Never Knowing The Difference

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When a person dies, his spirit departs. And I’m afraid that’s what has happened to many churches: the Holy Spirit has departed.

The organism has become an organization and the movement has become a monument.

Dr. Carl Bates said years ago something that shook me to my foundation: “If the Holy Spirit were to suddenly die [now, of course, you know that's impossible. He cannot die] but “if the Holy Spirit were to suddenly die, most of our churches would meet next Sunday and go right on and never know the difference.”

I wonder if that’s not true about many churches. The Holy Spirit has not died, but He has departed. I've been in some churches where you’d think that Hallelujahs and Amens cost $100 apiece. You just can't find them. There’s a sort of barren stillness. But I believe there's something contagious about the Holy Spirit of God. 

ACTION POINT:

The Bible says where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  I don't think we have to fry in fanaticism or freeze in formalism, but I believe we ought to have a burning, passionate, blazing, emotional love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Revive Us

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.  - Proverbs 16:20

then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, - 2 Peter 2:9

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. - 1 John 4:1-6

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 

10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."  - Jeremiah 17:9-10

26 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.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. - John 14:26-27

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.  - Isaiah 57:15

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? 

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.  - Psalm 71:19-20

The evil one wreaks havoc.

He looks for a tiny opening that he rips into a deep dark hole of despair.

He will knock you off your feet.

He will bring you to your knees. 

He will disturb your peace.

He will take you to places you do not want to go.

These struggles are real.

These struggles cause pain.

These struggles can lead to sin.

We have to cling to Jesus, His promise, His sovereignty and the fact that Satan is defeated.

That battle has been won, hallelujah!

Our hope is in Christ!

Praise Him!

The Father's Wealth

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And I will give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:28

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I remember reading a story about a wealthy Roman who had a lavish estate, and he had a servant named Marcellus. When the wealthy Roman died, he wrote his will and left everything to his slave. The wealthy Roman also had a son, and for some reason he had had a disagreement with him, so in his will he said, “I have left my entire estate to my slave Marcellus. To my son, I leave him only one thing. He can choose any one thing from my estate he wants, but that's all.” The son said, “Very well, I choose Marcellus.”

Here at the end of Revelation 2, our Lord gives another sweet promise to those who overcome (v. 28):  "And I will give him," that is, the overcomer, "the morning star." Jesus is that morning star.  What He's saying is, “You'll receive the greatest reward of all, you'll receive Me, the morning star.”  Do you know what the morning star is? It’s the star that appears just after the darkest hour of the night. 

ACTION POINT:

It's getting very dark. Praise God, it's getting gloriously dark, and before long that morning star is going to appear.  Jesus is the morning star. If you choose Jesus, with Jesus comes all the Father's wealth.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Set Free and Redeemed

The battle is won.

Victory is His.

You are set free by the Lamb of God !

According to the mercy of God and by His power bestowed on His Son to be the only worthy sacrifice to satisfy your sin guilt, you have been redeemed!

So what will you do with this gift?

Will you call on Jesus? 

Declare your sin, ask for mercy and repent! 

But this gift goes far beyond your gift. 

You have a command from Jesus to share this gospel with the world.

God alone is sovereign over all things.

He will accomplish His purpose!

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,  - Revelation 5:9

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name.  - Isaiah 65:1

9 "For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. 

10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.  - Isaiah 48:9-11

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.  - Habakkuk 2:14

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

5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:4-6

6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 

7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."  - Isaiah 43:6-7

7 Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 

8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power.  - Psalm 106:7-8

15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." - Romans 9:15-17

  

Characteristics Of A Godly Troublemaker

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. - Acts 17:1-9

Are you turning the world upside for Jesus?

You must have integrity.

Thessalonica was like our present time world.

Full of all matter of sin, including sexual sin, slavery, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography, paganism, idolatry, thievery, murder etc.

The Christians of that time lived among them but were set apart by their integrity. 

They find themselves in the flesh yet not living after the flesh.

Even in the midst of sin, God raised up His people who ran from sin.

Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright.  - Proverbs 29:10

Evil sinful men will seek to destroy you!

They take their road into sin but we run.

We follow Jesus no matter the cost.

For us, there is no turning back.

It is your decision.

God is faithful.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.  - Proverbs 10:9

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.  - Proverbs 11:3

Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked.  - Proverbs 13:6

We may slip to sin but we repent and God forgives.

Live as if the whole world and God sees you in your darkest moment and you do the right thing.

Living with integrity

Attend church-regularly

Read your bible-regularly

Pray-regularly

Handle your money generously in tithing 

Love your children/grandchildren unconditionally 

Fight for your marriage fiercely 

Live for Jesus aggressively 

Thanks Pastor Kevin!

Those Who Hold Fast Will One Day Rule

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” Revelation 2:25-27

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

In these days there will be more temptation to get away from the Word of God, the blood atonement, and salvation by grace through faith. Churches will be under attack by seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. Here in Jesus’ message to Thyatira He says, “You hold fast till I come.” 

Even though it seems to be tough, remember this, dear friend—the saints are going to have their day.  Look in verse 26.  One of these days Jesus is going to come and rule this world, and we are going to rule with Him. 

If we suffer with Him, we'll also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). We are even going to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). It may not be long before Jesus comes and His millennial reign begins here on this earth. The Bible clearly says that it's going to be a powerful reign (v. 27).

ACTION POINT:

Don't give up, don't let down. Hold fast, stick to it, stay with the Word of God.  Hold fast that old truth. Hold fast to this old Book and don't let go.

LWF Dr . Adrian Rogers

Not Fearful but Faithful

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“…and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10b

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

If others in past centuries—and some even today— have reddened the mouths of lions, languished in prisons, and been scorched in the flames, can we not go out today, back to the school, back to the office, and live for Jesus Christ?  God help us that we shall.  In this evil hour, we’ll have revival when there are men and women, Christians with burning hearts, brimming eyes, and bursting lips, who fear nothing but sin and who love nothing but Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT:

Who among us will be faithful unto death? We’re not to be fearful; we’re to be faithful.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers