Thirsty? Here’s the real thing

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Jesus answered and said unto her, “Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever been outside working in your garden or bicycling or playing football and become very thirsty? You go inside and perhaps grab a soda. It tastes great and seems to hit the spot.

You return to your activity; you get thirsty again and go for another soda. It’s satisfying at first, but just doesn’t seem to keep you quenched. Finally you fill a tall glass with water and you’re satisfied.

Why? If you look at the ingredients on the soda container, it says it’s artificially colored and/or flavored and/or sweetened. It doesn’t have that touch of authenticity.

ACTION POINT:

Many are trying to satisfy their thirst with things that are artificial when what we all need is the water of life! When was the last time you quenched your spiritual thirst with the sparkling refreshment of time spent with God?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus I Believe

Standing on Your promises

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,

22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

23 But I call God to witness against me-it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth.

24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. - 2 Corinthians 1:20-24

Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. - Joshua 21:45

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,

9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name."  - Romans 15:8-9

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.

17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. - Galatians 3:16-26

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. - Hebrews 8:1-6

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. - 2 Peter 1:3-4

God’s Design in Detours

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

Have you ever wondered what God is doing while you are looking in the wrong place for something you lost and needed very badly? He knows exactly where it is, and yet he is letting you look in the wrong place.

I once needed a quote for a new edition of my book Desiring God. I knew I had read it in Richard Wurmbrand. I thought it was in his devotional book, Reaching Toward the Heights. I could almost see it on the right hand side of the facing pages. But I couldn’t find it.

But while I was looking, I was riveted on his devotional for November 30. As I read it, I said, “This is why the Lord let me keep looking for my quote in the ‘wrong’ place.” Here was a story that illustrated perfectly that nothing is wasted that we do in the name of Jesus — nothing, not even looking for a quote in the wrong place. Here’s what I read:

In a home for retarded children, Catherine was nurtured twenty years. The child had been [mentally handicapped] from the beginning, and had never spoken a word, but only vegetated. She either gazed quietly at the walls or made distorted movements. To eat, to drink, to sleep, were her whole life. She seemed not to participate at all in what happened around her. A leg had to be amputated. The staff wished Cathy well and hoped that the Lord would soon take her to Himself.

One day the doctor called the director to come quickly. Catherine was dying. When both entered the room, they could not believe their senses. Catherine was singing Christian hymns she had heard and had picked up, just those suitable for death beds. She repeated over and over again the German song, “Where does the soul find its fatherland, its rest?” She sang for half an hour with transfigured face, then she passed away quietly. (Taken from The Best Is Still to Come, Wuppertal: Sonne und Shild)

Is anything that is done in the name of Christ really wasted?

My frustrated, futile search for what I thought I needed was not wasted. Singing to this disabled child was not wasted. And your agonizing, unplanned detour is not a waste — not if you look to the Lord for his unexpected work, and do everything in his name (Colossians 3:17).

John Piper 

Freedom and Liberty in Worship

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Formalism and worship are two separate things. Worship is not really quiet music and everyone sitting still and not smiling. That, in and of itself, is not worship. Some people say, “Well that was a dignified service.” Perhaps they don’t know the difference between reverence and rigor mortis.

When you are worshiping the Lord, there should be both freedom and order.

If you study worship in the Bible, you’ll find worship was marked with brightness, spontaneity, and joy. Read the Psalms. Read the accounts of the early Christians who were “continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house; [they] did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).

Paul encouraged the early church in Ephesians 5 to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

They had something that fire couldn’t burn, swords couldn’t kill, water couldn’t drown, and jails couldn’t hold. They knew the holiness, the loveliness, and the glory of God in a life-changing way.

ACTION POINT:

Read Psalm 5:7 and 29:2 and take some time today to worship God in joy, in spirit and in truth.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Bedrock of Your Assurance

God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

The Bible speaks of our election — God’s choosing us — in Christ before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4) before we had done anything good or evil (Romans 9:11). Therefore, our election is unconditional in the strictest sense. Neither our faith nor our obedience is the basis of it. It is free and utterly undeserved.

On the other hand, dozens of passages in the Bible speak of our final salvation (as opposed to our election in eternity past) as conditional upon a changed heart and life. So, the question arises, How can I have the assurance that I will persevere in the faith and holiness necessary for inheriting eternal life?

The answer is that assurance is rooted in our election. Second Peter 1:10 says, “Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” Divine election is the foundation of God’s commitment to save me, and therefore that he will undertake to work in me by sanctifying grace what his electing grace has begun.

This is the meaning of the new covenant. Everyone who believes in Jesus is a secure beneficiary of the new covenant, because Jesus said in Luke 22:20, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” That is, by my blood I secure the new covenant for all who are mine.

In the new covenant God does not merely command obedience; he gives it. “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezekiel 36:27; cf. 11:20). Those are new covenant promises.

Election is God’s eternal commitment to do this for his people. So, election guarantees that those whom God justifies by faith he will most assuredly glorify (Romans 8:30). This means that he will unfailingly work in us all the conditions laid down for glorification.

Election is the final ground of assurance because, since it is God’s commitment to save, it is also God’s commitment to enable all that is necessary for salvation.

John Piper 

Was Jesus really human?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name. Philippians 2:8-9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Sometimes we downplay Jesus’ humanity to prove that Jesus was God. But if you think of Jesus just masquerading as a human instead of truly being a human, then you’ve missed out on a blessing. 

You see, it is the humanity of Jesus Christ that teaches us how we are to live as Christians in this world.

And how did He live? He said, “He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29).

Jesus lived in submission to His Father’s authority. And because He chose to submit, God gave Him authority.

ACTION POINT:

Here is a principle we should learn to live by: We will never be “over” until, like Jesus, we are willing to be “under.” Authority does not develop on its own. It always comes from a higher source of power.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Did You Know You Are Forgiven?

In a perfect world there would be no sin!

God created the garden of Eden to be the beginning of perfection. 

However, through the sin of one man, sin came to all!

Therefore all have sinned and are headed for eternal damnation.

God, in His precious mercy, gave us forgiveness through Christ, for in Him alone can you be redeemed. 

There is no other way that God will except.

Your works for salvation are non existent before God.

There are no works adequate!

Won't you humbly repent, bow, in faith, before Christ for His incredible grace filled gift? 

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. - Galatians 1:3-5

No Other Gospel 

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-

7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:6-10

Justified By Faith

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;

16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!

18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.

19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. - Galatians 2:15-21