Do you live a praying life?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We are commanded to pray all the time. We’re supposed to pray when adding up prices in the grocery store line. We’re to pray when changing a tire, when singing a song, when teaching a little one how to read.

But how do we pray all the time? Think of a mother who has a child sick with a fever. Finally, the fever breaks and the mother and child settle down for some much-needed sleep. Not a noise from the television, from the street, or from the phone could awaken that mother. But one whimper from her child and she’s awake, right? That’s because even when she is asleep, she is in tune with that child—just as we are to be with God…constantly communing and attuned to His voice.

ACTION POINT:

Prayer to us should be as natural and continual as breathing. Author Jennifer Kennedy Dean asks an important question: “Do you ‘have a prayer life’—or are you living a praying life?” Think about the difference.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The One True Living God or an Idol

Be careful whom you seek!

There is eternal consequences!

One choice brings heaven but the other brings death, destruction and eternal hell.

While you have your being, choose and follow wisely.

This world is filled with darkness.

There is a Light that shines.

Christ alone!

He forgives you, He restores you, He brings salvation to those who repent.

Serve the living God!

Share the gospel!

5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 

6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. 

7 I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.  - Isaiah 45:5-7

14 Thus says the LORD: "The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: 'Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.'" 

15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. 

16 All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. 

17 But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. 

18 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other. 

19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right. 

20 "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. 

21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. 

22 "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 

23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.' 

24 "Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. 

25 In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory."  - Isaiah 45:14-25

9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.

10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?

11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint.

13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.

14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.

15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.

16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!"

17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!"

18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, "Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?"

20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" - Isaiah 44:9-20

1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 

7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" 

8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),

9 then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. - Hebrews 10:1-10

Worship in a Lightning Storm

“For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.” (Luke 17:24)

I was flying at night from Chicago to Minneapolis, almost alone on the plane. The pilot announced that there was a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan and into Wisconsin. He would skirt it to the west to avoid turbulence.

As I sat there staring out into the total blackness on the east side of the plane, suddenly the whole sky was brilliant with light, and a cavern of white clouds fell away four miles beneath the plane and then vanished.

A second later, a mammoth white tunnel of light exploded from north to south across the horizon, and again vanished into blackness. Soon the lightning was almost constant, and volcanoes of light burst up out of cloud ravines and from behind distant white mountains of clouds.

I sat there shaking my head almost in unbelief. O Lord, if these are but the sparks from the sharpening of your sword, what will be the day of your appearing! And I remembered the words of Christ: “As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24).

Even now as I recollect that sight, the word glory is full of feeling for me. I thank God that again and again he has awakened my heart to desire him, to see him, and to sit down to the feast of Christian Hedonism and worship the King of Glory. The banquet hall is very large. Come.

John Piper 

What’s your #1 priority today?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

Acts 22:15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What’s more important in your life today? Seeing the next episode of your favorite TV series? Or asking an unsaved neighbor over for a chance to love them to Jesus? Playing a round of golf, or visiting your unsaved father? Going shopping with friends, or taking time to read the Bible to a lost person in a nursing home? Someone wisely observed, “We manage to make time for what’s really important to us.”

Friend, time is running out. Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

We will not be witnessing in heaven. That’s our earthly duty and privilege now. None of us knows how many hours we have left. We must seize the golden opportunities God gives us daily to witness.

ACTION POINT:

A line from “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” is our challenge: “Oh, be swift, my soul to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Soul’s Final Feast

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

God is not unresponsive to the contrite longing of the soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalm 30:11–12).

But our joy does not just rise from the backward glance in gratitude. It also rises from the forward glance in hope: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5–6).

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

In the end, the heart longs not for any of God’s good gifts, but for God himself. To see him and know him and be in his presence is the soul’s final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience:

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

“In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4).

John Piper 

We want to know why…

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

Isaiah 50:10

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

We can endure almost anything if we know why it is happening. Wouldn’t you agree? But we don’t always get the luxury of knowing why things happen.

You can’t be a pastor as long as I have without having heartbroken questions asked of you. “Why did my baby die?” “Why did I lose my business?” “Why am I so sick?”

Job felt this way. He said, “I deserve an answer. Why is this happening to me?! The bottom has fallen out of my life. And I don’t know why.”

ACTION POINT:

Have you ever been plunged into darkness? Don’t get the idea that if you’re right with God, you’ll have all the answers. Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Wake Up America Part 2

When the foundations are being destroyed!

if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  - Psalm 11:3

The good news!

Three points of good news!

1. God is still on His throne!

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.  - Psalm 11:4

Sin abounds.

Crime is rampant.

Man has become violent.

Our government parties can't get along to accomplish the good for its people.

We are spiraling out of control, but God is still on His throne.

Demons are loose!

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

We live in a sin filled world.

But praise God is still on His throne.

He's working His perfect plan through His perfect power.

2. One day the record will be set straight.

5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 

6 Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.  - Psalm 11:5-6

Stay true to your Christian values.

Love God and love people with incredible passion.

Do not be intimidated by the enemy or his crowd.

Remember one day God will set the record straight!

10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

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 20:10-15

3. This world is not my home!

For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.  - Psalm 11:7

" God never said the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile". Max Lucado

Are you so overwhelmed that you can't function?

Hold on to this verse!

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. - Philippians 3:20-21

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. - John 14:1-3

How do we repair the foundations?

1. Repent and do the first works.

Judgement first begins in the house of God!

1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. - Revelation 2:1-5

2. Resist the enemy!

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. - 1 Peter 5:8-9

Stand firm in your faith!

3. Put on the full armor of God!

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:11-12

4. Claim the blood of Jesus!

There's power in the blood of Jesus.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. - Revelation 12:10-11

5. Look to heaven!

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.  - Psalm 121:1-2

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.

13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. - Revelation 19:11-16

Thanks Pastor Kevin!!