The Mission of the Church

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A man and his wife were walking through a wheat field in Alberta, Canada, early one evening with their young son. They forgot for a moment that their son was with them, and then suddenly they realized he wasn’t there.

They searched to no avail, and then ran back to the village to get help. Many people returned with the couple to search through the night. Then one man said, “Let’s lock arms and we’ll sweep across the field.” Then there was a cry: “I found him!” And everyone rushed together to the lifeless form of the little fellow who had died of exposure.

I wonder if there are people who are going to slip into a Christ-less eternity because we, as a church, haven’t joined hands soon enough.

ACTION POINT:

What are you doing in your church to welcome newcomers, disciple younger believers, or minister to the needs of others? Ask God to give you opportunities to redeem the 168 hours He has given you this week in selfless acts of love for others.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

In Him-With Him-By Him

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:7

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, - John 8:31

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. - John 14:13

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  - Psalm 37:4

For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.  - Job 22:26

then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."  - Isaiah 58:14

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. - Philippians 3:1

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. - Philippians 4:4

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  - Psalm 91:1

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah  - Psalm 32:7

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.  - Psalm 121:5

For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,  - Isaiah 25:4

Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.  - Isaiah 32:2

Abide-Remain, wait

Delight-joy, gladness

Dwell-inhabit, indwell

Hold On with Both Hands

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?” James 2:5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Are you facing a struggle in your life today? Perhaps there is a decision that you need to make, but don’t know what to do. Friend, let me tell you the way to find what God wants for you.

Take hold of the Lord with both hands and in faith tell Him, “Sink or swim, live or die, once and for all, now and forever, I’m going for You, God.”

John Dryden, the famous English poet, said, “Reason saw not, till faith sprung the light.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “Faith goes up the stairs that love has made and looks out the window which hope has opened.”

ACTION POINT:

You don’t know what God can do through you until you step out in faith. Take that step today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

What Separates You from the Love of God?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

A historian tells us that after the Spanish Inquisition, Napoleon’s soldiers uncovered a dungeon. They went down into the dungeon and found a skeleton with chains still on it. To their surprise, they looked on the wall and saw a cross. At the apex of the cross, was the word “height.” At the foot of the cross, was the word “depth.” And on either side of the cross were the words “breadth” and “length.” To this prisoner, the cross was a picture of the dimensions of God’s love. God’s love is expansive and everlasting.

ACTION POINT:

Jesus Christ went to the Cross to demonstrate the depth and height, length and breadth of the love of God. God went to extremes to show His love for you. What are you doing today to lead others to Jesus Christ?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Upheld by HIS Hand

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:

In World War II, General Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright led a gallant but vain fight that led him to become a prisoner of war. For months, the Japanese mocked him and beat him. Then one day, the news arrived that the Allied Forces had won. The prison guards thought Wainwright hadn’t heard the news, so they approached him to inflict their daily habit of abuse. Though Wainwright had grown frail and weak, he stood up straight and tall and said, “From now on, I’m giving the orders around here.”

The devil doesn’t want you to know the Good News that Jesus has won the victory, either. But you must resist him and claim the power of God in your life.

ACTION POINT:

Where do you think you’d be if Psalm 18:35 said, “I have saved myself. My hand has held me up. My gentleness has made me great”? Praise God that your salvation is from Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Dead and Buried

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

One of the grandest blessings in the entire Bible is often missed by believers. It is the burial of Jesus Christ! That’s right! The burial of Jesus is a blessing to you. Because not only have we died with Him, we have been buried with Him.

When Jewish people died in Bible times, they were immediately embalmed with special oils and wrapped in linen. The body was hidden and buried in a tomb. That is what Jesus has done with our old body of sin.

Not only have we been crucified with Christ, we have been buried with Christ. Why the emphasis? So that you will not be haunted by the ghost of guilt. Your old life is not just dead, it’s buried!

ACTION POINT:

The devil will try to remind you what you were. Don’t let him. Don’t go prowling around in the dead bones of your old life. It is gone by the grace of God!

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Come To the One Who Eternally Satisfies

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,

23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. - John 5:21-24

Nothing is more satisfying than Jesus and what He accomplished by His death on the cross.

Because of His death, subsequent resurrection and atonement, by faith, we are assured eternal life.

Definition of atonement 

Reconciliation, our sins are blood covered, we are one with God through Christ atonement.

Through Christ we are forgiven because He alone was worthy before God.

Christ was our substitute, there was no other that would satisfy the wrath of God toward sinful man.

So you see, you will never be good enough. 

You will never do enough good deeds.

Your brownie points will never add up to enough.

The scales will never balance in your favor without Christ!!

You are unworthy in every way but praise God, Christ is worthy!!

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21

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. - Ephesians 2:8-9 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. - Romans 3:23-25

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. - Romans 5:8-10

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:17-18

35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. - John 3:35-36

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

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17

Don't be found without Christ as your Lord and Savior!

Consider the cross and what it means to you!

Be satisfied eternally through His gift.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:11-15