How to Be “Free Indeed”

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Living a pure life means surrendering to Jesus Christ. But some people don’t want to surrender because they say they want to be free. What if a train said, “I don’t want to run on these tracks, I want to be free”? Then off through the meadow it would go.

What if a kite said, “I want to be free. I don’t want to be tied to a string”? The string breaks and down it goes. What if a tree said, “I don’t want to be planted in the earth. I want to be free”? And it is jerked up from the earth and dies.

ACTION POINT:

Everything that is truly free functions best when it functions as God made it. God made you to know Him and to love Him.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Are You Willing to Be Part of the Solution?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” 1 Peter 2:12

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I hear Christians often complain about the immorality of movies and television, but who is doing something about it? Are you? Are you a part of the solution?

We are to be salt and light. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

ACTION POINT:

Do you have on your prayer list the names of producers, directors, writers, actors, or journalists? Are you witnessing to these people? Are you loving them to Christ? Are you writing letters of support when good programming is produced? Are you writing letters to advertisers who promote immoral programming that you disagree with their choices?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

To All The Saints In Christ Jesus

Is every Christian a Saint?

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:1-2

Saint means holy ones.

It is not a special class of people.

who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, - 2 Timothy 1:9

We are called to be holy in Christ Jesus.

Not by our works but because of God's grace and purpose.

God gave this calling to us in Christ before the ages began.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love - Ephesians 1:4

We are chosen to be holy and blameless in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, - Colossians 3:12

Saints are set apart by God in Christ Jesus.

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- - Philippians 3:8-9

We are to be found in Christ not dependent upon our righteousness from the law but by faith in Christ and that righteousness is from God and depends on faith.

In union with Christ through faith from God.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. - Philippians 3:12

We press on to make it our own through Christ.

We strive to be Christ- like.

We want to morally change.

Christ is the Anointed One, the Messiah.

We are servants to Christ.

Thanks  Pastor John!!!

Free Love or First Love?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and wilkl remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:4-5a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The Sixties ushered in the sexual revolution. Now tell me one more time how “free love” was to bring peace and harmony to our world?

People are being sucked into swirling sewers of sin. Homes are coming apart at the seams. Precious little unborn babies are being put to death. Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant.

The time is half past late, and we must return to our “first love.” It’s time to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds; and love our neighbors as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-39).

ACTION POINT:

It’s time to introduce people to the “free love” offered by our Savior when He died to forgive us our sins and purchase our salvation for eternity.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Relief of a Clear Conscience

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Acts 24:16

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What does it mean to have a clear conscience? As far as you know, there is nothing wrong between you and God. And there is nothing wrong between you and anybody else.

Do you jump every time the doorbell rings? Do you cringe when you see a police squad car approaching you? In Psalm 51:3, David knew the hounding of a bad conscience when he said, “My sin is ever before me.” Trust me, no torture the poets name can match that fierce unutterable pain of a bad conscience. You know you’ve sinned and yet you have done nothing about it.

The trials of life are easier to face when you have a clear conscience. Then when something bad happens you can know that you haven’t done anything wrong.

ACTION POINT:

Is there something nagging at you—something you know you need to confess to your Heavenly Father? What about something between you and someone else. There is no better day than today to make it right.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Closing The Connection

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto Him.” Psalm 4:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If ever there were a reason for you and I to pray, it would be that Jesus told us to pray (see Luke 18:1b). Yet you may wonder why you need to talk to God about your needs since “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness. It is part of God’s grand scheme that we have been given the privilege to cooperate with God in prayer.

ACTION POINT:

Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray “in the Spirit.” Any prayer that the Holy Spirit lays upon your heart will be answered, because the prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven. We just close the circuit.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

A Word for Students

BIBLE MEDITATION:

 “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Our government has tried to judicially remove God from the public school. But do you know that will never be done? Because you can’t keep Christianity out of schools unless you keep Christians out.

If you are a student, let me challenge you to speak out boldly and confidently about Jesus Christ. You are His special messenger of love to teachers, fellow students, custodians, cafeteria workers, and more.

Some of these people may have gone to church on Sunday, but all they found was a cold, dead religion. They didn’t find Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Will you be Jesus to them this week? Others may have never stepped into a church; will you invite them to your church?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers