Sunday, November 12, 2017

What Is True Humility?

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” James 4:10

Have you ever wondered what humility is all about? True humility is not thinking negatively about yourself. It is agreeing with what God says about you. The grace of God will exalt a person without inflating him and humble a person without debasing him. I am what I am because of Christ. In this life, you are not going to be sinless, but as you deal with sin in your life, you can come closer to being free from sin. Sinless? No. Blameless? Yes. As you confess and stay prayed up, you can be blameless.

Do you have a concordance in your Bible? Do a study on the subject of “humility.” Start with Philippians 2:5-11.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Power Of The Gospel


For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. - Romans 1:16

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.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. - John 1:1-18

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, - Romans 1:1-5

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.
5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. - Jude 1:3-5


Sola Scriptura means scripture alone.
Our Salvation is through Christ alone, shared through God's Almighty word in the form of the Scriptures.

During the Reformation, ordinary people challenged what they had been taught by Church leaders. They hungered for the truth of the Gospel. Even before this period, there were Saints who searched the Scriptures for the light. In general though, the masses were not taught the wonder that is salvation through Christ alone. They were taught to blindly follow priest and their dictates, no questions asked. 

Moses brought the law which made us aware of our sin.

Please read and study your bible. The Bible is the living word of God. Do not blindly trust anyone with this gift in which God reveals Himself to you. How can you know the truth without God's revelation? Even today, many are led astray by false doctrine. There are many false religions, there are many who twist God's word and many who set themselves up as gods. The final authority in which we hope is The Lord Jesus Christ!

Showing Genuine Love For Others


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:
Can a person donate to the poor and not have love? Can a person work in a soup kitchen for the homeless and not have love? Yes.
You say, “A person wouldn’t do that!” Oh yes, they would…if they had a guilty conscience. Sometimes it is neater to write a check or donate some used things than to give of our time.


Do you know what the world needs? Not more money, though I’m sure they’d be glad to take it. First Corinthians 13:3 says, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving of yourself to others.


ACTION POINT:
Ask God to show you the ways you can show His genuine love to others.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Friday, November 10, 2017

Accusation vs. Conviction: Learn to Tell the Difference!



BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:7-8


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
The devil accuses you of sin. The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin. Do you know the difference? The devil accuses you to drive you from Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts to draw you to Christ.


The devil wants you to get under a load of guilt so you’ll say, “I’m no good. I can’t live the Christian life. There’s something wrong with me. God doesn’t hear my prayers. It doesn’t do me any good to go to church.”


When you believe those lies, you let the devil drive you away from God! He accuses you to destroy you.


The Holy Spirit convicts you to reclaim you. He is trying to correct you and bring you back, that you may know the fullness of joy. The Holy Spirit draws you to Christ that you may confess your sins and be cleansed!


ACTION POINT:
Confess, be cleansed, and go your way rejoicing!


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Thorns


7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10


Satan afflicts God's people with intentions of destruction, death and misery.
But in the midst of these torments, God is working to save.

9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,
12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. - 1 Corinthians 4:9-13

31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." - Luke 22:31-32

Our hope is in Christ alone!

9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. - 2 Corinthians 1:9-10

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.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, - 2 Corinthians 4:7-13

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
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. - 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

So where are you placing your hope?

Precious Lord, keep us from chasing emptiness. Let us be filled with the abiding hope that is Christ. Amen

Shake Off Fear—Embrace Blessing!


BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Did you know that fear can cause you to forget things? Now, I’m not talking about forgetting a phone number or someone’s name, though it may cause you to forget things like that. Instead, I’m referring to fear that causes you to forget the blessings, the anointing, the power of God—all these possessions you have because you are saved!


It happened to Timothy, who was mightily gifted and graced by God for the ministry that God had given him.  Yet he forgot this in the midst of fear, and Paul had to remind him (see 2 Timothy 1:6). He had taken his eyes off of God and focused on fear so much that he couldn’t see anything else.


Let me tell you something friend: You are tremendously blessed! If you get your mind distracted by fear, then you will fail to see your blessings in Christ. Fear will blow out every light in your soul, take the blue out of your sky, and the joy out of your life.


ACTION POINT:
Friend, wake up and count your blessings. Rejoice, for you are in Christ!


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

No More Running from Bugaboos!

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God has endowed us with His power and enriched us with His love. Not only that, He has enlightened us with a sound mind. Now, this phrase “sound mind” does not mean the opposite of insanity. It actually means discipline and self-control. Along with that, it is the ability to discern between truth and falsehood.


So often, the devil gets us running from bugaboos. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Have you ever heard of phobias? This is what this verse is talking about.


ACTION POINT:
We must pull back the mask of darkness from the devil’s ploys and expose them for what they are and see the things that count in eternity. God has given you a sound mind by trusting in His Word, not in the devil’s schemes.


LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers