A meeting with God

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek . Hebrews 6:19-20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Today we have a new place to meet God one-on-one. In the Old Testament, that place was the Temple, and that temple had three parts: the outer court, the inner court, and the innermost court called the “Holy of Holies.” No ordinary person—only the high priest—could go in there, and he only once a year. God filled that inner sanctum with His presence.

The high priest, and only the high priest, would enter the Holy of Holies, lifting up a corner of the heavy veil and slipping under. Then he would make atonement for the people by sprinkling blood upon the Mercy Seat. If anyone went in without the blood, he met sudden death.

But when Jesus, the Lamb of God, was slain, all that changed. The heavy veil of the temple was torn in two at Jesus’ death, and it was torn from top to bottom so no one would think a human being had done it. By His death, Jesus was saying that no more animal sacrifices were necessary. Now, every believer can enter the Holy of Holies.

ACTION POINT:

Today we have a new “Holy of Holies.” Have you been there today? Meet with God in the inner sanctum of your heart.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Glorify God by Giving Thanks

It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)

Gratitude to God is a joyful emotion. We have a sense of joyful indebtedness for his grace. So in a sense in the very emotion of gratitude, we are still the beneficiaries. But by its very nature, gratitude glorifies the giver. When we feel thankful, we acknowledge our need and God’s beneficence, God’s fullness, the riches of his glory.

Just like I humble myself and exalt the server in the restaurant when I say, “Thank you,” so I humble myself and exalt God when I feel gratitude to him. The difference, of course, is that I really am infinitely in debt to God for his grace, and everything he does for me is free and undeserved.

But the point is that gratitude glorifies the giver. It glorifies God. And this is Paul’s final goal in all his labors. Yes, his labors are for the sake of the church — the good of the church. But the church is not the highest goal. Listen again: “It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” All for your sake — for the glory of God!

The wonderful thing about the gospel is that the response it requires from us for God’s glory is also the response that is most natural and joyful; namely, thankfulness for grace. God’s all-supplying glory in giving and our humble gladness in receiving are not in competition. Joyful thankfulness glorifies God.

A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are the same life. And what makes them one is thankfulness.

John Piper 

Do you have a difficult boss?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Colossians 3:22

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you work for a difficult person?

“Yes! That slave driver, penny pincher, that bully!”

Well, let’s see what the Bible says about that slave driver:

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward [harsh]” (1 Peter 2:18).

“You mean I’m supposed to submit to that two-legged devil?”

That’s right. And you are to serve him/her.

ACTION POINT:

You can shut the mouth of criticism and bring that one to Jesus Christ when you practice the mightiest force upon the face of the earth—submission through obedience.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Hold Fast to Your Hope

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17–18)

Why does the writer of Hebrews encourage us to hold fast to our hope? If the final enjoyment of our hope was obtained and irrevocably secured by the blood of Jesus, then why does God tell us to hold fast?

The answer is this:

What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.

What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering transformation of our wills so that we want to hold fast.

What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast.

What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation.

He died so that you would do exactly what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It is not foolishness, it is the gospel, to tell a sinner to do what Christ alone can enable him to do; namely, hope in God.

So, I exhort you with all my heart: Reach out and take hold of that for which you have been taken hold of by Christ. Hold it fast with all your might — which is his might. His blood-bought gift of your obedience.

John Piper 

Always be ready to give an answer

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your faith. In seminary, we call this “apologetics.” Contrary to what you might think, this does not mean you are to apologize for your faith! Instead, “apologetics” comes from the Greek word that means “to give a defense, as in front of a judge.”

Can you defend your faith? It is not enough for you to demonstrate your faith; you must also defend your faith. If you ran into someone who was dying, and he asked you to share your faith with him, could you? You need to be ready.

ACTION POINT:

You need to also be reasonable. You need to study God’s Word and know what it says about salvation, sin, heaven, and hell. Are you ready? If not, get ready today. There’s no better time.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

When God Swears by God

Since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” (Hebrews 6:13–14)

There is one Person whose worth and honor and dignity and preciousness and greatness and beauty and reputation is more than all other values combined — ten thousand times more — namely, God himself. So, when God takes an oath, he swears by himself.

If he could have gone higher, he would have gone higher. Why? To give you strong encouragement in your hope. What God is saying in swearing by himself is that it is as impossible that he will break his word of promise to bless us as it is that he will ever despise himself.

God is the greatest value in the universe. There is nothing more valuable or wonderful than God. So, God swears by God. And in doing that he says, “I mean for you to have as much confidence in me as it is possible to have.” For if more were possible, Hebrews 6:13 says, he would have given us that. “Since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself.”

Now this is our God, the God who is reaching as high as he can reach to inspire your unshakable hope in him. So, flee to God for refuge. Turn from all the superficial, self-defeating hopes of the world, and put your hope in God. There is nothing and no one like God as a refuge and a rock of hope.

John Piper 

How to wake up your community

BIBLE MEDITATION:

And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Why is love so important?

First, because it is the greatest virtue. Love supersedes faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Second, because it is the greatest command. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Third, love is the greatest testimony. What is really going to make your community wake up and believe that your church is really the church of the Lord Jesus Christ? The size of your building? The way your lawn looks? The signage at the street? No. The way you love God and show love to others.

ACTION POINT:

Nothing can motivate a lost sinner like the heartfelt love of Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers