are a lot of athletes with natural ability, but what is it that turns a mediocre athlete into a gold medal champion? One athlete is willing to hurt more than the other. When you can’t take another step, your muscles are sore, your body is aching—this is what it means to be running the race with perseverance, as mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. You are bearing up under tremendous pressure. You are running to build endurance.

ACTION POINT:
Today you may be hurting because a family member, coworker, or classmate has been unfair to you. A spouse has left. A friend walked away. Perhaps you were passed over for a promotion. Run with patience, as others have done before you. These are the ones in that “great crowd of witnesses.” They testify to the fact that no matter how hard, it can be done. Look to Jesus. Building a faith that will go the distance takes both patience and time.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Self Authenticating God


How do you view God?
How do you view the bible?

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." - John 8:58

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."  - Luke 1:77-79

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

God is, was and will be.
God has no beginning or will have no ending.
He is "I Am".
He spoke the world into existence.
He created man and was sorry when He saw his wickedness.
He sent His Son to save man from sin.

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. - Ephesians 1:17-23

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:1-5

Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." - John 1:46

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. - Jude 1:3-4

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:24-31

The bible is God's inspired word.
It introduces us to sin.
It introduces us to repentance.
It introduces us to judgement.
It introduces us to forgiveness.
It introduces us to eternity and how the choices you make effect your eternity.
It is more than believing, it's obeying.

Thank you Pastor John!!

Encouragement for Your Race Today

BIBLE MEDITATION:
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Heaven is intently interested in what is happening here on earth. There is a grandstand in heaven filled with heroes of the faith. They are watching us and cheering us on. We are the runners; they are the spectators.

If the runners of that day were inspired when they ran their race, how much greater should our effort be today with these saints behind us? Do you feel inspired? I do! It encourages me to know that I am not alone out there in the race and that I have men and women who have run the race knowing the pitfalls that are out there.

ACTION POINT:
Friend, I hope you feel encouraged and inspired to run the unique race God has set for you today. Know that we are praying for you and would be honored to hear how God is fulfilling your every need along the way.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Seeing the Unseen—Moving Beyond Your Five Senses


BIBLE MEDITATION:
 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Many Christians are so materialistic that they never look past the physical world to the transcendent Christ above. They only experience what their five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) bring to them.

When a problem arises, it blows out every candle in their souls, knocks the sun out of their sky, and they can’t enjoy the daily bread of life that Jesus promises.

ACTION POINT:
For some reading this, you have a gigantic problem that to the world has “disaster” written all over it. If you are seeking first His righteousness, God will give you all that you need. You have God on your side—the King of kings, the Lord of lords. And don’t you forget it.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

His Searchlight Upon Our Hearts


BIBLE MEDITATION:
 “Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Christian author and speaker S. D. Gordon said, “In every man’s life there is a throne. And when self is on the throne, Christ is on the cross. But when Christ is on the throne, self is on the cross.”

There is something you hold to be the highest good that captivates your attention and controls your life. Your decisions are made in light of whatever this thing is. Is it Christ? Or something else?

God’s plan is not that Christ have “a place” in your life or that He have prominence in your life. Jesus Christ deserves and even demands preeminence in your life. That means there is no rebuttal, no refusal, and no rival.

ACTION POINT:
Ask God to reveal to you if there is anything is your life that is controlling your decisions, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Give Him permission to reveal that today.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Monday, February 6, 2017

It Is Yours, Lord—Everything


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Very early in our marriage, Joyce and I got on our knees and made a solemn vow before God that all we had would belong to Jesus Christ. We would not really own title to anything.
Now, we might hold title as far as men were concerned, but everything we owned would belong to the Lord. If He wanted it, He could have it. If He wanted to use it, if He wanted to destroy it, if He wanted to give it away, if He wanted to give more, that was His business.
Have you done that? Have you transferred everything to Christ? It’s not your fame, it’s your faith. It’s not your ability, it’s your availability. It’s not your scholarship, it’s your sacrifice.
ACTION POINT:
Stop now this moment and think about what you have. Are you willing to “transfer the title”? Tell the Lord Jesus Christ that He is the true owner of all you have—including your abilities.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Sunday, February 5, 2017

God's Faithfulness To Us

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  - Psalms 23

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one-to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  - Isaiah 53:6

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28

1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  - Isaiah 43:1-2

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. - Genesis 50:20

"The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. - Deuteronomy 28:7


Be so confident in God's faithfulness!
How can I see God's faithfulness to me?

God is your Defender.
God is our Shepherd.
We are His sheep.
We are weak and try to follow our own way.
We fail, but God is ever faithful!
Christ has laid down His life for us, His sheep.

God is sufficient.
We lack nothing!
He supplies our every need.
He is, He was and He will be!

God is your Deliverer. 
Valleys are not permanent.
He is with you during your struggles.
You will have hard seasons.
Satan tells you your troubles will never end, but we know different for our faith is in Christ. 
God the Creator will deliver you.

Shadows can't hurt me.
Death is a shadow.
Even death can't hurt you.
Death can't keep you.
Death is our beginning if you know Jesus as Lord.
We have victory over the grave!

God is your Destroyer.
We have victory over our enemies.
God is for us!
God is able!
Jesus has conquered death!!!

Thank you Pastor Kevin!!!